northernbook Chapter 303: Varden 5
Chapter 303: Varden 5
Just then, Langley arrived. He had heard what happened and rushed over. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick were unharmed.
"My parents went to deal with it. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. It happened last month, too, also involving that Shelly Warren. I didn’t expect Blind Miller to be part of it this time. Their family has it pretty tough, so they’re always trying to fleece passing refugees for supplies. The patrol guards have ’educated’ them several times, but she just won’t change."
Langley apologized profusely. "How about this? For the few days you’re staying here, I’ll help you break the ice."
"It’s fine. You find people like that everywhere. It’s not your fault," Quincy said, patting his shoulder.
"They didn’t try to hit you, did they? Last time, a woman was pushed onto the ice by Shelly Warren and almost fell into a crevasse."
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "No."
When the others heard the full story, they were all a bit speechless.
"I never would have guessed Evelyn was so good at clapping back. If it were me, I really wouldn’t know how to argue with people," Wyatt Vaughn said, giving Evelyn a thumbs-up.
Evelyn Ford raised an eyebrow. "It’s called fighting magic with magic. When you get into a conflict, don’t panic, and don’t rush to defend yourself or get angry. It’s best to play dirty with a smile on your face. Your opponent will quickly get so mad they lose all reason."
"Lesson learned. I hope I get to use it."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "But most of the time, force is more effective. Fists solve problems more easily. You’d be better off practicing your shooting and how to throw a punch."
Quincy...
"My wish is for world peace."
「 」
In the afternoon, everyone except for Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell went up the mountain to cut branches. Langley was heading into the mountains too, and when he came by, he brought some news.
It turned out Chloe Scott’s husband really was having an affair with Shelly Warren. The matter was reported to the patrol guards. Given the choice between three months of labor reform and being kicked out of the village, Shelly Warren chose labor reform. Starting tomorrow, she has to go dig for coal at a mine ten kilometers away.
"Did Blind Miller not get punished?"
Langley nodded. "He has to go too, but he only has to do one month of reform."
Quincy was a little surprised. "I didn’t expect the punishment to be so strict."
"It’s because Chloe Scott’s father stepped in. Otherwise, the two of them would have just had to chop firewood for the village for a month, and that would have been the end of it. Chloe didn’t want to let Shelly Warren off the hook, so she had her sent to the coal mine."
Wyatt Vaughn snickered from the side. "Didn’t expect payback to come so fast."
"By the way, the patrol guards and Chief Scott want to meet with you tonight. Just tell them where you’re from, give them a little something, and this whole thing will be smoothed over."
"How many patrol guards are there?"
"Each village is assigned three patrol guards. Our village has over fifty households. Bigger villages have six. They have performance reviews. If there’s petty theft or other illegal activities in the village, their bonuses get docked. The bonuses are rice, clothes, and shoes."
"Whoever’s in charge up top is a real genius."
Langley smiled. "It was really chaotic a few years ago. Murders and robberies were common. They came up with this system later because they were afraid the number of survivors was dwindling. The patrol guards usually eat and drink in the village, and they’re issued guns."
Suddenly, Langley looked left and right. Seeing no one else around, he lowered his voice. "Every month, a mobile vehicle comes by. It should be here tomorrow. When it comes, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong."
Everyone was baffled. "What do you mean, a mobile vehicle?"
"It’s some women, sort of like the brothels of ancient times. They come to the village to ask if anyone needs ’services’ and then collect food and supplies. But the people they serve are mostly the patrol guards."
The group was stunned.
"So this ’mobile vehicle’ is a mobile brothel?"
Langley nodded, embarrassed. "You could say that."
"Is that legal and above board?"
"Yes. It’s just a way to make a living, so it’s considered legal." Fearing they wouldn’t accept it, Langley quickly added, "They do it voluntarily."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "We won’t meddle. Don’t worry."
"Good. In the past, some refugees tried to ’rescue’ those women and were taken away by the patrol guards. Those people were charged with stirring up trouble and faced three months of labor reform."
After cutting enough branches, the group returned to the village. Because of the morning’s incident, Evelyn Ford had become an instant celebrity. Some villagers even came over, wanting to trade supplies with her.
That evening, Chief Scott and three patrol guards came over. The chief looked to be around fifty, while the three guards all seemed to be in their thirties.
"You’re the refugees who arrived yesterday?" a patrol guard began, starting to vet their identities as soon as he walked in.
"Yes, we’re from Rivenia," Taylor Vance said, getting up to speak with them. The patrol guards didn’t give them a hard time, but they did issue a few warnings.
"Don’t get into conflicts with the villagers. The rules are strict here. Fighting and brawling are not allowed."
"Yes, we understand." Taylor Vance took out the items he had prepared. The men glanced at them, a flash of satisfaction in their eyes.
"Are you planning to settle here?"
"No, we’re leaving the day after tomorrow."
Hearing this, Chief Scott grew anxious. "Our village is great! There’s no need to go to another one. We can help you build houses. There’s a big reservoir out back, and more trees on the mountain than you could ever chop down."
The chief had his eye on the livestock in their backyard and naturally wasn’t going to let them leave so easily.
"Let me tell you, Frelia is freezing cold, and The Southward is all desert. Life is even harder there. Our Varden is much more comfortable."
A patrol guard chimed in, "Shelly Warren has already been sent to the coal mines. The people in the village are all honest and law-abiding. You can pick a plot of land, and all the men in the village will help you build a house. You could move in within ten days."
"To be honest, we still have to find our families."
Chief Scott sighed. "It’s hard to find people in times like these. What if you don’t find your family and end up losing all your belongings in the process? That would be a huge loss. Why not settle down first and then take your time searching?"
"As long as we’re alive, we have to find our family. We could never settle down peacefully without finding them. Chief, Patrol Officers, we appreciate your kindness, but we must go to Frelia," Wyatt Vaughn said, starting to cry.
"My family is waiting for me in Frelia."
Seeing that the group was unreceptive to persuasion, the chief and the three patrol guards had no choice but to take the goods and leave.
"I can’t believe the village has a population quota to fill. If we were to settle here, would we have to hand over more supplies? That’s such a scam."
"We should just strike out on our own and start a new village," Quincy said with a sneer. "And here I thought these patrol guards were so disciplined. Turns out they take bribes."
Miles Vaughn agreed. "I always thought this system of governance was strange, but now I get it. This is just managing slaves, isn’t it? Exploitation at every level. Even those women in the mobile vehicle are a form of exploitation, and so are the villagers. If you don’t obey, you get sent to the coal mines or forced into compulsory labor."