Chapter 425 Sivir's Diary
November 23, 6879 Shurima, Beljum.
This is the first day of the commission.
From the day when the trusted Myra stabbed me in the back, robbed me of everything and abandoned me in the desert, I learned the most important survival rule of Shurima -
Don't trust anyone.
There are no good people in Shurima.
There is only sand in this vast desert, and no soil for humanity and morality to survive.
The flower of ideals may bloom anywhere in the world, but in Shurima, it will only dry up and die.
So I don’t believe in trendsetters, nor do I believe in their high-sounding slogans.
I believe they must have other intentions, just like the Piltover merchants and Noxian invaders who have come to Shurima in the past few hundred years.
I speak out on this point in the hope of exposing the hypocrisy of these leaders.
But Taliyah said she could understand me.
She also said that this trip will definitely change my view of leaders.
Really? I don't believe it.
…
November 24, Bergen.
These leaders really have plenty of free time.
They finished measuring the flow of some river yesterday and surveyed the surrounding terrain, and today they began looking for people to chat with all over the city.
Beggars on the street, wandering orphans, contract workers at the docks, slaves in the manors outside the city... no matter how humble the status of the person they are talking to, they can always chat with each other enthusiastically.
I was yawning as I listened to it.
What's the point of these people's stories? A bitter taste of despair.
Hey, this is Shurima. What's so new about this tragic story?
I'm tired of watching it.
Fortunately, the commission was agreed to be charged on a daily basis.
They like to chat and I enjoy having some free time.
…
November 27, Bergen.
Three days passed, and these leaders still showed no intention of leaving for other cities.
They continued to chat with all kinds of people, the conversations became more and more in-depth, and the information they obtained became more and more comprehensive.
I followed Taliyah all the time, and I saw many details that I had overlooked.
I have to say, these leaders have indeed changed some of my thoughts.
Take, for example, my opinion of Bergen.
In my original understanding, or in the impression of most Shurimans, the life of the Belgeuns is already a "good day like in heaven".
For no other reason than there is water here and it is close to the sea.
With water, the land here can grow grains, fruits and vegetables.
There would be no need for them to be like those desert tribes who regard water as their life, fighting each other day after day for a pitifully small oasis and an almost dried-up underground river, like wild beasts competing for food.
Being close to the sea and across the sea from the Valoran continent, it is destined that there will be prosperous business here.
Treasures looted by desert bandits, cultural relics unearthed by tomb robbers, animal skins produced by nomadic tribes in the central region, and various rare minerals mined by hilly tribes in the south.
These people go back and forth in the sand and wind, and the good things they get at the cost of their lives, must eventually cross the vast desert and gather on the northern coast of Shurima.
North coast city-states like Bergen only needed to ship these good things and sell them, then lie back and count the money.
It's just because it's close to the sea, has a port, and is closer to the Valoran continent, where goods are exported.
In short, compared with other areas in Shurima, this place already has enviable natural conditions.
So I thought that no matter how bad the life of the Belgians was, it couldn't be worse than the tribesmen I met in the desert.
What's more, I have been an orphan wandering in a desert city since I was a child. No one understands this miserable world better than me.
In the past, the sufferings of the Belgians were like fly bites in my eyes, not worth mentioning at all.
But the social survey conducted by the leader seemed to reveal to me another side of this prosperous city-state .
…
November 30, Bergen.
The social investigation of Bergen is gradually coming to an end.
Although I have been following Taliyah and seen many things.
But Talia's investigation results alone are not enough to explain anything.
I really want to know how detailed and true the information collected by so many investigation team members can be combined to describe the situation in Bergen.
So, out of curiosity, I took the initiative to ask Taliyah this question for the first time.
Taliyah was glad I asked her.
She also told me in detail the true situation in Bergen.
"Be it Beljuin or other port cities on the northern coast of Shurima, they are just a straw inserted by the Noxian Empire into the Shurima continent."
"These straws are constantly sucking the blood of the Shurima continent outward. The blood and sweat of the Shurimans left on the walls of the straws have created the superficial prosperity of Beljum."
This is how Taliyah summed it up.
And that is exactly the case.
Taliyah mentioned before that because the water vapor here is relatively abundant, agriculture in the Bergjun area is quite developed.
Also, because it is not far from Zaun and Piltover, only a day and night's flight away, it has become an important fruit and vegetable supply base for the two cities.
The export of basic agricultural products alone can bring extremely lucrative profits to Bergen every year.
Not to mention, the gold, jade, rare minerals, and ancient artifacts brought by desert caravans will eventually gather here and be exported.
It can be said that Berghun is indeed very rich.
But where did all the money go? Did such huge profits really benefit the vast majority of Beljur benefactors?
The answer is obviously no.
I can imagine that, too.
As the leader of a medium-sized mercenary group, I and the backbone members of the team usually take the lion's share of the commission, and the rest is distributed to the lower-level mercenaries.
It is only natural that the upper class eats meat and the lower class drinks soup.
But what I didn't expect was that in Berghun:
"Noxians eat meat, Shurima compradors drink soup. And ordinary Belgians... in fact, they are the meat and soup shared by the imperial masters and comprador merchants."
That’s what Taliyah told me.
The exports of Beljun are indeed valuable enough. However, all these exports need to be sold smoothly through the "Shurima North Shore Trading Company" operated by the Noxus Empire.
In other words, the bulk of the profits from Beljur's foreign trade were actually taken away by the Noxians.
After handing over its economic sovereignty, the city-state council of Bergjune only received a 10% annual profit dividend from the Shurima North Coast Trading Company.
90% of them belong to Noxians, and the merchants in Beljun can only get 10%.
And this 10% is not something that anyone can get. Only Shurima merchants who cooperate with the Noxian Empire and have colonial officers as shareholders are eligible to participate in this foreign trade that is completely dominated by Noxus.
"Berguin's exports are completely controlled by colonists and comprador merchants."
“And on the import side, the situation in Bergen is not much better.”
"Noxians don't even need to produce their own goods. They just need to buy shiploads of cheap industrial products in Zaun, and then make a fortune in the northern city-states of Shurima such as Belgian."
"Exports cannot keep profits, and imports are dumped in a predatory manner. Even if Bilgeon is close to Zaun and Piltover, it is impossible for it to start the path of industrialization and move towards prosperity and progress."
This kind of sustainable plundering method has in fact seriously damaged the interests of the Beljum merchant class.
Even if they worked hard as compradors, in the end they could only drink a little of the soup left over by the Noxians.
So why didn't they resist?
Faced with the invasion and colonization of the Noxian Empire, these coastal city-states have never organized a decent resistance.
Why were those who rebelled against the Noxian Empire often the desert tribes closer to the North Shore colonies, rather than the North Shore merchants who suffered directly from colonial rule and whose interests were most severely damaged?
I raised this question at the time.
Taliyah’s answer is:
"Because compared to the Noxian colonists, the merchants of the coastal city-states on the northern coast of Shurima are actually more afraid of their theoretical compatriots, the desert tribes in the south."
All desert tribes know that the northern coast of Shurima is a good place.
If you can occupy the city-state on the north bank and make money by lying down in the well-watered coastal area, who would be willing to stay in the desert and eat sand?
So, in the nearly 3,000 years since the fall of the Shurima Empire...
The history of Shurima can almost be seen as the history of the powerful desert tribes in the south constantly invading the coastal city-states on the northern shore.
A powerful desert tribe emerged from the endless yellow sand and occupied the colorful world on the northern coast of Shurima. Then, a hundred years later, it was replaced by the next tribe emerging from the southern desert.
History repeats itself endlessly, and no master of the North Shore city-state has ever been able to maintain their wealth and status for long.
Until the arrival of the Twin Cities colonists three hundred years ago, and later the Noxian Empire.
Taliyah thought that the Noxian Empire must be evil in the eyes of the Shurima people.
But in fact, those merchants from the North Shore city-states who had suffered from the desert tribes for a long time, originally welcomed the royal army with food and drink, and begged Noxus to station troops here.
"They would rather serve as dogs for the Noxians than to maintain their position."
"With the Noxians, they can still have a good life. Without the Noxians, they may be replaced at any time."
"So, they betrayed Shurima."
Even the comprador merchants were willing to be dogs and could only eat leftovers.
Let alone the plight of ordinary Beljurs.
"The industry and commerce of Beljuin have long been completely monopolized by Noxian colonists and comprador merchants. Ordinary people have almost no other way out except to work for them and do labor."
So does Beljun treat its employees well?
There is no need to discuss this issue.
For there were almost no free hired hands in Beljuin, only slaves.
Don't forget, this is Shurima.
"The desert tribes are constantly at war with each other, and the flames of war spread disorderly across the yellow sands of Shurima every day."
This means that every day a tribe would be destroyed in the desert, and every day countless tribesmen would be reduced to slaves.
These slaves will be regarded as hot-selling commodities by the desert tribes and sold to the northern city-states of Shurima in a steady stream.
"Not to mention, the Noxian Empire itself is the largest slave trader in Runeterra."
"They couldn't use up all the slaves they captured from all over the world, so much so that a large part of them were treated as worthless consumables and thrown into their colonial plantations on the northern coast of Shurima."
With two stable, large-scale and high-quality supply sources, the Desert Tribe and the Noxian Empire, it is easy to imagine how cheap a human life can be here.
"Not to mention, this place is not far from Zaun." Taliyah also mentioned this point.
Because it is not far from Zaun, the manor owners of Beljuin also learned the "advanced" slave management experience of the alchemy barons from old Zaun, which greatly improved the work efficiency of the slaves.
In addition, human lives here are cheaper than in old Zaun, so they are even more unscrupulous in consuming slaves.
"Slaves are cheap, useful, and in steady and plentiful supply."
"This means that an ordinary Beljurer who has no family inheritance or special skills usually has only two choices:"
"One, escape from here and find another way to make a living."
“Second, they become unemployed for a long time because their jobs are replaced by slaves, and they are burdened with debts due to the high cost of living, and eventually become slaves themselves.”
Most people would choose the former. After all, no one wants to be a slave.
But the former may not be a good choice.
Because coastal city-states like Bergjun are already the richest regions in Shurima.
Where can they escape to if they escape from here?
Escape into the vast desert? The desert tribes themselves are so poor that they can’t even afford to eat, so how can they afford to feed outsiders?
So when things finally develop, there is often only one choice:
"Escape to Piltover ."
Everyone yearns for this city of civilization and progress. The city-state on the north coast of Shurima is not far from the Twin Cities and has close trade relations with them. The residents here naturally yearn for the legendary prosperity of Piltover.
So over the past many years, countless desperate people on the northern coast of Shurima, with fantasies of a better future, resolutely boarded the ships to Piltover.
But after these people go to this dream city, can they really get the life they have dreamed of?
No.
"As outsiders without legal status, they will only receive the same treatment as Zaun apprentices."
What are the benefits for apprentices in Zaan?
Come to Piltover to work for a pitiful apprentice-level salary, and then go back to Zaun honestly after work.
In short, Piltover has ten thousand ways to make it impossible for you to take root or gain a foothold here. You can only come here naked and leave naked.
This is the fate of most Zaun apprentices.
The Zaun people will be driven back to Zaun, and where will the Shurimans be driven to?
Of course it’s Zaun.
The Piltover law enforcers won't be kind enough to pay for their boat ride back to Shurima.
What's more, these Shurimans can no longer go back, because even if they go back, there is no place for them in the North Coast city-state.
They could only go to Zaun, sell their last surplus value to those alchemy barons, and then die without dignity.
This is also the reason why the population of Zaun has remained stable and not declined despite the fact that the Chem-Barons are so wasteful of human lives.
Because outside the two cities, there are too many desperate places like the northern coast of Shurima.
People come to Piltover, the "paradise", with the last glimmer of hope, but then their fantasies are shattered and they fall into the hell on earth of Zaun.
“Many of our comrades in the investigation team came to Zaun in this way.”
Taliyah pointed to the members of the survey team around her and said to me:
"They are Shurimans, apprentices from Piltover, and workers from Zaun."
"There are no so-called apprentices in Piltover now, and the workers in Zaun have stood up. But the Shurimans are still sinking in this endless suffering."
"So, Sivir - do you understand why we came back?"
…
December 1, Bergen.
After listening to Talia’s summary of the social survey results yesterday, I felt inexplicably angry.
I myself can't explain where this anger comes from.
I have never cared about the fate of Shurima or the people of Shurima.
I am doing well myself, that's enough. The conspiracy of Noxus and the comprador merchants has not affected my business.
In fact, I've made a lot of gold in the past from the business brought in by those Noxian rich guys.
But after this social survey, seeing the suffering they have brought to this land, I still feel angry instinctively.
I instinctively wanted to change all this.
Taliyah seemed to see through my thoughts.
She didn't say much, but just brought me a Shuriman version of "A Brief Account of Janna's Thought".
She said that the answer to the question was hidden in it. As long as I understood it, I would know what the leader was doing, why he was doing it, and why only the leader could accomplish it.
Hmm...
I accepted it politely.
But I don’t like reading.
…
December 2, Bergen.
The social investigation of Bergjune has finally come to an end.
But the bad thing was that Taliyah and others' previous actions of asking for information and investigating the situation eventually attracted the attention of the Noxian colonists.
A group of Noxian soldiers came to the inn where we were staying.
I thought it would be a tough fight. In order to justify the commission given by the leader, I followed Taliyah around for more than a week and stepped forward professionally.
But I didn’t expect…
When the Noxians learned that Taliyah and others were the genuine Zaun leaders, they immediately laid down their weapons and expressed their willingness to surrender and accept transformation.
I:"……"
Later I learned that the former commander of the Noxian Southern Legion was General Du Kekao.
Ever since the news of General Du Caucas's surrender to the Leader in Ionia spread, the morale of the Noxian Southern Colony Legion has almost completely collapsed.
Not to mention, the northern coast of Shurima is so close to Zaun... No one knows when the Wind Leader will attack.
Therefore, capable noble lords had long since found ways to transfer the huge wealth they had accumulated in the colonies back to the empire.
The Noxians who remain here now are all middle and lower-level officers and soldiers with no connections.
They spend almost every day in fear and have become like frightened birds.
…
December 3, Bergen.
Beljung is really too close to Zaun.
I seem to have underestimated the influence of the Wind Leader in Beljun. Perhaps Taliyah herself did not expect that the name of the Goddess Janna would be so effective here.
Their identities were just revealed yesterday, and today...
The Noxian soldiers began to line up here to surrender;
The owners of the manors of Bergun also began to compete to free their slaves;
The compradors were either so frightened that they ran away with the money on the spot, or they donated their wealth with sad faces just to pray for safety.
Taliyah had only intended to conduct a social survey, but unexpectedly she liberated an entire city-state.
Helplessly, she could only assign some people to take over Beljuin, and then pack her luggage to continue the long journey.
This made me realize that the power of the Wind Leader was even more terrifying than I had imagined. The legend that the goddess Nagana controlled the hurricane to shake the twin cities was probably not an exaggeration.
These leaders seem to have the power to save Shurima.
So, for some unknown reason... I picked up the book "A Brief Account of Janna's Thoughts".
