Chapter 122
Wilderness Neutral Zone parallelling the Republic of Shantu and Naxos Kingdom borders, Continent: Barat, the Year 2035, Planet: Grimoire
These mountains were more challenging to traverse than the others. Grifton looked around nervously. "Where are we headed this time?" He glanced at his companions.
All of them seemed breathless and as tired as he was. Giles grimaced. "We've reached the Granite Ridges mountain range, and that's even harder to penetrate since it is solid rock for the most part." He shook his head in dismay.
"Hmm, so what is different about this place?" It held an eerie atmosphere that made him acutely uncomfortable. There needed to be more leylines and resources that mages tended to rely on.
Giles sighed. "Err, truthfully, this is considered a barren wasteland. It wasn't always like this in the past." He frowned. "I heard some very hostile indigenous creatures clashed with imported monsters and cursed mages, and this was the result."
Giles' shoulders hunched as he waved a hand. "As you can see, no one gained anything but fatal losses after the brutal war petered out from lack of supplies."
"Yeah, I know that bringing anything that isn't native to the land is not a good idea." Grifton was on his last journey, but he didn't know if this one would be as successful as the previous ones. "I do have concerns about remaining on this route, to be honest."
Giles nodded. "Currently, this is the only recognized and allowed route." He told Grifton stolidly. "If anyone goes off it, whatever happens to them is their own damn fault. They'll be banished from all kingdoms, empires, and republics." Giles shrugged. "That was the agreement hammered out with the native creatures."
Grifton nodded soberly. "I see." At least he understood what was happening and why there wasn't much magic. Even the spirits here were unfamiliar to him. Though they were aloof to him, personally, they were very friendly to his elementals.
Grifton didn't meddle with that. He was far more curious about the area they traveled through. "Is this why we have items that we normally wouldn't carry with us?" He'd checked to make sure nothing insidious was planted on them.
While preparing for this trip, Grifton heard all sorts of nasty tricks being plotted to ruin the peaceful trading route. Afterward, he warned the other members of the group. They scanned the products for any curses or hidden illnesses. Those that were found were immediately returned to the artisans' masters and banned from the Lamberton warehouses.
Later, he heard the families had been put into isolated areas, and when they died, vast acres were burned to prevent the further spread of influenza and lung diseases.
Now assured that nothing was cursed or implanted with fatal illnesses, Grifton and the caravan were on their way. However, Grifton needed to determine what to make of this new terrain. "Aren't we going too far down?" Something about this area made him acutely uneasy.
Giles shook his head. "I don't know what they were thinking to send us this far down," he admitted. "We're getting too close to the Naxos Kingdom borders for comfort."
Naxos Kingdom? It rang a bell of recognition in Grifton, but he didn't remember it. Where had he heard that name before? He frowned in confusion before an image of four or five males popped into his mind. Oh, right, the Charros brothers that Grifton encountered at his birthday celebration with his siblings. "Hmm, I met some Charros siblings," Grifton told Giles about it.
He whistled in surprise. "Huh, wow, they're high in the hierarchy in that kingdom. Not quite royalty, but not far from it." Giles looked surprised. "No wonder your brother and sisters didn't want to lose the foothold they'd gained in that new area."
Potential royalty? Grifton winced in horror, having had too many brushes with snobbish elites. He shook his head wearily. Ugh, it's too complicated for his tastes to get involved with.
Grifton already knew it was too late for his siblings to regret that now. He contemplated their circumstances and shook his head when realizing something. "Ah well, they probably were aware of what they were doing and had better knowledge and resources than I do now."
Grifton shrugged with a sigh. "Do you know anything else about them?" It was likely that they knew what they were getting into when forming a trade agreement with that family. In that case, it was good for them. He wanted no part of it in the future.
Giles shrugged. "Other than that, they didn't stand on tradition and chose trading agreements based on various factors." He glanced at Grifton. "Don't judge them because they're affiliated with royalty." Giles warned. "that might get you into hot water that no one can haul you out of."
He would keep that warning in mind. Grifton nodded. "Yes, the brothers said something to the effect that I hadn't met all of them yet." He shook his head. "I'm not too keen on getting to know them more than superficially, to be honest."
Grifton hadn't appreciated their reaction in the least. "Not only that, but they were too eager to gain my attention." It was as if they'd only reached out to his siblings for the purpose of meeting him.
Giles frowned once he understood Grifton's concerns. "Yeah, that does seem rather opportunistic."
Grifton sighed. They'd better not discard his sisters and brother because of this. "Once they realized who I was," he disliked the brothers' reaction. "They were too curious about me, to be honest, and I felt uncomfortable in their presence."
Giles shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find their purpose when we get to the stronghold." He regarded Grifton with a faint sigh. "That is in a neutral zone between Shantu, the new republic, and the Naxos Kingdom." He stated solidly. "Don't get too antsy. From what I've heard, this kingdom is a bit different in how they operate." Giles anticipated a good time in the stronghold. "It isn't just royalty that governs the kingdom. They are respected traders, scholars, and warriors."
That was all well and good, but he was still going to be cautious. Grifton sighed when belatedly recalling something else: "Not to mention superstition." He explained what happened on the night of the birthday celebration.
Giles gaped in shock when Grifton said. "They might condemn me because I look like a demon entity." He shrugged when Giles looked at him in horrified dismay. "Our magic doesn't work too well on that family, from what I can tell." At least, not all of it. Grifton needed to find out who else it wouldn't work on.
"Now that is going to be a problem." Giles clearly hadn't known about the people's superstition and dislike of demons. "Oh well, we'll deal with each situation as it comes." He shrugged as he spoke.
"If you say so," Grifton nodded as he scanned the area cautiously. "Well, it seems like it has many natural resources that're unused." That was good; it meant the natives preferred not to mine for minerals. Grifton liked that part. However, he knew many others would find it a place filled with opportunities that go bad swiftly.
Giles glanced at him. "You're worried about those corporations that're all about the minerals that could be processed once excavated?" His eyebrows rose.
It hadn't taken Grifton long to assess what was available through the soil. There were enormous hectares of arable land here, as well as plenty of rivers and lakes. While many of the water resources were underground, they were still accessible. It would take some ingenious engineering to make the accessible part happen, though. That would wreck a good portion of the arable acreage that was the problem.
"Yes, I can see signs of where there are possibilities," Grifton admitted with a sigh. "That's why I'm concerned about what could happen if any of those magnates traveled here." He folded his arms with a frown as he spoke about his assessment.
Kiss goodbye, peace, and balance with nature if that happens. Grifton recalled the waste laid to natural regions that once were beautiful and peaceful. He shook his head soberly.
It needed to be better that they weren't going to the area he recognized on the West Coast. "I still think we're taking too big of a risk to expand this far out." Grifton looked around. "This is just too big of an expansion." He had severe reservations about doing all of this right now. "Especially with the other nations attempting to swipe land from other continents simultaneously."
This was farther south, much drier, and strangely humid compared to other parts. "Is this going to be part of the new republic as well?" Grifton needed to be more knowledgeable about how far it would reach. This was almost too big, in his estimation. Just how well could it be guarded without treaties with other nations? A sigh escaped him as he looked around.
That's when he received a surprising response from Giles, who shook his head at Grifton. "I doubt it." He let Grifton in on the real purpose for why they traveled this far out of their way. "We're just coming here to form trade agreements in addition to other caravans and merchantmen arriving."
"Huh, okay, that makes more sense than anything else." Grifton relaxed a bit more than before. He didn't want to be a part of an exploration to expand the group after all.
Giles laughed at him. "Well, who knows?" He shrugged. There are capitalists all around who want to exploit natural resources, come what may." He shook his head. It is only because of conscientious young ones such as yourself," Giles sighed, that they haven't managed to ruin everything they lay their greedy hands on." He shook his head. As long as we can negotiate treaties and actually keep them intact, I think our future is bright."
Grifton was skeptical but kept his thoughts to himself. "Hmm, so where is this stronghold?" They'd used three portals to get this far, but they were stuck traversing the open on this last leg. He didn't mind that part so much. Well, except for when the odd monster appeared to attack them. That smacked too much of a cursed mage, managing to survive against all odds.
He also gained the impression of the monsters' intelligence evolving. Too many things needed to make sense about this part of the continent. "We won't be able to attack the monsters much longer," Grifton warned Giles. "I think they're becoming beings that'll communicate clearly with us soon." For all he knew, they were the native beings in another form.
Giles nodded. "I have heard rumors about the monsters being able to shapeshift into humanoid forms." He confirmed Grifton's growing unease.
"Damn, I hope those last monsters weren't any of them in that case." Grifton eyed Giles.
Giles shook his head. "No, they have distinct patterns on their hides that indicate they're of human origin." He reassured Grifton. "Just as you have your patterns of scales tattooing your body."
Oh, that was a kind of insignia identifying his lineage and origin? "Nice to know that now." Interesting, Grifton had yet to learn that. "There is so much I don't know about my kin." He shrugged. "Well, just something else I'll have to look up once I have the energy and time."
The caravan head shouted, "We're approaching Shellack Stronghold." The captain's voice boomed. "Soon, we'll be reaching the gates. Get your identification ready so that there'll be no delays."
Shellack Stronghold, hmm? That was faster than Grifton expected. He was satisfied, though. They could finish this final venture earlier than anticipated, and he would be glad. This place gave him the creeps, not just because it was close to the Naxos Kingdom.
Oh well, it was not as though he hadn't been warned of who might be awaiting his caravan there beforehand. Now, enjoy the experience of wandering within the Shellack Stronghold. Grifton had his identification ready for when the time came.
It took them a little while to receive permission to enter. Once that happened, they went to their assigned sector and unloaded after cleaning up and dressing for casual fun. They all went to a place where they could eat and enjoy conversing with the locals. The last journey was fun, and Grifton and his group returned without any incidents.
As soon as they returned, Grifton discovered he'd received the previous promotion necessary to achieve frost-tier rank and was accepted into Cornell Academy. "Since when did that happen?" So much for being able to do more work on projects!
Frazzled, Grifton saw his original free time fizzling away with the latest notifications coming his way. Ugh, he wasn't sure whether to be pleased or upset at how fast things were going in a good direction.
Now, he had to study for further exams to determine which sets of coursework he'd follow to graduation in multiple formats? This discovery shocked the hell out of Grifton, to say the least.
Now, Grifton understood the old proverb, 'Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it.' He grimaced and then laughed. "Well, at least I'm going to experience a different kind of school life."
Bemused, he studied his rooms. There'd been another notification. A dormitory change would occur since he would only become an official merchantman after graduation from Cornell Academy.
Grifton shook his head in exasperation. "So, what was all that former work geared toward?" He would have to settle down and be serious about his goals in the future.
Grifton was actually quite pleased once the shock wore off. "Oh, that's right." He browsed through the materials and found something that gave him peace of mind. He didn't want to get rusty or worry about an itch to travel while studying at the Academy. "We can continue to travel with the merchant caravans during certain portions of the academic calendar." Great, that way he wouldn't get restless or fidgety. Grifton saw it as something to work toward while studying various tomes and whatnot inside a building. "Now, to resettle into the new dormitory for students." Grifton shrugged because, from what he understood, it would be considerably more extensive than what he'd resided in the worker dormitory.