Chapter Ten: Cracks

The words of the bearded man temporarily silenced the disputes among the mountain people, but neither Monterey of the Karon tribe nor Hulechi of the Valle tribe changed their attitudes because of him. Faced with huge temptations, it was hard for anyone to remain clear-minded. Expecting a tribal leader to take care of the interests of all the other mountain tribes, it seemed that neither Monterey nor Uli had yet reached such a broad-minded level.

“It seems Wuguli wants to win over the Sanwa tribe to create balance. Hmph, his Karo tribe is already strong enough—getting the most every time, even the shares from the Sanjia tribe. Now he’s playing these tricks in front of us, clearly not wanting us to threaten their position. How can there be such narrow-minded people among us mountain people?! Uli, what should we do?” Monterey angrily drained the camel dragon milk wine in his wooden bowl and slammed it heavily on the table.

“Monterey, this isn’t surprising. Wuguli also has to consider his own Karo tribe—otherwise, how could he maintain his position as leader? They claim to prioritize the overall interests of the mountain people, but every time spoils and northern resources are distributed, their Karo tribe gets the largest share. When have they ever thought about our needs?” The thin-faced Uli remained calm, sipping the milk wine slowly with a deep gaze, while fiddling with the wooden bowl in his hand. “The question is how credible Komer’s words are. What Wuguli said today makes sense too, but I still can’t figure out what benefit there would be for Komer himself or for the Caucasians if Wuguli’s guess is true. His situation in the mortal world isn’t good either, and it doesn’t seem like he’s the kind to sacrifice his own interests and those of the Caucasians for the overall good of mortals. Although Wuguli’s guess is possible, the chances are slim. I don’t think Komer has such great ambitions—at least for us mountain people, he should bring more benefits.”

“Wuri, let’s not worry about future matters for now. What should we do right now?” Monterrey also knew that Komer wasn’t that simple, but for the Mountain People, it seemed Komer couldn’t identify any real threats—just that alone was enough to justify cooperation. Moreover, there was the example of the Sanjia Tribe. As for the interests of all the Mountain People, Monterrey couldn’t consider that much at the moment. Since the Sanwa Tribe was skeptical, he didn’t want to explain further. Now that Wuri’s Kabo Tribe had formed an alliance with his own Kalong Tribe, he felt much more secure. Having a powerful ally on this issue might mean giving up some benefits, but it would also help bear much of the pressure—at least he wouldn’t have to face the entire alliance alone.

“What to do? Just do it! We’ll follow our established plan. I’ll talk to the Sanya Tribe. They’re behind us, and I think they’re interested too, but they haven’t voiced their opinions due to Wuguli’s attitude. As long as they don’t cause trouble behind our backs, even if Wuguli brings the Sanwa Tribe together, it won’t matter much. I doubt he’d dare to provoke internal strife among the Mountain People.”

Wuri smiled coldly, confident in himself. “Humans are indeed stronger than us in many aspects of civilization. We must admit our shortcomings. I’ve never agreed to using force to break the deadlock that has persisted between us and humans for hundreds of years. Look at our situation over the years—except for the Karo Tribe, which barely holds its ground, which of our other tribes hasn’t declined? All these years, we’ve sacrificed so many warriors—what have we gained in return? Every famine forces us to trade our lives and blood for food, and these pointless sacrifices make us weaker and weaker. This vicious cycle will eventually drain the last drop of blood from us. We can’t continue like this! The Sanjia Tribe is already trying to break out of this cycle, but many of us stand by, indifferent, even trying to restrict their trade with humans. I’ve long wanted to go to the north, but never had the chance. Now, the opportunity is right in front of us. What are we waiting for?”

Monteiro deeply agreed with Uri’s passionate speech, but he thought more realistically. He couldn’t control other tribes from interacting with Komer, but no one could stop his own tribe from making a deal with him. Seeing the growing prosperity of the Sanjia tribe, he couldn’t remain indifferent. Every famine caused countless old people, women, and children to die of hunger. With a glimmer of hope ahead, he didn’t want such situations to happen again. Komer, who enjoyed great credibility among the Sanjia tribe’s mountain people, becoming the lord of the Flanders region was undoubtedly a hope.

“Uri, then let’s do it! I don’t intend to continue fighting in Brandenburg. Mortals and dwarves have already joined forces; continuing the war will only bring more casualties. Our Karlon tribe has already suffered enough losses—this time, over two hundred of our warriors died in battle, and this year, fewer than six hundred were born in our tribe, with more than three hundred being women! I don’t want to go on like this,” Monteiro said, expressing his plans. “If you agree, I’ll tell Komer to use sixty thousand loads of grain in exchange for permission to rebuild Gdańsk Fortress. We’ll split it evenly between our two tribes. I plan to store half of the thirty thousand loads as a reserve for lean years. I also have some other ideas I’d like to discuss with you before negotiating with the mortals.”

After a brief hesitation, Uri seemed to be weighing the pros and cons. “Monteiro, if we do this, we’ll really be at odds with the Wuguli. I think it’s better not to openly intensify the conflict for now. We can withdraw all our soldiers from Flanders and assure Komer that we won’t enter the valley. As for rebuilding Gdańsk Fortress, let’s delay it a bit. It’s not too late to allow it once the mortals fulfill their terms. Let those tribes that haven’t taken a stance see real benefits. I think that way, our pressure might decrease significantly.”

“Hmm, that works too. But I’m worried the mortals might have reservations,” Monteiro said. He also felt he had been too eager, but was concerned about explaining things to Komer.

“Monteiro, don’t worry too much. The key to the Flanders region is in our hands. The mortals need us. As long as we fulfill our promises in the end, I think they should be able to accept it.” Uri reminded his ally to maintain a relatively detached attitude. Being too eager would only give the mortals more reason to see an opportunity.

The arrival of Neptune and his group finally allowed Komer to breathe a sigh of relief. After going through the complicated administrative tasks in the Caucasus and Leon regions, Neptune had fully become a competent administrator, to the point where Puber could confidently entrust all affairs in the Leon region to him. Aside from financial and judicial powers, Puber had handed over all local administrative powers in Leon to Neptune. Financial authority had always been reserved solely for Puber, while judicial authority, according to Komer’s rules, had to be held by judges independent of the administrative system. Even Puber had no right to interfere with the actions of the lowest-ranking judges or judicial assistants; they were only accountable to the highest judge, Rese, who in turn was only accountable to Komer.

Despite the signs of fatigue, Neptune’s young face still showed a strong desire to work. His neatly combed hair indicated that he paid great attention to his appearance and manners, and his well-fitted attire showed that he possessed conduct befitting his status. He was a young man full of ambition and passion for work, with great potential for growth.

Neptune, who quickly got into the groove, clearly took to this job right away. Although the Flanders region was far less vast than Leon and had a smaller population, it was a true human society—a complete society made up of people from all walks of life. Unlike Leon, which was mostly composed of half-orcs, the working environment and efficiency here were much more pleasant. Anyone would likely prefer to be around well-mannered peers.

Seeing Neptune leave eagerly after his instructions, Komer was very satisfied with the young man’s work ethic. However, making Flanders follow the same development path as the Caucasus was not Komer’s top priority at the moment, nor did he have enough energy to focus on Flanders. Instead, Flanders would more likely become a true stronghold for the Dark Forces—a separate kingdom belonging to him and the Dark Forces. He would devote more of his energy to his growing desire to unleash a wave of darkness across the entire South, submerging it in the light of darkness.

Noticing Komer staring blankly into the distance, seemingly lost in thought, the puppet mage who had approached quietly slowed down his steps.

“Mr. Mihajic, is there something?” Without turning around, Komer sensed that the other person must have some special news to share.

“My lord, I have some progress on the matter you asked me to investigate.” Mihajic’s expression changed slightly; it was clear that the news he had just received had disturbed him, which was rare.
“Oh?” Komer turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp. “Where?”
“Marko, the Inquisition.” Mihajic tightened his lips. “Someone saw high-ranking members of the Inquisition taking someone into the Confession Tower a few days ago. It seems to be Rebrí.”