Chapter 6: Dreams Shattered
Peering at the handsome man before him with narrowed eyes, Komer’s impression of him dropped sharply. He was helping his master attack him without a shred of conscience. Though understandable, it seemed somewhat contrary to the principles of a knight. Komer never considered himself among those with a humble, just, proud, and conscientious heart as a knight, but he still held deep respect for true knights. In his view, there were far too few people in real life who truly embodied knightly virtues, and most of those who claimed to be knights were actually hypocrites. This man before him seemed to belong to that category as well. He could tell that the man had some ulterior motives regarding the girl who rushed out of the door. To go so far as to side with that old fool Zelin and even exaggerate the facts to slander his own territory was a clear violation of knightly principles.
“Heh, Knight Sart, I think your words are an insult to the intelligence and judgment of these representatives. Do they not desire a better life? Yes, places like your Galai region and most areas in the Homer region might be more suitable for them, but those places have long been inhabited by indigenous people. One hundred and fifty thousand refugees—either many or few—would surely cause a lot of trouble for the lords if they really moved there. Doesn’t today’s incident prove that? As Duke Zelin said, even a baseless rumor can provoke such a strong reaction from the local people. What if it were true? Without the kingdom’s approval, even if they managed to settle down, the refugees would likely live in constant attacks and fear. And refugees without official recognition from the kingdom are even worse off than slaves, with no protection for their lives or property. Is that really what the refugees want? It would be better for them to accept Poninsky’s offer and work as mine slaves in the Leon region.”
“Also, Knight Sart is right. The Caucasus region is at the southern edge of the kingdom, with the lands of the barbarians to its south. However, the barbarians haven’t clashed with the kingdom for decades now, and they live in peace with each other. As for magical beasts, they exist everywhere—it’s just a matter of quantity. In the Caucasus, at least I’ve never heard or seen of any magical beasts invading human settlements. Of course, it’s impossible to have none in the remote mountainous areas; I think even the Don River swamps in the Galia region can’t be free of them. As for Fort Damansky, Knight Sart’s words seem a bit exaggerated. Indeed, it was the castle of past rulers of the Caucasus, and there have indeed been some issues there in the past, but I don’t think that means it will always be like that. To be honest, after returning to the Caucasus this time, I plan to move into the castle at an appropriate time. I hope Duke Zelin and Knight Sart will come to my place in the Caucasus during their free time to vacation, hunt, and relax. The climate in the Caucasus is warm, and there’s an abundance of game—perfect for exploration and hunting.”
In response to the provocation, Komer still smiled and countered calmly, his tone showing no regard for his opponent at all. Sharp and vicious words were exactly Komer’s forte, leaving the young knight’s face turning red and pale alternately. Knight Sart’s oratory skills were clearly not as strong as his combat abilities. Faced with Komer’s sarcastic and mocking remarks, he couldn’t find suitable words to retort and could only glare angrily at this eloquent country bumpkin, determined in his heart to teach this ungrateful guy a lesson if he got the chance.
“Hehe, Lord Baron, your eloquence is truly remarkable. The decision to relocate refugees from those three regions to the Caucasus was made by the kingdom. Although the Caucasus is somewhat remote, it’s still far better than the fate of becoming orcs’ slaves. I’m sure you all agree. I’m truly sorry for today’s incident. Please forgive the rudeness of that young lady earlier. I originally wanted to invite you all to rest here for a while, but I guess you’re not in the mood now. How about this—tonight, I’ll host a banquet at my residence as compensation for today’s unfortunate situation. I hope you’ll kindly accept my invitation.”
Since the plan had already been exposed, it was inevitable to abort this already imperfect and unrefined plan. I believe those guys felt the same way; it was just a pity to lose the chance to reap huge profits from those wealthy commoners. The silver-haired old man could now be certain that today’s turmoil was definitely related to this seemingly indifferent country bumpkin before him. Yet he couldn’t figure out right away who in his territory had enough power to hide such a thing and stir up such a fuss. Was their goal to prevent him from gaining huge profits from these wealthy refugees, or was it the kingdom’s intention to use this incident to create trouble and damage his reputation? If it was the latter, it warranted serious consideration.
There were still six hours before the banquet, so there was plenty of time. The representatives from Main and Susor politely declined the lord’s gracious invitation. They needed to return to their people’s homes outside the city first to explain what had happened today to those wealthy merchants and landowners who wanted to stay in the Gallia Plains. Duke Zerlin’s final words undoubtedly marked the end of this conspiracy.
The frustrated representatives had already realized that things were beyond repair when they faced the protests by local merchants and farmers outside the grand duke’s palace. The fertility of the Gallia region and the prosperity of Gutenberg made them reluctant to leave, but they didn’t dare stay either. In such a hostile environment, their lives and property could be at risk at any moment. This situation wasn’t much better than risking it back in their homeland. They could only leave sadly, hoping to move here again through other means in the future.
Komer understood the distress of the three representatives. Anyone would want to live in a better environment, especially when suddenly falling from a relatively good situation to a remote and notorious place—such a contrast was hard to accept.
Watching the three representatives leave dejectedly, Komer turned his gaze away and snorted lightly. “You two, and Fran too—Gutenberg is a major city, ranking third in our kingdom alongside Nicomedia and Cyprus. Since we have time today, how about we take a walk? Everyone can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of Gutenberg. Its printing industry is the best in the kingdom, and the quality of its printed books and illustrations is renowned across the continent. If anyone is interested, they can take a look.”
Rafael was also a representative of the refugees from the Duchy of Melen, though his status was slightly different from that of Rese. He was a small landowner from outside the capital of Mecyni, a commoner without any noble bloodline—more precisely, a small landholder, a relatively wealthy self-sufficient farmer who employed dozens of peasants and was on his way to becoming a true landowner. Having lost his land, he had nothing left, but he was well-known in the region for his generosity and kindness toward his employed peasants, earning him respect there. This made him a representative of tens of thousands of small landowners and poor tenant farmers from the rural areas of the Duchy of Melen.
In fact, it was through Rafael that the Duke of Zelin learned of the secret contacts with the refugee representatives. However, the people sent to make contact were very cautious and did not reveal much information, leaving Rafael puzzled as to why the powerful Duke of Zelin would be interested in someone as insignificant as him. Due to Fran’s influence, Rafael had a favorable impression of Komer, the new lord. Of course, Komer’s promise to prioritize meeting the needs of the refugees from the Duchy of Melen by using the large areas of uncultivated land in his territory was the main reason Rafael relayed this information to Komer without hesitation. As for Rese, perhaps because the other side realized his close relationship with Komer and his reputation for integrity, they gave up trying to recruit him.
When Rafael vaguely learned of their intentions from the people who came to contact him, the experienced Rafael quickly understood their motives. By then, Komer had already learned the truth from Palermo, but Rafael’s information confirmed it, giving Komer greater confidence and satisfying him greatly with Rafael’s actions.
Rafael’s reason for rejecting their tempting offers was simple: he was a staunch land advocate. Unlike the representatives from Main and Susor, who either possessed substantial wealth and business experience or specialized skills to make a living in cities, without land he could only become a beggar. In fertile lands like the Gallai Plain, there was no chance for him anyway. No matter how much they swore, Rafael would not believe them. In contrast, although the uncultivated land in the Caucasus promised by Komer was less favorable, it was still much better. Having a large piece of land of his own had always been Rafael’s dream—both in Melen and in the Caucasus.
Gutenberg’s streets were clean and spacious, with large stone-paved roads that remained quite clean and smooth even on rainy days. The intersections were firmly padded with gravel, and at important crossroads, there were even copper-and-glass street lamps. Thick candles were covered by somewhat hazy glass shades, ensuring illumination even on stormy nights. Although this crude glass, made from rough quartz sand, didn’t look very good, it was still a sign of Gutenberg’s wealth and prosperity. After all, luxuries like glass were not accessible to ordinary households; even middle-class merchant families would only use a few glass panes in their living rooms, while the rest of the rooms relied on wooden shutters.
The sheer number of shops and workshops lining the streets left those walking along them in awe. From large specialized stores selling grain, cloth, salt, and candles to small shops with front stores and back workshops, carriages, ox carts, and rickshaws moved constantly, carrying passengers and goods. Most of these commercial establishments were concentrated in the northern part of the city, closest to the canal docks. The road running through the city divided this area into east and west sections. It took over two hours for the group to get a rough overview of the eastern district, which featured artworks, gold and silver jewelry, books and paintings, gems, handicrafts, silk, and other luxury goods imported from other places. The western district, on the other hand, was dominated by workshops and markets selling bulk goods, but Komer and his group didn’t have enough time to visit them. Even so, this was enough to make everyone envious.
The southern part of the city was clearly the residential area for the upper and middle classes. Especially in the neighborhoods near the lord’s palace, there were row upon row of mansions and villas, separated by tall trees serving as barriers and low evergreen shrubs as fences. Occasionally, secluded paths wound through the houses, shaded by vines, giving the area a lush, green appearance even in late autumn. Adjacent to the residential areas were various religious buildings—whether it was the cathedral of the Light Church or religious structures dedicated to other natural deities. Their exquisite beauty and diverse styles were enough to dazzle anyone.
Large and small squares, gardens, fountains, and statues are interspersed among the neighborhoods, cleverly dividing them apart. What’s more remarkable is that the fountain sculpture adjacent to the Grand Duke’s palace is clearly controlled by magical devices that make the water jump—sometimes soaring high, sometimes flowing low. The spray mists land on the crystal-clear statue of the goddess Aphrodite in the pool, while the magical crystal lamps hidden among the rocks behind it are so well concealed that one would never notice their presence without a close look. The entire fountain pool is shimmering with light, enveloped in mist, with duckweed floating about, creating a hazy and dreamlike atmosphere. It’s obvious that this was created by one of the continent’s greatest masters, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Sitting in the carriage and taking in all this, both Komer and the others were deeply impressed by the beautiful and enchanting city of Gutenberg. Especially its well-organized and ingenious layout was utterly captivating. No wonder the people of Galle always looked down on outsiders as country bumpkins, treating guests from the capital city of Jazair in the same dismissive manner—this was one of the main reasons why the people of Galle earned a reputation for coldness and arrogance.