The innkeeper hesitated, but seeing the group's understanding expressions, he finally nodded and began to explain.
"Thank you, my lord. Well… you're right about the general prosperity in the West thanks to trade with the elves. The Bindeln estate has seen its share of profits, too. But the problem is that most of the wealth doesn't seem to reach the people."
"What do you mean?" Sylas asked, frowning.
"On the surface, you'd think things are booming here. New buildings, renovated roads… it all looks good. But most of that money goes to projects that don't benefit us common folk directly. It's all about appearances," the innkeeper said with a bitter smile. "And the people? We're still struggling. Prices are rising, but wages haven't followed. The trade profits… well, we rarely see them."
Rey listened intently, nodding as she took it all in. "So, even with all these improvements, the lives of the common people haven't improved at all."