Tightwood Creek (Part 2)

On the fifth day of their journey, Liam and company arrived at Tightwood Creek. Standing at the bustling entrance, they waited in the mile-long queue.

A 7 meter tall stone wall surrounded the town, protecting it from invaders. The large number of canons and guards present on the wall deterred any attackers.

The river passing by the town provided another means for transporting goods. Ships of all sizes and shapes moved in and out of the wharf. No one oversaw their movement, creating a haphazard mess. It led to the creation of small blockades all over the river.

A few ships significantly different from their counterparts. Smoke billowed out of the steel pipes attached to the deck.

Liam pointed towards the strange ships. "What are they?"

A complicated expression appeared on Ella's face. "Development."

Not knowing what to make of the statement, he went back to staring at the ships.

"It's a byproduct of a recent branch that has been gaining traction. It is called science and engineering." Anya joined the conversation, clearing his doubts.

Ella became aware of Anya's presence and flinched, eliciting a chuckle from Liam. Caleb must be spreading his fear of Anya in the group. Her presence terrified him, and he stayed as far from her as possible.

"What does the branch do?" Liam asked.

"What is the energy source you think of when you want to power your creation?" Anya asked in return.

"Mana?" That was the only response he could think of.

"That is the same answer you will get from most of the people in the world. It is the driving force behind the progress of every race living on Onterrath. While it allowed rapid advancements, there is one major problem arising from the choice. Can you guess it?"

The question stumped Liam. He tried to think of any drawbacks, but they eluded him.

After giving him some time to think it over, Anya explained the reason. "Most of the human race can't use mana and they aren't doing any productive work. Humanity is only using ten percent of its potential."

"That's not entirely true. They are supporting the evolved community and letting it advance. I don't think there is any energy source that can replace mana."

She shook her head. "They aren't looking to replace it, but rather complement it. Normal people rarely gain any benefits from the development of the evolved community. Since you are part of the group, you will be able to observe the contrasting lifestyles. Science was created as a way to empower them and provide alternative means of advancement.

"Even in its nascent stages, it achieved many noteworthy results. Backed by a few evolved communities, they succeeded in creating the gunpowder, steam engine, concrete, and so on. In the 20 years since its establishment, the development of science advanced at a rapid pace, and it can no longer be stopped."

Anya shifted her focus to the movement of the line and noticed that they barely moved for over an hour. "We are going to cut into the queue. There are a lot of things we need to do before leaving for Rodich."

When they jumped the line, a lot of people glared at them. They did not find trouble with their group due to the army uniform. Still, a lot of them cursed under their breaths and some of them even spat on their path.

When they neared the gates, they encountered a group of mercenaries that either lost their minds or lacked common sense. One of them, an enormous bear-like man sneered. "I didn't think the army started recruiting those damn northerners."

A thin wiry guy whistled. "Look at all the pretty ladies. I am willing to join the army if any of you ladies will come to recruit me. I am staying at the Bora's Horn inn."

The other guys in the group laughed lewdly.

One of the ladies sneered and pointed at Liam. "I don't think they are interested in 'recruiting' you. Look at the pretty boy-toy they have at their disposal. The army must be recruiting based on looks rather than talent."

Anya, Dunn, and Liam kept their calm and did not deign to pay attention to their words. The others were furious and reached for their weapons.

"Don't fall to their level by rising to their taunts." Anya's words forced the others to reign in their temper and stop their actions.

Jade was the only one who had a different reaction from the others. She grinned at the wiry guy. "I'll take you up on the offer."

"What?" Members of both groups were speechless.

Kiley frowned. "Do you know what they are talking about? Are you going to ....."

She didn't finish her statement and gestured between Jade and the mercenary.

"What are you talking about? The past few days, I have been feeling quite restless and all of a sudden" —She rubbed her fists with an evil smile on her face— "I get a free stress reliever."

"Don't do anything unnecessary," Anya warned.

Jade ignored her and imagined her fists pummelling the mercenaries.

After getting verified by the guards, they entered the town.

The first thing Liam noticed was the enormous statue of the divine lady erected in the center of the square. Quite a few people prayed to the statue before hurrying along on their business.

The hubbub from the horses, people, and chariots gave Liam a headache. He wasn't used to so much noise and disturbance. He focused on his other senses and noticed an aromatic smell emanating from a tavern.

The other also noticed the smells and Kiley hesitantly voiced out her thoughts. "Can we stop by and eat first? We can go about our tasks later."

After getting Anya's consent, they tied their horses and entered the tavern.

Since it was lunchtime, the tavern was jam-packed. One glimpse at their army uniforms silenced the boisterous crowd. Unconcerned over their reactions, they chose a table large enough to accommodate all of them.

A pretty barmaid came to them. "Hello there. What can I get you?"

Her eyes flitted to Jade. While there was a lot of hate between the Northern tribes and the Heleon Theocracy, Tightwood Creek was located in the south, which made Northerners rare in those parts. She looked at Jade with curiosity rather than disgust.

After ordering food, Liam wondered about the strange reaction everyone had towards the army. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but their reactions felt excessive.

The door to the tavern opened, bringing in the voices of the mercenaries who mocked them.

Liam sighed. "Here comes trouble."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Stop demeaning the word trouble. Even considering them a nuisance is overestimating them."

I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about you, Liam thought.