Oh no! After I Reincarnated, My Moms Became Son-cons! - Volume 7 - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I couldn’t sleep too well that night since a young guy is bound to have perverted thoughts after sharing a bath an older-sister type female . Whenever I shut my eyes, the scene in the bathroom resurfaced in my mind . I can’t knock on Luna’s door to do “that” with her either…… So I was mentally degraded the next day of the journey…… Luna looked at me somewhat concerned and asked: “What is the matter, your majesty? Did you not sleep well last night? Or did you miss Miss Nier?”

I smiled helplessly . They were connected somewhat, except that I wasn’t missing Nier…… Luna could’ve helped me out…… But what am I going to tell Luna? I shook my head and replied: “Nothing, Luna . I just didn’t get enough sleep . But it’s all right . Let’s continue . ”

“You must speak out if you do not feel well . ”

Luna looked at me hesitantly . I looked ahead and didn’t say anything . Luna doesn’t know how to ride horses so she rode with Lorana . If Luna gets tired, I’ll let her rest in a Earth Dragon carriage . I reckon the Earth Dragon carriage is my best invention yet because it’s particularly stable and it has plenty of space . Mom originally intended to give me a few more Earth Dragons so that I could make a small room out of one carriage . Inside would be a bed and I could take a few maids with me too, but I turned the offer down .

I’m going for business, not a vacation after all . I need guards, not maids holding me back . I looked behind me at the horse carriages and Earth Dragon escorts in the middle . The Earth Dragon carriage escort walked steadily on the ground like an old ox . For safety’s sake, I spread the weapons out in the five carriages . That way, they won’t end up all lost if we get attacked . Repeated-firing guns are extremely lethal weapons to humans after all . They’re one of my secret weapons for my journey south this time .

I asked Mommy-Vyvyan to cast a time-boundary around the Earth Dragon carriages transporting large volumes of ammunition and gun-powder, to keep the gun-powder within its safe timeframe . The only way to remove the boundary is by opening the door to the storage . This way, if someone were to attack my escorts and explode my carriage carrying gun-powder, my guard unit won’t be completely wiped out by the attack .

My guards are currently armed with one sword and one gun which has a barrel that allows for six shots . We will only have to open the storage for them to reload gun-powder if we enter a prolonged fight . If we’re only entering skirmishes then they shouldn’t need to empty their guns, and we can reload after reaching safety .

The great plains of the south certainly live up to their reputation . We’ve been travelling for half a day since leaving the royal capital yet we were still in the wild great plains . There were only harvested crops and Earth Dragon cages in the snow . Lorana felt unwell due to the weather so she was curled up atop her horse and silent . She wrapped herself up with her thick cloak . I felt sorry for her . She couldn’t withstand the cold winters here despite living in humanity’s lands for so long .

We’re still not that far from the royal capital so we should be able to see inns and hotels . I usually like hotels more because I don’t want to trouble an inn as the prince . Inns are tiny with only one or two people working there . Asking one or two people to take care of the hundreds of people here would be too exhausting, and we’d be hogging society’s resources .

It shouldn’t be so prosperous further south since the population in the desert isn’t as large and they don’t have as much money . The people there don’t want to come to the royal capital either . Due to the routes, the five nations of the desert rarely ever interact with the Rosvenor Empire in the south . Mom only sent three armies there when she expanded her territory . The five nations of the desert were powerless to resist and therefore became vassal states . However, because of how far apart they were, the governance over the five nations was very relaxed . They just had to send tributes on time and acknowledge that the Rosvenor Empire ruled over them . Needless to say, they had to accept the protection of the empire’s army stationed there .

The empire’s army only provides protection . They do not meddle with the public safety and internal politics there . As such, the five nations haven’t changed as a result of the Rosvenor Empire’s rule . Perhaps that is why the people of the five nations don’t have any intent to revolt .

But since Castor loaned money from the five nations of the desert, the five nations should be rich nations since they produce a large volume of metal . Those metals aren’t worth much money in the desert in the south . In the north however, the minerals are worth precious gems . The black fuel the empress’s army uses comes from the desert as well .

Consequently, the desert’s five nations has always been an important trading spot . Melodious bells have always rang out in the desert as merchants bring over exquisite hand-made goods to exchange them for carriages of minerals and silk to take back . As long as you can make it through the sandstorms and the attack of bandits in the desert and return, you’ll have great chances of making big money .

However, that’s precisely why only about half of the people who come manage to return safely . The Rosvenor Empire’s merchant groups are the only groups who are able to leave the desert with goods . Castell is also the only one who can provide the royal family with a constant import of minerals, fuel and silk .

The purpose of our journey into the desert this time is to locate a new mine . According to the reports received, the mine has an abundance of minerals . As a result, lots of people are after the rights of ownership to it, especially investment-merchants up north . The large volume of people coming to the desert for it is crazy like the gold rush in America back then . We’re pretty much behind the ball .

The intel came from an adventurer . But when they found him, he was already taking his last breaths . He said that he saw a sky full of gold lights . If he wasn’t carrying a rock with gold in it, nobody would’ve believed him . They believed him because they saw him carrying the rock as it was a very rarely seen ore . If it could be found on the surface that meant there had to be more underground .

Thus, everybody is looking for the place he claimed he saw gold lights everywhere . He couldn’t point out exactly where it was himself . He only provided a rough approximate . Hence, nobody has located it up until now . Not even Lorana could find a clue when she personally went .

I don’t know if we’ll be able to locate it this time . I really hope we’ll be able to find it . However, I am aware how of how grim my situation is . Both of Socina City’s powers have sent out their people, all sorts of other idle forces as well as the bandits roaming the desert . It really is a chaotic field in the desert . There are no allies and sides . Bullets and blades are your only capital for negotiations .

Maybe I’ll witness plenty of bloodshed in the desert .

I turned my head around and took one final look at the royal capital in the distance . The glorious golden text “long live the emperor” written at the tallest tower in the royal capital’s slowly vanished from sight as the sun set . I looked in that direction until we were enshrouded in darkness, until I couldn’t see the gold reflection any longer .

That was my final glimpse of a cultured and peaceful place . I might not get to enjoy any peaceful days for the coming time .

“Your majesty, let’s hurry and find a place to rest . I’m about to freeze to death . ”

“All right, sister . Scouts, go and see if there is a hotel ahead . ”

“Roger!”