The sun was just rising as Lina opened her eyes. Her cheeks were still warm, lingering with the memory of Vierna’s lips as she departed at dawn to hunt. She hadn’t woken Lina, perhaps still thinking that the wounds on her back were sapping most of her strength. But the truth was, Lina had been awake the whole time, thinking about the events that had transpired just before she went inside her chamber.

  She stood up, stretching her body and preparing for the day. Through the window, the sun already sat on the horizon. Dew slid down the glass, and roosters began their morning calls.

  The memory of wanting to share Vierna’s burden when the Arkmarschall finally summoned her still clung to Lina’s mind. In truth, she had wanted to scold Vierna—to tell her she was a blind fool who would die if she kept following her blind loyalty.

  And yet, she couldn’t do it. To destroy something Vierna clearly valued was too cruel. And if Vierna could accept Lina’s obsession with revenge, then Lina, too, should accept Vierna’s unwavering loyalty to Leopold.

  She kept staring outside, wondering—what if Vierna had never come to the facility? What would she have done? Would she still be alive?

  She had wanted to die. Even when Vierna was there, during her bravado in helping with the supply line, the only reason Lina had followed her was the quiet hope that something might crash into her, ending everything instantly.

  But now… she was grateful it hadn’t happened—that she had lived long enough for Vierna to show her that unwavering, unconditional acceptance. Even when her face was mangled to the point that her appearance was no different from a dog whose jaw had been crushed, and her voice was coarse like a corpse’s, Vierna had never turned away.

  Lina smiled, recalling the memory that had become one of her most cherished. Lately, Vierna had been troubled—the weight of the mission, the training, the lies, and everything in between.

  I need to support her.

  The words echoed in her head as another promise to keep. No matter how much Vierna stumbled, she would be there—helping her carry the weight of everything.

  And now her goal was simple: to find information, and to find a medicine that could heal the damage Hairon Root had done to Vierna’s spirit.

  Even though she had spent half her life helping her mother, memorizing every herb and medicinal plant she knew, this was the first time she had ever heard of Hairon Root. That could only mean one thing — the plant either didn’t exist in her home village or was simply a local species, known only to the people here.

  She then got up, took some spare clothes, and headed toward the pond to bathe.

  The pond lay at the edge of the village, its surface still and pristine. The water was so clear it mirrored the sky above—a soft blue canvas scattered with drifting white clouds. Not a ripple stirred. Even the wind seemed hesitant to disturb it. A simple wooden fence encircled the area, built to keep wandering children and bold teenagers from doing something foolish.

  It was a picture of serenity, yet to Lina it felt almost mocking. The pond’s calmness stood in sharp contrast to her own mind, which still screamed with panic and guilt, emotions she had learned to hide behind her pretty, composed face.

  She quickly stripped off her garments and stepped into the water. The cold seized her nerves in an instant, shocking her awake, washing away the last traces of sleep clinging to her body.

  As she sank deeper, she tried to still her thoughts, but they kept circling back to Vierna—to her pain, her exhaustion, her impossible loyalty. The questions refused to quiet, echoing beneath the calm surface of the pond.

  Before she realized it, others had joined her. Women and girls from the village stepped into the water, laughter and chatter rippling across the morning air.

  They didn’t avoid her. In fact, a few of them swam closer, curiosity and friendliness softening their faces.

  “Hey, Aline! How are you?” a young elf maiden called out.

  The elf was captivating—skin pale as milk, her long black hair glinting under the morning light like threads of obsidian. Her eyes, the color of spring leaves, held a mischievous warmth that made her beauty almost disarming.

  “Ah, uh… I’m fine, thanks,” Lina replied, her voice wavering slightly. “How about you, uhhh… ehmmm…”

  She tried her best to remember who this person was, but the name slipped from her mind like an eel. She didn’t even recall meeting her before. It was true her first day in Rolbart had been a blur—spent walking through the village, helping parents with their children so they could work in peace, talking to a few of the local youths—but she was certain she had never spoken to this elf before.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Haha… it’s okay you haven’t officially meet me, my name’s Livia, nice to meet you.”

  “Hehe… sorry Livia, still getting to know everyone. How can I help you?”

  “Hmmm… Well I just wanted to talk with Rolbart’s new celebrity you know, hoping that some of your popularity rub off to me haha.”

  “Haha, no way you aren’t popular with a skin like that.” Lina looked in envy.

  Livia chuckled, “No, I’am not popular, I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

  They both chuckled and talked for a while, and before long, a few nearby girls joined their conversation. Rolbart was a small village, and everyone knew everyone. Soon the topic shifted toward attraction, and to Lina’s surprise, most of them seemed to like Fenric—Vierna’s half deer friend. They were all jealous of her, though not in a hostile way.

  “By the way, Aline,” Livia said, “have you found a job yet?”

  “Not yet… Herr Loran’del hasn’t assigned me anything.”

  The mention of Loran’del made the girls exchange uneasy looks.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Lina asked.

  “Ah, no, it’s nothing.” Livia faked a smile.

  “Come on, you said I was like your new sister. And didn’t all of you say I’m part of Rolbart now? You won’t leave me in the dark, will you?”

  Livia looked away. “Well… ahaha, you’re right. Some of the youths think Loran’del is becoming a tyrant. Did you see how he shouted yesterday? And he forced Fenric to drink that tea! Poor Fenric—he was just trying his best, you know? And worse, he made Vierna drink it too. We used to think Herr Loran’del was kind and compassionate, but now… we’re not so sure anymore.”

  “Well, maybe he was just being cautious,” Lina said, trying to sound casual.

  “We trusted Herr Loran’del,” another girl added. “Even when Yvlaine took most of the dwarves and hunters into the forest—asking if any of us wanted to come—we stayed because of him. We thought he’d protect us. But now it feels like he doesn’t even care.”

  “Wait… why did Yvlaine do that?” Lina asked, pretending not to know her motivation.

  “Hehe, it’s kind of a public secret,” one of the girls said. “Yvlaine’s making a movement—for a new future without wars and discrimination she said. We believed her, but back then Herr Loran’del seemed more reasonable. The Reich is scary, you know.”

  “But looking at things now,” Livia added, “some of the youths are thinking of joining her—especially after seeing that trial yesterday, and your courage to stand up to Korrn. We really admire your bravery, you know.”

  “So you’re all considering joining Yvlaine?”

  “Most of us are,” a young beastkin girl said. “Korrn’s actions two days ago really changed how we think. We used to believe the Reich still cared about us, like Herr Loran’del said—but now it seems like only you and Vierna do. And even then, you were punished for it.”

  “Maybe you want to join Yvlaine too?” a human girl asked. “There’s no way she hasn’t thought of recruiting you, you know?”

  “Haha… maybe, but she hasn’t approached me yet.” Lina lied. “Say, since we all want to join her, what if we just go to her camp and ask? There’s no way she’d reject us, right?”

  “Well, uhhh… we don’t know where her camp is. Yes, there are people here who recruit for her, but we don’t know exactly who. If they found out we’ve been snooping around, they’d definitely avoid us for good,” Livia said.

  “One of her recruiters approached me once,” a human girl added. “He didn’t directly ask to join, instead he do this roundabout question about how I felt regarding the Reich. I knew his angle but I was afraid, so I just said I’am fine with it even when it was a lie. I wish I were more like you, Aline. If it were you, you’d probably accept her invitation without a second thought.”

  “Hehe… nah, I’d probably be scared too if I were you.” Lina waved her hand, trying her best not to let the praise inflate her ego.

  Lina wanted to ask more about the recruitment process, but it seemed the girls had already told her everything they knew.

  “Hey, but I’m confused,” Lina continued. “If Loran’del knew that Yvlaine was forming such a dangerous group, why did he still let her recruit villagers if he wasn’t on board with the idea himself?”

  “It’s not like he wanted to,” Livia replied. “But Yvlaine made him. She said that if Loran’del tried to stop her from recruiting, she wouldn’t give us supplies anymore. We all know Yvlaine would never actually do that, but Loran’del was too paranoid to leave anything to chance.”

  “Yeah, that’s why he really wanted Fenric to become a good hunter,” a sheep like beastkin added. “Poor Fenric… if only Loran’del knew how hard it is for him.”

  “That’s why,” Livia continued, “when we saw your and Vierna’s bravery, we understood — if we keep doing nothing, Rolbart will collapse. We’ll lose our home. That’s why we’re thinking of joining Yvlaine now.”

  Lina smiled sheepishly. “Haha… you guys flatter me too much. The truth is, I’m a scaredy-cat, you know.”

  The girls looked at her wide-eyed. Lina could clearly see the awe glittering in their eyes like starlight.

  “No way that’s true!” A young elf said. “You went against someone as scary as Korrn for people you didn’t even know—you’re like a hero!”

  “Haha… it’s nothing, really,” Lina laughed sheepishly.

  “How can it be nothing?” another girl said. “Look at your back. That pig whipped your smooth skin because you defended us! It was braver than anything Loran’del has done in a long time.”

  Hearing their praise made Lina’s chest ache. They saw her as a savior, but she was here to spy on them—to find Yvlaine’s location and report back. She probably wouldn’t ever come here again.

  And if Yvlaine did get caught, who knew what would happen to Rolbart? The Reich was merciless toward rebel sympathizers. They would mind-read every girl here and uncover the dangerous thoughts they harbored. At best, they’d be sent to the mines as slaves. At worst… execution.

  They continued to chat for a while. The conversation eventually drifted away from the topic that mattered to Lina, but she didn’t push it—she’d already learned enough.

  Not long after, the girls left the pond to start their day. Everyone in Rolbart had their own roles to fill.

  “Hey, Livia. Do you know where Aila is?”

  “Hmmm? Are you sick, Aline?”

  “No, but I can’t stay idle. I still need to pay back my debt to that pig, remember?”

  “Oh, right… I almost forgot about that! Well, her hut’s near the totem in the middle of the village—it’s hard to miss. You can smell all her herbs even from here.”

  “Okay, thanks, Livia.”

  “Don’t mention it! Oh, if you need something feel free to ask me, I work in the lumberyard just outside the village.”

  “That would be convenient. Thanks!”

  Livia waved and headed off. Lina got up as well, wiping the water from her skin. She slipped into her clean clothes and began walking toward the center of the village.