Chapter 17: R&D Capability

Komer’s mastery in breeding monsters left everyone, including Mihajic and Newman, in awe. Even Uma, who had once followed the Dark Emperor Kenifer III, was speechless after learning about the Monster Vine plants cultivated by Komer. It was only when Xuro raised the question that Uma was forced to admit that although Komer still lagged far behind the former Dark Emperor in terms of magical power and skill, his ability and talent in creating magic were already on par with, if not surpassing, those of his former master.

The Monster Vine plants were just one aspect of Komer’s strength. Both Xuro and Mihajic knew there must be many more secrets hidden behind him. After the life-or-death battle three months earlier, this heir of darkness had seen another leap in strength and experience. His near-death ordeal had been particularly beneficial, as many problems that were difficult to solve under normal circumstances often yielded sudden insights at the brink of death—what is known in the laws of magic as enlightenment. Once that veil was pierced, the benefits for the enlightened were incomparable to anything else.

Komer was also aware that he was becoming increasingly mysterious in the eyes of others. Things like bringing the Catteline fleet to serve as bodyguards right under the nose of the Red-Haired Witch Catteline were beyond anyone’s imagination, yet they indeed happened. No one knew the details of his deal with Catteline.

Construction on Sifnos Island was in full swing. Haidrin had gathered his old allies and recruited many skilled sailors from Thessaloniki and Gallipoli, so he had most of the personnel needed for a merchant fleet. However, his fleet was still weak in terms of ships. Financial constraints limited Haidrin’s ability to acquire more vessels. Although he had ordered two merchant ships in Corinth and Piraeus, he could only rely on his three existing dilapidated medium-sized fast sailboats for now.

The two new ships would be delivered in half a year. Until then, Haidrin had to find every possible way to pay for them. Komer had only paid a small deposit; he could no longer afford the remaining costs. He had not only spent all the deposit paid by Catteline but also borrowed a significant amount from Puber. Puber had already rejected Komer’s other requests, leaving everything to Haidrin to figure out on his own.

Hayreddin had to temporarily return to his old business, though this time on a much larger scale. With the strong backing of the Caucasus and the privileges granted by the Kars fleet, the fleet could easily engage in various profitable ventures across the countries along the coasts of the Southern Central Seas, from Bahomun and Bruce to other regions. They could import bituminous coal, crude iron, and iron ore from the Caucasus and Leon to the Southern Central Seas, while importing various local specialties—such as fabrics, armor, weapons, salt, and luxury goods—back to the Caucasus.

However, for Hayreddin, such business was merely the basics. In his eyes, the route spanning the Vast Continent—Caucasus—Southern Central Seas represented the perfect combination. The Vast Continent was rich in magic crystal ores and magical materials but lacked the necessary capabilities for refining and smelting. Although the Caucasus fell far short of the Southern Central Seas in terms of smelting scale, Komer had always hoped to develop specialized manufacturing capabilities there. Maximus had already become Komer’s most loyal partner, and part of his smelting industry had been separated to form a smaller but technically proficient one-stop workshop for crafting magical items and equipment.

This was a highly challenging task. Most places capable of producing magical items and equipment were the major cities on the continent, such as Prague, Jazair, Cyprus, and Gutenberg—regional hubs. Places like Ugru, which was still in the process of transitioning from an emerging town to a small city, seemed lacking the necessary standards and capabilities from any perspective. Yet, thanks to Komer’s persistence, this industry was being actively promoted. Dwarven craftsmen from across the continent were recruited, significantly improving the skills of Maximus’s workshop. In terms of manufacturing techniques, Newman often acted as both a mentor and practitioner, spending time in the workshop to discuss and refine production methods with the dwarven craftsmen, achieving considerable progress.

Under Newman’s direct guidance and supervision, some of the most basic magical items could finally be produced. With Komer’s arrangements and guidance, some mortals with talent and interest in these fields also began to get involved. Working together with dwarves skilled in ordinary products, they achieved a historic breakthrough in this area—a truly groundbreaking achievement for the Caucasian dwarven craftsmen who had never before dealt with magical item production.

It should be noted that the creation of magical artifacts has always been monopolized by mortals. Although dwarves excel in various construction, manufacturing, and mining techniques, they have always been severely restricted by mortal technology when it comes to magical artifacts and equipment. Without the guidance of mortal magic forgers and craftsmen or skilled wizards in crafting, they simply cannot produce anything decent. In the mortal world, every product’s key processes and core components are crafted by mortal artisans. But now they have finally broken this taboo. Although the waste rate remains alarmingly high, consuming a considerable amount of magical materials and ores, Komer believes it’s worth it—after all, it signifies that the Caucasus now possesses the most basic research and development capabilities in magical devices, something that cannot be bought with gold shields.

However, Komer may need to make some adjustments to his plans. While the Caucasus is important, it is currently Sifnos Island that serves as the cornerstone of his current endeavors. Building Sifnos into a core stronghold in the southern part of the continent is of great significance, and its unique location also facilitates progress in this area. Komer has no intention of moving the Caucasus’ workshops to Sifnos, but the wars in the north of the Kingdom of Smyrna present him with an opportunity. The displaced dwarves are searching everywhere for a better life—this is practically an opportunity bestowed by heaven. Even the Spartans know to recruit large numbers of dwarf craftsmen from Smyrna; how can he fall behind?