Dark Solution

Yesterday, I learned the truth about why the noble who owns this town is taxing the residents to much. Today, I'm gonna solve the problem. The group of bad people are supposed to show up at noon to more or less rob the noble who can't pay back his loans, and I need to stop them.

Shouldn't be too hard, right? Wrong. You see, I have no idea how to make them drop the loans without killing them. What am I supposed to do? As I sit in the saloon, letting myself think as time slowly ticks by, I can hear footsteps walking through the middle of the town in the direction of the mansion. I turn to look outside as the sound nears, and sure enough, a group of shady looking people who I've never seen before walk passed.

Imagine your typical strong looking and prideful punk, but in clothes from medieval times, and that's what they look like. Mohawks, unusual colored hair, chains, and flashy swords at their waist. They were laughing and cracking bad jokes about girls with each other.

Seems like they're here. I guess I need to figure something out. For now, I'll give myself time to think and follow them quietly so I can learn as much as I can about them and use it to my advantage.

Getting up from the stool I had been sitting at, I move outside in complete silence, being sure to hide my presence to the maximum while following them. Soon, they arrived at the mansion and knocked. After a moments pause, the doors opened and they entered.

I still don't know what I'm going to do. I guess I can follow them inside as well. I quickly used wind magic and carried myself up into an open window on the second floor. I then followed them through the mansion on the second floor with my superb hearing. I could clearly hear their footsteps even though I was a floor above. Soon, they arrive to the spot where the noble from yesterday had been working. They kicked in the door and entered. How rude!

"Old man! We're here for our money!"

Man, he sounds just like I would have imagined he would. He is a stereotypical punk in every single way.

"O-oh, welcome. I wasn't expecting you today."

He must have thought I would have stopped them before they got here. Sorry.

"Have you gone senile old man? This is the agreed upon date. Now, where's our money?"

"Please, I need more time! It has been rough being unable to grow crops with the drought, and we haven't been able to make any money. I've had to sell every valuable I own for this town, and now I have nothing left!"

"What?"

The punk spoke on almost a whisper, his voice became quiet but full of anger. It seemed like he had growled when he spoke the word, givibg a scary feeling to it.

"WHAT!? ARE YOU TRYING TO MESS WITH ME!?"

The punk ran forward and flipped the table that the noble was sitting behind. I could hear it crash against a wall. The chair that the noble had been sitting fell backwards along with the noble.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH ME!"

"W-wait! I might have something! Just please, give me more time. Here, take this brooch. This should cover most of the cost, but I need more time to cover the rest, so please!"

...

"Well see! That wasn't so hard, was it? Sure, we'll give you more time, just know that the price will rise with every day that passes. Well then, see ya."

With that, the punks all left the room, leaving behind what I can only assume is a mess and a scared and desperate noble. Well, I think I have a plan. Besides, I've been looking for an excuse to learn what dark magic does.

Quickly jumping back out the window I had entered through, I waited outside the main doors for the punks to come out. As the door opened, I immediately went to work.

"Eh, who're you?"the

"That isn't important."

As I spoke, I imagined a dark miasma seeping out of me and entering the minds of the punks, slowly controlling it.

"What do you want?"

The rude and scary tone disappeared from their voices, being replaced with an empty monotone voice. Could this really work?

"I want you to return everything you have taken from this town and then never return again."

"Understood."

After I let out my command, they all walked with perfect synchrony, going to some place I haven't been to retrieve everything they had taken. Soon, they had left the town, but they didn't stop marching. I followed them, just to be safe, and after walking for a few hours, we arrived.

Our destination was a nice and lavish building from one of the other towns I had noticed before going to the secluded one. It was full of nice decorations and coins everywhere you looked. The punks then began packing sacks full of coins. Soon, we had already begin marching back.

When we got back, I knocked on the mansion door and was answered by the butler, who opened his eyes with complete shock.

"What is this?"

"Oh this? I convinced them to return everything they had taken. Go on now, set the money inside and leave, never to return."

"Understood."

As they once again marched away, the butler looked at me with wide eyes as well as fear.

"You, did you use black magic?"