Chapter 61: The Locals' Advice to Turn Back

"So this is Kathisi? It feels just like we've arrived in a desert region."

Two days later, they arrived at the Kathisi Region.

The ground beneath their feet had turned sandy, and not far away lay a dried-up riverbed.

The riverbed's surface was cracked; who knows how long it had been dry.

"Big brother, can't find any water."

Luosang went to look for water, but after searching around, she didn't find any.

"If we'd known, we should have drawn water at the stream we passed by at noon yesterday."

"Saying that now is useless; who would have known that after coming here, we wouldn't be able to see any water sources at all."

The water was drunk up by morning; under the midday sun, many people felt thirsty.

"I'll go back and fetch water."

Broly wasn't thirsty yet, but that was only because his endurance was comparatively stronger.

"No need to go back for water, Broly-san; the nearest town to us is just three kilometers ahead.

Probably just need to cross that mound over there to see it; once we reach the town, we can replenish our water supply there."

Nahashu held the map, wiped his sweat with his hand, and said.

"Let's go quickly, I'm dying of heat, my whole body is still sticky."

Merad also urged them on.

"Once we get to town, I'm taking a bath."

"There are still some fruits in the carriage; who wants to eat?"

At this moment, Black Pupil poked her head out from the carriage and asked.

"Those who are thirsty take some to quench their thirst; feed some to the horses pulling the carriage too, don't let them collapse from thirst."

Nahashu made the arrangements, and the group of children continued moving forward; once they crossed the mound and saw the town surrounded by green vegetation, the children's spirits were lifted, and the horses' speed also accelerated a bit.

The three-kilometer journey passed in a flash; they paid the entry fee, and Broly and the others smoothly passed through the town's front gate.

"Excuse me, where is this town's well?"

Nahashu stopped an elderly old man and began inquiring of him.

"You're from outside; what did you come here to do?"

The old man looked up at them and asked directly.

"We're from outside; we've come to seek relatives."

Nahashu answered this question.

"Coming to Kathisi to seek relatives; hope your relatives haven't died yet."

The old man muttered a sentence.

"Grandpa, what did you say?"

Since it was a mutter, and carried the local dialect, no one understood what he was saying.

"Nothing; I'm saying, there's no free water provided for you in the town."

The children were surprised at first, but soon indicated they could understand, because even the river had dried up in this place.

"Paying money works too."

"Then go to the Senni Tavern in the east of the city; the water there only costs 7 Imperial Currency per liter."

"Eh?!"

"Don't complain about the price yet; that tavern's boss has relatives with the Security Officer, which is how he can get water this cheap; if anyone else goes to the central town well, a ten-liter bucket of water costs 100 Imperial Currency, and the price is non-negotiable."

"Uh..."

"Where is there a place to bathe?"

Merad asked.

"Hah, bathing, what a rare word; I haven't heard it in a long time, little girl; people in the Kathisi Region rarely bathe; when dirty, you just scrub with clean sand.

As for bathing, only nobles and the rich can afford that; for us commoners, using drinkable water to bathe is simply too extravagant."

The old man shook his head as he spoke, and his words made Broly think of himself on Wanpa Star, similarly lacking water and washing with sand, and he nodded in deep agreement.

"This grandpa is right; if water is too scarce, it can only be used for drinking; bathing is indeed too wasteful."

Merad: "..." Not to mention water at ten Imperial Currency per liter; even if the price multiplied tenfold or a hundredfold, she could still afford to pay for a bath.

But Broly felt it was wasteful, so let's not waste it then; Merad turned to complaining about the water prices in Kathisi being too expensive.

She rarely came here before; although she had some understanding of the major cities in the Western Territory, that didn't include local prices in some regions.

"Who says it isn't; it's all the fault of that damn iron mine."

The old man sighed.

"What does water shortage have to do with an iron mine?"

Red Pupil felt there didn't seem to be any connection here.

"Why would I tell you all so much?"

The old man pursed his dry lips and didn't want to continue saying more to this group of outsiders.

Being able to help with directions just now was already on account of the questioners being a group of children.

"We'll treat you to water, Grandpa."

Main spoke up at this time.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

This old grandpa immediately sat on their carriage and urged them: "To the Senni Tavern; once I've drunk the water you're buying, I'll properly tell you about the situation in Kathisi."

"Glug glug glug~"

Arriving at the tavern, this old man named Weide heartily gulped down a cup of clear water, then ordered another cup of water before telling Broly and the others about the connection between the iron mines and the water shortage on the Kaxisi side.

"Originally Kaxisi was still an oasis, but because rich underground iron ore resources were discovered, the nobles here united with some wealthy merchants and opened a large number of iron smelting factories.

Iron smelting factories need charcoal to smelt iron ore, so the trees here in Kaxisi were cut down a lot, made into charcoal and sent to the factories.

At that time, everyone thought this was a money-making business, no one cared how many trees here were cut down, until the anger of the Kati Xi Oasis God arrived."

"The anger of the Kati Xi Oasis God?"

"Fertile soil turned into sandy ground, the riverbeds that once flowed between the oases gradually dried up, some wells could no longer produce water, and rainfall decreased year by year until it became today's appearance; besides describing it with the god's anger and divine punishment, is there any other explanation?"

A group of children faced each other, seemingly indeed there was no other explanation.

"Superstition."

Merad muttered a sentence; she remembered the Oasis God seemed to be something a recently risen religion on this side had concocted.

Old man Weide heard it, but did not get angry.

"Perhaps. In any case, the Kaxisi Region suffered retribution like this, and lost its water."

"But there's still water, isn't there?"

Heitong was somewhat confused, sipping clear water with sour fruit and sugar added in small mouthfuls.

The sweet-and-sour feeling made the fatigue from traveling all the way seem to have disappeared.

"This water has to be bought with money."

"One liter of water for seven Imperial Currency, is that much?"

A group of children were somewhat confused, mainly because their big brother had just crazily earned over twenty-seven million recently.

Of course, it also had to do with them eating a lot; basically in a bustling city the daily expense for eating things would approach ten thousand Imperial Currency, related to them being used to this high consumption level brought by large appetite.

"One liter of water for seven Imperial Currency is not much, but the problem is people cannot do without water every day; previously water was free, now water costs money, so all kinds of things that need water to produce have all raised prices."

As old man Weide spoke, he gave a vivid example; he ordered a large piece of bread and directly ate it.

"Like this coarse wheat bread I'm eating now, I remember three years ago the price was 35 Imperial Currency, but now it has already risen to 70 Imperial Currency; this kind of comprehensive price surge, while people's income decreased, led to the livelihood in the Kaxisi Region here withering away..."

Old man Weide spoke while eating, gradually introducing the situation of this region declining from prosperity in a flash; when he had eaten and drunk his fill and prepared to bid farewell and leave, he suddenly stopped his steps.

"Eating your food, I'll give you a warning: if you're here to seek relatives, there are still ways outside, and if your relatives haven't died in this ghost place yet, quickly take them and leave; this Kaxisi place no longer has any future or hope."

Just arriving at the first town locally, they were persuaded to leave by a local old man; a group of children faced each other.

"I already said, this isn't a good place."

Merad spoke again.

Thanks to all book friends who previously rewarded and voted monthly tickets (Chapter End)