Chapter 876: Chapter 7 The Old Man, Wolf, Sheep, and Turnip Chapter 876: Chapter 7 The Old Man, Wolf, Sheep, and Turnip Iron Peak County, Revodan.
“No pass,” Ivan repeated no matter how many tis, reached a point of annoyance, “No one can leave.”
The halted wagon was loaded with a family of four and all their belongings. The considerably plump male owner was personally driving the carriage, while the female owner hid with their two children inside the coach.
News traveled faster than the plague. The bow-carrying white Knight had not yet arrived at Revodan, but the outbreak in Saint Town was already public knowledge.
Regrettably, when the beacon fires of war lit up, civilians from Iron Peak County frantically sward into Revodan seeking refuge; and when the plague followed suit, people desperately tried to flee the congested city.
“Ah, we left in such a hurry that we didn’t have ti to ask for a pass.” The male owner smiled ingratiatingly, his short, thick fingers deftly slipping Ivan a bulging small leather pouch, “Do a favor, sir.”
The pouch was hard, unmistakably filled with coins.
...
Ivan couldn’t help but sigh. It was impossible to remain unmoved, with Aksinya and the children depending on him.
Ever since preparations for war began, the cost of goods in Revodan only rose, never fell. Although there were rations for flour, it had been a long ti since Ivan’s family had seen at.
“Sir,” Ivan didn’t accept the pouch as his voice was sowhat muffled by the handkerchief covering his nose and mouth, “Though I don’t know your na, your family must be quite wealthy…”
The portly male owner’s heart sank with a thud, realizing that getting fleeced was inevitable.
But under soone else’s roof, one has little choice but to bow, and he still t the situation with a smile, “My na is Ivan, your excellence, Ivan Asta.”
“Oh? Your na is Ivan too.”
“So it seems… do we share the sa na?” The male owner eagerly played along, “What a coincidence.”
“Mr. Asta,” Ivan, interrupted, montarily lost his train of thought. He fell silent for a while, struggling trendously to organize his words, “You look to be a wealthy man, perhaps even well-educated. On a normal day walking down the street, you wouldn’t even give a second look, am I right?”
The owner grew increasingly confused as he awkwardly laughed, “Oh, brother Ivan… where is your mind wandering?”
“But now, you’re pulling out money, actively offering it to ,” Ivan continued, ignoring him, “You do this because you think I am soone in power. At least for now, I have the power to let you go. Is that right?”
“Ah?” The simple act of bribery suddenly escalated to a philosophical debate, and the male owner’s mind couldn’t keep up.
“I actually have no power. Only the Civil Guard Officer has the power to let you go, I only have the power to stop you. Now that I have taken your money, by sunrise tomorrow, I will be hanged.” Ivan poured out everything on his mind, took a deep breath as he looked expectantly at the other, “You are asking to exercise a power I do not have… do you understand what I’m saying?”
For this family, it was their first ti eting Ivan, their first attempt at bribing him.
But for Ivan, this was already his “countless” encounter with offered bribes. This created an asymtric relationship between them.
Ivan’s words were a release for all bribers and also his intellectual findings—a reason to convince himself not to take the bribe.
The owner was utterly confused; he simply wanted to grease a palm but ended up being lectured unexpectedly.
The owner gazed suspiciously at Ivan for a long while, then asked quietly, “Are you asking for more money?”
“No,” Ivan said expressionlessly, “Without a pass, no one can leave.”
…
anwhile, on the road between Revodan and King’s Bridge Town, a troop of Cavalry was persuading a group of refugees.
The Cavalry consisted of only twelve riders, but the refugees numbered over a hundred.
“Revodan has the plague!” the young leading Cavalry shouted as he stood in the middle of the road, waving his arms, using his sowhat immature voice to shout as loudly as he could, “Go back, everyone!”
The refugees didn’t dare to assault the Cavalry, but no one was willing to just leave.
During the standoff, an old man with a cane walked out of the crowd, trembling, and pleaded, “My lord! If it weren’t really the last resort, who would want to leave their hotown! We haven’t seen the plague, but hunger is very real. The barbarians have taken and burned all our grain, we really can’t survive. My lord! Please show rcy and let us pass!”
A gaunt mother also stepped out from the crowd, holding her infant in swaddling clothes, crying and pleading with the Cavalry.
The previously hesitant crowd now beca restless, starting to move towards the Cavalry.
“Please listen to !” the young lead Cavalry shouted, “Relief grain will arrive very soon!”
However, the noisy hoofbeats and crying drowned out the young Cavalry’s words. No one heard what he said, and no one cared.
The young Cavalry gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and the twelve riders turned their horses around and rode off.
“They’ve retreated!” The crowd cheered jubilantly.
Suddenly soone cried out, “They’re coming back!”
The twelve Cavalry ford a line, each rider close to the other as if chained together, and charged towards the refugees with an unstoppable force.
Before the Cavalry even reached them, the advancing crowd’s montum was curbed and shattered.
Due to hunger, the mother holding her baby lacked the strength to run. She turned around, shielding her child in her arms with her back to the approaching hoofbeats.
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