Tycoon May: Chapter 18 (Patreon)

Chapter 18

Grant made it through the gates of the new city without any problems.  Once again, he was immediately struck by how different this city was from all the others.  It wasn’t a series of greenhouses, or buildings covered by gardens and potted plants.  This time, it was a city of gold.

The square-shaped walls of the city in the middle of the hilly plains surrounded fields of golden wheat that waved gently in the breeze.  At first, Grant didn’t even understand why it was a city.  There were no visible buildings beyond a small cluster near the next walled section, and the narrow trails that served as roads between fields had almost no people present.

Sarge stayed oddly quiet as they took it all in.  <Well, you don’t see that every day.>  As Grant watched, a man came out of a low mound that was barely more than a hump of dirt.  <They all must live in underground bunkers.>

“How am I supposed to figure out where to get my badge updated if I can’t find it?”  Grant started strolling through the town, paying close attention to his surroundings.  Now that he knew what to look for, it was obvious the trails were lined with dwellings.  The top of the doors barely poked above ground, with most of the stairs leading down hidden by the stalks of grain.  “There’s no street signs anywhere, and you can only see the doors when you get right up on them.”

<I know this city doesn’t look anything like the others, but I bet the layout is similar.  Check near the edge of the next city section for a House Monday location.>  Grant started walking that direction, paying close attention to the doors he passed.  He also noticed how inefficient the irrigation systems that lined the fields were in comparison to the first city he had visited.

“Sarge, why isn’t it obvious to everyone else how much better it would be if they just shared information on their best techniques?  They would be much more efficient if they did.”  Grant nodded at a section of fields where a single person was harvesting a large section of grain using a large wood and metal contraption.  “This place could use a better watering system, and the last two cities would save a lot of time if they used stuff like that thing to collect their grain.”

<It would require them to completely change their system of merit, and put aside their need to be better than the other cities.  I don’t see that happening.>

“Even if it would make everything better for everyone?”  Grant shook his head.  “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

<You need to look at it from the perspective of the people who made the innovations.  Did they work so hard for nothing?  What benefit do they deserve for their accomplishments?>

“I’m not saying they haven’t earned a reward.  But, why wouldn’t they want to help everyone?”  Grant dodged a cart trundling down the narrow road, barely managing to avoid falling down another flight of barely-visible stairs.  “I mean, isn’t that the whole purpose of what they accomplished?”

<Maybe in a perfect world, Grant.  This isn’t a perfect world.  I’m not saying I have all the answers—I’m a sword spirit, after all—but I do know that if there wasn’t a benefit to working hard, the vast majority would never even try.>

Grant fell silent, thinking over what had been said.  He could feel a headache coming on, and finally gave up.  It was too big of a problem for him to solve on an empty stomach.  “Once we find somewhere I can turn these contribution points in, I’m going to have a hot meal.  I’m tired of nothing but roasted monster meat.”

With an updated plan in place, Grant picked up the pace.  He managed to make it to the cluster of buildings in the center of the city without drawing any extra attention to himself.  Unfortunately for Grant, the cluster of buildings seemed to serve as the restricted section of the city, since everywhere else was open fields.  As he approached the pair of guards standing in the middle of the road, the smaller of the two held up a hand to stop him.

“Turn around.”  He made a swatting motion as if Grant was a fly.  “No visitors while Tycoon May is in attendance.”

Grant did his best not to react to what the guard said.  “Tycoon May is here?  Right now?”

“Yes, that’s what I just said.  Are you deaf?”  The guard looked over at his partner.  “Does it seem like this guy got hit in the head or something?”

“Where is he?”  Grant ignored their comments, instead standing on his toes to try and see over the pair into the buildings.  “How long is he going to stay?”

“Tycoon May isn’t in the habit of sharing his travel plans with the likes of us.  Now, why don’t you turn around and leave, before we have any problems.”  The guard leaned forward a bit, as if he was getting ready for a fight.  Grant shifted his stance, wrapping his hand around the hilt of his sword.  The tension between the two instantly ratcheted up, and Grant could see the eyes of the guard dilate in anticipation.

Before either the guard or Grant could act, the larger of the two put a heavy hand on the shoulder of his partner and let out a long-suffering sigh.  “Look, we’re just doing our jobs.  We don’t want to kick off a big problem that turns into a mess no one wants to deal with.”

“But-!”

“No buts, Steve.  We’ve talked about this.”  The big guard put a finger in Steve’s face.  “Remember what I said?  The next time something crazy happens, you have to do the paperwork.  I’m not doing it again.  Now, apologize, and let this young man go on his way.”

“Fine.”  Steve looked down at his feet and kicked at a rock.  “I’m sorry for being so antagonistic.”

“Um… sure?”  Grant was baffled by the byplay between the two, but shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave before it got any weirder.  “I guess I’ll be on my way, then.”  He gave a slight wave at the pair, and walked away as they continued to bicker at one another.  “I wonder what that was all about?”

<You clearly haven’t had to do much paperwork in your life.  Trust me, it’s a nightmare.  That big guy clearly knows what he’s talking about.>  Grant could only shake his head in confusion.  <Oh, don’t worry.  If you manage to defeat Regent December and live to see the next year, you’ll learn all about the joys of paperwork.>

Ignoring the sword spirit, Grant focused on getting out of sight of the guards.  As soon as he was clear, Grant ducked into the tall stalks of wheat that lined the road.  He stayed low as he avoided the occasional field worker and made his way back to the cluster of buildings.  It didn’t take long for him to find a building that he could climb, so Grant was able to quickly enter the perimeter of the city center.

<Be careful.  There’s guards everywhere, and they look a lot tougher than the pair you met on the road.>  Grant peeked over the edge and immediately noticed what Sarge was talking about.  The streets seemed deserted, with only a regular cluster of well-armed and well-armored guards evenly spread over the area.

“I wonder where all the people are?”  Grant shuffled around so he could peek through the windows of the businesses and homes around him.  Even they were empty.  From what he could tell, it looked like people had left in a hurry.  Meals were still on tables, cold and uneaten.  One business still had its door wide open, leaving their wares available for any enterprising thief to clean them out.  Except, there were no thieves, and the heavy guard presence certainly helped secure the streets.  “What do you think happened to them?”

<Listen, and I think you’ll have your answer.>  The pair fell silent, and Grant’s ears strained to hear what the sword spirit was talking about.

At first, the only thing he noticed was the beating of his own heart.  Then, right before he was about to ask Sarge what was going on, he heard it.  Far in the distance, distorted by the alleys and stone structures, the faint sounds of screaming reached his ears.  Whatever was going on, Grant couldn’t afford to wait with so many in danger.

Each rooftop was relatively flat, making it easy for him to jump from one building to another as he closed on the noise.  It was like Grant was an iron filing attracted by a lodestone, making a beeline for the center of the city.  The closer he got, the more obvious it was that he was hearing screams of joy, and not pain.  He immediately slowed down, catching his breath as he finally caught sight of what was going on.

Tycoon May was giving a speech to an adoring crowd that filled the central square.  And Grant could sneak up right behind him.