165 Visit to Itarim

They made a stop at Germat, selling off their cargo before turning around and heading back south.

"I can't believe the prices of tools and machinery has gone so high." Mindy scowled. That was on their shopping list but the prices of those goods in both La Vive and Germat had skyrocketed.

"Maybe we can pick up something at Itarim." Remian suggested. "We have passengers waiting there anyway."

Yup, despite their best efforts, their little vacation had turned into another supply and passenger run. Mindy just couldn't resist. Still, Remian was intent on bringing her to see more of the countries she so casually visited, something more than just the airport.

In contrast to Germat's strict rules, the market in Itarim was a chaotic, almost confused affair. There were a good number of empty stalls. People here seemed to be in a hurry to leave.

"Why all the fuss?" Mindy asked.

"Apparently, that new vein of mana crystals isn't that far from here. It's in the neutral zone, but this place is one of the closest settlements. If anyone starts shooting, things could get very rough here very quickly." Remian explained.

"But this is the Iron Legion headquarters! Surely there's enough respect for them to spare this market, at least?"

"Maybe. Or maybe that's why it's even more likely to be a major conflict zone."

More to the point, their passenges weren't 'trainees' headed for the Frontier this time.

"All our recruits are staying here, for now." Tiberius, First Centurion of the Southern Legion's 12th Cohort, rubbed his forehead. This was Markus' commanding officer. "The passengers waiting for you are basically refugees, civilians trying to get as far away from the oncoming war as possible."

"Well, we are pretty far, but it's not much safer out there on the Frontier." Remian mentioned.

"Actually, it is. At least there the worst they need to worry about are big, angry animals. As long as they stay inside Kara-Goth, they're basically in an impregnable stronghold. Out here, they have to worry about magic cannons. A single stray shot could wipe out their house and entire family at any given time."

Looking at the sheer size of the magic cannons the Iron Legion were using in the practice field, Remian could easily see a stray shot taking out a whole house. How many of those cannons were going to be out there in a battle? A dozen? A hundred? How many shots would be fired? If even 1% of those went awry…

Tiberius was rubbing his forehead again. He looked like he was having a very, very bad day.

"Anything we can do to help, First Centurion? Markus and the Iron Legion have done so much for us, the least we can do is provide some logistic support while we're here." Mindy offered hesitantly.

They couldn't offer much. They'd brought the Red Fang, not the Sky Galleon, which was still busy 'providing logistic support' to the rapidly expanding farming district. But Mindy felt they owed the Iron Legion something.

"Actually you could help. There's roughly a hundred cannons that you could help us move." Tiberius brightened. "And some hundreds of tons of supplies. Our road caravans have been slowed due to chaotic traffic all across the country. If you could pick them up right off the congested roads and get them to where they need to go, we'd all breathe a lot easier."

Goodness that was a lot more than they'd bargained for. Mindy offered an inch and Tiberius instantly asked for a mile.

"That sounds like a job for a bigger airship." Mindy hastily retreated. "Tell you what. I'll bring this lot of passengers back to Kara-Goth first, and then come back with a Sky Galleon. That could move a lot more stuff at a time."

"That would be great, thanks."

***

They called Talia and the Sky Galleon in on it and tiptoed out of Itarim.

"Do we really need to see all these places now?" Mindy asked. "I feel bad for dumping all the work on them. I could…"

"Yes, now." Remian said flatly. "I need you to see Ecclesia, and it's quite a distance away. Even the Red Fang might take a couple of days."

"Why? Why is it so important to see all these before any wars begin?"

"Because I need you to see and learn and understand."

"That's all?"

"That's the most important thing."

"I would have thought the most important thing was to raise your own strength, improve your magic until you're well-nigh unstoppable. You know, Song Chen offered to teach you martial cultivation? He says it can really improve your health and longevity. You don't need to scramble to leave a legacy behind so urgently. You can live."

"Living is great, but improving magic won't actually help us all that much. Mana crystals are already a scarcity, and from what I understand, martial cultivation treasures are almost extinct."

"What are those?"

"Herbs, generally. Other sorts of natural treasures that aid in martial cultivation." Remian shook his head. "The thing about the Dragon Empire people is that they tend to be selfish. They only care about their own strength and cultivation. This leads to high consumption rates without a single thought as to leaving anything for others, or planting more herbs for future generations."

"But surely the world is a big enough place that these things can naturally recover over time…"

"Every generation does the same thing." Remian pointed out. "Also, they kill each other a lot. Apparently to kill someone and take his stuff is the easiest and quickest way to get rich. Competition is fierce; whoever is strongest gets to bully everyone else and nobody would dare to say a word otherwise. Therefore, strength is of paramount importance and getting strong is the only way you and your family could live safely. You can imagine how much waste that creates."

"Waste?"

"Think about it. Millions of guys cultivating martial arts, consuming all these herbs and natural treasures, which get rarer and rarer, paying any price, risking any disaster, in order to grow stronger. Very often, they fight and kill each other, sometimes for each other's treasures, sometimes as revenge for something someone in each other's clans did some time ago. Not only are all those herbs and natural treasures used up forever, many of the people who used them outright die violent deaths. Everything they consume is therefore wasted."

"But surely they can plant herb gardens…"

"Think about it. Consider, for example, perhaps a million thousand year-old ginsengs consumed in a generation. Twenty years later, the next generation scours the world for more. In a hundred years, herbs that take a thousand years to grow are completely wiped out. Song Chen speaks fondly of the old days when masters of martial cultivation roamed the land freely, each stronger than the last. Compared to the masters of old, martial artists today just don't have the kind of resources to grow that strong any more. His words, not mine."

"Speaking of Song Chen, he's amazingly strong. I've never seen anyone who dared to bully him."

"Did you know how I got Song Chen in my service and risk his life? I'm paying his debts. That's thousands of lir every month to keep the loan sharks off him, because he borrowed more than he could repay, still isn't as strong as he wants to be, and had to flee several loan sharks and a half dozen powerful enemies in his homeland. Those loan sharks actually came looking for him, and I helped him out."

Mindy fell silent. "So… you don't want to practice martial arts?"

"I can give it a shot, but the point is, it's important to think about the future. Not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come." Remian said. "Every country heavily dependent on mana crystals is currently learning that the hard way."