Chapter 79 – Scarab Guild
“Look! It’s the sea. I’ve never seen it before!”
“That is Solcia, the ocean city.”
Said Mofusen. To be exact, it was a fisherman’s city.
There were a lot of ships docked in the port, and there was a big market. More than anything, the giant roofs were very distinct.
“Things from the sea go bad very quickly. And so they have roofs like that to protect them from the sun.”
It was kind of like those seafood markets in Japan.
In the giant markets, there were fruits, vegetables and meats. As well as seafood.
“You sure know a lot, Mofusen. Have you been here before?”
“Of course, I have. This is where the Scarab Guild is located.”
“Scarab Guild?”
The three said in unison.
Knights Guild, Adventurers Guild, Merchants Guild, Medical Guild. Those were the famous ones. But they had never heard of a Scarab Guild before.
“The Scarab Guild is something that Nadia cannot do without. To be precise, it is a guild that monopolized the rights to the gathering area. A national institution.”
“A gathering area?”
For Menew, that just meant a place where dung was gathered.
“This is a farming country. And so fertilizer of a high quality had a lot of demand. And the fields were cultivated along the path of the scarabs. The management of it, and which village handles the gathering area, is determined based on the previous year’s harvest.”
In other words, Nadia was a country that had received the blessing of the scarabs.
“At first, as people used the things that they wanted, small disputes arose… And so the state reluctantly intervened, and the Scarab Guild was established.”
For Menew, this Scarab Guild sounded a lot like an agricultural society.
They probably managed the taxes for the harvests. And divided the land.
He decided to look up the details in the Solcia library later. And like that, they entered the town.
At the gate, they registered their statuses, like they had at the Adventurers Guild. Apparently, it was always done when going to a foreign city.
That being said, it all seemed quite lax for Menew. Such things did not happen in the village, and there were no checkpoints along the border. The roads just continued.
(With such low security, is there ever any fighting?)
But once they were inside, he found that talk of war was everywhere. He was not surprised.
According to the rumors, the country to the west, Magikargia, had attacked Nadia over the plains.
While Nadia had land and was prosperous, the population had risen too high. Their exports were an important source of income, but at this rate, there was a risk of famine. Though, that was still decades ahead.
Because of this, Magikargia was targeting their land.
“Apparently, they do not even cultivate the land, and keep the plains for mysterious rituals.”
“They are a country of slothful people. We should crush them and develop their lands.”
“And yet those sloths are invading us. We may be drafted soon.”
“It would be one thing if you are a farmer during off season, but what of fishermen? They will starve to death. I would not go.”
Well, you might have to. Menew thought as they passed.
Unless it was processed, fish did not last long. And so there was merit in leaving people who can catch fresh fish whenever needed.
However, it was a different matter if you were preparing for a famine.
The land was so big, and it would take a long time to deliver fish to such far away places. So it would make more sense to distribute farm produce instead.
In that case, they might want to send fishermen or other workers instead.
Menew wondered at how they had come at such a bad time. Thankfully, it seemed like the tides had not reached this place just yet.
They would have to find rooms at an inn first, and then pay a visit to the Adventurers Guild and the Merchants Guild. Also, perhaps considering the times, they may do well to sell medicine here.
As it would be quicker if they moved separately, Ralph and Totto went to find an inn, while Mofusen went to the Scarab Guild with the documents. And Menew headed to the Merchant’s Guild.
We’ll have another connection to the old man. Menew thought heavily as he Harnes and Reed’s introductions to the guild.
(Now that I think about it, surely the Merchants Guild will have information about the way?)
However, he had heard nothing during their parting.
That must mean the war had started very recently. Perhaps the only reason…they had been allowed in the country so easily, was because they were Adventurers who could fight.
Mofusen had said that he did not know about the war. And so he was going to ask about it at the Scarab Guild.
There was also a dungeon in this country that Menew wanted to visit. And it was to the west.
While he was not looking forward to it, there were issues they could not ignore.
After gathering information at the Merchants Guild, they would have to get together at the inn and talk.
The interior of the Merchants Guild was unified, and easy to recognize. With Adventurers Guilds, they tended to adapt to the town. But since the Merchants Guild managed money, they had a much tidier appearance.
He showed his introduction at the front desk, and was guided to the Guild Master.
And so Menew sat in the drawing room and waited for some time.
“So you are Menew. Welcome. That’s quite an introduction that you brought.”
The person said while holding a long pipe in one hand. She was an elderly woman with a crooked back and white hair that was tied in the back.
Thanks!