My Eldritch Horror Wife Followed Me To Another World
Chapter 128: Old Woman

Chapter 128: Old Woman

The Voradi troops cut their losses and retreated from Tiabe, leaving nothing but empty land in their wake. They didn’t even leave the soil undisturbed. Although it would lose its effect once diluted with the soil from outside, it would still carry with it the natural power and effects of Tiabe ground for a while.

Combined with the plants, trees, lumber, and tribal remains, Vorad had made a haul. But this was just preparation. It was the first step toward overwhelming prosperity.

All the losses, both human and money-wise, were just part of an investment. They were the nourishment for a richer Vorad to grow.

It was all part of Tymia’s grand plan to devour Matarok, Syttle, and Tiabe. Once all three were united under one rule with the resources of Tiabe shared between them all, the future Vorad would reach heights no one had ever dared to dream of before. Vorad would become a force comparable to the Imperial Hold of Draschew. And it would only be a matter of time and accumulation before they reached the past heights of Argonia.

For reasons related to his magic, Rem was aware of his Queen’s grand ambitions. He couldn’t say that he wasn’t curious about what a country with the lands, resources, and tribes of Tiabe at its disposal could achieve, the heights they could reach.

Tiabe was an untapped treasure trove of wealth and prosperity.

The only viable explanation was a power crystal mine, unlike anything any of the three kingdoms possessed. However, it almost certainly lay untouched in the center of the forest, its power trapped in the ground, slowly leaking to the surface.

The power contained in that mine could change the gameboard overnight.

The accumulation, wisdom, and creativity, combined with the power crystal mine, and the innate strength and powers from the tribes who had lived so close to the mine...

Rem couldn’t even imagine where a united country like that would reach its limits.

However, it wasn’t just because it was a fanciful notion.

It was difficult to imagine something like that when he was looking at the current state of the capital.

It wasn’t just Radstok. The other cities, especially ones in the half of the country toward Matarok, were suffering.

An army on the move required a lot of food and support. Their passing also wasn’t kind to nature.

Taxes rose, the need for most types of labor decreased, and most of the food for both humans and horses went to the front lines, where Vorad’s armies were proudly and confidently advancing toward Matarok’s capital.

Since Matarok wasn’t an easy opponent, the troops needed to be in the best possible condition.

That meant the strong and healthy men and women of Vorad had all been enlisted and sent to training to support to regular soldiers and knights. That meant only the bare necessities and thoughts were spared for the rest of the kingdom. That meant the ones left behind were suffering.

The elderly and sickly came together to care for the children, farms, and livestock.

It was wholesome in the same way that a cat caring for its sick and already dead kitten was wholesome. It wasn’t. It was tragic.

Rem gave the bread he had been holding onto to a nearby group of kids and asked them to share. They each pinched off a bite before running home and giving it to someone’s grandma, who was lying in bed, barely more than a skeleton, and unable to move.

The old woman didn’t have the heart to reject them when she saw their teary eyes. She could only bear with the pain and chew and swallow some of it before pushing the rest back into their hands and closing her eyes, as loudly as she could, saying she needed to rest.

With the healers in the capital, she could have easily squeezed out a few more years if she had enough to eat. Now that the healers had all been forced to accompany the army, all the food in the world wouldn’t push her past the end of the week.

The kids should just save what little food they got for themselves. The old woman would even have been happier if they had fought over it instead of trying to give it to her. They needed it so much more. They were still growing.

They were the country’s future.

Rem tore his gaze away and walked to one of the Syndicate’s bases in the capital. He didn’t bother hiding when he entered, since there was only one man inside, the one man Rem trusted.

It was an underground bar. It was dimly lit, and the other man in it sat at the counter, caring for a glass with a splash of brass liquid.

Rem walked in behind the bar and served himself a glass of the same stuff with a sigh.

"Rem," The man said, as if only now noticing his arrival, even though that wasn’t the case.

"Yeah?" Rem asked, topping up the man’s glass.

"The people are suffering."

"Yeah," Rem answered with a heavy sigh.

"I agreed to this because I believed it was for the best."

"..." Rem didn’t answer. He didn’t know how many times he had heard this. However, no matter how many times he heard it, he never knew what to say.

"But she’s gotten out of control. She should have stabilized things further before extending her claws toward the forest or Matarok. She’s..." The man trailed off, sadness staining his tired voice. He grieved for the people of Vorad.

However, this time, Rem had an answer.

"There will come a chance to turn things around."

The man, whose dark hair assumed a reddish hint as he moved closer to the light, looked up from his drink, revealing a pair of tired red eyes.

"A meeting of Kings," Rem said.

The man frowned.

"I haven’t heard anything."

"It’s information from the Minal."

The man hadn’t heard anything yet. The meeting hadn’t been set yet.