Volume 4 Chapter 108 Silver, the Price Revolution, and Its Aftermath ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Sarah was injured!?”
Kian shot up from his chair, nearly knocking it over.
Rean was the former top-ranked adventurer from the East End, a member of ‘Lion’s Companion.’ He had entered into a soul-contract with the Black Onyx spirit, Kharab. Using the souls of victims collected in his Horned Chalice¹ as fuel, he had been relentlessly upgrading his gear – armor and weapons alike.
Kian had seen that magic sword more times than he could count. Six months ago, its power was manageable; Linca, a master of the Secret Sword: Mirror Moon², could still parry his strikes. Kian suspected the sword was a cheap knock-off compared to Kharab’s original. But ever since Kharab stopped collecting its “tax,” Rean had been free to iterate on his equipment without restraint. He had turned his gear into something monstrous.
And he had ambushed her.
”Is… is she going to be okay!? Where was she hit!?” Kian demanded.
”Calm down, Master,” Rufna said. “Lady Sarah has undergone Wraith-ification³, and she’s carrying a massive amount of your blood in her system. The report says the tendon in her right thumb was severed. It’s not fatal, and she’s supposedly fit to continue the trek.”
”If it’s just a tendon, it should just regenerate and be done with it,” Kian muttered. He felt a flush of embarrassment for his over-the-top reaction and sank back into his chair. “Does that even count as being ‘injured’ for someone like her?”
”It does,” Rufna said grimly. “The wound isn’t closing. It won’t regenerate.”
”What!?”
”It sounds like a Soul-Rending⁴ strike,” Talia added from Kian’s side, her brow knitting together.
”What exactly happened? Tell me everything you know, from the top,” Kian said.
”The letter kept the dates and location vague,” Rufna began. “But Lady Sarah was escorting Princess Maribel and her retinue through a mountain pass in the southwestern Frontier. It’s high altitude this time of year. Deep snow. The party was stretched thin in a long, single-file column. The Princess had Sarah at her side, along with ten elite swordsmen provided by Lord Louis of Châtillon. But Châtillon’s men aren’t built for snowy peaks, and Sarah has zero experience marching through the drifts. Everyone missed the perfect ambush point – and the enemy hammered right into the center of the line.”
”And? Was Rean alone?” Kian asked.
”No. There were others – mages providing fire support and someone using blast-charges to trigger avalanches. In the middle of the white-out and the roar of the explosions, a swordsman in a white coat tore through the line, flash-killing Lord Louis’s guards. Our counterattacks just slid off him, like space itself was warping. Meanwhile, he was just swinging at empty air, but the force of the slashes was somehow hitting flesh.”
”That sounds like Kharab’s Authority,” the Sorcery Chief Rufna noted. “Were the entry wounds square, perhaps?”
”The report didn’t say. Anyway, the assassin geared up for a high-output magic sword strike, and Sarah threw herself in front of the Princess to tank it. That’s when she realized she was looking at Rean’s blade. She called out to him, and the voice that answered was definitely his.”
”What did he say? Even if her influence is waning, Maribel is still a Margrave officially recognized by King Franz. Assassinating her is a suicide mission. He’d need a damn good reason to throw his life away like that,” Kian said.
”When Sarah asked if he knew he was attacking a Margrave, he just said, ‘I know.’ She tried to buy him off – told him she could make a deal if he was after gold – but he told her that while he likes money, he’s doing this ‘to find a reason to exist.’”
”Oh, dear…” Aliona leaned her cheek against her hand. “It sounds like he’s finally tipped over into true madness. Back in the East End, Rean of ‘Lion’s Companion’ was a living legend.”
Kian tilted his head, struggling to reconcile the two images. “He was always obsessed with that ‘soul-roulette’ to buff his gear, but other than that, he was… he was a decent guy. I think. Probably.”
”Lyritisse’s memories say he was a piece of work,” Talia countered.
”She practically worshipped him,” Kian argued.
”Yeah… she worshipped him, but even she thought he was a total lunatic whenever he pulled one of his stunts,” Talia replied.
”What the hell are you doing, Rean…?” Kian’s shoulders slumped. He’d seen Rean since the man was a rookie. Back in Ramsey, despite everything, the man had been a hero – leading the charge against the nastiest monsters. To the Kian of back then, who was at the bottom of the barrel, Rean had been a dazzling figure. And now, this. Going after Maribel didn’t just mean the end of his career; it meant the end of his life.
”How did Lady Sarah manage to drive him off?” Rou asked.
”She bluffed. Created an opening with a lie. Apparently, she tried the same all-or-nothing gamble Master once used against Linca,” Rufna said.
”She’s got a lot of nerve, playing mind games against an unknown threat,” Aliona remarked.
”Wait, Aliona, have you met Sarah before?” Kian asked.
”Once. When we took on the ‘Demon of Thorns’.”
”So, what was the bluff?” Rou pressed.
”Rean has a comrade – a girl named Vestacia – who’s been in a coma. He’s obsessed with her. Sarah made him believe she’d anticipated the ambush and sent a separate team to take Vestacia hostage.”
”Smart,” Rou said.
”Rean still tried to cut her down, but she managed to survive by reading the trajectory of his air slashes based on the angle of his grip. Eventually, Rean realized he couldn’t get a clean kill quickly enough and bailed. That was the end of it.”
”She pulled that off while acting as a human shield for the Margrave?”
”Sarah is the Reaper of Azrael for a reason, Master. She’s built different,” Rufna said.
”We should terminate the patrol immediately, shouldn’t we?” Aliona asked.
Rufna looked like she was mincing words. “I thought so too. But Lady Sarah says she can’t turn back now – not after Kian invested so much capital into this. Princess Maribel apparently agreed. She said if she retreated now, she’d never be able to look Kian in the eye again. They’ve decided to push forward with the Traveling Court⁵.”
”I don’t care about apologies! This isn’t about pride, it’s about the adventurer business. As long as the contract is fulfilled, I’m happy. I don’t need them wandering into a death trap because they feel guilty,” Kian said.
”Sarah actually told us not to tell you,” Rufna added. “She told Linca to keep it quiet.”
”Wait. Sarah didn’t report this to you directly?” Kian asked.
”No. Sarah told Linca. Linca decided it was too big to hide from the Master, so she forwarded the letter to me. That’s the long and short of it.”
”Sarah… why do you always have to carry the world on your shoulders?” Kian pressed his palm to his forehead. She hadn’t changed a bit since Ramsey. “Can we send Natra to back them up?”
”Lady Natra is the security chief of the fortress, Master. She’s currently acting as the chief of staff for the new standing army. She spends her days training recruits and her nights patrolling the entire sector. She’s just now finding her footing in this new life. Pulling her away for a special mission is a tall order.”
”Isn’t Natra only eighteen?” Aliona’s brow furrowed. “That’s terrible for her development. At eighteen, a girl should be out enjoying her life, not playing soldier.”
”Is that the part you’re worried about?” Rufna smirked. “Lady Natra is like Lady Sarah – a woman of iron. She was groomed for this from childhood. She’s a once-in-a-generation prodigy, but even so, the workload is intense.”
”In human terms, eighteen is an adult,” Talia noted.
”Biologically, maybe. But eighteen years is a heartbeat. When I was eighteen, I was doing whatever I wanted – I had zero wisdom and even less experience. I had ten times the guts and talent of anyone else, sure, but I was still a child,” Aliona said. “Is there no one in the Salon we can rely on?”
”Master, you saw the state of things in August,” Rufna reminded him. “Princess Maribel is surrounded by enemies.”
Kian went silent.
”Chairman,” Rou said, his voice sharp, “we need to send reinforcements to Lady Sarah immediately. I’ll start a recruitment drive in Crete. If we can trigger an exodus of the intellectual class now, it’ll lighten the load on the Salon. That would free up Linca to move.”
”Start the selection process now? …I guess we have no choice,” Kian said.
Kian started to stand, but Aliona held up a hand, stopping him cold.
”Wait. First of all, the decision to let Ms. Sarah continue this Traveling Court is a disaster. If Sarah and Lord Louis pull back to Izerland, they can dig in. We know part of the enemy’s identity now. They could coordinate with Linca and Natra to set a trap and wipe them out. Correct?”
”Technically, yes,” Kian explained, “but Sarah is doing this to build Maribel’s prestige. She needs to meet the Frontier lords face-to-face to turn them into allies. It’s a necessary move for the Frontier’s stability.”
”That policy is a blunder,” Aliona said flatly. “I hate to criticize a colleague’s work, and I didn’t think it was my place as an outsider to Izerland to speak up… but for Ms. Sarah’s sake, I have to.”
”What do you mean?” Kian asked.
”Lady Sorcery Chief, you know this policy is a political failure, don’t you? In fact, you knew it from the start. You were practically scowling during that dinner in the East End.”
”You don’t miss much…” Rufna sighed. “Yeah, I knew. But the Master entrusted this to Lady Sarah, so I figured it wasn’t my place to second-guess her.”
”If everyone stays ‘polite,’ no one will stop her from walking off a cliff,” Aliona said, pouring herself a fresh coffee. This time, she left the sugar out. “If we just keep throwing money and lives at this because Sarah is ‘working hard,’ we’re going to bankrupt ourselves. We need an evaluation. We need a debate. And we need a decision.”
”So you’re saying I’ve gotta be the one to say it?” Rufna’s voice was strained. “I hate sounding like I’m stabbing her in the back.”
Aliona took a slow sip of the bitter coffee. Talia opened her mouth to speak.
”I don’t entirely grasp the concept of ‘failing at power politics⁶,’” Talia said. “But if this is something that must be said for Kian’s sake, shouldn’t we speak up? I don’t think anyone here believes the Head Sorceress is slandering Lady Sarah just to pull her down politically.”
”First, let’s look at ‘Power Politics,’” Rufna replied. “Think of it as the foundational rules for understanding the game of statecraft.”
As if convinced by Talia’s reasoning, Rufna began his lecture.
”Talia, define ‘power’ for me.”
”I’m unfamiliar with this era’s specific definition,” Talia answered. “But in my time, it was recognized as the force that compels others to take actions they would not normally take.”
”That will suffice. There are various definitions, but the most classical and widely recognized is exactly that: the capacity to make others do what they otherwise wouldn’t. That is Power. And Power can be divided into three primary categories.”
Rufna used a flicker of magic to write three terms on the blackboard: **Military Power, Economic Power, and Propaganda⁷.** Kian rested his chin in his hand, processing the words.
”So power is a coercive force, and it manifests as military, economic, or propaganda strength?” Kian asked.
”Correct,” Rufna said.
”I understand military and economic power,” Kian muttered. “They have the obvious capacity to twist a person’s will. But what exactly do you mean by ‘propaganda’?”
”It is the shadow-influence used to lead the masses,” Rufna explained. “Think of the power to mobilize people directly through the scriptures of the Western Church or the Azrael texts.”
”I see…”
”The bedrock of Power Politics is the premise that the State naturally pursues this power,” Rufna continued. “States are hungry for it by design. If a vein of magic stones is discovered nearby, a state has no choice but to seize it. There is no alternative. If they don’t take it, a rival noble will, allowing that rival’s territory to grow stronger at the state’s expense.”
”Just as an individual needs strength to realize their own will, a nation must seek power to realize its intent,” Aliona added. “A country pursuing a rational policy has no choice. If they find a source of military, economic, or propaganda strength, they must move to secure it. There is no room for hesitation.”
”So you’re saying that both people and nations are rationally forced into conflict the moment they find a resource?” Kian asked.
”Precisely, Miss Talia,” Aliona said. “That is the fundamental premise. Does anything about it seem flawed to you?”
”No,” Talia replied quietly. “It sounds like a universal truth.”
”I don’t know… it’s all so abstract,” Kian groaned. “This is a bit much for someone like me who isn’t a politician.”
Kian knit his brows, the lecture echoing in his mind.
Power is the force that makes others take actions they would not normally take.
States, by their very nature, seek that power.
To refuse it is to allow a rival to seize it, inviting one’s own obsolescence.
Therefore, a rational state has no choice but to be aggressive. If a source of power-like a magic stone vein-is found, one must secure it before all others. There is no other way.
”In political strategy, one seeks to maintain, increase, or demonstrate power,” Rufna said. “That is the only rational path.”
”Does that mean Sarah’s policies weren’t rational?” Kian asked.
”Don’t ask us,” Aliona replied. “Try to apply the theory yourself. Evaluate the facts through your own values, Kian. Talia, I know you understand this intuitively, but please, walk through it with him.”
”Understood.”
Kian fell into a deep, silent meditation.
What Sarah did…
She levied nearly fifteen hundred Gold Coins from Kian as taxes.
She distributed that wealth among allied or undecided nobles while parading Maribel before them. She didn’t hand over physical coins, but transferred supplies and promissory notes to bolster her faction.
Since the ‘swing’ nobles joined her, did that count as increasing military power?
Or, since those nobles now find it harder to oppose Maribel, does that mean her ‘Propaganda’-her influence-was strengthened?
It feels… fuzzy. It doesn’t seem like an ‘irrational’ policy, but-
He felt his brain begin to short-circuit.
La-la-la, the birds are singing☆
La-la-la, my head is ringing☆
I’m just a talking empty head, so I don’t know anything at all!☆
…But, when he forced himself to look at it again through the lens of Power-Military and Economic-he realized those two factors changed everything.
”On a scale of twenty-five-ten for military, ten for economic, and five for propaganda-how would you grade Lady Sarah’s policy?” Aliona asked.
”The allied nobles got stronger, so… ten for military?” Kian answered hesitantly. “Economic is probably zero. For propaganda, the Sovereign’s influence grew, so maybe a five? Fifteen points total?”
Talia spoke with a chilling lack of emotion. “Three points.”
”Break it down for us,” Rufna prompted.
”Military: zero. Economic: zero. Propaganda: three,” Talia said. “First, the facts: Lady Sarah had thirteen hundred and thirty Gold Coins at her disposal. The royal court is crawling with enemies. Most nobles maintain private militaries and are economically independent. In contrast, Maribel’s faction is destitute and facing a massive backlash for trying to levy national taxes. As for their military, they just absorbed local martial arts guilds-men with no training or discipline.”
”True,” Aliona said. “Are there other facts?”
”Mercenaries,” Talia added, glancing at Aliona. “With the trend toward standing armies, the mercenary business is struggling. Even the ‘Storm Herd⁸,’ which General Isthbaran and Lady Serena belonged to, was downsizing.”
”And?”
”The fact that during her moving court⁹, Lady Sarah exempted the regional nobles from paying their welcoming expenses¹⁰.”
”Wait… how do mercenaries or welcoming expenses relate to power?” Kian asked, tilting his head.
”The Maribel camp needed to use those Gold Coins as seed money to gain military and economic superiority,” Talia explained. “They should have maximized the ‘Power-per-Coin’ ratio.”
”Exactly,” Rufna said.
”But Lady Sarah didn’t move to monopolize the mercenaries-the primary source of available military power. Furthermore, by not forcing the nobles to pay welcoming expenses, she failed to bleed them of their economic reserves. She missed the chance to establish relative economic dominance. Since she failed to increase actual power in either sector, she gets zero points for military and economics.”
”And the three points for propaganda are just because she got her face known?” Rufna asked.
”Yes,” Talia said.
”Right. That’s a fair assessment,” Rufna muttered. “So, there you have it, Master. Do you see now?”
”I see that I’m absolutely not cut out for politics,” Kian said, his shoulders slumping. He’d figured his thirty years of life experience would give him an edge, but Talia’s breakdown made him realize their perspectives were worlds apart. The sheer lack of vision made him feel pathetic.
”Kian, I was only used to this because I spent so long helping my father back in the Cain County,” Talia said softly.
”Talia…”
”It’s okay,” she continued. “I’m an amateur in this era, too. Let’s learn together. If we get stuck, Rufna or Lady Aliona will help us.”
”I didn’t understand a word of that either,” Rou said with a perfectly straight face. “Very educational.” Kian couldn’t tell if he was being supportive or if he was genuinely just as lost.
”In short,” Aliona summarized, “Ms. Sarah should have used the emergency funds to hire every mercenary in Izerland. With that military might as her shadow, she should have enforced the national tax with an iron fist, then bled the local nobles dry with ‘welcoming expenses’ during her tour.”
”Bingo,” Rufna said.
”But wouldn’t the nobles have revolted?” Kian asked.
”Almost certainly,” Aliona replied. “In which case, you use your newly bought army to crush the rebellion into the dirt.”
”Ah…”
Aliona continued, “Once you crush them, those nobles have no soldiers, no sorcerers, and no money left. They’d never lift a finger against Her Excellency again. Even the threat of assassins would dwindle. In the end, the Sovereign’s personal rule would become absolute.”
”But keep in mind, this is an evaluation we’ve reached while staying cozy in the southern breeze,” Talia said, looking toward the bird golem. “Lady Sarah is dealing with living people. I’m sure she knew she should be buying mercenaries and stripping power with a heavy hand.”
”Likely,” Rufna agreed. “She filled my shoes assisting Duke Shajar, after all.”
”Domestic politics is ultimately a face-to-face battle,” Talia said. “Raw communication and complex relationships influence decisions on the ground. That never changes.”
”I suppose I’ve left Izerland to its own devices for too long,” Kian said. “If we’re doing a formal inquiry, I can’t leave it all to Rufna. I’ll join the hearing. Aliona, Talia-I’ll need you both as well.”
Kian felt like he wasn’t really needed, but he couldn’t exactly bail now. To his chagrin, nobody disagreed.
”Chairman, I’d like to come too,” Rou said.
”Of course,” Kian replied. “Besides, you need to reunite with Linca.”
”Actually, I couldn’t care less about my sister…”
”Rou, I’m sure your sister doesn’t feel that way,” Aliona chided.
”I wonder… No, you’re right, Lady Aliona. My mistake,” Rou said quickly, realizing that arguing with her was a losing battle.
”Agenda Item One took longer than expected,” Rufna said. “But the conclusion stands: we tell Sarah to stop the moving court. She needs to get back to the fortress and shore up her foundation.”
”Yeah. Everyone’s on board, right?” Kian said. “Along with the notice for the later inquiry, I’ll write a formal letter under my own name immediately. I’ll write to Her Excellency Maribel as well. I’m sure that’ll be enough to put a stop to this.”
”If you’re the one sending it, Linca can use it as leverage to talk them down,” Rufna said. “It’ll work. Besides, I’m heading to the fortress myself.”
”Alright then, onto Agenda Item Two,” Aliona chirped. “Let’s keep things moving briskly!”
Aliona, currently overseeing the transformation of Underworld Island¹¹ into a fortress, urged the group forward with a bright smile.
Agenda Item Two was whether a plan could be established to develop Dacia¹² on a large scale if business in Crete became impossible. Kian and his team had originally planned their sugarcane venture specifically to fund the reclamation of Dacia-the Brave Baron territory Maribel had essentially dumped on them. But with war breaking out in Crete, the post-war economy looked bleak. At worst, the current Cretan monarchy might collapse entirely, replaced by a provisional government under Gensou’s thumb.
If a new government took over, the management rights Merchant Guild Kian held over Fire Island and Underworld Island-contracts signed with the previous administration-would likely be nullified. They’d be facing legal limbo, potentially even being evicted as illegal residents. The guild had to decide on a move, and fast.
Option one: Prop up Guria’s government and kick Gensou out. This would keep their contracts intact, allowing them to use the islands for their sugarcane operations. However, if the trade routes around Crete were choked off by the war, producing sugar would be pointless if they couldn’t ship it anywhere. Furthermore, if Princess Guria surrendered, their hands would be tied. You can’t save a government that’s already signed its own death warrant.
”For my part, I want to help Guria,” Kian said. “Even if the rational choice is to cut our losses and set up shop elsewhere, I can’t just abandon her and the Lightning Knights.”
”I figured you’d say that,” Rufna said with a smirk.
”Do what you feel is right, Kian,” Talia added. “I’m quite fond of the sun here, anyway.”
”I agree,” Rou said firmly. “If Kian chooses to help, then I will fight too.”
”Everyone… sorry. And thank you,” Kian said, bowing his head. He knew he was asking them to follow a path paved with trouble.
”But look,” Rufna interjected, “if Princess Guria decides to surrender, it doesn’t matter how much we want to throw down. We can’t exactly wage an all-out, knock-down-drag-out war against Gensou all by ourselves in Crete’s place, can we?”
”If Guria and the girls in the Order surrender, then I have no reason to stay,” Kian admitted. “I’d just have to pray they find some version of happiness under Gensou’s rule.”
”And what about Lady Priscilla?” Talia asked. “She’s probably off somewhere huffing and puffing about fighting alone, isn’t she?”
”How did you know that?” Kian asked.
”I didn’t ‘know’ it per se, but it’s an easy guess if you’ve spent five minutes observing her,” Talia replied. She looked genuinely confused that Kian hadn’t reached the same conclusion. Kian wondered if his own people-watching skills were just that rusty.
”Surely Lord Guy will talk some sense into her,” Rufna said. “Boss, look-taking on Gensou is a massive risk. Helping a Crete that’s backed into a corner is one thing, but being dragged into a suicide mission by someone jumping into the fire is a different story.”
”I get it,” Kian said. “If Crete chooses surrender and Priscilla still insists on a solo stand, I’ll do my best to talk her down.”
”Good,” Rufna replied.
”But,” Talia asked, looking around the room, “if Crete is off the table, what’s next? Where’s our new world? The Kingdom of Castile? Or do we head north of Franz, past the Great Ice Wall?”
”Could we not simply return to Dacia without the extra profit?” Rou asked, raising a hand. “We have several thousand gold coins from the Asterios treasure. Is that not enough?”
”Not even close,” Rufna countered. “We need a self-sustaining revenue stream. I’ve run the numbers. To get Dacia off the ground, we’d need to buy a thousand engineering golems¹³ and enough mana stones to power them for a year from Merchant Guild Azrael or another territory. That’s ten thousand gold coins right there. Then you’ve got the engineers for maintenance, the stones for year two… the costs pile up. Not to mention food, housing, and healthcare for the settlers. If we don’t offer a certain standard of living, nobody is going to move there.”
”Rufna,” Rou asked, “are you trying to build a country in Dacia exclusively for the wealthy? Like a nation where every citizen is a tycoon running a massive plantation?”
”That’s exactly the plan,” Rufna said. She didn’t blink. “A village of poor farmers will just get swallowed by Ramsey next door. They’d be stuck in poverty for the next hundred years. But a massive, industrial-scale agricultural powerhouse? We could become the breadbasket of the West. We’d be the ones with the surplus capital to invest everywhere else. Maribel might have dumped this on us, but if we’re doing it, we’re doing it big. Rou, when you’re an old man, do you want to be running a failing state, begging neighbors for scraps just to keep your people fed? That’s not the kind of legacy Kian deserves.”
”Point taken,” Rou conceded. “Such a result would be unworthy of the Chairman.”
I’d be perfectly happy just being an adventurer in a place with some nice scenery, Kian thought, but he kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t the time to kill the vibe when everyone was being so serious.
”So,” Rufna continued, “once things settle, do we head back to Izerland, deal with the Eldest Miss’s inquiry, kick Rean’s ass, and then figure it out? Assuming Crete folds, I mean.”
”Oh, they’ll fold,” Aliona said, her voice devoid of pity. “It’s practically a given at this point. Which means, like the Chief Sorceress says, we’d all be heading back to Izerland empty-handed. But… your favorite Auntie is against that plan.”
”Why?” Kian asked. “What do you mean?”
”Because,” the elven sorceress said with a radiant, mischievous smile, “it would mean we failed. Failure. Fai-lure! And that is simply unacceptable. We didn’t come all this way to the south just for a vacation. I won’t have all that effort go to waste.”
”But what choice do we have?” Kian asked, dejected.
Aliona shook her head. “No, no. We don’t accept ‘unavoidable.’ Talia, let me ask you-does the word ‘failure’ exist in your dictionary?”
”Certainly not,” Talia replied. “I don’t acknowledge such a humiliating concept.”
”Perfect! Auntie hates it too,” Aliona said. “And since Circe is finally out of the picture, we’d be absolute fools to let this chance slip away.”
”Personally,” Talia added, “once I start a cleaning job, I don’t stop until every speck of dust is gone. The fact that Azrael remnants are still crawling around Cyclops is… irritating.”
”Uh oh,” Rufna muttered. “These two are starting to sound dangerous.”
”But what’s the actual plan?” Rou asked, bringing them back to earth.
Aliona leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “Have any of you heard the legends of the New Continent?”
”The New Continent?” Kian asked.
”The stories say that far to the west of Franz-way beyond Britain-lies another vast landmass,” Aliona explained. “Think about it. The tomatoes from Castile, the potatoes, the beans… even the tobacco the rich folks in Crete love, or the red peppers they use in the East. Legend says an ancient archmage brought those seeds over the ocean to Castile eons ago.”
”I’ve read about that,” Rufna mused. “The Journal of a New Continent Tour, right? It talked about veins of gold and silver so thick they practically tripped over them, and people who had never even seen a wheel or a horse. I always thought it was a tall tale.”
”About as believable as the theory that Mithril fell from the stars,” Rou added.
”And yet, we have tomatoes. We have tobacco. Don’t we?” Aliona countered. “When I was advising Pepin II, I brought it up. He wanted silver, but he told me he wouldn’t waste ships on my ‘delusions.’ I was young and wanted to live in the lap of luxury, so since no one would foot the bill, the plan died there.”
”Has no one ever actually sailed west?” Talia asked.
Kian shrugged. “Who knows?”
”The Demonic Sea¹⁴ blocks the way,” Rufna noted. “They say anyone who enters never comes out.”
”But the author of that journal found a way,” Aliona insisted. “He allegedly won a game against a spirit called the ‘Rough Waves of Benevolence’ who rules those waters. He opened a path-a teleportation route to the New Continent. Regardless of what happens to Crete, why don’t we get our own ship, find a captain, and use this place as a base to find that continent? If we succeed… we won’t just be rich. We’ll be hitting the motherlode!”
—
Summary:
Kian learns that Sarah was ambushed by the former hero Rean during a mountain trek. Although Sarah survived, she suffered a ‘Soul-Rending’ wound that refuses to heal. The chapter shifts into a heated political and strategic debate over whether to continue the ‘Traveling Court’ or retreat to defend against the now-identified threat.
Rufna gives Kian and Talia a lecture on the three pillars of Power Politics: Military, Economy, and Propaganda. They apply this theory to Sarah’s recent actions, concluding that she failed by being too ‘soft’ on the nobles. The group decides to return to Izerland to conduct a formal inquiry and stop the moving court.
The Kian Merchant Guild faces a crisis as the war in Crete threatens their legal rights to Underworld and Fire Islands. Rufna outlines a massive, expensive plan to turn Dacia into an agricultural powerhouse, requiring 10,000 gold coins. To fund this, Aliona proposes a legendary voyage to find a ‘New Continent’ hidden beyond a deadly sea.
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Trivia:
- Rean’s power comes from a contract where he doesn’t currently pay a ‘tax’ in souls, allowing infinite upgrades.
- Sarah’s injury is on the tendon of her right thumb, which is critical for a sword user.
- The ambush involved environmental manipulation (avalanches) and spatial warping magic.
- Sarah used a bluff involving Rean’s comatose comrade Vestacia to escape.
- Natra is only 18 but is carrying the entire security and administrative weight of the fortress.
- Aliona is pushing for a cold, merit-based evaluation over the current sentimental loyalty-based approach.
- The ‘1,330 Gold Coins’ were originally taken from Kian’s guild.
- Talia’s score for Sarah was only 3 out of 25.
- The ‘Storm Herd’ is a specific mercenary group mentioned as downsizing.
- The bird golem is the medium through which Rufna is communicating.
- Sarah previously replaced Rufna as Duke Shajar’s assistant.
- The legal rights to the islands are tied to the current Cretan government’s survival.
- Kian’s title ‘Brave Baron’ of Dacia was an unwanted gift from Maribel.
- The 1,000 golems and mana stones represent a massive industrial leap for the territory.
- Aliona has been obsessed with the ‘New Continent’ since her time serving Pepin II
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Character Insight:
Kian struggles with the loss of his idolized image of Rean, while Aliona emerges as a ruthless pragmatist willing to call out Sarah’s strategic failures despite their shared history. Sarah’s self-sacrificial nature is highlighted as a point of friction.
Kian experiences a moment of ‘brain-melt’ and imposter syndrome, realizing that despite his past-life age, he lacks the ruthless strategic vision Talia and Rufna possess. Talia demonstrates her cold, analytical upbringing from Cain County.
Rufna demonstrates a high-level strategic vision, aiming for a ‘capitalist utopia’ rather than a simple farm. Kian shows his internal struggle between duty as a leader and his personal desire for a simple adventurer life.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Price Revolution’ in the title refers to the real-world 16th-century economic shift caused by the influx of silver, paralleling Kian’s impact on the Frontier’s economy.
The author uses the ‘Power Politics’ lecture to ground the fantasy world’s movements in realistic political theory (Realpolitik), contrasting the protagonist’s modern moral compass with the harsh necessities of the era.
The ‘New Continent’ lore utilizes real-world history (crops like tomatoes/potatoes coming from the Americas) to ground the fantasy world’s discovery arc.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kian – The protagonist—a vampire exile from Azrael with super-hearing, now Chairman of the Kian Merchant Guild. A pragmatic wanderer in poverty for a decade, he mediates between the Western Church and Crete. High-minded warrior to some, threat to others; accompanied by Priscilla and Homolka, dressed simply in black coat over plain clothes.
• Kharab – The enemy who stole Talia’s soul and possessed her body; referred to by the Black Onyx Spirit; defeated by Kian.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Louis – Trusted subordinates from the Châtillon family, part of Guy’s elite force.
• Ali – The oldest of the elite warrior monk trio, referred to as General Ali.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Gensou – Eccentric young Eastern monk-general in Azrael’s army, playful yet ambitious. Wields sun-like magic, swordsmanship, and assassination tactics. Linked to three masked wives—Seishi, Oushoukun, and Yougyokukan (Head Magician). Ally of Mansoor and Oji, serves under Jibril, proposes Operation Assassination. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: playful Eastern general with masked harem wives, always late but magically explosive, contrasting serious monks with his bathrobe vibe and schemes.
• Guria – Princess of Crete. Tall silhouette. Wears a white dress with exposed shoulders and cleavage, and a laurel wreath. Defensive of Kian.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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