Chapter 85: Abusing Power to Oppress

Anna gazed impassively at the soldiers sprawled on the ground, then turned to the portly innkeeper and asked, “Who did this?”

“It was us. So what? Girl, are you planning to avenge them?” Before the fat innkeeper could reply, the adventurers who had subdued the border town’s soldiers admitted their actions themselves. Some among them, with loose tongues, even jeered at Anna, “If you want revenge, we won’t stop you. But with your delicate looks, I doubt you can take us on. Still, we’re fair—if you can’t win in a fight, there’s always the bed. Follow me to my room and see if you can best me there! I’m—”

Though Anna was usually quiet, that did not mean she lacked a temper. In truth, to be close with the hot-tempered Avra, Anna must have a strong personality herself. She generally kept silent out of disinterest, but now, upon hearing their words, she was so furious that she couldn’t even be bothered to argue. She simply acted.

Everyone who saw Anna move couldn’t help but take in a sharp breath.

As the so-called Gale Swordmaster, Anna’s combat technique had always been based on speed, and now, having learned the secret arts from Zhou Tian, even with little time to cultivate and not much inner strength, the nature of that power allowed her to exploit her speed advantage to the fullest.

With a single stroke, none present could even see how Anna drew her sword. The foul-mouthed adventurers suddenly found themselves crouched on the ground, clutching their mouths in agony.

Stepping back from the crowd, Anna calmly wiped the fresh blood from her blade with a snowy white handkerchief, sheathed her sword, and looked coldly at the terrified onlookers. “If anyone dares speak such filth again, I will kill.”

Though Anna’s words were not directed at any one person, upon witnessing the fate of those whose tongues she cut out, the rest instinctively covered their mouths in fright.

Having cowed them, Anna, following Zhou Tian’s orders, gave them one more glance and declared, “For attacking Imperial troops, I am now arresting you as the captain of the border town’s security force. You may resist, but I cannot guarantee your safety if you do.”

At that, who among the crowd dared oppose her? For a few crude words, Anna had cut out their tongues—who knew if she might not sever their legs should they try to escape? Being taken into custody might be disgraceful, but it was better than losing one’s legs.

Seeing the crowd’s cooperation, Anna nodded in satisfaction and turned to the innkeeper. “I’ll be taking these criminals who attacked the town’s troops. As for the others who did not participate, please see to their comfort. Our border town welcomes guests from all over the world, but we ask that you respect our laws. And you, innkeeper, should be more discerning about whom you allow to stay. This time, someone attacked the troops—if this continues, who’s to say an assassin won’t slip in to target the lord? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see the Daybreak Inn expelled from the town.” With that, ignoring the innkeeper’s darkening expression, Anna led the soldiers and the subdued adventurers away.

Although Anna had not revealed much, most of the guests present sensed something was amiss.

Why did the soldiers target only the Daybreak Inn? Why did Anna speak so sternly to the innkeeper? Was there a feud between the inn and the local lord?

Though such suspicions were merely conjecture, they were enough to prompt many guests to check out soon after. They cared not for the reasons the inn was under scrutiny; they came only to find lodging. Even if the Daybreak Inn was famous, it didn’t mean they couldn’t stay elsewhere. No matter who would win or lose between the inn and the lord, those uninvolved preferred to keep clear of trouble.

Thus, not long after Anna’s departure, the Daybreak Inn’s occupancy dropped from nearly full to just forty percent. For any other establishment, that might still be considered decent, but for the Daybreak Inn, it was disastrous.

“Damn it! Damn it! Zhou Tian, you bastard!” When the innkeeper heard the new occupancy figures from his staff, he slammed the table in fury.

Though merely the manager of a branch, the Daybreak Inn’s business was tied directly to him. Each branch’s performance had to be reported, and income was linked to results. If business fell too low, even a branch manager could be dismissed.

Without the Inn’s banner to shield him, the innkeeper knew what fate awaited him. Seeing business plummet due to Zhou Tian’s interference, he was nearly desperate enough to storm over and confront Zhou Tian directly.

But recalling Zhou Tian’s status, he had to abandon the idea. He ordered the staff to clean up and prepared to reopen for business.

But could Zhou Tian be so easily appeased? Of course not.

Just as the innkeeper finished overseeing the cleaning, Mike arrived with a team of border town officials, acting on Zhou Tian’s orders.

Seeing their official attire, the innkeeper almost groaned aloud. He had never encountered someone as relentless as Zhou Tian, and unprepared for such tactics, he forced a smile and greeted Mike.

“To what do I owe the pleasure? Is there anything I can help with?”

“We’ve received reports that your inn fails to meet hygiene standards, and that guests have fallen ill after eating here. By order of the lord, we are here to conduct a health inspection.” Unmoved by the innkeeper’s ingratiating smile, Mike gave his formal speech and immediately ordered his team to begin their inspection.

As the saying goes, “If you look hard enough, you’ll always find a problem.” Even on Earth, with all its regulations, hygiene issues crop up. In this world, where such standards are rarely enforced, Mike, following Zhou Tian’s orders, searched the Daybreak Inn for trouble—and no matter how clean the inn was, he found plenty.

“In total, we discovered three dirt snakes, sixteen rats, numerous cockroaches, and a swarm of flies and mosquitoes.” Displaying the creatures in the inn’s main hall, Mike sternly reprimanded the innkeeper, “How do you run this place? With so many pests, it’s no wonder guests fall ill. In fact, they’re lucky to get off so lightly—eating here every day could be fatal.” Without giving the innkeeper a chance to respond, Mike continued, “According to the lord’s new sanitation laws, an inn in this state is subject to a heavy fine. You have three days to pay one hundred gold coins at the church. If you fail to pay on time, we may have to resort to force.” With that, he handed over the citation and left with his team.

Staring at the fine in his hand, the innkeeper felt utterly despondent.

Though the border town was not prosperous, the constant flow of mercenaries hunting in the monster forest meant the Daybreak Inn made a tidy profit. There was no way he could afford to shut down. Thus, he had no choice but to pay the fine.

Zhou Tian had barely begun, and already the innkeeper was reeling, his business suffering greatly. If not for Zhou Tian’s excessive demands, the innkeeper might have surrendered already.

“Get this place cleaned up! From now on, not a single pest is to be seen in this inn!” With nowhere to vent his anger, the innkeeper could only berate his staff before setting them to work yet again.

After finally getting the inn spotless, the innkeeper thought he might have peace for a while.

But Zhou Tian was not yet finished.

The third visit came, and this time, it was Sister Katherine, driven nearly to desperation by the innkeeper’s previous actions.

When Katherine entered the inn, the innkeeper’s face was a sight to behold. No matter what he thought, nor whether he guessed her purpose, seeing the officials in her retinue, he had no choice but to greet her politely. “What brings you all to our inn?”

“We’ve had reports that your inn is involved in illegal banking activities. Please assemble everyone in the building—we will check all their identities.”

At Katherine’s words, the innkeeper was so enraged he spat blood and collapsed on the spot.

(A heartfelt thanks to zk20yu for the generous reward, to zhaomeiren for the 100 starting coins, and to Falcon for the top review. I deeply appreciate everyone’s support!)