“It wasn’t hide and seek...”

Inside the shelter they had entered after Adeline.

Tie quietly moved her eyes from side to side.

“I clearly said I knew you were there.”

“I told you, he knows we’re here.”

The conversation had sounded exactly like hide and seek.

But apparently, it had not been.

The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became.

Meanwhile, ahead of her, the squad members were speaking with Adeline.

“So you have to hand over the set amount of collection every week? All the residents of this village?”

Adeline nodded.

Behind her, the villagers were tending to the pickpocket Zen’s torn cheek.

“That’s impossible. To gather that quota every single week on its own.”

“The collection is coal?”

Bale interjected.

Adeline looked at him in surprise.

“...Yes.”

Caldenwein Ridge was located amid dense mountain ranges.

Because of magical beasts, most game had already disappeared.

The residents relied entirely on the coal mine near the village.

“It didn’t look like a mining village.”

“The mine is small. It was never properly developed.”

It had been opened long ago, but the local veins were so thin it was difficult to even call it a mine.

So the people of Caldenwein Ridge mined coal entirely by hand.

Literally — they descended with pickaxes and shovels and dug it out themselves.

But before, it had been manageable.

Even a small yield had once been enough to feed the entire village.

“As you can see, the village is small. And the Popullos Weapons District paid well for coal.”

The problem began several years ago.

“...Since the lord changed.”

Bale raised an eyebrow.

Adeline let out a heavy sigh.

The °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° new lord, Reginald, was an extremely wasteful man.

And it might have been tolerable if it had only been him.

But his wife was no less extravagant.

They quickly squandered the wealth accumulated by the former lord and then began squeezing the villagers dry.

“You saw the crates in the square? Every week, an order comes to fill them with coal — enough that each household must provide a full crate.”

Caldenwein’s mine shafts were narrow, and the coal veins were broken.

If money were invested, if the mine were expanded and new veins opened, something might still be done.

But with the current method of extraction, satisfying the lord was impossible.

“And now there are barely any accessible shafts left. Only ones so narrow and low that it’s impossible to even set up supports.”

Bale asked:

“And if the quota isn’t met?”

“That...”

Adeline fell silent.

Instead, one of the villagers stepped forward.

“What does it matter to you? Are you planning to suffer in our place?”

“Suffer?”

“...Yes. Very unpleasant things happen. If the quota isn’t fulfilled.”

Basto, who had been sitting on the table, frowned.

Raul and Enzo also went cold.

Because the word “suffer” clearly implied violence.

In an even tone, Basto asked:

“Can’t you rise up and overthrow the lord?”

The unexpected question flustered the villagers.

But soon they answered one after another, exhausted:

“...It’s impossible because of the lord’s army.”

“Yes. You saw those knights.”

The villagers were already worn down by the lord’s tyranny.

And Reginald had long maintained a considerable private army with the money from coal sales.

Even if they all united, they could not defeat him.

And the weekly collection orders had completely crushed their hope.

“Troublesome.”

Basto muttered.

“At the inn I saw that most of the crates for this week are already filled.”

Nordix said quietly, scanning the villagers.

When he had left earlier, the crates in the square had already been nearly full.

That did not match Adeline’s claim that production could not keep up with the quota.

The old woman from the inn answered calmly:

“Adeline helps.”

In her usual gloomy voice, she continued: 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“When the weekly collection ends, Adeline pays extra and buys coal back from the knights. The following week, she distributes it to those who cannot meet the quota.”

Raul tilted his head. If that was true, then Adeline...

“You spend your personal money every week?”

Adeline looked away.

After a pause, she nodded.

“...For now it isn’t too hard. For now.”

But something felt strange.

A run-down village.

A small pub.

And yet she spent enough money every week to cover the coal shortages of all the residents.

Raul frowned and was about to ask another question—

Boooooo—

A long horn blast surged into the shelter.

The villagers’ faces turned pale instantly.

“W-what? Why is the collection so early?”

“It’s not time yet...”

Adeline said firmly:

“It’s probably because Zen escaped. We’re going out. Quickly.”

The villagers nodded and began to bustle.

The children were led out first.

The men thanked Adeline one by one and left as well.

Only the squad members and Adeline remained in the shelter.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the cord on the wall and extinguished the light.

Standing in the darkness, she turned to them.

“When are you leaving? Before you go, stop by the pub — I’ll treat you for free.”

She smiled faintly.

“...Thank you for bringing medicine for Zen.”

She said it indirectly.

But the meaning was clear — they were being asked to leave.

Back at the inn.

“Change into this.”

Lucarion tilted his head, looking at the gray cloak Nordix held out to him.

“The old man from the innkeeper gave it downstairs. Said you stand out too much in your current clothes.”

Lucarion silently put on the cloak.

He had been thinking he was ready to wear anything, as long as it was not Astie’s dress.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Bale and Basto were arguing.

“Bale. Do you understand what kind of risk your behavior could lead to?”

“What risk. You know those pathetic knights are no match for us.”

“It’s still the lord’s army. If a conflict arises...”

“Am I planning to start a war with them? I’ll just stand in a corner of the square and watch. Why are you clinging to this so much?”

“Because I don’t understand why you need this.”

Bale pressed his lips together.

He took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

“...If those who call themselves knights decide to harm the people, they need to be stopped.”

Basto rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He had been thinking about that too.

And about the villagers’ strange words.

And about the fact that now they knew the situation.

Basto also did not want the innocent people of Caldenwein Ridge to suffer.

But.

“They’re not our kin.”

“Are you actually trash?”

“Fine. We have Tie. Tie nearly died in the Weapons District. Is it strange that I don’t want to expose her to unnecessary risk?”

The words were flawless.

Silence fell over the room.

Two pairs of burning eyes drilled into each other.

“Basto-nim. Bale-nim.”

Enzo approached.

“What.”

“Leader...”

Instead of answering, Enzo pointed.

In the corridor, Lucarion and Tie stood facing each other.

Tie carefully tied the string of his cloak.

“Done! Let’s go!”

And gripping Lucarion’s hand tightly, she started down the stairs.

On top of her neatly tied child’s backpack, Pupu lounged lazily.

Basto, frozen for a second, immediately called out:

“Tie!”

“Mmm?”

The child turned around with a completely innocent face.