It's unclear when, but a rumor began to circulate quietly among the common folk of the Catha Empire: the Young Dragons captured and forced into the Empire's gladiatorial arenas possessed the most fertile lands in the world.
There, the rainforests were lush, with trees that had grown for countless years, each large enough to build a small boat; the land was fertile, yielding four or five harvests a year from planted crops;
The species there were abundant; even the lowest-skilled hunter could catch plump game with simple traps, and foolish, fat fish could be caught bare-handed.
The mineral veins there were inexhaustible, with countless precious ores exposed on the surface, gold and silver mines everywhere, and gems and agate readily available.
Even the rivers flowing through the jungle were filled with gold; one only needed to collect the water flowing from the Golden Land downstream to obtain endless gold.
Although this rumor sounded too good to be true, many people who had seen the Young Dragons appear in the Empire's gladiatorial arena inexplicably fueled these rumors.
Each person spoke as if they had personally experienced it in that distant land, making it sound entirely plausible.
These rumors were initially said to have come from adventurers, who daily promoted their adventurous deeds in the bustling markets.
They spoke of how they explored that Golden Land and, by good fortune, picked up a head-sized gold nugget by the river.
Even genuine adventurers, who had initially not believed these rumors, began to stir after seeing the massive gold nugget displayed before them, and the increasing number of ships in the Catha Empire's port cities further corroborated their ideas.
Those ships, filled with people and various mineral-washing equipment, had a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere; after receiving ample supplies in the harbor, they sailed around the harbor a few times to declare their joy to everyone, then headed straight for the legendary Young Dragon territory.
These adventurers immediately became excited; they quickly ran to spread the news, connecting with each other to form an adventurer alliance, preparing to go to that wealthy place.
This way, they could not only gather everyone's strength for self-preservation but perhaps also occupy a rich area as their base.
As for the merchants and adventurers who had previously visited that area, they thought they had made a mistake in their exploration direction or had not gone deep enough.
After all, they had also seen the situation in that place with their own eyes, so these people could not sit still either and began to organize their forces, preparing to go to that Golden Land.
Powerful merchants began to form their own fleets, recruiting mercenaries and explorers from the market as guards, and ship after ship followed the routes of the pioneers, setting off for the distant lands.
Meanwhile, scattered gold prospector adventurers rented relatively cheap medium and small-sized vessels, following the merchants' large ships.
Although these medium and small ships were dangerous to sail on the high seas, the adventurers did not care; their desire for gold surpassed their value for life, as they were inherently a group of people who exchanged their lives for wealth.
Gold prospectors' understanding of life was no worse than that of adventurers; they would try any place where gold might appear, whether that place was heaven or hell.
The people of the Catha Empire, located in the northern region, were already known for their martial spirit and abundant valor; facing the dangerous monster mountains, there were always legends of hidden treasures circulating.
Therefore, the entire country also had a strong sense of adventure and atmosphere, which further ignited the enthusiasm of the populace.
As this trend spread, it gradually moved from coastal cities to inland cities, even affecting Hobbes, the imperial capital located in the empire's southern center.
This wave of adventure and gold prospecting seemed to be pushed by a mysterious hand, slowly sweeping across the entire Catha Empire, becoming popular nationwide in just a few months, with countless adventurers and merchants beginning to head north.
When ships flying noble family crests and ships flying mage insignia began to head north, even ordinary people living in the market became excited.
For a time, ships in the empire became expensive; some crazy adventurers even tried to sail out to sea in small fishing boats, only to be capsized by waves just after leaving the shore, fortunately close enough to the bank to save their lives.
"Baklava, pumpkin soup! Come and see, it tastes amazing!"
"Fresh wheat bread, only two coppers."
"Arugula, carrots, chives..."
The crowded market was filled with various hawkers calling out to attract customers; people came and went, including many farmers and city residents, and even some noble housekeepers and servants occasionally appeared in this place.
Picky nobles always had strange culinary preferences; perhaps one day they would want to taste common people's food.
In front of this crowded market, there were also some mobile stalls, which were the first choice for those who could not afford to open a small restaurant but were very confident in their cooking skills.
Ross was one of them, although he hadn't opened for business yet today.
Ross scratched his head; he was a bit embarrassed to loudly solicit customers like others, just standing stiffly behind his stall.
His eyes stared intently at the passersby, hoping they would have good taste and appreciate his excellent cooking and the fruits of his hard work.
"Ross, Ross," a young man squeezed out of the crowded market, sweating and panting, running to the stall. This was his good friend, Hell.
Many of the food ingredients at his stall came from this companion, because this companion was an excellent hunter and had a fluent way of processing game; many valuable furs from hunted animals required excellent processing techniques to ensure their value.
"What's wrong, Hell?" Ross smiled foolishly, handing over a cup of water, "What happened? Don't rush, speak slowly."
"Hoo, hoo," the young man named Hell took two deep breaths, drank the cup of water in one gulp, then leaned in mysteriously and said, "Ross, do you know about that Golden Land rumor recently?"
"Of course I know, this matter has spread throughout the entire capital," Ross scratched his head, "You wouldn't also want to go adventuring and prospecting for gold, would you, Hell? Give up that idea, we know nothing about that."
"And even if that place really is covered in gold, we can't find a ship to ride now; those ships capable of long voyages have already been rented out by others."
"Hehe, of course it's not for gold prospecting; that place might not really be as those boastful adventurers say."
"But so many people have gone to that place, they must need to eat, right? Why don't we just go there and open a small restaurant? This way, they prospect for gold, and we prospect for them, what do you think?" Hell put his arm on his friend's shoulder and offered an idea.
"Sounds good," a hint of interest appeared on Ross's honest face, "But how do we get there?"
"Hehe, about that, I have a way!"