Night of the Soulless Heathens – 185



#185. Sugar Rush 1

From Shati’s point of view it was better for Azadin’s wishes to come true than for the water snake Nagain Dehashram’s schemes to be carried out.

But Azadin… just a moment ago he seemed to be doing something here and there to save Bthuma but when the duty of the messenger clan came up he quickly changed direction.

“What if we get to Btuma and they’re already under attack? I don’t know what the petition means to the Heralds but it’s probably important. But isn’t it more important to get to Btuma first?”

Although Shati advised him to give up his petition and go straight to Bthuma Azadin shook his head.

He began the task of dismantling the hilt of the Azure Steel longsword ‘Blue’ and removing the broken nails. The wooden parts that engage the hilt and absorb the impact with the blade were broken.

Azadin grumbled as he mended his sword.

“Hmm that seems a bit too heroic. It sounds like I’m going to rescue Bthuma. I’m not that great of a person.”

“You shouldn’t be saying things like that now.”

“If Btuma is going to be ruined in the time it takes to resolve one petition there’s no point in going earlier. I’ll do my best in every area I can but I have to be careful to distinguish between what I can and can’t do.”

Shati felt strange in Azadin’s words and actions.

“You said you would go to Btuma alone and prevent the massacre that was about to occur but now you are distrustful of your own actions?”

“Rather than distrust I should say it’s reasonable suspicion. Then shall we go to Bel Hoda? You must be tired. I’ll row.”

“Are you okay? I had a hard time rowing in a way that didn’t suit me but Master….”

Jiswah saw Azadin defeat a huge number of troops.

Even though he had fought one-on-one without being surrounded by enemies by using the undead wall of the necromancer Scott he must have still been extremely exhausted. It was not fatigue that could be recovered from a half-day’s sleep.

And yet Azadin took up the oar.

“It’s okay. Let me row. I think it’ll be fun to row across this star-filled night sea.”

Because of the shock of the Kazas Sea Azadin wanted to release his strength by rowing.

My muscles were sore from the constant fighting and arduous travel but it was more painful to just sit still.

Somehow moving was less painful for Azadin.

*********

Bel Hoda is famous for its sugar industry.

Sugarcane was originally a specialty of Btuma and the Bel Hoda Delta was an excellent place to grow sugarcane.

The Bel Hoda Delta was a vast reed field with no jungle but when it was converted into a sugarcane plantation the production was so great that sugar was exported all over the world.

The gold and ivory sugar of Btuma were the source of wealth that sustained the kingdom of Btuma even in the face of the threats of the jungles teeming with endemic diseases and the menacing beasts of the Naga Empire.

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But since this sugar industry required a huge workforce Bel Hoda was also famous for something other than sugarcane.

It was human trafficking.

The human hunters of Bel Hoda.

Although slavery was illegal throughout the Eight Kingdoms Bel Hoda’s plantation owners hired mercenaries to raid villages and kidnap people.

They would surprise attack villages and fishing villages far away from Btuma capture the people put them in worker dormitories inside farms known only to them and make them work like crazy. So even if their family was lucky enough to find them there was no way to find them.

Many people criticized and tried to reform this human trafficking practice of Bel Hoda but the vast amount of money earned from the sugar business was used to bribe the Bthuma nobles and huge donations were also made to major religious groups such as the King’s Church and the Knights Templar so the plantation owners’ human hunting met with no significant resistance.

Bel Hoda’s sugar industry brings enormous wealth to the Kingdom of Btuma.

The sugar planters here formed a guild to lobby the nobility and bribe the clergy while also hiring large numbers of mercenaries and arming themselves with private armies.

Among those farms a new head of the Vanema family a small sugar plantation was Randa Vanema.

That Landa Banema was the one who petitioned for the gold coin.

*********

Landa Vanema who had studied abroad with the Rescue Knights refused the political marriage arranged by the sugar plantation association and began to manage the plantation independently as befitting a student abroad.

First she decided to free the workers who had been caught through human trafficking and to pay the freed workers according to the amount of sugarcane they harvested for each sack.

It was a groundbreaking system in which the more they harvested the higher the workers’ wages.

Other sugar plantation owners laughed at Landa Vanema’s actions saying there was no benefit in trying to motivate workers in that way.

Paying workers more money tends to raise manufacturing costs.

In this Bel Hoda where there are many competitors even if they cut costs and increase the motivation of workers to produce more sugar it will be useless if merchants do not buy it.

The merchants wanted sugar that was even a penny cheaper and had no interest in the process of making sugar.

But when word got out that Landa Vanema’s farm was treating its farmers well problems began to arise at other farms.

Workers either deserted and went to Landa Vanema or began to strike to demand higher wages like the Vanema family.

Before that they were all the same so they would listen if they were whipped starved and threatened but now that there was a substitute called the Banema family the workers’ resistance became more than justified.

As other farms began to experience disruptions in production the Banema family’s misconduct became a problem that could no longer be tolerated.

*********

“Hahahaha!”

Sugarcane farmers gathered together at the clubhouse of the Bel Hoda Sugar Cooperative.

They indulged in high-quality cigarettes drugs alcohol and pleasures to enjoy the vast wealth the sugar business had brought them.

This clubhouse was a kind of competition ground where such ranchers competed with each other in their decadent pleasures and shared ideas on how to make life more enjoyable.

A common enemy has recently appeared for them.

Landa Vanema a farm owner with a background in education who rejects pleasure is now facing a major crisis as he runs his farm in his own way ignoring the traditions of the sugar cooperative.

“Have you seen that appearance? Hehehe. I heard there was a hole in the pot so I’m going to quickly find a tinker hehehe.”

“No one would try to fix that farm pot unless he had multiple lives.”

“Still Landa Vanema requested the Rescue Knights to secure a tinker.”

“You don’t even know that the Rescue Knights are passing information to us?”

“Haha how much do we give to the Knights of the Rescue every year? How dare you think the Knights of the Rescue are on your side just because you studied abroad there. How stupid.”

The sugar planters laughed heartily and enjoyed the downfall of their rivals.

But then the door to the clubhouse opened and a young man walked in.

“Oh this is a big deal. Landa Vanema….”

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“What the big deal is this?”

“Hey if you come here you’ll be found out to be a spy right?”

“That’s not the problem. Landa Vanema called the… messenger clan.”

“what?!”

“The messenger clan? Is that what you mean?”

“Yes. That thing called the Emperor’s Gold Coin. A soulless blasphemer! A murderer of the god-king!”

“hmm….”

The union’s farm owners groaned.

“If it were in the old days it would actually be a good opportunity.”

“I would have contacted the King’s Church and had them treat me as a heretic.”

“Hey let’s not kill her. She’s still the same age as my daughter.”

“And aren’t you the same age as Lord Salko’s youngest wife?”

At that moment the union leader clicked his tongue.

“But that’s not possible these days. Have you heard the rumor that Korasaar was eaten by the Heralds? Korasaar is already within reach. If we make a fuss with the Heralds here when the king is divided later on….”

“Yes.”

The farm owners were well aware that the Heralds had taken over the Kingdom of Korasaar.

It would be best not to do anything that would make those messengers hate you unnecessarily. Bel Hoda’s sugar business exists only because it clings to those in power and provides them with huge amounts of money.

“Once that messenger clan guy comes let’s talk to him. Surely he’s not so stupid as to not be able to tell the difference between serious and serious tasks considering all the messenger clan members go through rigorous training.”

There is a proverb in Btuma that says “If you have money you can use it even if you go out.”

And the sugar plantation owners with their money plentiful and rotten had no doubt that they could do anything with their money.

*********

As we entered the Bel Hoda Delta by boat vast farms spread out before us as far as the eye could see.

“Wow. Is this all sugarcane?”

As Azadin was rowing he noticed sugarcane floating in the water and pulled it up with his oar.

I cut a small piece and put my nose against the stem and it smelled sweet.

“where.”

As Azadin carefully bites into the sugarcane sweet sap flows into his mouth.

“Wow. Sweet. Try this.”

When Azadin cut some sugarcane and handed it out to his companions they all accepted it and tasted it.

“oh.”

Everyone who has tasted sugarcane has been amazed by its sweetness.

This type of sugarcane floating on the water was extremely sweet even though it was probably not of the best quality.

“But the fibers are tough. I’ll just suck up the juice and spit it out.”

As Azadin spoke Scott unfolded his candy cane.

“Captain. This is mine.”

Inside the candy cane stalk that Scott went to there was a worm-eaten hole and a strange insect swarming around it.

“Sorry. I guess it’s a bit strange that it floated down the water.”

“….”

“Scott you wanted some candy cane too? Eat this.”

Azadin handed Scott what he had been eating and tried to speak to the Emperor’s voice.

“Are there any petitioners around here?”

[Yes Azadin.]

“Um. Ah…..”

Azadin discovered a dock where sugar transport ships docked.

Hanging above the docking crane was the corpse of a man wrapped in a tablecloth with the words “Attempted escape due to false wind” written in blood.

“I see this is it.”

Azadin clicked his tongue at the sight of the corpse and pulled his boat into the dock.

On the dock a tall woman with black hair was standing with an impressionable face.

“I think that woman is the petitioner.”

[Yes she is the petitioner Landa Barnema.]

“Randa Vanema?”

[She is the head of the Vanema family. Ask her for more details.]