At noon on October 30, Honnier Gallop saw Vianis Oak again. They had been meeting once every half month before, but lately they had been seeing each other much more often.
In the forest, the Elf asked with concern as soon as she saw Honnier, "You weren't followed, were you? There are Werewolf armies all around Dog Forest City these days."
"Them?" Honnier sneered at the question. "If they knew I was coming here to buy herbs from you, they'd probably escort me."
"Hmm?" Vianis looked incredulous. "But I heard the Beastmen and the Human Race in Iowa Valley just fought two battles. Surely they haven't run out of supplies yet!"
"True, but the front isn't the problem. It's the rear." The female Knight shook her head, her expression grim. "The Royal Court's preparations have surpassed everyone's expectations. By the end of the year, Hindukush may be finished, whether or not they take Iowa Valley."
Two months earlier, after the local Ratmen received an order from the Royal Court, many Chambers of Commerce in Hindukush had received large trade orders for food, Magic Potions, ore, and Magic Pattern products. The enormous demand for supplies on the eve of war had created an illusory boom in trade. In pursuit of those orders, the tribes had competed to agree to hefty penalties for breaking their contracts, and some had even borrowed from the Temple of Wealth and the Royal Court tribes to gather supplies.
"But more and more Royal Court troops have occupied the main roads throughout Hindukush. They're extorting passing merchants and forcibly buying up large quantities of essential goods at rock-bottom prices," Jenny said with a pained expression.
"Aren't they being too greedy?" The Elf couldn't understand the merchants' pursuit of profit. "But if the war makes it impossible to