"Make sure none of the tiny Insectus got onto either one of you." Tamma looked at her top and then her shorts, quickly brushing them with the back of her hands. "Looks like I'm clear."

"As am I," Miwah said as shook out her robe.

"Good to go," Alson replied.

"Right. Now I guess it's time we go back to Chaston's office." Tamma pushed an entanglement of branches to the side, revealing the outskirts of Farrowport to her companions. The sun was starting to set, giving the scenery a faint orange glow to it.

"Another long walk?" Alson let his arms dangle low. His entire body swayed from side like a blade of grass in a breeze. "We've been at this all afternoon. Could we at least stop somewhere and get some—" The guard's head suddenly turned towards Miwah. Instead of a mean scowl, her face was calm.

"You were saying?" Miwah replied.

"Never mind. I know how you'd react if I were to ask about taking a break." Alson looked back towards the direction of Farrowport, disappointed.

"I am fine with the idea."

Tamma looked at the seamstress, her head bobbing back as she looked confused. "Really?"

"Warriors deserve a decent meal," Miwah replied. "Perhaps I was a bit too harsh on you, Alson."

The guard's face became red. He promptly turned away from the woman as he scratched his nape. "Oh. I get it. You weren't completely wrong, you know. I'll admit that I can slack off a bit."

"But you were acted when it was most important. That is what matters the most in my eyes. You can always work on your personality later. But you have the instinct to be a great defender of your people."

"Stop it Miwah! You're going to let your words get his head!" Tamma laughed before patting Alson on the shoulder. "You think he's a hard listener now? Wait until you see how he gets when he gets too much praise!"

"I will give compliments whenever it is deserved."

"Thanks, Miwah. That means a lot coming from you. But I'm nothing special, honest. I'm sure if anyone else had tagged along, they would have done the same. Shucks, you two probably wouldn't have even needed me if you could have transformed into that... Purifier thing... like Tamma."

"True. But that does not change what happened today. You put your life on the line. You saved me." Miwah pointed at the guard. "You did your job. That is more than deserving of a moment's rest." The seamstress looked to Tamma. "What do you say? Would you be fine with Alson getting some rest while we go catch up with Chaston?"

"That's fair enough. He was talking about how his shift was supposed to be over." Tamma opened up one of her pouches that was fastened to her belt and picked a few coins. She then took one of Alson's hands and opened it wide, plopping the pieces of metal in his palm. "Take these. It's not much but it should be just enough for you to get yourself a short session at the bathhouse."

"Aww, Tamma. You don't have to—"

The hunter closed Alson's palm and then pushed his hand towards his chest. "Just take it. Like Miwah said, we couldn't have gotten the sample without you."

With shaky hands, the guard stashed the coin away in the pocket of his trousers. "T-thank you," he muttered in a voice that trembled as much as his fingers did.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"No more dawdling. We need to get back to town and show Chaston our finding and tell him about what happened to that pack of willow lions. At the very least, the Governor will have to cut off people from entering Abbus Forest. Maybe even station a few guards around the perimeter to make sure nothing gets into town." Tamma led the others out of the forest and back into the long field that stood before Farrowport. They continued to walk, side by side as Yalch flew around the trio, circling them with a series of short yet steady laps.

"I hate to bear bad news, but I've a strong suspicion that the Governor won't go for that. We're spread thin as it is. Telling her to put men in an empty field to stand around and do nothing for most of the day is going to be a very hard sell. Bordering on impossible if you ask me."

"She will have to!" Miwah called out. "What is more important to the ruler of a town than making sure its citizens are safe?"

Both Tamma and Alson looked at Miwah, each giving her the same baffled gaze. "They really do run things differently in Xiwao, don't they?" Alson said.

"She's from a small village," Tamma said. "They probably run things differently there. There's few enough people for that kind of mentality to actually hold true."

"What do you two mean by that?" a confused Miwah asked.

Both Tamma and Alson began to speak at the same time, both cutting their sentences short simultaneously. "I'll tell the lass," the hunter said. They paused their walk so Tamma could look at Miwah head on. "Farrowport is a marketplace first and foremost. That means money is more important the people that live here."

Tamma proceeded to rub a pair of imaginary coins in between her fingers. "Every Governor that has ever led this place has focused on profits. Every law passed is in place to make sure traders and merchants can get the most money possible. With more income comes more taxes. And with more taxes means more coin for the Governor to pocket."

"Taking our already limited number of guards away from their assigned posts means a less secure market," Alson added. "A less secure market means that people will be taking their business elsewhere. Paying people to guard the vast forest while leaving the market unattended doesn't do much good for the Governor's reserves."

Miwah blinked a few times before pressing her hand against her forehead. "How could someone even think like that? Just shut the market down for a day. Or maybe hire some warriors from one of the numerous ships that dock to help. There are plenty of solutions!"

"The Governor doesn't want solutions, lass. She wants to improve her margins. But that doesn't mean she won't listen. It will just take a whole lot of convincing to make sure that she does the right thing."

"Good thing Chaston is on our side, eh Tamma?" Alson added.

"You can say that again. Could you imagine if just me and Miwah went up there to try and convince her to secure the forest?"

"She'd laugh at you and then have the guards toss you all the way back down to the beggars' section of town!"

"Exactly."

"So what should we do then if the Governor chooses to remain idle about the issue?" Miwah asked. "Are we just going to let this place get run over with Insectus spawn, controlling the population?"

"One step at a time, lass. We still have Chaston to rely on. Let's see how things go with him before we start panicking."

"Don't know about you Tamma," Alson said as he shook his hands. "I'm already panicking a bit right now. Parasites. Ravenous wildlife. Ghenkans. It's a lot to take in."

"Don't forget the Cutthroats!" Yalch blurted out. Tamma turned around and put her finger to her lips and made a shush sound.

"Huh?" Alson said.

"Not you. I'm talking about our little friend that only we can see."

"Ah."

"I suppose the next step is to go to Chaston's office." Miwah began. "And I assume you will be going to the bathhouse for your well-deserved break, Alson?"

The guard stretched his arms high above his head and let a long yawn escape. He rubbed his eyes a bit with the palms of his hands and then tilted his head from side to side. "I'm tired. But I can't let you ladies go into Farrowport by yourselves, especially since you've gone and ticked off all the Cutthroats in town. You might need me to handle them like I did those willow lions earlier."

"But what about your ‘well-deserved’ rest?" Tamma asked.

The guard took the money that the hunter had given him and held it out in front of Tamma. "Go ahead and take this back. I won't be needing it today. I'm going to make sure you two get to Chaston. Safe and sound. You're carrying something important that could save the lives of countless people. It's the least I can do."

Tamma closed Alson's hand and pushed it back towards his heart. "Keep it. You have more than earned it. Maybe you can get yourself a proper bath or a bit of a snack once your shift actually ends."

“Thanks Tamma.” The guard grinned before accepting Tamma’s offer and putting the coin back into his pocket. “If only the Governor could be this generous.”