34 The Price of Silence

Upon entering the heart of Anpo City, Chinua and her three subordinates found themselves amidst a bustling street scene. Merchants hawked their wares, citizens bustled past, and the air hummed with the sounds of commerce and conversation. They navigated the throng for a short distance before stopping in front of a prominent inn. Hye, feeling the grime of the road on his skin and acutely aware of their muddy clothes, refused to proceed further in such a state.

"This inn is perfect," he declared, pushing through the entrance, only to be immediately thrown back out by a stern-faced waiter. "I can pay!" he protested, stumbling slightly.

He turned back to Chinua, his face tight with frustration. "It's all your fault," he accused. "Because of you, everyone hates us; they won't let us stay anywhere!"

Chinua, Hye, and the others began walking down the street towards the middle of the city's east side.

"But it was your idea to disguise ourselves," Chinua remarked to Hye.

"Let's continue walking east," Zhi suggested. "Maybe we'll find an inn willing to take us in there."

"I've noticed that the further east we go, the more dilapidated the city becomes," Khenbish commented. 

"I noticed that, too," Chinua replied. "I bet this part of the city is for poor people."

"No matter the kingdom you're in," Hye commented, "status always matters." He pointed towards an older inn across the street. "I bet that one will let us stay." He rushed towards it. Chinua, Khenbish, and Zhi followed him inside.

The inn's interior was old; the wooden floors creaked as they walked towards Hye. Chinua noticed the place was empty.

"Hey, I got us two rooms," Hye announced as they reached him. "But first, we need to clean up."

When Chinua, Hye, Khenbish, and Zhi were about to go up to their rooms, a noise sounded in the distance. Prioritizing their mission over comfort, they decided to see what was going on before taking a bath or eating dinner. They headed toward a small group gathered across a nearby bridge.

Crossing the bridge, they approached an area of dilapidated houses. By its appearance, this was definitely a city slum—far less lively than the western districts.

Standing on the last steps of the small bridge that separated the slum from the rest of the city, Chinua, Hye, Khenbish, and Zhi watched a group of officers fighting with civilians. Many others stood aside and observed. After watching for a while, the officers subdued the locals. Chinua initially thought it must be a riot started by fleeing villagers, so she didn't pay much attention. But then a loud, angry voice suddenly attracted her attention. 

"Orgil! You corrupt pig!" the voice bellowed. "You have no right to kick us out of our home! It's shameful you call yourself the eyes and ears of the people!"

"How dare you insult the mayor!" an officer roared. He began to kick the man, who was already lying on the ground, mercilessly.

Despite the blows, the beaten man continued to shout, his voice raw with anger. "This is our home! Our ancestors lived here for generations! You and your king have no right to drive us away. I curse you! I curse you!"

Hye smirked at Chinua. "He has the guts to curse Orgil and your king," he murmured.

"Stop! Please stop!" an old woman wailed, rushing out of a nearby old house. "You've beaten him enough. We'll leave. We'll leave. The Magoli can stay." 

The officer turned, pushing the old woman roughly to the ground. He raised his foot to kick her as she lay there.

Khenbish reacted instantly, kicking the officer's foot away. Just as quickly, Chinua punched the officer in the face, sending him staggering back towards the other seven officers. The seven officers turned and stared at Chinua, Hye, Khenbish, and Zhi.

The injured officer, blood trickling from his nose, glared at Chinua. "How dare you hit me in the face?" he snarled.

Chinua met his gaze. "Your duty as law enforcement is to protect civilians," she stated, her voice sharp. "In my opinion, your behavior is no less than that of bandits."

The officer wiped the blood from his nose. "These Tanggolian descendants are second-class citizens of Hmagol," he said flatly.

"Who said that?" Chinua demanded, her voice hot with anger.

Khenbish, sensing Chinua's rage, stared hard at the officer. "Choose your words carefully," he warned. "They may be your last."

The officer held his ground. "Everyone here knows this," he declared. "Hmagol law states that these second-class citizens must always surrender their rights and ownership to pure-blooded Magoli."

Chinua sneered, muttering angrily under her breath. "Second-class citizens?"

Clenching her fist, Chinua rushed forward towards the wounded officer. Her fist struck his face again, making him stumble further back towards the detainees. The detainees quickly moved aside, leaving Chinua and the officer grappling on the ground, punching and kicking each other in a chaotic brawl. 

The other seven officers rushed towards the brawl to help their companion. But Khenbish and Zhi surged forward as well, engaging the seven officers and keeping them from Chinua and the officer she had pinned. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the gathered onlookers quickly backed away from the combatants.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" another officer's voice rang out from behind the growing crowd. The officer saw seven of his men fighting with three figures. As the people parted, twenty officers closed in, surrounding the fighting crowd.

Stepping out from behind the twenty officers was Dolgoon. He stared at the four figures for a moment. The officer pinned beneath Chinua was clearly beaten badly. "Go save him," Dolgoon ordered, looking at a nearby officer.

That officer quickly rushed forward and grabbed Chinua's left shoulder. Chinua whipped her head to the right, grabbing the officer's hand on her shoulder with both of her own. She threw him forward, rolled on top of him, seized his right foot, and with a surge of strength, threw the officer tumbling directly in front of Dolgoon and the others. 

Khenbish and Zhi moved swiftly to Chinua's side, standing on either flank. Chinua, Hye, Khenbish, and Zhi faced Dolgoon, his twenty newly arrived officers, and the eight wounded ones.

Dolgoon stepped forward, his voice It was like a blade. "Do you know harming a Magoli officer is a serious crime?"

Chinua sneered, meeting his gaze. "What about you?" she countered. "Is there a punishment for officers who harm civilians?"

Dolgoon smiled thinly. "I've never heard of it," he replied dismissively.

Hye said with a smile walking to Dolgoon, "Oh, if you don't know, how can you become their leader?"

Dolgoon looked at the four strangers and asked, "You are not from here, right?"

Hye stepped slightly forward, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh? If you don't know that," he said, "how did you become their leader?"

Dolgoon's eyes narrowed as he looked at the four strangers. "You are not from here, are you?" he asked.

"We're not," Hye confirmed. "Just passing through."

"Then pass through quietly," Dolgoon stated. "It's none of your business."

Chinua looked directly at Dolgoon. "Well, it's our business now," she asserted. "How can we just walk through when you act like you're above the law?"

Dolgoon chuckled, a humorless sound. "Do you think the laws you mentioned apply in this area?" he said with a smirk. "This district is under Mayor Orgil's jurisdiction, and we abide by the laws established by the Sumyaa. Since you are passing through, I advise you: don't stick your nose in other people's affairs."

"You make it sound as if the Sumyaa rules this southwest region," Hye commented.

"Everyone here knows it," Dolgoon replied, his voice flat. "Everyone here knows we have to abide by the laws the Sumyaa has set."

"Being on an equal footing with the King of Hmagol is a capital crime!" Chinua declared angrily. "Here in Hmagol, there is only one country! One supreme law! One ruler!" She gritted her teeth, looking directly into Dolgoon's eyes. "That ruler," she added, her voice low and fierce, "does not have the surname Sumyaa."

Dolgoon looked at Chinua with a smirk on his face. "You have two options," he said. "Either surrender, come with us to prison, and pay a fine, or I'll have my officers beat you severely and then send you to prison anyway. You'll still have to pay a fine because you disobeyed court officials."

Hye, who had been standing aside with the others, knew Chinua's attitude meant she wouldn't back down. He wanted to prevent the situation from escalating, and at the same time, he saw an opportunity to teach Chinua how to control her temper in such moments. With those thoughts, he hurriedly walked towards Dolgoon.

"Dear good sir," Hye said politely to Dolgoon. "Please don't beat them—just send them to jail. I'll collect the money and come pay the fine myself." He looked at Chinua, shaking his head slightly.

Dolgoon ignored Hye's plea regarding a beating. Looking at his twenty officers, he commanded, "Take the criminals back to prison!" He turned to the gathered people. "You know how the procedure works."

Hye watched as the twenty officers draging Chinua, Khenbish, Zhi, the badly beaten man, and three others across the bridge. He saw many people following Dolgoon and his officers. Then, hearing the old woman cry, Hye turned his head, looking towards where she sat by her house.

"Grandmother," Hye said, walking towards the old woman sitting on a small wooden stool. "Are you going to follow them back to jail to bail your grandson out?"

The old woman wiped her tears. "Sir," she said softly, "I can't afford the fine."

"How much is the fine?" Hye asked.

"Twenty silver coins," the old woman replied. She reached into her waistband, taking out two silver coins. "Where am I going to get the other eighteen?"

"Twenty silver coins?" Hye's voice showed surprise. He looked at the old woman. "According to Hmagol law, the fine for assaulting a law enforcement officer is five silver coins. When did this change?"

"That's only if you are pure-blooded Magoli," the old woman explained. "We are descendants of Tanggolian, so the fine is much higher."

Hye looked intently at the grandmother. "Grandmother, you don't have to do anything," he assured her. "Just rest at home. I guarantee your grandson will be released from prison within two days."

The grandmother looked at Hye in surprise. "Really?" she whispered. "How?"

Hye smiled gently at her. "Let's put it this way," he said. "Your pleas and shouts have been heard, and your savior has arrived to bring peace to the southern land."