Legacy of Verjaniva

by Musketeer

Chapter 10

His eyes slowly opened. The bright light of the sun entered the white room he laid in. Next to him a familiar person.
‘Lewis?’ Blauw asked dizzy. Lewis looked at Blauw.
‘Thank god your awake.’ His voice was filled with relief.
‘How long has it been?’ Blauw asked, still dizzy.’
‘A week brother.’ Lewis answered. ‘Now, you must stay calm and rest. Everything is under control.’
Blauw had many more questions to ask, but he dozed off into another dreamless sleep.
It took Blauw another three days to recover. Although his wound wasn’t healed fully, he told the nurses he felt just fine. Eventually due to Lewis’s pressure, they had no choice but to let him out of the hospital.

While Blauw was in a coma, Lewis and his soldiers had traveled to the Azure family. There, you found an empty palace. They all fled to the mountains towards Ilva. A dangerous journey, but Blauw was sure that the Azures had made it, and were now in Ilva.
‘Why is it such a big deal?’ Lewis had asked him. ‘They happy, we happy right?’
‘No brother.’ Blauw had responded. ‘Ilva’s king has questioned them for sure. Verjaniva is in a state of chaos, and Ilva knows it. They will prepare for an invasion that's what I bet you.’

‘We will activate the 1 year plan that I’ve devised.’ Blauw continued to his brother. ’If Ilva is planning an invasion, we must be prepared. This document contains the plans. Plans to get Verjaniva out of this madness state. We must guide our people to victory. And to protect what they hold dear.’
The nobles sat down at the large table. ‘And why do you need us then?’ one of them asked. ‘Aren't we that ¨scum¨ you hated?
Blauw smiled. ‘You guys are here to finance it all.’ he explained. ‘If we want to raise the economy from dust, and make tunnels in the mountains we need workers. And those workers need money. If we offer them enough, more people will join making the process go quicker.
‘What is our reward for this?’ another asked.
‘Everyone of you, can become a director of a factory. If we pay our workers, they will show up happily. Verjaniva’s economy will come out the gutter, and we will be responsible for it. The times of magic and old days are done. We have to industrialize before we become part of Ilva.’
The nobles people nodded. ‘Everything but Ilva.’ they shouted.

Verjaniva was thriving, as it did a very long time ago. Factories raised from the dirt, and people were finally employed. Verjanivia became less and less dependent on magic as the industry took over work. Cities urbanized, more and more people saw the opportunity to get rich and live a prosperous life. With the money they received, they wouldn't have to grow everything on their own. Remaining farmers acquired larger and larger pieces of land.
Slowly but surely the industrial revolution also reached the rural farmlands. Where people either worked hard or used magic feed their family, new industrial machinery took over the labor force in the countryside.
The future looked bright for Verjaniva. Cities developed rapidly as their inhabitants became more and more wealthy. The economy grew exponential. They even began constructing merchant ship to open up trading with other nations. Verjanvia is no longer the hermit nation it was before.

Blauw looked out the his window. He and his brother had moved to the Stellansk Royal Palace. It was the only place where he felt close to Octavia.
‘Blauw?’ Lewis came through the door. ‘We have some news from Ilva.’ Blauw looked around and faced his brother. ‘Our spies tell us they are indeed mobilizing their army.’ Lewis continued. ‘They are not ready yet, but we do expect them to start attacking in a month or three.’
Blauw turned around. ‘Very well brother.’ he sighted. ‘Verjaniva is not as poor anymore. People are united and have reason to fight.’ It’s time to respond to Ilva.

As the time limit the intelligence gave drew closer, Verjaniva changed yet again. War propaganda was strung up all over towns and cities. Production lines shifted to weapons and equipment. The inhabitants of the northern country supported it. They wanted to show Ilva that last time was fluke. Verjaniva stood proud and ready now. Confident for victory. Whatever the cost might be.
Besides this massive change, there were more plans. Mineworkers worked day and night to make a huge bunker system in the mountains. This system would cut right through the mountais, giving the Verjanivan army a clear vision on Ilva while waiting for an attack.