Chapter 494

Chapter 494: Frontier Market

After staying for a while in Nide County, the Lagertis merchant caravan set off again, heading from Nide County towards the northern provinces of Clancia.

After nearly a week’s journey, the convoy gradually left the hills and forests of Nide County, arriving at the slightly more open Hanyan County.

The sky was gray, with cool, fine rain drizzling, weaving a delicate thread through this verdant world.

The land was covered in patches of grasslands, but these did not connect into one vast expanse; instead, they were separated by uneven rocky cliffs. If one were to gallop straight across this land on horseback, they would have to leap over or jump down a ‘step’ every so often. These steps were actually rock formations that created uneven ‘cliffs’ on the ground.

The dark blue rocks felt icy and hard to the touch. This unique landscape earned the area its name: Hanyan County.

Thanks to this special terrain, it was easy to establish defensive lines and checkpoints to resist cavalry attacks from the grasslands. Long ago, human nations had used this as their border, isolating the ancient Gufia grasslands to the north.

Subsequent human nations continued to follow this approach with little change until later on, when Westwind and Clancia came into being.

Lolan Hill sat inside the carriage, wearing a light red long dress and a brown cloak to ward off the slight chill. She pulled back the curtain and looked out at the uneven grasslands in the distance.

“Those ruins made of rocks—were they once beacon towers?”

A maid dressed in black and white uniform replied inside the carriage, “Yes, Miss, those were watchtowers and beacon towers built or repaired by Westwind in earlier days.”

“My ancestors once followed that Westwind King into battle. Due to the vastness of the grasslands and the scarcity of water, Westwind King once planned to build fortresses and watchpoints here, using them as a base to advance northward.”

“Moreover, he also enfeoffed some military nobles here to enhance resistance and prepare for future campaigns.”

“Unfortunately, later on, Westwind King’s health declined, and due to issues with succession, the northern expedition was put on hold. It wasn’t until after the throne changed hands and power shifted that the country stabilized decades later.”

“At that point, the monarchs had no interest in the northern campaign because the aristocracy already knew there was little wealth in the grasslands, and ruling there would require considerable manpower and resources, which would be a thankless task.”

“Instead, a large amount of frontier trade flourished. The enfeoffed nobles along the borders thus prospered, and our family was among them.”

“Many watchtowers and beacon towers were abandoned or neglected, and now, after centuries, most have become overgrown ruins.”

“Did the beastmen tribes never invade from the south?” Lolan Hill lowered the curtain and asked the maid inside the carriage.

“Perhaps they did once, but from what I remember and what I’ve heard from my elders, there hasn’t been any large-scale invasion by beastmen.”

“Why is that?” the young girl asked curiously.

“Miss, beastmen do not have a unified nation like we do. Their tribes often have many rifts and conflicts between them.”

“Tribes closer to the south rely on trade routes for much of their income and have ample food, so they naturally have no desire to disrupt relations.”

“Truly hungry and warlike are the tribes in the north, but they are quite far from the southern tribes, and with the southern tribes’ territorial mindset, this serves as a buffer, so we rarely see invasions.”

“Then, in all these years, has no one in the grasslands managed to unify the tribes and establish a kingdom of beastmen?” Lolan Hill recalled history from her former world.

“The central court often tried to win over and divide the tribes to keep them scattered and prevent them from becoming too powerful and moving south. Even so, there were times when things went awry, leading to several uprisings later on.”

“Westwind, though strong, was not always in its prime and faced multiple periods of weakness and internal strife.”

“As for the reasons behind this… I’m sorry, Miss, I am not very clear about the specifics,” the maid said apologetically, lowering her head. Although she was of noble birth and had some knowledge of her family’s and kingdom’s history, she hadn’t delved deeply into the underlying historical causes.

“Not to worry, we will find out when we get there.”

Lolan Hill comforted the maid and turned her gaze back to the window. At the edge of her vision, colorful figures and tents began to appear. The rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing up, with rays of sunlight piercing through the clouds to shine upon the verdant world.

As the convoy approached, the clamor of voices, conversations, and animal sounds grew clearer.

Lolan Hill had previously visited the Gufia grasslands with Nia, but that time they went directly to the northern tribes. Her understanding of the southern border was limited, and this seemed to be another scene.

Compared to the vast Gufia grasslands, the tribes near the Westwind border were fewer but more prosperous. In this outdoor market, one could see many alien races with beast ears.

They wore fur coats, adorned with colorful decorations, and their ears and horns were of various shapes. Compared to humans, they were stronger and more robust, often taller by a foot.

However, within the market, they bowed and scraped, showing great caution, despite their strength.

“Excuse me, madam, how about this piece? We carefully selected and cleaned this batch, so there’s no odor. Please take a look,” a leopard-eared beastman said to a human merchant.

“Don’t leave yet, we can give you a better price,” the merchant shook his head and walked away casually.

“May I ask, how much do you want for these medicinal herbs? We can trade with furs.”

Lolan Hill stepped out of the carriage. She wore a sun hat adorned with flowers, her face covered by a thin veil, accompanied by several riders, she entered this open-air market.

With her strength, she didn’t need protection, but to avoid unnecessary trouble and harassment, Mira had several riders follow closely behind.

These riders wore cloaks and armor, making them intimidating, indeed serving as a deterrent.

Compared to the beastmen on the grasslands, the rabbit-eared race was much better off now, and they viewed these unfamiliar ‘kin’ with a hint of curiosity.

Stalls and merchants in the market included both humans and beastmen, but the items sold by humans varied widely, while those sold by beastmen were mostly similar.

A burly man with bull horns was loudly hawking, extolling the quality of his furs. Beside him, thick layers of furs were piled up, tied with ropes and placed on simple wooden racks, resembling colorful blocks.

Lolan Hill walked over and examined the furs nearby, mostly from cattle and sheep, but also fox, wolf, and deer hides.

“May I touch them?” a clear, ethereal voice came from beneath the veil.

“Certainly, Miss, please have a look,” the man with the bull horns saw Lolan Hill and her entourage and realized their significance. He immediately brought out some high-quality goods and laid them on the table for her to choose from.

Finally home, normal updates will resume in the coming days, and a list of thanks will be posted tomorrow (these past few days without a mouse, many operations have been inconvenient 0 0).

(End of Chapter)