The kingdom of course wanted to build ports, settlements and claim this land beyond the mountain as part of the Vernium kingdom.
But they could not even manipulate it because of the Wide Mountain. This mountain is situated around Nuath to the ends of Ashwind.
Nuath was the first state that tries to take it but failed. Each state had certain autonomy about the things they could do as a state even under Vernium.
In the past if they need to use the sea, they would go to Luxermbough from Wyld to go to Surkeye which has large port.
It is not that Raya did not have thought to see whether the stories were true. It is that the Wide Mountain is on the way.
And there were many villages of the mountain people there.
They live on the shore down the mountain.
The reason that they were called the mountain people even though they lived on the shore is because they did not allow anyone to go over the mountain.