“The less you expected out of something, the lower the disappointment would be when that expectation inevitably got shattered by reality. Thus, it was best to hold no expectations whatsoever, that way you could not be disappointed at all!” - Saying attributed to the Silver Maiden.

As Aideen traveled further north from Ezram and entered the territory of the Clangeddin Empire, the greatest and most powerful of the hegemonic states of the northern continent of Alcidea, she could not help but hold some expectations in her heart. Expectations of a prospering nation, or of grandeur not unlike what she had seen in the rebuilt Elmaiya Empire.

Thus it was that her expectations were shattered mercilessly when she tread the lands only to see a place that could charitably be described as just a touch above a wasteland. A poor land where the farmers tilled tirelessly only to secure enough food to eat and pay their taxes with, and little more than that at the best of times.

She assumed the guise of a humble traveler who was lost in her way when she visited the first village she came across. It was a poor village, arguably even poorer than the ones she saw in Ezram just days ago, one where a general feeling of gloom and resignation was visible on the mien of the adults, and even the children looked tired rather than energetic.

The proprietor of what passed for the village’s excuse for a tavern - pretty much just an extension of the proprietor’s yard covered by tarps set on poles with some rough benches and tables arranged - looked at her dismissively at first, until she flicked a silver coin at him, at which point his attitude did an instant turnabout on the spot.

What served as ale in the village tasted like watered down piss even if she was being generous, but at least the proprietor was happy to answer her questions disguised as small talk from someone unfamiliar with the region. That way she at least walked away with some proper information, even if it left her craving for some proper drink to wash the taste on her tongue off.

From what the proprietor told her, the region, officially known as the Barony of Gerouz on the westernmost end, and the County of Lavinja which the village was part of, used to be notably more prosperous in the past, because of the silver mine in the Barony and the gold mines in the County brought them plenty of wealth.

Mining was the main activity of the region, as the soil in the area was not ideal to grow crops on, and the people who lived in the region back then were content to simply import their food from further in the Empire while they mined the wealth of the lands beneath them. In fact, the region was one of the richest in the Empire until two centuries ago.

At that time, the silver mine of the Barony ran dry, and almost instantly, the small region fell into debt and poverty. Rather than come to their aid, their neighbors in the County kicked them while they were down, and even abused the need of their neighbors to sell them grains at an upmarked price, which resulted in an understandable grudge and bad blood between the regions.

Not two decades after that however, the gold mines in the County also dried out, and the County fell into a similar predicament. By then, the people of the Barony had switched to an agricultural life, as they eked out what little they could out of the poor land they lived on, supplemented by daring hunters who gambled their lives to hunt in the shallow regions of the Forest of Despair. While their lives were poor, they managed to become self-sufficient after a while.

In contrast, those in the County were used to easy, luxurious living and had no idea of how to handle things after their gold mines ran out of gold. Within two generations, the County turned from one of the richest regions of the Empire into a destitute one, as nearly half their populace had migrated to other regions or nations.

As they fell deeper and deeper into the throes of debt, the Count of Lavinja at the time even parceled off bits and pieces of their ancestral land to pay off their creditors. As a result, the county, which used to be nearly twice its current size, shrunk until it had sold off the eastern half of its territory before they finally stabilized their downward spiral.

Nowadays, the County was known as a poor, destitute land, the sort of place where only people who had no better option would seek shelter in. As such, it was not uncommon for people who were ridden with debt or had committed minor crimes to seek refuge in the County, where no questions were asked as long as one was willing to work hard.

Naturally, the migration of petty criminals and small-time fugitives had not escaped the eyes of the larger groups of outlaws, and before long, some of them also moved their operation into the County. They had not preyed on the County itself, as the pickings there was far too meager for their tastes, but they used the region as a shelter and hiding place where they escaped to after raiding richer pastures further east.

The proprietor even warned Aideen to be careful when going around, and to ideally seek out groups or caravans to travel with - as poor as the land was, some merchants still made their living in the region after all - as lone travelers were known to be preyed upon by the outlaw bands that plagued the countryside. It was a kind gesture that she repaid by tipping generously when she left the makeshift tavern.

Given her condition and goals, of course Aideen had not heeded that advice, as she only stayed another day in the village before she left quietly at dawn the day after. Most of the village was still asleep, save a few diligent farmers who already started to work at their fields on such an early hour, and she snuck away unnoticed as she headed further north.