Mage And Wolf
Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Chapter 238

"The city is honestly pretty good to live in. A little bit might makes right when the enforcers aren’t around, but that’s nothing new, and it’s not nearly as bad as that one human cultivation world I visited, those guys were crazy.

The only real problem is supplies, the city is growing so fast that it’s become almost impossible to source essential supplies from building materials to food. I go to Arcana to get my hotdogs and just pay the gate fee. If I didn’t know a butcher there that makes sausages I would be in real trouble. I’ve even heard of a few places getting robbed for groceries because new arrivals couldn’t find anything and didn’t want to pay hotel prices." The vendor elaborates in response to our questioning.

"Even Arcana is getting short on supplies, demand is so high that even the Guild Hall has had to close early some days because they were out of almost everything, including monster cores to power the creation spell. You missed the entire winter traveling, but only the Arcana region really got a harvest in." Lelou explains.

If we’re going to supply a whole continent things are going to get tight, even with magic to create essentials. Earth has a lot of cultivators now, but it hasn’t been nearly long enough for most of them to even get out of the Foundation Realm. And there’s really not much we can do about it.

"Are people hunting the monsters that spawn near here to trade in Arcana?" Karl asks.

"As many as they can, every single day. But most can only hunt Rank 1 and 2 Beasts which will feed them for a while, but the construction bosses set bounties to get most of the cores. The region is pretty safe now, since the monsters are hunted constantly, and the guards take care of any giants that show up."

Sounds pretty normal for a growing city, there’s never enough resources to go around.

"They brought in a load of farmers too, from the Dragon worlds. They’ll be working the area, since most of the humans died or fled when things got bad. So next year should be better." Another voice comes from behind us as a Demon comes over to buy a hotdog.

"Yeah, the number of refugees is getting out of hand everywhere. No offense boss." Another customer says to the vendor, who doesn’t seem bothered by the comment.

"Both demons and Dragons. Once they find out things have a chance of being better this side of the portal they pack up what they have and come. I heard Arcana is building even more housing outside the main wall, despite finding many of the refugees work outside the city. That’s almost a million people in a single year that came for the promise of Hope alone."

"Word is you can buy everything but people there. Don’t try that, they’ll execute you." The first Demon agrees.

At least the city didn’t lose its basic standards while we were gone.

"Any other problems, or good things about this city to share?" I ask with a smile.

"Not really, as long as the food and housing materials keep coming we’re getting by. The fact it all comes from Arcana is keeping the prices fairly stable, if anyone increases it too high people will just pay the portal fee and go get it themselves." The second Demon shrugs.

We thank them and take our leave, walking through the park towards what looks like a shopping district. That should give us a good idea how bad things are.

The area seems to be permanent flea market. The vendors are temporary, but the market itself remains. Many are already packed up for the day, out of product. Just outside the edge of the market we find a Dragonkin woman and a young human man running a produce store. It’s not much more than the stands in the market, but has a long term space in the building.

Something is familiar about the young woman, and I look her over for a moment before realizing she’s a White Dragon Junior Priestess. The presence of her Goddess blessing changes her aura and cultivation energy, making it obvious to my senses once I realized what it was.

Both of them bow deeply when we walk up and I realize we never did change clothes. "Hello Junior Priestess. Do you have a moment to answer questions about the city?"

"How can you tell? I’m not in my Robes. We moved here to live in peace and get married." She says quietly like she’s worried about being overheard.

"Relax, we don’t care what duties you skipped out on to move here, as long as you still serve your Goddess. We just want to make sure things are going well in the city." I reassure her.

"It’s best not to let others know you’re a Dragon Priest here, they associate it with Arcana and the cathedral there. There had been some acolytes kidnapped for Ransom over the last winter. Gamblers lose everything and the Demons don’t give credit so they look for alternate ways to get money to gamble, and Arcana is wealthy." She says, still speaking quietly.

We all nod in understanding, desperate people do desperate things.

"It’s hard to get supplies too. The lineup is long, so if you don’t get an early start you might have to spend the night in the wall hostels in Arcana and get your supplies in the morning." Her husband says. He’s not a cultivator of any sort, which is an odd choice for a Dragonkin, who will live much longer, but they clearly care about each other.

"If we could get one of the spell circles that the outposts have it would be perfect. They all had the same stew and bread on my journey east, basic but not bad." She adds.

"As a White Dragon Priestess, we do traveling healer work, that’s where we met. He was running one of the trucks we were traveling with." The Dragonkin explains how she got familiar with the outposts and their creation circles.

"Would you like me to make you one? It would only take a few minutes to cover basic groceries for your store, you’ll just need to get cores to power it, wearing yourself out charging it won’t get you far running a shop." Karl says and the pair ushers us inside the small shop and away from eavesdropping ears.