Chapter 38 — A Real Headache
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 3
Gao Yang Cecil had returned safely, bringing with him documents signed by the king and word of the royal family's support.
Viscount Andrew, who had waited nearly three months in Tamsin Town, felt he had made the right decision: the founding hero of seven hundred years ago had not disappointed him. He was not merely the brute warrior Andrew had feared at first, but a man who combined cunning with strategy.
What he had not expected was that the founding hero would choose the Dark Mountains as the starting point for reviving his family.
As a minor noble holding sway over the southern frontier, Viscount Andrew was naturally no stranger to the Dark Mountains. In fact, the old Cecil domain and the Leslie domain both lay on the northern side of the range, and on clear days one had only to look up to see that magnificent natural barrier. The mountains blocked the unhealthy air blowing in from the ruined wastes of Gondor, and at the same time, because of their abundance of monsters and the constant stream of strange tales, they made many a man's face pale at the mere mention of them; even the most reckless of hunters seldom went into the Dark Mountains to make a living—even after the southern lords had opened the hunting rights within the range.
The old Cecil domain had lain a little to the west of the northern part of the Dark Mountains; to the northeast was Tamsin Town; and the "New Cecil domain" Gao Yang had chosen lay southeast of Tamsin Town. The three roughly formed a triangle—except that the "New Cecil domain" was the closest of the three to the Dark Mountains, its southern edge even reaching directly into the depths of the range.
One tributary of the Whitewater River, which flowed past Tamsin Town, emptied into the "New Cecil domain." In terms of transport, that new home was actually a fine place: supplies from Tamsin Town could be obtained with ease, and if the domain grew in the future, trade costs would be much reduced.
That is, provided Gao Yang and his people could truly gain a foothold in that barren land.
In Viscount Andrew's castle, this gaunt and meticulous nobleman looked deeply worried. "Forgive my bluntness, Your Grace, but the first foothold you have chosen is not... quite suitable. There is plenty of land there, true, but it lies too close to the Dark Mountains, and it lacks the protection of civilized society. The beasts in the mountains are a great threat, and every year in the Month of Mist, foul winds blow over the range from the ruined wastes of Gondor. Strong soldiers may be fine, but the poor commoners and serfs cannot withstand it..."
"You have seen the map; you know that although the lands I could choose from are vast, their circumstances are all much the same," Gao Yang said dismissively. "Among the ring of lands pressed right up against the Dark Mountains, the tract I picked is already the best. The foul winds can be warded off with medicine and magic, and I will find my own way to deal with the matter of defense. So long as we can last through the first year, we can begin mining ore from the Dark Mountains, and the domain will have its foothold."
He could hardly come right out and say that he had chosen such a place because a national treasure vault of seven hundred years ago lay buried in those mountains.
At the very least, this matter could not be known to outsiders until he had opened the vault himself and gotten everything into his hands—and even then, only to a limited circle. Total secrecy was impossible; those supplies would have to be used, and once they were brought out for construction, even a fool could guess the truth.
All he could ensure was that, before those things were all put to use, as few people knew as possible.
Seeing Gao Song's firm resolve, Viscount Andrew of course had no way to say much more. He only offered a reminder: "This is all your decision, and I will naturally support it as best I can—but please remember the bargain we first struck."