Chapter 353: The Next Stop
The Sultanate of Zanzibar's rise as the "wagon driver of the Western Indian Ocean" was largely due to the emergence of the East African Kingdom as a powerful new supplier of goods. But that wasn't all—East African immigration routes also relied on Zanzibar's shipping fleets, especially when it came to transporting female immigrants from the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. German and Far Eastern immigrants, however, were transported by the Hechingen Oceanic Trade Company; Dutch ships were occasionally hired when extra shipping capacity was needed.
Zanzibar had long thrived on the slave trade, so it had plenty of experience in transporting people. As long as the region shared the same faith, it was seen as a viable "source." Arabs had long operated in India (in part), the Dutch East Indies, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire.
Although the black slave trade had sharply declined in recent years due to increasing risk, the East African Kingdom merely needed to offer Zanzibar a small share of its wealth for the Sultanate to flourish.
Prince Sayyid Jr. often privately grumbled that his father had missed the opportunity to develop East Africa himself—handing it to the Germans on a silver platter. But it was all just fantasy. Lacking both population and scientific resources, Zanzibar couldn't have done it even if it had tried. After all, one couldn't count on a million Africans alone to develop the continent. The Arabs had tried for centuries and barely managed to establish pockets of control along the coast (like in Somalia).
East Africa's advantage lay in concepts as simple as "hygiene." The East African Kingdom could jokingly be called a nation built on "boiled water." Just by refusing to drink raw water, East African immigrants had dramatically increased their survival rate on the continent.
That said, Prince Sayyid Jr. was still quite satisfied with the current arrangement. The East African Kingdom might be strict with Zanzibar—meddling in this and that—but it never betrayed them. Zanzibar even received a share of the spoils when there were gains to be had. For instance, East African troops stationed on Zanzibar Island had once helped crush a slave uprising. As long as King Constantino was in power, Sayyid Jr. felt he could rest easy.
…
For the sake of money, even Samuel had to change his thinking. "Alright, alright! For the sake of the lira, we'll do it your way. But Mr. Sapeto, can you try negotiating a discount? We're about to place a very large grain order."
Sapeto sighed. "That might be difficult. The Sultanate of Zanzibar already runs on a low-margin, high-volume model. Still, I can try. I just don't know if our grain supplier has the capacity to handle such a large contract."
Samuel really had no other choice. Italy's national finances were constantly on the brink of collapse. The recent defeat in war had cost them nearly half their territory and population—leaving them without collateral to secure further loans from the British.
Thankfully, Italy had borrowed enough before losing its credibility. The British, not wanting to see their investment sink, (physically) "convinced" Egypt to look the other way—allowing Italy a foothold in Eritrea to launch its campaign against the Abyssinian Empire.
Of course, Egypt wasn't thrilled about it. That's why they hadn't voluntarily withdrawn from Assab before the Italian landing. What if the Italians never showed up?
But Egypt's hopes were dashed. Italy arrived in force, deploying an entire division. Even though Italy had been weakened in Europe by Austria-Hungary, it still had more people than Egypt—and far more advanced industry. Its navy, even after being largely inherited by the Kingdom of Naples, remained among the world's mid-tier fleets.
In the end, the Egyptian government offered little resistance. Beyond British pressure, the truth was that Assab wasn't of great importance to them. They already controlled the Suez Canal, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was more of a burden than an asset—especially with Britain and France prowling nearby. Egypt had only taken Assab in the first place to undermine their nominal overlords in the Ottoman Empire.
Now Egypt was in conflict with Abyssinia over the Sudan region. If Italy and Abyssinia went to war, it might actually help Egypt. A distracted Abyssinia might be more willing to back down.
Samuel said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Sapeto. The Kingdom will not forget your contribution."
Sapeto replied, "General, as an Italian, this is simply my duty."
…
Dar es Salaam
After three days of waiting, officials from the East African central government finally arrived. Today, Li Ge and the others would leave the immigration transition point and travel to the East African capital: First Town (Diyi Zhen).
Yalian asked, "Mr. Li Ge, do you think First Town will be even more prosperous, lively, and grand than Dar es Salaam?"
Are you serious right now?
Li Ge gave him a helpless look. "Mr. Yalian, you're an East African—don't you know anything about your own country?"
"As I said before," Yalian replied, "I may be a citizen of East Africa, but this is actually my first time here."
Li Ge didn't know what to say. How could East Africa send someone so clueless to serve as a diplomat in the Far East? If he didn't even understand his own country, how could he manage foreign relations?
Still, Li Ge reasoned aloud, "In theory, a nation's capital is always its most developed and representative city. So I suppose your capital should be even more prosperous than Dar es Salaam."
He had a point—but in reality, Dar es Salaam remained East Africa's most vibrant city.
First Town, on the other hand, was the most developed.
There's a difference between "prosperity" and "development." First Town excelled in infrastructure—it had the most advanced facilities in East Africa. Even Dar es Salaam couldn't compete on that front. In medical care, education, and architecture, First Town far outpaced its coastal counterpart.
When building Dar es Salaam, cost was always a consideration. But First Town, as the capital, spared no expense. If European cities had it, First Town would have it too. While a third of Dar es Salaam still lacked running water—never mind electricity—First Town was fully modernized.
Dar es Salaam thrived on commerce, a lively economy, and constant foreign interaction. First Town, as the political center, felt more solemn and quiet. For example, while Dar es Salaam buzzed with activity even at midnight, First Town was already sound asleep by then.
But to truly understand the contrast, one would have to experience both cities firsthand.
As the carriage rumbled along, the passengers imagined what First Town might look like—unaware that it was only fifty kilometers away from Dar es Salaam.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on March 2, 2026.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10