New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 143: COULD IT AFFECT THE FUTURE PLOT?

Chapter 143: COULD IT AFFECT THE FUTURE PLOT?

After the maid left, Vasily continued her explanation, "As I was saying earlier, the West is bordered by savannahs which have vast stretches of open grasslands occupied by occasional trees and shrubs. It also has advantages in agricultural production."

The open grasslands were well-suited for farming and grazing, making it ideal for cultivating crops like wheat, barley, corn, and other grains. It also supported extensive livestock farming, including cattle, sheep, and goats, providing ample space for livestock grazing and cultivating crops suited to drier climates.

The climate in the West tended to be semi-arid, with distinct wet and dry seasons. Rainfall was relatively sparse compared to other regions of Amberale, leading to dry grasslands that underwent seasonal changes in vegetation.

But despite the dry conditions, the West supported a diverse number of wildlife. That included large herbivores like antelopes and zebras, predators such as lions and cheetahs, and numerous bird species adapted to savannah environments.

The savannahs of the West were not only crucial for wildlife but also held cultural and economic importance in Amberale; They provided grazing grounds for livestock and materials for local crafts.

Craftsmen in the West often created crafts using materials found in the savannahs, such as leather, hides, and natural fibers. These crafts included intricately woven baskets, leatherwork, and pottery decorated with motifs inspired by local plants and flowers, and animals.

Many in the West practiced animism, believing that natural objects, animals, and even geographical features possessed spiritual essences or souls. This animistic worldview fostered a profound respect for the land and its natural inhabitants.

Ancestor veneration was central to their spiritual beliefs. Families and communities honored their ancestors through rituals, offerings, and prayers, seeking guidance and protection from the spirits of their forefathers. Ancestral spirits were believed to influence daily life and the fortunes of the community.

Ancestors aside, beliefs in the West also included reverence for spirits associated with specific natural elements, such as rivers, mountains, and trees. These nature spirits were often seen as guardians of the land, believed to influence weather patterns, fertility of the soil, and the well-being of livestock.

Traditional healers, known as shamans or medicine men or women, were common in the west. Diviners were also often consulted who interpreted signs and omens from nature. These signs included the behavior of animals, patterns in the weather, or dreams believed to convey messages from the spiritual realm.

Certain actions and places were considered taboo due to their association with spirits or ancestors. Sacred groves, caves, or rock formations were protected and respected, serving as sites for rituals and meditations.

"These geographical features not only define the natural resources available in each region but also influence the economic activities, trade routes, and strategic considerations within Amberale." Vasily finally finished with her lengthy explanation.

"I see," Aristia nodded with a contemplative look on her face.

"That’s all there is to know about the cultures and resources in different parts of Amberale." Vasily drank her tea and glanced at Aristia through the vapor from the tea. "Do you have any questions?" She asked.

Aristia summarized the buckload of information Vasily had fed her in her mind. In the kingdom of Amberale, each region—North, South, East, and West—had distinct qcharacteristics and traits that defined its people.

[So each region’s distinctive environment, resources, and historical influences shaped the skills, traditions, beliefs, and cultural practices of its inhabitants in the kingdom of Amberale. That’s... unique. They also have advantages in production and these advantages were brought about from the natural resources and geographical features of each region within Amberale, contributing to the kingdom’s overall economic diversity and prosperity. That should be part of the reason why Amberale is so prosperous.] Aristia thought.

Then her brows knitted. [But there’s one thing I realized from her lengthy explanation; they each have myths and legends that they believe in— all of them believe in spirits, deities and mythical creatures of some kind— which on second thought is not surprising since they have daemons. The confusing thing here is... what about Lord Nerin? The supposed ’god’ of this world?]

"Viscountess Vasily, I do have one question." She looked up at Vasily.

"Go ahead." Vasily nodded.

"You mentioned spirits and deities that the people believed in and revered. I thought our kingdom worshipped Lord Nerin, what about the other deities and spirits?" That was what she was curious about.

"That is correct, our kingdom does worship Lord Nerin, but there are other deities that the people believe in. However, they are not as worshipped as Lord Nerin." Vasily explained.

She was impressed— that wasn’t a question most of her pupils were curious about or wanted to know. Most of them didn’t even dwell on it enough to figure it out.

Aristia wasn’t yet satisfied, "The people also seek them for protection? You said the easterners believe there are forest spirits protecting the forests, the southerners believe there are water spirits possibly guiding the waters, the northerners, mountain spirits and the westerners, animal spirits?"

"Yes, Lord Nerin is the god worshipped in our kingdom, but the people believe there are spirits protecting the natural land, whose specific duty it is to do so, commanded by Lord Nerin."

It was only then that Aristia fully understood. [Just like how a king divides some responsibilities among his subjects like in nobility, they believe that Lord Nerin also assigns duties to those spirits. Why does it have to be so complicated?] She was filled with a bit of annoyance, but on the surface, she nodded like she had accepted the answer.

"I see," she nodded at Vasily to show that she understood.

"I’m glad I’ve answered all your questions. The lesson is over. We’ll be studying about the Fief Lords in our next lesson." Vasily informed.

The both of them left the room not long after. Vasily met with Catherine and Aristia got ready for the next class she had that day.

After the last class she had that day, when she had time to focus and relax, she finally remembered what happened in the morning during the class with the captain.

[Having aura, huh? What am I supposed to feel about that?] She thought.

She didn’t know because she wasn’t feeling any different from usual, just as if nothing had changed.

However, it seemed to be true that she had aura. Her parents and the captain would definitely not joke about that.

[Everything is just turning out unexpected and different.] She was sure there was no girl with aura in the book and especially not Aristia.

At this point, Aristia didn’t know what to think about the book anymore.

[The novel hasn’t even begun and a lot of things have already gone off course. I wonder if that’s going to affect the plot?]

She was curious about whether these differences would change the future plot when the novel officially began.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

That was the sound of rushed footsteps. They snapped Aristia out of her thoughts.

"Tia, Tia..."

[Hm?] Aristia thought, turning around to see Alaric rushing towards her.

"Tia!"

"Slow down, Al. You may fall. What’s wrong?" Aristia stopped Alaric.

"I met my literacy tutor today. I will begin my spelling lessons soon!" Alalric was beaming with smiles.

"That’s great, Al." Aristia smiled too.

Catherine had said that the tutor would come today, but she hadn’t had the chance to see the instructor.

"You’re becoming a big boy now." Aristia ruffled his hair playfully.

Alaric would soon be turning four years old, just as she would soon be six years old in a few months.

[It could be said that Aristia’s turning eight or nine, and Alaric is turning five or six if we consider their intelligence.]

Now, Alaric would be taught to read, write and spell by a literacy tutor.

Alaric giggled cutely and shook his head. "I’m already a big boy. And I completed the assignment you gave me." He waved the paper in his hand.

"That’s good... Let me see..." She collected the paper and went through it, nodding occasionally.

Alaric giggled even more at her serious expression as she looked at his assignment. Aristia handed the paper back to him when she was done.

"You did really well, Al. I’m done with my classes. Do you want to play?" She asked.

"Yes!" Alaric nodded immediately with a smile and collected the paper from her. "Let’s go—"

Before he could complete his sentence, he was interrupted by Wilson who approached from around the corner.

"Tia."

"Papa?" Aristia paused her steps and turned around.

Wilson had a contemplative look on his face, "Come with me to my study."

Aristia turned to Alaric with an apologetic expression, "Sorry Al, we can’t play now. But maybe later we can still play."

Alaric nodded and followed obediently without complaints.

The three of them walked to the study. The butler was standing in front of the door.

As soon as they arrived, he bowed and pushed the door open, slightly revealing the inside of the study.