The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 62 - Piltash

"It's much larger than I thought it'd be," Arthur said as he rode with a detachment of mounted soldiers and approached Piltash's northern gatehouse.

From the patchwork city walls extending the horizon, Arthur posited that Piltash could easily hold over thirty thousand residents, probably more. He'd be hesitant to enter had the scouts not spent the previous day scouring the city for any hidden forces within. Thankfully, none were discovered.

"The young hero has a good eye." Poe excitedly replied, clapping his hands together. "Many centuries ago, Piltash was the central trading hub between my Hussan family and Bern. Back then, it was unfeasible to trade via naval routes due to the unwillingness of the Helrian tribes to allow us to build docks on their shores.

"Without docks to resupply our ships on the long journey to Bern, we would have to brave a land route through Helrian territory for it to be profitable, but that came with numerous risks. Of course, that changed once the free cities were founded. Their existence allowed us to extend our naval trade routes further, resulting in Piltash losing its status as a trading hub while the port city of Arran took its prior status."

Arthur rolled his eyes at the man's blatant attempt at flattery but was nevertheless thankful for the history lesson. It certainly explained why the old city walls appeared to be one short step from disrepair.

"If the city lost its status, what caused its people to remain?" Arthur asked, curious about what sort of natural resources he had to work with now that he was lord of this land.

"The mines, of course." Poe shrugged and replied as if it was apparent. "The Kingdom of Bern has little access to the iron and coal deposits. Besides Helagaust, only the northeastern territories have deposits, so the city transitioned from trade to production. However, it did little to stem the flow of people emigrating to other Bernish lands, and before the war, Piltash's population was middling at best."

Arthur nodded, noticing a few children curiously gazing at them atop the gatehouse where city guards would typically be found. It was odd, but it reinforced his disappointment as it indicated that the city had truly been abandoned if children could so easily play on the city walls.

He didn't have high hopes for the mine's profitability, either. Due to its size, the Ollerin Empire had access to many such iron mines, so the profits he could make off it were slim.

Unfortunately, the coal mines were even less profitable. Unlike Bern, the majority of Ollerinian lands had mild winters, so coal wasn't exactly a hot commodity. He could only hope to sell the coal in the newly conquered Bernish lands, or else it would be useless to him.

Once they passed through the gatehouse, Piltash's castle came into view in the distance. Its patchwork walls stood imposingly atop a small hill in the city's center, overlooking the whole city. Unfortunately, those same walls appeared to have weathered the ages no better than the exterior walls.

It was a nightmare for any poor soul with OCD, and Arthur would be lying if he claimed such a sight didn't irk him. But, despite that, he set his sights on it and traveled down Piltash's main avenue.

The avenue was vast and seemed to have seen better days as it was marred with the same inconsistent masonry as the walls. Unsurprisingly, the streets were devoid of people, with most buildings tightly boarded up. Yet, for many, the wood used to cover the windows appeared old and rotten, as if they had been erected and left to the elements decades ago.

Further down, another smaller wall extended from the castle and ran parallel to the avenue. It appeared to have been erected somewhat recently, as the white-painted stone lacked the inconsistent masonry seen throughout the city. The wall was only ten feet high but, to his frustration, blocked Arthur from peering inside.