Ch.116Quack Doctor

As I’ve explained several times, there is a vast swampland to the south of Amurtat.

Like other swamplands, the southern swamp was a treasure trove of biology, filled with various unique flora, medicinal herbs that grow only here, and rare creatures that can survive nowhere else.

And in any world, “rarity” typically translates to high prices.

For those with the skills to interpret and process the herbs and animal by-products growing in the swamp, this wetland was nothing short of a treasure chest filled with gold nuggets.

And this perspective applied to me as well, as the lord of Amurtat.

When so many people can’t afford even a single herb to treat their festering wounds, imagine how much profit Amurtat could generate by acquiring all the plants and animals growing in this swamp and collaborating with the Alchemist Guild to produce various potions?

In fact, countless adventurers already venture into the swamp for this very purpose, and the Alchemist Guild pays them handsomely to secure herbs and rare creatures, which they then study, research, dissect, and analyze to produce numerous papers and research projects.

“However, obtaining something and being able to produce it are different matters.”

If we consider just the concept of eating pork, consumers generally don’t care whether the pig was raised on food scraps in the hills behind the village or fed proper feed in a barn.

But common sense tells us there must be a difference between pigs raised on food scraps and those raised on feed in proper barns.

Wild pigs might have consumed something harmful mixed in with food scraps, or contracted diseases while roaming free, or suffered injuries that diminished their quality. Barn-raised pigs, however, eat standardized feed without accumulating harmful substances, and face little risk of injury or disease.

And typically, livestock farming provides larger quantities of meat at cheaper prices than hunting, making barn-raised pigs more attractive to consumers.

Why make such a comparison? Simply to help with understanding.

For example… let’s say there’s a medicinal herb.

This herb grows only in the southern swamplands, but if we could discover why, wouldn’t we be able to cultivate it in different environments somehow?

Whether it can only grow in swamp soil, requires specific temperature or humidity conditions, or absorbs special properties unique to the swamp to develop its medicinal components… these are common considerations for scholars studying medicinal organisms.

Even ordinary people know that common herbs might become poisonous when consumed with alcohol, or lose their medicinal properties when grown in certain climates or soil types.

Therefore, as Amurtat’s population approaches 3 million, there’s a compelling reason to secure the swampland.

As Amurtat’s social structure and economy develop, some people are freed from physical labor, but they aren’t immune to disease and aging. If left unaddressed, we’ll end up with a distorted structure where the young and healthy must care for the old and sick.

We need to transform the old and sick into merely the old, and medicine is essential for this process.

Even the most skilled physician is useless without medicinal ingredients, so I’m not the only one salivating over the swampland teeming with unknown organisms.

*

Even without territorial expansion through core fragments, most nations firmly control their surrounding regions.

Simply put, they send the message: “I’ve claimed this area, so if you covet it, unpleasant consequences will follow.”

The recent war between Fahrenheit and the United Federation started precisely because of this, so most countries essentially maintain exclusive economic zones on both land and sea.

These exclusive economic zones are typically determined by the absorption limits of core fragments. Amurtat had already declared six surrounding regions as exclusive territory when joining the United Federation, so we wouldn’t have to deal with troublesome territorial disputes.

“Hurry up! We’ve wasted enough time—the monsters will be swarming soon!”

“Load it onto the wagon! Secure the cargo tightly! If anything spills on the rough road, you won’t get paid!”

“Cargo secured! Ready to depart!”

“Everyone on the wagon! We’re returning to the city!”

In these exclusive economic zones, many people stayed temporarily for “economic purposes,” but attempts to establish villages or cities were virtually nonexistent.

If there were exceptions, the forest keeper outposts in the Western Forest might qualify, but even these were closer to large houses than villages, so they didn’t really count.

Against monsters and greater demons roaming the land, those without the protection of barriers were helplessly swept away. Thus, most inhabitants of these exclusive economic zones were military groups like forest keepers who had already prepared for death, and even they typically changed their residences to avoid monsters.

Surprisingly, nomadic tribes still thrived in this world, their existence diminishing the threat of demons and monsters by suggesting they could be avoided if one tried hard enough. But nomads could avoid threats precisely because they were nomadic, while settled people bound to the land had no way to overcome the overwhelming presence of these creatures.

“Hiyah!”

Clop-clop! Clop-clop!

A party of adventurers urgently pulled a four-horse wagon loaded with cargo.

The Alchemist Guild had demanded difficult items from the swamp—tree saplings, sap, soil, and insect larvae—causing delays beyond their schedule. If they didn’t leave quickly, they would become permanent residents due to the approaching monster horde.

*

August of the 25th year of the Amurtat calendar.

By now, more than half the people in the north had started wearing short sleeves.

When Tiberius officially began efforts to incorporate the southern swampland into his territory, the Alchemist Guild and Adventurer Guild actively started projecting their influence into the swamp.

In truth, it was more like a staged game than a genuine power projection, for the following reason:

The court gives money to the Alchemist Guild as “research grants” → The Alchemist Guild uses these funds to subcontract the Adventurer Guild → The Adventurer Guild accepts the commission and arranges for adventurers…

This was roughly how things proceeded.

It could be praised as a flawless command structure if it were a bureaucracy, but since the work was subcontracted to external guild members, things inevitably got messy.

“Here are the trees, saplings, and various other items you requested.”

“Why so late? I was about to lose my neck from waiting.”

“You added three lines of extra requirements on parchment, so of course it took longer. You never specified when to bring it, did you? Stop complaining and check the goods.”

“Hmm… the seals are intact… and the saplings look fresh. Very good. Wait a moment while I prepare the remaining payment.”

Fortunately for the adventurers, the Alchemist Guild paid them the promised compensation in full.

For one thing, in most cases, adventurers could win in a fight against alchemists. More importantly, the compensation came from research grants provided by Tiberius, the ruler of Amurtat.

Anyone who tried to embezzle those funds would hear, “How dare you attempt to steal His Majesty’s money?!” and be charged with treason, resulting in decapitation.

Furthermore, if they didn’t use all the research grant, bureaucratic logic would dictate, “Oh, you have money left over? Then we can give you less next time.” So the alchemists set very generous compensation rates, resulting in unexpected windfalls for the adventurers.

“AAAAARGH!!! Help me!!!”

Of course, those who dissolved in slime…

“Is anyone there?! Help me!! I… I can’t get out!!”

And those weak adventurers who sank into the swamp would never take another commission, but who cares?

In the end, their deaths were “personal choices,” so neither the state nor the guilds had any reason to take responsibility.

And as if to prove this point, foolish children dreaming of instant riches and young people with inflated pride continued to knock on the Adventurer Guild’s door, their dreams swollen with hope.