We have arrived at Rest Stop One.
No, I am not giving this place that na. It was what this place was known by the locals and travellers that travel this path from Crystal City to Emberfall. It would be the last rest stop when the travel is in reverse.
Anyway, at the rest stop, we aren't the only ones present. There are two caravans that were going to the crystal city or maybe passing the city on their way to soone east of it, probably to the border city with the Frost Empire.
Though there were always clashes between these empires, they would never, on purpose, disrupt the trade between each other. The trade between the empires was far too important for the empires to have such sches.
Millions of people are present in the empire, and all would need resources to grow. An empire consus a lot of resources every day, but there is not a single empire where every type of resource is grown or found. Many resources had to be traded with other nations, especially from other empires.
If the trade routes get damaged, then there would be no trade, and that ans soone would tend to get angry enough to cause a ruckus in their empires.
Though the royals are not afraid of soone causing problems in their empires, as that would be another day for them, trade brings wealth and power to the empire, which would benefit the royals a lot. So, unless there is an enmity that can't be resolved easily or they have plans to fully occupy a nation, trade would not get disturbed normally.
So, if a nation's trade was disturbed, there would be only a single reason, and that is soone did that.
Who it might be and what the consequences of such disturbance would vary.
Think about it.
The enemy nations might be causing the issue to weaken the nation in order to invade and occupy them easily.
Let's take two small kingdoms. When it cos to the overall power of the kingdom, it was not just the growth rate of the kingdom's powerhouses that would be taken into account but also how many would survive long enough would be considered as well.
When wars happen, there would be casualties, and this is sothing unavoidable in a war, but they can reduce the number of casualties.
There are a lot of healing potions available in the world, even if a person is fatally wounded. Until the person is declared dead, there are ways to save the person depending on how much one can spend.
To make potions, herbs are required, and not all landscapes can produce the sa herbs.
So need mountain areas, so need swamp areas and so on like that. So herbs growing in one nation might not be available in other, and if trade gets blocked, these potions would disappear.
An enemy nation would only block trade if their enemy was importing such useful herbs, not if they are the ones that are the ones exporting them.
There is a lot of politics involved in trade, and it is also confusing.
Anyway, the main point is that trade would be disrupted by other nations only when a war is about to start.
Of course, there are bad people like bandits who are killing and stealing too much, which would make rchants from using that route or the presence of powerful monsters would also stop trade.
So, unless situations like these arise, there are always rchants moving from nation to nation easily, without facing many troubles.
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Every group settled as they wanted but made sure that they were near the main group, the rchant caravan.
All the adventurers and hired rcenaries are here to protect the caravan. If they fail, that would leave a mark on their record, and that would an the chances of getting other high-paying jobs would be reduced.
So, no one would be idiotic enough to settle too far away from the main group, in case sothing happens.
Though there were two more caravans, the rchant of our caravan didn't go and greet the other two. It could an either of two things.
One, he doesn't know the other, and he is not soone who mingles with others.
The chances of this being the reason are too low. He is a rchant, and any good rchant needs connections. They would mingle with others even if the other person is lower rank or poor.
Even if the opposite ones are poor or lower-rank awakener, the rchants wouldn't discriminate. What they may encounter in the future, no one knows.
Though not all rchants are friendly, they at least appear friendly even if they are devising sches in their minds, but that didn't happen here.
So, I believe the second reason might be the reason why he didn't go and speak with the other caravans.
Those two caravans either belong to enemies or rivals of the rchant who hired us. If that is so, it could be understandable why he didn't greet them and why they didn't greet him either.
So, that ans we have to be cautious.
I told the twins about my speculations, and they agreed with .
"We need to watch out for those other two caravans. If they belong to an enemy faction of the rchant that hired us, they might try to sabotage us. Even if they didn't, night tis are the best tis for bandits to attack unsuspecting caravans".
"Of course, if those two caravans blatanly attack us, then that would land in trouble, unless they can eliminate us completely without leaving any evidence of their involvent, which is not an easy feat to achieve".
"First, they have to eliminate us, which would not be easy, even though they outnumber us. Second, they have outsiders amongst them too, and they can leak the information for so money. The risks of doing so outweigh the benefits that they gain. So, the chances of those caravans acting against us is minimal", Celine said, adding so more information.
She is right, as usual, of course.
So, we decided to settle away from those two caravans but made sure to keep an eye on them. It's better to be safe than sorry.
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