Chapter 25: A New Beginning

Komer nodded. Puber’s idea aligned with his own intentions—once the half-orcs could be conquered, they could become his most loyal servants. Now was the best opportunity. Their demands were low, merely basic sustenance. The opening of the Catalonia River route had already solved most of the problems. What he needed to consider now was how to take control of the Leon region smoothly and legitimately. This depended not only on his own tactics but also on the support from the kingdom’s central authorities and the extent to which Homer’s relationship with them would deteriorate. Perhaps he should also play a role in returning the favor to Philip for his “generosity” toward the Caucasus.
“There’s no need to worry too much about this. Although the half-orcs are reckless and fierce, they’re not stupid or irrational. The rebellion arose because the Leon nobles led by Pokaninsky oppressed and abused these half-orc slaves relentlessly, forcing them to rise up in protest. Mahagumi once detailed the causes and consequences of that great rebellion to me. I think no one could tolerate such inhumane treatment—even intelligent animals would resist.”
“With Mando’s example ahead, I believe the half-orc leaders in other parts of Leon have also witnessed or heard about these changes to some extent. I’ve specifically instructed Neptune to ensure that the mine owners in Main and Susor provide adequate living conditions for the miners. I’m sure they understand the consequences and should be able to satisfy the ordinary half-orcs. The only tricky part is dealing with their leaders. Having enjoyed freedom and power as rulers, they might refuse to return to their former subjugated lives. Besides, as far as I know, there are many mortals mixed among them. It’s hard to say if there are any other unexpected elements. When I left the Caucasus, I arranged for people to investigate their origins and motives. There should be an answer by now.”

Puber and Ilot were both aware that the half-orc with sun-bleached hair had become Komer’s ace card in infiltrating the Leon region. His innate racial advantages and familiarity with people made him perfectly suited for this task. Neither of them had any good feelings toward Mahagumi; in their eyes, that sneaky fellow with malicious glints in his eyes seemed to be spying on everything, which made people feel uneasy at the sight of him. Yet, even Puber had to admit that this guy had provided Caucasus with quite a lot of valuable information.

“By the way, people from Rhode Island have arrived too. They didn’t explain their purpose, just said they wanted to see you,” Puber said, as if recalling something. He knew a bit about what was going on in Rhode Island. He wasn’t sure what kind of deal Komer had made with them to allow the Gray Skulls to coexist peacefully with Caucasus and for Matdan to open its port smoothly. But Komer had vaguely mentioned that the Gray Skulls wouldn’t interfere with Matdan’s opening, and that guarantee was enough.

“Hmm, I see,” Komer nodded. “By the way, are those two guys from the Rema Knights still in Caucasus?”

“Yes. It seems they even had a conflict with someone. By the time the lord’s guards arrived, the fight was already over. All that was left was chaos, but no signs of death or injury. Only the Rema Knights were there; the other party’s identity is unknown. Normally, adventurers and exploration teams shouldn’t clash with the Rema Knights, and it seems like they’re also unwilling to cooperate with our patrols. Following your advice, I’ve told my subordinates to keep a low profile. That Green Knight keeps coming to the lord’s mansion to see you every other day, but I’ve stopped him each time, telling him you’re exploring the Cordillera Wasteland. It really pissed him off,” Ilot said proudly.

Komer guessed that it must be the experts from the Great Secret Sect who had run into the Rema Knights again. These naturally hostile groups could only resolve conflicts through battle. But it seemed these members of the Great Secret Sect were quite skilled enough to retreat calmly despite facing two Rema Knights, which must have dealt a heavy blow to the Rema Knights’ confidence.

“Boss, it seems that besides opening up the route to Catalonia, you’ve reaped quite a few benefits this time too, hehe. I truly admire you greatly, brother. When you left, Lomei still seemed indifferent, but now, hehe, it seems like you’ve taken the lead already. Not only that, you’ve also brought back three women. That busty beauty must have some elven blood, right? And that one named Finitz—isn’t she a purebred elf? I can tell just by looking at her eyes. It seems like these women are all somehow connected to you, boss. Your gaze toward them also seems strange. Sigh, boss, next time you have such lucky encounters, take me along too.” Pube said, his expression a mix of understanding and envy.

“You two need to be more careful with your words. These women and their companions are quite capable. I invited them to Caucasus for important purposes. Their backgrounds are complicated, but that doesn’t affect us. What Caucasus lacks now are people who can be put to use—we need people in every field. Apart from trying to recruit some within our territory, we have no other choice but to find such solutions,” Komer said helplessly. “Pube, didn’t you make any friends while you were in Phoenix? Although Caucasus is a bit remote, we could offer higher salaries to see if we can recruit anyone. Also, we can select some from those hundreds of thousands of northern immigrants. Once the Catalonia River becomes fully navigable, the populations of Bahomun and Matdan will increase sharply, and traffic will grow even more. Relying solely on the self-defense forces won’t be enough. We need to assign civil and judicial officials to Bahomun and Matdan right away, otherwise, we won’t be able to handle the situation. We need to find candidates promptly.”

“We also need to plan ahead for Leon. What about Murey, Banasha, and Izmel? Once they’re truly under Caucasus’ jurisdiction, how should we manage those hundreds of thousands of half-orcs who aren’t fully civilized yet? Are we ready?” Komer asked, sighing. The issue of Leon was one that couldn’t be avoided. Whether it was Homer’s side or Caucasus, instead of waiting passively, it was better to take the initiative. Kakiya and Hoffman—let’s see who among them can make this big deal with us. The risks are high, and the initial investment will be substantial, but the rewards in Caucasus are equally significant. I believe they’ll all have to weigh their options carefully.