Chapter 3: An Opportunity

Caravan Ribat is where the desert and rainforest exchange goods.

Or more accurately, it is where the rainforest harvests the desert.

The game could only present a part of it, but experiencing it in person revealed its vastness.

But he quickly reined in his gaze and continued leading the caravan forward.

Many people noticed this caravan, glanced at it, and then shook their heads, moving their gaze away.

One should not have high expectations for merchants from the desert.

Desert caravans were generally operated by the [Corps of Thirty]. Either they were directly supported by the Eremites, or they had to hire these people as bodyguards.

These people were merchants with their weapons sheathed and bandits and robbers with their blades drawn.

If you didn't hire them as bodyguards, they would immediately become robbers, and in the desert, without the protection of a [Corps of Thirty], you would only encounter robbers along the way.

They could tell at a glance that Rama's caravan was one of them, not a caravan operated by rainforest people.

Attacking such a group was not worth it; even if they had money, the cost would be too high.

"Only Caravan Ribat, Aaru Village, and the distant Port Ormos can shoulder the responsibility of trade between the desert and the rainforest."

"Because trade requires a peaceful environment, but with the Eremites rampant in the desert, they don't play by the rules."

A bandit's business philosophy is simple: I want something, but I don't want to pay.

Anyone cooperating with them needs a strong authority to maintain a peaceful trading environment.

"If one side doesn't play by the rules, the other will resist trading. This is where a powerful figure is needed to ensure everyone follows the rules, maintaining the trading environment."

Aaru Village has Candace.

In the game, she's just a four-star character, but in her personal story, Candace is almost the key to Aaru Village's peace.

The desert people even claimed she could control sandstorms, calling her a true descendant of the Scarlet King.

Though this is false, this woman indeed is a formidable fighter.

But her strength alone isn't enough; Aaru Village cannot bear the burden of large-scale trade.

Just like Caravan Ribat, if it took on the entire desert's trade, Candace couldn't hold the line.

She could protect Aaru Village not because her strength was unparalleled but because the village's value was limited and backed by the Akademiya.

That place could only handle a small amount of commerce. The true trade hub was Caravan Ribat.

Caravan Ribat had strong backing and even stronger fists.

The peace of Caravan Ribat's trading environment was maintained by the "Corps of Thirty," backed by the Akademiya. This strong authority maintained peace, attracting various "caravans" to gather.

But peace and fairness are not the same.

If one thinks the trade benefits the desert people because of the Eremites's violence, they are gravely mistaken.

The trade might cause losses to both parties, but on the host's turf, the host won't suffer a loss.

Rama was not the decision-maker of this caravan. He was merely accompanying it to see the world outside the desert, while the real trader was someone else.

The tribe-appointed supervisor skillfully guided the caravan into a tavern and then dispersed.

The tribe's warriors sat in the tavern, while the supervisor sought out suitable merchants for trade.

"Let's go, haven't you always wanted to see this place?"

Tadhla was the only one who remained vigilant.

In the entire caravan, Rama was the only indispensable person; the rest were not as important.

"First, let's contact the local underground trade association and see if we can find some useful contraband."

Rama's expression turned serious.

What he wanted was simple, just some slightly advanced knowledge.

But Sumeru is a peculiar country.

The Akademiya controls all the nation's knowledge using canned knowledge and the Akasha System, strictly forbidding knowledge circulation outside the Akademiya. Even ordinary canned knowledge is pursued by the Great Vahumana.

Knowledge is indeed precious and should be carefully preserved.

But the Akademiya's actions are not about preserving knowledge; they are about prohibiting its flow and controlling its dissemination.

They imprison knowledge within the Akademiya, and the only way for anyone to access it is to join the Akademiya and work for them.

Don't think working for them is terrible. Given the rainforest people's attitude towards the desert people, even if you want to work for them, the Akademiya must consider whether you are qualified.

"Normally, a region cannot go five hundred years without producing a spark."

"The desert had to become a vassal of the rainforest after losing the Scarlet King, but only a vassal, not primitive people needing to start over."

"And with the advent of writing and paper-making, knowledge should find ways to spread."

"But the fact is, this place cannot develop."

Rama's expression was calm.

If an animal can't get fat, it must have parasites;

If hardworking people cannot become rich, that society must have vampires.

This logic might not solve every problem, but it applies to the desert people.

"The rainforest people have their hands on the desert people's throats."

"Science and knowledge cannot change the desert people's fate because if I dare to reveal it, I'll become a corpse."

"The cause of poverty isn't ignorance but the strong powers manufacturing ignorance."

Facing such power, the only solution is armed struggle.

They won't reason with you. Only by hurting them can you qualify to negotiate, and only by defeating them can you change the desert's fate.

Rama's expression grew more serious.

Much of the desert's situation stemmed from the Akademiya's manipulation, with another part being people never considering the desert's interests.

They didn't realize poverty wasn't because they were born in the desert but due to factors outside the desert.

Each tribe fought for itself, viewing other tribes as enemies.

Strictly speaking, this is the most primitive form of rule.

Next, a mighty hero must emerge from one tribe, unite his tribe, conquer other tribes, and unify the desert people.

Someone has done this before, but the desert lacks the environment for it.

A chaotic desert suits the Akademiya's interests.

In ancient times, the steppe could slowly unify because the Central Plains had no effective way to deal with the steppe peoples.

Historically, defense was the main strategy, with few offensive campaigns.

Unable to reach the enemy, they couldn't stop them from unifying.

But the Akademiya has the Thirty-man Brigade, grounded in desert people fighting desert people. The past sages of the Akademiya have long established this system.

An opportunity is needed to solve all these problems.