Chapter 355: Anka Village
Evening.
After traveling about twenty kilometers, the convoy came to a halt. The group stopped to rest for the night at a village in East Africa. Arrangements for lodging were made at a local post station under the village chief's direction.
Although Dar es Salaam and First Town weren't far apart, due to the special status of these "talents" (i.e. the Far Eastern medical aid team), the travel pace was deliberately slow.
As evening fell, villagers were already starting to cook dinner. Wisps of smoke rose gently from chimneys. A blazing crimson glow stretched across the sky as the sun set, spilling golden light over the clear, open plains.
"What a soul-stirring sight!" Yalian couldn't help but exclaim.
This was the first time since arriving in East Africa that the aid team had seen the countryside. After leaving Dar es Salaam, it had been endless wilderness—occasionally interrupted by wild animals along the road, reinforcing the rumors of East Africa's sparse population and untamed lands. Now, they finally saw cultivated fields and settled villages.
Without exaggeration, East Africa's vastness and low population density were staggering. And its hospitable natural environment meant much of the kingdom's territory was suitable for human habitation. That led to widely scattered towns and villages, with massive tracts of undeveloped land in between—forests, grasslands… no wonder the wild animals were thriving.
The East African government didn't have the capacity to go out hunting them every day and had long given up trying. Their policy was simply to ensure the safety of residential areas.
It had the feel of Australia, surrounded by kangaroos—but even so, compared to similarly vast lands like Australia or Canada, East Africa still came out ahead. Australia had too much desert, and Canada was trapped in frigid latitudes. In contrast, East Africa had more land suitable for human settlement.
If we were to compare natural conditions, the Far East and the United States could match East Africa. But in terms of land resources, East Africa had the edge—especially in terms of arable potential.
Anka Village was the overnight stop. It was a key node on the road between Dar es Salaam and First Town, right in the middle. With heavy traffic in both goods and people, its infrastructure was relatively complete. It even had several post stations. Migrants and transport caravans often paused here before heading inland.
This steady inland migration was the main reason the East African coast—despite early development—was growing in population at a relatively slow pace. The vast interior absorbed waves of new settlers like a bottomless pit. Anka Village was one such settlement. In addition to farming, it served as a support hub for migrants heading deeper into the heartland.
Anka was a large village with over 1,000 households—larger than the capitals of some provinces in Zambia. It had even more people than some of those places.
In fact, calling it a village was misleading. It was more like a small town. The main road passed through the southern edge of the village, while farmland stretched northward.
The fields were filled with rice—mostly already harvested. Golden straw stacks dotted the landscape.
For many members of the aid team, this was the first time they had ever seen rice. Coming exclusively from northern China, most had no personal experience with it.
Anka's first impression was strikingly clean and orderly. Its layout was rigid—almost like the immigrant transition center. It looked like someone had drawn it with a ruler. The only difference was that Anka had a more vibrant sense of daily life.
Yalian commented, "This looks quite similar to the Far East—especially the mud-brick houses. They're almost identical. The only real difference is that the village has many German-style public buildings."
Village chief Robert added, "In the early colonial days, we had a shortage of bricks and cement. So most new villages were built crudely. But now, with the Kingdom's construction capacity rising, we've begun renovating those old mud houses—at least here in Central Province. By next year, all our residents should be living in newer, safer, more spacious homes."
Robert was one of the earliest German immigrants to East Africa. In fact, he was part of the original wave of hired mercenaries—he had fought in the campaign against the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Now retired, Robert was older than even the former mercenary commander, Armand.
Having witnessed the steady growth of East African colonies, Robert firmly believed in the region's potential. Unlike many of his comrades who returned to Germany to retire, Robert brought his entire family to East Africa to start a new life.
Thanks to his extensive experience and long-term involvement in East Africa, Robert knew the history of places like Anka—and even much of the colony—as if it were written in a book.
Yalian said, "His Majesty the King and His Highness the Crown Prince have always cared deeply about the people. Though East Africa isn't yet rich, the standard of living for commoners is still far higher than in most parts of the world."
Robert nodded. "That's why I chose to stay. The world is unstable—especially Europe. The German lands have known too much war. I believe there will be another great war someday. And war is the worst thing for ordinary people. Aside from that, I have absolute trust in His Highness Ernst. He's kept every promise he made to us old veterans."
By "old veterans," he meant the original mercenaries who opened up the first East African colonies. Back then, Ernst personally sent them off by ship. He fulfilled all promises regarding wages, bonuses, and pensions. Each year, he even arranged support for their families in Germany. So Robert trusted him completely.
And since Ernst was still so young, the East African Kingdom's next ten or twenty years looked bright. As for the distant future—well, Robert figured he wouldn't live that long anyway. He was placing his twilight years—and his children's futures—in the hands of East Africa.
It wasn't that Robert was naive. In this era, most German commoners still believed in their nobility—especially those with good reputations. Rural communities in particular respected local aristocrats. Even in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, despite deep ethnic divisions, most people still supported the Habsburgs—regardless of their ethnicity.
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