Chapter 424
The Depressed Queen
Isabel began to explain softly, “It’s like a canvas where only the rough outline is sketched. Or like a piece of music with a beat, but missing a ‘theme.’
“Whether within or outside the silhouette, there is only that kind of ’emptiness’ waiting to be filled. I know so much is missing, yet I don’t know how to begin.”
“…That’s quite an artistic explanation,” Eivass commented, “It sounds like something you would say.”
He thought it was surprisingly fitting.
Isabel closed her eyes slightly, her back straight, and recalled softly, “Those cities have no opera houses, no commercial centers, no museums, no universities. No alchemy shops, no skyscrapers like Lloyd Society’s. No meeting places like the Round Table Hall, and the city hall is not even as large as the villa I gave you.
“Most cities have only one library, and some have none; because many people cannot read. Two-thirds of the cities lack paved roads, and there are only a few local newspapers, or you can’t even buy the Glass Steps Herald. A town has at most three churches, and when people get sick, they can only go to a hospital, and even then, there are few decent hospitals.
“Many prisons are overcrowded, and the prison walls even leak wind. Some prisoners starve to death or freeze to death in prison. In some cities, people who were hanged hang there for a month or two, and no one comes to take them down. Because they no longer have any family.
“On Glass Island, underage workers are at least fourteen years old; in the most brutal factories, working hours are at most twelve hours. But in some cities west of Avalon, I even saw child laborers as young as ten. Their wages are very low, almost non-existent, earning only a meal or even half a meal. They have to wake up at four or five in the morning to work, wearing only a thin single layer of clothing in the dead of winter, and sleeping less than six hours a day…
“In most cities, there are no lights at night. Less than half the cities have electricity, and most residents still use kerosene lamps. They still have legendary adventurers, but they are more like mercenaries and bandits. The commissions they accept most often are to deal with the Undead—those who die in the wilderness and are not buried…”
Isabel had not intended to say anything. But once she started, it was as if a floodgate had opened, and she couldn’t stop.
Eivass listened quietly and said softly, “Frankly, I’m surprised.”
“…Surprised for these children, for the fate of these city residents?” Isabel opened her eyes and looked at Eivass.
“No, I’m surprised you had the chance to come into contact with them.”
Eivass shook his head, speaking sharp and somewhat biting words, “No sense of secrecy—allowing Her Majesty the Queen to see the true situation.”
If he were the administrator of those cities, at least on the days the Queen visited, he would certainly put on a good show.
Everyone would work together to weave a beautiful dream for Her Majesty—how could they let the respected Queen see such things?
“…They did, indeed, do that.”
Isabel sighed softly, explaining the reason, “But I didn’t stay in the cities that required a pilgrimage. After the pilgrimage ended, I took a Gryphon to cities not on the itinerary; and before the next pilgrimage, I would arrive at the next city. Therefore, I actually visited twice as many cities as those on the pilgrimage route. And half of those cities had no idea I was coming or that I had already arrived.”
“Oh, I understand.”
Upon hearing this, Eivass understood, “You were thinking, since you had this rare opportunity to go out, you wanted to have a good time… right?”
Isabel nodded in silence.
Because in all the cities where people knew her, Isabel had no room to have a good time.
Her itinerary was strictly arranged, naturally giving her no opportunity or time to interact with others.
Unexpectedly, their young queen was so mischievous, even more so than Queen Sophia. Amidst the densely packed pilgrimage schedule, she squeezed in time to visit twice as many cities herself.
—Undoubtedly, she must have been excited to go at first. Traveling incognito, disguised and altering herAppearance, she infiltrated various cities with her Gryphon and Arbitrators acting as guards.
Perhaps she didn’t even bring guards.
Although Eivass didn’t know how Isabel uncovered the truth, it was undoubtedly very difficult.
And she did it with utmost seriousness.
The price was that she looked almost depressed.
Although the time allocated for the new queen’s pilgrimage was quite generous, if she “reasonably utilized” the time for another round, there wouldn’t be much free time left. And this shocking information must have kept her from sleeping well.
…It’s no wonder she looked so tired.
It was likely not just physical fatigue or lack of sleep, but mental exhaustion brought on by sorrow and grief.
“The children in those factories… I spoke with them. Not just one factory, and not just once.”
Isabel sighed, her eyes showing visible fatigue, “I expressed my anger for them, even planning to speak up for them, demanding higher wages and more reasonable working hours. But the working children didn’t understand why I was angry… They just thought I was being strange, and even tried to dissuade me. Because they were just trying to earn an extra meal and didn’t want trouble.
“Do you know, Eivass? It was the first time I realized that people could starve to death… In some towns outside Glass Island, there are people who work hard and still starve. Logically, the Church should be responsible for providing free food, but… why is it like this?”
Isabel appeared to be in great pain, her brow furrowed, looking very distressed.
Eivass shook his head and said softly, “Because the Church’s income mainly comes from providing powerful healing to the wealthy and bestowing blessings upon specific places and objects. In reality, not all cities have such wealthy individuals.
“Because of the existence of the Round Table Hall and the port district, truly wealthy people tend to gather on Glass Island. Local merchants may not have much money, and local churches may not be able to supply much free food. Most clergy trained in church schools are assigned to these remote rural areas.”
“…Do they know their future?” Isabel couldn’t help but ask.
“Most of them don’t. Only the most outstanding ones can stay on Glass Island, or in a few relatively wealthy cities. Because of this, many clergy members quit within a year because they can’t endure the hardship. The rest basically awaken a true heart of devotion.”
Eivass sighed.
In his opinion, this was somewhat unethical.
But there was indeed no other way—even if treating injuries and illnesses could be handled by doctors, every small village still needed someone to preside over funerals and disperse the Undead. Add in weddings, celebrations, and other rituals, and it would take at least several years of dedicated study.
Who would want to suffer in a small city when they could enjoy themselves in a big one? Relying solely on “devotees” who awakened a heart of devotion to fill this huge gap was definitely not enough.
