At night, somewhere in the vast desert of Buserite, atop a wind-eroded giant rock formation, two figures were standing at this very moment, standing in the black wind that carried sand.
One of them was a bald, portly man, who was none other than Jawadin, an executive of the Order of Rot who had been overseeing the affairs of Bastis. He stood respectfully in the wind.
Across from him was a hunched old woman with a face full of wrinkles and dry, white hair.
This old woman wore several pieces of cloth with twisted line patterns stitched together as hangings, and various jewels and fragmented animal bones were strung into ornaments and necklaces hanging on her body. She held a winding, twisted wooden staff, and the pupils of her eyes were very cloudy.
She stood quietly in the cold night wind, seemingly unaffected by the wind and cold despite her aged body.
"Chief Amuayaba... those Shining Light lackeys outside the city have already taken in over twenty thousand refugees.
Based on my estimate of their food reserves, they will likely run out of food in two days at most.
If they continue to maintain their ridiculous scale of relief, the entire camp will soon collapse..."
Jawadin reported to the old woman, who was called Amuayaba.
After listening, Amuayaba was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Is that so... Then, those people, are they still not thinking of making a move on Bastis?"
"No!
They are all very patient, with no signs of a forceful attack at all, just completely guarding outside the city.
Not only that, we haven't even seen any attempts at infiltration to directly capture me for interrogation, which is a bit different from what we expected..."
Jawadin said this to Amuayaba.
After hearing Jawadin's words, Amuayaba paused slightly, then continued to speak.
"It seems they have a steady person leading them.
What a pity.
If they had chosen to directly confront the issue of Bastis head-on, then the Shining Light Church wouldn't have to consider establishing a foothold in Buserite at all..."
Amuayaba said with a slightly regretful tone.
Listening to her words, Jawadin spoke again.
"Yes, that Sister Vanya is indeed not very combative... it's hard to make her fall into Bastis's trap.
But that doesn't matter.
Our other methods have also started to work.
In two more days, once they finish their food, they will either attack the city to seize food or leave..."
"Then have they also not gone to research how to cure this saint plague?"
"Not that I know of.
The problems of food and management alone are enough to make them overwhelmed, they have no free time to study the saint plague.
Heh, actually, I hope that Sister Vanya can spend more time researching the cure for the saint plague.
The more they research, the stronger the saint plague becomes, and when the saint plague breaks out in the Shining Light base, the more difficult it will be for them to handle..."
Jawadin said with a clear smile of triumph.
Listening to his words, Amuayaba didn't say much, but looked towards Bastis in the distance again for two glances before speaking again.
"Although, as long as this saint plague in Buserite doesn't end, we will be in an invincible position, we must not take those people lightly.
Continue to monitor them, and don't relax your vigilance until they have completely withdrawn..."
"Alright, that's all for today.
You go back to Bastis first.
Remember, do not discuss any critical information in the city, especially regarding the saint plague and me.
The Holy Mountain's trump card given to that little Sister is still unclear, and she might have some connection with that so-called Judge of Heaven.
No important information exchange outside the range of my influence is allowed."
"Yes."
Jawadin replied respectfully and with great certainty to Amuayaba.
After seeing his response, Amuayaba looked towards the distance again.
...
The moon set and the sun rose, day and night rotated, and soon a night's time had passed.
The rising sun from the edge of the eastern desert shone light upon this world.
In the Bastis oasis, the camp of the Church relief mission welcomed a new day under the illumination of the morning sun.
Wisps of cooking smoke slowly rose between the vast tents, and there were surging crowds everywhere.
Compared to a while ago, the scale of this camp had expanded significantly.
Due to the continuous influx of refugees, the size of the camp had increased countless times compared to the beginning.
Looking out, there were wailing crowds everywhere, and the original personnel of the mission were already overwhelmed.
And of course, more than the lack of manpower, what was making the camp even more tense now was the issue of food.
Due to the shortage of food, the camp had experienced a decrease in alms for several consecutive days.
Many refugees could not get enough food.
Although after explanation, the vast majority of refugees expressed understanding and cooperated with the reduction in food, a small number of people began to show dissatisfaction.
This dissatisfaction spread and grew, and has now begun to induce some malicious incidents.
"This morning, in the South Camp and East Camp, there have been 21 cases of fighting over food, one of which involved at least 25 people, resulting in 10 injuries and 2 deaths.
The total number of casualties caused by various malicious incidents this morning is 47..."
Inside Vanya's large tent in the center of the camp, Sister Phil stood and reported to Vanya, who was seated on a chair.
After hearing Phil's words, Vanya couldn't help but pause slightly, then spoke again.
"Has it increased so much compared to yesterday?
Although food supply has started to be restricted now, it shouldn't be to the point of starving people to death..."
"Yes... the food supply is indeed not at that level yet, but due to the decrease in supply, panic has spread throughout the camp.
Many people believe that our food will run out soon, so they want to hoard more by fighting for it... And what they believe is not wrong.
If we continue to maintain such food expenditure, we indeed cannot last long..."
With a serious and solemn expression, Phil said to Vanya.
After hearing Phil's words, Vanya did not respond immediately, but sat in her seat with a heavy expression, not knowing what she was thinking.
Facing Vanya's silence, Gaspare, who was standing on the other side, seemed unable to sit still.
He stepped forward and spoke directly.
"Sister Vanya, the current situation doesn't allow for further hesitation.
Since our food won't last long, let's just order an attack on the city!
No matter how much food there is in Bastis, getting it will at least allow us to last longer!"
Gaspare said this, but Vanya did not respond to Gaspare's words, but continued to sit in her chair in silence.
Seeing this, Gaspare couldn't help but feel a little anxious thought rise in his heart.
'Sister Vanya... is too kind.
This is not the time for indecisiveness...'
'Sister Vanya, her character as a Holy Mother believer and a relief worker is indeed impeccable, but as a leader, she doesn't seem particularly suitable.
Whether we fight or retreat, we should make a decision early, instead of hesitating until now... No wonder there has always been a voice in the saint church calling Sister Vanya a lucky vase...'
Standing on the other side, Sister Phil looked at the silent Vanya and thought to herself.
As the assistant specifically assigned to Vanya by the Redemption Faction, she also had her own abilities and opinions.
'This trip to Buserite might also be a test given to Sister Vanya as a leader... Now it seems this test is difficult to pass.
Sister Vanya...
Not every difficulty can be protected by heavenly luck... I understand your desire to save as many people as possible, but just like this, food will not appear miraculously out of thin air...'
Sister Phil thought this in her heart.
Just at this moment, the curtain of the large tent was suddenly lifted, and then a figure quickly walked in from behind.
It was a mission guard.
"Sister Vanya, outside, a large camel caravan has been spotted approaching Bastis."
"Camel caravan?
What are they doing?"
Listening to the guard's report, the originally silent Vanya couldn't help but say with her eyes brightening, and the guard immediately replied.
"We don't know yet, but we have sent out scouts to make contact with them, and there should be results soon."
After speaking, the guard stepped aside and stood there quietly waiting.
At this time, Gaspare continued to speak seriously.
"In the current prevalence of 'Wasting Decay'... there are still large camel caravans active in the wild?
That's a bit suspicious..."
Just as Gaspare was expressing his opinion, the curtain of the large tent was lifted again, and another guard ran in, reporting loudly to Vanya.
"Sister Vanya!
We have made contact with that camel caravan, and they say they are merchants, specifically here to do grain business in Buserite!"
The guard said loudly.
Listening to his words, Phil and Gaspare in the large tent couldn't help but be slightly startled and then looked at each other in disbelief.
Vanya, who was sitting in the chair, slightly exhaled a sigh of relief, then silently closed her eyes, seemingly praying for something in her heart.
...
Many people in the mission camp found it hard to believe that in the current Buserite, there were still legitimate merchants active.
Not only that, these were legitimate grain merchants, carrying a huge amount of grain.
Whether it was plague or bandits, these were things that merchants avoided, but there were still people willing to do business here.
Although it was incredible, it was also a fact.
"Over here!
Over here, hurry up, fellows, put everything over here, let the customer sirs take a look, let them check carefully~"
On the edge of the Bastis Oasis, a little distance from the camp, a large caravan was currently stopped. Camels and trailers loaded with goods were gathered in piles and groups. Under the guidance of a slightly overweight, bearded boss wearing a luxurious robe, countless caravan workers were unloading sack after sack from the trailers, arranging them in rows. Each sack, once placed on the ground, was quickly opened, revealing large piles of fine white flour.
Countless sacks of flour were opened one by one. Then, the mission guards waiting nearby, led by Gaspare, swarmed forward to carefully inspect each sack of flour, ensuring the safety of the flour itself and that nothing else bad was hidden inside.
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On the other side, after the caravan boss finished shouting orders to his subordinates, he walked over with a smiling face. Standing there were Vanya and Phil.
"Haha, I heard in Adus that Sister Vanya would come to Buserite to provide relief. I thought, maybe our business trip could reach Captain. I didn't expect it to actually happen. This is truly our honor..."
The bearded boss said as he bowed to Vanya, and Vanya also smiled in return.
"I also didn't expect that there would still be normal merchants active in Buserite today. The situation here is much worse than before. Aren't you afraid of danger?"
"Afraid, of course I'm afraid. But as the saying goes, crisis and opportunity coexist. Hard currency like grain is more valuable in harsher environments. If the profit is enough, no matter how dangerous it is, it cannot stop the footsteps of those who are determined..."
The bearded boss continued to say with a smile. Listening to his words, Vanya also spoke frankly again.
"In any case, I am very grateful to Captain for appearing at this time... Although your supplies are very important to us, could the price be a little cheaper? The price you just gave is already more than ten times the market price..."
"Hehe... Since Sister Vanya has said so, then I will make it a little cheaper. It can also be considered my gratitude as an Adus person to Sister Vanya and my support for the work of the Church... Overall, I'll give you another 10% discount..."
The bearded boss said this to Vanya, and then the two of them began a continuous bargaining process. Phil, who was not far away, watched all of this with a somewhat blank expression.
'At a time like this, a grain merchant with so much grain suddenly appears... Sister Vanya... Is she truly blessed by the Heavenly Fortune bestowed by the Lord?'
Looking at Vanya in front of her, Phil thought this. At this moment, she suddenly realized one thing: if a person truly has the favor of the divine, then the importance of any other quality is meaningless...
Just as the transaction was actively taking place here, on a small hill in the distance from the camp, a Sister named Faith, wearing a black Sister's robe, was looking at all of this from afar and spoke softly with a slight smile.
"Oh my... What an unexpectedly magical caravan. What kind of power shaped their appearance?"
"It's a pity... It seems that I won't see that little Sister make some difficult choices for a while... But having grain only alleviates the immediate crisis. If this plague is still raging, it will always only be treating the symptoms, not the root cause..."
Faith said this, her words drifting and ethereal, seemingly present and absent. Neither her mouth movements nor her voice itself seemed to exist...
...
"Hmm... In that case, the grain problem is temporarily solved..."
Inside another tent in the camp, Dorothy, sitting on the carpet, stretched widely and said. At this moment, she was controlling an entire caravan to trade with Vanya's mission, selling them a large amount of grain.
That's right, the grain caravan currently active on the edge of the camp is entirely Dorothy's puppets. Dorothy specifically had them deliver a batch of grain to the camp which was short on supplies, alleviating the camp's grain crisis while also making a little money.
And almost all of the grain carried by the caravan was grown by Dorothy in the False History world. It took Dorothy less than a day to produce all of this grain.
Although the False History world is a false history, the world itself is real. They are real worlds constructed by "enlightenment" as the dominant force, simultaneously controlling various spirits. By compiling false histories, Dorothy can control them to a certain extent.
Dorothy first set up a False History world with relatively good subsequent conditions and relatively developed agriculture, and then brought a batch of wheat seeds from real history. After returning to the past of the False History world by revoking the era, she hired farmers in that world to plant these wheat seeds. Then, by compiling the era, she went to the future of the False History, harvested the ripe wheat, and hired farmers to process it into flour. After doing this several times repeatedly, she directly produced a large batch of grain.
After that, all Dorothy had to do was choose a place in Buserite, bring out the grain, form a caravan through puppets, and deliver it to the camp from "thousands of miles away," and then sell it.
The higher the selling price, the better. Anyway, the Church's allocation to Vanya's mission is very sufficient, and Vanya herself is not good at misappropriating funds. Dorothy might as well earn this hard-earned money. A lower price would also arouse more suspicion about her motives.
'So... Now that the grain crisis in the camp is resolved, the next step should be to address the "Wasting Decay" itself... Only by completely solving this plague can the problem of Buserite be fundamentally alleviated...'
After stretching, Dorothy thought as she stroked her chin. Next, she had to really consider how to solve the "Wasting Decay," because now, she had finally obtained important clues about this plague.
'Amuaba... The person in charge of the Rot in Buserite? If I can control her... or solve her directly, then perhaps I can get clues to cure this plague...'
Dorothy thought this in her heart. Then, after thinking for a moment, she stood up and walked out of the tent, looking at the towering city walls of Bastis in the distance.
...
At this moment, on the city walls of Bastis, Jawadin was standing here, looking solemnly at the scene of the transaction on the edge of the distant camp. Beside him, an acolyte of the Order of Rot said with surprise.
"Priest, did Captain see that? That's actually a caravan!"
"I saw it, you don't need to remind me..." Jawadin said with a serious expression, while the acolyte beside him continued to speak loudly in surprise.
"In Buserite at a time like this... there is actually a grain caravan appearing. This situation is very unusual. Now those guys have grain to eat again! What should we do now?!" The acolyte's voice was a little loud, which made Jawadin feel annoyed. He couldn't help but scold the acolyte beside him.
"Don't be so startled here, I know what you said, you don't need to remind me. Now get down immediately and let Gedou come up..."
"Yes... Yes! I'll go now!" After hearing Jawadin's somewhat impatient words, the acolyte immediately ran down the city wall and met another acolyte who was waiting at the foot of the city wall.
"The Priest is a little dissatisfied with me now, I will avoid him for a while, you go up and serve him well..."
"I understand..."
The two acolytes said this, and after bowing to each other while holding their chests, they parted ways. One went into the city, and the other went up to the city wall to wait for Jawadin's orders at close range and communicate with him closely.
And at this moment, in the void, an invisible spiritual thread was pulling on their bodies, controlling their every move. Not only them, but everyone around Jawadin at this moment had such an invisible link.
Since when, Jawadin had been constantly talking to these people... commanding... communicating...
...
On the edge of the mission's camp, at the scene of the large-scale transaction, after fully bargaining with the mission's people, the bearded boss, who had finally confirmed the transaction price, finally let out a slight sigh of relief. After handing over the detailed transaction to his subordinates, he came to a quiet corner by himself, smoking a cigarette while watching the lively transaction scene in the distance.
And at this moment, an ethereal and illusory voice gently sounded not far from him.
"Captain's arrival... is truly like a timely rain..."
Hearing this voice, the bearded boss couldn't help but pause slightly, then turned his head. What he saw was a translucent Sister, like a Ghost, floating there faintly, smiling at him.
"Just like last time in Kankdar, Captain still values Sister Vanya as always... Captain who seeks ancient wisdom..."