“The last time I visited the interior regions of Kuwol was when you gave me horse dung as a present, Tiriya.”
“Please don’t bring that up, Professor. It’s embarrassing.” Tiriya’s expression didn’t change, but I could tell from his scent that he was quite embarrassed. Desperate to change the topic, he hurriedly said, “Almost all of Kuwol’s sugar is exported from Bahza. Ships coming down the Mejire can immediately transfer their cargo to another ship without needing a caravan. This makes Bahza a much more appealing choice than other ports.”
“That makes sense.” Naval transport was both more efficient and simpler than land transport. The Mejire was a major transportation artery and provided water to most of Kuwol’s population and fields.
“Bahza’s previous lord, Birakoya, finally retired due to her advanced age,” I said. “But from what I’ve heard, she’s still quite lively. I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”
“I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you too,” Tiriya said, nodding emphatically. He was clearly relieved I’d let him change the topic.
Upon meeting Birakoya, I first thanked her for the gifts she’d sent to Petore’s funeral. Lotz’s previous viceroy, Petore, had been a stalwart ally of the Demon Army and a good personal friend. He’d passed away a few years ago due to old age, and Birakoya had sent her son, the current lord of Bahza, along with a ship full of gifts to the funeral. That gesture had shown the rest of the world how strong the alliance between Meraldia and Kuwol was, but I simply wanted to thank her as an old comrade of Petore.
“On behalf of Petore’s friends, I would like to thank you for sending your son to attend his funeral,” I said.
“Oh, it was nothing. He was my friend too, after all. If anything, I should have gone in person. But at my age, a trip across the sea might have been my last.” Birakoya’s legs barely worked at this point, and she was almost completely blind. Still, she held a surprising amount of influence among Kuwol’s coastal lords, because she was like a mother to all of them. Without a doubt, she remained one of the most powerful people in Kuwol. That said, I was just here to reminisce about Petore with her.
“You know, everyone in Meraldia thought of Petore as their cranky old grandpa.”
“Hahaha, we in Kuwol thought he was cranky, that’s for sure.”
Petore had been a shrewd, avaricious viceroy. But despite that, he always dealt fairly with people and delivered on what he promised. Lotz’s port checked things far more meticulously than Beluza’s, which some found a pain to deal with, but it meant there was never any cargo theft or bribery.
“Petore’s grandson, Myurei, inherited all of his good qualities. He’s not greedy like his grandfather was though.”
“Oh, I know. He came to meet me last year. He looks just like Petore did when he was young, but unlike his grandfather, he’s a real gentleman. Petore’s wife must have done a good job beating some manners into him.”
Petore’s wife was gentle but didn’t budge on certain things. Petore had been a devoted husband, so he never argued against her when she put her foot down. She was still alive and well and a prominent member of the Fikartz family. Is it just me, or are all of the women of the South strong-willed?
Smiling, Birakoya looked off into the distance. “I bet Petore was able to pass on without any regrets. He’s probably happily sailing the moonlit seas with Grasco in the afterlife.”
Grasco was Garsh’s father and one of Petore’s best friends.
I smiled back and said, “If he is, I bet Grasco’s fed up with hearing Petore talk about his grandson.”
“Heh, no doubt.” Birakoya wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She straightened her back and turned to me. “Now that he’s gone, we’ve got even more work to do. I’ll be here, ensuring Meraldia and Kuwol stay allies for as long as I can.”
“Thank you.”
Like Beluza and Lotz, Bahza also made a lot of money as one of the continent’s key ports. Furthermore, Bahza’s ruling family had been friends with southern Meraldia for generations, so they were our closest allies in Kuwol.
Now that we’d moved on to more businesslike matters, Birakoya smiled and said, “I suppose I should update Lord Veight on the current situation in Kuwol.”
“That would be much appreciated.”
I’d read the reports on Kuwol that made it to Meraldia, but foreign agents could only learn so much. On the other hand, the former ruler of Bahza probably knew all the important gossip in Kuwol.
Birakoya nodded and said, “On the surface, it might seem that Kuwol is at peace, but a new conflict is brewing. The various river lords have switched to primarily sugarcane production due to its profitability, but this has resulted in fewer meji fields, leading to a risk of famine if we have even one year of bad harvests.”
I’d heard similar things happening back on Earth centuries ago. Meji was a kind of grain similar to millet and served as the Kuwol people’s primary food source. However, it wasn’t nearly as valuable as sugarcane, so everyone was converting meji fields into sugarcane plantations.
“Sugarcane also requires more water to grow than meji, so people have been draining more from the holy Mejire River, causing its water level to drop. The waterline is low enough now that ships downstream are frequently running aground—especially those packed to the brim with heavy sugarcane.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Indeed... Thankfully, the current crop of nobles isn’t completely incompetent. We set limits on sugarcane production at our last meeting. After all, we are beholden to the great Mejire.”
After Pajam the Second’s death, Kuwol shifted from an absolute monarchy to a mix of a monarchy and oligarchy, with the noble council granted an equal say in state matters. Naturally, the nobles weren’t all united in their needs and desires, but things were better than they had been before. It helped that Kuwol’s royal family retained much of its prestige and could unite disparate voices if necessary. According to legend, Kuwol’s first king was a hero who defeated the Valkaan and brought peace to the Mejire region. Considering how many artifacts I’d seen on Mount Kayankaka, he must have fought through quite a few if that story was real. Anyway, I should ask about how everyone else is doing.
“How’s Queen Fasleen?”
“She’s doing well. She’s surprisingly done a good job ruling in place of her late husband, and she’s only gotten more beautiful over the years.”