《New Beginning in the Magical World》Chapter 8
Advertisement
Chapter 8
"Do you honestly believe that reason of those nobles, on why they hate the status of a merchant? In the first place, the only reason I could think of, is jealousy. You must know that recently merchants have become more powerful and the nobles don't like that because they don't have any control over them anymore though it was only for those nobles in the lower position." I said as I looked at her with a questioning expression on my face.
"Yes. Isn't known by everyone?"
"You're wrong, that's just the reason they want you to know. The truth is they are now afraid of the power and influence that a merchant holds on their hands, specifically for those big merchant names." I said while observing the crowds and the details of the city.
"The peaceful life that we currently have here on the far side of the kingdom might not last because I fear that the trouble we face right now is just the start of a much bigger problem," I said again as I gazed back in the direction of the capital.
"Is that true, Master Lucas, and how did merchants become a threat to the nobility? And why did you say that a bigger problem might arise at any moment? I didn't know any of this. There's no one talking about this issue in the city, even your father doesn't mention anything about this." Hurriedly asked by Sandra on my back.
I immediately turned around and found the face of Michael looking at me with a pure shock written on his face.
I can understand that expression on his face as a knight of the Beaufort family. His main goal is to ensure the safety of me and my father, second is to know the possible threat against us and eliminate it as soon as possible.
Hearing that merchants could threaten the nobility has definitely caught his attention.
"It's impossible for a merchant to threaten a nobility by sheer force. They don't have the right to keep their own army and at the same time, they don't have the power and influence to do all of that." He said with a firm voice.
"Because you're not a noble. That's why most of you are not affected by it. While most of the nobility have experienced the greatest card that a merchant has, and that is money. No matter what the nobles do, merchants seem like they will never run out of it." I said before pausing for a moment.
"With all the wealth they have, they can buy anything, even the voice of normal people. They can also set a price on everything they sell. They can control the lifeblood of a city or kingdom. Their power can even fan the flames that might start a war against the aristocracy." I said in a carefree tone, but in my mind, I know that this peace we have won't last long, maybe a few years perhaps. Before, troubles knocked on our door.
Both of them have a bewildered look on their faces as they listened to what I said.
"Well, both of you don't have to worry about that yet. Since they still don't have enough power to do all of it. What I told you earlier are just the possibilities that they could do, if aristocrats would just let them grow. As of right now, those people are still dependent on us, the nobility." I said in a relaxed manner.
They both looked at me with relief evident on their faces while I'm looking at the available establishments we have here in the city.
Advertisement
Most of the buildings that I can see are made out of a mixture between woods and bricks. Some of them have chimneys while others don't. Glass windows can also be found in a few houses, while wooden windows are still the most common.
The most common buildings that I can see around the city often have 2 floors and the roads are paved by chiseled stones. Canals and ditches are also available. That's why the city doesn't have a stinky smell. It seems like my ancestors had planned everything carefully at the very start they built the city.
Wells are the main source of water. That's why plazas are built widely to cater for various wells, and since most of the population we have is illiterate, they use drawings on their signboards so that people know the use of each building.
"Young Master, do you want to buy something?"
"Nope, I'm good. I'm just looking at those stalls to see what they offer." I said nonchantly.
As I continued to observe the crowd of people.
I noticed that most of them are elderly and young adults, while children are really scarce to the point that I could barely see any of them. This is not a good sign, I thought of.
It means that the population is aging, and the city is dying without the presence of new blood to continue our legacy. It seems like I need to promote the idea of childbirth, and immigration to make sure that this city will have a bright future.
This is a cruel era to live in. As everything needs to be produced by hand, and there's always a limit to how far a human can do. There's no computer or machinery that can alleviate their situation and productivity is so low that it's not even enough to sustain the people.
Despite all the problems they face, they can still put a smile on their faces. Because when you compared the situation of our city to others. I can say that ours is still much better. A city with a small population is much easier to manage and run, but not all nobles are like my father, who is compassionate to his job. Others are more cruel and brutal.
My father has been loved by the people since the day he took over the position as the city lord. Everything has become much better for ordinary people. He doesn't use his authority to abuse people, unlike the other lords.
Just thinking about the tradition that the other nobles have started makes me nauseous. Some lords use their status and power to force women to sleep with them before their marriage with their husbands, even the church of Agatha doesn't find this wrong. Though it is not common it still a fact that this kind of thing happens in some part of this continent.
With this thought in my mind, shivers suddenly ran throughout my body, as I found myself facing the giant wall that surrounds the city. It excludes a solemn atmosphere as it protected our people for hundreds of years.
As we exited the wall, a huge area of flatlands have appeared and most of them are farmland for the basic crops but this is only the situation near the city wall because as you go farther everything becomes barren.
It's been a while since we traveled alongside this dirt road, when a wide expands of grassland and flower fields has suddenly shown up that broke the monotonous view outside. This is the neutral zone, the last place where we considered it safe to go around without the presence of knights.
Advertisement
With, a breathtaking view in front of me, anyone would mistake this place as a paradise, but the truth is danger still lingers around this land. Don't let your eyes fool you with the wonderful scenery in front.
It might take away your breath with its beauty, but make sure to always be alert, as no one knows if a big snake or wolf might appear all of a sudden, as for the magic beast they rarely go into this place as they can't stand the constant buzzing sounds of bees and the pollen that many of this flower produces that irritates their senses.
This place is full of blooming Florentia flowers and other exotic plants, a lot of big butterflies and bees also wonders around this area that makes this place looks peaceful and serene.
We pass by this place without stopping, as there's really nothing important in this place aside from its view.
Upon reaching the entrance of the enchanted forest, I could say that everything here seems normal, it just looks the same as any other forest except that the trees in this place are gigantic, like 3-4 times bigger than the earth.
This is one of the reasons why this place is named enchanted forest as the trees that grow here are much bigger than normal.
"Seems like there's still a lot of things we didn't know about the enchanted forest," I said to Michael and Sandra as we went inside the forest.
Michael leads the way as he clears up our path with his sword skills, making sure that there's plenty of space for us to walk through, and no creature can hide from our sight.
It's just that every time he wielded his sword, a flash of light would appear on its blade, and smoothly flow through the air slicing everything on its path.
"Hoo! Haa!" he said each time he brandished his sword, the same thing he did during his training. For him, the edge of this forest is just a testing site for his skills. That's why I have the confidence to go into this forest. Besides, I also know how to defend myself. The original Lucas is already an apprentice knight a little more and I'll be an official Junior knight.
As we make our way inside the forest, I suddenly notice a giant plant that bears some kind of fruit. Most of them are still green while a few are already ripe based on their color showing up in a bright red color.
I decided to pick one of the fruits to confirm my suspicion, as I jumped and brandished my sword to cut one of it from its branch.
I thought that it would be easy, but then, my sword was stuck in the middle part of the branch while I was left hanging on the tree. So I used my other hand to grab a support while I put more force on my sword until it broke off, causing me to lose my balance as I fell down, when suddenly a pair of arms caught me.
I could feel the cold metal that touched my skin as I heard him breathe with a sigh of relief.
"Are you okay Master Lucas? " Said by Michael as he put me down.
I stand and immediately pick up the fruit from the ground as my face heats up due to shame.
"Yes, of course, I'm fine ahahahaha no worries," I said with a laugh.
"That was dangerous, Master Lucas. Don't you ever do that again? Look at what happened to your sword. It sinks in the ground just a few spaces from the location of your fall. What if it impales you? I don't know how I could explain that to your Father." Said by Sandra as she quickly sermoned me in a loud voice.
"I know, I know my mistake. I thought that my sword skill would be enough to slice this up from its branch." I said as I showed them the fruit I got.
"Look at this, it's so big," I said as I held the fruit with my hands.
"That's just a watersack, one of the wild fruits here in the enchanted forest. It's edible, but it mostly contains water that has a sour taste, and it has a lot of seeds in it. People often grow them to consume during summer but it doesn't have a lot of pulp and takes a huge space, that's why it wasn't a popular crop." Said by Michael as he pulled my sword from the ground and handed it to me.
With the sword in my hands, I decided to cut it into two, and upon opening this melon-sized fruit have confirmed my suspicion.
It's a giant version of the tomato, a huge smile showed up on my face while thinking about a particular food and my main goal for this trip, which is pizza. Yup, you heard me right, pizza. I want to remake it.
Bread, cheese, and tomato, together with using this ingredient and some toppings, I can make the iconic pizza.
I can't stop my happiness from spreading.
Thinking that I can finally eat some normal and familiar food.
With a mind full of excitement, I accidentally hugged Michael without thinking. Thankfully, Lucas often gives Michael a friendly hug. That's why this is just normal for him.
"Finally, some normal food, Michael. I swear that today is the day you'll be able to taste one of the most delicious foods ever in your life." I said with a voice full of happiness as I pat his shoulder when Sandra, who is behind us, suddenly ran away while covering her ears.
Wondering what happen to her, Michael and I both looked at each other with a puzzled faces.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked.
"I don't know, young Master, but her face is so red. Maybe she is sick?" he said in a baffled tone.
"Then let's go back and help her. At the same time, I'm excited about the final outcome of this." I said to him as I picked up the slice pair of watersack.
"Are you sure, Young Master, that by just using this tasteless fruit we can make something delicious?" he said with a scrutinizing tone as he pointed his fingers at the watersack which I now plan to rename as a tomato.
"Yes, absolutely, you can trust me with this one. It would be delicious. Now, before we go, help me pick up more ripe fruits as I have more plans for them." I said while picking up more this giant fruit.
A few moments later, as we walked back to my carriage, I found Sandra waiting inside of it with some remaining blush on her face.
"What happened to you earlier, are you okay? Your face is so red." I worriedly ask her, as Sandra is an important personnel to my father, and she's been working for us for a decade now which is why I know that thing earlier was very unusual.
"Ah! No, no I'm okay. I'm not just used to the environment here in the enchanted forest." She said as she shook her head left and right, while I only stares at her this whole time, wondering if she might have an allergy to something inside the forest. I mean who knows, magic might be a thing here, but we're still human.
"You should have told me earlier so that you can just stay here inside the carriage," I said as her face became redder.
"Nope, I'm really fine. There's nothing you have to be worried about me, Master Lucas." She said with a little laugh while giving Michael a shy look.
An absorbed idea suddenly appeared in my mind.
Is she perhaps in love with Michael? Is that the reason for her blushing? But why now? is it because she saw his heroic act earlier? I mean, yeah, she's a little bit older by a decade, but she still looks stunning. This thought's runs through my mind as we made our way back into the city while my gaze remains focused on the big tomato on my lap for the entire journey.
As we made our way back home, all those distracting thoughts bothered me for the rest of our trip, but it immediately disappeared once we reached the mansion, as the only thing that remained on my mind is to quickly make a pizza.
Advertisement
The Child of Ebon
Wealth and power, what would you do to gain such possessions as that? Would you murder? Would you steal? Would you scheme? Would you utterly use people in order to get those things? What if you needed wealth and power to save those you hold dear? Your loved ones who can't survive unless you take that single step into oblivion. To be a criminal, a murderer, or a plotter who would do anything to achieve one's own goals. What lies before you is that kind of story; a young man who seeks to climb the fierce ladder to nobility. To ease his loved one's pains, to do what must be done, even if he has to become the most loathed man in his own aching heart. — WARNING: A VERY slow paced story. —
8 105And So We Leisurely Walk
The boy wants nothing more than to return to his reclusive life of studying history in Lanzhou, yet the whims of fate are too willing to drag him into the conflicts of Great Zhao, both external and internal. The girl, bored and wanting to do anything, travels from Lanzhou to the capital where she will meet her father for the first time, not understanding that she is stepping onto the path of seeking The Way. Things never go as expected in this beautiful but chaotic world. So let’s take things one step at a time. --- Feedback is welcome in the comments. Open criticism leads to improvement. I will also try to answer every question.
8 189A Soul's Wish
Hey everyone! Just a heads up. I am adding the Traumatising content tag because some parts might be considered as, well, traumatising. I want to point out though, it is not my aim to make a story that focuses on this aspect. Yuki is a college freshman that has been pulled into a fantasy world full of magic and monsters. Without any special talents, at level one, and with only a mere wisp as a companion he will need to figure out how to survive in the hostile environment. As he grows stronger and travels across this new world, he will find friends, make enemies, learn betrayal, overcome obstacles and grow into a hero. Hopefully. His goal? To save a princess, of course. A classic adventure fantasy story set in another world. Cover by the lovely Sara Lucasi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saralucasi/
8 137The power of scrolls
Devan a man who is considered a NEET on Earth has been transported to another world called Alia.A world filled with magic and monstrous creatures.Devan was born as the third child of Eric Clovis the Baron of the Digrave Key an ancient battlefield in the ancient era. Plotted by one of his older siblings he was left for dead in the outskirts valley in the Wretched forest. Picture used in the cover is not mine. Courtesy of pngtree https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/564568503287542826/
8 119[Indonesian] Great world traveler
Nama asliku adalah Armil Zefrana. Aku berasal dari Negara asia, di Indonesia. Tapi suatu hari aku nyasar kedunia lain dan berusaha untuk kembali pulang kedunia asliku. Tapi aku pun sudah bisa menyimpan dunia yang ku datangi aku tidak pernah sampai ke dunia asliku. Kita telah banyak dunia-dunia yang telah ku datangi. Lihat itu dunia modern, memiliki negara-negara yang sama dan teknologi yang sama, itu bukan dunia asliku. Aku sama sekali tak menggali dunia yang mana ada ada riwayat kehidupanku. Dan pada akhirnya aku menyerah untuk kembali pulang keduniaku. Apa yang telah kulakukan dalam perjalanan antar dunia lebih menyenangkan dari pada pulang dan melakukan hal-hal normal. Aku juga paham jika aku pulang tidak akan ada lagi yang namanya kekuatan besar seperti yang kurasakan. Ini seperti aku selalu ada di dunia khayalan, meski sudah ratusan tahun aku menjalaninya. Juga tentang dunia tempat aku dicampakkan. Aku juga merasa itu bukan dunia asliku. Karena selama disana aku juga merasakan kekuatan aneh dari diriku, jadi aku mengganggap diriku sendiri tidak normal. Ya, aku tidak ingin kembali ke dunia asliku. .
8 83The Late Night Walks By The Lake (Jason Voorhees X Reader) Short Story
You go to a party that your best friend set up. He lives in a summer home that you find that was built on a camp site. You were going to have a great time. OR where you?You soon find out that something happened when the camp was opened and running. A child drowned and a legend was created. You thought it was fun and games until something sinister happened.
8 215