Chapter 617 Dragonmoor City (3)
"What about the middle-class districts and the upper-class districts?" Vaan casually asked, curious whether little Theo also knew about their situation.
"I haven't seen the wells there myself, Noble Sir. So I can't give you a definite answer," Theo shook his head with an apologetic look before saying, "However, I heard the condition of the wells there is a little better than the lower-class districts'
"Supposedly, Duke Dragonchild hired noble mages to replenish the wells with their water arts. However, the replenishing amount is unable to keep up with the daily demand," Theo added.
"Aren't you a knowledgeable one? I have never seen a kid as informative as you," Jihaad praised while ruffling Theo's hair with affection.
Unfortunately, Theo's weak body couldn't cope with Jihaad's already limited strength. Jihaad retracted his hand apologetically and awkwardly after seeing Theo fall to the ground.
Surprisingly, Theo got back up calmly without any complaint.
However, such an action only made Jihaad feel worse. He could guess the little boy was used to suffering rough treatments.
"I don't have much to boast about, Noble Sir. However, I am at least proud of my hearing and memory," Theo stated before Jihaad could say something else.
Jihaad missed his chance to apologize and compensate the boy as the conversation moved forward.
"This city is facing a serious water shortage, but the depletion of the groundwater reserve shouldn't be the sole reason for it to reach today's level of severity, right? What do you think are the other problems, Theo?" Vaan asked thoughtfully.
"The biggest problem would be the water imports from the eastern regions, Noble Sir," Theo frowned with a hint of hatred and anger.
"I suspected as much…" Vaan uttered.
When he first noticed the water crisis in the Dukedom of Dragonmoor, he had already suspected the problem to be related to the eastern region's water-distributing businesses.
After all, the Eastern Sea had boundless water. As long as it was supplied to the western region, the West would never be short of water. But since that wasn't the case, some conflict of interest must be involved between the two regions.
"The eastern region's water suppliers are all selfish villains, Noble Sir. They don't care about the countless lives living in the western region. They only care about their profits. Since there are private-owned businesses, they have been selling their water to the western region at a sky-high price."
"They are practically draining the life out of the western region just to maximize their benefits!" Theo stated emotionally with his small fists clenched.
"And the emperor has nothing to mediate the issue?" Vaan calmly asked.
"None, Sir!" Theo firmly stated, feeling even more upset about the matter.
In Theo's mind, he viewed the emperor to be just as bad as the water suppliers for doing nothing. It was like the emperor did not care about the people in the western region and had abandoned them.
Vaan's eyes flickered with understanding after hearing little Theo's firm answer.
While Theo was intellectually gifted, he was still very young. There were still many things he had yet to learn and understand.
On the other hand, Vaan already understood the heart of the problem. The eastern region's water suppliers setting unreasonably high prices for their water was only the surface problem. The core of the problem involved politics.
Nevertheless, Vaan continued to ask Theo questions casually, and the latter answered everything to the best of his knowledge.
Eventually, Vaan and Jihaad also learned the western region lacked mages, mostly ones proficient in water spells.
Many mages had moved to the eastern region.
If Vaan couldn't even tell this was a huge conspiracy after learning this much, then he was not Vaan Raphna. It was clear as day that the eastern region's powerful figures were suppressing the western region's development.
Nevertheless, after Vaan had nothing left to learn from Theo, he patted the little boy's shoulders and told him to beat it. His action not only stunned the little boy but also Jihaad.
Jihaad simply couldn't believe Vaan was such a bastard for using the little boy's service and not wanting to pay him.
It was only one low-rank mana stone!
One!
"Didn't you hear me? I'm done with you, and I'm also not paying you. Scram," Vaan urged impatiently.
"I… I understand, Sir. Have a good day," Theo's eyes turned watery, but he quickly accepted the situation. He could only consider himself unlucky. He turned away and walked off with his head down as he tried to hold back his tears.
"If the opportunity arises, we'll see each other again," Vaan casually said, almost like he was adding salt to the kid's open wound.
Theo almost burst into tears on the spot. This bullying was too much.
"I can't believe you would take advantage of a little kid who has already suffered enough, Sir Pendragon. You're completely heartless!" Jihaad criticized furiously as his good impression of Vaan shattered into pieces.
Just when Jihaad was prepared to catch up to Theo and pay him the one low-rank mana stone that was owed, Vaan stopped him.
"Are you trying to get that little boy killed, Jihaad?" Vaan whispered in a low, solemn tone.
Jihaad immediately froze before glancing back at Vaan with a startled look, asking, "What do you mean by that, Sir Pendragon?"
"You think a powerless little boy can keep his mana stone even if you give one to him? There are hungry wolves watching. Furthermore, while that little boy is intellectually gifted, he holds a lot of resentment. Do you think he will just let others rob his hard-earned mana stone? Vaan mentioned.
Jihaad's mind went blank for a moment before he imagined Theo retaliating and getting beaten to death in anger.
"So am I supposed to watch the kid walk away all heartbroken like that? Is there no justice in this world? Is there no fairness? How can I call myself a true warrior if I turn a blind eye to this?" Jihaad gritted his teeth.
"If you want to help him, then help him all the way. Otherwise, your kindness will only harm him," Vaan coolly replied before adding, "Anyway, I'm not so free. I have a guest."
In the distance, Bakram could be spotted heading towards them. Evidently, the person had business with Vaan and was most likely on the duke's orders again.
"Alright, let's meet again if the opportunity allows it," Jihaad decisively stated, deciding to part ways with Vaan to look for little Theo.
...
Meanwhile, Theo walked home while he held back his tears with trembling shoulders.
He originally enjoyed the time guiding Vaan and Jihaad, but Vaan's action made his young heart turn cold. He was disillusioned for expecting there to be some good people in this heartless world.
The people secretly watching Theo walk away suddenly felt bad for him, even though they originally intended to rob him if he had gotten his hands on some mana stones.
Nevertheless, Theo hadn't walked very far when something rough suddenly rolled down within his ragged clothes and got caught in the area above his waist strap.
The discomfort produced by the foreign objects rubbing against his skin when he walked prompted him to remove them and see what they were. However, his mind immediately went blank when he placed his hand inside his ragged shirt to grab them.
Unexpectedly, there were five low-rank mana stones inside his ragged shirt.
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