Vierna looked at the villagers, their expressions plunging into a pit of gloom. Some parents clutched their children close; others stared with naked disgust and simmering rage. A few flicked their magic runes, only to have their partners seize their hands and force them down.
The tainted leaves drifting from the nearby Schattwald Forest veiled the sunset in an eerie shroud, draping everything in desperation and contempt.
The elven chief stepped forward. “Apologies, Herr Korrn, but we have paid according to obligation… any more, and we will not survive the win—”
“We are in the middle of a war!” Korrn roared. “Do you think Haustwitch Barony hasn’t contributed? We’ve bled ourselves dry so that Einhartturm could still stand. I personally haven’t eaten in days because of the crippling taxes they impose.”
The elf looked at him wearily.
“It’s already generous that you’re exempt from levy duty,” Korrn spat. “You only pay labor tax, because you nonhumans are so worthless in combat. But that doesn’t change the fact that you must contribute.”
Lina and Vierna stepped forward. “Herr Korrn—apologies, but the book already—”
Korrn slapped both girls. “Fucking bitches. I told you not to argue with me in front of these peasants.”
Vierna had expected Korrn’s violence; in a grim way, it would cement the villagers’ trust in them. Still, seeing Lina struck burned through her. She her emotion almost get the better of her, prompting her to flick a rune on her right hand, conjuring her gun and put Korrn out of his misery—her eyes flamed like a pyre that could swallow the whole forest.
But Lina knew what Vierna was thinking, with haste she gripped her hand just as the first shimmer of blueish white rune started to manifest. It stilled the rage with a single look, and signaled that Vierna must stay calm or risk losing their mission. Vierna swallowed and forced herself to breathe.
“Herr Korrn, we have nothing left. I swear by the three gods of the Elves—” the elf began.
“Your oath is worth less than shit to me, elf.” Korrn spat in the elf’s direction. “Soldiers—assist my staff. Go to their homes. Confiscate every cloth, every dish, anything to make up for their lack of contribution.”
The villagers murmured angrily. The militia exchanged uneasy looks.
“The fuck are you waiting for? Scram!”
The villagers slunk back to their humble homes, preparing for yet another round of extortion.
“Mirelle, do your damn job already.”
Mirelle brushed imaginary dust from her clothes. “Understood, Herr Korrn.”
Korrn turned to Vierna and Lina. “And since the baron refused to grant me more officers, it seems I’ll use you two pieces of trash to search their houses. Do it. Redeem your insubordination, and maybe I’ll think about not firing your sorry asses.”
With that, Korrn strode back into the meeting hall. Both girls rose, and Vierna noticed blood trickling from Lina’s mouth.
Vierna wanted to call Lina by her real name, but she couldn’t risk blowing their cover.
“Aline, are you all right?” she asked, her hand hovering near the wound.
“I’m fine, His ring just caught my face,” Lina said with a small, forced laugh.
Vierna’s brows furrowed. “I’ll kill that miserable son of a—”
Lina put her hand on Vierna’s mouth cutting her off. She looked around her making sure that her slip wasn’t heard.
Then Lina move closer to Vierna’s ear.
“Vierna, remember why we’re here—why you poisoned Henry and Robert.”
Vierna’s hand trembled with rage. “But I can’t just let him get away with it.”
“I know. We’ll have our chance.” Lina leaned in and kissed Vierna’s cheek. “But right now, be patient, okay?”
Vierna panted, she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Lin.”
“It’s okay. I like this wild side of you. You’re usually the calm one.”
Vierna blushed. “I can’t be level-headed when something like that happens to you.”
Lina smiled. “Okay—focus on the mission. We can’t let our relationship get in the way.”
“I know.” Vierna exhaled, steadying herself. Despite everything, it was another chance to win the villagers’ trust—and she couldn’t waste it.
“Aline—when we visit their houses, tell the villagers to conjure the items again instead of handing over the real ones. We only need to deceive Korrn until he leaves.”
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“But the soldiers will see us,” Lina protested, nodding toward the two guards already waiting. Mirelle had already gone off to do her part.
“Make the soldiers stay outside. They’re already nervous; one push and they’ll let you go in alone,” Vierna said.
Lina looked uneasy but chose to trust her. “Understood. Be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
They moved toward the soldiers, who shifted anxiously as they waited. Then, they left the square behind. After a short walk from the town hall, Vierna halted before a low hut belonging to a beast-kin family and raised a hand at the guard.
“Wait here.”
“Frau Crysta, we are under strict—” the soldier began.
Vierna snapped, turning on him. “If you force your way in with all that weaponry, the family will be terrified. We’ve already bled them dry with extortion—the least we can do is give them some privacy.”
She paused, letting the soldier weigh her words.
“Let me talk to them, okay?” She said. “Stay here. I’ll make them follow Herr Korrn’s orders.”
“Herr Korrn ordered us to assist you… you know what happens if we don’t.”
Vierna exhaled in rage at the remark, though she should have expected it—even from a militia man. A Reich officer would follow orders no matter how twisted.
“With all due respect, Herr, I do know, I experienced it myself in front of everyone. That’s why I’ll do my best to follow Herr Korrn’s command. If they refuse to cooperate, then of course I’ll ask for your help. But let me try first before we decide that’s the only step left. Shouldn’t a militia like yourself also understand that your duty is to serve the Reich by protecting its people—not extorting them?”
The men exchanged uneasy glances.
Vierna stepped closer, taking one of their hands. “Let me go in alone, okay?” she asked, eyes glistening, appealing to their discomfort and reluctance.
“Understood, Frau Crysta. Just shout if you need help.”
Vierna nodded and entered the hut. Inside was as shabby as the outside: half-broken beds, patched walls, and a hearth in the middle of it all. On one bed lay a beast-kin, coughing weakly. Her weary parents looked at Vierna with hollow eyes.
“Is there something we can do?” the male beast-kin asked quietly.
“Herr Korrn has decided the tax is still lacking. He tasked me to collect more from the villagers.”
“But we have nothing left!” the male beast-kin shouted in anger. “I barely have enough food to feed my young ones. Do they really need to extort us while they won’t even help with the Haruit Mine?”
“Dear, be patient,” the female tried to calm her husband, but without success.
Hearing the shout, the militia burst into the hut, muskets raised.
“I said I would scream if I needed help!” Vierna snapped at them. “Get out—don’t you see you’re scaring them?”
“But Frau Cryst—”
“Out. Now. Or I’ll tell Korrn you interfered with my work.”
The militia shifted nervously, knuckles tight on their muskets, but Vierna didn’t back down. They stared for a while but at last, the militia withdrew.
“Please, calm down,” she urged the couple, stepping closer. “Give me some things you truly don’t need, then conjure something else so I can report to Korrn that your family has contributed.”
The beast-kin father frowned. “But conjured items will vanish after a while. If that happens, what will become of you—and of us?”
“It’s either that, or you hand over real possessions,” Vierna said firmly. “And please don’t raise your voice again, I won’t be able to hold the militia back a second time. The choice is yours.”
The father looked at his wife. She nodded in resignation. There was nothing left they could do, so they complied. They set aside linen, ironware, and even a little food.
Beast-kin were highly skilled in plant magic, so they conjured beans and other provisions. At a glance they looked real; only close inspection would reveal the truth. Vierna hoped Korrn wouldn’t bother checking them now, especially with sunset already settling in.
As they loaded the last of it into the sack, Vierna’s eyes lingered on the sick kid. She summoned her own storage rune and withdrew a vial of vitality potion. Halwen had given it to her in case she was dragged into battle, but she decided this was too perfect an opportunity to win more of the villagers’ trust.
“Here—give him a little.” She pressed the potion into the father’s hands.
“Frau, this is pure vitality potion. You must have spent a fortune on it. We couldn’t possibly accept—especially not when you’re already risking so much with this conjuring scheme.”
“It’s fine. A Reich officer’s duty is to nurture the people. I’m sorry Haustwitch’s tax master is a corrupt man.”
The beast-kin hesitated, eyes flicking to the vial and then back to her, unsure if they should take it. Only after a brief, cautious pause did they reach out and accept the potion.
“May Alunt’dar bless you.”
Vierna smiled as she left the hut. Something in her chest lightened. It was true that all this was for the mission—but the fact that it also eased Rolbart’s suffering villagers allowed her to breathe a little easier.
She continued with her assignment, making the villager knew her scheme. Most of them thank Vierna because even when they didn’t know Vierna’s true motive, it helps them especially when they only have so little left.
Vierna occasionally glanced at Lina as they moved from home to home. Whenever Lina caught her looking, she gave a small nod, fully understanding what they were doing.
Evening bled into night. The sun had set, leaving the moon to claim the sky. With only Lina, Mirelle, and Vierna acting as tax officers, the work dragged on until they finally reached the last home.
They gathered near the village square, hauling sacks filled with the villagers’ desperation and sweat—along with the fabricated items that Vierna prayed would hold until Korrn and his men were gone.
She racked her mind for a way to convince Korrn to let her and Lina remain in the village, but nothing came. No opportunity had presented itself yet, and she could only hope for an opening to carry on her scheme.
Korrn stepped out of the hall, yawning. It was obvious he had been sleeping while they worked themselves to the bone.
“Pathetic.”
Vierna saw it, the villagers’ fury was boiling over—one spark would set the whole square aflame. She clenched her fist, steadying herself for whatever came next.
“However, I am a kind man, so I’ll let it slide this time. Aline, Crysta, get to the carriage, we will go now.”
Vierna was relieved because Korrn’s mood somehow better now. It appears that her gambit was successful that Korrn was too lazy to recheck and push everything towards his employee.
Now is the chance to persuade him to let me and Lina sta-
“Herr Korrn, apologies, but I’ve caught something.”
Vierna turned toward the voice. It was Mirelle, holding a familiar sack—the very one Vierna had used to collect Korrn’s tax.
“This are filled with conjured items. These item weren’t real.”
Korrn took the sack and shook it, spilling the contents onto the square. It held only a handful of real apples, the rest of it were already dimming. “What the hell is this? Who inspected that sack?”
Mirelle pointed straight at Vierna. “It was her, Herr Korrn.”
Whose more disgusting? Korrn, Mirelle or Sieg?
