Chapter 801: Endless City
“Is this… really necessary?”
Through the window of the command post, Echo watched the Sand Nation civilians stumble under the whip and fall to the ground. She could not keep the pity from her face.
“They have never known discipline,” Iron Axe replied. His voice was measured, respectful. “They live by the rule that the weak are prey to the strong. If we are to put these people to any use, short of sending them to war, this is the only way.” He paused a moment, then continued with rare hesitation. “I think your discomfort comes from something else. His Majesty is, at times, too generous.”
“Completely agreed.” Andrea, draped lazily over the windowsill, shrugged. “There is a saying among the nobles: carrots combined with sticks make the best way of ruling subjects. The bigger the carrots, the more benevolent the lord appears.”
“What are carrots?” Hummingbird asked, curious.
“A kind of food, similar to His Majesty’s corn — a specialty of the Kingdom of Dawn,” Andrea said. “But no matter how large the carrots, they must always be smaller than the sticks. Punishment must outweigh reward, or subjects learn nothing. A lord like Roland would be considered a black sheep in the City of Glow.”
“Rare as it is,” Ashes said, pouting, “I actually agree with you.”
Hummingbird rested her chin in her hands. “His Majesty is especially persuasive? The words he taught Thuram to say sound very reasonable — that collective power is stronger than any individual’s.”
“But Thuram only repeated what Roland told him to say.” Iron Axe shook his head, smiling. “Without seeing Neverwinter with your own eyes, you cannot imagine what kind of order His Majesty has built. I believe that one day all of Graycastle will become another Neverwinter — but that day is not today. To make these people remember the rules of the Southern Territory, whips speak more plainly than words.”
Echo sighed softly and said nothing.
“Commander.” A soldier stepped into the post. “There is a riot at the Fallingstone Clan and the Spring Clan. Some are confronting the Defending Army.”
“Over boarding the ship?” Iron Axe asked, his face going still.
“Yes. Those pushed into the water called for their families. They demanded the same food and reward, arguing that they were not the ones who refused to come to the Blackwater Valley — the Osha clan turned them away.”
“Who is guarding the camp?”
“Second Battalion of Flintlock.”
“Call up two squads and the young Osha men who wished to join the First Army. Tell them to assemble at the riot. I will be there immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
As Iron Axe turned for the door, Echo stopped him. “Please don’t be too harsh on them.”
He stood in the doorway a moment, very still, then bowed. “I understand, Miss Silvermoon. I will do it in moderation.”
After he left, Echo returned to the desk, a heaviness settling in her chest. The relocation of the Sand Nation had not gone as smoothly as she had hoped. Though a decent life awaited anyone who followed Roland’s instructions, many had taken his message as a lie. Even those who had already received fertile land did not fully trust her, nor him.
She missed Neverwinter.
She had not expected to miss it, but she did — not the title, not the weight of leading a clan, but the particular hours she had stood at the top of the castle with the wind pulling at her hair and the whole mountain city spread below her, and she had opened her mouth and let Roland’s songs pour out. Melodies she had never heard before. Melodies that sounded like something she had always known and only now remembered. In those moments, she had felt untethered from everything she was supposed to be.
She had not sung for a long time since coming here. She wondered whether Roland had written anything new.
When can I sing out loud again?
“Oh—”
Simbady felt as though everything inside him had been turned upside down. With the rise and fall of the concrete boat, another surge of acid welled in his throat. He bent over the rail and heaved, heedless of the others doing the same along the side of the hull.
“Hey, are you all right?” Molly patted his back. His face was the color of old tallow. The concrete boat, steady as pavement in the harbor, had become a rocking leaf upon the open sea. It bobbed and swayed in the waves, its horizontal pitch unceasing — a special torture for the Sand Nation civilians who had never seen salt water before.
“Almost.” He let himself sag against the rail. “How long have we been out?”
“Five days.”
“That isn’t right.” Simbady forced himself to think through the nausea, his voice dropping to a murmur. “The Clearspring Clan lives in the oasis by the sea. We passed Iron Sand City at first dusk — which means this boat moves quickly. And yet we haven’t arrived at the Blackwater Valley.”
Molly stared at him. “You mean—”
“The destination was never the Blackwater Valley. Thuram lied. Wherever he is taking us, it is further south than the Choke Swamp.”
“Further south?” Worry crossed her face. “There is nothing there. Could they be lost?”
“The boat has been following the coastline the entire time. You don’t get lost on a coastline.” He pressed his fingers to his temple. “If we are heading somewhere closer to the southern point than the Choke Swamp, it can only be—”
“Everyone, pay attention!” Thuram’s voice cut across the deck before Simbady could finish. The man had materialized at the center of the ship as though summoned. “Good news — we are arriving at our destination. Pack your things, line up, and prepare to disembark. And be careful not to fall in the water this time. No one will fish you out.”
Simbady pushed himself upright and looked toward shore.
It was barren. No oasis. No green. On the horizon, rolling vapors and columns of smoke rose from the sea in the distance — a sight no amount of explaining could have prepared him for.
There was only one place that could produce such a view.
The Endless Cape. The exile ground of the Mojins.
Restless murmurs spread through the deck as more people noticed.
“This is not the Blackwater Valley! You lied to us!”
“Why have you brought us to the Endless Cape? Do you mean to abandon us here?”
“Let us go back! Please, I want to go back!”
“Silence!” Thuram’s voice cracked over the crowd. His need to conceal anything had clearly passed. “Did I ever say we were going to the middle of the Blackwater Valley? The valley’s tributaries run through the entire southern region — of course that includes the cape. Any underground Styx’s River extends from the valley. Am I wrong?”
Sophistry, Simbady thought, anger tightening his chest. If they had been told from the start that they were being sent to the exile ground, very few would have applied.
“No one is being abandoned.” Thuram raised his arm, his voice carrying over the complaints. “People from Osha and Graycastle alike will settle here with you. From this day forward, the Endless Cape is no longer an exile ground. It will be a newly born town. This is the order of the chief!”
Chapter 801: Endless City
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
“Is this… really OK?” Through the commanding post’s window, Echo saw those Sand Nation civilians being whipped and tumbling on the ground. She could not help but feel sorry for them.
“They never knew what discipline was. They lived by the rule that ‘the Weak are Prey to the Strong’. If we’re to put these people into use sooner, other than sending them to war, this is the only way.” Iron Axe replied in respect. “You hadn’t been in the Southernmost Region for long and during that period, the chief was very concerned about you, so you might not be familiar with the small clans’ natures. Such a kind of discipline isn’t severe. One can even say it’s necessary, otherwise they would consider Osha a clan with no authority, weak and easy to bully.”
At this, he showed a rare hint of hesitation. “I think the reason that you’re not used to it is probably that… His Majesty is sometimes too benevolent.”
“Completely agreed.” Andrea, resting her upper body on the window sill, shrugged. “There is a saying among the nobles ‘carrots combined with sticks make the best way of ruling the subjects’. The bigger the carrots are, the more benevolent the Lord will be.”
“What are carrots?” Hummingbird asked in curiosity.
“They’re kind of food, similar to His Majesty’s corn, a sort of specialty of the Kingdom of Dawn,” Andrea explained. “But no matter how big the carrots are, they should always be much smaller than the sticks, which indicates that punishment should be more severe than awards so that the subjects would appreciate the favor. A Lord such as Roland would be considered a black sheep in the City of Glow.”
“Rare as it is, truthfully, I agree with you,” Ashes said while pouting.
“His Majesty is especially eloquent?” With her chin resting on her hands, Hummingbird thought for a while and said, “The words he taught Thuram to speak sound very reasonable… The collective power is definitely stronger than an individual’s power.”
“But Thuram merely repeated what Roland told him to say.” Iron Axe shook his head, smiling. “Without seeing Neverwinter personally, one can never imagine what an inconceivable new order His Majesty has established. I believe that one day in the future, Graycastle will become another Neverwinter, but that day is definitely not today… To make them remember the rules in the Soutern Territory, whips are more powerful than words.”
Echo slightly sighed without saying a word.
“Commander-in-chief.” A soldier suddenly walked into the commanding post and said, “There is a riot breaking out in the Fallingstone Clan and the Spring Clan. Some people are confronting the Defending Army.”
“For boarding the ship?” Iron Axe asked solemnly.
“Yes. Those who were squeezed into the water called for their families. They asked for the same amount of food and reward. They argued that it’s not that they didn’t want to go to the Blackwater Valley, but that the Osha had turned them down.”
“Alright. Who is guarding the camp?”
“The Second Battalion of Flintlock.”
“Call up two squads and those young Osha lads who wanted to join the First Army. Tell them to gather at the riot spot. I’ll be there right away.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Seeing that Iron Axe was about to leave, Echo could not help but call him and said, “Please don’t be too harsh on them.”
Iron Axe stood in the doorway quietly for a moment, bowed to her and then said, “I understand, Miss Silvermoon. I’ll do it in moderation.”
After Iron Axe left, Echo returned to the desk, feeling melancholy. The process of the Sand Nation’s relocation at the north did not go as smoothly as she expected. Although they could lead a well-off life as long as they follow His Majesty’s instructions, some people still took the message that Roland asked her to deliver as a lie. Even those who had gained a piece of fertile land did not completely trust her nor His Majesty.
Now she was sort of missing her life in Neverwinter.
Compared with leading the strongest clan, she preferred the time when she stood on the top of the castle, overlooked the mountains and the city, and sung the songs composed by His Majesty. When the melody that she had never heard of sounded, she could feel genuine freedom and happiness.
She had not sung for a long time since coming here… She wondered whether Roland had written any new songs.
“When can I sing out aloud again?”
…
“Oh!” Simbady felt as though everything in his stomach was overturned. Along with the rise and fall of the Concrete Boat, some gastric acid welled up from his stomach again. Regardless of the vomit along the side of the boat from other people, he directly bent over the handrail and began to throw up.
“Hi, are you okay?” Molly patted him on his back. His face was slightly pale. The Concrete Boat, steady as the ground while in the bay, became a swaying leaf when upon the sea. Bobbing in waves, it nearly hit the offshore beach several times. The horizontal waving never stopped. It was a total torture for the Sand Nation civilians that were experiencing the sea for the first time.
“Ahem… Almost fine.” After throwing up, he laid on the deck lifelessly. “Do you know how long we’ve been on the sea?”
“Today is the fifth day.”
“This isn’t right…” Simbady gasped and said in a low voice, “Do you remember what the Clearspring Clan said? They… live in the oasis by the sea. We passed the Iron Sand City at first dusk, which means the Concrete Boat travels really fast. Yet why haven’t we arrived at the Blackwater Valley?”
“You mean…” Molly asked.
“The destination of Osha isn’t the Blackwater Valley. Thuram lied. The place he’s taking us is further south than the Choke Swamp!”
“Further south?” Molly started to worry. “But there is nothing there. Could they be lost?”
“The boat has been travelling along the coastline, which means it is highly unlikely for them to get lost.” Simbady pressed at his forehead. “If we’re going somewhere closer to the south point than the Choke Swamp, it’ll only be…”
“Everybody, cheer up!” Before Simbady finished talking, Thuram suddenly appeared on the center of the deck and his words interrupted Simbady’s, “I’ve some good news. We’re arriving at our destination. Pack your luggage, line up, and prepare to disembark. Remember, be careful not to fall into the sea anymore, because no one will rescue you this time!”
Simbady propped up his upper body and peered beyond the shore. On shore it was still barren, no oasis to be seen. His speculation was confirmed by the rolling water vapor and gusted smoke columns on the sea in distance.
There was only one place that could give such an inconceivable view,
the Endless Cape. The exile place of the Mojins.
More and more Sand Nation people civilians noticed the anomaly and became quite on edge on the deck.
“This is not the Blackwater Valley! You lied to us!”
“Why did you bring us to the Endless Cape? Do you want to abandon us here?”
“I want to go back. Please, let us leave!”
“Shut up!” At this moment, Thuram felt there was no need to conceal anything anymore. “Have I said that we were going to the middle area of the Blackwater Valley? The valley tributaries run through the entire southern region, of course it includes the cape area. Any underground Styx’s River is extended from the valley, am I right?”
“This is sophistry!” Simbady thought angrily. If they had been told to work in the exile place, he was afraid that not many would apply for it.
“Nobody is going to be abandoned here. People from Osha and Graycastle will join you in developing this area!” Thuram raised his arm and spoke loudly, “Listen carefully. From now on, Endless Cape is no longer an exile area. It’ll be a newly born town! This is the order from the chief!”