Chapter 138: Star Fall (21)

Chapter 138: Star Fall (21)

Thunk, thunk.

Well it looks like there are almost none left.

That isnt good. According to my predictions, we should have been greeted by a rain of arrows at the villages entrance

That wasnt an exaggeration because this was incredibly unexpected based on our groups identity and objective, target destination, and other factors, such as the roar that happened just around the village.

The entrance village to Ray Line, Estanic, was empty.

I am not sure. Is this really that surprising? Rodrick is almost about to collapse. And considering the fact that this village is close to the Western Frontlines, it would feel like it is natural for them to evacuate any people or valuable items that mutes may take.

Its a problem because that isnt the case for this village, Ottman.

Comparing it to an RPG game, the Ray Like was the only possible entrance to a Lv.90+ level dungeon called the Blue Line Mountains. Splitting the World 3 activity area into four quarters, the Blue Line is running vertically through the center of the map, and to the east of that, centered around Rodrick, is the Free Trade City Association, the 3 Teldrat Nations, and other smaller countries; further east from there is the Desert Nation; on the opposite side of the Blue Line is the Baltin Empire and their numerous vassal states; and further west from that is the Eleven Forest.

And so the only path that connected the two kingdoms was the Ray Line, and the nobles who were always going crazy over anything that was rare and valuable set ridiculous prices for the trade goods that crossed the mountain range, and as a result, any merchant guild that had some level of fame in World 3 all utilized the Ray Line.

In those circumstances, although they had stabilized the path, it still passed through the Blue Line Mountains teeming with high-ranking undead and beasts, so the five major churches limited the number of people that could travel through the path at once so the monsters were not triggered.

Traveling through the Ray Line, it was rumored that just one trip back and forth would provide enough wealth for three generations to even the luggage carriers.

The competition skyrocketed when a capacity limit was added to a road so popular that the rough dirt was paved by the travelers footsteps.

Like it always has been, people gather where the money is. So in order to get in line to travel through the Ray Line and to bribe the church people who managed the road at the entrance of the Ray Line, the caravans of each nation created a branch and dispatched workers to Estanic, the closest village to the Ray Line at the time. Seeing that, people flocked to Estanic in the hopes of being able to participate as porters or mercenaries. And the number of shops and inns to accommodate those people also increased rapidly. And because the village became larger, retailers settled in the village to purchase goods that the merchants brought from across the mountains at a cheaper price This resulted in the village growing so much to the point that the village, which used to be a little distance away from the Ray Line entrance, was now right up to the entrance.

So who would protect this village?

The knights of each nation were dispatched to protect the merchants, who were loaded with gold, jewels, and goods special to the Eastern Desert Nations. Not only the knights from the three Eastern nations, but the kingdoms on the other side of the mountains also guarded the village.

Clack!

Do you understand now why I was so surprised when I saw that the village was empty?

When he sat down on the fountain of the empty village and jotted down a brief explanation on top of the water, the rest of the group, aside from Borka, nodded in acknowledgment.

I see. I have also heard several rumors about this place. It was something about how when a merchant guild a royal was running gained access to the Ray Line, the rivaling royal accused the churches of interfering in their inheritance fight.

With that much interest, the money connected to this place isnt just one or two Shillings

Dont even get started on it. There are also rumors that the King of Idrixil, a vassal state of Teldrat, sold the crown and scepter that had been passed down for generations in order to buy a seat in the corner-most spot in the Estanic trading post, but that wasnt enough, so he went back empty-handed.Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

That was the reason I was surprised.

The Estanic Village had too many benefits to just abandon it like this.

Rodrick? They could have done that. Their kingdom is on the brink of destruction. Theyre leaving the nobles out to sleep on the streets, so they could care less about money right now. So obviously, they could retreat their troops.

But what about countries like Teldrat, where commerce is the basis of the country and the fight over wealth is so fierce that one cant even be considered on the level of an aristocrat without a free trade union or private merchant company? As rare as the opportunity is, even caravans that have the power to move entire countries take out a full loan before passing through the mountains, so if the business is canceled, then not only those merchants but the other merchant companies that had contracts to share the interest and prepared by receiving loans as well, and all of the other smaller companies connected to those merchants and the nobles that invested their money into those companies would all collapse. National crises or not, just a single day of delay in Estanic would mean at least a truckload of nobles who would raise up their weapons and start a territorial battle.

Even knowing all of thatthe fact that Estanic was cleared out completelymeant that there was a continent-wide crisis so grave that counts and marquis-class nobles were prepared to live on stale bread and spoiled milk for the rest of their lives and still decided to withdraw their troops and dispatch them elsewhere.

Or the nobles are out of their minds. Its one of those two.

The former was impossible, no matter how much the mutes got stronger after gaining the power of the gods. Even now, Rodrick, which was right up next to the north, was still managing to scrape by, and although they did lose, they did block the attacks, so there wasnt a knife stuck up to the other countries under Rodrick right now. Not a single noble would be crazy enough to retreat their troops and risk going bankrupt just for reserve forces, so that guess was a no-go.

On the other hand, the latter was more than possible.

Mmm you must be referring to those Insomnia Crabs

I nodded at Ottmans grim conclusion.

Of course, all of the other countries are scared out of their minds. Thats why they sent all of their precious warriors to Rodrick before it collapsed and the problem spread to them. But even with Rodrick acting as a meat shield, they cant completely stop the guerilla attacks from the mutes when they dig underground. And the Insomnia Crabs are only about the size of two fingers before entering the head, so its hard to catch them.

But are we not preparing accordingly? They said that they found and executed about two infected nobles at the nobles conference in Rodrick just a few days ago

If what they found is two, then theres going to be a lot more that they didnt find. There are some, like the Level 6 mage in Tobrune, Isaac, where the mutes dont just control them but use slight nudges and alterations in their memories to make them think that theyre doing something of their own will and make them act for the mutes. It wont be easy to find them. The nobles who ordered their soldiers to retreat from here probably were also made to believe that This is a national crisis! Even if my wealth is depleted, I cannot leave the troops to just sit idle! I will sacrifice myself and protect my country! and whatnot.

In a split second, the half-torn flag hanging on the carriage came into my eye.

A symbol with a golden sickle and silver grain crossed together. With a long history starting in World 2 and full support from the Church of Fertility, the undisputed Number 1 guild in World 3!

Gold Geyser! Goodness! Oh my Ro Haram!

Feeling the problems that were straining his brain flutter away with the companys flag, Professor leaped in front of the mercenaries and swung the crimson gauntlet on his right hand right away.

Crunch!

Snap! Crunch, crunch!

As the red gauntlet landed square in the ribs of the Death Knight, who was in the lead, and its half-collapsed body of the undead swayed and poured out a black smoke

In the name of Light!

The white gauntlets with open fingers, along with the holy relic clenched in them like brass knuckles, moved in the arc of the Lights Martial Technique the Archbishop taught him and swung towards the undeads hollow abdomen!

Perishhhhhhh!!!

Whoomph!

Crack!

With a sound that could not have come from a top-tier undead knight with over 80% physical damage resistance, the Death Knight was flying far into the distance with its upper and lower bodies separated. In just two punches.

Thud.

The mercenary captain, who had been staring in awe at the unbelievable situation happening before his eyes, jumped back to his senses when the bottom half of the Death Knight landed back on the ground. Strength already beyond the spectrum of humans. Holy light shining from the tip of his hands. That masculine physique! Above anything else, that word those light cultists yelled out every single time in battle!

Are you perhaps from the Lights Order?

To the careful question from the battered mercenary captain, Professor glanced at his group successfully hacking away at the rest of the spirits inside of Ottmans water bubble, then carefully placed a hand up to his chest with a solemn expression.

Latura, Ro-Haram. Im afraid this is not such a good evening.

Rustle!

In response to my positive reaction, a fat man who was shooting a crossbow on top of the carriage scurried down and approached me.

Guildmaster of the Gold Geyser, Geld Praus! So the Lights Order has accepted our trade after all! Even when Fertility, who we traded with for so long, abandoned us!

Hahahahah. Ro Haram watches and cares for all. The Gold Geyser at the risk of bankruptcy is also one of those under the lights watch, so how could we just ignore you?

Ohhh! Thank you! Thank you so much! Once this journey is over, I will most definitely repay the Lights Order! I will promise it in the name of the Gold Geyser guild and the Praus Family!

Yes. Indeed you shall

Shaking hands with the guildmaster, who seemed to be nearly jumping for joy, Professor smiled widely at the mountain of valuables and goods behind him. With the situation in this state, they were the trade goods that the guild prepared with the guilds entire fate on the line, along with other luxuries from other guilds that were deemed worthless because of the war and abandoned.

I sincerely pray that you will succeed in your journey.

As Ro Haram says, When you stand in darkness, there will be light.

If youre killing off the merchants, then I need to revive them.

The moment I saw the rows of carts with mountains of goods stacked on them, a solution to the problem I had just been thinking about popped into my mind.

No matter how much the nation tries, the most they can do is collect the supplies in their vicinity, and in the end, for a continuous supply, they would need to sign a contract with merchants who would go around and collect more goods from various regions.

The mutes strategy to destroy the supply network by removing merchants was incredibly novel and effective.

However!

All of the other merchant companies are about to go bankrupt? Perfect! If the Gold Geyser manages to trade those mountains of luxury items with food, metal, and arrows to the nations and western kingdoms that have not yet been affected by the war, then the Gold Geyser will be able to attain enough wealth to absorb all of the other merchant guilds! Instead, we could stabilize the supply through a unified system and simplified transactions!

If they manage to complete the journey, then the tables are turned. The Gold Geysers guildmaster scraped together all of the bad stock, which risked everything he had, including his own life. But if this guy succeeds, then the supply route is going to become stronger than the silk from Rakshashas webs.