Chapter 252: The Corruption
[Lavinia’s POV — Village Verdelune—At the Dam]
The villagers, for some reason, had followed me toward the dam, their eyes wide with curiosity and a little fear. Sir Haldor walked at my side, Marshi swishing his tail like a tiny, judgmental flag, Solena perched confidently on Sir Haldor’s shoulder, and Sera... well, she was a full-on, judgmental cloud. The morning sun glinted off the water, highlighting the cracked stonework like a silent, hidden warning.
"Looks... bigger than I imagined," I murmured, stepping closer. "Though they said it was just a faint crack."
Sir Haldor cleared his throat and gestured toward a boy standing nervously to the side. "Your Highness... this is the boy who kept sending letters."
Black hair, brown eyes... and by his personality, he sure doesn’t look like some ordinary village boy.
I stepped forward, eyes narrowing slightly. "What’s your name?"
Before the boy could speak, the village head blurted out, "His name is Kalix, Your Highness... he is the son of—"
I whirled around, my gaze sharp as a blade, fixing the belly-laden man in front of me. "DID I ASK YOU, VILLAGE HEAD?" My voice echoed across the dam, crisp and commanding.
The man flinched, his gold chains clinking nervously. "I... I am sorry, Your Highness," he stammered.
"Good. Don’t open your mouth again until I say so," I snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. He nodded quickly, swallowing hard like a guilty child caught misbehaving. "Your mouth is not yours to open until I allow it. Every breath you take here... is because I permit it."
"Yes, your highness..." he trembled with rage and humiliation.
Turning back to the boy, I let my gaze soften just a fraction, though it was still firm. "Kalix... so... you are the one who sent the letters?"
He swallowed, then nodded without hesitation.
I arched an eyebrow, a sly smirk tugging at my lips. "Hmm... and you know how to write letters... quite neatly too. Like someone of noble training, hmm? Where... might you have learned such skill?"
Kalix looked at me steadily, unafraid. "It was my father who taught me, Your Highness. He used to be the village head before."
Ah... so this boy is the ex-village head’s son. That explains much.
I let the silence stretch, letting the weight of my gaze fall on the current village head.
"And... where is your father now?" I asked softly, tilting my head. My tone was calm, but it carried the sharpness of a blade hidden under velvet.
Kalix’s eyes flicked to the belly man before answering, "He... he was found dead in the forest one day."
I let my eyes narrow into slits, staring straight at the man in gold. Every chain, bracelet, and glinting belt suddenly seemed heavier, oppressive under my gaze.
"So..." I said slowly, letting the words drip like poison, "he was killed... and you... took over his place. Very convenient, isn’t it?"
The village head paled, beads of sweat forming along his brow. He parted his lips to speak, but I raised a single, commanding finger.
"I didn’t allow you to speak yet," I said, my voice calm, cold, and unyielding. The kind of tone that made grown men hesitate mid-breath.
Kalix met my gaze, steady and unflinching, a strange mix of defiance and respect reflecting in his eyes. I allowed myself a faint, fleeting smile, a tiny sliver of warmth meant only for him. Then, without warning, my gaze snapped back to the trembling village head.
I let my eyes sweep over him slowly, measuring every twitch of fear. "Now..." I said, tilting my head slightly as I motioned toward the dam behind him. "Tell me, village head... why haven’t you repaired the dam?"
The man forced a smile, trembling at the edges. "Your Highness... it’s... it’s just a mere crack. I’ve started... looking for people... skilled workers who can repair it."
I arched a brow, my tone sharpening like a blade. "Since... two years ago, you’ve been ’looking’ for workers? Two whole years?"
He flinched, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. That split-second movement betrayed everything I already suspected.
"Sir Haldor," I said, my voice crisp, leaving no room for hesitation, "do you see what’s happening here?"
Sir Haldor bowed, steady and obedient. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Seize his estate," I commanded, each word slow, deliberate, and impossible to disobey. "Search every corner. Something in that place... is very, very off. I can feel it."
The village head’s face went white. "Your Highness... wait! Listen to me—"
Before he could finish, my knights moved like shadows, their hands firm on his arms, forcing him to the ground. He hit his knees with a thud, his gold chains jangling against the cobblestones. Some of the knights immediately vanished toward his estate, moving swiftly up the mountainside beyond the village.
I didn’t break eye contact with the trembling man. My voice was low but laced with icy authority. "Do you understand, village head? Every secret, every lie... will be uncovered. Every coin, every misdeed, every false smile you’ve paraded in this village... I will find it. And mark my words... there will be consequences."
The man whimpered, swallowing hard, unable to speak.
I let a small smirk curl on my lips, the sunlight catching the edges of my hair, framing me like a predator assessing its prey. "Sir Haldor," I said, inclining my head slightly toward the silent knight, "you know what to do, yes?"
He nodded once, sharply, and disappeared toward the estate, moving like the shadow of my will.
I turned back to the dam, tracing its cracks with my eyes. The water reflected the morning light. But my focus was elsewhere—on the corruption hidden in plain sight, the lies tangled in gold chains. The truth was about to crumble before me.
This village... this estate... nothing would remain hidden. Not from me.
But what I didn’t know was that I was about to stumble into a... lottery of chaos.
***
[Village—Later]
The villagers gawked from a distance, eyes wide as my knights and Sir Haldor meticulously seized every corner of the estate. Some whispered nervously to one another; others crossed themselves, unsure whether to hide or watch.
Kalix stepped forward, bowing deeply, his expression a mixture of hesitation and relief. "I thought... I thought, Your Highness, that you were deliberately ignoring us."
I tilted my head, amusement flickering in my eyes. "Huh? And why on earth would I do that, Kalix?"
He hesitated, glancing nervously toward the trembling village head. "It’s... because our village has... blue—"
Before he could finish, Sir Haldor came thundering down the path, practically stomping the stones with every step. He skidded to a stop in front of me, chest heaving.
"Your Highness!" he panted, voice taut with urgency.
I arched a brow, folding my arms. "Sir Haldor... are you auditioning for a knightly drama? Can you just... get to the point?"
He huffed, straightening, the weight of his armor creaking faintly. "It... it looks like... there are... many things happening in this village, Your Highness."
I squinted, curiosity sharpening. "Many things... or a lot of chaos?" I muttered under my breath. Then louder: "Sir Haldor, seriously... stop dancing around the point. Speak!"
He straightened, giving me a look as if daring me to disobey. "You... need to see it for yourself, Your Highness."
I frowned, glancing at the villagers who had gathered nervously, all eyes flitting toward the mountain at the edge of the village. I followed their gaze—and froze slightly at the sight of the village head, who looked as if he might faint where he stood, his hands trembling, his face pale as chalk.
My lips curved into a small smirk. "Alright... let’s see what little surprises this village has been hiding," I said, my tone sharp and commanding.
With Sir Haldor leading, I followed toward the small mountains bordering the village, Marshi flicking his tail impatiently and Solena perched silently, watching the road ahead. Sera, ever the dramatist, muttered something under her breath about ’omens of doom’ and rolled her eyes at my nonchalance.
I glanced at Kalix, who fell in step beside me, his eyes wide with anticipation. "I wonder... what is it, Sir Haldor?" I said, though the smirk on my face suggested I was already bracing myself for whatever spectacle awaited.
Sir Haldor gave no answer—he merely nodded toward the slope of the mountain, the morning sunlight glinting off something that caught my eye. And in that glint... I realized this was going to be far more interesting than I’d imagined.
Because as the morning sunlight caught something there, glinting in a way that made my heart skip.
I stood frozen, trembling with shock, breath catching. "No... this can’t be real..."
Sera’s jaw dropped, Solena’s eyes sparkled, and even Marshi stared flatly.
I leaned forward, staring at the glowing stones embedded in the mountain. "So... it’s not just a normal mountain... it’s... BLUE MAGIC STONES MOUNTAINS!"
The truth of the village lay before me, shining brilliantly—and unbelievably.
THIS IS THE FUCKING HUGE CORRUPTION OF THE CENTURY!!!!