Chapter 2262: Observations in the Shopping Mall

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"Then do you know the direct reason why Mulan cannot produce craftsmen? They are all humans, is there some essential difference?" Xia Duo asked again.

This was actually a question he was worried about. Currently, Mulan just could not become craftsmen of the Yimaska Creation Magic System. If they could not become Mages, then what use would it be for him to buy these people back?

It was even possible that due to interbreeding with Netherese and Langasi, those two groups might also be unable to produce Mages. If that were really the case, then these Mulan could truly be called the common enemy of all magical civilizations!

Regarding this question, Jiamu also shook his head in great confusion, "As early as when Mulan first appeared, the Empire's craftsmen discovered this phenomenon and tried to solve it, but over a thousand years have passed, and this problem still exists."

"Is there no explanation at all?"

"There are explanations, of course. There are two mainstream explanations. One attributes this problem to the Lord of Craftsmen, His Majesty Koutan, who first discovered the Mulan, believing that he deliberately restricted the Mulan's talent to prevent them from staging a comeback and becoming the Empire's mainstream. This theory has a large market, but the problem is that the current upper echelons of the Empire are actually very willing to accept Mulan and do not wish to waste such a massive population."

"Then what about the other explanation?"

"The other explanation involves the origin of the Mulan. Mulan are not indigenous to the Main Plane, but were found by the great Lord of Craftsmen, His Majesty Koutan, from an Other Plane. Perhaps the difference in Planes makes it impossible for them to produce craftsmen belonging to this Plane."

"I see!"

Xia Duo was lost in thought. Although the second explanation Jiamu mentioned seemed very reasonable, it actually did not hold much water, because he had been to Other Planes. Although they were non-Habitable Planes like the Blue Crystal Plane, he had never heard of the claim that different Planes had exclusive magic systems.

Furthermore, it was true that Mulan came from an Other Plane, but Easterners also came from an Other Plane! Easterners could learn Elven Magic or Netheril Magic, which was enough to show that it was not the reason of the Other Plane.

He felt that perhaps there was a problem with the Mulan themselves. Perhaps the so-called being found from an Other Plane was not the truth at all; the truth might be that these Mulan were simply Psionic Creations!

In Xia Duo's impression, it seemed that only artificial beings or clones would have such huge defects that differed from natural humans. Yimaska Creation Magic appeared to be based on matter, which actually already included a foundation of flesh and blood.

Perhaps Mulan really were a type of Psionic Creation!

Of course, there was another possibility, which was that the Yimaska upper echelons might not be as willing to accept Mulan as Jiamu said. Although they knew that making a bigger cake would allow everyone to get a larger share, the appearance of new rent-seekers would inevitably compress the profit ratios of the vested interests.

A person's sense of superiority is often not reflected by absolute values, but by comparison with others.

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It is like everyone having one million; the actual experience of superiority is the same as everyone having one dollar or zero. But if one person has one, although it is small compared to the absolute value of one million, as long as everyone else has zero, then they possess absolute superiority.

Although Xia Duo was very repulsed by this way of cognition, it could not be denied that before material wealth in civilization reached extreme abundance, this phenomenon was very difficult to avoid.

Putting it into the current situation of the Mulan, even if a few wise men in the Yimaska upper echelons saw the benefits of accepting Mulan, most vested interests might not necessarily have such enlightenment.

It is very difficult for an individual to contend against an entire class, so it is not incomprehensible that the situation of suppressing Mulan appeared.

But there was also a problem here, which was why only Mulan? Shouldn't it be the suppression of all latecomers?

Just because Mulan had the largest population?

In Xia Duo's view, population size was a very difficult reason for an entire race to be absolutely excluded. There should be some deeper reasons here that he, an outsider, found difficult to understand.

Thinking of this, Xia Duo temporarily extinguished his plan to purchase a large number of Mulan slaves. At least until he confirmed that Mulan could adapt to the Netheril Magic System, he was not prepared to purchase them in large quantities.

……

While chatting, the group walked in front of a shop. Jiamu specifically stopped to introduce it to Xia Duo: "This is a display shop subordinate to the largest chamber of commerce in Yinnupulasi. It is enough to satisfy all the customer's needs inside."

"Is that so?"

Through the storefront, Xia Duo could see figures occasionally flashing by inside. He immediately realized that the interior of this shop might not be the size it appeared from the outside at all, so he nodded in agreement.

Just after entering the shop, Xia Duo felt a warm atmosphere completely different from the outside. Rather than a shop, it was more like a shopping mall.

Although Mulan were still the majority inside, there were also quite a few Yimaska people in strange attire wandering around in front of various stalls.

"Xia Duo, there are a lot of people here!"

"Mm, I see."

Xia Duo looked around and saw standing poles marked with Yimaska characters. They should be things similar to mall signs or shop names on Earth, but unfortunately, he did not understand the Rushum Language here.

However, for some shops, he could guess a little just by looking at the products, so he declined Jiamu's introduction, chose a direction himself, and then stopped in front of a shop.

"Tax Official Jiamu, help me ask what they are selling in here?"

"Does Mage Asuosi need a more detailed introduction? If you just want to know what goods are sold here, you can just ask me."

"Then tell me what those are?" Xia Duo pointed to the box-shaped items on the shelves inside the shop that clearly had observation holes and asked Jiamu.

"That is a type of cooking tool unique to Yimaska, called a 【Baking Box】. It can make food like bread or roasted meat."

"Is that so?"

Xia Duo tried his best to hide the embarrassment on his face, but privately, Niya had already been laughing hysterically via Sending. The two had just made a bet; Niya guessed it might be some kind of experimental instrument used by Yimaska craftsmen, but Xia Duo had said it looked more like a storage-type Insurance box, possibly used to preserve certain specific items.

As for the result, well, Niya's guess was closer.

In fact, Xia Duo had thought of things like ovens or microwaves, but he stubbornly believed that Yimaska, still in the classical era, could not possibly manufacture those things.

The embarrassment stemmed from this.

If it were just losing a bet, it wouldn't be limited to this.

"Are all of these here Baking Boxes?" Xia Duo asked again.

"You could say most of them are, but Baking Boxes also have different types, such as those more focused on making bread, or those more focused on making meat."

"Do many people buy this kind of cooking tool?"

"Many. Almost every household here in Yinnupulasi uses them."

"Can Mulan use them too?"

"Of course they can!"

Jiamu gave Xia Duo a strange look, "Actually, many of these utensils are designed for Mulan to use. Craftsmen are busy with affairs and it is impossible for them to make food themselves!"