Chapter 8: The Flanders Territory

“Slow!” The mountain dialect, not entirely pure but still understandable, made the barbarian soldiers, ready to attack, pause for a moment. All eyes turned to the warrior in the center who had removed his mask, their expressions showing surprise and hesitation. The leader of the barbarian soldiers slowly lowered his right hand, then pushed the mask back over his helmet.
“Huh? You speak our mountain dialect?! Who are you? State your name, or face the consequences!” Though his hand was lowered, the leader of the barbarian squad remained highly alert. To appear so boldly in the Flanders Valley and act with such confidence must mean he had some backing. He didn’t dare be careless, but he also didn’t want to show weakness.
“Oh, my identity is somewhat complex—hard to explain in just a few words. But one thing is clear: I want to meet the leader of your garrison in Flanders. Which tribe of the Mountain People’s Alliance do you belong to?” Komer remained composed. He knew he had already overwhelmed them in terms of presence, making them hesitant to act rashly—after all, a single squad couldn’t dictate matters on its own.
“You want to see our leader?!” His tone turned harsh, clearly angered by Komer’s words. Anger flared in his eyes as he snorted disdainfully through his nose. “What are you, anyway? What right do you have to demand an audience with our leader?”
“I’m not some trivial being. Though I’m just a mortal, I’m sure your tribe’s leader will still treat me with respect!” Komer replied coldly. “I have important matters that need to be conveyed to your tribe’s leader by the leader of your garrison in Flanders. These are not decisions you or your superiors can make. Your role is merely to deliver the message.”
Komer’s increasingly arrogant tone fueled the leader’s anger, but seeing the group’s casual demeanor, he grew uncertain. They had already entered the heart of the Flanders Valley, making escape difficult. Their appearance didn’t suggest they were there to tease him, and their demeanor was unlike any mortal he had encountered before. This left him unsure what to do.

After discussing a few words with a soldier who appeared to be a deputy behind him, the squad leader finally nodded reluctantly. He signaled his men to remain in combat readiness while ordering one of the axe warriors to blow the horn he carried. The loud and resonant sound of the horn immediately filled the skies above Antwerp’s streets and spread in all directions.

“Stay right here and don’t move around, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble,” the squad leader eventually conceded, agreeing that Komer and his group could rest in place until his own superior arrived to make a decision.

Komer also showed sufficient goodwill by asking about their tribe. After some hesitation, they told him that they belonged to the Karon tribe of the Mountain People Alliance.

The Mountain People Alliance consisted of thirteen major tribes—four from the Ka clan, three from the Wa clan, three from the Ya clan, and three from the Jia clan—along with smaller tribes affiliated with them. Each of the thirteen major tribes had a population of over 20,000. Among them, the seven tribes from the Ka and Wa clans in the south were the strongest. The Karon tribe, led by the Ka clan, had a population of over 40,000, followed by the Ya clan in the west, while the Jia clan in the north was the weakest. Komer was already well aware of this. Although he had not met the leaders of any tribe other than the Jia clan, he had a general understanding of the relationships and power dynamics among the thirteen tribes. The Karon tribe was part of the Ka clan and, like the Wa clan, had always been at the forefront of southern campaigns. It was an active participant in every war against the countries south of the Cordillera Wasteland.

The barbarians were quite efficient at transmitting messages. In less than an hour, three combat squads arrived at full speed. Four earth dragons roared menacingly, and the two-meter-tall barbarian warriors made Komer and his group seem like dwarfs. However, even these summoned barbarians seemed unprepared for the situation. Their superior, the commander of the troops stationed in Flanders, was not in the Flanders Valley but already at the front lines near the Melan River Valley. Clearly, the barbarians did not think mortals could cause any trouble in the Flanders Valley; they had focused all their attention on the fiercely contested Melan River Valley.

After Komer’s firm negotiations, the barbarians finally agreed to let him and his group stay in Antwerp. But three combat squads surrounded them tightly, and messages were sent quickly to ensure that the commander of the Karon tribe troops responsible for guarding the Flanders Valley would arrive as soon as possible.

What annoyed Komer was that even after the leader of the Karon tribe’s garrison arrived, nothing was achieved. Apart from making that man over two meters tall sweat profusely, the responses to Komer’s demands were merely stammered statements that a decision could only be made after reporting to the tribe chief. Komer and his group simply settled down in Antwerp in a grand manner. Seeing the fierce and brutal barbarian warriors behave in a highly civilized manner in front of them, they even demanded that the barbarian “earth dragons” stop defecating recklessly in the streets of Antwerp, which severely damaged public hygiene, and ordered the barbarian soldiers to drive them to the wilderness outside the town. All these actions shocked the residents who dared to return to Antwerp. The sudden absence of Karon tribe chief Monterey from the regular pre-battle meetings did not draw much attention from the leaders of the barbarian alliance, as these biweekly pre-battle meetings usually did not bring any major news—at most, the ten tribe chiefs would complain briefly before continuing with the planned battles. By then, most of the Melan Valley was already under control, and Brandenburg, located at the end of the valley, had become a wedge that blocked the mountain people’s advance. Dwarves and humans had united to resist the mountain people’s attacks tenaciously, and the situation seemed to have reached a stalemate that was difficult for both sides to accept. If the other leaders had known that Monterey had gone to Antwerp to meet someone, they would likely have been shocked. Yet Monterey was indeed sitting in the count’s manor, where two or three rooms had been cleared just enough to accommodate him. After repeatedly verifying the token handed over by Komer, Monterey finally confirmed Komer’s identity. The tokens of the mountain people could not be forged by outsiders, especially those of the tribal chiefs, whose special secret patterns and seals could only be recognized by the tribal chiefs and members of the alliance’s council. It was indeed the token of Jiarong tribe chief Di Fanchi. “Mr. Komer, I have long heard of your fame but never had the chance to meet you. We all mountain people remember your help deeply, and today I can finally fulfill this long-held wish. I can’t believe you came to the south! Di Fanchi is my good friend. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Monteiro seemed very generous, which seemed to be the nature of most mountain people. However, Komer learned from DiVanchi that this seemingly rough and straightforward leader was far from as honest and open-hearted as he appeared.

“Hehe, Leader Monteiro. For some personal reasons, I have temporarily left the Caucasus and come to the south. To be honest with you, I am now the lord of this land—the Flanders region. Well, as proof of our mortal society, here is the legitimate deed I obtained from the Kingdom of Iberia. But I suppose you’re not interested in seeing it.” Komer carefully chose his words.

“Oh? Do you mean that according to your mortal laws, you are both a vassal to the king of the Kingdom of Nicosia and a vassal to the king of the Kingdom of Iberia?”

Monteiro’s words made Komer realize that this guy had a deep understanding of mortal society. It seemed these barbarians were also trying every means possible to understand their enemies’ situations and weaknesses in order to break the encirclement imposed by mortals and other races.

“You could say that. Our mortal laws don’t forbid a noble from owning two fiefs,” Komer nodded. “So I would like to ask Leader Monteiro for some assistance so that I can fully exercise my powers as the lord of Flanders.”

“Mr. Komer, are you saying you want us to hand over Flanders to you?”

The smile on Monteiro’s face was hard to interpret. To Komer, it seemed to carry an undertone of mockery, but he didn’t care. He was confident that the other party would act according to his wishes.

“Indeed, that’s exactly what I mean,” Komer said confidently. “But you seem to have a misunderstanding in your wording. It’s not about handing it over, but rather restoring my rights. There’s no need to argue over who owns Flanders. Mountain people have never had a history or inclination to seize land from outsiders. It doesn’t make much sense for you either, does it?”

With a light snort, Monteiro was somewhat displeased by Komer’s assertive tone, but he couldn’t refute his words. Indeed, mountain people were never good at farming. Even in the Cordillera wastelands, farming was done on a small scale just to barely sustain themselves. Although mortal lands often had fertile soil and high food yields, they preferred to obtain food through plunder rather than farming, unless absolutely necessary.

“Surely Chief Monterrey is aware that Flanders is not a region rich in grain? This land holds no value for you at all—everything here has already been plundered by you. It will take at least three to five years for things to return to normal here. So what’s the point for the Karon tribe to stay?” Comer continued.

“Mr. Comer, I’ve long heard of your unparalleled eloquence, and today I see it’s well-deserved. Indeed, Flanders holds little value for us mountain people, but it’s different for you. I wonder what terms Mr. Comer is willing to offer in exchange?” Monterrey knew he couldn’t outwit these mortals with words, so it was better to clearly state what each side wanted, thus giving himself a reputation for honesty.

“Oh, Chief Monterrey, this is originally my territory. The mountain people took everything from it—do you expect me to pay a ransom now? Have the mountain people all turned into kidnappers or robbers?” Comer sneered at him. “I think even if I didn’t approach Chief Monterrey, the soldiers of the Karon tribe would leave Flanders sooner or later. I just hope to speed up that time. I’m surprised that Chief Monterrey would make such a demand—it really lowers my opinion of the mountain people.”

Monterrey’s face turned red involuntarily. His thick lips moved a few times, as if muttering something, but Comer’s words had hit a sore spot, leaving him speechless. If they couldn’t capture Brandenburg at the end of the Melan Valley, withdrawal was inevitable. This joint attack had yielded significant gains—not only had they taken control of Gdańsk Fortress and plundered Flanders, but they also broke through the Erbin Fortress at the entrance of the Melan Valley, sweeping through the entire valley. With such rewards, staying in Flanders was merely a wait to see if progress was made in Brandenburg. Withdrawal was only a matter of time.

“Mr. Comer, you should understand my predicament. My warriors have gone through great hardships to seize this land, and it’s in line with our mountain people’s traditions to reap some benefits. As for your claim that this land belongs to you, that’s just an agreement among you mortals. We mountain people have no obligation to abide by it. We only know that we must get something in return for our efforts; otherwise, I can’t explain it to my men.” Monterrey could only use such shrewd tactics to evade responsibility, even feeling ashamed of his own words.

“Leader of Monterey, I can understand your difficulties, but it’s hard to accept. Still, I’m prepared to accept it. I don’t want my territory to remain barren any longer, nor do I want my relationship with the Mountain People to become strained because of this. I believe the Leader of Monterey feels the same way.”
Komer’s tone carried a hint of displeasure, which made Monterey uneasy. After all, Caucasus had provided a great deal of help to the Mountain People, whether in terms of food or weapons. Although they cracked down severely on smuggling, it couldn’t be denied that since this lord arrived in Caucasus, the Mountain People’s situation had improved somewhat. This was precisely one of the key reasons why they were able to launch an attack southward. Without the food provided by Caucasus, the Mountain People wouldn’t have been able to sustain such a long war. Monterey didn’t want to go to war with Komer; he just wanted to take this opportunity to gain more benefits from him.
“Of course, of course, Mr. Komer. The Karon tribe is in a very difficult situation right now, and we truly hope to cooperate with Caucasus. Maintaining the existing harmonious relationship between us has always been my goal.” Monterey didn’t know why his words suddenly became so formal and awkward.
“Hmm, Leader of Monterey, if the Flanders region were under my control, I think the Karon tribe might not need to travel all the way through the Siga tribe to obtain supplies. That would likely be an excellent outcome for both of us,” Komer said with a slight smile.
“Oh?” Monterey perked up, thinking this might be the most wonderful thing he’d heard. But then he realized that the other party would surely have some conditions, so he calmed himself down slightly before cautiously asking, “What suggestions does Mr. Komer have?”
“Well, I want to restore the Gdańsk Fortress as soon as possible, and at the same time, recruit the residents of the Flanders territory back as quickly as possible to resume production,” Komer said straightforwardly.
Monterey was shocked. He hadn’t expected the other party to propose such a difficult task—restore the Gdańsk Fortress?! How could that be accepted? If the Gdańsk Fortress were repaired, how could he maintain military pressure on the Flanders Valley?

“How? Is this request really a surprise to the leader of Monterey?” Komer stared straight at him. “If even the Gdańsk Fortress cannot be restored, how can I convince the people of Flanders that you mountain tribesmen will not launch another raid? I cannot tolerate the mountain tribesmen plundering and harming my people at will under my rule. I believe the leader of Monterey can understand this as well, right?”
“Uh, yes, of course.” Monterey awkwardly wiped the sweat from his forehead. Komer’s sharp words left him somewhat overwhelmed. Could it be that his refusal to agree to restore the Gdańsk Fortress was meant to put pressure on the other party? Such an idea was absolutely unthinkable to express.
“The Flanders Valley does not produce grain, but it can import grain from other parts of the Iberian Kingdom. We can exchange it for the linen we produce. Even if the mountain tribesmen manage to steal linen, it’s unlikely they can obtain grain from ordinary people. Hasn’t the leader of Monterey grasped this yet? This is a win-win deal. Of course, the territory controlled by the Karon tribe, under the leader of Monterey, also needs to provide Flanders with what we need—such as gems, ores, medicinal herbs, and even magical beasts. I always believe that mutual interests can only be built on equal trade. If one party oppresses and discriminates against the other, such a relationship will never last. I wonder if the leader of Monterey agrees with this view?”
Trying hard to understand Komer’s words, the leader of the Karon tribe clearly struggled to keep up with his reasoning. But one thing was clear: Komer did not seem intent on establishing similar deals with other mountain tribes. This filled Monterey with both excitement and concern. The Karon tribe was not the Karo tribe. Among the four major tribes, the Karon tribe ranked only third in strength, and among the three Wa tribes, two were stronger than the Karon tribe. He needed to carefully weigh the risks behind this great temptation. Concealing this deal from the other tribes of the alliance would be extremely difficult. Once exposed, both the Karon tribe and he would become targets of widespread condemnation. Thinking of the menacing looks of the tribal leaders, Monterey shuddered.