January 29th, 1588 - Stuttgart, Holy Roman Empire We have yet to develop weapons which take advantage of these weaknesses besides primitive swords, guns, cannons, and flaming weapon prototypes. Melee combat against a Bean is largely useless. A single bean is easy enough to burn, crush, or slice, but when there are thousands of beans gathered on a drone Bean, it becomes exponentially more difficult. On top of that, beans are much stronger than the average human. Verdant Beans specifically are much quicker, putting a human soldier at a severe disadvantage. Ashen Beans are reported to deflect bullets as well, meaning that their shells may be too strong to be damaged by a sword or hammer. That leaves Crimson Beans as the only potential enemy a human with a Bean-specific weapon can reasonably fight, which, as evidenced by the events in Dijon, is still far too difficult for the average Empire soldier.

Krause left the market, Annemarie held close to her chest, a bag of rations held in the crook of her elbow. She made her way through the cold, narrow alleys back towards her living quarters. She was hurrying; Henry was supposed to be home from the fields soon, and she had to have his dinner prepared before he arrived so as to not raise his suspicions.

Although the worst of the winter was coming to an end, the Empire rations still weren’t enough to satisfy the starving civilians. Fortunately for the citizens of Stuttgart, the merchants had begun selling their extra food, and they bought it despite the steep prices. Krause didn’t have to worry about that, however; the Church provided more than enough food to feed her family.

“Oh—” a woman down the alley said.

Krause froze. She recognized that voice.

“I wasn’t expecting to see ya here, Jules.”

Her heart beat faster in her chest. She held Annemarie closer, a rush of emotions washing over her; anger at the Beanmeister for making them meet again, fear for what she would say, but most of all, shame and a deep regret for what she had done.

From her arms, Annemarie turned to face Loretta Gartner. “Cabbage?” She asked sleepily.

Loretta’s voice grew soft. “Sorry, Annemarie, I don’t have any cabbage for ya right now— maybe some other time.”

Krause cast her gaze down. Her eyes began to sting, despite the fact that the wind was blowing from behind her. She attempted to steady her breath, to control her emotions. She had to remain calm and composed. For her daughter, for the Church.

Annemarie, disappointed and without cabbage, began to play with her mother’s necklace.

“Look…” Loretta began, barely louder than the commotion in the market behind them. She took a step forward. “I know we didn’t leave on the best note, but— but I’ve been thinking— it was my fault ya got involved with the Church in the first place, and for that— for that I’m sorry, Jules.”

She was expecting Loretta to berate her for her actions. If she had yelled at her, then she would have been able to blame Loretta for everything that had happened.

Instead, she had apologized. The anger and fear she felt melted into a ball of shame in her chest. Her breathing became erratic. She knew that she had to remain calm, to control her emotions, to end this encounter as quickly as possible, to ignore Loretta, to walk away now, all she had to do was walk away, walk away right now, and everything would go back to normal.

Despite herself, she couldn’t walk away. Shakily, she turned to face Loretta. “I… I…” Annemarie looked up at her mother confused, still holding her necklace.

Her shame was replaced with an overwhelming sense of panic. What if Loretta was lying? What if she had told the Empire about their involvement in the Church, and this was all a scheme to get to Reverend Friedrich, or even Father Aaron?

“Are you alright?” Loretta asked, their eyes meeting. Her face was gaunt, her eyes cloudy, the bags underneath prominent against her pale face. Her hair fell over her face in sickly strands, her hands shook as she held them out to calm her friend. There was no malice in her eyes. Only concern.

Krause felt something break inside her. “I’m sorry… Loretta…” she choked out between deep sobs. “You were right… I am a fool… I shouldn’t have let the… Church get in the way of my… family, my friends…” She was crying now.

“Jules… Jules, it’s alright— I forgive ya— believe me, I really do. I’m sorry for getting ya involved in all of this in the first place…”

“I… I forgive you, too…” Krause gasped. She realized that she was hyperventilating, her head getting light as she lost her footing.

Loretta’s eyes went wide, groping for Annemarie as Krause leaned against the wall of the alley, sliding to the ground, the bag of rations she was carrying falling next to her. Annemarie watched her mother from Loretta’s arms, confused.

“What’s wrong— Jules?” Loretta asked as she squatted down to help Krause, still holding Annemarie. “It’s okay, ya’re okay— Take deep breaths, in… and out…”

Her voice was hoarse. “This isn’t right… none of this is right, Loretta… You have to help me, please… Help me…” The panic, the fear, the shame, the anger; it was overwhelming. She just wanted to lie down in that alley forever, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to speak with Loretta. “I… I have to…”

Loretta’s face began to fill with recognition. “No, ya’re not— ya’re not still involved with the Church, are ya?”

Krause was silent besides her shallow gasps, punctuated with sharp sobs.

“Jules—” Loretta stood up. Annemarie looked down at her mother with a mix of fear, confusion, and concern. “Ya need to get out of there. I don’t care what ya say— ya can call yourself a fool all ya want, ya can cry all ya want— but as long as ya’re in the Church of the Beanmeister, ya and ya family are in danger. Ya have to get out of there!”

Krause closed her eyes tight, tears flowing freely down her face. “I know… I know…” She was struggling to say that much. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had to explain to Loretta, but she couldn’t force herself to speak. The words formed a lump in her throat, the gasping, the tears, the sobs; it all suffocated her. Her hands clenched into fists on the ground, filling with cold stones and dust. “Please… Help me…”

Loretta glanced between Annemarie and Krause. “How can I help ya? Ya have to tell me what—”

Krause screamed. “None of this is right!” She put her face in her dirty hands. “What’s happening to me? What the hell is going on?” She looked up at Loretta. “This is your fault! You did this to me! You have to help me!”

“I want to help ya— I really do— but I don’t know how!”

She felt a wave of calm wash over her. “This isn’t right, none of this—”

“What isn’t right?” People at either end of the alley had stopped to watch. “What is wrong with ya, Julia? Is it the Church? Did they do something to you?”

Krause tried to nod, but she couldn’t. She felt her emotions swirling inside of her, but she couldn’t make out what they were or how she should feel. All she knew is that Loretta could help her. Loretta had to help her.

“What did they do?”

“The same thing He did to you!” Krause croaked.

Loretta paused. “What are ya talking about— they didn’t do anything to me.”

He does it to everyone that joins the Church! He’s going to do it to everyone else, too! That’s what I—” The words caught in her throat.

“What are ya talking about?”

Krause waved her arms wildly out of frustration, knocking over the bag of rations. “How are you not under His control? How were you able to avoid His control when you were part of the Church?” She felt as though she was choking now. “What did you do differently?”

Loretta wasn’t looking at her.

And then she realized. “That’s it. But… how did you not—”

“Where did ya get that?” Loretta was looking at the bag of rations. It had fallen over, spilling the fresh meats and cheeses onto the cold cobblestone road. A half eaten loaf of bread propped the mouth of the bag open, showing even more food within. “Jesus, Julia, that’s more food than me and George got last month! Ya didn’t— ya didn’t get all of that from the Church, did ya?”

The shame returned. “Loretta, I can explain—”

“I can’t believe ya.” She glanced at the crowd forming in the end of the alley that led to the market. In Loretta’s arms, Annemarie scanned the food for cabbage. “After everything they’ve done— ya’re getting food from them? Do ya not even care about all of the other people that could use that food— I haven’t eaten my fair share in weeks; George passed out tending to the livestock yesterday. We’re starving, Julia— don’t ya understand that?” She reached down, grabbing the loaf of bread.

“Loretta, don’t—”

“I’ve had enough of ya, Julia,” she said, taking a bite of the bread. “I’m going to get the guards— they’ve been wanting to find someone in the Church for a long time.” She turned in the direction of the market.

“Please!” Krause cried. “Loretta! Just let me explain!”

Loretta ignored her.

Annemarie poked her head over Loretta’s shoulder, looking at her mother, her eyes filled with concern. Krause watched as her best friend, taking her daughter away from her, shouted for a soldier. The wave of anger washed back over her, and this time she didn’t fight it. “Everything I have done has been for my family!” Loretta stopped, turning to face her. “I don’t give a damn about anyone else!” She stood up. “I’ve known since the beginning that joining the Church was a mistake! I’ve known for a long time that what I’m doing is wrong!” She began walking towards Loretta. “But the Church is the only one helping us! I couldn’t provide for my family… I couldn’t help my husband with his work… I couldn’t give my daughter enough food to survive… Do you know what that’s like? Watching your own daughter starve to death in front of you?” She stopped a meter away from Loretta. She held out her hands, glaring at Loretta. “Give me my daughter. Now.”

Loretta’s voice was hoarse. “What is wrong with ya? Ya’re crazy, Jules… Ya’re insane… This is exactly what they want, ya know!”

Krause grabbed Annemarie out of Loretta’s arms. She wasn’t allowed to touch her daughter.

“Ya can’t keep doing this! Ya’re going to get them killed! They are going to die! And ya’re going to be the one that killed them!”

Krause glared at Loretta. “Should I have let them starve, then? Annemarie would be dead if it wasn’t for the Church!”

Loretta glared back, the slightest bit of fear in her eyes.

Annemarie began to cry.

“Goodbye, Loretta.”

She left the alley, leaving her bag of rations behind. Her mind was blank as she walked the streets of Stuttgart, trying to calm herself before returning home. She thought about how she had ended up where she had; her best friend hated her, her husband would despise her if he realized what she was doing, only her daughter was happy with what she was doing. She smiled at Annemarie, who had fallen back asleep in her arms as they walked. She thought about what Loretta had said, though she knew she shouldn’t. Maybe she had been right all along.