Sacrifice: Time of Mine

Chapter 102: Villain Chickling

"So when are we going to implement the increase of tax?" Princess Alisera snappily brought back her last suggestion in the last meeting. Her finger impatiently tapping on the table.

This was her second meeting in the Crown Council.

'Cheeky brat.' Prince Julio inwardly thought.

Meanwhile, trouble could be seen on Prince Harold's face. Last time, he relented but after his senses came back, he realized what he agreed on was dumb.

He wanted to take back his words but he couldn't do it. He wished that the princess had forgotten about it.

And the truth was, Princess Alisera really did forget about that suggestion. When her head was inflated with arrogance, seeing that almost all the Trading-Hill Capital was working hard to capture her beloved Avion Teller, she was too full of her self that she didn't pursue the matter about the tax. This made Prince Harold passive and stall for time.

Unfortunately for the Prince, Avion's disappearance made the princess unhappy and as if wanting to make others unhappy as well, she brought it back.

"Princess, this is actually a bad idea." Prince Harold began persuading Princess Alisera but was outright denied again and again until he relented again.

The papers were made and afterward, the order to increase the tax was implemented.

Vendors, business-owners, and merchants were stupefied at this and they couldn't held the rage inside of them.

"What!? How can I earn anything from this!?"

"This is ridiculous!"

"When did the Trading-Hills Capital become so corrupt!?"

People were complaining left and right. This didn't only affect the business-owners but everyone in general. The products' price and transactions will definitely get more expensive.

If businesses wouldn't do this, how could they earn a profit?

Many thought of protesting, however, they knew it wasn't that harsh. 

Thanks to Prince Harold, all tax concerning businesses became twenty percent from ten percent.

Although the tax doubled, it was still doable. It was just too out of nowhere and the people wanted a valid reason for it.

For that, Prince Harold created a pretext.

"So they are finally strengthening the military in oppose to the possibility of an immoral family emerging. Interesting..."

"Immoral family? What Immoral Family?"

"They said it was the Vario Family that existed long ago who used Immoral Physique Elesp."

"Sorry but I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Me too. I just read it from here. Look."

In the Royal Mansion, Prince Harold sighed in relief when he received the news that the reason was accepted. He was quick to act and it couldn't be denied that he single-handedly salvaged the situation he got himself into in the first place.

If he waited for the people to protest and speak their voice before giving out the reason, the people wouldn't believe it. Good thing, he was quick to act... or else.

But unexpectedly, this action made an unknown party wary.

On the eastern side of the capital, there was a hidden neighborhood that was for the people who had nowhere to go.

It was the slums.

Near but not beside it was a residence for a noble family. The kind noble family who volunteers to feed the poor, Meyles Family. Just like Hansheles, they are a noble family of Earth Elementalist.

Although nobles, they had low standing among the nobility since their bloodline could only produce Rank Eeh Elementalist and some reaching Rank Dih. That was why the highest title they could have is Baron.

"Tamya! Tamya!" an old lady in her rocking chair shouted as if that was the last time she could ever shout.

She was in an eerie dark room, alone and in the center. Every single objects were at the side, making her shadow in the middle conspicuous and bizarre.

"Here! Wait, grandma." a pretty girl hurriedly came and had arrived in a dark room.

"Tamya!" the old lady saw the pretty girl and finally stopped her shouting.

"Grandma, why do you always want your room dark?"

Tamya opened up the curtain that showed how old the lady really was. It was as if she was at the end of her lifespan. Her face sagging, filled with wrinkles that it even covered her facial features and expressions.

"Tamya, why do I always have to tell you that we are villains! We should always be in the dark!" the old lady rebuked.

However, Tamya didn't take it as a joke, "Grandma, being in the dark doesn't mean you literally have to be in a dark place. I have also repeated this many times." she smiled. It could be seen that together with her kindness, her patience was blooming, "We need sunlight in our body even though we are Elementalists."

"Tsk! If only we have a lair or something then it would be cool."

"So what is it grandma?" Tamya ignored the old lady's last sentence.

"Hm... I just learned in the Power Circle that the Crown Council is finally preparing to oppose us." the old lady raised her hands, "the Vario Family! Bumbum!"

"Bumbum?"

"The sound of thunders.... Hayss, You're still a villain chickling." the old lady sighed as she slowly shook her head in disappointment.

"Yeah, they've officially disclosed the information. I just learned it today too." Tamya answered as she took a chair from the side, pondering why all the objects were compressed on the edges of the room.

"This is tough. I knew it, this would make our goal harder to reach because a woman had entered the Crown Council, our enemy! If not for a woman entering the Crown Council, how could they predict that we're here? Tsk, tsk, tsk, men are useless after all!"

'Ah... here we go again..'

Testing Tamya's endless patience, the old lady continued on her rant.

"Men are all despicable!"

"Men are all abusive! They are worse than pigs!"

"If only there are only women in the world then there are no men!"

'Yes...' Tamya nodded at the previous sentence.

"If there are no men then there are only women. I'm a genius!"

'Obviously....' Tamya inwardly retorted but on the surface, she was all smiles and was nodding continuously. At this time, her mind was dazing off. She was thinking of a certain man.

She hadn't seen him for a while since his disappearance.

"Men are pigs! Men are ferocious! Men are pitiful!"

"Men are weak! Men are animals! Men are trees! Men are... are.... men are.... men!"

"Men are-!... Tsk! I ran out of vocabolary..." the old lady abruptly stopped as she looked at her granddaughter in daze.

The rosiness on her granddaughter's cheeks was evident. It was obvious that this little girl is daydreaming, not listening to her grandmother's ingenuity. But after a brief realization, the old lady gasp.