章 128: CXXVIII. Over The Hill

"Why do you think Kvete lands' cold streaks and Vegard's forge are connected?" interrupted Reidar, intruding into the conversation.

"It is said that Vegard's weapons are not mere weapons. To forge them, you need more than just steel. The blacksmith uses the vital energy of our fields, of our plants, preventing them from growing" said one of the two men, drinking mead.

"My grandfather said that many years ago, before this village existed, Kvete was the greenest region on the planet, there were trees everywhere, it was a boundless forest. Then the blacksmith chose to take refuge here and since then everything changed and the peasants of the region were forced to cut down the dying trees to plant the wheat, which needs fewer resources to grow... but it produces less profit" said the other old man.

"Throughout two generations, as affluent traders, we have become poor farmers without resources" he continued.