Chapter 18: The Fire Fox Trading Company
Walking down the street, Sunan was surprised to find that the city was much more crowded than before, bustling with activity.
Many of the people were dressed in leather armor and carried weapons, looking capable and alert.
Noticing Sunan's observant gaze, Kyi explained with a smile, "After the Blackrock Mine reopened, many caravans came here upon hearing the news. Many of these people are caravan members and their mercenary escorts."
Sunan understood.
The prosperity of a city often began with flourishing commerce.
As long as the Blackrock Mine continued to operate, it wouldn't be long before Blackrock City became one of the leading cities in Goldenrock Province.
As they walked, Sunan noticed a makeshift shelter built with wooden frames and cloth.
More than a dozen people were busy inside, some cooking porridge, others distributing it.
A long line of ragged, emaciated people stood in front of the shelter, their eyes fixed on the porridge, their throats bobbing, their faces filled with anticipation.
Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, they waited patiently in line.
"Who are those people?" Sunan asked Kyi.
"They are refugees from the Flower-Thorn Duchy to the west. There's a war going on there, and many civilians have been displaced. I sent people to bring them here, planning to absorb them into the city."
Sunan pondered this.
In addition to income, population was also a crucial factor in a city's prosperity.
Located on the border, Blackrock City had a small population, and its army numbered only a little over five hundred.
This was an inherent weakness.
If this problem wasn't addressed, Blackrock City would never be able to grow stronger, and forming a cavalry regiment would remain a distant dream.
Taking in refugees was undoubtedly an excellent solution.
Especially since the refugees who survived the long journey were mostly young and healthy men and women.
After joining the territory and recuperating for a few days, they could immediately become part of the workforce.
The young adults could even join the army directly, bolstering Blackrock City's military strength.
"Before winter comes this year, I plan to take the initiative and attack the Blackscale Lizard tribe in the Red Horn Wilderness," Kyi continued, his eyes shining.
"By shifting the battlefield to the Red Horn Wilderness, Blackrock City can avoid further damage from the war."
Sunan nodded in understanding.
Although Kyi didn't explicitly say it, they both knew the more important reason.
By obtaining more Blackscale Lizard blood, Blackrock City could train more knights.
They then talked about the recent events in Goldenrock Province.
When he heard that Earl Storm had been attacked and was in a coma, Sunan was surprised.
As a Great Knight and a powerful lord, Earl Storm must have had tight security.
Yet, the assassins were still able to severely injure him.
What was the Spark Church, exactly?
Seeing Sunan's surprise, Kyi explained, "The Spark Church is a mysterious religious group that emerged over a decade ago. It grew rapidly, spreading throughout the duchy in just three or four years. They operate in secrecy, their purpose unclear. It is said that they have connections with many nobles, yet they also assassinate nobles. It's quite strange."
The more Sunan heard, the more he felt something wasn't right.
With such a growth trajectory, could there be wizards (or apprentices) behind the Spark Church?
Sunan tried to recall, but he didn't have a strong impression of the Spark Church.
After all, when he played the game in his previous life, it was already version 2.0.
Unless it was something very important related to wizards, he generally didn't know much about version 1.0.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a commotion ahead.
They had turned a corner and were now near the tavern.
The tavern door was wide open, and boisterous noises could be heard from inside, with many people shouting loudly.
Entering, they saw a drinking contest underway.
Two burly men sat on opposite sides of a round table, desperately guzzling down drinks, exchanging provocative glances.
A dozen strong men surrounded them, cheering and roaring with excitement.
Sunan's gaze swept over the crowd, landing on one of the contestants.
The man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with rugged features and incredibly thick body hair. His exposed arms, open chest, and most of his face were covered in hair. His eyes were amber, resembling those of a wild beast more than a human.
"Beastman," Sunan muttered, the word slipping out unconsciously.
Beastmen were originally the product of wizard experiments.
Most of them were bloodthirsty, ferocious, and extremely aggressive.
With the slightest external stimulation, they could easily lose control of their bloodthirsty instincts, transforming into beasts and attacking any living creature in sight.
In ancient times, the first beastmen had caused the "Beast Transformation Disaster," resulting in countless casualties. It wasn't until later that wizards suppressed them.
However, after many years of reproduction and bloodline dilution, later generations of beastmen were much more stable and could generally control their transformations.
Beastmen couldn't cultivate breathing techniques, but their physique far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
An adult beastman possessed the strength of an apprentice knight.
Some beastmen with strong beast bloodlines could even rival formal knights after rigorous training.
However, in contrast to their powerful physique, beastmen had much shorter lifespans and lower fertility rates than ordinary humans.
Nowadays, beastmen were rarely seen on the continent.
Even if there were any, they mostly lived within the Azure Gold Empire.
Sunan hadn't expected to see a beastman descendant here.
"It's rare for someone to recognize Orta's lineage at a glance. You are truly knowledgeable."
A voice suddenly reached his ears.
Sunan turned and saw a tall man, about forty years old, approaching with a smile.
He wore an expensive-looking crimson fox fur coat.
"Lord Kyi, it's been a while."
Reaching them, the man first bowed to Kyi, then looked at Sunan.
"May I know how to address you?"
"Sunan."
Sunan nodded slightly. He had already guessed the man's identity.
"This is my younger brother," Kyi introduced, then turned to Sunan. "This is Mr. Mu Zhuo Ismail, the owner of the Fire Fox Trading Company."
"Master Sunan, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Mu Zhuo shook Sunan's hand with a smile, feeling a twinge of curiosity.
According to the information he had gathered, this second young master of the Flashing family was reclusive and preferred to tinker with strange things in his room, rarely venturing out. Such a person shouldn't have much exposure to the world and shouldn't be able to recognize Orta as a beastman at a glance.
Moreover, the information also stated that Sunan didn't have the aptitude for knighthood, hadn't even started learning breathing techniques, and was physically weaker than the average person.
But looking at Sunan now, with his upright posture, bright eyes, and energetic demeanor, he didn't look frail at all.
What were those intelligence gatherers doing?
They couldn't even handle such a small task!
Mu Zhuo frowned
inwardly, determined to give those people a good scolding when he returned.