Please, I do not want a heart

79: Please I Do Not Want a Heart

"This group had been inhabiting a small island for three generations now. Even during the first generation, the island cannot provide enough resources for them to live."

Dream intently listened. It is important to know the sides of the truth.

"As their population is getting bigger, I guess as just as human nature, they became desperate and started stealing and robbing people. Of course, even if they are people from far place, they are still no match with the Spadian knights. It was a long push and pull battle until one day, their chief bravely walk to the harbor and bowed his body to the people of the harbor. He was begging of at the least doing trades."

The Inn lady smiled to herself. It is a smile that is soft and it looks like she is remembering a good memory.

"They are actually nice people, once you get to know them. You find the good on anyone as long as you have communication and understanding. They are very good at hunting and fishing, and the harbor flourished with the trades with the clan outside."

The Inn Lady shows a bitter expression after her last sentence.

"Until, the nobles found out."

Dream felt like her heart drop. She knows what could had happen.

"They changed the knights in the borders and they started hurting and at worst killing some of the outsiders. The trades became almost impossible. Moreover, the nobles raked up the taxes. They said, instead of giving the produce outside, the nobles should receive it instead. But the trades with the nobles are always one sided. They never gave anything back and just keep on taking. The people are suffering. As the outsiders became reliant on us; we also became reliant on them."

-'Can't they do trades with the other towns or villages? Or with Heart Country? They are just around the corner.'

The owl asked Dream. It seem Night is also closely listening, however, it seems the owl have less sympathy for the outsiders and seek and resolvement within.

"Can't you do trades with the other villages or the Heart Country?" Dream asked Night's question.

The Inn Lady softly shake her head.

"The whole Spade was in the same situation. And asking Heart Country will make it worst. The nobles will make the taxes higher as they will know what goes out and in. The four countries have to declare as such, in the name of the uniform Imperial relations."

The Inn Lady lowered her voice but it seems the people who stopped arguing and starts listening to their conversation knows the next words she'll say.

"We had to do it illegally."

Dream's eyes widened but soon after she became confused. Is there a law against fair trades?

"We had became reliant with each other. Besides the meat and fish, they also have variety of knowledge with foreign medicine. It is quite helpful as most of the times, as we are at the edge of the continent, priest always comes late once there is an outbreak."

"The Spade rarely have priest stationed anywhere. We Spadians are stronger than most people here in the continent, so we rarely get sick." One of the men said while shaking his shoulder.

"Clover Country can only send so much priests to the other three countries. Can't blame them, they have to cure themselves and three ginormous lands."

"The Clover might have all the medicines and priest available for them, they are still the ones who have the weakest constitution."

Two men dropped their comments along the conversation.

"We rarely get sick but if we do get sick then it means it is a very bad one and highly contagious."