Chapter 518

The ominous air of storm clouds gathering did not have much impact on the common people of the Northwest Republic.

In this world, wars were, in the vast majority of cases, the business of only a few people. A handful of knights leading a hundred or so soldiers was enough to decide ownership of a barony; a dozen or so knights leading three or four hundred men could determine the fate of several viscounties; mobilizing over a hundred knights and a four-digit number of soldiers meant a great war capable of shaking an entire nation and drawing the attention of every country across the main plane.

Super wars like the Day the Sun Went Out could be counted on one hand throughout the entire history of civilization on the main plane. In fact, once the combined number of combatants on both sides reached five digits, it was enough to shake all nations and leave a bold, vivid stroke in the annals of history.

The Northwest Republic lay on the frontier. Aside from Black Wheat Valley to the south, which led to the Gold Coin Federation, it had no proper main roads—those few valleys crossing the Desolate Mountains to the east? Hey! Beyond those valleys was still desert! Other than smugglers with a death wish, who would dare cross a desert to do business? And how large could such trade possibly become?

Because of its location, no matter what those hostile to the Northwest Republic might be thinking, they were unlikely to be able to mass a great army for an invasion.

Even if their armies could fly, they would first have to fly over the Desolate Mountains, over the great desert, over the Orc Empire, and over the Gold Coin Federation.

A lightning strike was one thing, but a long-range