Silently sneaking back into the village with Alina, Talulah had initially planned to check on the two elderly villagers from the previous day.
However, just as she was about to do so, two patrolling soldiers from the Infected Patrol Squad spotted them.
"What are you two doing? Don't you know the entire village has been ordered to gather at the entrance?"
Hiding nearby, Steven almost burst out laughing.
The words themselves weren't particularly funny, but the way they were delivered reminded him of some authoritarian dystopia, making the whole situation feel strangely comical.
"We—"
"We just got back from outside."
Cutting off whatever Talulah was about to say, Alina stepped forward to shield her.
Clearly, she was much better at dealing with these patrol guards and had no intention of picking a fight.
Without resisting, she allowed them to escort the two of them toward the village entrance.
Perhaps because Talulah's attire looked too refined for an ordinary village girl, the soldiers didn't make things too difficult for them.
Her elegant dress seemed more like something a noblewoman from a nomadic city would wear—certainly not the kind of clothing a rural villager could afford.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, the guards had no choice but to ignore her obviously hostile demeanor.
Just as they looked down on the infected villagers, the nobility in turn looked down on them.
When Talulah and Alina finally reached the village entrance, they realized that the entire village had already been gathered there—including the two elderly villagers from yesterday.
At the very front of the crowd, the village chief was engaged in a conversation with what appeared to be the captain of the Infected Patrol Squad.
Judging from their expressions, the conversation was anything but pleasant.
"With all due respect, sir, your patrol already took nearly half of our village's food supply last week. And now, you're telling us there's some kind of monster roaming around nearby, so you need to conduct another search? We truly have nothing left to give!"
Both Steven and Talulah had excellent hearing, so even though they stood at the edge of the crowd, they could clearly hear the exchange.
However, their reactions to the village chief's words were quite different.
Talulah, unsurprisingly, saw this as yet another instance of blatant extortion from the Infected Patrol Squad.
But Steven…
He was wondering whether this so-called "monster" might be related to the Collapsal he had previously encountered.
However, based on its last known escape route, it shouldn't have ended up anywhere near this village.
The truth was still uncertain.
"I don't know what you're trying to imply, but these are our orders from above. Our duty is to follow them. If you resist, you'll be considered in violation of military law, and we have the authority to classify you as rebels and suppress you accordingly. I trust you understand what that means?"
Wrapped in thick armor, the patrol captain's towering physique formed a stark contrast with the frail old man standing before him.
But his words?
They reeked of a threat.
"And besides, we're not asking you to give us anything. We are merely ensuring the safety of you, the civilians. As such, it's only natural that you provide us with some compensation. Doesn't that sound reasonable?"
His deep voice carried a pressing weight as he questioned the old man.
To an uninformed outsider, it might have even sounded perfectly justified.
But only these civilians, who had long suffered under the oppression of the Infected Patrol Squad, knew the truth—this so-called protection was something they would rather do without.
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, officers, for all your hard work. It's only right, it's only fair…"
Even as his heart bled, the old man could only lower his head, responding in a voice full of submission and humility. He didn't dare show the slightest hint of defiance.
The words he had spoken earlier were already the only resistance he could afford for his village. Just as the officer had said—if they pressed the issue further, the guards could brand them as rebels at any moment, then massacre them on the spot.
And these people—though supposedly their fellow countrymen—wouldn't hesitate for a second to do just that.
In fact, they might even falsify records after the slaughter, labeling the corpses as infected individuals and claiming the act as a military achievement.
What could they do?
In a village mostly composed of the elderly, women, and children, what bargaining power did they have against these thugs?
The village chief could only pray that these bandits in uniform would at least restrain themselves—out of the simple logic that leaving the village alive meant they could continue to exploit it later.
Meanwhile, Talulah clenched her fists tightly, her gaze burning with fury as she glared directly at the officer who spoke with such righteous rhetoric while committing outright robbery.
"I don't get it. Are all these villagers infected?"
Just then, Steven's curious voice reached her ear.
But there was something in his tone… a subtle hint of provocation.
"No, they're just ordinary farmers."
Talulah answered in a hushed tone, almost as if she were talking to herself, forcibly suppressing her rage.
It wasn't time yet.
Even if she struck now and drove these patrol guards away, it would only bring greater trouble to the villagers.
As much as she hated these bandits, she knew that now was not the moment to resist.
"That's weird then."
Steven smacked his lips together. "They're called the Infected Patrol Squad, aren't they? Shouldn't they be dealing with infected people instead of bullying normal farmers? What kind of logic is that?"
His tone was light, almost casual, but Talulah wasn't fooled. She knew he was deliberately stirring the flames.
Of course, he already understood the answer—it was simply because there was no profit in harassing actual infected individuals.
One option brought wealth, while the other was risky and fruitless.
Even an idiot knew which one to pick.
"Exactly. That's the problem with this country."
Talulah's voice was heavy with conviction.
"The infected are nothing more than an excuse—just a convenient justification for their oppression. The ones who truly suffer are always those at the very bottom."
For some reason, she felt like she could trust Steven with such dangerous words.
Words that, if overheard by the Ursus authorities, would instantly brand her a traitor.
Because she had a feeling—if she ever decided to act, Steven's help would make things much easier.
"Tsk, tsk— Humans really are confusing."
Still invisible, Steven shook his head.
If he had seen something like this before, it would have been on a TV screen or in a novel—a story, detached from reality.
But now?
Experiencing it firsthand?
It was too absurd to comprehend.
At least in Minecraft, things were simple.
If pillagers attacked a village, they were just after emeralds—no convoluted justifications, no moral pretenses.
At the very least, they weren't pretending to protect villagers while doing it, right?
—Wait.
Why did this whole thing… sound like something he would do instead?
Realizing this, Steven let out an awkward cough.
Good thing no one here knew about some of the things he'd done before. Otherwise, that would be an interesting conversation.
"Are you really not planning to fight back? If this keeps going, these people are only going to get worse."
Steven glanced at the Infected Patrol Squads, who had completely abandoned all pretense and were now ransacking the village under the guise of a "search."
Leaning closer, he lowered his voice and asked Talulah.
Never mind whether she had the power to resist—at the very least, she shouldn't just let this happen without a fight, right?
"It's not time yet.
At least, not now.
Right now, I don't have the power to change anything. If I act recklessly, it'll only make things worse."
Talulah shook her head.
Did she want to fight back?
Of course she did.
But after everything, what would change?
Maybe she could escape and avoid Ursus's retaliation—but what about the people left behind?
"Huh. You're calmer than I expected."
Steven chuckled.
"I thought people who use fire magic were supposed to have a short temper."
He had assumed Talulah would snap after hearing all this.
But now, he could see she was smarter than he thought.
And he respected that kind of restraint.
"I'm just suppressing my anger.
That doesn't mean I can accept this."
A faint glow of fire flickered in her silver eyes as she gritted her teeth.
If she had the choice, she wouldn't hesitate to act according to her own will.
Noticing the fire burning beneath Talulah's composed exterior, Alina gently took her hand, trying to offer some comfort.
"Well then, if I told you I had a way to solve this problem…
What would you be willing to pay?"
Steven stroked his chin.
For Talulah, this situation seemed impossible.
All she could do was endure.
But for him?
This was nothing.
With just a little effort, he could think of several ways to solve the issue—none of them particularly difficult to pull off.
"You can help me?"
Talulah's tense expression relaxed slightly.
She trusted that Steven wasn't the type to make empty promises.
If he said he had a way, then it meant he could get rid of these thugs without bringing trouble to the village.
"Of course. But… That depends on what you're willing to offer."
Steven grinned.
Good thing Talulah couldn't see his face right now—otherwise, if she noticed that his gaze had been lingering on her lips…
Well.
She might start getting some weird ideas.
<+>
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