Chapter 129: The Mystery of Aldecaldo's Decline

Words : 1277 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Aldecaldo, one of the Seven Nomad Nations, was once a nomadic clan that boasted a population in the millions at its peak. Contrary to the impression city dwellers might have of them today as poor and savage, the Aldecaldo were, in essence, a group of people unwilling to give up their barren land or the freedom to run under the open skies. In 2013, when Rogue, now the Queen of the Afterlife, was still a solo, she followed Johnny Silverhand in storming the Arasaka Tower to rescue a hacker named Alt. The mission failed, and Alt wasn't rescued. However, the good news was that, although the objective wasn't achieved, they managed to retreat safely. After the operation, Rogue chose to lay low in Mexico, where she encountered the Aldecaldo. Rogue's mercenary partner, Santiago, used his understanding of the wasteland and nomads to help them blend into the Aldecaldo. Thanks to Aldecaldo's assistance, Rogue and Santiago evaded Arasaka's pursuit and successfully vanished from sight. Afterward, Santiago chose to stay with the tribe. Over time, Santiago became the second leader of the Aldecaldo and helped solidify a social system based on cooperation and division of labor within the tribe. Different sub-clans were responsible for different tasks. For example, the "Lobos" clan was in charge of combat, while the Blaine family took care of farming and logistics. This method of division of labor, similar to city management, greatly increased the tribe's efficiency, and Aldecaldo became the most powerful of the Seven Nations. Rogue, however, returned to Night City and in 2023 participated in the Militech-led decapitation strike against Arasaka as part of a small team. The real goal of this strike was to detonate a nuclear bomb inside Arasaka — the infamous Arasaka Tower bombing. During this operation, Santiago dispatched a small unit from the Lobos clan to support Rogue. So, the nomads did, in fact, participate in the decapitation strike, although few people knew about it. "Whoa. So, the nomads — or rather, the Aldecaldo nomads — are legends too, huh?" Leo glanced at V. "Your brain seems more damaged than I thought. Aldecaldo is the name of the clan, not a person!" V shot back, "So what's up with them now? Why do they seem to have so few people?" "That's a story for another time." This is also a mystery not explained in the game. Once a powerful nation with over a million people, by 2077, it seems like only a few hundred remain outside the city. Leo had his theories, but he needed to see it firsthand. "In any case, Aldecaldo had its glory days and still has great potential — as for unprofitable deals, we're done with those. Get ready to get rich." "Now that's what I like to hear!" V beamed with joy and gave Jackie a light kick when she saw he wasn't talking. "Jackie?" ". . . I was just thinking, does that mean we're becoming some kind of big bosses now? Like, you know, the Sixth Street leader or that priest?" V snorted in disdain. "Stop thinking about gangs — seriously, Jackie, can't you think bigger? We're going to monopolize the smuggling and line-running businesses, and occasionally hit a Sixth Street convoy for some extra cash — remember last time. . ." Leo looked at the two of them with exasperation. One dreaming of gang life, the other focused on small-time rackets. Sure, gangs are a money-making business, but Leo had no desire to deal with gambling, drugs, or vice. If anything, he'd rather go for the upgraded version: entertainment, TV show lotteries, or pharmaceutical production. [Warning: Unstable energy outburst countdown initiated.] With that thought, Leo cautioned the two, "Stay put for the next few days. If you're bored, you can teach some mercenary tricks to the kids in Red Ocher, but don't go running around, understand? The corps are furious right now, no one wants to deal with that mess." "That sounds boring." V reclined back, "Can't even take the car out?" Leo nodded knowingly, "Considering your current state, no — but don't worry, you'll get plenty of driving time later." V pouted. Leo thought for a moment and switched on the old TV in the tent. "How about some TV?" "What's there to watch on TV?" V hadn't even finished speaking when she saw a popular show, "Info Chat," airing. "Last night, did everyone see that fireworks display? Yeah, the one worth tens of millions — A Militech Basilisk crashed into a house like a meteor. Oops, I'll need to censor that image. At the time, I was on a rooftop stargazing — I love watching the stars in Night City, you know, that beautiful night sky that makes you feel at peace. Just kidding, Night City doesn't have stars. Look up, and all you'll see are millions of flying cars worth a fortune and hologram ads with questionable aesthetics — But the good thing about these is that you can reach out and grab them! I'm not making this up, NCPD said they saw Lizard man! Yeah, a lizard man catching a Basilisk from the sky, just to put on a fireworks show for us! Rumor has it the Basilisk escaped from Biotechnica, so it looks like Biotechnica's got new business opportunities on the horizon — Maybe our TV station should hire a lizard man as a host — kidding, I don't want to get eaten on air. Speaking of embarrassing moments on air, the biggest one lately has to be Ziggy Q. This shiny, golden host got his head blown open on live TV — And the person who did it? Amazing. They shot him in the face but didn't kill him! Trauma Team showed up, but they shot the doctor dead instead, and now Ziggy Q is still lying in the hospital. But rumor has it, the blood from that nomad who shot him can turn people into lizard men! Maybe we'll see a lizard man Ziggy Q hosting a show soon — For all you fans who like his original look, pray the hospital can save him, but I doubt it, since even the city center folks couldn't catch one lizard man. So, was there a winner in all of this yesterday? Haha, you think I'd tell you? I don't even know!" V was thoroughly entertained, laughing along with the show. Leo couldn't understand the appeal of these talk shows, but seeing V, who had just complained about being bored, so engrossed in TV was a curious sight. "Just — don't go running around, got it?" "Got it, got it. Watching TV isn't so bad, seeing how people are spinning our glorious deeds." Leo gave a few more reminders before leaving the camp. Watching the busy nomads, he thought: The position of the nomads is far more crucial than they realize. And Red Ocher had lost many good people, all skilled. Although their cooperation was based on mutual benefit, seeing the clan suffer such losses, Leo felt morally obligated to help. **[Warning: Molecular-level discrepancies detected in your body. Please control these discrepancies.] [Such discrepancies may lead to changes in the relative flow of time.]** As soon as Leo reconnected his consciousness, he felt the onset of weakness. It was already afternoon. Wait. . . the smell of something burning. "Boss — the place is on fire!!!" Sky's scream came from the next room, and Leo's face changed dramatically. They were under attack?

Chapter 129: The Mystery of Aldecaldo's Decline

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