Genshin Impact: Towards Godhood

Rama had two objectives.

The first was to purchase alchemical products and books to slightly bolster his experience points.

The second was simpler: he wanted to have a chance encounter with someone.

Dehya.

Of course, Dehya was important, but the woman she had made a pact with at this time was even more so.

Dunyarzad, the eldest daughter of the Homayani family.

If he followed Lumine's perspective, he might never truly understand the value of Mora.

But wealth is never without value.

Especially after spending so much time in the Red Sands, Rama became even more aware of the power of wealth.

Furthermore, Dunyarzad's value went far beyond just Mora.

She was one of the few who had long been under the gaze of a deity.

At this moment, the Lesser Lord Kusanali was still imprisoned in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, with her gaze and consciousness wandering across the vast land of Sumeru like a ruler inspecting her realm.

However, her body was confined to a tiny space, never able to break free.

The Lesser Lord Kusanali watched over the people of Sumeru, but even a god is not omnipotent; she could only keep her attention on a few individuals for long.

Dunyarzad was one of them.

Clearly, gods are not beings without emotional biases. Between Dunyarzad and any ordinary person of Sumeru, Nahida would choose this girl.

For she had been quietly accompanying Dunyarzad's growth since her childhood.

The affliction of Eleazar would be the girl's greatest suffering and also her unique fortune.

As a deity, Nahida had a strong sense of responsibility.

She viewed this disease caused by the erosion of the Irminsul as a disaster brought about by her own inadequacy, so she paid special attention to the children suffering from Eleazar.

Objectively, pain is never desirable, but if it could earn the attention of a deity, the calculation becomes more complex.

Currently in Sumeru, Dunyarzad was one of the few who regarded the Lesser Lord Kusanali as the Dendro Archon, rather than the deceased Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

Dehya was not just a stepping stone; she was someone worth recruiting herself.

And Dunyarzad even more so.

Unfortunately, things could never be perfect.

Of Rama's two goals, the first had exceeded expectations. He met Dori, and given her obsession with Mora, she wouldn't mind embarking on a journey post-transaction.

And as long as he could astonish her enough at the Tanit tribe, her wealth could also become a cornerstone of power.

A good merchant is often a great gambler—they are not stingy about betting on the game of fate as long as they see the hope of profit.

The latter goal yielded no results at all.

"That's normal. At this time, the Blazing Beasts mercenary group should be enjoying the high fees from the Homayani family. Dehya, especially due to her father Kusayla's favor, has directly become Dunyarzad's bodyguard."

"To expect to meet Dehya here is clearly a stroke of bad luck."

Rama wasn't disappointed.

These two people were too easy to win over.

Just like with Dori, if he could put forth enough stakes, the first meeting would be enough to turn them into his allies.

With the stakes in hand, the timing of the encounter didn't matter.

Even if that yellow-haired girl searching for blue question marks suddenly showed up in Sumeru, she wouldn't have any space to make a move.

Sumeru at this time had no issues.

If Lumine couldn't solve the problem, the stakes these two needed wouldn't change.

Tadhla didn't understand Rama's thoughts. She just watched as Rama turned to leave, and then quickly followed.

The two returned to the temporary camp of the caravan. Before taking a step, they heard a distinctive greeting from the desert.

Rama raised an eyebrow, placing the half-disassembled alchemical device into his sleeve.

"This is too much! These merchants are simply outrageous!"

The man in a white robe had a cold look in his eyes. "They better never step into the desert."

With just two sentences, all questions were answered.

It wasn't a complicated issue.

Business—ask for a high price, and settle for a fair one.

Whether the price you ask is acceptable, and whether you accept the offered price, depends on your skills.

But this is standard trading.

The transactions at Caravan Ribat and Port Ormos share a common feature—while peaceful for the desert dwellers, the trading environment is unfair.

"Rama, you're back." Seeing Tadhla and the young man, the man quickly composed himself. "Did you have any satisfactory gains?"

"Of course," Rama nodded. "But you, Asarig, did the trading not go well?"

"It went smoothly," Asarig shook his head. "Everything that needed selling and buying has been handled."

Solving one problem doesn't mean the end of everything.

But for now, this issue was settled.

Except for the deep-seated hatred in the hearts of the desert people.

If asking for a high price and settling for a fair one is a skill, then the problem the Tanit tribe faced was a classic case of the big business bullying the small customer.

Add a bit of discrimination bred by the broader environment.

This wasn't surprising, so Rama didn't ask further.

The tensions between the desert and the rainforest can be traced back to ancient times; the seeds were sown then, and anyone facing this situation now couldn't change it.

But prejudice and discrimination are easy to solve.

Punch someone in the face, they feel pain, and they'll talk nicely.

If you can punch them to death, they'll cry "I'm sorry" and talk nicely.

In this sense, the desert dwellers being targeted by the rainforest people wasn't anyone else's fault.

Who made you weak?

Who made it so that in such a large place, not even two or three people are willing to speak up?

Between two opposing forces, a single "weak" character permeates all issues.

Because you are weak, others can target you without concern.

"Are we resting here for the night or heading back to the tribe quickly?"

Rama asked casually.

"Rest for the night," Asarig said calmly. "This journey has been tiring, and it will be easier to return."

"Rest tonight to gather strength, and then return to the tribe as soon as possible."

"Alright." Rama nodded.

As he left, he paused, "By the way, Tadhla, I'm not familiar with the outside prices. Let Elder Asarig know how much those things I bought cost."

"Otherwise, when the caravan arrives, and the tribe knows nothing about this, it won't do."

He joked, "How can the spender not know where the money was spent? That would be ridiculous."

(End of Chapter)