hermitscave

Chapter 511 - Standoff

During the Lightning War, Port Ulta had been one of only two major Sachay cities which hadn't seen any fighting — the other being Cashan. In fact, the only harm to come to the city during the war been caused by their own Lord Vareo, who had sent many of his warriors out to die in Antila, even those too young to be called adults. Whether such a...

Chapter 510 - To Give the People What They Want

"We can never forget our core strategic goal, which is to reunify the empire, and lead the Yaku people to glorious prosperity," Corco continued to brainwash the members of his privy council. "But to achieve such lofty goals, we will have to do more than just overpower the armies of my brothers. The Chutwa scholars have been involved with Amautu ...

Chapoter 509 - Official Meeting (Start of Book 8)

Much had changed since last year's year-end review, which had now officially been renamed to 'Annual Budget Meeting', mostly because Corco thought it sounded more official.

For the first time, the meeting no longer took place in the king's study, with all the members of the privy council crowded together along the walls. Instead, the counc...

Chapter 508 - Felian Northdale, Looking For a Place to Stay (End of Book 7)

Back and forth, back and forth.

With monotonous regularity, the brush scrubbed across the wooden planks of the ship's interior. Although the surface would soon be clean of all filth, a single, large wave would be enough to flood the port holes, which would render all previous work useless. It really was nothing more than busywork.

2024-02-28 00:15:12 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 507 - A Table's Tale (Part 2)

Again, the table had been moved, though this time with far more care. Not only had no new damage been added to it in the meantime, all previous surface damage had been worked out completely. On top of that, the precious wood had been covered in a protective coating, which further hid the blemishes. Incidentally, the coating also sealed up the me...

Chapter 506 - A Table's Tale

At the back entrance of the TaSa manufactory, in a yard meant to store goods before transportation, stood a newly produced table. Four legs and a top. A table wasn't complicated to make. However, even in simplicity, people always found ways to flaunt their expensive tastes and heavy wallets. This time was no different.

To distinguish this ...

Chapter 505 - Latenight Work

Finally, the uncomfortable atmosphere of the walk was replaced with the cozy mood of the small study. This was a private work room close to Corco and Sumaci's bedroom. Due to its convenient location, it was sometimes used for work in the evening, or simply for hanging out. Compared to the relatively stiff and utilitarian main study Corco often u...

Chapter 504 - New Inhabitant

A lively whistle chased a grounded twang around the corridors of Rapra Castle. The soft sound of music rang throughout the halls of the kingdom's political center. Of course, this wasn't the first time such a simple and elegant composition had been played in these halls. After years of repeated exposure, similar music had become well-familiar to...

Chapter 503 - Waiting Room

It was the deep of night, and most of Saniya was silent. Across most of the city, the lights were off in the homes of its citizens. Beneath the night sky dominated by the sign of the fox, a blanket of darkness rested upon the streets.

Only Rapra Castle itself was still illuminated in lights bright as day, for there were many guests present...

Side Story - Felian Northdale, Looking For a Place To Stay

Back and forth, back and forth.

With monotonous regularity, the brush scrubbed across the wooden planks of the ship's interior. Although the surface would soon be clean of all filth, a single, large wave would be enough to flood the port holes, which would render all previous work useless. It really was nothing more than busywork.

2024-02-03 22:34:14 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 502 - Promise

More and more, Sami had to both admire and dread his friend's pettiness. As he walked towards the men in the center of the deck — slowly to keep his balance on the unsteady ship — the petty admiral Chanca continued to ridicule his defeated foes.

"Maybe you shouldn't have had such a big mouth in my backyard. Maybe you shouldn't have bee...

Chapter 501 - Cleanup

Compared to the short battle on the first ship, the subsequent cleanup of the two central vessels was far more bothersome. Though at first, the crews did their best to make their work even easier than the first had, much to Sami's surprise.

As the Suyana closed in, these crews had still been tense in the face of an unknown enemy. Although ...

Chapter 500 - Thorns

Some thirty kilometers north-north-west of the Argu River Delta, the endless, open waters of the Verduic Sea were interrupted by a complex formation of sharp stones jutting out of the water. The medalan maps called them 'The Thorns'. To their opposite, on Medala's western coastline, stood the Maqlluchala territory of House Custodia.

For as...

Chapter 499 - Traveling the North

Sami's journey from Saniya to Hueatlan had been wrought with difficulties, yet filled with excitement. On their route to Rasacopa, they had to navigate the complex waters of the Verdant Isles, which had been a great challenge for their inexperienced crews and captains. Beyond the Verdant Isles, they had experienced the vast, empty Verduic Sea, w...

Chapter 498 - Strings

The more Sami saw of Hueatlan, the less it matched his established image of a Chutwa town. At the harbor and around the town's edges, the town still had looked old-fashioned, almost frozen in time. Many of the buildings looked like they had stood there for centuries, or possibly even longer, with thick layers of discolored mud and grime layered ...

Chapter 497 - Squares

On the day after the great battle of the Old Well, Sami forced his weary body back out of his hammock and off the ship to explore the city of Jurau. Over the next few days, as his face slowly turned from red to blue to black, he and Chanca visited the cloth wholesalers of Rasacopa to compare prices. Yet before they made a final decision on where...

Chapter 496 - Checking Out the Locale

"So Rasacopa cloth is our next product then," Sami concluded.

"Yeah," Chanca confirmed. "I didn't get to ask more stuff because those drunks lunged at me for no good reason, but at least they told me about some big wholesalers on the island, so we know where to go if we want to buy some. So tomorrow, we'll go to the right place and get the...

Chapter 495 - The War of the Well

For a while, Sami and Stickboy drank in silence. The captain didn't know why the other man wasn't saying anything, but Sami — for his part — was still brooding over the strangers from before. Although he had said that he wouldn't bother with them, their leader's unusual demeanor just wouldn't leave his mind. Maybe he had been overly sensitiv...

Chapter 494 - Stickboy

"What do you want to know?" Stickboy asked, apparently satisfied with his payment.

"I wanted to know if the passage from here to Saniya is safe?" Sami began, before he realized that it was a foolish question. Of course the active war zone full of pirates wasn't safe. Before anyone could call him a fool, he quickly explained himself further...

Chapter 493 - Engagement at Sea

The water here really is green. I thought those were just stories, Sami thought as he stared at the waves of the Verduic Sea.

On their way to Rasacopa, they had come close to the island of Yua, which meant they were around halfway through the first leg of their journey.

So far, their travels had been largely unevent...

Chapter 492 - Another Captain

After a silent reminder of his need to prove his worth on their upcoming journey, Sami finally made his way above deck. There were even more sailors up here, and they were even busier than the ones below deck. All across the rigging, men were climbing up and down to check the sails and knots like spiders building a net. With a now-practiced eye,...

Chapter 491 - Captain

So that makes 104 tons of fertilizer bound for the Verdant Isles, which checks with our sales receipt. Very nice, no problems here.

The brand-new ship's most secure cargo hold was placed in the lower deck. Despite its position below sea level, it was dark, but dry, and was now filled with a pungent smell owed to their first ever c...

Chapter 490 - Fools

"If you cannot pay, rube, then simply disappear from this place," a rude voice with a foreign accent interrupted Sami from behind.

Before he could even turn to face his detractor, a second voice had already added to the first: "Maybe the squalor of the commoner huts outside would be more fitting for a poor sod like this."

When Sami f...

Chapter 489 - Stock Exchange

From the outside, Saniya's new stock exchange didn't look like much. The building made of cheap brick and cement was certainly large, but it looked no different from the countless manufactories which had sprung up around the city these last few years. After all, this was the cheapest way to quickly build something of this size, so every large bu...

Chapter 488 - Anxious Dreams

As it was a city by the sea, any westerly and northerly breeze would carry salt and moisture through the streets of Saniya. Every breeze would cleanse the streets and buildings. Thus, Saniya had always been a relatively clean city by medalan standards, even when it had been a neglected backwater under Sawo's control.

After the city's sewer...

Chapter 487 - Sami Quits

8th year of Strife, late spring.

The air in the carpentry manufactory was incredibly stuffy all year round. However, that was especially true this time of year, when the air outside was still pleasant in comparison, but the sun was already heating up the inside of the workshop like an oven.

Even so, Sami ignored the sweat running dow...

Chapter 486 - Questioning People

In the king's office, time stood still. While Fadelio was waiting for an answer, Corco could only sit there, numb to his core. What was this nonsense story his friend had just told him? Courting her? Winning her over? This guy was clearly trying to piss her off.

"Master?" Fadelio tried again. "Could you tell me how long until the maid will...

Chapter 485 - Miscommunication

For the rest of the Year-End Meeting, nothing outrageous happened. Some good numbers were presented, some old laws were tweaked, but by and large, last year's determined direction for the kingdom's development over the next five years was only reaffirmed.

After the last war, they had temporarily removed most internal disruptions and extern...

Chapter 484 - Year-End Review (Part 3)

"You're saying it'll take decades?" Corco tried to confirm that he hadn't misheard Atau's assessment. However, in defiance of his king's hopes, the admiral just crossed his arms and shrugged at the absurd estimate.

"Mostly depends on how determined our enemies are," he explained in a dry voice, one which proved that he had thought about th...

Chapter 483 - Year-End Review (Part 2)

"Since we're on a roll already, maybe we should keep up the good news," Corco said, and turned towards the figure who lazily leaned against the wall in the corner, the only one in the room who didn't look tense or excited and stood far away from everyone else.

"What's the newest development in our conflict on the Verdant Isles? Admiral Ata...