Chapter Ten: The Beauty Arrives
“Princess Kakiya, I think there’s no need for further riddles. Your visit this time is probably not just to see a friend you’ve only met once. I originally thought it would be Prince Hoffman or Princess Lenta, but it turns out to be Princess Kakiya—which surprises me yet also delights me. I hope more people from the kingdom will come to visit our Caucasus and restore its reputation.” After considering his words, Komer felt it was time to discuss matters of importance. According to the information he had, not only were relations between the kingdom’s central government and the major lords worsening due to disputes over funds for defending against orc invasions, but conflicts among the kingdom’s elite, especially among the heirs to the throne, seemed to be intensifying as well. Considering that Kakiya had defeated Hoffman and Lenta to travel to the Caucasus, Komer couldn’t help but wonder her intentions—was she here to seek aid or to showcase her talents before the king to win his approval?
That smile that could captivate thousands of men appeared once again on Kakiya’s stunning face. Seeing that the other party could no longer hold back and removed her veil, Kakiya finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least in terms of patience, she had overcome him, giving her some initiative. She realized she had instinctively regarded this man as her most formidable opponent. Of course, for now, he could only be called an opponent—perhaps a partner, an ally, or even an enemy. Everything would depend on his behavior.
“Baron, I appreciate your honesty. Indeed, my visit this time is not just to see you. Although I truly hope to meet you again, I must say that personal feelings take a backseat compared to state affairs. I believe you feel the same way.” Kakiya conveyed her emotions subtly, allowing the other party to recognize the importance of the topic at hand while also making them feel her sincerity. This way, she could better gain their understanding and support. “Lord Teyz and General Matthew are very interested in how the Leon rebels managed to defeat Homer’s army. They hope to obtain more detailed information and also expect Leon to play a greater role in the future.”
“Your Highness, is this the kingdom’s plan? Hehe, it seems a bit too naive. How can we make Leon play a greater role? The floating bridge from Bruce Fortress to Leon has been burned down. Although I’ve heard that the Homers have started repairs on their side, it’s impossible to build even a temporary bridge in three to five months. Besides, the rebels in Leon right now—hehe, I’m not saying anything discouraging, but they’re probably already having trouble even getting food, let alone coming up with anything innovative. If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, I’m willing to accompany you to Leon.”
Komer actually didn’t care about the issues being discussed. He had no interest in the kingdom’s plans and was well aware of their intentions—nothing more than using the chaos in Leon to distract the Homers, so as to facilitate any future military actions against them. What interested him was how he could gain more benefits from this impending conflict. The kingdom continuously imported grain to the Caucasus by sea, entering through Middelburg and then flowing into Leon via Muscat. The rebels in Leon exchanged this grain for the wealth seized from nobles, allowing Puber and others to earn unimaginably high profits for the Caucasus and rapidly prospering Muscat into a trade hub between the Caucasus and Leon. As long as this trade continued, the Caucasus could continue to profit from it. But the new developments weren’t as favorable as expected. The wealth taken from the nobles would eventually run out, while the mining operations that truly sustained Leon had come to a halt. Moreover, even if minerals were mined, they couldn’t be exported for sale—the market in the Caucasus alone couldn’t accommodate the mineral products from Leon, not to mention that the Caucasus itself needed to export its own mineral products.
At this moment, Komer still dared not entertain Leon’s ambitions. He hoped that Kakiya’s arrival this time would allow him to understand the kingdom’s attitude toward the major lords, especially those in the Homer region. Currently, Homer’s small but brave navy has begun patrolling the seas east of Leon, inspecting cargo ships traveling from the north to the south. Their goal is clearly to blockade Matdam. Although most of these large merchant fleets have countermeasures—either through connections at higher levels or bribes at lower levels—they can generally get through. Yet this has alerted Komer: once Homer feels the time is right, it could completely seal off Matdam, turning the Caucasus into a stagnant area, doomed to perish. Though Homer’s navy has not yet expanded its influence into the waters near Matdam due to the presence of the Gray Skulls in the southern part of thethe Sea of Death Sea, the Gray Skulls have already begun their southern expansion after obtaining three Magic Mirrors. After all, the south is their foundation and lifeline. In their eyes, controlling the trade routes between the south and the Land of Mist is the true Golden Road, whereas the connections between the north and the Land of Mist are much smaller in scale.
Komer has repeatedly asked the Gray Skulls to ensure Matdam’s safety, but aside from verbal promises, they have not taken any substantial action. Instead, they demanded that Komer deliver the promised samples of magic-powered cannons as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only would they fail to protect Matdam, but they would also blockade it under the pretext of breaking their promise, which has posed a significant headache for Komer. Due to recent busy schedules, Komer has only managed to craft two Magic Mirrors in his spare time and has made little progress in developing the magic-powered cannons. Although the principles of their construction can be obtained from the scrolls, turning theory into practice requires considerable effort. Fortunately, after receiving the three well-crafted Magic Mirrors, the Gray Skulls seem to have reaped benefits from them. At least the previously disadvantaged Gray Skulls can now regain their strength and compete with the Katrina Red-Haired Witch’s pirate fleet operating in the Earth Ocean to the south. This has greatly excited Gota, who agreed to Komer’s request for more time to develop the magic-powered cannons.
But when asked to protect Mardan from Homer’s navy, Gott refused, citing that the original agreement between the two sides did not include such a clause. He claimed he could only act as a mediator as an outsider and would not use the Gray Skulls’ military forces to safeguard Mardan Port. It was unclear why—whether they truly intended to focus all their efforts on the struggle in the Southern Mid-Sea and had no time to spare, or whether they simply did not want to completely break ties with Homer. In any case, their refusal to address the issue directly made Komer doubt whether he could develop the magic-powered cannons on schedule. If a force too powerful to control could even threaten one’s own safety, it was not a good sign, and it would be unwise to exacerbate the situation further. Perhaps some means of restraint were needed to hold the other party in check; only balance could be reasonable and appropriate.
“Baron, the situation in Leon is crucial to the kingdom’s overall interests. I believe you are aware of this. I’m sure you have good strategies to at least maintain the current situation in Leon. If there are other needs, Kakiya is willing to convey this matter to Lords Parker and Taze, who I believe will meet your reasonable demands.”
Kakiya certainly understood the hidden meaning in his words. Hoffman and him seemed to be working well together, and the kingdom was quite satisfied with the previous arrangement. The purpose of sending her on this mission was simply to ensure that Leon and the Caucasus could more effectively draw Homer’s attention and resources, preparing the kingdom for its next steps. Although Kakiya couldn’t be sure what form the kingdom’s upcoming actions would take, she could tell from the serious expression on her father’s face that this was nothing like a usual argument or impulsive decision. Her father had never attached such importance to a mission before. Kakiya had a premonition that the kingdom would soon take major action, and it would likely start in the Homer region.
Rather than valuing Leon so much, the kingdom seemed more interested in the potential of the Caucasus. At least one thing was certain to Kakiya: the true strength behind this young baron was far beyond what he showed outwardly. One piece of evidence was the magicians living in Damorensk Fortress.
It was not easy to keep secret the news that Fort Damorlensk had transformed from a fearsome fortress into the residence of the lord and his friends. The kingdom, as well as Homer, learned of this news quickly. Although Komer’s identity as a magician was no longer a secret in the kingdom or among Homer’s people, it was clearly beyond Komer’s alone to conquer Fort Damorlensk, which made the roles of his friends even more significant. Rebrí, Mihajović, and Newman, who led a low-profile life, did not draw much attention, but the two dark knights, entrusted by Komer to serve as martial arts instructors for the self-defense forces and the lord’s guard, had to frequently appear before the soldiers to guide their training. Although the spies scattered across the Caucasus could not predict just how skilled these two stern-looking martial arts instructors really were, the degree of admiration and obsession shown by the half-orc soldiers and half-elf archers toward them suggested that they were by no means ordinary fighters.