“Sister!” Sofia exclaimed with a big grin on her face. “Look what I have for you today.”

She unfurled her bag onto a large table, letting the pelts flow out of it. The woman in front of her raised an eyebrow. She was surprised that such a small girl could obtain such high-quality fur. If not for the Patriarch's son introducing her, she probably would have turned the little girl at the door before even hearing her out.

She was the regional manager of a mid-sized trading company based in the Capital. A few years ago, she was tasked with taking charge of this branch. The company she worked for hoped to enlarge their market share by venturing into the more reclusive areas of the Kingdom, where there was less competition.

This store was an opportunity for her but also a test. If successful, the company could expand further, and she might be promoted to senior management, something unprecedented for someone so young; she was barely twenty-five.

She wore elegant but functional clothes that reflected her working attitude: an embroidered floral skirt that ended just above her calves and a small laced blouse. A small blue ribbon was tied around her neck, and her long brown hair was wrapped in a bun. Although considered avant-garde in the Kingdom, this outfit style was well-received among her clientele, primarily ladies of affluent families.

Her company mainly dealt with textiles and imported goods. Although she wasn't in charge of procurement, and dealing with individual suppliers was somewhat unorthodox, she had grown fond of the little girl standing before her.

At first, the quality of her goods was lacking, but their scarcity made up for it. The poison within the beasts' flesh gave their hide and fur a hue rarely found in other animals. Other hunters were reluctant to delve deep into the forest where these types of beasts flourished, granting Sofia a monopoly of sorts. The lady was astute; she carefully hid who brought her these pelts for fear of losing her advantage.

Although the price was reasonable, Sofia knew she could auction these to the highest bidder but chose against it; anonymity was her greatest asset. She had no intention of catching her family's eye or, worse yet, stepping on their bottom line. This arrangement worked best for both of them.

"Let me see," the lady said while spreading the fur around the table before lifting one to the light. "Oh! These are quite good. You've gotten better."

Sofia’s smile couldn’t be more brilliant. She lifted her small chest while pointing her chin toward the sky. The lady chuckled at this flagrant display of arrogance.

“Here. This is for you,” the lady said after reaching under the desk for a pouch filled with coins.

Sofia felt the heft of the pouch when it landed in her hand and couldn't help but narrow her eyes. She flipped the pouch's contents on the table, carefully counting the metallic discs.

“But...” she tried to say before the lady interrupted her.

“Think of it as a reward for your good work. We rarely get pelts of this quality. They are in great demand in the Capital. I won’t lose money even if I give you a little more.”

She said it was no big deal, but Sofia knew otherwise. Although she may be the manager of this branch, she still needed to abide by its rules, and showing such favouritism was already skirting the line.

Sofia's expression was complicated. She didn't want the nice lady to be in trouble, but she needed the money. While Sofia debated what to do, the lady's expression softened, contrasting with her usual stern look. After a moment of hesitation, Sofia relented and accepted the money with gratitude.

The lady watched Sofia leave, noticing the big grin plastered on her small face. She couldn't help but shake her head and smile. While unaware of Sofia's whole situation, she had heard the rumours circulating around town. As an outsider, this was the most she could do for her. Despite the care she showed Sofia, this was between her and her clan. It wouldn’t do for merchants to get involved in nobles’ internal affairs. Still, a slight sense of guilt was unavoidable, even if reason dictated otherwise.

Sofia strolled the streets with her newfound fortune. Although it may have seemed like a lot, not much would remain once she was done buying what she needed. She stopped at a food store and bought things she couldn't get herself, such as eggs and salt. She wanted to raise chickens but was afraid that the noise would alert the family, so she gave up. Besides, she doubted they could survive the forest's atmosphere.

After a few more shops, she was ready to go home. She was relieved that her pouch still had quite the weight to it. Her long years of poverty, added to the fact that she could lean on the people's pity, had made her a good haggler.

While going back, she noticed people following her. She thought nothing of it at first, but she grew more vigilant as time went on. She reckoned they were after her money and thought stealing it from such a little girl was easy. She had noticed some looks while she entered the lady's shop, but she wrote them off as a simple interest in a little girl going into a shop that wasn't meant for her. Now, she grew nervous.

She slipped into the crowd, blending into it, hoping she could lose them. Although she was reluctant to abandon the wares she had bought, she would do so in a heartbeat if it meant her safety. Fortunately, such concerns were unnecessary, as the feeling faded away quickly.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Sofia narrowed her eyes; this was too easy. She lingered in the crowd, waiting to see if she could catch a glimpse of the presence she felt. All around her, she could hear people going about their day while the loud voices of street merchants peddling their wares drowned everything around them, blurring into each other.

Trade is organized chaos, Sofia thought while shaking her head.

While she waited, she heard people gossip; one rumour caught her ear.

“Have you heard? They say the Empire is massing supplies near Redwaters. Do you think they are preparing for war?"

“Are you daft? Do you think you would have heard about it if they were? There’s a limit to incompetence.”

“I’m not lying! My cousin works for a trading company that deals in foodstuff. He said their sales to the Empire have tripled over the last two months!”

"Maybe they are dealing with a famine? Doesn't necessarily mean they are preparing to wage war."

“How naive can you be?! The last war hasn’t faded from their memories. Do you really think they don’t hold a grudge?”

War with the Empire? Sofia thought.

Despite her reclusiveness, she had heard about the last war. More than two decades later, some traces of it still remain. However, people quickly forget such tragedies if they weren't personally involved. She shook her head and moved on; this didn't concern her. She already had her hands full caring for herself.

She waited an hour, slipping in and out of the crowd, but the feeling never returned. She wondered if she imagined the whole thing. She had already passed in front of the same stores so many times that the clerks were starting to give her looks. It was time to go home. Besides, the sun was beginning to set; she couldn't delay any longer.

The day had been long, and she was exhausted. Although she seemed to possess boundless stamina, she was still a child. She chose to take a shortcut into a side alley, but this proved to be a mistake. As she was about to exit, two boys stood in her way while a third blocked the path behind her. She was surrounded.

Sofia cursed herself for her carelessness but tried to remain calm. They didn't seem to be amateurs since they waited for her to let down her guard before springing the trap. Fortunately, they weren't adults but boys no older than fifteen; one of them even seemed to be not much older than her.

Sofia narrowed her eyes before putting her wares on the floor. She stared at the two in front while keeping in mind the one behind. Her hand inched closer to the knife hidden below her dress. She was glad to have brought it.

Sofia opened her mouth to scream; she figured this was her best chance to avoid a fight as they were still near a crowded district, and she could escape during the chaos, but the boys pounced first. She gritted her teeth and unsheated her knife. The boys in front recoiled in fright at the sight of the deadly weapon. They never expected such a small girl to carry something below her skirt.

Their charge ground to a halt, unsure of what to do, but the one behind came right at her. He seemed to be about thirteen; his arms were at least twice the size of her own. She couldn't afford to collide with him. Fortunately, he underestimated her. His movements were slow and sluggish; she could easily tell what he wanted to do.

She ducked her head while her opponent's arms swung in the air. Then, in a jerking motion, she raised her knee and hit her target. Her brother had taught her this technique for just such an occasion.

The boy fell to the ground like a stone, clutching his groin with both hands. His face contorted as the pain assaulted him; only small whimpers escaped his mouth as the shock cut his breath. The remaining boys watched their comrade writhing on the floor as the blood drained from their faces. Dread of this little girl took root in their hearts. Unfortunately, their greed soon took over them.

They had followed her for a long time and knew how much money she had. Although for those of the clan, it was nothing much, for them, it was more than enough to risk injury. Furthermore, they would no doubt be punished if they returned without anything to show for it. While still reluctant, they slowly approached Sofia.

She frowned. She had hoped that would be enough to deter them, but alas. She gripped her knife harder as anxiety washed over her. While she managed to deal with one, this was dumb luck. He had underestimated her and paid the price. These two wouldn't make the same mistake. In a straightforward confrontation, she would lose every time. She resorted to something she wished to avoid.

“Leave,” she said while resting her blade on the neck of the boy on the floor.

This strategy came with very obvious downsides. Threats were purely a last resort. She would have to follow through if they didn't heed her warning. Although she saw killing animals as a means to survive, she wasn't ready to kill humans. Hesitation, however, would lead to an even worse outcome for her. Obviously, her life was her priority; she would kill if she had to, but it would eat away at her. Fortunately, the boys seemed to take her threat seriously and backed off but still blocked off the exit.

“Let him go!” one of them said.

“After you leave,” she replied coldly while her blade nicked the boy’s neck, drawing blood.

They stared at each other, unwilling to back down, stuck in a deadlock until Sofia heard footsteps rapidly approaching. She thought someone heard the commotion and came to her rescue, but the boys' expressions said otherwise.

Not long after, four more boys surrounded her; one stood out from the rest, being much older than them, most likely their leader. The man frowned when he saw one of his men on the floor with a knife to his neck.

"Let him go, little girl, and you may just get out of this with your life," he said coldly.

Sofia was at an impasse. Her threats wouldn't matter at this point. The only thing that would change by killing him would be the revenge they would take on her. She was reluctant to lower her knife but had no choice. She couldn't win.

She felt aggrieved that they would target her. There were so many more targets they could have chosen. Some had so much more wealth, but she was young and frail; she was easy prey. She had been persecuted all her life, and she had enough.

No more, she thought.

Something akin to a flame awoke in her heart while her stare became glacial cold. Her emotions fluctuated violently. Warmth spread throughout her body while a sense of dominance awoke in her mind. She refused to let it end like this. She lifted the boy's head by gripping his hair and pressed her knife firmly against his neck, almost breaking the skin.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her voice contained all her pent-up emotions: rage, sadness, and frustration. Her voice was prjected forward and hit the boys before her, almost like a cannonball. It bore into their brains and resonated. It became all they could think about. They all stood rooted in place briefly, as if soulless before they turned around and left without even looking at the boy on the ground.

Sofia was so stunned by this situation that she loosened her grip on the boy. He got up as if he had never felt any pain before and simply walked away without even looking at her. Finally, she was alone again.

Once she ensured they were gone, she collapsed on the floor as relief washed over her. She buried her head in her arms while confusion swirled in her head.

What was that? she thought as fear overcame the adrenaline while she quietly sobbed on the ground.