Chapter 688 (1/2)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The big team walked along a rather narrow road. This road could be likened to a long dragon where neither head nor tail could be seen, and it linked from the horizon on the east side to the horizon on the west side.

This was the merchants’ migration team.

To prevent a war, the Goddess of Wealth had eventually suggested the idea of the merchants heading north and the aristocrats heading south, officially dividing the Commonwealth into two. Despite protests by the middle-class and lower-class folk, the upper-level merchants and aristocrats accepted this suggestion after some discussions. To them, this method was definitely better than war. Even though both sides were itching to destroy the other party and steal the enemy’s money and property, both were scared to lose.

For the aristocrats, even though they had a presumed advantage, it was not a confirmed victory. Furthermore, individuals were also uncertain of the future even if they had inheritances, as they might be lost or stolen in battle. Thus, both parties felt that a separation was still the best solution, even if the merchants who were already in the north and aristocrats who were already in the south disagreed.

After the decision was made, both sides started the long journey in their respective directions.

This was probably the largest physical change in the Commonwealth ever since the mass human migration. The total number of merchants and aristocrats added together was nearly a million!

Originally, the merchants suggested that they only take their inheritance and families with them and not move the people. They mentioned that money could be used to buy the aristocratic folk. However, the aristocrats in the south discussed the matter and decided to move people so as not to leave the merchants with all their human resources. This was to prevent the merchants from becoming stronger and also to make sure that they had enough manpower to take control of the south.

With the migration of the merchants in the south, only their developed properties were left behind due to their vast numbers. To maintain these properties, the aristocrats required much more people (including migrants from the north) to use their farming methods. More importantly, having people was the foundation of their rule. Their private army was made up of the common folk. Even if it was not apparent now, sometime in the future, their numbers would dwindle if the overall population was reduced in size.

The central government in the Commonwealth was not strong, and the aristocratic leaders had their own private fighters and assassins. Overall, there were senses of trouble in the air. If there was no trusty army, even if the aristocrats reached the south, they would still be sitting ducks.

When the merchants in the south discovered that the aristocrats in the north wanted to migrate their full population, they naturally protested till the two clans’ leaders became extremely stressed. Nevertheless, with the decision already made, the aristocrats could not back down now, or they would risk losing face.