novelraw Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Chapter 76
At the front of the party were Irene and me.
During this trade journey, the soldiers who would be working as laborers all rode either mountain goats or wagons, but the marching speed wasn’t very fast.
Thanks to that, I was able to hear from her about the situation in Haken and Rubina.
“Rubina, how is it?”
“Rubina has turned into a complete commercial city. Merchant groups from all over are gathering there.”
“Really? It definitely wasn’t like that before.”
“It hasn’t been that long. It happened after the trade between Haken and Levelium began taking place in Rubina.”
“Rubina started cooperating with Haken last spring, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
After Rubina came under Haken’s sphere of influence, trade between Haken and Levelium had mainly been conducted at Rubina, the midpoint.
On top of that, even merchant groups coming up from the area near Vines joined in, which made Rubina develop quickly.
When merchant groups from all three regions gathered in one place, a marketplace formed where, frankly, there was nothing you couldn’t find.
And this had all changed in just a few months.
Trade between Levelium and Haken was understandable, but the fact that merchant groups from Vines were coming all the way up here was rather curious.
“Vines? Do they really need to go all the way up to Rubina? Levelium, sure, but merchant groups heading for Haken don’t really need to detour through Rubina, right?”
Vines was a large territory you would reach if you went directly southwest from Haken.
It wasn’t far from the southern sea at the very end of the Ribella Peninsula.
Rubina, on the other hand, was located to the north of Haken. So there was no real reason for a merchant group heading to Haken to go all the way up to Rubina.
“Merchant groups departing from Vines have to pass through ‘Saint.’ Remember the massive swamp that formed north of Vines?”
“Ah, right. The ‘Swamp of Death.’”
“If you go around the swamp, you end up at Saint. So, one way or another, they have to stop there.”
“So it’s become a mandatory route.”
“Yes. And if you start from Saint, the distance to Rubina or to Levelium is more or less the same.”
“So if the distance is the same anyway, Rubina is better since they can trade with both Haken and Levelium.”
“That’s exactly it.”
The Swamp of Death, one of the Three Great Prohibitions.
To the north of the Vines Territory lay the Swamp of Death, making it impossible to rush directly to Levelium.
If you detoured northeast, you would reach the neutral city of ‘Saint.’ And from there, according to Irene’s explanation, the distance to Levelium or Rubina was about the same.
From the perspective of merchant groups from Vines, it was simply more convenient to trade at Rubina, where goods from both Levelium and Haken were gathered in one place.
In the past, merchant groups that only traded with Haken would take different routes, but nowadays even they preferred to do business in Rubina. As a result, Rubina was said to be more bustling than Haken.
“So more merchant groups are going to Rubina than Haken. Could this be something the Lord of Haken planned all along?”
“Oh? Why do you think that?”
“You said Rubina is under Haken’s sphere of influence. If the Lord of Haken hadn’t wanted this, there’s no way such a large market would have opened in Rubina.”
“You’re not wrong. In a situation like this, it’s not very good for merchants from other regions to be entering and leaving Haken’s territory too frequently, is it?”
“I see. So that’s how it is. Then where does the trade with ‘New Level’ take place?”
“In the Territory of Gilato.”
“And that’s under New Level’s sphere of influence?”
“Yes, more or less.”
Vines, Haken, and New Level.
The three great territories that represented the central and southern parts of the Ribella Peninsula were developing while maintaining a certain balance of rivalry.
Just as Haken had pulled Rubina into its sphere of influence, Vines and New Level were also slowly absorbing nearby regions to gradually expand their power.
There hadn’t been any direct clashes yet, but no one could say what would happen in the future.
In that situation, even if it was for trade, it wasn’t exactly pleasant to allow in a large number of merchants who might turn into spies at any moment.
That was why most of the trade was conducted at intermediate points instead.
“Interesting. Since the Lord of Vines must fully understand why trade is taking place there, there’s no problem, then.”
“The Lord of Vines said he was fine with it. His territory doesn’t really have anything worth boasting about, but by just providing the land, taxes roll in by themselves. Since money and goods gather, residents from nearby regions who had been scattered around are also coming together.”
“That makes sense. Then has the Lord of Vines actually submitted to the Lord of Haken?”
“It’s more like a cooperative relationship… but a bit deeper than that? Not like they swore loyalty or anything. It’s just that they follow instructions to a reasonable degree. The late Lord of Rubina had personal ties with the Lord of Haken’s father, and since Haken’s power is overwhelmingly stronger and it’s mutually beneficial, I guess they’re just going along.”
“Come to think of it, we also have that kind of relationship with Haken.”
“Well, ours is a little deeper than that. Right now, Haken and Johnson are nothing more than trade partners.”
So it was just that Rubina belonged to Haken’s sphere of influence, but it was still an independent lordship.
It felt rather ambiguous.
Still, the fact was that thanks to trade among Haken, Levelium, and Vines, Rubina was developing. So there was no real reason for them not to follow Haken.
As long as the Lord of Haken wasn’t some weirdo burning with the ambition to unify the Ribella Peninsula and declare himself king.
To maintain and manage Rubina, which wasn’t particularly special, outside help would be essential.
“But aren’t the merchant groups from Vines dissatisfied about having to go all the way to Rubina?”
“It’s half and half. Still, Rubina has the lowest trade tax. About half of Haken’s rate.”
“And that’s something that was agreed upon with Haken?”
“Yes, basically.”
“I see.”
Since the tax rate was lower, it wasn’t so bad to detour and trade in Rubina.
Of course, since the journey was longer, it required more time and manpower, so in terms of profit it probably evened out.
Still, it felt strange that Rubina, which until just recently had been in a situation similar to the Johnson Territory, had now developed so much.
Since we would also be trading in Rubina, it wasn’t unrelated to us either.
-How leisurely.
‘That’s how it should be. With this many people, after all.’
On the way to Rubina, no major problems arose.
Occasionally, some deranged monster would recklessly attack the party, but it was reduced to nothing more than post-meal exercise for the knights.
The only real problem, if you could call it that, was probably Irene’s mood.
Still unable to participate in combat, she was itching to test out the new weapon she had received.
She kept stroking the hammer with a sigh, looking extremely frustrated.
But what could she do?
She had to hold back until she was fully healed.
If she moved carelessly and hurt herself, the aftereffects would last longer.
“So this is Rubina. Completely different from the old days, huh?”
“When do you mean by the ‘old days’?”
“Well… a dozen or so years ago?”
“That’s way too far back.”
“True, that’s fair. It’s been long enough for even mountains and rivers to change.”
When we arrived at Rubina, we were greeted by a massive outer wall.
For the outer wall to be that enormous, Rubina had certainly developed.
Could this really be the kind of progress achieved in just a few months?
-Hasn’t the master already seen for himself the abilities of those muscle-bound magicians?
‘Well, they must have had plenty of Builders working here too.’
Feeling a strange sense of change over time, I walked with Irene at the front toward the entrance of Rubina Castle.
“Huh, crimson armor? Are those Haken’s Crimson Comet?”
“And the black ones next to them, what are they?”
“Are those… monsters? Do knights exist who tame monsters and ride them?”
“Where are those people from?”
“All in black… they look like knights of a demon lord.”
Just as we had been surprised at the sight of the developed Rubina, the residents here were equally astonished at the sight of us.
The Crimson Comet of Haken was a knight order well known even in Rubina, but knights clad in black armor riding giant Three-Horned Mountain Goats must have been their first time seeing.
Some even mistook the Three-Horned Mountain Goats for monsters.
They were magical beasts, but not monsters.
Crossing through the castle gate without a thought, I ended up feeling awkward when so many people’s eyes were fixed on us.
“This atmosphere is kind of…”
“Well, it’s no wonder. Johnson’s knights all have… bodies like that. And on top of that, they’re wearing imposing black armor while even bringing along those cuties.”
“Aren’t knights normally at least this strong?”
“No. Definitely not. Johnson is just… unusual.”
I hadn’t realized it because I was so used to it, but apparently the knights of our territory gave off an oppressive presence just by existing.
They were all excessively muscular and big-bodied. Apparently, no other territory’s knights were as brawny as ours.
I understood what she meant, but still, calling us knights of a demon lord was going too far.
Even in Levelium, it hadn’t been like this.
Though their reactions were a little embarrassing, I thought it was better to look strong than weak and did my best to keep a straight face.
“Ah, this is why I wanted to ride a cutie in. To think I couldn’t be with my cutie at this glorious moment when it’s becoming known to people. It’s such a pity.”
“Isn’t it already known? It was even dispatched to Levelium.”
“I don’t think rumors spread much about it.”
“Really?”
“That’s why it’s so disappointing.”
When it came to anything related to mounts, this woman always seemed to be missing a screw.
She truly regretted not being able to show off the Three-Horned Mountain Goats at this moment when they were about to become widely known.
She was kind of an attention seeker, wasn’t she?
Well, that explained why she had decked out her warhorse in red barding and given her knight order the flashy name of Crimson Comet.
After all, that kind of bright red armor you could spot from afar wasn’t something just anyone could wear.
“Where have you come from… oh, Sir Irene.”
“Sir Peton, isn’t it?”
“Haha, you remember. I suppose you’re not with the group from Haken… since you came down from above.”
“Yes, we came from Johnson.”
“Ah, that’s right. You were settling in Johnson. Then the man beside you is…”
“This is Lord Iron, the Lord of Johnson.”
“I am Iron Johnson, Lord of Johnson.”
“Ah, so you’re the lord. Welcome to Rubina.”
At the gate of Rubina Castle, a knight approached to confirm our identity.
No matter how frequent trade was in Rubina, a group this heavily armed approaching would naturally draw caution.
Fortunately, the knight guarding the gate, Peton, was acquainted with Irene, so we were able to pass through without trouble.
Peton, a knight of Rubina, even offered to guide us if we planned to visit the lord of this place, but there was no reason for that, so I declined.
We weren’t visiting Rubina for official business, and once the trade was finished, we intended to leave for Haken right away.
Besides, as long as we caused no problems, they would have no reason to meet us.
It might have been rare for a lord of another territory to visit Rubina directly, but since we had no special ties with Rubina, they probably had little interest.
“Oh, is this Haken’s merchant group? That building looks pretty big.”
“That’s because the goods coming in from Haken are first stored here. Naturally, the warehouse has to be large.”
On one side of Rubina Castle, there were warehouses and buildings prepared specifically for the merchant group from Haken.
They said the Lord of Rubina had quite a good relationship with the Lord of Haken, and the special treatment they got was clear.
Of course, it wasn’t free, but even allocating such a large area inside the castle to Haken showed considerable effort.
The merchant groups from other regions didn’t seem to have received such spacious sites.
Anyway, from now on, all we had to do was deliver Horned Rabbit meat here.
“Oh, young lady. I received word you’d be coming.”
“Master Ovilla! You’re here?”
“Haha, yes. Since this is the first trade with Johnson, I had to handle it myself. And my, you’ve become more and more beautiful, young lady.”
As we approached the warehouse, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes came toward us.
He was said to be the head of Haken’s merchant group. Judging from how he greeted Irene naturally, they clearly knew each other.
After greeting her, Master Ovilla came up to me and checked the Horned Rabbit meat we had brought.
“So this is it. The butchering is well done, and the preservation state is excellent.”
“We did a massive slaughter over the winter, so the workers’ skills improved a lot. You won’t need to worry about quality.”
“I see.”
“So now we just move it into the warehouse?”
“We’d appreciate it if you did.”
“Fine. Then when will this shipment head for Haken?”
“The transport convoy from Haken should arrive by tomorrow. All the goods will be delivered to the territory together.”
“I see.”
I had considered moving together with them since we were also heading to Haken, but it seemed unnecessary.
The road between Haken and Rubina was quite well maintained, and dangerous incidents were rare.
Those men were already veterans at moving goods, and if we joined in, we’d only get in the way.
Besides, Irene was a person of quite high standing in Haken.
The moment someone of her status joined the convoy, the merchant group employees would have no choice but to feel pressured.
-That would make you a tactless captain.
After handing everything over to Master Ovilla, we received payment in silver and mana crystals.
Then, using the silver and mana crystals we’d gained for the Horned Rabbits, we approached other merchant groups here.
We traded for goods like cloth, loaded them onto the wagons that had carried the Horned Rabbits, and sent them back toward the Johnson Territory.
It looked like from now on, things would continue in this way: receiving payment from Haken, then buying a variety of goods in Rubina to transport back to the territory.
‘As for acquiring Haken’s special goods, that would have to be decided after meeting the Lord of Haken first.’
That was one of the other purposes of this trip to Haken, and I couldn’t afford to forget it.