Kapitel 10: Months of Demons (Part I)

If Roland wanted to develop the Border Town, he would have to put down the roots of the problem. Even though the area was a wasteland, it could easily be reclaimed and improved. If the size of the territory was too small, people could expand outwards. However, all of that talk would be useless if no one was willing to stay.

If they would be forced to abandon their land at any time, then who would be willing to purchase it? Who would want to improve it?

After the Assistant Minister left, Roland called in Chief Knight Carter and ordered, "Assemble your men, go and find some of the local guards, hunters and farmers who have lived here for more than five years. Ask them if they have experienced the Months of the Demons. If you find someone who has fought a demon, that would be even better."

After the knight saluted and left, Roland rubbed his forehead and continued to look at the data compiled by the Assistant Minister. He almost forgot about my existence near him!

The Border Town primarily exported products from hunting and mining and mainly imported food. Everything was transported directly along the Redwater River to Longsong Stronghold or Willow town.

The mining exports included all kinds of minerals, such as iron, copper, sulfur, crystal, ruby, and sapphire, etc. This was completely against the concept of associated minerals. He thought about what Anna had said to him: the North Slope Mine area was rumored to be an unknown underground lair, and until now there had been no proven bottom to the mine. It was also unknown how far the mine extended.

The minerals the town exported weren't paid for with the kingdom's gold royals, but instead they were traded for the foodstuffs that arrived. It seems reasonable, since the gems were a high-priced luxury, in these last five years the Border Town should have saved a surplus of food, but there was nothing left.

In other words, the annual mining production of the Border Town was only enough to feed two thousand people. Before the prince had arrived, the Border Town had been governed by the duke who also controlled Longsong Stronghold; it was him who had set up this arrangement. In his opinion, it would save food and also created a warning system for the monsters.

The fur trade was how the local people made their living. They ventured into the Misty Forest to the west and hunted birds and other animals. They then sold the animals to the acquainted of Longsong Stronghold or to the residents of Willow Town. No transactions took place in the Border Town and so no taxes were collected.

Roland thought this practice could not continue; minerals would no longer be paid for with food. The Redwater River ran through the whole kingdom, and anyone could use it. It was essentially a highway; even if they no longer bought food from Longsong Stronghold, there were other places they could trade with.

However, this was all built upon the premise that he could stay in the Border Town and hold off those damn monsters.

"Hmm… Prince Roland." I called him and made him startled because he was too focused about his future plans.

"Prince--" I called him again before he cut my words and spoke.

"Roland. Just call me Roland when there's just the two of us." He said as he smiled kindly to me.

I look in hesitation at first but nodded in agreement.

I then told him about "my past memories" about the demon that I saw and killed my friends. Even if those memories were not mine, I couldn't help but shed a tear when I told him and recalled it.

"Hiks, hiks…" Roland hugged me suddenly which lead me crying loudly after that.

The former owner of this body, even if he were just a weak orphan child, he was actually very loyal and cared about his friends. After all his friends were just like family for him.

He's been desperately miserable at the time all of his friends were being killed and he couldn't do anything besides just hid and waited. He was scared but was also mad at himself because of that. Because he was weak, helpless and hopeless. He was just a burden to others. He can't protect them. He lived with guilt and deep regret about his friends.

...

Not long after, Carter worked quickly and by the next day he had found two local guards and a hunter. He reported, "These two men are part of the town patrol, every year they are responsible for lighting the beacon. The hunter said he has crossed paths with demons. He returned with the head of a demonic beast, which he said he cut off with his own two hands."

The three of them bowed simultaneously.

No need for me to said that those three were no other that Iron Axe, Brian and his friend. They will be important characters later that help Roland in the future.

The first person to spoke was Brian's friend,. He stuttered because he was nervous.

"Since you both were together, let your partner answer." Roland covered his face to hide his disapproval. "What are the demonic beasts like? Can they be killed?"

Brian was also very nervous, but at least he did not stammer. "Your Highness, I believe so. They used to just be ordinary animals in the forest, but because of the evil miasma they become manic and ferocious; however, they can still be killed. During every past Months of the Demons, Longsong Stronghold would send cavalry to cleanse the remnants of the demon monsters along the land from Longsong Stronghold to Border Town."

"How long does the Months of the Demons?" Roland asked.

"Generally two to three months... it depends on the sun," said Brian.

"The sun?" Roland asked doubtfully.

"Yes," the guard explained. "Your Highness came to this town not too long ago, so you do not know. In this Border town, once the snow begins to fall it does not stop until the sun shines again and then the snow goes away."

"So the snow indicates the end of the Months of the Demons?" Roland recalled that at least in Graycastle, it was not like this. The next day it would stop snowing, and the sun would seem to be no different.

"It is exactly like this. The longest Months of the Demons I have experienced was two years ago, which lasted for nearly four months and many people starved."

"Why, shouldn't the grain reserves in Longsong stronghold's large enough to support the town for more than one month?" Roland asked.

Brian's face got a little angry. "They had enough. But Reynolds, the Municipal Administrative Governor who was responsible for managing such things, declared that the amount of ore and minerals mined was only enough to buy food for three months, and for the fourth month we had to deliver a new shipment of ore. But the Months of the Demons had not ended, and we couldn't leave the fortress."

"So that is what happened... I understand."

They were fools to be alienating people. If Longsong Stronghold treated the people who lived on the frontier with this kind of cold harshness, like a spring wind, the frontiersmen would most likely want to stay and not leave. At the moment it seemed that the group of people controlling Longsong Stronghold were not the good-natured sort. Roland beckoned the last person forward to answer, while putting the name of the Municipal Administrative Governor to the back of his mind.

The third man looked courageous and strong, standing over 6 feet tall, making Roland tensed. Fortunately, he came forward on his knees.

(Wow! So tall and robust!) I exclaimed in my mind when I saw Iron Axe for real. No wonder he's so strong.

"You said you killed the beast?"

"Yes, Your Highness." His voice was low and hoarse. "A demonic boar and a demonic wolf."

"Species?" Roland repeated, "what do you mean?"

Iron Axe began to explain everything.

"Strong animals become even stronger and fast animals become even faster." Roland nodded as he heard this. "But they are still animals."

"Yes, they are, but they aren't the most terrible kind of enemy," He swallowed his saliva before he could speak further, "The worst ones are the demonic hybrids."

"They are the devil incarnate; only hell is able to create such a horrible monster. I have seen a demonic hybrid. It not only had strong limbs of a beast, but on its back there was a pair of huge wings, allowing it to fly short distances. And it always knew where I was. No matter how much I tried to hide, it could always detect me. It was not hunting its prey, Your Highness, but it was just teasing it." He lifted his clothing, revealing a large scar extending from his abdomen to his chest. He said, "Before I lost consciousness I fell into the Redwater River. I was lucky to survive."

"Such a monster actually exists." Roland felt that the world was becoming more and more fantastic. A strong wall could stop all ordinary kinds of demonic beasts, but if they could fly, what should he do? "Demonic hybrids are very rare, right?"

I could only go, "...." when I heard Ronald's question. (Oh please Roland, that was death flag you had just said!)

Forget it, those horrific creature would show up soon. And we will see them with our own eyes

…