Chapter 197: Chapter 197 - The Capital of Her Domain
The city feels vibrant and invigorated. But the thing that strikes me the most is that we can see beastkin in the streets.
Not only are they in peace, but I can see the way people greet Yaci at my side. Some even say ’may the Saint bless you’ or something similar.
It seems that our PR campaign on behalf of the beastkin is paying off, at least here in this city.
Gladly none of the beastkin we crossed were part of the fox tribe, so nobody recognized Yaci, and we were able to continue our sightseeing undisturbed.
Not everyone shared that welcoming air, though. I was able to witness more than just a handful of scornful looks towards Yaci.
That was to be expected, though. To be honest, the fact that the majority were so positive about the changes is what’s baffling.
The effects of breaking free from the goddess’ charm and the way her church weighed so much in favor of the most spiteful lords definitely played a role here.
But probably what tipped the scales was my mother’s role in helping the people, especially the poorer ones. And the fact that the only ones who owned slaves were the richest people only substantiated the equating of the beastkin’s plight with the one suffered by the poor people.
The side-eyed people weren’t outspoken, and the hostility never got further than the looks, so it’s all good.
"How are you feeling, Yaci?"
"I’m feeling great. This city is very nice, and people seem kind. Except for some shop owners, but that’s okay. It’s already a better welcome than I was actually expecting."
"There’s still a long way to go until complete acceptance, and people’s hearts are prone to change with the winds. But you’re right, it’s a good outlook in general."
"Thing is, people didn’t actually hate the beastkin. It was just convenient to go with the flow of the Church’s teachings. And then there were the people who actually owned slaves."
Lovelace butts in, chatting merrily. The truth is, the three of us are keenly aware of our surroundings, and our bodies are still tense, as if an enemy could jump from a shadow at any moment.
We are just returning from a war, after all. And the years of training before said war. Even though we are trying to relax, our bodies simply refuse to leave ’the zone.’
Besides the market area and the commercial streets, there isn’t anything of note in this city. No fancy buildings, nor natural landscapes. Just a thriving trading city.
And yet, a short walk outside the trading zone shows a clear divide. The neighborhoods outside of the area intended for the eyes of visitors are in very poor condition.
Decades of negligence are very visible in the decrepitude of the houses and the littering of the trash in the streets.
At some point we see a ghetto from a distance. It’s big and very reminiscent of the favelas in my country of origin on Earth. Places ripe for crime and worse.
The people seem merry and hopeful, though. Instead of the gloom one would expect to see in a place like this, there’s a shine in everyone’s eyes as they go through the day.
That shine is the silver lining. It means that there is a way to help these people, to break the cycle that brought them to that point.
:::
"I think that this is our first date as official girlfriends."
Yaci stops and looks at me with a big smile on her face as she makes the declaration and then asks a question.
"Would you take me to a cafe, my beloved?"
"Of course! I would love to take my two beautiful girlfriends to eat some pastries. Do you want to come as well, Lovelace?"
"Why wouldn’t I? There’s one right there that looks like a very nice place."
She points to a cafe a bit further down the street. It has a charming and homely front that seems very inviting.
I take them, one on each arm, and stroll down the street.
:::
The air in the cafe is cozy, and the people working in it treated Yaci very gently. It definitely made me want to come back other times.
"This city is nice, but there is something nagging at me. It’s very clear that money flows constantly through the city, but the people who actually live here seem very poor."
Yaci’s observation powers are as keen as ever.
"Yes It’s quite common for trade cities, sadly. It means that the riches only flow through this place, and that the only ones benefiting from it are the owners of the place."
I’ve actually lived in cities like that in my previous life. Cities with very shiny touristic centers and squalid inhabitants.
"But if money passes through here, shouldn’t a part of it stay with the people who live here and make that money flow?"
"You’re right, Yaci. It should. The problem is that the former Duke was probably centralizing everything and making it all flow to his own hands and the ones of his friends."
I pause for a moment to ponder on the work waiting for me.
"The thing is, even though I’ve been the Duchess in name for some time now, I still haven’t taken upon the job itself. I was fully focused on the war, and probably the deputy manager didn’t dare to make big changes in how things worked. But now..."
Before I’m even able to finish what I’m saying, both of them interrupt me.
"Now you’re going to rest."
"Exactly. We’re here to make sure you don’t start working right away."
"But the people..."
"These problems won’t be fixed in a week, Aurea. And they won’t get worse if you take one or two weeks before starting to devote yourself to it. We all know that when you do, you’ll find great and innovative ways to solve it."
"What Lovelace said. You’re just coming back from a fucking war. You’re not going to dive into more work right afterwards."
Ugh... well, with those two it can’t be helped. Gotta do what they say.