5 Nirvana (1/2)

Nirvana, Capital of Castonia

It was midday when Timothy arrived at the gates of Nirvana.

The whole journey only took 15 days as expected. On their way, they visited the city of Greenwater and Erik's father was elated to see his son again. Of course he was somehow cold to Timothy, only talking to him when necessary. He was still bitter about Erik's being a squire of Timothy. The Marquis really loves his son. If something bad happens to Erik, then the entire Western Region would rise in rebellion.

Compared to Greenwater, Timothy liked Nirvana better. The city benefited from the nearby gold and gem mines. The gold and gems sold in the city attracts merchants from all over the continent so it could be said that Nirvana was not behind Greenwater in terms of trading income. But potential-wise Greenwater trumped Nirvana. The position of Greenwater was very conducive to trade so Timothy believes that in a few years, Greenwater would be more prosperous than the Capital City.

In terms of defenses, Nirvana can be considered as one of the hardest cities to take in the continent. The walls were so high that soldiers at the top were advised not to look down lest courage escape their hearts. These walls were not so high at first, but after the sack of Nirvana 70 years ago, Timothy's great grandfather built the walls even higher. The walls were so impressive that some bards even sing of it.

The five gates of Nirvana were equally impressive. Most rams won't breach these gates. In the sack of Nirvana 70 years ago, the gates were captured only after the enemies have taken the walls. The gates were so heavy and robust that it usually takes a team of 10 people to open one of them.

Ballistae also line the walls of Nirvana. These killing machines looked like eagles waiting to snatch their prey. A single ballista could impale several men with one shot. It won't matter how good one's armor is, a ballista bolt can penetrate even the best armor in the world.

Because of its robust defenses, invaders usually ignore Nirvana and attack easier targets instead like Greenwater or Solon. But these defenses cost the city a lot. Every year, a huge chunk of Nirvana's budget goes to the cost of maintaining its defenses. Sections of the wall constantly need attention. The gates suffer from rust every time and the ballistae need constant repairs. It also takes a lot of soldiers to fully guard the walls. The bards only sing of Nirvana's great walls, but do they have an idea what it takes to keep them?

Timothy went inside the city. The streets of Nirvana greeted him with such familiarity that it flooded him with nostalgic thoughts. He missed the city of Nirvana, it's his home and the city he grew up in.

Leading his horse with his hand, Timothy walked the streets. There were merchants everywhere, selling both rare and common merchandizes. These merchants sell their goods directly to the people in retail. Many of these goods were from other nations like Vanadis, Canton, Hadea and Inkit. In return, the merchants buy gems and other precious metals from the miners in Nirvana. They will then sell these gems in other cities where the price is higher. This cycle repeats and the merchant grows richer.

Timothy couldn't help but be delighted by what he saw. The streets were even busier compared to how it was a year ago. The King seems to have put a greater emphasis on trade. For a Kingdom that maintains a large state-owned army like Castonia, income from trade was crucial. The royal coffer always suffers, and the financial department always complains. Any increase in the income of the state will always be welcomed by the treasurers with open arms.

On his way to the palace Timothy saw some merchants selling spices. Timothy was not unfamiliar with spices because cooks at the palace usually put spices in the royal family's food. But spices were rare and only the royal family and some powerful nobles were able to afford it in the past. Now there were heaps of spices sold in the street.

” Where did these spices come from?” Timothy inquired as he went closer to the merchant.

” Wismar.” The merchant said with a heavy wismarine accent ”The two kingdoms just recently signed a trade agreement” he further explained

” Oh, so they finally accepted our trade request.” Timothy turned to Erik.

” Maybe alliance is next?”

” I doubt it” Timothy demurred ”It took decades just to get them accept our trade request. It'll maybe take a century for an alliance.”

The Kingdom of Wismar maintained its isolationist policy over the years. They only maintained relations to a few trading nations. With a trade agreement, Castonia would have access to unique Wismarine products like spices and exotic animals. But Timothy knew that an alliance with Wismar was still a long way to go unless the Wismarines wanted something big in return. It's a shame, with the growing aggression from other Kingdoms, every ounce of help would be good for Castonia.

But still the trade deal with Wismar was a good thing. Timothy congratulated the King in his heart. He knew that his father had always sent emissaries to Wismar to coax them. The King wanted to have good relations with Wismar. On top of trade, the Wismarine army was also incredibly strong, even stronger than the Castonian army.