All My Summons Become Divine Girls

Chapter 308: The Debt Paid Back

Two nights later, the eastern rider returned after midnight with the Flint central estate’s acknowledgment tied beneath the vassal writ.

Its guards had sealed the armory, removed the former Patriarch’s command keys, and placed him inside protected household custody without bloodshed. The same receipt confirmed every collection order issued under his authority was suspended for audit.

By sunrise, Lana had spread the first confiscated debt index across the command house table. Cassie entered with Jonas plus Toby, then stopped when one page exposed the broken-tower mark hanging beneath her collar.

She pulled the copper token into view instead of hiding it again. Its crossed lines matched a transferred-claim seal pressed beside an entry from the closed Carrow debt office.

"That claim belonged to my family," Cassie said, placing the token beside the seal, "I left to earn enough for its payment, but they moved my sister before I returned."

Jonas stared at the token he had seen her hide through months of travel. Toby closed the command house door, leaving the explanation inside the people she had chosen to bring.

"The office told me every remaining claim went north," she continued, keeping her thumb against the broken tower, "they would not tell me which estate received her."

Lana compared the token’s worn edge with a copied Carrow transfer register. One cut crossed the tower’s eastern side, matching an account mark entered beside a younger dependent named Tessa.

The Flint index did not preserve that original Carrow name inside its receiving column. Its receiving column changed the transfer into voluntary estate service, shortened Tessa to Tess, and removed both wages plus a release date.

"This household entry cites the same cut mark," Lana said, placing both pages beneath Cassie’s token, "collection estate fourteen received her, then rewrote why she was there."

Marrick found the estate inside the property index opened the previous night. It stood along the northern orchard road under a collection number, guarded by a civil watch that had not entered the field army.

{Carrow transferred claim: identified.}

{Dependent named in original register: Tessa.}

{Altered Flint entry: voluntary service / wages omitted / release omitted.}

{Current location: northern holding estate, collection number fourteen.}

Hajin signed a protected audit transfer beneath the existing vassal writ before sunrise. Suspended collection authority could no longer confine a person without a valid labor contract or current criminal order.

"You can stay here while the audit team retrieves her," he said, returning the token to Cassie, "or you can carry the page that proves why the gate opens."

"I already stayed away once," she replied, fastening the token above her coat, "Jonas, take your shield and bring food that does not need cooking."

"Already packed," Jonas said, lifting the field bag from beside his axe, "Toby checked the orchard road before you reached this room."

The three joined Hajin, Lana, plus six audit guards before the morning bell ended. Hajin kept every Ring closed beneath his sleeve, carrying the signed writ rather than the Chain.

Collection estate fourteen occupied a walled orchard with one iron gate and several long worker buildings behind it. Armed civil guards closed the entrance when Cassie approached with the broken-tower token visible.

Their captain read the central estate acknowledgment first, followed by the clauses suspending collection power plus unregistered weapons. Uriel’s household sequence crossed every page without placing her inside the vacant Flint office.

"Our last order forbids removing workers until their debts are cleared," the captain said, keeping his sword lowered inside its sheath, "the former Patriarch signed it before the army marched."

"That signature no longer commands this estate," Hajin replied, pointing toward the custody acknowledgment, "open the gate for audit and register every weapon under the compact."

The guards looked toward the orchard road for reinforcements that could not legally mobilize. Several removed their hands from sword grips before the captain reached the compact’s surrender protections.

"If we disarm, the household hearing covers us," he asked, checking Uriel’s seal against his own gate copy, "even if the collection steward orders resistance?"

"The steward lost armed authority with the former Patriarch," Lana replied, holding the witness copy where everyone could see it, "honor the writ and no resistance charge exists."

The captain unfastened his sword belt before laying it outside the gate. Every remaining guard followed, recording names plus weapons beneath the civil-watch audit instead of entering the defeated field ledger.

{Northern holding estate civil watch: disarmed under vassal writ.}

{Combatants injured: 0.}

{Field-soldier ledger changed: no.}

Audit guards sealed the estate armory while Lana entered the collection office with Cassie’s original transfer page. Its steward surrendered three keys after failing to produce any signed labor contract bearing Tessa’s name.

Workers watched from the long buildings without approaching the armed visitors entering their yard. Several wore collection numbers sewn inside their sleeves, while breakfast pots held more water than grain.

Cassie crossed the first building with Jonas behind her and Toby checking each side room. She called Tessa’s name without receiving an answer from the kitchen, sleeping rows, or orchard shed.

An older worker finally pointed toward the laundry room after seeing the broken-tower token. Cassie reached its doorway, then stopped before crossing the threshold without permission.

A thin young woman stood beside a steaming wash barrel with both hands held against her chest. Her hair had been cut unevenly above one shoulder, and she watched the open door as if another collector occupied it.

"Tessa," Cassie said, keeping her hands away from the staff across her back, "it is Cass, and I still have the tower token."

The young woman did not move until Cassie lifted the copper mark from her collar. Her attention found the eastern cut, then returned to the voice she had heard before seeing the token.

"You said you would come before they moved me," Tessa replied, pressing her back against the wash table, "I waited at Carrow until they stopped using my name."

Cassie’s hand started forward before she forced it back to her side. Jonas placed the food bag near the doorway, while Toby removed his coat and left it beside the token’s shadow.

"I came back too late," she said, allowing every word to remain between them, "finding you now does not make that smaller."

Tessa looked from the food toward Lana’s original transfer register lying open nearby. Her full name remained inside its first column, preserved beneath the same mark Cassie carried.

"Did you pay them," she asked, touching the copied name without accepting Cassie’s hand, "or did somebody buy the debt again?"

"Nobody owns the claim while this audit is open," Lana replied, showing the protected transfer, "you can leave for treatment today, and where you stay afterward remains your choice."

Tessa read until she found the empty contract line beside the altered Flint entry. She took Toby’s coat first, then accepted the copper token from Cassie’s open palm without closing the distance between them.

Lana remained with the audit guards to register every worker, suspend unsupported confinement, and arrange transport for anyone choosing to leave.

Cassie walked beside her through the surrendered gate without asking for forgiveness. Tessa kept the old token in one hand plus the food bag in the other, following her sister’s voice whenever the orchard road divided.

{Protected transfer completed: Tessa.}

{Debt number carried forward: none.}