Chapter 8: Coercion and Persuasion (2)
Hes’s honesty and straightforwardness greatly changed Komer’s perception of him. Perhaps his own views had been too subjective. The Caucasus wasn’t a wealthy region; everyone needed to survive, and it was human nature to choose a place that suited them better. Striving for a better living environment was a normal thing.
“Thank you, Mr. Hes, for your honesty. I have one more question: in your opinion, is the Caucasus better or worse than its surrounding areas?” Komer stared straight into the man’s eyes.
“Hehe, my lord, I don’t think I should be the one to answer that. The Caucasus is very peaceful now, and we all cherish this quiet environment. Of course, this is the mindset of our older generation; the younger ones may not think the same way. To them, the Caucasus is too remote and desolate. There are no proper cities or towns, no bustling streets or industries within hundreds of miles. Everything here is outdated. Compared to the barbarian regions around us, we might just pass as tolerable, but compared to other territories in Homer’s region, we are far behind. We’re even inferior to the lawless region of Leon. At least Leon has a large population and a port for connecting with the outside world. As for us? Apart from a few adventurers, almost no outsiders ever come here.” Hes replied after some thought, with a hint of sigh.
Before Komer could respond, the young man who had remained silent until then suddenly interjected, “The Caucasus is like still water—no storms, no vitality. Apart from its gloomy atmosphere, there’s nothing. Sooner or later, it will be abandoned. The lords of the past were either mad or mere hedonists who had no plans or ideas to save our Caucasus. Year after year, day after day, while other parts of the continent are full of vitality, our region remains unchanged. As the new lord, haven’t you thought about how to make the Caucasus more beautiful and prosperous?”
“Nephton, how can you be so impolite?” Hes hurriedly tried to stop his son from acting rashly, but Komer seemed unbothered and instead showed great interest in the young man’s words. “Hehe, Mr. Hes, Mr. Nephton is right. Given the current state of the Caucasus, it’s no wonder people prefer to stay in Cyprus as scoundrels rather than come here to be what seems like lofty lords. I’m only now beginning to understand why. Mr. Hes, you’ve also traveled far and seen much of the world. What do you see here? Nothing but desolation—no population, no vitality. Perhaps it’s a good place for an old man to spend his days, but what about the young? What about your future generations? Are they really meant to wake up with you every day to watch the sunrise and go to bed with you to watch the sunset? I definitely don’t want my territory to turn into a nursing home!”
“Yes, Father. No matter how poor Leon’s law enforcement may be, it still has a lively atmosphere and places worth visiting. Whether by sea or land, Leon’s goods can be transported continuously. Bruce, by the Nise River crossing, has grown from a remote fortress into a bustling town. Could it have done that without the prosperity of the Leon region? Surely the lord must have seen that enviable scene when he came south.” Although the young man’s words still carried a hint of impulsiveness, they were extremely sharp, seemingly pointing out the incompetence of past lords.
Seeing his son’s words filled with dissatisfaction toward the realities of the Caucasus, and though they contained some disrespect toward past lords, he seemed to share a certain affinity with this new lord standing before him. Hes was worried. His son wasn’t stupid, but when it came to cunning and experience in dealing with the outside world, he could hardly compare to this seemingly youthful and ambitious lord. Hes knew well that these nobility-born youths grew up immersed in intrigues and vile acts from birth; all kinds of despicable tactics were normal for them. To deal with such people, one had to remain extremely vigilant.
“Hehe, Mr. Neptune, you’re right. I’ve seen Bruce’s prosperity, but for the Caucasus to become as prosperous as Bruce’s, words alone aren’t enough—real effort is required. Yet from what I’ve seen in Ugru, it seems far from my original expectations, which disappoints me greatly,” Komer said with a shrug, sounding regretful. “I originally hoped to work together with everyone in the Caucasus and its territories to turn our region into a paradise south of the Kingdom of Nicosia, but it seems I was too optimistic.”
“Hmph, Lord, I think it’s your lack of merit that prevents the people in your territory from trusting you. Sorry for being blunt, but I can’t see how nobles like you could bring about any change in our Caucasus. If anything, things will only get worse,” the young man replied disdainfully, also shrugging, his eyes filled with utter contempt.
Interesting. Komer could tell that the other party held strong prejudices against nobles like himself—prejudices stemming from hatred and disdain for their poor behavior, as well as envy and jealousy over their advantages and privileges. These two emotions combined to create such a strange mindset.
Furious, Hes waved to stop his son’s provocation and angrily signaled him to leave. The other man cast a scornful glance at Komer before mounting his horse and riding away. Seeing Komer still staring intently at his son’s retreating figure, Hes grew worried. He didn’t want his son to get involved with this man, whose gaze was so dark that it sometimes felt like two bottomless pits, making it impossible to guess his true intentions. Even this experienced adventurer, who had weathered many storms over decades, felt uneasy.
“Lord, I guess you have something to talk to me about today, and I have an idea of what it is. I don’t want to say more, but the Caucasus may seem calm on the surface, but its inner workings are probably not as simple as you think. Please forgive me for not going into details. If I were you, I’d rather delegate leadership to someone here and return to Cyprus or Bruce to live a peaceful life—perhaps that would be better.” The two walked side by side. After hesitating several times, the reticent adventurer finally spoke these ambiguous words, which Komer understood perfectly.
“Mr. Hess, can I really entrust the rights of a lord so easily? Hehe, I’m afraid even if I did, no one would be able to bear the burden. I roughly understand what you’re saying, and I appreciate your kindness. This path as a lord doesn’t seem easy, but I think I can keep going. As for those things you mentioned, haven’t I already experienced them? Attacks by packs of wolves, assassinations by fallen knights, sniping by the Leon gang—I still seem to be standing here, alive, in this Caucasus territory.” Komer’s expression turned cold, his icy gaze sweeping over the old adventurer’s face; the chill was even more piercing than when facing ice bears. For a moment, Hess didn’t know how to respond, so he could only remain silent.