"So, what news do you have?" Lloyd asked while eating. This time he was having salmon, also with boiled potatoes. Eating fish was very common in the region, and few plants survived the cold climate, so tubers were usually served alongside fish.
Lloyd knew he could probably request a different meal; still, he didn't dislike fish, so for now, he would make do.
"Although, if I wanted to gain muscle, I should consider asking for food with more protein."
"I haven't found anything relevant about the 'mysterious individuals'," the butler explained. "However, the potato clue was much more conclusive. Apparently, the harvests have been poor. The city of Erasil is responsible for producing food for the entire region; its location is ideal, and the surrounding villages handle the crops. This year, however, they fared particularly badly. Poverty has grown in the area, and people have moved to Caus seeking work."
The boy nodded, understanding the likely consequence. Lloyd had read extensively about the territory, and Caus was a fishing town responsible for supplying fish to the other cities in Cocytus.
Most likely, the population increase also caused inflation in product prices. This wasn't an instantaneous process, meaning it probably started years ago.
The Erasil fields were enormous, so they likely had reserves from previous years. That meant this couldn't have happened in just a few months—it was a process spanning years, years of poor harvests, which Lloyd found peculiar.
"Weren't we supposed to have mages for agriculture?" Lloyd asked.
"We were, though some rumors say they were killed after venturing too deep into the Beastmen territory."
"I see."
The Cocytus territory was vast. He was currently in the city of Coul, centrally located. To the east lay Erasil, though its fields extended north as well.
To the south was the coast, where Caus handled the fishing. To the west was Crun, the city closest to the Kokytus Abyss, also responsible for defending the territory from monsters spawned by the abyss.
To the east of Erasil lay the Erasil Forest, also within Cocytus territory. However, a tribe of Beastmen in the forest did not acknowledge this.
Beastmen are a race created in ancient times. It is said that when some nomadic human tribes encountered overwhelmingly powerful creatures, they became their servants, receiving protection from the divine beast.
These tribes inherited part of their "divine beast's" power, developing animal-like traits and spiritual strength. With the mutation, affected Beastmen gained the same characteristics as magical beasts, though it didn't change their appearance much.
Thus, in the world there are Beastmen with a Root and Beastmen with a spiritual core. In the Erasil Forest, they likely wield magical power, while Beastmen use theirs like magical beasts, not as mages.
That also meant they had a Touki stronger than an average human. If the Beastmen tribe was large, the mages likely wouldn't have a chance against them.
"That's a problem. We must hire more mages and deal with the Beastmen somehow," Lloyd remarked, though both tasks were very difficult.
Much of the military power was focused on defending against the Abyss creatures, while hiring more mages was extremely hard. After all, they weren't on the central continent, and between Ávalon and Cocytus lay the Empire, which, though not hostile to Ávalon, wouldn't hesitate to tax any ships passing through their waters.
Another alternative was using a teleportation circle, but only the church could operate them. Likewise, only the Empire could create large portals, which they only used in cases of true necessity.
To reach Cocytus required a long route by sea or air, costing a significant amount of money, effectively isolating Cocytus from the kingdom's aid.
"You seem worried, Lord Lloyd, but do not despair. If necessary, I will personally eradicate every Beastman in the forest; those dogs will regret provoking my master."
Lloyd pondered Sebastián's words. Though theatrical and exaggerated as always, the old man's purple eyes shone with confidence. Was he really that strong?
"Dogs? Right, if I remember correctly, it was a tribe of werewolves," the boy said.
He recalled some characters from the novel. Sköll and Hati were members of a werewolf tribe, descendants of Fenrir, or rather, the people who worshipped the beast.
In the novel, Sköll and Hati were two sisters who worked as assassins for the Dark Society, presented as antagonists before joining the protagonist's side.
Of course, there were many Beastmen tribes, so their presence here wasn't guaranteed.
"Oh, right," the boy turned to Sebastián. A doubt had arisen, though Lloyd wasn't sure how to phrase it, "Did my father do anything about this?"
Lloyd didn't know who his father was, not just due to absence, but because he never heard much about him. He didn't even know his name, and feared that if the system lacked Lloyd's full memories, his ignorance might raise suspicion.
"Hmp, as if that bastard… individual could care about anyone but himself," the butler said, annoyed.
It was clear Sebastián did not get along with his father. Lloyd decided to change the subject.
"I see. Well, aside from that, could you tell me where the mansion staff sleep?"
"Of course!"
The cold outside was unbearable. Lloyd felt his frail body shivering, his breath turning into mist as it met the air.
But he had to endure it; unfortunately, the mission to hide in the backyard had not yet been completed.
The boy felt the cold penetrate to his bones, though thankfully he didn't cough, as he didn't want to reveal his position.
He had found a perfect bush to hide behind, situated just behind a small shed used for gardening tools, so he was doubly concealed.
Still, Lloyd overestimated his ability to stay awake; even in the cold, he couldn't avoid dozing off… until a noise woke him.