Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1068, 09.1067: 'Man-made disaster'

The restaurant was located at the entrance of an alley on the side of the street, some distance from the main road. Surprisingly, there weren't many pedestrians around, so the Hellsoldier soldiers could easily monitor anyone who tried to make trouble or get close to their captain.

Yadwiga recommends a shabby-looking tea restaurant on the street.

This area features authentic traditional Polaberia cuisine, including a local specialty: square-shaped Polaberia dumplings.

Yoyo couldn't wait any longer and began to feast.

These uniquely shaped dumplings are like opening a blind box with each filling, offering a variety of flavors such as savory cheese, sweet and sour jam, and spicy mushrooms.

Yoyo was so engrossed in eating that she didn't even have time to talk. Her little face, covered in sauce, was filled with the happiness of "Delicious! I love it!"

“If I were the commander defending this city, I would set up a heavy artillery position there.”

Yadviga didn't touch the food in front of her. She pointed to the loft on the second floor of the restaurant, which protruded in a flat-topped triangle, and chatted with Horatio: "If Volshar is invaded, a single heavy bomb from that position can completely seal off this block."

"This location is indeed excellent."

Horatio responded while rapidly flipping through the data panel. He had already inserted the chip from the spy camera that Yoyo had filmed into it.

He only needs to use the "Command Hand" tactical interface to immediately see the point that Yadviga mentioned, as well as the perfect fire radius that point can cover, from a bird's-eye view.

"But it's strange," she said, looking around. "Why are there so few pedestrians in this area? It's even a bit deserted. Last time I came here, it was bustling and lively."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, this is your 'Iris Bourbon' coffee." A kind and gentle middle-aged woman, with a forced smile on her tired face, served two steaming cups of handmade coffee with beautifully drawn patterns.

After serving the coffee, she didn't leave immediately. Instead, she stood by Jadvig's table with the tray in hand, and smiled kindly with a look full of nostalgia and respect. "It's been so long since you've been here, Your Highness. We...we've all missed you."

The proprietress was clearly an old acquaintance who knew Yadviga's true identity. And judging by appearances, this wasn't Yadviga's first time here. The fact that the rightful heir of Polaberia was safe and sound here was enough to demonstrate that this place was one of the safest in the capital region.

“I am no longer a princess, Lady Pokazi.” Jadvig’s smile carried an undisguised bitterness. “I am just an ordinary citizen of the Empire, like you.”

“The knights of Vadisław will surely return to their loyal Polyberia. Your Highness, everyone here firmly believes that day will come.” The woman’s eyes held an unwavering expectation.

“Only when your lives improve will my mother and ancestors in heaven feel truly comforted,” Yadwiga said softly. “I have not fulfilled that mission. In my hands, I have lost land and people.”

When Jadwiga brought up this heavy topic, the woman known as Madame Bocaci pursed her lips with a slight sadness. She seemed to want to say something, but ultimately wisely refrained from saying anything more, simply bowing deeply to her before quietly withdrawing.

"How's the situation? Have you found anything?" After she left, Yadvig took a deep breath, picked up the cup of hot coffee, took a small sip, and returned to the main topic.

Horatio held the data tablet in one hand and picked up his coffee with the other. The moment he took a sip, he was astonished to discover that this wasn't the bitter-tasting compound substitute "Reka" commonly found in the Empire, but... real coffee!

A rich, mellow flavor with nutty and caramel notes bursts on the taste buds, and the addition of local condensed milk makes the texture as smooth as silk.

Coffee, this ancient luxury, did not completely disappear in the 41st millennium.

This is the real, authentic descendant of the ancient Terra Bourbon coffee tree! Pure French flavor! "There are some very valuable clues." But Horatio didn't dwell on his astonishment at the real coffee for long; he quickly regained his composure and returned to the main topic.

He turned the data panel toward Jadwiga, where two images were frozen on the screen.

“According to the surveillance footage,” he pointed to the hooded figure, “the document he’s holding is from the same day as the document that Youyou photographed from the governor’s office, which has the governor’s signature.”

"What does the document say?" Yadvig leaned forward slightly, his long, horse-like ears curiously peering at Horatio.

“Large-scale concession deals involving grain. And multiple trade agreements.” Horatio raised his head, looking into Jadvig’s eyes with an extremely serious gaze.

"These trade agreements are selling off Polaberia's food, supplies, minerals, and even...land at extremely low prices. Food is listed as a separate item, with hundreds of millions of tons of food being sold at an incredibly low price, practically free."

Horatio looked at Jadvig, his expression suggestive, and said, "From my dealings with him, I don't believe such a slick governor would sign such an idiotic deal that would only harm Polaberia in the slightest. Unless..."

Horatio squinted at the ornate gift box held in the hands of the mysterious hooded man: "The governor himself has made a fortune."

"By the Divine Emperor!" Yadvig's face turned pale instantly. "This... unless Polaberia has unimaginably large food reserves, any blockade or natural disaster on this planet will quickly lead to a horrific super famine!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, we...we're out of ingredients." Just as Yadvig was still in shock, the woman approached again with a troubled expression and said, "You ordered a meat pie...would you like to change it to something else?"

“Anything will do…” Jadwiga replied absentmindedly, but she immediately noticed the woman’s tired eyes, which were still wet with tears. She had to pause her conversation with Horatio and look at the poor woman with concern.

Seeing this, the woman could no longer hold back and suddenly said with tears in her eyes, "It's so good to see you again, Your Highness. We...we plan to close this old shop this year. My husband and I should take a break. We were wondering if we could...see you one last time before we close the shop."

We can no longer afford the high cost of food, let alone run a restaurant. What you just ordered was actually... the last bit of food my husband and I had saved for our own consumption.

If it weren't for Your Highness, we...we wouldn't be selling our remaining food to anyone else.

“What happened? Mrs. Pokaczy!” Jadwiga grabbed the woman’s hand excitedly. “What happened here while I was away from Polaberia?!”

She sensed something was wrong and immediately pressed for an answer.

"It's the Governor!"

The woman replied, "The governor said that in order to support the war effort on the defensive front, the tithe on grain should be increased. Moreover, some trading groups from who-knows-where are also buying up grain on a large scale, using giant transport ships that we've never seen before to transport the grain to distant places."

Now, the farmers can no longer afford the grain they harvested themselves! According to the newly enacted land enclosure agreement, 90%... 90%! of their harvest will be forcibly confiscated and stored! Many have already starved to death. An unprecedented famine is sweeping across the entire region of Pola Belle...

"Our old neighbors in this alley used to be poor, but we could all support ourselves. But now…" the woman's voice choked with emotion, "many familiar faces have left this world. This place has become increasingly desolate. That vicious man!"

As she uttered these last words, the woman gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with intense, unyielding hatred: "He just wants to starve all of us to death!"

(End of this chapter)