Chapter 425: Warning
Adam’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting slightly as he studied Hilt’s expression.
"Reconstruction levy? They’re demanding money from you?"
Hilt let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head as she moved toward the door.
"Ever since the city started rebuilding, they’ve been squeezing everyone who’s left. Merchants, craftsmen, even the few residents who stayed behind. They say it’s for the ’good of the city,’ but we all know it’s just lining the pockets of the ones in charge."
Another series of knocks rattled the door.
"HEY! We know you’re in there! Don’t make us break this door down!"
Alice’s ear twitched, her dark violet eyes gleaming with cold interest.
"Do you want me to deal with them?"
Hilt gave her a warning look.
"No. Last time someone ’dealt’ with them, they came back with twice as many soldiers and a demand for triple the payment." She let out another heavy sigh. "I’ll handle it. Just stay inside and don’t make any noise."
Adam spoke up, his voice calm and steady. "Let me handle it."
Hilt’s head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Don’t! You’ll just make everything worse! I can’t afford to have my shop destroyed again because of your ’solutions’!"
Azrynn stepped forward, her yellow eyes calm but carrying a note of quiet reason. "If there are constant disruptions, it will affect your productivity. We need those arrows and the blade finished on time. Allowing them to harass you will only delay the work."
Alice’s tail swayed lazily, her dark violet eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "She’s right. Who do these people think they are, shaking down a blacksmith like common thugs?"
Another pounding on the door, this time accompanied by a muffled shout.
"LAST WARNING! Open this door or we’ll break it down!"
Hilt’s shoulders sagged, her voice dropping to a weary murmur. "They’re going to be a problem, no matter what we do. If I pay them, they’ll keep coming back for more. If I don’t, they’ll make my life impossible."
Adam’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Then we’ll take care of them in a way that makes sure they don’t come back."
He turned toward the door.
Hilt’s voice rose in a frantic rush as Adam reached for the door handle. "Hey!! Wait!!"
Adam ignored her, his hand already closing around the worn iron handle. Alice fell into step behind him, her tail swaying with anticipation. Azrynn followed, her hand resting lightly on her quiver.
Hilt let out a sharp, desperate breath, her voice cracking with resignation. "Fine! Fine! But don’t make a mess, you hear me?!" She jabbed a thick finger at Adam’s back. "If you cause any more chaos, I’ll tell everyone in this city that you’re the one who destroyed Kaelthar! Do you understand me?!"
Adam glanced back, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. "Understood."
He pulled the door open.
Three men stood on the threshold, their faces hard, their postures radiating the particular arrogance of petty officials with just enough authority to make life miserable for others. The one in the lead was a thick-necked brute, his head shaved clean, his scalp gleaming with sweat. A heavy scar ran across his neck, and his broad, muscular frame filled the doorway like a wall of flesh. He let his gaze sweep over Adam with open contempt.
"Finally decided to open up, wretch?" He shoved past Adam, his voice carrying a note of aggressive entitlement. "We don’t have time for your games. Where’s the payment?"
Before he could take another step, Adam’s arm shot out, blocking his path. Adam’s voice was calm, but carried an edge that made the bald man’s jaw tighten.
"I’m the one handling this. So you can tell me—who sent you?"
The bald man’s eyes narrowed, his meaty hand drifting to the club at his belt. "Who’s asking?"
Adam’s lips curved into a cold, sharp smile. "The person who’s going to make your life very difficult if you don’t answer."
The man’s face flushed, the vein in his temple throbbing as he puffed out his barrel chest. "You’re making a mistake, young man. We have the authority of the city council. You interfere with our work, you interfere with the rebuilding of this city. You want to be branded an enemy of Myrta?"
Alice stepped forward, her dark violet eyes fixing on the bald man with cold, predatory stillness. Her voice was soft, but carried an edge that made him take an involuntary step back.
"The city council. How impressive." She tilted her head, her tail swaying lazily. "Tell me—does the city council also authorize extortion from struggling craftsmen? Or is that just something you’ve decided to do on your own?"
The bald man’s face went pale. His eyes darted between Alice’s cat ears, Adam’s horns, and Azrynn’s pointed ears—a collection of features that marked them clearly as anything but ordinary citizens.
"Don’t you dare speak to me like that! I serve under—"
"You serve under no one who matters." Adam’s voice cut through the man’s bluster like a blade. "Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go back to whoever sent you and tell them that this shop is under my protection. If I find out you’ve bothered Hilt again, I will come looking for you. And I won’t be in a negotiating mood."
The bald man’s throat bobbed. He opened his mouth to argue, but Adam’s gaze stopped him cold—a look that promised violence without a single raised voice.
Adam’s voice dropped, soft and final. "This conversation is over. Get out of my sight."
For a moment, the man’s defiance flickered, his pride warring with survival. He was a thug who had never been challenged, a man who had forgotten how to read a room. Then his gaze drifted to the shadows pooling around Adam’s feet, to the way Alice’s fingers twitched with barely contained anticipation, and survival won.
He stepped back, his men following, and the three of them retreated down the street without another word.
The door clicked shut behind them. Adam’s voice was calm.
"They won’t be back. Not while they think I’m still in the city."
Hilt let out a long, shaky breath, running a hand through her tangled grey hair as she stared at the closed door.
"I... I appreciate what you did. But do you honestly think they won’t come back? They don’t know who you are—they’ll just assume you’re some wandering troublemaker who’ll be gone by tomorrow. And when you are, they’ll come back twice as angry and twice as vicious." She shook her head, her shoulders sagging. "They’ll tear my shop apart looking for payment I don’t have."
Alice’s tail swayed slowly as she spoke.
"Why were they extorting you in the first place? That’s what I want to know. A city trying to rebuild doesn’t squeeze its craftsmen dry unless someone’s lining their own pockets."
Azrynn’s voice was quiet, measured, her yellow eyes thoughtful as she glanced toward the door.
"Perhaps we should bring this to Selena. She’s the one running this city now. If these men are operating under the city council’s authority, she should know about it."
Hilt’s eyes went wide, her voice rising with disbelief.
"Wait—you know Lady Selena?"
Adam crossed his arms, a thin smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Interesting. If those men really are acting on behalf of the city council, Selena will want to know about it. And if they’re not..." His smile sharpened. "Then she’ll want to know about that too."