Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 60 The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

Chapter 60 The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
"At first, everything was fine..."

In a shelter hidden beneath the ruins, several Ignivas people in tattered clothes are telling their stories to a young guard.

"Although we had just experienced war at that time, under Lord Akakage's leadership, we were still able to restore some production..."

As these elderly members of the clan recounted their experiences, the young guards nodded in agreement.

This was similar to what he had heard from his elders: the past wars, the wise and holy king, the brief peace, and the Ignivas people gradually recovering their strength... These were the parts he knew.

But then came the part he didn't know.

The so-called gradual recovery of vitality is actually a matter of not recovering much vitality. Compared with their former dominance, the recovery of vitality these former royalty spoke of was merely to the point where everyone would not starve.

If there is any good news, it is that the giants at that time were in the same boat; both sides were at their wits' end, so a war was indeed impossible.

But this brief peace was not the end of the nightmare.

But it was the beginning of something far more terrifying.

When the first Crimson Shadow was still around, there were still some prey around Ignis City, and the vegetation resources were relatively abundant. However, no one bothered to cultivate them. So during this period, whether it was the Ignisians or the giants, as long as there was no war, there was always enough food.

But everything changed after the first Akakage passed away.

In fact, changes had already begun before the First Akakage passed away. The number of animals that could be hunted was gradually decreasing, and the fruits and vegetables that could be harvested were also quietly decreasing. Clearly, peace had led to a larger population for both the Titans and the Ignis, but the larger population, in turn, consumed more food.

Of course, if it's just a food shortage, it's not an insurmountable problem. After all, they've taken over the ranches and fields, and with careful management, this land, which even Ignis City can support, should be able to feed them without any issues.

However, the problem lies precisely here.

Although the giants and the Ignivas had tried very hard to manage it, their efforts had not been effective.

Simply because they don't understand.

The giants who remained in the city were warriors of the frozen land. They might be quite adept at hunting and fighting, but when it came to managing ranches or cultivating fields, they were completely clueless.

As for the Ignis people... they were the former royal family. Being royal meant that they did not have to work. They were mostly responsible for studying magic and fighting against external forces. As for production work, it was always done by the Ignis people, that is, the commoners in the city.

After the Ignis fled into the Holy Mountain, these former royalty had to do the work themselves, and as for their efficiency... well, that's hard to describe.

Even during the reign of the first Akakage, production on this land recovered briefly, but due to mismanagement, both the Titans and the Ignivas eventually ran out of resources. As food became increasingly scarce, even the pastures and fields themselves were abandoned, and this land ended up in its current state.

"Everything edible has been eaten up. The giants have even started preying on our people... This is probably what this land is like now. Even a little food will lead to bloodshed."

The old men couldn't help but sigh in front of the young guard.

This newly acquired intelligence caused the young guard to frown deeply.

"You mean there's absolutely no food left?"

"There are still some."

The elderly people exchanged glances, and in the end, they still took out some food.

Some unidentified roots and stems, shriveled berries, and obviously not-so-fresh vegetables—these certainly wouldn't fill you up, but at least they would keep you from starving.

Just as the young guard was about to accept the food to prolong his life as he was about to starve, the old men waved their hands.

Then, they actually dragged a large pot out from deep within the shelter.

“Use this. This is the wisdom left behind by the great serpent god… Just throw in all these scraps of ingredients, add water, and when the water boils, everyone will be full.”

"The Great Serpent God..."

Looking at the large cauldron, the young guard thought of those legends. Those were from a long time ago, even before the first Akakage. Although many of those stories had not survived, he had heard the tale of the serpent god passing on wisdom to the Ignivas.

"So...didn't you just mention that those commoners who knew how to work fled into the holy mountain back then? Why didn't you go there? After all, it sounds like a way to survive..."

"can not go."

The old people shook their heads.

“We are royalty, descendants of sinners. The serpent god has already shown us mercy by not killing us. How could we dare to go to the holy mountain to seek death? Being able to steal some food on the edge of the holy mountain to keep us alive is already a blessing from the serpent god. How could we dare to ask for more?”

"Moreover, those mountain people, who were formerly the Ignis people, also have a history of hatred with us. When food was scarce, we did seek their help, but the people we sent were driven away by them."

……

The young guard fell silent.

These few words contained a wealth of information. You must know that no matter how down on their luck the Ignivas people were, they were all magicians, while the Ignis people, who were the commoners of the past, were not qualified to come into contact with magic.

Someone who wasn't a mage was able to drive out a mage who possessed formidable combat power.

This is not something that can be accomplished simply by reasoning with people.

"A person from the mountains...?"

The young guard silently memorized the name.

He decided to go and see the people in the mountains.

However, he definitely needs to eat first, but in this state of near starvation, it's hard to say whether he can even make it to the holy mountain alive.

But just as he was anxiously waiting for the soup in the pot to be cooked, the old people all looked at him at the same time.

"What are you looking at me doing?"

The young guard was somewhat puzzled.

"I won't drink too much, just a little will be enough..."

"A little isn't enough; all of us can't get enough."

The old men shook their heads repeatedly, and then their gazes toward the young guards became increasingly fervent.

"If you want to be full, you still need meat..."

"Meat? Where did you get the meat?"

The young guard was increasingly puzzled.

"You didn't take out any meat either. I've been starving for days, and there's no way I could have any on me..."

He had only spoken halfway when the young guard seemed to remember something, and his expression immediately changed.

In front of him, the old men of Ignivas also raised their hands in greeting.