Belthane and the Spring of Life Part 1
Enjoy!
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"... If we can solve those questions, maybe we can start talking about taking it down." Silver said with a smile as he patted Hestia's head
"Humph, if it was that easy, they would've figured it out by now…" Hestia said in a weak tone as she dropped her head, not resisting Silver's hand but not enjoying it either
'Definitely not trying to act tough...'
"You're missing the point here... Not every problem can be solved with pure perseverance, not without some creative thinking at the very least..."
"Tell me, what is the job of an adventurer?" Silver asked as he walked past Hestia, walking to the edge of the room
"Their job?... To explore the Dungeon?" She asked as she went after Silver
'Artemis was also pensive, going after him as he left the room.'
"How do we do that?"
"Uhhh… Going on an adventure?"
"Right, an adventurer's job is to go on an adventure. So, when we do that, what do we usually find?"
"Monsters?"
"We're getting there, so tell me, what happens if we find a monster we can't face?"
"..."
"You run away." Artemis said out loud when Hestia did not reply
"If you can, not all can… And in those circumstances, the job of an adventurer truly shines."
"An adventurer is someone who seeks to make the improbable possible. To resolve the issues the ordinary man cannot, that's what we are and should aspire to be."
"Those that go well and beyond... Well, they're given another name, aren't they?" He asked with a smirk as he raised an eyebrow
"And I will solve these people's troubles, whether they want it or not. My way."
"..."
He's acting cocky...
"But before all that, I'm hungry."
/Tap tap.../
"Let's stop by somewhere first and then start asking questions…" Silver said with a chuckle as he patted his stomach
""...""
'Hestia and Artemis looked at each other for a moment before rolling their eyes, following Silver as he explored the streets of Belthane.'
'The opening acts of a new adventure!'
…
/Later…/
/Chomp!/
"Mmmmn! Yummy!" Hestia said out loud as she licked her lips in delight
"Eat slowly, you're making a mess." Artemis replied as she took a bite of her food as well
'It was delicious, although she kept herself controlled, not spilling it everywhere.'
"..."
'Right now, they weren't that far from the entrance of the City, being in a restaurant at the edge of a street.'
'It sold mostly oily foods, the reason why Hestia was making a mess.'
(Image)
'Silver, on the other hand, ate without much care, enjoying his food as he looked around, seeing the people go on with their lives.'
The more I look at it, the more I find this place impressive.
Belthane isn't a tiny country like the dozens of small hamlets scattered throughout the lands.
I thought it would be small but I was wrong.
It extends over a few mountains, covering pretty much the entire area surrounding the swamp, although most of the more distant settlements are composed of farming plots.
It's hard to say how many people there are here but I would say it's between ten and twenty thousand, not much, but considerable for a place in the middle of the Mountains.
It's a prominent enough place to have an economy, for the people to be numerous enough to provide for themselves, gather their own resources, and be self-sufficient.
At the center of it all lays the Spring of Life and the Bhera Familia, although they aren't exactly the ruling force.
The natives said Belthane has no rulers, which means the people are primarily self-governing, working together towards a common goal.
And the reason they can be so harmonious is because they are all chronically ill, if they don't work together, they'll all die.
Maybe some won't, those that aren't ill... People like me who came from afar before settling down... Anyhow...
Of course, there is some manner of governance in this place from the Knights patrolling around, there are laws and representatives that help the people voice out their troubles and concerns to each other, and usually, Bhera is present to make everything fair.
She came to me as a playful and remorseful Goddess, but she is pretty serious about managing these people.
Someone has to be there to make sure people build their houses properly, that their needs are met, and that the rights of others are also enforced, only that way can a society maintain itself.
When rights are broken, and community trust is shattered, people stop looking over their shoulders for each other; that's when decency begins to fall off.
But for people to have the space to trust others, someone must first protect them.
Even then, it's quite different from Orario, as I would say, this is a small glimpse into the world of the past, a society that has maintained itself with little change for 1000 years.
In those times, I imagine people had to gather in these small, isolated communities and act together to defend against monsters; otherwise, if they grew too much, they might attract stronger monsters.
I'm afraid even a Level 3 monster would be a disaster in those times... It still is today. After all, the quality of an individual hasn't really changed much in these past few hundred years, I would even say it's worsened since people don't have to rely as much on training. Leaving it for those with blessings and whatnot.
But that is only a personal take; I'm sure that on a continental scale, the strength of an individual has increased. Even when taking the natural increase of the population. Since people aren't just dying left and right anymore.
It's incredible to see.
In the distant past, records would tell tales of how Kingdoms would often rise for hundreds of years isolated, as travel routes were frequently brimming with monsters.
Their language isn't unique though, which is odd to me, but I take that's due to the Gods, they can easily learn the language of the mortals, but as time passes, they retain the language, preventing it from changing too much.
Also, it's likely because the ancestors of the people in these plains and mountains were originally part of the same groups, so our language is similar, although they have a rather heavy accent.
Although I do know most of the common tongue was taught by the Gods and before, their representatives...
Modern languages can likely be traced back to the Spirits and the Gods respectively.
"Mortal tongues and Divine ones... It's all so interesting..."
Hestia is part of the Olympian panteon, and apart from the traditional language spoken around Orario, she also knows how to speak Latin... Or the closest language to it I can imagine.
Honestly, they're quite good at it. Still, that raises the question of how Take knows how to speak Koine when he's from such a diverse Pantheon, or as Hestia would say it, on a corner of Heaven far away from hers...
Sometimes, I wonder if Koine was a language bestowed on mortals by the Gods since they all seem to know how to speak it for some reason. Maybe their omniscience allows them to learn it whenever they descend...
Regardless, these sorts of subjects have always fascinated me. I ask questions like these from time to time to Hestia, but for each and every question she answers, nine others remain unresolved...
I'm still waiting for her to name three Divine Artifacts she left in Haven. Why is she so secretive about it? Loki talks all the time about the Artifacts she stole from others...
/Chomp!/
'Silver ate his food without much thought afterward, enjoying his peace for the next few moments...'
…
'After a few more minutes of eating without much care, Silver paid for his food with Valis, which the restaurant owner accepted without issue.'
'It wasn't very expensive anyway, coming to a total just shy of 70 Valis.'
'With how well they ate, none of the three were complaining, in comparison, the one-person Pasta at the Hostess of Fertility cost 300 Valis, no drinks included.'
'The Hostess was an expensive restaurant, that's for sure. Mia never denied it, and sometimes, she seemed proud to add zeroes to her menus.'
'But it was a fact the Pasta was large enough to feed an entire family. So the price was "justifiable"... Or so Mia would say. 300 Valis was still ridiculously expensive, enough for a family to feed themselves for days, if not a week.
'The problem is that adventurers are big eaters, which usually leads to their portions being comically large... One of the reasons being one was expensive.'
'Not counting for the absurd inflation of recent times... Something he "definitely" did not contribute towards...'
'Orario was an economic center, It is obvious some things would be expensive compared to the countryside, especially with the difference in currency as Valis were more valuable to these people than their coin.'
'Still, for all mentioned, he missed seeing the Hostess maids, not that he would say that out loud...'
…
/Walk…/
/Chatter!/
"... Fresh Vegetables! Only half a piece for tomatoes! Five for two pieces!"
"Baked Pies! Get your tasty baked pies for thirty pieces!"
'As they walked through the streets of Belthane, talking with the natives from time to time, Silver and company eventually arrived at a large street market stretching far into the distance.'
'It was rather crowded, there were hundreds of people in this very place, chatting and talking, eating and laughing…'
'It was almost as if the Swamp King wasn't an issue.'
"Woah!... Silver! Look!" Hestia said with excitement as she pulled him along to check every booth she fancied
'Whenever she saw something interesting, Silver bought it for her, causing her to go on a spree, pointing at things with a wide smile as she hummed a lullaby through the streets.'
'Never having to worry about her wealth, Hestia's take on money wasn't exactly tame as it should've been... Not that she was lavish...'
"..."
'Meanwhile, Artemis didn't seem as eager as her friend, instead looking around with a serious gaze as she walked under the guise of her cloak.'
/Thud…/
"What is it?" She asked as she looked at Silver
"You look down, are you still upset?"
"... I just… I just can't throw these thoughts away… What these people have to go through..."
"I see... But... Do these people look in pain to you?" Silver asked as he turned to the people in the market
"No, they're happy, satisfied with their lives, but…"
"You feel that they shouldn't?"
"! No! That's not what I meant…"
"But that's how you sound like… How do you think you sound like from their perspective?"
"..."
"I'm sure they would understand your thinking, that you're worrying for them out of kindness and goodwill, but do you think anyone would ever want to be pityed upon? Especially for the families of those that sacrificed themselves for their sake?"
"Pity from an outsider that's free to come and go as he wishes? From someone that does not understand their pains?"
"For them, your pity would tarnish their sacrifices, diminish the valor they showed in willingly putting their lives to an end to preserve this peace you see now."
"I would be lying if I said I know how they think, but people aren't that different from each other, our brains work in the same way, our hearts aspire for similar things…"
"You can pity them, but don't tell them you do. Show it through actions rather than words… Can you imagine how many words they've heard over the centuries already?"
"Of course, just because they suffer, it wouldn't justify their behavior, as everywhere you go in the world, people suffer, and trying to weigh their problems on a scale to see who's in the right is... A very Human thing to do."
"Sometimes, we spend more time pointing fingers at each other than trying to solve our own problems... Maybe some don't even want to lose it as the moment they see themselves free, they would lose the point of their existence."
"Some make their problems their personalities, how would they see you, someone trying to solve their problem, as?"
"..."
'Artemis was silent.'
"But not all feel like that... To those who seek the light at the end of the tunnel, your pity is just like empty words of salvation with nothing to back them up. There's no point in feeling bad for them, they wouldn't want it, what they would want is for their troubles to end."
"Let's aim towards that, shall we?..."
"Mhum..."
'If her mood improved, it wasn't noticeable...'
"Anyhow, do you want one of those earrings? I think they would look good on you."
"... You think so too?" She asked as an awkward smile slowly crept up her face
"Yeah."
/Smile…/
"Hey… Are you two done?" Hestia asked on the side as she tapped her foot on the ground with great displeasure
"Cough!... We should move on…" Silver said in a weak tone as he moved close to one of the shops, buying whatever he saw as an excuse before moving on
…
/Around an hour later…/
'After walking for over an hour buying and eating many interesting things, talking with the locals and exploring some national sights, Silver asked the locals for directions before stopping by an Inn, reserving two rooms for them to stay for the night.'
'With everything he had in mind for this place, he knew it would take some time, and although he was pressed for time, he was willing to spend a day here if it meant taking care of things neatly.'
…
"... Phew… I can finally rest my legs…" Hestia said out loud as she rested her head on Silver's bed
'Although Silver booked two rooms, for some reason unknown, mystical, and completely not predictable reasons, both Artemis and Hestia decided to rest in his room instead of theirs, even if it meant cramping it.'
'Knowing this would happen, Silver booked a larger bed, although the Innkeeper looked at him with a strange gaze, impressed with Silver's "abilities"...'
'It seemed that somewhere along the lines, misunderstanding brew, but Silver let the matter rest as it is, better that than trying to explain what was actually going on.'
'Not that the truth was that far off, anyhow...'
"I've eaten a lot… I need some rest… Fu-fu..." Hestia added as she tapped her belly
"I'm a bit tired too… Should we call it for today?" Artemis asked as she turned to Silver
"... Sigh, why are you asking me that when you've already taken my bed hostage?" Silver replied with a sigh as he looked at the two of them on his bed
It seems like you two already made your choices regardless of my wishes anyway.
'While the two of them were ready to just close their eyes and let their stomach settle down, Silver wasn't going to rest now as he was barely tired.'
'They left on their journey in the early morning and it was barely past noon, the day was still young.'
"I'll go take a stroll around town, I'll be back in an hour or so."
"You two can rest in the meantime. Once I'm back, we can explore more of the city together. How about that?" He said as he left his baggage behind
'For the sake of being in character, Silver was carrying a large bag on his back containing several miscellaneous things, it wasn't heavy but it was mostly a bother to carry around.'
'He was happy departing from it.'
"Aww… Already leaving us behind?" Artemis teased as she laid back on his bed
"Feeling comfortable are we?" Silver retorted with a scoff as he rolled his eyes, opening the door in the process
"If you need me for anything, you know the drill, just use the Magic Item and I'll be back in the blink of an eye…"
"You won't cause trouble will you?" Hestia asked as she turned to him as well
"... Is that the last thing you'll say to me before I go? I won't, alright…"
"That didn't sound convincing." Artemis said with a chuckle as she saw Silver close the door
/Clack!/
"Annd… There he goes… Silent and serious..."
"It's only us now." Artemis said as she laid her head on the pillow
"Yeah… It's not every day we have such a chance… But... Is it strange I'm already bored?" Hestia asked out loud as she turned to face Artemis
"No… Not at all… Rethusa says that's natural when one's in love, the desire to not part ways to your beloved…"
"AHHHH! D-Don't say it like that! If he hears it… He's going to tease us forever…" Hestia said in a meak tone as she tried to hide her embarrassment
"Us? Why did you pull me to your bravado? I'm fine, I'll just close my eyes and rest…" She said with a laugh as she turned around on the bed
"HUH?!"
/Chuckle/
…
/Creak…/
"... Alright! Now I'm all on my own… Time for some real investigations." He said with a thin smile as he stretched his neck
'While Hestia and Artemis took a nap, Silver raised his head as he looked at the marvelous city unravel before his eyes.'
"But first…"
I need to figure out what to do with the eyes watching me from afar.
'Ever since Silver entered the city, he noticed he was being watched, something that only intensified after he met Bhera.'
They aren't being very sneaky… Maybe because they never had to.
I didn't expect to see master assassins in the middle of nowhere but those guys are pretty subpar… Any Second Class adventurer would've noticed them.
They're only as good as Third Class...
Well, they don't seem to have evil intentions, and I kind of look like a suspicious person right now, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and leave them alone… For now.
Instead, I'm more interested in the shadow that's watching me...
'It was a light feeling, as if he wasn't there, but Silver heard his breathing, there was no way he wouldn't, being this close to him.'
'However, different from the other tails, this one had little presence, as if he wasn't there at all, had it not been for his usual probe of his surroundings, Silver may have missed him at first.'
'That only made him that more interested in the shadow.'
'So with a faint smile, as if oblivious to their presence, Silver went down the street to meet with some people.'
'Although he had promised not to cause trouble, it seemed he was en route to breaking his vows…'
'If they could see him right now… Just what would they think?'
'Well... If trouble is caused by someone else... Then he wouldn't be going against his word, would he?'
'He needed some serious reprimanding for those lines of thoughts...'
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