Chapter 19: Admonition
"The s-stream up ahead my lord, as you k-know is changing its flow up and down, due to this the adventurers usually wandering down from the route have almost stopped entirely. N-not mention the forest... the forest houses beasts entirely out of our capabilities to hunt. W-we can’t wi-"
"Enough!"
The soldier banged his spear once again. The surrounding fell into a hush as the villagers looked among themselves and the soldiers with sombre expressions, some of them even sobbing silently.
The guard stood still without a change in his expression as he stared at the village elder.
"How will you pay the remaining amount?"
He said after some time.
The elder’s bowed towards the guard and said timidly,
"We just can’t Monsieur. Next year.. next year for sure.. for sure my lord. Please have mercy."
"I’m incapable of giving you something I myself am not privy to. My lord will skin me if I don’t go back with an appropriate sum. Since you are incapable of paying in silver.."
At this he looked at the villagers surrounding them at the house, and said in a slow deep voice,
"We have to make it up somehow."