Chapter 8: Acceptance

Komer’s expression remained calm, but it was obvious to everyone that he was seriously considering the other party’s proposal.
“Heinem, to be honest, your request puts me in a difficult position. You should be aware of the relationship between the Caucasus and your mountain tribes. Additionally, in the southern Flanders territories, I have also maintained very good relations with tribes like the Karon tribe. If I rashly agree to grant you Caucasus citizenship, it could lead to many unforeseen and serious consequences.” Komer was not exaggerating.
“My lord, we are all aware of this. It is precisely because your territories in the Caucasus and Flanders are located at opposite ends—both having close ties to the mountain tribes in the Cordillera Wasteland—that you can exert greater influence and get them to make concessions.” Heinem’s eyes shone even brighter, and his tone became more urgent. “You must understand that those leaders of the large mountain tribes don’t even consider our smaller tribes to be important. Their only goal is to take advantage of every opportunity to swallow us up and turn us into slaves in their tribes. Rather than that, we would rather pledge allegiance to you!”
Komer was shaken. Those words were extraordinary—saying such things across racial boundaries required great courage, or perhaps it was just a tactic.
“Oh? Heinem, do you all think this way? Or is it just a strategy?”
“My lord, we mountain people have an old saying: time will prove everything. Why don’t you give it a try?” The mountain man’s gaze was now deeply intense.
Shrugging indifferently, Komer did not answer right away. He was wondering whether the other party was acting out of necessity or genuine conviction, or perhaps using retreat as a tactic to advance.
“Heinem, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. It seems that neither the Caucasus nor Flanders is ready for this yet,” Komer said calmly after some thought, much to the disappointment of the two other barbarian representatives.
Yet Heinem did not lose heart. His fervor remained undiminished. He could sense success nearby. The other party’s hesitation meant they weren’t completely uninterested—they just hesitated to take risks due to various concerns. If he could offer conditions that surprised them, perhaps everything might change…

“Lord, I truly hope you’ll consider this further. In reality, the impact of our small tribes submitting to the Caucasus on those large mountain tribes might not be as significant as you imagine. Although the mountain tribes, including the Sanjia tribe, certainly don’t want this to happen, I believe they will accept it quickly if you do. After all, it is the Sanca tribe that wants to annex us small tribes the most. The Sanjia tribe isn’t strong enough to resist them, and the Sanca tribe is currently focused more on the south, so they won’t have the energy to deal with this for now. With the Sanjia tribe’s territory in between, they are temporarily unable and unlikely to intervene in this matter.”

Heinem’s detailed explanation immediately impressed Komer. He never expected that among these barbarian tribes there could be such outstanding individuals, whose careful thinking and objective analysis covered almost all possibilities, hardly inferior to that of Di Fanqi. This made Komer view the barbarians in a more favorable light. It seems the barbarians aren’t as easily deceived as he had initially thought; there are many talented people among them. Perhaps it’s only due to limited conditions and perspectives that they know so little about the outside world, which restricts their thinking. Once they gain enough information, they might be able to create a civilization on par with that of humans.

“Heinem, I must admit you’re quite eloquent. It’s the first time I’ve met a wise man among the mountain tribes with a debating skill comparable to ours, humans. Hehe, to be honest, your words—or rather, what lies hidden in them—have convinced me. Well, if I refuse your request again, it would seem unreasonable. So let’s discuss the most concrete and direct matters now. Your half-orcs have nothing to say.” Komer looked straight at the three of them.

“Lord, what do you hope to gain? Since we mountain tribes are about to become your subjects, everything about us will be subject to your human laws and customs. You needn’t worry; we mountain tribes aren’t that uncivilized.” After feeling immense joy, Heinem quickly calmed down. This was indeed the first step accomplished; the subsequent matters would concern the vital interests of every mountain tribesman.

“No, no, Heinem. Saying that would seem hypocritical. I don’t want the simple mountain tribesmen to quickly adopt our human habits.” Komer shook his head with a smile. He needed them to propose it themselves.

Heinem’s eyes sparkled. Of course, he understood the meaning behind the other party’s words. If the mountain people could only provide the simplest labor force like the half-orcs, it was unlikely that the other party would be willing to take such a big risk to grant them Caucasian citizenship. The mountain people had to offer something that would convince the other party—something Heinem knew they had no choice but to do.

“Lord, seven small tribes have already reached an agreement with us. Each tribe has fewer than two thousand members, with some even having less than a thousand. Yet each of us can provide one to two hundred skilled soldiers, who are the foundation of our survival as small tribes. As your subjects and full citizens of the Caucasus, we also understand that it is the unavoidable responsibility of every subject and citizen to obey your call to defend the Caucasus. But please, Lord, have mercy on the difficulties of our small mountain tribes. We are not like large tribes like the Tiga tribe; even the combined population of ten of our tribes is less than that of one of theirs. I hope you can understand this.”

Heinem’s honest and straightforward words won Kommer’s favor. He wasn’t hiding anything, and the intelligence from Mahagumi also confirmed that these small tribes could only contribute so much. Yet even so, it would still allow him to build a considerable armed force.

“Very good, Heinem. This is exactly what I was waiting to hear. If your words represent the views of all seven tribes, I am prepared to accept their allegiance. I won’t hide anything—I need an armed force of about two thousand men, composed of mountain people soldiers. I will appoint my most loyal and capable generals to lead and train this army. Their equipment and treatment will be exactly the same as those of the unified Greater Caucasus Self-Defense Force. But I must remind you that although I dislike war, it is the duty of an army to fight, and fighting inevitably leads to casualties. I expect the mountain people warriors to be aware of this.” Kommer spoke without any pretense, directly and frankly.

“Lord, please trust our mountain people warriors. Though their numbers are small, they are all warriors who have been called up to fight many times. When it comes to sacrifice, they understand its meaning better than anyone else.” Speaking of his own tribe’s warriors, Heinem’s tone became extremely solemn.

“Good. Regarding the minor details, I believe my administrative officer will discuss them further with you. As for the other aspects, I will make proper arrangements—there’s no need for you to worry. The Greater Caucasus offers plenty of job opportunities and living space. I believe the Mountain People will have a bright future once they obtain citizenship. Congratulations!” Komer stood up, satisfied.

As soon as the three representatives left the study, they set off straight south without stopping. Having stayed at Bruce Fortress for so long had already made them anxious, and now that a good outcome had been achieved, they naturally wanted to inform their comrades as quickly as possible. Before leaving, Komer and Puber also advised them not to deliberately spread the news for now. Although the news would eventually be known to the Sanjia tribe and other Mountain People, it was better to avoid provoking them as much as possible.

Komer was also thinking about how to deal with the Sanjia tribe’s protests or even accusations. The proud Mountain People found it unbearable to submit to what they regarded as weak mortals. But Komer believed that only those simple-minded people would act that way. The Sanjia tribe’s leaders would understand the current situation—they no longer could do without everything in the Caucasus. Tight economic ties had firmly bound them, and before taking any action, they had to consider whether they had the sustained capacity and public support.

A combination of deterrence and appeasement strategies should be enough to stabilize the Sanjia tribe. Even if Difanqi could foresee future crises, he was powerless now. The changes in the times could not be stopped by any one person; even they themselves would be drawn into them, consciously or unconsciously. Komer was actually looking forward to that day.

The Mountain People had already established a foothold in the Caucasus. Now, it was merely a matter of granting them citizenship. Of course, those elderly, weak, women, and children who still lived in the harsh hinterlands of the Cordillera Desert would need to migrate out soon. It was troublesome, but it was a necessary price to earn their loyalty. And with the vast Greater Caucasus at their disposal, this price was entirely affordable.