It was several months later when Ross and Hell squeezed out of the crowded ship cabin and stepped onto this Golden Land, and this crude bay, which originally belonged to the Ogre Tribe, had completely transformed.
The natural harbor was almost packed with ships, and cargo vessels were being loaded; due to the shortage of laborers for handling goods, even some private soldiers, whose family crests were emblazoned on their chest leather armor, personally joined in the work.
They carried bundles of exquisite animal hides, casually tossing them onto the cargo ship's deck, where they were then moved by the ship's crew into the hold.
There were also boxes upon boxes of agate, tridacna, and gemstones; these resources, which were originally monopolized by the Ogres and could not be utilized, were now being harvested and sent to the cargo ships.
As for precious ores like gold, silver, adamantine, cold iron, and mithril, workshops needed to be set up on site to process them through simple smelting before they were loaded onto cargo ships and sent to the Empire.
Ross could even see plumes of thick smoke rising from the dense forest in the distance, though he didn't know that was where the smelting workshops were located.
In the boundless forest, tall trees provided an inexhaustible supply of building materials, and wooden houses constructed from thick logs stood densely in this bay area, with even the forest near the bay being cleared to create a vast open space.
The outermost perimeter was simply protected by rows of sharpened logs forming chevaux de frise as a basic defense, as this camp needed to expand periodically.
On the guard posts, simply constructed from massive logs and distributed around the camp, stood sentinels clad in leather armor and armed with longbows, maintaining vigilance—these were the elite guards of the nobles.
However, there were no fixed patrolling sentries, because the adventurers constantly moving back and forth in the forest served as the outermost patrol, exploring in groups.
Should any emergency occur, they would fire warning arrows, providing enough time for the people in the camp to react.
At this time, the number of people remaining in the camp was not large relative to the total, but it was still bustling with activity. adventurers who had returned from their expeditions to rest and guards hired by merchants chatted and laughed.
They boasted in the camp about how much they had gained that day, a scene that made the two young men feel as if they were still in the Catha Empire.
It was already midday, and wisps of cooking smoke began to rise from the numerous wooden houses scattered throughout the camp; Ross noticed that many women were appearing in the houses from which smoke was emerging.
adventurers never brought ladies with them on their expeditions unless they were also adventurers, so these ladies must have been the itinerant female prostitutes.
Because the residences of the nobles and mages were in the innermost part of the camp, even those houses, though constructed from simple logs, appeared distinctively exquisite and grand.
One could only say that these ladies were as keen as adventurers in their nose for gold coins.
"Hey, you two new Silly boys, what are you standing around for? Come with me. When you come to this place, you have to follow the rules. I'll explain the rules here to you properly. It's only five coppers."
An old man walked up to the two; the merchant teams had dedicated people to receive them, and he couldn't squeeze in, so he targeted these two young men who looked quite foolish.
Ross and Hell exchanged glances and followed the old man's steps; after all, they were new to the place, and it was better to learn more about the situation, and five coppers was a price they could barely accept.
"That's where the master mages and noble lords live. You usually shouldn't bother these lords casually, lest you get caught by their guards and made into laborers. The camp is really short on people right now."
After receiving the five coppers, the old man was quite diligent, leading the two to the camp registration while explaining the camp's situation to the bewildered young men.
"Also, when you register later, remember to write down your skilled crafts and your purpose for coming here. You have to pay taxes and a fixed security fee every month according to a certain proportion, if you plan to continue making a living in this place."
Ross scratched his head, "But we just arrived, where would we have money to pay taxes and security fees? Can we owe it for now?"
"Heh heh," the old man chuckled, revealing a mouth missing several large teeth, "This place is short on people everywhere right now. Even if you can't do anything, just having strength can earn you money. Those merchants and nobles are practically throwing money around and still can't find enough people."
"However, if you plan to work on your own, you can. Delayed tax and security fee payments will increase by a certain percentage periodically. You'd best get some money quickly, otherwise you'll just be driven out of the camp to fend for yourselves in the forest."
"Also, you'd best not provoke the nearby Centaurs, Kobolds, or Green Goblins, those are..."
"A Dragon, that's a White Dragon," a massive White Dragon roared overhead the camp, its wings, stretching eleven meters long, casting a shadow as it passed over everyone's heads under the sunlight.
A Blue Dragon, over ten meters in size and even larger, followed beside this White Dragon, like its loyal guard; its scales, appearing the same color as the ocean, shimmered with a bright blue luster.
Its streamlined and muscular physique, sturdy Dragon scales, and thick Dragon claws glinting coldly in the sunlight captivated the two inexperienced young men.
Ross and Hell widened their eyes, staring straight up at the sky, their faces filled with awe.
"Tsk tsk," the old man shook his head; he was already used to the shocked expressions of newcomers. He quietly waited for the giant Dragons in the sky to fly past and disappear into the boundless tall forest.
Only then did he speak to the two young men who had recovered their senses: "That is the giant Dragon that rules this land. Although it is still a Young Dragon, it has many monster tribes as its dependents, and even that powerful Blue Dragon is willing to obey his commands.
My advice to you is not to easily provoke the giant Dragon's dependents; this is a rule you must follow to survive in this place."
The old man didn't know when the nobles and mages had reached an agreement with the giant Dragon ruling this land, but everyone in the camp knew that the giant Dragon's kin would send people every month to collect their rightful share of the profits from this camp.
This included simple weapons and iron arrows after forging, as well as many refined ores. Surprisingly, these Dragon kin were not interested in treasures.
They paid no heed to boxes of gems and gold, truly breaking many people's stereotypes about Dragons.
Of course, there were also greedy adventurers who tried to seek the Dragon's treasure; a mere Young Dragon and a juvenile Dragon could not deter their avarice, but they were invariably discovered by the Goblins and Kobolds scattered throughout the forest near the Dragon Nest.
Then, the Centaur Warriors, now equipped with fine iron implements, would rush out, kill these foolish and greedy adventurers, and hang them on wooden stakes in the forest.
Perhaps some lucky adventurers would make it near the Dragon Nest Mountains, but the frozen ice sculptures and piles of ozone-smelling charcoal revealed the reckless fate of these individuals.
The two young men nodded solemnly; these words were truly worth the five coppers. But the young man named Hell suddenly became curious and asked, "This White Dragon is so powerful, his name must be very impressive, right?"
The old man shook his head, mumbling through his gapped teeth, "Who knows? Anyway, I wouldn't dare ask, but as the king who rules this land, everyone in the camp calls him 'White King'!"