Chapter 31: The Chieftain
"How much do they owe you? I’ll pay for it," Lara asked firmly, her voice slicing through the tension in the air like a blade.
Healer U-Mao tilted his head upward to look at her. Being short and wiry, his piercing eyes barely reached her neck, but they held a cold, calculating sharpness that made him seem taller in her presence.
Before the healer could respond, his wife, a stout woman with flushed cheeks and greedy eyes, stepped forward. "In that case, you’ll owe us 100 silver coins," she declared, her voice smug and cutting.
Abel’s face turned red. "Grandma Melba, how did it jump to 100 silvers? Healer U-Mao only made a few visits and gave us a few sachets of herbs!" His voice rose, frustration spilling over.
Lara’s lips curled into a wry, mocking smile as she glanced at the old couple. So, even in this era, there are people who take advantage of others in desperate situations, she thought bitterly. Though she now doubted the healer’s competence, she knew calling him out outright might make things harder for the Lenard family.
Without a word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a gleaming silver ingot, holding it between her fingers. She extended it toward the healer.
"This should be more than enough to cover the debt. But in return, send over a cluster of garlic."
The audacity of her request made Melba bristle. "What? Who do you think you are to order us around?" the fat woman snapped, her tone shrill.
Lara’s expression hardened as she pulled the ingot back toward her chest. "Then give me change."