Chapter 9: Driven Away by the Wind

Komer strolled leisurely atop the walls of Bruce Fortress, recalling how, a few years ago, he, Puber, and Ilot had fled Homer in panic, passing through here on their journey to the Caucasus. Who would have thought that this strategic fortress in the Bosen Plain would one day lie at his feet? Times change rapidly, often leaving people in awe, don’t they?

Bruce Fortress was no longer what it had been under Homer’s control. The river port had expanded several times over, tasked with handling the steady flow of iron ore and high-quality anthracite from the hinterlands of Leon. Leveraging its advantageous location, Bruce had grown into a true regional distribution hub. The floating bridge over the Nise River had rapidly transformed the once-barren land on the south bank into a bustling area centered around the bridge’s customs post.

Bruce was no longer just a fortress. Its defensive functions continued to be strengthened, as it still had to face threats from Homer beyond the Great Greenland Forest to the north. Yet its commercial role was on the rise, gradually surpassing its military functions. South of the Nise River, it had become a settlement for half-orcs. Among these half-orcs, those with sharp minds or skilled hands were no longer satisfied with simple, labor-intensive tasks like mining, logging, and transportation. With the competition from barbarians, a small group realized that to lead better lives, they needed to use their brains and learn from humans.

The success of human merchants in Bruce and Muscat made these awakened half-orcs realize that what humans could do, so could they. While they hesitated to venture into highly technical fields like brewing, manufacturing, and smelting, industries based on physical labor such as logging, quarrying, and woodworking didn’t seem out of reach. Branches of the Caucasus Bank were already spread throughout the region. By pooling resources with their brothers and borrowing money from the bank, it seemed possible to start a small logging or quarrying operation, or even a woodworking workshop.

When such awareness arose in the minds of the half-orcs, though only in a very small number of them, it meant the evolution of civilization, as Komer had always believed. Once the first logging camp run by half-orcs began operating, a series of small, rudimentary workshops managed by half-orcs started to emerge around the tax offices on the south bank of the Nise River. Although these workshops were rather poor or even primitive compared to those run by humans, it was still a beginning. Especially with Leon, a major half-orc settlement, serving as their market, they still had their advantages.

Of course, this was just a tiny fraction of Leon’s 200,000 half-orcs. The vast majority continued to engage in their traditional occupations—mining, transportation, logging, processing, construction—these physically demanding tasks. Even with competition from barbarians, they maintained their dominant position thanks to their earlier advantages.

The rapid development on the south bank was inseparable from the support and guidance of Bruce Fortress’s administrative assistant. Komer was quite satisfied with that young man named Heber. Among Pube’s classmates at Phoenix City Academy, there were indeed some talented individuals. In other places, they might have remained unfulfilled, but under Komer’s leadership, they always shone.

Although the south bank was thriving, it was still far behind the old districts on the north bank. Though military regulations prohibited the development of streets and markets too close to the castle, they still expanded rapidly along the official road leading from the Bosen Plain to the castle gates. The river port area also flourished quickly. Komer’s methods in Ugru were recreated by Heber in Bruce—the primeval forests receded rapidly, and numerous logging and processing sites transformed large trees into building materials, enabling houses to be built swiftly.

Whenever the sun set, smoke could be seen rising everywhere north of the castle. Bruce already had an astonishing 30 bakeries, second only to Ugru and Matdan. This alone proved how greatly the population living in Bruce had grown. Just a few years ago, there were less than eight bakeries here, and they were far smaller in scale than now.

If the Nise and Khatynia rivers are like belts wrapped around the Greater Caucasus, then Bruce is undoubtedly its navel—surrounded by forests and rivers, with Lyon as a base for producing raw materials and a large demand for daily necessities, along with excellent waterway transportation conditions. Moreover, the Little Greenland Passage has now been barely opened; although it cannot yet yield immediate commercial benefits, once the problems related to the magical beasts around Lake Nise are resolved, this waterway will be even more valuable than the Khatynia River route.

The Khatynia River route is known as the “Golden Waterway” due to its commercial value, while once the Nise River route is connected, it will not only possess immense commercial value but also carry significant political importance, making it a true strategic waterway. Just think—being able to link the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Nicomia with the almost isolated Greater Caucasus region is of great value to the people of Nicomia, who live in constant fear under the fierce attacks of orcs.

“No, not possible.” Komer almost shouted involuntarily. They must never lose Bruce. Without Bruce, most of Lyon’s value would be lost, and without Lyon, they would lose the half-orcs and barbarians, as well as the entire Greater Caucasus. Without Lyon, with its massive mines and furnaces that cannot stop operating even for a day, the Greater Caucasus would be like a coin mint gone—immediately overwhelmed by idle half-orcs and barbarians.

Perhaps it’s really time to take action. Once Hoffman and the Church of Light realize what’s happening, they will surely do everything in their power to drive them back to the Greater Caucasus. Livonia is nothing but a minor issue for them. Without them, those southern nobles won’t be able to cause any trouble. Destroying them at their roots is undoubtedly the best way to eliminate them once and for all.

Rather than passively waiting for them to attack Bruce, it’s better to launch an offensive. The Bosen Plains, heh, Odessa, heh—what wonderful places! Komer has long coveted them. Let Ilot and Dragumo show off their strength in Livonia to draw Hoffman and Philip’s attention, while he crosses the Great Greenland Forest to deliver a fatal blow to Philip. What would he feel then? If they truly seize the Bosen Plains, the Greater Caucasus will finally have a stable food supply base, no longer having to worry about external embargoes or the troubles caused by the jellyfish people on the Khatynia River route.

Of course, Komer also knew that all this was merely a beautiful fantasy of his own. There were many difficulties in turning this fantasy into reality, but the most important issue had already been resolved—the court mages in Nicosia could not provide support for Philip in the short term, and the other three lords could offer only limited magical support. In such a real confrontation, no one would readily hand over the mages they had spent so much effort recruiting and training for others to use. After all, Philip didn’t have that much charm—even with Tracy by his side! Komer thought wickedly that perhaps if he got another chance to fuck that bitch, he might spare the father and daughter.

At that moment, Komer was suddenly shocked to discover how deep and painful the resentment hidden deep in his heart actually was. He had thought that after so many years of trials and hardships, everything should have faded away, and he even sometimes wondered if he had lost his life’s purpose. But it was only then that Komer realized his earlier grand ambitions were nothing but illusions masking a hypocritical core. Was he so obsessed that he couldn’t even let go of a woman? Or was it his inability to forgive Philip for his insults and humiliations? Or maybe both? Which was more important?

As soon as the wound was exposed, it began to seep with blood—whether it was blood or some thick fluid, even Komer couldn’t tell.

He was no longer an infant in terms of emotions or desires—Kagiyaa, Grace, and Lomei, with whom he had already shared countless intimate moments. Even Eve wasn’t impossible if he really wanted her. As for Lenta, as Kagiyaa said, she might soon become a trophy for the victor to enjoy. But none of this seemed capable of soothing his wounded heart. Explaining it this way seemed ridiculous even to Komer himself, but that was the truth. Komer didn’t want to deceive himself, nor could he—there was no point in it.

“Love for one’s first love is fresh and enduring.” He didn’t know which philosopher had said this, but at that moment, Komer hated those words. Unforgettable for a lifetime, yet he had to ruthlessly crush it.

Komer remembered Puber’s advice to him—that perhaps the best way to destroy these wonderful memories was to relive them, as the nausea might instantly erase all those beautiful yet unrealistic fantasies. Komer had to admit it was perhaps shameless but the most effective method; it would allow him to no longer harbor any worries or expectations, enabling him to move forward toward his goals without hesitation. Yet it might completely destroy what he cherished the most.
But did I still have a choice now? Komer stood on the castle wall, sighing silently as a petal of a small flower slipped through his fingers and drifted away with the wind.