Supreme Magus

Chapter 4474: Ruined City (Part 2)

”You brought down our businesses, and I’m sure you’ve also ruined our reputation as soon as you became popular and made lots of noble friends at the Royal Court.” Ysha spoke as if she were Lith’s employer and was about to fire him.

”The least you can do is compensate us for the trouble you’ve caused us. Moreover, aren’t you ashamed of whining like that? As you said, you are the Supreme Magus of the Kingdom. It’s your duty to help us.

”Why should we be grateful to you just for doing your job?”

Lith’s eyes widened for a second in disbelief. Then a mirthless smile appeared on his face and reached his eyes.

”You know what? I’ve changed my mind.” At a wave of Lith’s hand, the crates went back into his pocket dimension at once. ”I’m done here. You can all starve to death for all I care.”

”Magus Verhen, you can’t be serious!” Enja said, turning as pale as a ghost.

”I sure can.” He shrugged. ”This was an act of goodwill, not something I had to do. My goodwill is gone. You’ll have to wait for the official shipment. It will be here in one week. Two at most.”

”I understand your anger, but please, at least allow me to buy the supplies from you. Half the city will be dead in two weeks. We can’t wait that long.” The Baroness said.

”Fine. One thousand gold coins. Payment up front and no credit.” Lith extended his open hand as if he expected Enja to carry so much money on her.

”One thousand gold coins?” The Baroness trembled like a leaf and color flushed from her face. ”That’s more than Maekosh itself is worth. Walls and all!”

Her people were good with numbers, and knew she was right. If one didn’t consider the private homes and their contents in the city’s estimate, Maekosh didn’t come even close to that number.

”Supply and demand, Baroness. It’s a concept that your people know all too well and exploited all their miserable lives.” Lith replied. ”Winter is over, and there are no longer controlled prices. I can ask as much as I want.

”Consider this the price of your citizens’ lives weighed down by their obnoxious hubris and insufferable attitude. You can have them pay you back by taxing the air they breathe. I don’t care. Either you give me my money in the next five seconds or I Warp.”

”I would if I could, but I don’t have that much gold anymore.” Enja lowered her head in shame.

All those present gasped, finally realizing the consequences of their actions. Even the most headstrong and prideful of the people of Maekosh had seen footage of Lith fighting. They knew that attacking him would have only resulted in their premature death.

’I know you don’t.’ Lith inwardly scoffed. ’This city has never been rich, and with the Isharas messing up with your supplies, you must have spent most of your personal fortune just to keep this shithole standing.

’To make matters worse, you’re no Keyla, and even she will get no financial aid from the Royals as punishment. Maybe the baroness could give me jewels or artifacts worth a thousand gold coins, but she knows she’d never make that money back.

’She would become permanently poorer, and her household would slowly decline until someone else takes her place.’

”I’ll give you everything I’ve left, but please, at least sell me enough food for the children.” The Baroness said. ”They have no fault and don’t deserve your wrath, yet if you leave, they’ll be the first to die, and Maekosh will have no future.”

”Gold first.” Lith’s hand was still extended, and if her words struck a chord inside of him, there was no sign of it.

The Baroness took a small purse from her dimensional ring that contained three platinum coins, the equivalent of three hundred gold coins, and emptied it on Lith’s palm.

”It should be enough.” Enja kept a straight face as she inwardly said goodbye to the last remnants of her family fortune.

”It is.” The coins disappeared from Lith’s hand and materialized in the Baroness’ purse. ”Bring the children here, so that I can give them their food and heal them.”

Enja felt the familiar weight of the coins and understood his intentions.

’Magus Verhen tested me. He wanted to see whether I was as bad as the rest of my citizens. He also allowed me to literally buy the lives of the children. Had he gifted me the supplies, I bet the people would have rioted and killed each other for them.

’My citizens would have claimed that the food came from an official of the Kingdom and hence belonged to everyone. This way, instead, the supplies are my property, and I can defend them with the full strength of the army if necessary.’

The Baroness nodded and had the children of Maekosh step forward.

”What about the elders?” She said tentatively while Lith healed the ailments and took out crates of supplies that the baroness’ personal guard brought to her mansion’s vault. ”They too are weak and frail.”

”They contributed to creating this mess by raising their children to be as idiotic as they are.” Lith replied. ”They have made their bed; they can lie in it. Permanently.”

The finality in his words made everyone shudder, and a few children cry.

”There is no reason to be afraid, young man.” Lith patted the hiccupping boy’s head. ”Don’t you like fairy tales?”

He asked, and the boy nodded.

”Then consider yourself the hero of the story, and learn the lesson your parents failed to teach you and learn themselves. Treat others like you want to be treated, or the day will come when you’ll be treated as you treated everyone else.”

The boy still didn’t understand why the scary man in front of him was so angry with his parents, but at least his body didn’t hurt anymore. The cold that had haunted him for weeks was gone, and he could breathe again.

The oven-fresh jam bread the man had offered the boy also tasted amazing. The sweetness of the strawberry jam and the softness of the bread made him feel alive again, quieting down the growling of his stomach for the first time in months.

”This is for you, Captain Legato.” Lith handed her enough supplies for her, the Baroness, and her soldiers. ”You and your soldiers need your strength to protect the future of this city.” He nodded at the children.

”Fail me, steal a single morsel of food, and it will be the last mistake you ever make.” Lith placed his hand on her shoulder, healing her as well.

Light magic was supposed to be warm and comforting, yet what flooded Legato’s system was cold and overbearing. It fixed her body while also letting her know that Lith could have torn her apart with that same spell.

”I won’t fail you, My Lord.” She rapped her fist against her breastplate. ”I swear it on my life.”

***

Lith and Solus visited Jambel last, and the welcome they received was nothing like Maekosh’s. The city was clean, orderly, and everybody was well-fed and -dressed.