I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 858 - 858 857. Idealist

Chapter 858: 857. Idealist Chapter 858: 857. Idealist Shuangxin never imagined that she would see Lu Ban again.

She had thought that Lu Ban had perished in that insect swarm catastrophe; after all, surviving such an onslaught seemed inconceivable.

But now, there he was, alive and well, standing right in front of her!

Incredible!

“Mr. Lu…”

During her moment of reflection, Shuangxin quickly considered a possibility.

This must be an impostor!

It could be someone from another city-state, masquerading as Lu Ban to gain her trust, attempting to breach Utopia from within.

But then she reconsidered, only the three of them knew of Lu Ban’s existence. She had only spoken of him to the highest echelons of the Senate, including the Saint. Even if they knew the name Lu Ban, they couldn’t possibly know what he looked like.

“It seems you all are doing quite well.”

Unaware of Shuangxin’s thoughts, Lu Ban surveyed their surroundings.

“I thought you might have also fallen victim to the insect swarm. It appears you’ve managed to escape.”

Hearing Lu Ban’s words provided Shuangxin with some relief.

She didn’t know how Lu Ban survived but according to Mr. Du, Lu Ban was supposed to possess certain special powers, just like him.

So, now that she thought about it, it was only natural that Lu Ban could have survived such dire straits.

“… So, you really know each other?”

The Poet looked at the pair, who seemed quite familiar with each other.

“Yes, Poet, allow me to introduce Lu Ban. He is the one who led us to the Promised Land.”

Shuangxin then turned her gaze to Feng Yu beside Lu Ban.

She did not recognize this person.

“I am Feng Yu.”

Seeing her confusion, Feng Yu introduced himself.

“Hello.”

Shuangxin greeted politely. She looked back at Lu Ban.

“You’ve come at the right time. We’re preparing to organize an expedition to explore the Promised Land. The area has changed due to continuous torrential rains, but the Senate does not agree with our departure.”

She spoke frankly.

“The Saint is about to step down. Before the new Saint is decided, such exploration must be put on hold. Also, according to the information currently obtained by the Academy, the other competing factions do not wish to explore the Promised Land.”

Shuangxin briefly mentioned the major factions within Utopia that were supported by the Senate.

First and foremost, naturally, was the Academy. As the main force for exploration, it needed substantial resources, inherently clashing with other factions.

The Wild Guard was in charge of maintaining order within the city, Utopia’s military force. The Wild Wolf Guard’s main strategy focused on developing agriculture and strengthening defenses to enjoy their modest lives.

The Yellow Sand Brotherhood consisted of some merchants. They were wealthy and advocated the development of trade routes and friendly relations with other city-states.

The Quicksand Council might sound like an official organization, but it was actually a group of young people with superpower abilities, affiliated with the Council of Elders. They had a very tough stance and sought to wage war against other city-states to seize more resources.

Among the factions, only the Quicksand Council remained neutral about exploring the Promised Land, willing to promote exploration by the Academy after assuming power.

It was understandable. For the Wild Wolf Guard, their stronghold was in Utopia. If the Promised Land was explored and a second Utopia developed there, the power of the Wild Wolf Guard could be diminished. Moreover, due to the Promised Land’s resources and rainfall, it might develop to be more prosperous than the original Utopia, which they found hard to accept.

The Yellow Sand Brotherhood, driven by merchant interests, naturally aimed to develop travel and commerce. Resources potentially gained from exploring the Promised Land might render some goods completely valueless, a significant loss for them.

The Quicksand Council needed to utilize discoveries in the Promised Land to expand their military might to stand against external enemies.

“So, all you think about is exploring that city, nothing else?”

After listening, Feng Yu asked in return.

“What else?”

Shuangxin appeared puzzled.

“Like, exploring this city for resources could improve people’s lives, the equipment could be used to develop productivity, the plentiful rainfall could be used to grow more crops… things like that?”

Feng Yu suggested tentatively.

“Those have nothing to do with us.”

Shuangxin responded.

It seemed she truly didn’t care about such matters.

“Then why do you want to explore those ruins?”

Feng Yu couldn’t help asking.

“At first, it was to solve the insect swarm, but now that’s been dealt with. Now, we want to understand more about the olden times, to acquire more knowledge.”

Shuangxin stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As if exploring ruins and seeking knowledge were an innate instinct as fundamental as eating and drinking.

“That’s why you lack support…”

Feng Yu gave her opinion.

And Lu Ban quickly understood.

This group of scholars only thought about exploring the world and showed no intent on improving their living conditions.

Simply put, they were the sort to instinctively solve a math problem presented to them without first considering its practical use.

They weren’t pragmatists but resembled idealists.

Such people, naturally, couldn’t gain the understanding of the majority.

In the Wasteland, the citizens of Utopia concerned themselves with what to eat tonight, what to eat tomorrow, and how long they might live, while these scholars were pondering the essence of the world, the stars above in the sky.

Imagine, if you couldn’t even secure your job, unsure of tomorrow’s meal, and someone starts talking to you about the stars and the sea, you’d undoubtedly think they were delirious, not worth your attention.

That was the Academy.

Whether out of touch with the masses or engrossed in their world, that was just what they were like.

Feng Yu glanced at Lu Ban.

“These people seem unlikely to succeed. If you have to choose, it would be best not to choose them,” she whispered.

For Lu Ban’s mission, the Academy clearly was a difficult option to succeed with. Humans always seem to focus on immediate benefits, although venturing out to explore ruins might yield ten or a hundred times the profits. Yet, most people could only see the minor immediate gains.

This was also related to the average lifespan in the Wasteland. To these people, let alone thirty years from now, even ten years ahead was unimaginable, preferring to live in the present.

“Ha, Mr. Du told us something similar. We’re also trying to improve, finding things we can present to convince everyone, but it’s not that easy.”

Shuangxin said.

“Mr. Du?”

Lu Ban knew that ordinary people in the Wasteland used their abilities as codenames and wouldn’t have names like his.

So this Mr. Du…

“Yes, speaking of which, you might know him.”

As if remembering something, Shuangxin pointed to a room.

“He’s right here, Mr. Du Danping.”

*

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