“Sometimes a simple sentence could change the world in an unexpected manner.” - Saying attributed to the Silver Maiden.

Compared to the mostly uniform inhabitants of the other northern states the three had visited so far, Caracan was a melting pot where people from many different cultures met and worked together. Its status as the largest port on the northern side of the continent meant that many foreign businesses opened stores and offices there for convenience, which further encouraged a mixing of the peoples.

Other than the usual olive-skinned inhabitants of the northern region, they spotted dark-skinned dwarves from Knallzog, as well as their pale-skinned counterpart from the Kingdom Down Under. Some tanned elves from the north, ones that Aideen identified as likely originating from Alfheim, could be seen at times, while humans of every size, shape, and color mingled with one another in the trading port.

Aideen even noticed some people who had the typical slightly slanted eyes similar to those her late teacher had, who turned out to be a merchant associate from the Huan Confederation, far to the north-west, beyond even Alcidea. She made some small talk with the merchant and bought a couple trinkets out of politeness, asking him about his homeland as she had always been rather curious about her late teacher’s birthplace.

The Confederation turned out to be a loose alliance between many small states – some of which didn’t even control an island to call their own and shared their island with another – that banded together to defend themselves from the Aqwa Empire, people who inhabited the other half of the archipelago both nations shared.

War was a frequent occurrence there, and many people had fled because they were sick of the constant fighting. Aideen’s old teacher was likely one such person, which explained why he fled to such a distant land from his birthplace.

She doubted anyone would have enjoyed living in a place that was constantly at war, after all.

Much like what their first impression suggested, Caracan was a nation at peace. Their local contact, who happened to be the current generation’s patriarch of the family who owned the fishery and restaurants, confirmed the situation. Other than some drunken brawls and other normal everyday conflicts, there was little of note in Caracan.

Even the situation with the Sultan’s eldest son was more a matter that caused much gossip and amusement rather than worry for the people. Most took the development in good stride, and where there had been disapproving words, it was mostly aimed at the prince for being unable to rein himself until the proper rites were done. It was definitely a far more peaceful place than any of them had expected.

Even the Lichdom had some presence in Caracan, as apparently merchants from there regularly visited the city to sell a cargo of spices. In the southern continent, the western regions of the Elmaiya Empire, the Western Isles further west, and the southern reaches of Ptolodecca were regions known to produce spices of great quality.

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While those spices were common everyday things for the people who lived in those regions, they fetched a hefty premium in faraway regions that lacked such amenities. It was a profitable enough trade to make merchants ship their cargo halfway around the continent several times a year, as demand was high and profit margins were immense.

Since Caracan was where many such merchants offloaded their spices, the city’s own cuisine naturally reflected that as well, and had a tendency to be richly spiced with the various spices available. Aideen, Kino, and Eilonwy were enjoying a pot of seafood soup done in such a manner in their local contact’s restaurant when Kino happened to broach a topic that seemed to have bothered her quite a bit that day.

“Miss Aideen… you know… Why is it that most of the time when we run into a place where the people suffer, the cause keeps coming from those at the top?” she asked somewhat morosely during the meal. The girl sounded more thoughtful than her usual carefree self, as well. “Aren’t those at the top supposed to care for the people they rule? Why do so many of them abuse the power they had instead? For that matter, why do the people beneath them simply take the abuse instead of resisting?”

“Well, you’ve already learned how the world works, so I know you’re not looking for that sort of answer,” noted Aideen after some thought. “I’m guessing that you’re asking why people often neglect their responsibility and abuse their authority instead of doing their job properly, right? And why they aren’t removed from their position even when it was obviously the case?”

Kino nodded to Aideen’s words.

“I guess some things must be experienced rather than just learned about to understand. Probably the simplest way I could explain it would be that authority and power… have a tendency to corrupt those who wielded them,” said Aideen somberly. “There are people who could handle great authority and do it responsibly, but more often than not, the temptation to abuse said power instead overcomes their reasoning and they end up slaves to their whims. This is part of the reason why when you see people suffer it is often caused by those who were supposed to rule them.”

“As for why such cases were rarely acted upon until it was far too late or until the suffering was so much that the people rose up in arms… that partly has to do with the rather complicated way most countries function,” she added. “In most nations the hierarchy of power was one that was deeply set into their culture and ingrained into their minds. Most people wouldn’t even think about defying their rightful ruler, even when that ruler was abusing their power.”

“Kinda like how nobody in Ptolodecca would think of defying Master,” supplied Eilonwy. “To be fair, that would be beyond stupid anyway.”

“What she said,” confirmed Aideen in agreement. “Most people are used to having certain people be existences they obey, and for many, this is something they have been indoctrinated to do since they were young. It is often difficult for people to break away from this sort of mindset, unless they are already so far down that they have little or nothing left to lose.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t there be someone or something to watch those at the top to make sure they didn’t step out of line?” asked Kino with some exasperation.

“The problem is that those who stand at the top would never submit to such a thing, and nobody really has the authority over them to do so,” explained Aideen patiently. “Those at the top are used to being existences that answer to nobody, and as you’ve seen yourself, even when they do answer to someone, the little bit of authority and the power it offers often lead people astray anyway.”

“As for the people below them, they often have nobody to voice their grievances to. How could they, when the very people that were supposed to help ensure that such situations never happen were the source of those grievances themselves?” she added. “It’s why the lot of the common people is often one of suffering, in this day and age. I’m not fond of the situation myself, but there are limits to what a single person can do.”

Aideen was unaware of it at the time, but that very conversation was one that planted seeds in Kino’s mind. Seeds that would grow into ideas at a later time, ideas that would result in the appearance of a figure of legend, one that every corrupt lord quaked in dread from, for they cared not for authority, and would come to take the heads of such people should their people’s grievances reached their ears.

A figure that was only known as The Bounty Hunter.