Maxi inwardly preened at Agnes’s reaction. Anatol was more built-up than one might expect from a small village at the bottom of the continent. Under Riftan’s leadership, construction of more three-story buildings had been completed since last autumn, and the once congested road had been expanded.
“More shops opened after the Leviathan Merchant Guild started bringing in more goods,” Ludis explained in a soft voice. “With mercenaries coming to Anatol each spring, the taverns, inns, armorers, and blacksmiths are able to turn a profit.”
Agnes stared out of the window. “I’d heard that Anatol’s population had grown…yet somehow, I didn’t expect to see it…flourishing like this.” The princess’s voice lowered as if her thoughts were elsewhere, and Maxi threw her furtiveglances. Why on earth had the princess come to Anatol? Maxi’s nerves only grew at her peculiar reaction.
A period of quiet settled over them as Agnes continued gazing out the window.
The princess was the one to break the silence. “They told me that Riftan left the castle at dawn to visit the quarry. Is he planning on expanding the castle?”
“I-I heard that…he is planning to build an extensive road…connecting Anatol to the ports. That must be why…he went to the quarry.”
Princess Agnes’s eyes widened before her whole face grew serious. “That’s…he’d be creating the shortest route connecting the Western and Southern Continents. Anatol would…it’d instantly be transformed into the most important trade center in the kingdom.”
Her tone gave Maxi the impression that she was not too pleased by this revelation, and her heart sank. Had Riftan earned the ire of the royal family? Was that why the king had sent Agnes to inspect his land? Maxi felt cold sweat trickle down her back at the thought.
As if sensing her unease, Agnes quickly brightened her expression and added lightly, “Of course, he’d have to do something about the monsters first. It wouldn’t exactly be easy to convince the merchant guilds of the Southern Continent to travel through the Anatolium Mountains if they kept getting eaten.”
“Much will depend on how much weight Sir Riftan’s reputation carries in the south,” Sybil chimed in.
Maxi quietly studied their expressions, then turned her gaze to the intricate roads and dense buildings passing by the carriage window. Could Anatol truly grow into a thrivingcity? Despite their bustling spring market, Anatol was still a small region that had yet to completely shed its rural roots. The new development near the square quickly gave way to old cottages on the outskirts of the village, where people lived by farming small orchards or raising livestock. Maxi found she was disappointed at the thought that the bucolic parts of Anatol’s identity could disappear.
“I’d like to look around the market. Shall we walk from here?” The princess spoke up when the carriage had driven halfway around the village. Maxi nodded and opened the panel to ask the coachman to halt the carriage near the market. He pulled to a stop at a quiet corner, and their escort opened the door.
“Are you going to the market, my lady?” Hebaron extended a hand to help Maxi step out. When she nodded, he turned to Ursuline. “Take the horses to the watering trough. I’ll escort Her Highness and her ladyship.”
Ursuline furrowed his brow. “Why do I have to—” He stopped mid-objection, glanced at Maxi, then snapped his mouth shut. Without another word, he led the horses away.
Hebaron tossed a coin to the coachman and told him to find a meal nearby, then stationed the two royal knights behind the princess and Maxi as they entered the marketplace.
It was busier than when Maxi had visited with Ruth. Tightly crammed stalls lined either side. Merchants and mercenaries alike hawked exotic wares of monster bones and magic stones.
The princess languidly perused the stalls, then pointed to a tent in the corner. “Why don’t we have lunch over there?”
Maxi gawked at the dingy establishment. Surely theprincess was not suggesting that they eat at such a place? Maxi could see the rickety tables inside fashioned from wooden boards placed over wine barrels. A group of travelers, men in worn garments covered in dirt from the road, played cards at the one occupied table.
A plump woman roasted meat in front of the tent’s brazier. When she lowered a live rooster from the ceiling, placed it on a chopping board, and raised a cleaver, Maxi hastily looked away. The rooster’s cries rang out, and by the time Maxi mustered the courage to open her eyes again, its newly decapitated carcass was once again roped upside down on the ceiling, a bowl on the floor collecting its dripping blood as the woman wiped her hands on her apron, leaving smears of red behind.
Maxi covered her mouth and turned away from the stall. “I-I think…it’s a bit early…for lunch….”
“Oh, come on, what beats the taste of freshly roasted chicken?” Princess Agnes, it seemed, was not sickened in the slightest by the rooster’s ghastly demise. Maxi broke out in a cold sweat, but luckily Sybil came to her rescue.
“Your Highness, how could you even think about dining in the marketplace?” He shook his head in exasperation and ushered them past the tent. “I trust you have not forgotten, Your Highness, that you are here on official business on behalf of the king. Not for personal pleasure. We should not tarry in this crowded place.”
“Such a nag,” the princess grumbled. She pursed her lips but followed Sybil, dragging her heels. Maxi released a sigh of relief and followed behind them.
The princess took her time observing the market. Sheassessed everything from the attire of the locals to the quality and prices of the goods they traded. Periodically, she’d direct a question at Maxi.
“How is the village protected?”
“Th-The sentries…patrol the village…three times a day. The knights…also take shifts…guarding the ramparts. And visitors are s-subjected…to thorough inspection…before they are allowed entry. Those…without p-proper credentials…conferred by the church…are denied entry.”
“How do you punish criminals?”
Maxi stared dumbly at the princess, taken aback by the unexpected question. Ludis answered on Maxi’s behalf. “Those who commit theft or fraud must pay their victims ten times the stolen amount, Your Highness. Those who cannot pay the fine must provide labor equivalent to the amount.”
“How surprisingly lenient. In Drachium, their hands would have been cut off then and there,” Agnes remarked nonchalantly, stroking her chin. “What about murderers?”
“They are either flogged and exiled, or hanged, Your Highness. The decision is usually left to the family of the deceased. If the victim is an orphan, it is the lord who decides.”
