READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 21.1
Chapter 21. Northern Spring (2)
The golden age, when humanity dared to challenge the authority of the gods, had fallen.
After the Age of Divinity, the Dark Ages, and the Age of Savagery, a new era emerged, heralding the revival of civilization and culture.
People compared this era to the ancient golden age and called it the Silver Age.
And there was one nation leading this Silver Age…
The largest and most powerful nation on the Western Continent of Arcadia, the Ragoit Empire.
In the empire’s capital, Goit:
“Failure? Are you certain?”
“My deepest apologies, Your Highness.”
“The preparations must have been flawless.”
Within the central palace of Goit, the imperial capital, a discreet report was delivered.
“I don’t understand. We even recruited a knight of the Frost Fangs. We mobilized black magicians from the Demonic Abyss. The barrier we used was meticulously designed by the Golden Tower itself.”
“…”
“Is that all? The Sigma Knights involved in the operation were the crème de la crème, the elite among the elite personally nurtured by the Imperial Order. What about the magicians? They were future archmages who had honed the essence of combat magic from the Golden Tower. And yet, we failed?”
A middle-aged man with golden hair and red eyes.
The imperial crown prince, Canbraman La Goit, tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing the minister before him with an impassive gaze that revealed no emotion.
“The last report I received stated that the grand duke and the Frost Specter were successfully trapped within the barrier. The final sentence was brimming with confidence, claiming success was only a matter of time. And now you say it failed?”
“…”
Though the prince’s gaze appeared indifferent, Astra, the head of the Sigma intelligence division, who had to endure it alone, felt his lifespan shrink by the second.
“What is the reason?”
“Well… there is one… but it’s rather odd…”
“Speak.”
“They say a golden carriage appeared in the Demonic Abyss.”
“A golden carriage?”
“It’s a carriage said to have been made by someone named Arad from Northern Haven. They claim he drove this golden carriage through the abyss, selling food and medical supplies. Eventually, it entered the depths of the barrier and seemed to have assisted the grand duke.”
“…A carriage can traverse the Demonic Abyss?”
“In theory, yes. It’s possible with a carriage pulled by top-grade magic beasts capable of withstanding the monsters’ fear.”
“But such beasts are incredibly rare and expensive. Even the empire doesn’t have many of them. And yet, someone used such precious beasts to pull a carriage and sell food in the abyss?”
Crown Prince Canbraman mulled over the name of the one who created this golden carriage—Arad—finding it strangely familiar.
“Arad… Is he perhaps the same person who recently created Arad Salt, known as the Northern spice?”
“That is correct, Your Highness.”
The marriage proposal meant to subdue the North had fallen through.
The empire tried to pressure the North by controlling spices.
But the North countered with a substance called Arad Salt, which seemingly fell from the heavens one day.
Because of this, spices were now rarely used in the North.
‘These days, the empire is even buying and using Arad Salt instead.’
Word had spread, and now Arad Salt was quietly being sold within the empire.
Arad Salt was produced from common weeds found only in the North and was far cheaper than spices from the Eastern Continent.
‘Another reason why making the North a royal domain is a necessity.’
With magic stones and now spices, the complete annexation of the North had become an imperial and royal priority.
“Arad… Arad…”
Canbraman repeatedly muttered the name.
He then organized the events that had occurred in the North recently.
“So, let me summarize. A man named Arad suddenly appeared in the North, created something called Arad Salt, and then, not content with that, made a golden carriage to sell food in the abyss, ultimately entering the depths to save the grand duke trapped within the barrier?”
He thought that even the romance novels noblewomen read would sound more plausible than this.
‘Arad Salt, and now a golden carriage. Was it truly not a coincidence?’
As Canbraman became lost in thought, Astra, the head of Sigma, cautiously spoke.
“Sigma suspects that he might be a secret weapon created by Renslet.”
It seemed his thoughts aligned with the prince’s.
“Do you believe Arad is a magician raised secretly in the North by Renslet?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Did Renslet have that much magical capacity left?”
“The last remaining witch coven resides in the North.”
“But they’ve declined to the point where they’re nothing more than farmers. You’re not suggesting that the mighty Golden Tower was outdone by a handful of witches, are you?”
“…”
The conversation devolved into guesswork, yielding no definitive answers.
“This is exasperating.”
Crown Prince Canbraman furrowed his brows.
Just when everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, things became tangled.
The North was located on the empire’s border, connected solely to the empire by land. Its northern seas were blocked year-round by icebergs, rendering even small ships unusable.
Bordering the Demonic Abyss, the extreme North, and the Manus Mountain Range, the North was a land of barbarity and relentless cold.
It was rife with powerful monsters and roving barbarian tribes, yet it was also rich in magic stones, producing some of the finest-grade stones.
Additionally, the Demonic Abyss concealed numerous dungeons from the ancient golden age.
Despite these treasures, the North was a dilemma for the empire—until now.
Indeed, the resources were valuable, and the ancient dungeons buried in the abyss were enticing, but…
The cost of stationing large armies and relocating citizens outweighed the profits.
And the native Northerners? They were notoriously fierce, making governance a nightmare.
Thus, about 200 years ago, the empire bestowed the title of Northern Grand Duke upon Rune Renslet, a legendary swordmaster leading the native Northerners, and established the Grand Duchy of the North.
The arrangement was simple:
You savage Northerners hunt the monsters and mine the magic stones for us. We’ll buy them from you at dirt-cheap prices.
Our imperial adventurers will roam the Demonic Abyss freely. Don’t obstruct them. You Northerners can serve as their porters if you wish.
The empire had been leeching off the North ever since.
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