Chapter 99: For the Sake of the Town |
Saul looked around and found an empty cupboard to hide in.
There wasn’t any grain, oil, or food inside—clearly, it was just a decorative piece to throw people off.
He curled up and sat inside.
To avoid alerting those below with any fluctuations in his mental power, he didn’t even meditate. He just passed the time by counting the cracks on the cabinet door.
After about two or three hours, the hidden door behind the stove finally opened, and two people climbed out.
Judging by the footsteps, there were two of them.
They were still talking as they emerged.
“…I’ll leave tomorrow’s matter to you.”
“Don’t worry. As long as the goods are sufficient, the rest is minor.”
“Doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Understood. Congratulations, sir.”
The footsteps gradually faded away, leaving Saul crouched in the cupboard completely confused.
What were they talking about?
Isn’t eavesdropping supposed to conveniently provide key information?
Why did he come away with nothing but confusion?
But thinking it over, it wasn’t a total loss.
Something was clearly going to happen tomorrow.
One party was handling an incident; the other was offering compensation. And apparently, there was something worth congratulating.
Saul waited a little longer. When no one came back, he slipped out of the cupboard.
The two men must have gone far away, as there was no one outside the house either—not even the guards.
He circled back to the clearing where the Grinding Sound Fruit was grown, then turned around before dawn and rushed back to Ada’s place.
Ada, exhausted from a full day’s work, was sleeping like a log and never even noticed that his houseguest had been out the entire night.
The next morning, Ada got up early to light the fire and cook, calling Saul to help him.
The meal was simple—just plain green buns and wild vegetables.
The clay stove was right inside the house. Once the fire was lit, smoke swirled everywhere.
They set aside a portion of food for Penny’s lunch, then hurriedly headed out.
To Saul’s surprise, Ada turned down his request to walk around town and look for work.
“I saw you’ve got some strength. Why not come with me to farm the mayor’s land? There’s little land around here, so it’s a good job. Do it for a couple of years, and you’ll be able to build a small house outside town.”
Saul immediately shook his head. “I’m not cut out for that.”
Ada asked, “Then what can you do? There’s not much labor needed in town.”
Saul didn’t say anything. He just wanted to explore town on his own.
Ada assumed Saul just didn’t want to do farm work and wasn’t too pleased, but he didn’t press it.
He took Saul to the part of town where jobs were available.
“I’m only taking you there. Whether you find work is up to you. I need to get back to tilling.”
But before they even reached the job market, they stumbled upon a commotion.
They arrived at a relatively orderly street and saw a crowd gathered around a house.
People were packed in layers, making Saul realize just how populated this town really was.
There was wailing coming from inside the crowd. Ada, who wasn’t planning to stick around, grew wary and tugged on Saul, urging him to leave quickly.
But Saul felt this was more than just a regular commotion.
Relying on his slim build and strength, he forced his way to the front.
Ada tried to pull him back but quickly lost sight of him in the crowd. Unwilling to push through, he stood on his tiptoes, frowning with frustration.
“If it weren’t for that strength of yours…” he muttered, unsure if he regretted taking Saul in.
Meanwhile, Saul finally saw the cause of the stir.
At the center of the crowd was a crying couple.
An elderly man, with streaks of white in his hair, was gently trying to console them with a smile.
The squad leader Jeff—whom Saul had seen yesterday—stood opposite the couple, face expressionless, hand resting on the hilt of his curved blade.
Behind Jeff, two soldiers were holding up a limp, barely-standing girl.
She looked fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a blue plaid dress. Among the crowd of commoners, she stood out as quite pretty.
Off to Saul’s diagonal side, a figure in a black robe and hood stood stiffly with arms tucked into his sleeves.
Around him was a wide clearing—no townsfolk dared stand close.
“Sigh, how many times do I have to say this before you understand? This is for the town’s survival, and it’s not a bad thing!” the old man consoled the crying couple.
Saul looked at the couple collapsed in tears, then at the terrified girl, and simply couldn’t imagine how this could be anything but bad.
But the crowd clearly thought otherwise.
A woman with a basket snapped, “What are you crying for? This is for the whole town! If I had a daughter, I’d happily send her off.”
Saul recognized her—it was Aunt Jenny, the woman who’d been so warm yesterday.
The weeping woman lowered her hands from her face and cried out, “But Minnie is our only daughter!”
Someone immediately chimed in, “Then have another one! You’d risk the whole town for one girl?”
The crowd erupted in agreement, criticizing the couple for being selfish and heartless.
The pressure was suffocating; neither could say a word.
The old man patted the husband’s shoulder, smile deepening.
“So you agree, yes? Good, good. I didn’t want to force anyone. But only Minnie meets the wizard’s requirements. It’s her honor—our honor. The Holy Fruit is the town’s lifeline. If the harvest keeps dropping and we anger the Tower, none of us will survive.”
The old man’s words were well-crafted. The crowd once again turned on the couple.
Could the life of one little girl really outweigh an entire town?
The wife was too choked to speak, slumped on the ground, sobbing.
The husband’s knees gave out. Somehow mustering the strength, he grabbed the old man’s hand and shouted, “But Mayor, over the years, we’ve already sacrificed so many girls, and the Holy Fruit harvest still hasn’t improved! Maybe this method—”
He didn’t finish. The silent apprentice wizard gave a cold snort.
That snort was devastating—everyone, from the performers to the onlookers, instinctively clutched their ears.
Two townspeople closest to him even started bleeding from their ears.
Saul covered his ears like the rest, but after bowing his head, he rolled his eyes.
“What kind of weak Scatter-Cough spell was that? Can’t even focus it with mental energy?”
The best performance came from Captain Jeff, who—despite his twisted expression—resisted the urge to cover his ears.
The shock silenced the crowd. Even the couple dared not sob loudly.
And just like that, the girl was taken away, leaving only a bag of money for the couple.
Even after the commotion ended, the crowd lingered.
Some offered consolation, saying at least they got some compensation—they wouldn’t have to worry about survival for years.
Aunt Jenny even stepped forward to congratulate them and offered advice on how to spend the money, like a seasoned veteran.
As the crowd finally started to disperse, Ada found Saul hidden among them.
Face dark, he dragged Saul aside.
“You just had to watch the spectacle? If we hadn’t been lucky and stood far from that man, your ears might’ve been injured too.”
(End of Chapter)