Feyra sorted through all the stuff she had gotten that day and put some of the herbs in bags, others she attached to a string and hung them up near the window.
The books she stacked up and the rest she put on the table first. In the end she still had 180.200 coins left.
I truly wish I could've paid for the whole set of spices. Yet Bob and Melina seemed even like they would love to give me everything for free. Hah... It seems they pity me for only seeing the world now. But what can I say? They're a caravan traveling around and selling wares. They have already seen some beauties of the world.
Feyra was deep in thought before she wondered about how she would transport everything. Some of the herbs she could tie around her waist to let them dry a bit more. The pot she could shrink with the Minimisation Power and the books too.
In the end she gave up thinking about it and lay down on the bed. She opened the book 'The Grim Reaper's arrival' and started reading it.
It may have been in the genre of fantasy, but even Feyra was thinking that some elements felt more like horror.
The starting point was about a girl which had awoken somewhere. Not long after that, she met other people who knew her. This girl had lost her memories and would go on a journey to recover those.
Wow... This is actually quite interesting. That girl has powers that make her learn other powers!
Feyra got quite invested in the story until dawn came and the first rays of light tickled her skin. She had made it to half of the book, where this girl became even stronger to try and protect the people she loved.
It's morning already!? Damn it! I need to get to the government building soon!
Feyra stood up and went to the bathroom. She went over to the tub and let in some water. After it was full, she undressed and took a bath, knowing she hadn't taken one in a while.
Ah this is refreshing. The water may be a little cold but I feel like I need this just now.
A while later, she was done and put on her clothes again and got her two bags. She made sure the notebook was with her, and with that she went into the light of the morning sun.
She was at the government district only a few minutes later.
"You know the way.", the receptionist said, letting her pass. Feyra didn't need to show her permit at all.
The people here seem to trust me a little too easily... Are they not scared I'm someone impersonating that person? Well... They're lucky it's the real me.
Feyra went out and saw the fountain. The water was clear and still flowing. She knocked on the door of the archive.
"We awaited you.", Jann opened the door and let her in.
"Since when are you not lying around? Weren't you described as sloth in person?"
"Let's not talk about that... I'm not giving in to sloth every single second. As long as I don't need to act as a spy I get the small tasks anyway.", he said, following Feyra who went to the big room with all the documents.
"Well I suppose for Immortals life is different too, right?"
"You seem to learn. Want to talk about such philosophical topics again?"
"Not today. Perhaps when I write a letter in the future.", with that Feyra opened the door and went inside leaving Jann behind, who went up to a meeting room.
Feyra greeted Frieda and took out her notebook.
"I'm glad you could make it. I can copy a few information for you but not everything of course. I may get permission for that later.", she said, getting all the documents she needed to copy something from.
"Any information I can get are enough. I still remember a lot but I need the evidence to do anything against the Kingdom and their people.", Feyra said, putting the notebook down on the table.
Frieda opened it and searched for an empty page to write everything down.
"Do you know about the judges of the Kingdom?", Frieda asked, copying some details about what the King and Queen had said.
"The judges? I haven't really gotten to know the system behind them. I don't even know what to make of them.", Feyra answered, looking for a chair to sit down. Almost every chair had some stacks of documents on them that either needed to be sorted, copied or were needed for cases.
"The judges are not known for good deeds. People in the Alliance can't stand them while people in the Kingdom can't talk about them. To make it short and simple... The judges have their beliefs and that is all that counts. If you're considered a threat you may get the death sentence. If you are believed to have done something wrong you'll be locked up.", Frieda paused for a while, concentrating on copying.
"When there is a person in power that has done something wrong, they'll look for anyone who remotely looks like someone who could've done it, and then that person will go behind bars. They want to protect the people in power and turn a blind eye on their wrongdoings."
Feyra was listening carefully, having finally found a chair, and thinking about the system in the Kingdom.
The system in the Kingdom is not good. In other words it is corrupt and only those who work for the Kingdom are of value for them. Even the people living there could become the next victims. At some point they may as well only have a country for the rich who are in favour of the Kingdom with no ordinary people remaining.
"We only know of such a case thanks to someone, who escaped from the prison, locked up on a false accusation. He had told us someone in power had been involved in an accident of a house burning down and three people dying in the fire. The judges said it was arson and looked for someone who could've done it. He just so happened to try and light a fire in his garden to burn some old wood before they took him and made him the 'arsonist' of this case.
"Our investigation has shown that the real arsonist had been that person in power. Three of his people had went against him so he lured them with gambling into a house, locked every door and set it on fire.", Frieda said. She shortly looked up to Feyra who seemed to be in deep thought.
"This is... Typical for the Kingdom. When I still lived there I had to hear some of these people in power confess to some horrible and disgusting crimes. Yet my mouth had to be shut all the time just waiting for their deaths to arrive. But no matter how long I waited... I was first locked up before I could tell the King and Queen what they had done.", Feyra said, remembering the times she met all those rich, powerful families. They often seemed far too kind, but that was just a picture. Once they had spoken about their crimes and confessed them, they could just go again. The Father had said they would have their sins forgiven if they just spoke about it.
Feyra didn't like how they had handled it and was disgusted by the Kingdom. She truly just wanted this country to be turned inside out and changed to the better.
"Done.", Frieda said after a few hours. She signed the page and put a copy of the permission she had gotten in the notebook. "This copy and signature show that these information are real and coming from the Alliance. That way they can also be used as evidence."
Frieda and Feyra talked a bit more before Feyra asked where she could find Shiba.
So basically just across the archive and behind the knight's accomodations... Simpler to find than expected.
Feyra went inside and was immediately greeted with a luxurious hall. Gold was everywhere and the ceilings were high. Above the receptionist was a sentence engraved: "All that shines here is Gold, but not all is pure Gold. Even Dirty Gold is Gold so believe in the Outer God of Gold for wealth and prosperity, but remember it can also harm you."
This is weirdly... Philosophical. It is true. Not all that shines is always good.
She went over to the receptionist and asked for the room in which she could find Shiba.
"No need to look far. Just walk up the staircase to the second floor. The whole floor belongs to Shiba. This building has more bunkers and safes than it has floors.", the beautiful receptionist said, showing with her finger up.
A light-hearted mood. Seems they all understand luxury doesn't always mean good things.
Feyra went up the staircase to the second floor. The roof was made of glass and the natural light of the sun shone through it. A big door was placed in the middle of the long hallway. It was the only door, on the walls beside it hung pictures. Many of them showing depictions of the two sides of luxury and rich people.
Feyra knocked on the door. Shiba told her to come in. As she opened the door however, she was greeted by a rapier pointed at her face.
Shiba was standing there holding the rapier with his stretched out right hand and his left arm behind his back.
"You're good. You didn't walk further. Just a little test. You see... You've just entered my living place so I need to make sure you aren't going to do anything.", Shiba said, taking the weapon away and sheathing it.
I don't know what to make of this guy... He is weird.
"Please sit down.", he hinted at a sofa made of leather. Feyra closed the door behind her and sat down before Shiba also took a place across from her.
"You know it's about your payment for giving us information. You see it's a little complicated as you're the supposed criminal, more a victim, and you also gave us information. The government has thus decided that any expenses for your stay anywhere in the Alliance will be paid by us. Still they also told me I should give you 240.000 coins for all the information. Thanks to you they are able to sneak someone into the Kingdom once again and see if what you said is true. Of course if they can still find information.", Shiba said, leaning back and forth multiple times while talking.
He then stood up and grabbed three large bags and put them on the table. "I decided to make it 250.000 coins. Counting them is unnecessary as I already sat the whole night in a safe counting them myself. The 10.000 extra for the time you helped an old man out."
He sat down again and pulled out a letter from his pocket. "I got a letter from Old André who had mentioned that he wanted to visit his wife's grave soon again. In his letter he also spoke of a traveler, a Fallen Angel, he had met that helped him. You see... Old André and his wife were a big help to the Alliance and he still gathers information for us so we needed to thank you for that too. It's perhaps not the most but given your reaction... I don't want to give you more. I don't want to see a Fallen Angel die in front of me because of how stunned they are.", Shiba finished talking.
Feyra looked stunned with an open mouth. The bags were huge and heavy. Although not heavy enough to make Feyra complain. She took them and stuffed them in her bag.
"I'm glad to know Old André is still alive. Should he visit, tell him that I wish the best for him and he should be watching out for himself too occasionally.", Feyra said before she said goodbye and went back to the inn. Now she had done everything in the Capital and the next day she planned to leave.
Where to next? I suppose I should find a way to the Empire next. Princess Loreen had visited them a few times already. So it's settled... Unless something comes in between, the Empire is my next destination.