Chapter 828

Chapter 828: Conversation Among Nobles

Seated in the pavilion of the garden, Lolan Hill listened as they discussed the current state of the Empire in bits and pieces. Although what they talked about wasn’t top-secret or major news, she felt that these few people were not ordinary mediocre nobles.

The几位 indeed invited by Earl Howard were not ordinary. These几位 seemed to possess extraordinary trinkets that concealed their abilities, giving outsiders the impression that they were still at Sequence 5, nothing too out of the ordinary. However, such means were useless against Lolan Hill.

Lolan Hill blinked slightly, perceiving that the strength of these几位 around her was all above Sequence 6. Looking at their age, they were only around 20 years old. Such strength was considered top-tier even in the Eastern Region.

Without delving into the complex machinations among them, Lolan Hill’s purpose for this trip was not to engage in power struggles. She merely wanted to learn more about the possible choices these elite nobles might make in the future.

“The Empire is currently very unstable. Sometimes business isn’t easy either. The roads aren’t very peaceful.”

“Does little Lacy also have such worries? Haha, how about I lend you a cavalry unit from our family? You just need to pay a small salary regularly. What do you think?”

That laid-back noble youth, Du Xiu, spoke up at this moment, seemingly quite fond of Lolan Hill.

“Uh, this is not necessary. Thank you, Lord Du Xiu,” Lolan Hill replied softly.

“Why? Afraid you can’t afford it? Haha, in that case, I could waive Lacy’s commission for half a year. Don’t underestimate our family’s cavalry; each one of them is above Sequence 4.”

Although Du Xiu looked casual and lazy, not like someone formidable, casually calling upon a hundred elite troops showed his family background and strength was extraordinary. A Sequence 4 Extraordinary Being was not something common; in today’s world, they were the elites among the elites. In some small towns, one might even say that Sequence 4 was the strongest existence.

“I understand, but I still want to solve these problems on my own. After all, relying on others every time won’t do. If you get used to it now, you’ll suffer later.” Lolan Hill shook her head again.

“Lacy really doesn’t seem like a merchant. The merchants I know are all eager to borrow more money, expand their scale, bring in more goods to earn more money,” Rosella sighed. Initially, when she heard that her father had invited a Merchant Lady over, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat displeased and disdainful. Originally, she had planned a gathering with friends today, but a stranger suddenly intruded. However, after talking and spending some time together, she developed a lot of goodwill and affection towards this young lady who appeared slightly younger than herself.

To manage a chamber of commerce at such a young age and travel extensively must have been quite challenging. A beautiful face was indeed a kind of wealth, but in the Empire, without corresponding status, it would become troublesome. No wonder she thought of attending a noble gathering, probably wanting to take the opportunity to increase her fame and make more connections to enhance her safety.

Thinking this, Rosella’s unease instantly dissipated, and she intentionally helped Lolan Hill get to know and interact with these companions.

“Miss Lacy is very strong. Girls like you are rare nowadays,” Lud leaned against a pillar and commented. Among them, he was the most indifferent.

“Alright, how about we help Lacy find some instructors to train those guards? That would be a great help,” Rosella suggested.

“That’s simple. I know many retired officers who are bored since the war ended,” Lud readily agreed.

“Is Lud suddenly being proactive? Could it be because he likes little Lacy?” Du Xiu joked again.

“Huh, maybe I didn’t hold back enough just now, didn’t let you calm down,” Lud glanced at Du Xiu and bantered a bit. Although they seemed not to get along, they appeared to have a good relationship.

Afterwards, Lolan Hill continued chatting with the others about the reasons for poor public security, and everyone shared their own thoughts.

“In the end, it’s because the war was lost,” Du Xiu picked up a strawberry from the table, popped it into his mouth, and munched while speaking casually.

“If we had won against the Snowfall Seven Kingdoms and expanded our territory, all problems would have been solved.”

“But now, food supplies are always problematic.”

“In fact, the grain production is sufficient. When I studied at the Royal Academy, scholars said that the Empire actually has plenty of food, thanks to the help of the Forest Elves,” Rosella tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, recalling.

“But there’s a lot of loss, and what’s produced may not necessarily reach people,” Fachine, the mysterious girl with black hair and dress, rarely spoke up. She was the one who spoke the least among them.

“Just like wartime logistics. Out of 100 pounds of grain transported from the source to the soldiers at the front line, only about 10 pounds remain, with 90% lost on the way,” she said with a sigh and helplessness.

“Is it really that terrifying?” Du Xiu was surprised. He usually didn’t care much about this.

“That’s true,” Lud nodded at this moment.

“My grandfather used to tell me these things since I was young, and historically, logistics support has always been the most important aspect of warfare.”

“Empire

The reason for the later defeat was not only due to the superlative alchemical weaponry encountered on land, but also because the supply lines at sea were severed by the Southern Islands.

“Transporting goods by sea is much more convenient and faster than by land; at least 70% of supplies are lost on land, while at sea, perhaps only 20-30% would be lost,” said the young nobleman from a military family, sharing his opinion.

“Food easily spoils—bugs, fires, dirt, mold, rotting—it’s hard for those who haven’t been on the frontlines to understand how difficult it is to maintain supplies,” Luther shook his head.

“And don’t forget the corruption that happens along the way,” he added.

“Currently, many nobles and merchants are stockpiling food; some prefer to store it in their cellars rather than sell it.”

“But this makes life very difficult for the common people,” Loran Hill sighed softly.

“Little Lacy is truly kind, but there’s no other way,” Rosella held the girl’s hand.

“It’s impossible for everyone to live as comfortably as the nobility. This has been the case for thousands of years.”

“Huh, exactly. Too much empathy can make you miserable. People die every day, and you can’t care for everyone. Just focus on your own life,” Duxiu chimed in.

“Miss Lacy will gradually get used to it. This is just the norm,” Luther added.

Seeing everyone’s indifferent attitude, Loran Hill slowly realized her disconnect with the people of this era.

Perhaps they were showing normal behavior. Since recorded history began, famines have been common, and it was nothing out of the ordinary for the lower classes to starve. The nobles lived in secure castles, worry-free, while they had grown accustomed to using food to buy vast tracts of land and people during famines to expand their wealth.

“If it were Lacy, what would you do?” Fachine spoke up, her dark-haired, dark-eyed figure sitting quietly, serene yet mysterious.

“If it were me, I’d wish everyone could live well,” she replied.

“But Lacy, human desires are insatiable. They’ll keep spreading, and you’ll never satisfy them all,” Fachine shook her head gently, her hairband swaying beside her ear.

“In the early days of the Empire, land was plentiful, and food was abundant. It was indeed a beautiful time.”

“But time marches on, and the population grows, eventually filling every space. One day, the Empire’s limits will be reached, leading to famine and disaster.”

“Famine and disaster are detested, but they reduce the population, allowing others to survive.” The black-haired girl explained from another perspective.

“Fachine remains so rational and wise, as expected of the wise raven,” Rosella praised.

“I’m just stating ordinary, realistic things. I wouldn’t call myself smart,” Fachine modestly replied.

“But there must be other ways to solve these problems. Relying on famine and disaster to reduce the population is too crude,” the girl shook her head, her mind filled with thoughts, though she couldn’t explain them now.

“How idealistic, little Lacy,” Rosella picked up an apple, wiped it clean with a cloth, and placed it in Loran Hill’s hand.

“Your hands can only hold one apple. So, don’t think too much about it. Just enjoy the apple in your hand. As for others and matters beyond, let them go.”

They moved on to other topics after this discussion: recent trends, interesting inventions from noble alchemical workshops, and gossip about relationships.

As the sky darkened, Loran Hill finished dinner with them at the residence and waved goodbye before boarding a carriage to leave the Earl’s Residence.

In the night, the exquisite elven-style carriage gradually disappeared at the intersection, its wheels’ sounds fading away.

Earl Howard and his daughter turned back towards the brightly lit museum building.

“How is Miss Lacy?” he asked his daughter.

“She’s a good child, like a naive but well-read young lady, nothing like a merchant’s daughter,” Rosella evaluated Loran Hill.

“Why do you say that?” Howard looked ahead and shook his head slightly.

“She knows a lot and is smart, but sometimes she’s too idealistic.”

“Do you think she has firsthand experience with the lives of the lower classes?” Howard asked again.

“Well, I think she might have, her occasional mentions seem quite real,” Rosella responded.

“Since you think she’s smart and understands reality, why do you still consider her idealistic?” Howard asked again.

“Because that’s her personality, she’s quite endearing and cute,” Rosella smiled.

“Perhaps that’s exactly what she wants you to think,” the Earl turned around.

“Her background isn’t simple; that商会 is a temporary

Established, there had been no trace of the Lagatis Trading Company within the Empire before. If she claimed to inherit her father’s wealth, then where did all that fortune come from?

“The members of the trade caravan were all recruited in recent months, and the goods they carried came from unknown sources. Everything about them is shrouded in mystery,” Howard said.

“Is that so? Then doesn’t that mean she has been lying to me?” Rosella clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand, finding it hard to believe.

“But it’s not entirely false,” Howard shook his head.

“Luckily, the pendant she wears was indeed given to her by Princess Aitexi. I just received news from the Emerald Forest that the princess who went to the Eastern Region has finally returned,” Howard continued.

“Considering the timing and itinerary, she should have returned with Princess Aitexi, which explains her role as a merchant,” Howard added.

“Well, in that case, it does make sense. Girls need to take care of themselves when they’re out in the world,” Rosella sighed in relief and defended Lolan希尔, dismissing her concerns.

“Sigh, you always trust people too easily,” Howard patted his daughter, and the two figures slowly disappeared into the building.

—

On the way back, Lolan希尔 leaned against the carriage window, lost in thought.

The few people she met in these days should be the elites of the nobility in the Empire, those who would soon hold real power. They were indeed different from those reveling at banquets.

Overall, these people weren’t bad; they were even quite good and outstanding. But it was precisely because of their excellence that Lolan希尔 felt increasingly disappointed.

Because even these nobles, with their extensive knowledge and insights, did not care about the famine and disasters among the lower classes in the Empire. Those decadent nobles were even less reliable.

The power of habit is truly great. It can make people completely indifferent to such cold scenes.

Lolan希尔, who grew up in the stable era of modern times, naturally retained many values and worldviews from her past life. To her, seeing hunger and not doing anything to help, letting people starve, was cruel and painful.

But now, people saw these things as ordinary occurrences, nothing worth grieving over. For the nobility, these were merely distant strangers they had never met, so they wouldn’t feel sad about it.

As for rebellion, it was just minor trouble. This was a world with extraordinary powers, and the ignorant and powerless commoners could never defeat the nobles.

However, times had changed.

After sorting out her thoughts, Lolan希尔 sat upright in the carriage and looked out the window at the rows of orange lights passing by.

An empire relying on individual strength and a few elites would inevitably face the massive impact brought by the industrial wave. Even the most intelligent and knowledgeable people in the empire today still hadn’t realized the looming gray rhino.

Counting on internal reforms within the empire was no longer viable. Their cognition and values did not acknowledge equality. Even if they tried to emulate Clancia’s industrial model, it would likely only involve organizing the poor for superficial labor, learning only rough shapes.

True industrialization required widespread education, cultivating a large number of workers with good collaboration and autonomy, a fair social order to ensure resource circulation and smooth business activities, and high enough grain yields to free people from the fields and into factories.

But the empire couldn’t achieve this.

First, they wanted to maintain the stability of the nobility and thus did not want to spread knowledge and extraordinary powers to the masses.

Second, they would conservatively hold onto the products and resources of their own territories, creating layers of barriers. This made trade a tool for coercion and manipulation of merchants, indirectly hindering the expansion and progress of industries. Merchants naturally dared not take risks to avoid the risk of material shortages at any time. Since they couldn’t win against the nobles or constrain them, developing industry in such a society was extremely difficult.

Third, there was no urgent motivation to increase grain production; instead, they hoped to profit from scarcity. As a result, a large number of commoners remained trapped in the fields, with no opportunity for prosperity and no leisure time to learn and grow.

After staying in the Capital Titania for some time, Lolan希尔 gradually began to understand the ideas and views of the upper-class nobility in the empire.

Is this the power of the times? Even the smartest people in the empire were limited by their past experiences and perspectives, unable to see the future.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have held hope from the beginning. She would still have to follow history and carry out thorough reforms.

But if that happened, it would cause turmoil and war, leading to many people being lost in the flames of conflict.

The young lady inside the carriage stared blankly out the window, her mind swirling with thoughts, and the original hope in her heart gradually faded away.

It was time to leave here.

This chapter serves as a transition, perhaps somewhat plain, but it can’t be abandoned.

She needs to speed up. The internal division within the empire, the White Rose and Red Rose conflict…

Strive to write until Xiao Lolan reunites with everyone by the end of the year.