"So, what’s new?" Lloyd comnted while having dinner.
This ti he was eating salmon, also with boiled potatoes.
It was very common to eat fish in that region after all, and few plants survived that cold climate, so it was usual to accompany fish with tubers.
Lloyd knew it was likely he could demand a different al; however, he didn’t dislike fish, for now he’d settle.
Though, if he wanted to gain muscle, he should consider asking for food with more protein.
"I haven’t gotten anything relevant about the ’mysterious individuals,’" the butler explained.
"However, the potato lead was much more conclusive. Apparently, the harvests have been unfavorable. The city of Erasil was in charge of producing food for the entire region, its location is ideal and the multiple surrounding villages take care of the crops. However, this year went particularly badly for them, it’s said that poverty grew in the area and people moved to Caus to find work."
The boy nodded, able to understand what happened next.
Lloyd had read many things about the territory, and Caus was a fishing city in charge of supplying fish to the rest of the cities in Cocytus.
Most likely the increase in people also caused inflation in the value of products.
It wasn’t an instantaneous process, so it surely started a few years ago.
The cultivation fields of Erasil were large, very large, so they surely had reserves from previous years.
That couldn’t have been caused in a few months, but was a process of years, years where there were bad harvests, sothing that seed strange to Lloyd.
"Aren’t we supposed to have mages for agriculture?" Lloyd then asked.
"That was the case, though so rumors say they were killed when venturing too deep into Beast-n territory."
"I see."
The territory of Cocytus was very large. He was located in the city of Coul, which was located in the center.
To the east was Erasil, though the cultivation fields also covered the north.
To the south was the coast, where Caus handled fishing.
To the west was Crun, the city closest to the abyss of Kokytus, also in charge of defending the territory from monsters generated by the abyss.
However, to the east of Erasil was the forest of the sa na.
It’s also within Cocytus territory; however, there’s a tribe of Beast-n in the forest that doesn’t agree with that.
Beast-n are a race that was created in antiquity.
It’s said that when so tribes of nomadic n encountered creatures that were too strong, they beca their servants, receiving the beast’s protection.
These tribes received part of the power of their "divine beast," developing animal characteristics and their spiritual power.
With the great mutation, the affected Beast-n developed the sa mutation as magical beasts, which didn’t change them much.
That’s why in the world there are Beast-n with a root and Beast-n with a spiritual core.
In the Erasil forest, they’re most likely users of magical power; however, Beast-n use their power as if they were magical beasts, not as mages.
That also ans they have a more powerful Touki than the average man.
If the Beast-n tribe is large, it’s very likely the mages had no chance of facing them.
"That’s a problem, we must hire more mages, and sohow deal with the Beast-n," Lloyd comnted, though both were very difficult things.
Much of the military power was centered on defending against creatures from the abyss, while hiring more mages was extrely difficult.
After all, they weren’t on the central continent, and between Avalon and Cocytus, there was the empire, which while not in an unfavorable relationship with Avalon, wouldn’t hesitate to charge taxes on ships traveling through their sea.
Another alternative was to use a teleportation circle, but only the church could use them, just as the only ones capable of creating massive portals were those from the empire, who only used them in cases of true necessity.
To reach Cocytus you’d have to take a route by sea or air, quite long, which cost quite a bit of money, so Cocytus was basically isolated from the kingdom’s help.
"You seem worried, Lord Lloyd, but don’t lant. Even if necessary, I alone will extinguish every trace of Beast-Man in that forest; those dogs will regret provoking my lord."
Lloyd was thoughtful at Sebastian’s words.
While it had his usual theatrical and exaggerated touch, that old man’s purple eyes shone with confidence. Was that old man really that strong?
"Dogs? Right, if I rember correctly, it was a tribe of wolf-n," the boy comnted.
The young man rembered so of the characters from the novel.
Sköll and Hati were mbers of a wolf-n tribe, and were descendants of Fenrir, or rather the people who worshiped that beast.
In the novel, Sköll and Hati were two sisters who worked for the dark society as assassins, being presented as antagonists, who ended up joining the protagonist’s side.
Of course, there were many Beast-n tribes, so it didn’t an they were there.
"Oh, right," the boy turned toward Sebastian. A doubt had arisen, though Lloyd himself wasn’t very sure how to ask it, but this was a perfect opportunity. "Didn’t my father do anything about it?"
Lloyd didn’t know who his father was, not just because of his absence, but because he never heard much talk about him.
Though, he didn’t even know his na, and feared that if it was because he didn’t obtain Lloyd’s complete mories, his ignorance would raise suspicion.
"Hmp, as if that bas... individual could care about anyone but himself," the butler said with annoyance.
With that, it was clear Sebastian didn’t get along with his father. So he decided to change the subject.
"I understand, well, apart from that, could you tell where the mansion staff sleeps?"
"Of course!"
***
The cold outside was unbearable.
Lloyd felt how his entire weak body trembled, and his breath generated vapor upon contact with the air.
But he had to resist, since unfortunately, the mission to hide in the back garden wasn’t fulfilled yet.
The young man felt the cold seeping into his bones, though luckily the cough didn’t co, since he didn’t want to reveal his location.
The boy had found a perfect bush to hide in; it was right behind a small shed used to store gardening tools, so he was doubly hidden.
Sothing told him he should hide well, after all the system doesn’t give clues for nothing.
However, Lloyd overestimated his ability to stay awake, since even with the cold, the boy couldn’t avoid falling asleep... Until a noise woke him up.
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