"It's unbelievable." After hearing Kalya's slightly mocking words, Ino murmured subconsciously, "Can this be considered remote?"
Standing on the high slope at the exit of the large tunnel, Ino could clearly see the vast expanse of farmland below the mountain - as far as the eye could see, there was not even half a mound under the foot of the mountain, and the east-west southern vein of Mount Targon seemed to be a bulge.
Although it is high on the back of the Shurima continent, the terrain is flat at the foot of the mountain.
"For Shurima in the past, this was a remote place." Kalya shrugged lively, with a hint of subtle joy in his tone, "Southern Shurima is the largest granary of the empire, far away from the political and economic center.
It provides food and drink for the entire empire, but it is precisely because of this that the people of Southern Shuriman are often regarded as country bumpkins."
Nasus was silent, but Ino, Shyvana, and Thalia were all very puzzled by this situation.
"Don't they control the empire's food?" Thalia couldn't help but ask, "How can people who control the food be looked down upon?"
In Thalia's view, even in Stonemantle City, which advocates knowledge and large-scale projects, people who can farm and herd are quite important, and people like South Shurima have a lot of food at a glance and can produce a lot of food.
Wherever you put it, it’s all about the best people, right?
"It's because the empire is too powerful." Kalya's eyes narrowed into slits on his mask, "No matter how hard you work, how much money can you make from digging in the fields?"
Thalia was still a little confused, but Ino suddenly thought of some changes in Forsbarrow in recent years, and couldn't help but nodded slightly.
"I have always hoped that the people of Southern Shuriman can come out and let more people join other industries, but unfortunately, they prefer to stay here." Speaking of this, Kalya couldn't help but sigh, "
This is understandable. Who would want to go to the desert if they could stay here? Even the oasis in the desert cannot be as prosperous as here!"
Nasus sighed inwardly.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go." Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit delicate, Kalya waved his hand simply, "Let's go down together. I haven't been to South Shurima for a long time. I don't know how this place has changed over the years.
What has it become..."
……………………
There are actually many things that Kalya did not elaborate on about Southern Shurima.
It's not that he doesn't want to talk, it's that there are so many problems here that he can't explain them clearly for a while. When he wants to talk, he can only wave his hand and let it go.
As the first area to be "conquered" by the Shurima Empire, this land once had a glorious period. It was the "honeymoon period" between the Shurima Empire and the Titan. Although the southern vein of the Titan Peak is towering, it is not
insurmountable.
Through countless mountain passes, the Shurima Empire obtained abundant food support from Southern Shurima, and these foods became the first milk that nourished the Shurima Empire, allowing the empire to mobilize frequently with amazing mobilization efficiency.
He launched wars of conquest across the land and planted the imperial flag on one oase after another.
However, as the empire gradually expanded, fully controlling the Shurima River Basin, even going deep into the rainforest, whipping up Icathia, and building ships in an attempt to cross the ocean, the importance of southern Shurima to the empire finally began to decline.
With more food-producing areas and more convenient desert transportation, food grown in the Shurima River Basin can be transported to various places in Shurima at a cheaper price.
A ton of wheat produced from Farajera (a city along the Shurima River) was transported by a Doman monster trailer through the Farajese Desert and arrived at Zerima (the northern foot of the southern mountain range of Mount Targon).
, the cost and price are lower than transporting wheat from the Serba Plains in South Shurima to Zhurima!
You know, the straight-line distance from Serba Plain to Zerima is less than 200 miles, but the straight-line distance from Faljira to Zerima is nearly 1,000 miles!
The reason for this situation is very simple, that is, with the help of large beasts of burden, the cost of transportation in the desert is very low, and it is completely possible to cross mountains and ridges on human backs.
No matter how fertile the land in southern Shurima is, the center of the Shurima Empire is destined to be the area along the Shurima River.
When the empire needed food from Southern Shurima, Southern Shurima was the rich brother in the south in the eyes of most people in the empire. The development of the empire was inseparable from their food supply.
Then, as there were enough food-producing areas in the empire, the transportation cost across the southern vein of Mount Targon became unacceptably heavy, and the rich men became rich men.
Then, as the empire began to promote relatively high-yielding crops, the price of food dropped further, and the former rich people became country bumpkins from the south.
In this process, everything in Southern Shurima is completely bound to the Shurima Empire. They cannot do without the Shurima Empire, and they also aspire to become "real Shurima people", but the differences between regions
The contradiction gradually became apparent.
In fact, Kalya presided over the construction of the large tunnel in order to alleviate this contradiction as much as possible, strengthen the cooperation between South Shurima and Shurima through transportation connections, and maximize the use of South Shurima's geography and manpower.
resource.
Unfortunately, the construction of the large tunnel fell short, and only one of the expected three tunnels was opened. Although this tunnel also effectively alleviated many problems in South Shurima, South Shurima had not been able to stand on its own until the collapse of the empire, but Karl
The strategy that Ya expected, using South Shurima and Icathia as a springboard for Shurima to expand to the ocean, ended up being aborted like the other two large tunnels.
It was at this time that the utilization of the solar disk finally reached its limit.
In Nasus's eyes, the Shurima Empire at that time was in a state of simmering flames and blooming flowers.
But in Kalya's eyes, the empire had reached a dead end, and the ship was in danger of turning around.
Even if Kalya is the founder of the empire and the "teacher of all industries" in Shurima, he cannot make the entire Shurima give up the already mature sun disk and study the newly discovered power of runes with him.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! So, Kalya finally gradually left the center of power, and as a scholar, began to fight against the students who were still willing to support him.
The research on rune magic and rune trees hopes to find a new way out for the empire - as long as there is a breakthrough in rune magic, Nakarya will bring newcomers to reshape all order in Shurima!
It's a pity that Kalya didn't get this opportunity.
Even though he had been on guard, even though he had been vaccinated in advance, war still broke out in Icathia.
No one knows that the strong Kalya really had the thought of "I'm tired, let's destroy it."
But... no matter what, Kalya still can't let go of the Shurima Empire.
In other words, in his eyes, the Shurima royal family with its ups and downs is not his child, this huge empire is.
Even if the empire takes a different path, even if it has gradually become difficult to return to, Kalya does not want her children to fall in front of her.
So, he stood on the monolithic fortress and finally bridged the cracks in the earth. Even if it was eroded, he could barely hold on to the empire that was about to collapse by relying on his last few connections.
Times have changed, and the world has undergone tremendous changes.
The newly built Shurima City did not make Kalja feel a little superfluous, but after walking through this large tunnel and looking at the busy southern Shurima plains in front of him, he felt a bit of subtle sadness in his heart.
taste.
It was obvious that he had decided to start a new business, but when he came to the old place again, Kalya still couldn't help but think about the past and his past gains and losses.
Unseen by others, Kalya shook his head gently.
Maybe this time, I am really old.
……………………
Coming down from the mountain, the group walked through the farmland for almost two hours before they saw a village in the distance.
The village is not big, with only a few hundred households.
When a group of people took the initiative to arrive at the entrance of the village, before Ino, who was walking at the front, could speak, there was a rapid sound of gongs in the village. Amidst the sound of gongs, the gate made of long wooden strips was opened.
Was quickly locked up.
Then, several heads holding iron pots poked out from the wall that was as tall as a person.
"Who are you?"
The words with a strong Southern Shurima accent fell on the ears of the three young girls, which was a foreign language they had never heard before. Thalia, Ino and Shyvana, you look at me, I look at you, and you can't help but feel...
They all had the same idea.
"Is this also Shurima?"
Of course it is.
Ryze answered them fluently without even needing Kalya to take action.
Soon, the upper body of the person behind the wall was exposed, and then more people poked their heads out.
After carefully observing Kalya and his group, they retreated again and began to communicate in low voices, and from time to time asked Ryze some questions through the wall.
For these questions, Ryze's answers were also very smooth.
Finally, when Ino was already a little impatient, the door opened.
"Let's go." Ruiz nodded, "They welcome us now."
"It's unbelievable that you still have this kind of ability." Ino said as if meeting Ritz for the first time, "If you are not a native speaker, you probably won't understand this language, right?"
"As long as you live long, travel far, and see a lot, you will eventually understand something." Ruiz was very calm, "Besides, Mr. Kalya should also understand this language."
"I understand a little bit, but I can't hear it clearly." Kalya shook his head slightly, "The language is always changing. I may barely be able to communicate with them, but it will definitely not be easy for someone like you."
"If I hadn't been to Serbaha more than ten years ago, I might not have been able to communicate with you." Ruiz also shook his head, "Mr. Karya's achievements in language are indeed amazing. I have read many of your works.
…”
"It's just a joke..."
"..."
"..."
The communication between Kalya and Ryze was like this. There was always some very subtle politeness. Ino looked at these two old guys who were exchanging business blows expressionlessly, and suddenly felt that in a sense, Ryze and Karl
Ya are really quite similar.
But I don’t know why, based on Ino’s understanding of Kalya, she always felt that there seemed to be no good intentions behind Kalya’s politeness.
If Kalya knew what Ino was thinking, he would definitely scold her loudly - is your teacher like that?
Soon, the business exchange ended. Looking at the confused eyes of the three little girls, Kalya finally returned to the topic of the village in front of her.
"This village looks old, but I remember that there should be a grain distribution market nearby." Kalya carefully looked at everything in the village while explaining to others, "Although the three tunnels only lead to
There was only one tunnel, but the commercial exchange effect brought by the tunnel itself was still good - and along the way, although there were a few collapses in the tunnel, it was still generally intact... It happened that this village had no traces of outsiders at all.
Seth, do you know something?"
"I?"
Nasus, who had been silent before, was suddenly called upon, and couldn't help but subconsciously stand up straight. Then, amidst the subtle laughter of Ino and Shyvana, he shook his head helplessly.
"After the collapse of the post-Shurima Empire, Southern Shurima finally chose to leave the empire. When Xerath left with the remains of Azir, he also took many court mages with him. But at that time, Southern Shurima also chose to leave the empire.
Shurima and Shurima still communicate."
"So, you don't know why the Great Tunnel was abandoned and there is no longer communication between South Shurima and Shurima?"
"There are some guesses." Nasus blinked, "It should be related to the new order after the collapse of the empire, right?"
"Tell me more specifically."
"Those people just looked very wary of us." As he said this, Nasus walked into the village gate. "Perhaps after the empire collapses, there will be sand thieves coming here to plunder?"
"A good guess." Kalya nodded, "It is indeed easy for an ambush to occur in a long and large tunnel without reliable protection. The trade routes also need to be maintained. Without maintenance, the trade routes will be cut off."
"And it also involves the issue of trade goods." Ino also took the initiative to say, "Maybe the people of Southern Shurima don't have anything to buy from the outside world? This was also the case in Demacia in the past. Although there were many good ports, there were not many.
of foreign trade.”
"The thinking is clear." Kalya continued to nod, "but it's not enough."
"There's something wrong with these people." Shyvana, who had been looking around before, finally said, "They seem to be sand pirates!"
Before he finished speaking, the door behind Kalya and the others suddenly closed - and as the door closed, the door, which looked extremely fragile on the front, finally revealed its backside wrapped in thick cast iron.
This village has so many defenses, not to protect itself, but to serve as a trap for speculators who accidentally discovered this long tunnel!
When someone discovers this ancient tunnel and finally reaches South Shurima after passing through the tunnel, these honest-looking farmers will teach them a lesson and teach them the rules of survival in South Shurima.