Chapter 151: Burning Bridges

Aria stared at the shelves.

Rows of glass jars.

Stacks of sugar.

Tools.

Ingredients.

Notes.

Everything she had spent weeks building.

Everything that had made her rich.

Everything that had nearly gotten her arrested.

She picked up one of the jars.

White crystals slid against the glass.

Sugar.

She stared at it for a long moment.

Then she put it down.

"It’s over."

Kelme stood behind her.

"You’re serious?"

"Yes."

"You’re really ending it?"

"Yes."

He looked around the cave.

"This is a lot of sugar."

"I know."

"Like... an unreasonable amount of sugar."

"I know."

"We could sell it."

Aria turned.

Kelme immediately raised his hands.

"I’m just saying."

"You’re always just saying."

"It’s one of my talents."

"You have too many."

Kelme smiled.

Aria didn’t.

She walked to the largest storage area.

"We destroy everything."

Kelme’s smile disappeared.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"The equipment?"

"Yes."

"The ingredients?"

"Yes."

"The finished sugar?"

"Yes."

"The notes?"

Aria hesitated.

Then nodded.

"Especially the notes."

Kelme looked genuinely pained.

"You’re destroying the recipes?"

"That’s the point."

"But you wrote those."

"Exactly."

He picked up one of the notebooks.

"You spent days figuring these out."

"I know."

"You nearly burned your eyebrows off."

"I remember."

"You yelled at me for laughing."

"You deserved it."

"I did."

He looked at the notebook.

Then at her.

"You’re really willing to throw all of this away?"

Aria stared at the shelves.

"No."

Kelme blinked.

"What?"

"I don’t want to."

She placed her hand on the table.

"But I have to."

The words came out quieter than he expected.

Kelme stopped joking.

Aria looked toward the cave entrance.

Beyond it, she could hear people talking.

Hammering.

Wood being dragged across the ground.

Someone shouting instructions.

A settlement was growing outside.

People who trusted her.

People who had nowhere else to go.

She had spent weeks thinking about money.

About survival.

About escaping the army.

About staying one step ahead.

Now she had something else to think about.

Consequences.

Aria picked up the notebook again.

"If we keep making sugar, eventually someone gets hurt."

Kelme nodded.

"Someone already did."

Aria’s fingers tightened around the cover.

The merchant.

She still remembered his face.

Not the details.

Just the expression.

The anger.

The disappointment.

The moment she realized that everything had gone too far.

She closed the notebook.

"We’re done."

Kelme looked at her.

"Okay."

He took a breath.

"Then let’s do it properly."

Aria raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

"No hidden stock."

"No."

"No secret emergency stash."

"No."

"No ’just in case’ sugar."

"No."

"No keeping the equipment because we might change our minds."

Aria stared at him.

"Are you lecturing me?"

"I’m trying to prevent you from changing your mind tomorrow."

She thought about it.

"Fair."

They began sorting.

Sugar went into one pile.

Ingredients into another.

Equipment into another.

Notes were placed separately.

Kelme stared at the notes.

"You really want to burn these?"

Aria nodded.

"Yes."

"That’s going to hurt."

"I know."

"Then why?"

"Because knowledge doesn’t disappear just because you burn the paper."

Kelme looked at her.

Aria tapped the notebook.

"I remember how to make it."

"So do I."

"Exactly."

She smiled faintly.

"We’re the dangerous part."

Kelme considered that.

"That’s... surprisingly wise."

"Don’t get used to it."

"Too late."

They carried the supplies outside.

The former slaves immediately noticed.

One of them approached.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning."

He looked at the sacks.

"That is a lot of cleaning."

"It’s complicated cleaning."

Kelme walked past carrying a box.

"Very complicated."

Aria pointed at him.

"Don’t explain anything."

"I wasn’t."

"You were about to."

"I was going to say good morning."

"It isn’t morning."

Kelme looked at the sky.

"Then good afternoon."

Aria rolled her eyes.

They continued.

Eventually, the Duke noticed.

He approached with two soldiers.

"What are you doing?"

"Destroying evidence."

The soldiers immediately reached for their weapons.

Aria sighed.

"Not evidence of crimes."

The Duke stared.

"That sentence did not help."

"I mean we’re destroying the sugar operation."

The Duke looked toward the cave.

Then back at her.

"Why?"

"Because it has to end."

He studied her carefully.

"You could simply stop producing it."

Aria shook her head.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because as long as the equipment exists, someone can use it."

She pointed toward the cave.

"As long as the notes exist, someone can copy them."

She pointed toward the sugar.

"As long as this exists, someone will come looking for more."

The Duke nodded slowly.

"That makes sense."

Kelme looked at him.

"Thank you."

The Duke frowned.

"For what?"

"For being the first person today to admit one of our ideas makes sense."

"I didn’t say your idea was good."

Kelme sighed.

"Never mind."

The Duke turned toward Aria.

"What will you do afterward?"

Aria looked at the settlement.

"I don’t know."

The Duke raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to say that often."

"I’ve noticed."

"You need a legitimate source of income."

"I know."

"You have a guild."

Aria’s face immediately darkened.

"Don’t remind me."

"You still haven’t completed the paperwork."

"I hate paperwork."

"You’re an adventurer."

"I can kill monsters."

"You need to sign forms."

"Forms are worse."

Kelme nodded.

"She’s right."

The Duke stared at him.

"You also haven’t completed your paperwork."

Kelme slowly looked away.

"Let’s stay focused."

Aria pointed at the pile.

"Help me."

The Duke sighed.

Then, to Aria’s surprise, he removed his cloak and handed it to one of his soldiers.

"What?"

"If you’re destroying the operation, I’ll help."

Aria blinked.

The Duke picked up a sack.

"Where?"

She pointed toward the forest.

"There."

The Duke carried it away.

Kelme stared.

"Did that just happen?"

Aria nodded.

"I think so."

"Did the Duke just volunteer for manual labor?"

"Apparently."

"This is getting stranger."

"You’re the one who helped create a village."

"Fair."

By sunset, the cave was nearly empty.

The equipment was broken down.

The sugar was gone.

The ingredients were destroyed.

The notebooks were stacked in front of a small fire.

Aria held the final notebook.

She ran her fingers across the cover.

Kelme stood beside her.

"You sure?"

Aria nodded.

She threw it into the flames.

The pages caught slowly.

The words disappeared one by one.

She watched without speaking.

Kelme didn’t interrupt.

For once, there was no joke.

No clever remark.

No charm.

Just silence.

When the last page disappeared, Aria stood.

"Done."

Kelme looked at the fire.

"Yeah."

They turned toward the settlement.

It was changing.

The first shelters were already standing.

Not beautiful.

Not comfortable.

But standing.

People were cooking.

Others were carrying water.

A few soldiers were helping organize supplies.

Someone had even planted small rows of crops.

Aria stared.

"We’re going to need more food."

Kelme nodded.

"Probably."

"More tools."

"Definitely."

"Clothes."

"Probably."

"Medicine."

"Yes."

Aria sighed.

"Money."

Kelme smiled.

"There it is."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"You finally admitted it."

"We need money."

"And now we can’t make sugar."

"Yes."

"So we’re poor again."

Aria stared at him.

"We were never poor."

Kelme looked at her.

"We spent most of our money."

"On what?"

He counted on his fingers.

"Your dress."

"That was necessary."

"Your mask."

"Also necessary."

"My anti-vampire weapons."

"Very necessary."

"Food."

"Necessary."

"Plates."

Aria’s expression changed.

"Don’t mention the plates."

Kelme lowered his hand.

"Understood."

He thought for a moment.

"We need jobs."

Aria groaned.

"I hate jobs."

"You don’t hate jobs."

"I hate having someone tell me what to do."

"That’s called a job."

"Exactly."

Kelme smiled.

"Then become the person telling people what to do."

Aria stopped.

She slowly looked at him.

"...What?"

"Think about it."

Kelme pointed toward the settlement.

"They need someone organizing everything."

Aria frowned.

"That’s called being a leader."

"Yes."

"I don’t want to be a leader."

"You already are."

"No."

"They follow you."

"That’s temporary."

"They listen to you."

"That’s because they’re confused."

"They built this place because you told them to."

"That doesn’t make me their leader."

Kelme shrugged.

"You don’t have to call yourself one."

Aria crossed her arms.

"But if you organize everything, you can make money."

She narrowed her eyes.

"How?"

"Work contracts."

"Explain."

"Farmers need labor. Merchants need transport. Builders need workers. Adventurers need protection."

He gestured around.

"We can connect people with jobs."

Aria stared.

"You mean an employment agency?"

Kelme blinked.

"I don’t know what that is."

"Neither do I."

"Then why did you say it?"

"I thought it sounded intelligent."

Aria almost laughed.

Then someone approached.

It was the same man who had first spoken to her after Colston’s defeat.

"Aria."

She turned.

"Yes?"

"We have a problem."

Aria sighed.

"Of course we do."

"We need tools."

"I know."

"And food."

"I know."

"And medicine."

"I know."

"And we need someone to teach some of us how to read."

Aria blinked.

That one caught her off guard.

"Read?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

The man looked at her as if the answer were obvious.

"Because if we are going to live independently, we need to understand contracts."

Aria stared at him.

Then slowly smiled.

"That..."

She looked at Kelme.

"...is actually a very good idea."

Kelme nodded.

"Terrifying."

"What?"

"You sounded like Milo."

Aria’s smile vanished.

"Don’t compare me to him."

"I wasn’t insulting you."

"You were."

"I absolutely wasn’t."

"You were."

Kelme smiled.

"Maybe a little."

Aria looked toward the settlement again.

"Fine."

She pointed at the man.

"Tomorrow, we start organizing."

He nodded.

"Good."

"And we’ll need a list."

"A list?"

"Everyone’s skills."

She pointed around.

"Who can farm. Who can build. Who can cook. Who can sew. Who can read. Who can fight."

Kelme raised an eyebrow.

"Why fight?"

"Because adventurers need guards."

He nodded.

"Fair."

She continued.

"Then we’ll find merchants willing to hire them."

The man smiled.

"Thank you."

He walked away.

Aria watched him go.

Kelme stood beside her.

"You realize what just happened?"

"Yes."

"You created a legal business."

Aria slowly turned toward him.

"Don’t say it like that."

"Why?"

"Because it sounds terrifying."

Kelme laughed.

Aria smiled despite herself.

Then—

A horn sounded.

Both of them froze.

The settlement fell silent.

The soldiers turned toward the forest.

Another horn.

Closer.

The Duke immediately reached for his weapon.

"Everyone inside the shelters."

The former slaves began moving.

Aria looked toward the tree line.

"What is that?"

The Duke’s expression hardened.

"Not my soldiers."

Another horn sounded.

This time, several voices followed.

"STOP!"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

"WE KNOW THE WHITE PRINCESS IS HERE!"

Aria’s blood ran cold.

Kelme looked at her.

"Oh."

Aria slowly turned toward the Duke.

He looked equally surprised.

"You said nobody knew."

"I said I didn’t know."

"That is not comforting."

The soldiers formed a defensive line.

Aria’s hand moved toward her mask.

Kelme caught her wrist.

"Don’t."

She looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because if they know the White Princess is here, changing forms proves they’re right."

Aria froze.

He was right.

The voices grew louder.

Then someone stepped out of the forest.

Not soldiers.

Not the Duke’s men.

Men in dark clothes.

A group.

Armed.

Organized.

And at their center was a man Aria had never seen before.

He wore a long black coat and carried no visible weapon.

He smiled when he saw the settlement.

Then his eyes landed on Aria.

His smile widened.

"There she is."

Aria’s expression hardened.

The Duke stepped forward.

"Identify yourself."

The stranger ignored him.

His eyes remained fixed on Aria.

"You destroyed the sugar operation."

Aria said nothing.

"You freed Colston’s slaves."

Still nothing.

"You burned the recipes."

Kelme’s face changed.

Aria slowly realized what was happening.

Someone had been watching them.

Someone knew everything.

The stranger smiled.

"Don’t worry."

He raised both hands.

"We aren’t here to arrest you."

Aria frowned.

"Then why are you here?"

The stranger looked around at the settlement.

At the people.

At the shelters.

At the soldiers.

Then back at her.

"We’re here to make you an offer."

Aria stared.

"What kind of offer?"

The man smiled.

"One you won’t be able to refuse."

Kelme whispered,

"That’s usually what people say right before making a terrible offer."

Aria didn’t look away from the stranger.

For once, she wasn’t smiling.

Because she had finally understood something.

Destroying the sugar operation hadn’t ended her problems.

It had only changed who was interested in her.

And whoever this man was—

He had been watching from the beginning.