Chapter 14: Worth Every Penny
After sending Hoffman and Lenta away, Komer wasn’t any less busy. The pressure from the Gray Skull grew ever greater. That old guy, Gott, had warned Komer three times—if he didn’t deliver the agreed-upon magic gunpowder cannons, he wouldn’t only stop protecting Matdam but would also trigger unimaginable consequences.
This was undoubtedly an ultimatum. Matdam’s importance to the Caucasus was almost indispensable. Those pirates might even sail upstream along the Catalonia River to block its entire waterway, leaving the entire Caucasus and Leon in trouble. Although Homer was gradually lifting the blockade on the Nise River, once they learned that the Gray Skull and the Caucasus had turned against each other, they would surely seize this chance to strangle the Caucasus and Leon.
Komer stared blankly at the round artifact on his desk. It was made almost entirely of magic metal. The cylindrical tube gleamed with a calm luster under the surrounding flames, appearing dark and ominous. It had taken three months just to craft this gun barrel. That guy, Maximilian, kept nagging him, complaining that this strange metal tube had consumed too much high-quality anthracite from his workshop. He didn’t dare demand more money—it was clearly stated in the agreement. He probably just wanted to show off in front of Komer, hoping for preferential treatment for his workshop in future deals.
Apart from the gun barrel, Komer didn’t have Maximilian’s workshop craft the other components. He didn’t want this artifact to be associated with him once it was completed, at least not in the short term. The Gray Skull’s urgent demands must be related to the situation in the Undersea and Midland Seas.
According to news from Haireding, the Gray Skull had lost battles against the red-haired witch Katrina over the past few months. It was said that an informant sent by Katrina had infiltrated the Gray Skull’s ranks. Even four of the Distance Mirrors Komer had made for them had fallen into her hands. This was likely why that old guy, Gott, didn’t dare openly confront him.
The original agreement had been clear: the Distance Mirrors could be destroyed, but they must never fall into the hands of anyone other than the Gray Skull. Gott probably feared that if pushed too far, Komer would realize just how serious the consequences of their leakage would be. He thought Komer knew nothing about the Undersea and Midland Seas, not realizing that Komer had already planted Haireding as a spy.
No one knows what kind of changes such a weapon will bring to the already turbulent Abyssal Sea and Midland Ocean. The Magic Armored Cannon and the Thousand-Mile Magic Mirror are fundamentally different—the latter is merely an auxiliary tool. Naval battles have always been decided by strength; although gaining an advantage by anticipating the enemy’s moves can help, ultimate victory still depends on head-on competition. The Magic Armored Cannon is precisely the powerful weapon that can disrupt this long-standing balance of power.
Caucasus and Leon have no say in matters concerning the Abyssal Sea and Midland Ocean. The vast majority of ships traveling between Matdam and Bahomon come from outside Caucasus—regions such as Homer, Calais, the Baden-Franken area controlled by the Ferdinand family, the countries and cities along the upper and middle reaches of the Catalonia River, the colonies on the Vast Continent, and the southern regions of the continent. Ships from Homer and Calais are particularly common, and now the number of ships from the upper and middle reaches of the Catalonia River is also increasing rapidly. Komer has met several times with the rulers of the Jellyfish People in hopes of securing more quotas for merchant ships using the Catalonia River route, but he has not yet received approval.
Given the current situation, unless Caucasus and Leon gain control over the waterways and oceans, they will remain at the mercy of others. Homer’s naval force is quite weak, yet it can still easily blockade Caucasus and Leon. If it weren’t for the support of the Gray Skulls, Caucasus might have collapsed long ago.
It is under these circumstances that Komer resolutely ordered Puber to invest heavily in purchasing ships to secretly form Caucasus’s first commercial fleet, dedicated to transporting goods between Caucasus and Leon. This not only allows for high profits but also lays the groundwork for future actions should the Gray Skulls turn against them.
Haiding adapted extremely well to this task. A small fleet of three ships quickly shipped a batch of iron ore from Bahomon to the Baden-Franken area and brought back large quantities of wheat from there. This barter trade became quite prosperous in the region, and within three months, they had gathered detailed information about the current situation in the Abyssal Sea and the Southern Midland Ocean.
The situation for the Gray Skulls is dire. The relentless pressure from the Red-Haired Witch Katrina forces them to take action; otherwise, their influence in the northern part of the Earth Sea will gradually erode. Relying solely on the southern part of theHades Sea Sea is not enough to satisfy or sustain the Gray Skulls. Moreover, this declining influence will surely demoralize them and even put them at risk of collapse.
At least for now, the Caucasus is nowhere near capable of competing with the Gray Skulls. Komer also made demands on them, insisting that the mouth of the Nise River must no longer be blocked by Homer’s navy. It seems the Gray Skulls, under the immense pressure from Katrina in the south, sent ships to the mouth of the Nise River to force Homer’s navy to lift the blockade as soon as possible. Having done what they were supposed to, it seems it’s time for Komer to reciprocate.
The strange device before him is Komer’s first magic-powered cannon. He knew this day would come sooner or later, so he didn’t intend to delay too long. Truly angering the Gray Skulls wouldn’t be worthwhile. As for the changes in the situation in the Earth Sea, the Caucasus can’t worry about those for now.
Gently tracing the cool surface of the cannon barrel, Komer felt a sense of fondness. This was a weapon capable of changing the balance of power at sea. Of course, it couldn’t achieve such results on its own. The Gray Skulls were defiant and might turn against them at any moment, so Komer had to find a way to prepare for that. The quality of the magic-powered springs wasn’t very reliable—or rather, it could only reach this level. It wouldn’t be evident in the short term, but once the magic-powered cannon was used to some extent, they would realize that having it didn’t guarantee permanent success.
A faint smile appeared on Komer’s lips. Well, let the Gray Skulls enjoy themselves for now. Using this magic-powered cannon as a secret weapon would at least allow them to turn the tide against the Red-Haired Witch in the near future. As for whether they could use this opportunity to regain their lost honor, it would depend on their own performance. A magic-powered cannon is just a weapon—it can’t single-handedly reverse the situation. Hopefully, they’ll understand that.
“Great Leader, the installation is complete. Please give your orders.” The burly man with a gray headscarf rushed up to the makeshift viewing platform on the deck. Two men were lounging comfortably on loose armchairs, while the table was filled with specialty dishes from various places. The strong sea smell was hard for Komer to tolerate, but the honey wine from the south suited Komer, who didn’t like strong liquor well.
“Come on, Lord Viscount, let’s drink to the success of our cooperation!” His slightly hunched figure seemed even more bent than usual, and a glint appeared on his wrinkled face. The gray strands at his temples made it clear just how much pressure this Great Leader of the Gray Skulls had endured over the past year.
The betrayal by his confidants, though dealt with through decisive and iron-fisted measures, left a shadow that couldn’t be erased so easily. Repeated defeats in the struggles over the northern seas, along with the arrogant attitude of the Red-Haired Witch, burned the hearts of every member of the Gray Skulls. Gott deeply experienced the agony of sleepless nights and loss of appetite. Sometimes he even thought he was getting old and perhaps no longer a match for those rising young forces. But he refused to accept it. The Gray Skulls weren’t weaklings—they would take another gamble, with the person before him and the magic firearms he brought as the stakes.
If the magic firearms truly had the power he imagined, it wasn’t impossible for the Gray Skulls to turn the tide or even reverse the situation. The only thing that regretted Gott was that the opponent only brought one magic firearm. He didn’t care about money—the Rhode Island still had plenty in reserves. Without the cohesion to hold the organization together, his scattered followers would immediately divide up these items and flee for their own lives. Gott would never allow such a thing to happen.
“Mr. Gott, I hope so too. I hope I can bring you more magic firearms. But I’ve already explained to you the cost of these weapons—they’re extremely expensive. Regrettably, the funds you gave me earlier have run out. If you need more magic firearms, you’ll likely have to pay more.” Komer picked up the brightly colored glass, swirling the liquid inside. A smile on his lips showed his confidence. “However, Mr. Gott can first see the power of the magic firearms. I believe that after watching the demonstration, you’ll think it’s well worth the price, even worth more than that!”
Winking, Gott laughed, and even his wrinkles seemed to fade significantly. He downed the wine in his hand, allowing it to drip from the corners of his mouth onto his clothes, then slammed the glass back on the table. “Lord Viscount, though I dislike your habit of being so fussy about details, I really like your last remark—worth every penny. If it’s truly worth it, I’m not averse to paying a bit more!”
I want a receipt!