Chapter 165

Furthermore, the Black Iron Freight Corps had begun running stagecoaches. Impoverished people who’d caught wind of all the hearsay were likely together in Vantoa Village, the point of departure for the carriages from here on out. Businesses that had previously only traveled across the mountain range by way of yagu caravans now began to cut through the Fell Forest instead. With merchant groups like the Bandel Company reaching the imperial capital in such a short time, word of this new revelation spread quickly. Such was the beginning of the monster-warding potion trade. The Bandel Company, which jumped at the chance to start trade runs via the Fell Forest, was about to return to the Labyrinth City after its first transaction. Though they fully understood the effects of the monster-repelling concoction, the Fell Forest still proved to be frightening. The group was likely to prefer making the return trip in the company of the Black Iron Freight Corps. The Black Iron Freight Corps was making a round trip through the forest again today. They transported monster-warding potions out of the Labyrinth City, then carried new immigrants on the way back. Unlike before, they weren’t transporting slaves, but residents of the imperial capital. More people were starting lives in the Labyrinth City by the day. The sale of potions had radically altered the previous dynamic. The early summer sunlight filtering through the trees of the Fell Forest slowly heated the jet-black iron carriages. This made for a very unpleasant ride for the passengers in the cargo hold, which had little more than small air holes for ventilation. Passengers enjoyed the magical cool breezes that were conjured many times throughout the trip, but if the Corps truly wanted to be in the transportation business, they were going to need some magical tools for air-conditioning. Along with their new sort of cargo, the armored carriages the Corps employed would need to keep up with the times as well. Though the changes the Labyrinth City would need dwarfed even those of the metal wagons. The question was: Would all the transformations brought about by the new people moving into the Labyrinth City and the potions circulating on the market actually prove to be positive? Edgan was reminded of a certain person in the Labyrinth City as he rode a raptor ahead of the armored carriages. Not Belisa, Yoanna, nor even Needle Ape Natasha. No, he was reminded of Sieg. He hadn’t seen the man since Lynx died. It wasn’t as if that had been Sieg’s fault, of course. Edgan understood that, but for some reason he found the idea of seeing Sieg again difficult. Sieg, I wonder how you’ve been doing. Maybe I’ll pay you a visit some time. The black iron carriages rolled along through the dense woods, bringing with them the immigrants heading to the Labyrinth City and the merchant caravan who had established a new sales outlet. The thick foliage above him cast harsh shadows along the ground beneath the summer sun.