Nagaril and the Provincial Governor

Nagaril is a coastal country located between the subtropics and the tropics. It is a very underdeveloped country, covered with virgin jungles.

People have always believed that Nagaril possesses abundant mineral resources underground, along with rich forestry resources and various precious spices, making it a prosperous country.

But it is not rich; in fact, it is poor. The poverty is caused by the social structure of Nagaril.

The people living here have believed in their native religion for generations, and they believe that the workings of heaven and earth are immutable, and that every once in a while the world will be destroyed and then reborn.

What they need to do is accept what happens, not try to change anything.

Under the shackles of such ignorance and backward thinking, the Upper Class echelons of society became entrenched and began to decay. They didn't need to worry about the lower classes overthrowing them or even killing them due to various grievances, because they believed it was all ordained by fate! So, did people hate these people? Of course, when these people lay on the bones of the people and acted arrogantly, it would certainly provoke strong resentment from some people.

However, religion has already given them a very satisfactory answer: to curse these people, for everything they are doing now will become the reason for their eternal and boundless torment.

The more severe and numerous the curses, the worse they will suffer when the Great Destruction arrives.

There are even unique buildings called "Land of Admonition" scattered throughout Nagaril, a magical place with astonishing functions.

Whenever someone finds it difficult to bear the various injustices of society, they come here, and the priests stationed here will lead them on a walk around the long walls on both sides of the Land of Admonition.

These walls are carved and painted with many scenes of human suffering. Some humans are tormented by terrible monsters. The priests will tell those who come seeking solace that those they hate will also suffer all the pain shown here, and that they will never be able to stop, and will be endlessly reincarnated in the ocean of suffering.

Most people who have been here have become calm and peaceful, because those they hate and despise are destined to be condemned to hell, while they, the kind people, will have the opportunity to be elevated and become superior beings.

This was a well-established religious system that effectively controlled the people of Nagaril, giving the priests authority and power no less than that of the rulers.

Friction and struggle between theocracy and political power have permeated Nagaril's long history. They have devoted all their energy to these struggles, to the point that some civilizations that appeared later than them have now surpassed them in every aspect, far surpassing them!

There have been attempts to change things, to introduce foreign cultures to challenge Nagaril's ignorant and backward religious culture, but they failed.

These people, who are extremely adept at internal strife, stand closely together when faced with external challenges, fighting against outsiders. Everything they do is solely to maintain their own power, and they never consider anyone else.

This is the kind of country that many people are reluctant to come to in order to avoid trouble, but for Lin Qi it is full of alluring charm.

"Hiss..."

Having just disembarked, Asier stood at the port and glanced back at the Passenger Ship that was being resupplyed. There was a hint of something in his eyes that was hard for others to detect... It was hard to tell what it was, but it was a complex look of longing, reluctance, helplessness, and pain.

He returned to his hometown, and he knew he was home from the air that filled his lungs with each breath.

The air was filled with a strange smell unique to Nagaril, a mixture of sweaty odor and the stench of hair follicles from not being washed for a long time, along with the fishy smell of the sea. It was a smell that was both disgusting and repulsive.

Asier wasn't sure if this smell existed elsewhere; the only place he could remember smelling it was his hometown.

The streets are mostly frequented by locals; very few foreigners come here to do business, though there have been some in the past.

Those foreigners included not only merchants but also scientific research teams. They believed that the primeval forest here must contain abundant natural Mineral Deposit resources. However, after a period of time, these people disappeared completely, mysteriously vanishing.

No one would go to great lengths for a few unrelated people. Even the countries where these missing persons are located are too lazy to communicate with a group of backward and ignorant people. Gradually, foreigners have become less common here, but they are not nonexistent.

The local Upper Class class also needs to enjoy themselves and have fun. They yearn for everything in developed countries, but they are also afraid of them. They need someone to bring things from the developed world here so that they can enjoy everything from afar right here.

These foreigners who manage to stay in the local area play such a role; they are like merchants who specialize in purchasing imported goods for the local Upper Class, and each of them is extremely wealthy.

Coming to his senses, Asier walked toward the city center. There were no sidewalks or driveways; the so-called roads were just dirt tracks where people and vehicles walked together, and traffic was often congested.

In the past, when he walked in places like this, people around him would constantly rub against and bump into him. At the time, he didn't think it was a big deal, but now when he thinks about it, it's really disgusting.

This time, however, no one had any "intimate" contact with him. People would deliberately keep their distance from him when they saw his clothes. Their actions seemed to show respect for him, but some of their eyes held a chilling hatred.

People treat him like a big shot, so avoiding him is instinctive, as is hating him.

As he emerged from the pier, he immediately spotted several locals standing outside, talking loudly. The crowd kept a distance from them because these people were wearing clothes only found in foreign countries.

In Nagaril, those who can afford imported goods are often from the Upper Class of society. These people possess extremely terrible privileges; they can even execute people they dislike on trial. Of course, they must also pay the price for this arbitrary deprivation of others' lives, which is about 10,000 Galil.

The Galil is the currency of the Nagaril. Based on current fluctuations in the international Exchange Rate market, one Federal Sol can be exchanged for approximately forty Galil, and ten thousand Galil is roughly equivalent to Federal worker's monthly salary.

By the way, this is the official Exchange Rate Exchange Rate. On the black market, you can often get ninety to one hundred Galil with Federal Sol. This is the Exchange Rate that is in circulation!

Once the fine is paid, these people can be released without charge, because the money they pay will eventually be presented to the gods. The priests receive revelation from the oracle, and most of the time the gods are forgiving and will forgive these people for their unintentional mistakes.

What if someone hates them?

Then curse them, and their souls will wail eternally in hell during the next Great Destruction.

A small group of people in the crowd, different from the others, had lively expressions when they saw Asier. The guy at the front looked to be in his fifties, with black and white hair, but he was very sturdy and strong.

This is Asier's father. His father had his first child when he was seventeen. Asier was his third child, but not his youngest.

"Welcome back. Where's the boss you mentioned?" Asier's father looked over Asier's shoulder and didn't see any important figures.

In Nagaril, it's actually quite simple to spot an important person. Just look at whether there are people around him and how far they keep from him; that's enough to tell if someone is important.

As the father and son were talking, Asier's brothers gathered around and chimed in with their own comments.

Over the years, Asier inexplicably obtained permanent residency in the Bayer Federation, which suddenly elevated his family from the bottom of society. The money deposited into Asier's father's account every year was enough for all of them to live comfortably without having to work.

Thanks to Asier, the family is now considered Upper Class in the local society.

As the group was talking, a piercing whistle suddenly rang out from afar. Immediately afterward, the chaotic yet strangely orderly flow of people began to panic, pushing and shoving to both sides of the street.

In the distance appeared some men wearing Wide-brimmed Hat and uniforms resembling those of police officers in developed countries. They were carrying two-foot-long wooden sticks wrapped in cloth, which they were whipping at ordinary people on the roadside who were not quick enough to dodge, driving them to the side of the road.

When these people ran up to Asier's family, they didn't beat them with sticks, but instead took off their hats and bowed. This was a local characteristic, reflecting the severe polarization of power and the strict class hierarchy.

It was only at this time that a few cars slowly drove up along the cleared road in the distance. The people in the two cars in the middle seemed to be curious about Asier's family and glanced at them a few more times. One of the girls left a deep impression on Asier.

She was a very pretty girl, even though he had lived in the neighboring state of Bayre for many years, and even though he also liked girls with fair skin like milk and exceptionally developed bodies.

But these were just physical urges, not spiritual ones. This girl was special, very much in line with the culture Asier had been exposed to since childhood. Her face was painted with patterns, and she wore traditional but very luxurious Nagaril jewelry. Everything about her was so perfect.

The girl paused for a moment when their eyes met, then smiled. Perhaps it was the air about Asier that was different from the lower classes of Nagaril that made him seem somewhat interesting, but that was all.

The convoy passed quickly, Asier felt somewhat dazed as he watched it disappear into the distance, obscured by dust and the flow of people returning to the road.

"Whose convoy is that?" he asked, looking at his father.

His father exclaimed with some emotion, "It belongs to the Provincial Governor!"