Chapter 14: Fierce Teeth

“Both, I suppose. I’ve been thinking that staying in the lord’s mansion and chatting with a few leaders makes the atmosphere a bit oppressive. So I asked Leader Sik to invite these two here to experience the free atmosphere of the Caucasus and also to understand the daily entertainment and leisure of ordinary people here. Is that too presumptuous?”
A voice from behind drew Di Fanchi and Belemont’s attention. Komer’s somewhat thin figure appeared in the tavern, causing some stir among the patrons seated across from them. The patrons remained sensible and restrained, merely casting glances from afar without crowding around.
“Is that so? Lord Komer, we are mountain people; perhaps we’re not very accustomed to mortal life,” Di Fanchi said, his deep gaze shining through narrowed eyes, his words laden with meaning.
“Oh, if that’s what Leader Di Fanchi thinks, I can only say it’s a pity. I’ve always believed that although mortals and mountain people belong to different races, our desire for a better life is the same. The brilliance of civilization is equal for every race. If one fails to realize this, they’re going against the tide and will surely be abandoned by the times. I think history has already proven this thoroughly.”
Komer spoke with a light smile, but his tone was extremely sharp.
“Lord Komer, changing traditions requires specific stages and ample time—it’s not as simple as you think. Our mountain people’s traditions aren’t something your mortals can change easily,” Belemont added his voice.
“Heh, it seems we still have significant differences in perspective. But that’s fine—just speaking it out is good. We have plenty of time to discuss this issue, and plenty of time to prove who’s right and who’s wrong.” Komer laughed, and the atmosphere eased considerably.
The spacious platform behind the Lucky Horn Tavern became a place for Komer’s group to converse. From here, they could overlook the tavern’s large hall. The merchants wisely stayed away. Although the lord and a few barbarians appearing in the tavern piqued curiosity, given the rapid increase in the number of barbarians in the Caucasus, it wasn’t something to cause much alarm.
“Lord Komer, you’ve already approved thirteen small mountain tribes to migrate to the Caucasus and become its official citizens. Such actions have severely damaged our relationship with the Caucasus. We’re currently negotiating with your officials, yet you’ve approved treaties for another six tribes to join. We’re very disappointed by your actions,” Belemont said right after sitting down, immediately challenging him.

“Leader Belemon, do you think I need your consent to approve these treaties?” Komer retorted. “No, no—you seem to have overlooked a fact: although those mountain tribes are small, they all possess independent sovereignty and are not vassals of any larger tribe. As long as their desire stems from their own will, I believe it meets the basic requirements for me to approve these treaties, without needing anyone else’s consent.”

The atmosphere once again became tense. Neither Di Fanchi nor Belemon expected Komer to be so firm. It was Di Fanchi who stepped in to defuse the situation: “Lord Komer, we have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Caucasus. But you should consider the impact of these developments on our Sanjia tribe. As loyal partners of the Caucasus, can’t you even meet this minimal request?”

“Lord Di Fanchi, I value our partnership with the Sanjia tribe greatly. Our cooperation has been very pleasant from the beginning to now, and we’ve both gained what we needed. But that doesn’t mean the Sanjia tribe can dictate actions for the Caucasus,” Komer softened his tone. “In fact, I’ve never quite understood what the Sanjia tribe is worried about. What adverse effects could it possibly suffer from these small tribes joining the Caucasus? In my view, aside from strengthening the relationship between the Caucasus and the mountain tribes, I see no disadvantages at all.”

Komer’s counterarguments left Di Fanchi and Belemon in an awkward situation, unable to express their concerns. Although the unrest within their tribe stemmed from the defection of these small tribes, they couldn’t voice it. The huge disparity in strength, combined with the stark reality, had already forced the Sanjia tribe to lean toward the Caucasus. This trend of convergence was what they feared the most. And the fact that these small tribes had taken this step seemed to hint at what might happen to the Sanjia tribe in the future—something Di Fanchi and Belemon didn’t want to see.

Seeing that Di Fanchi and Belemon were speechless, Komer also remained silent, simply taking a small sip of his Red Reed Burn and savoring it.

“Lord Komer, we don’t wish to hide anything. We greatly admire your wisdom and prowess, but we want to understand your true intentions. Our Sanjia tribe also hopes that all of us mountain people can live better lives. The natural environment of the Cordillera Wasteland is indeed harsh, so it’s only natural to strive for a better life. However, we don’t want our traditional customs to gradually be lost in your mortal history. As mountain people, it is our responsibility and duty to preserve our historical traditions and customs.”

Though his words were quite subtle, their meaning was clear. Di Fanchi spoke frankly after careful consideration, realizing that dragging things on in ambiguity would not solve the problem. It was better to be honest and understand the other party’s ultimate goals.

“I have no intention of changing your mountain people’s traditions. In my view, neither the Caucasus nor the Cordillera Wasteland belongs solely to any one race. Have you mountain people always lived in the Cordillera Wasteland from the beginning? No, that’s not the case. History has led to this situation, and you mountain people know that being trapped and confined there will only make you more isolated and weaker. History moves forward, and civilization develops. If you can’t keep up with the trends, you will be lost in the flow of history—such examples are not rare. Therefore, I believe that if the mountain people want to truly survive on the continent, continuing along the old path will no longer work. Only by breaking free from ideological and geographical constraints might they find a way forward. I hope the leaders will consider this carefully without rushing to conclusions. I believe, with your wisdom, you should be able to see through the essence of this matter.”

Komer’s words once again silenced everyone. Almost every sentence struck at the core of the issue, causing pain for Di Fanchi and Belemon, forcing them to seriously consider Komer’s views. The increasingly declining mountain people might occasionally experience brief moments of glory, but that couldn’t hide the general trend. As other races, mostly mortals, saw their civilizations flourish, the mountain people, with their narrow-minded and short-sighted thinking, still tried to regain their former glory through force. But they completely forgot that strong military power is built on a solid economic foundation. Without that foundation, everything is baseless.

The Sanjia tribe, still looking outward through the window of the Caucasus, had already sensed this reality. Yet it was extremely difficult to make them abandon their historical burdens and accept it immediately. Taking a deep breath, Di Fanchi tried hard to keep his mind calm. Seeing the lingering confusion in Belemon’s pained gaze, Di Fanchi knew that the other party, like himself, had realized the core of the problem but also found it hard to make a decision easily. The shackles of historical tradition were not as easily broken as Komer had said; otherwise, the resulting turmoil might plunge the entire tribe into chaos or even collapse. This required a process—a gradual one.

“Lord Komer, although we can’t fully accept your views and opinions, I must admit that some of them are indeed things we hadn’t considered before. We need some time to process them. But we hope that when it comes to integrating the mountain people, the Caucasus won’t move too quickly or too far. We all need time to cushion and ease the impacts—this will be beneficial for us all,” Di Fanchi said with a hint of bitterness.

“Hmm, I accept your suggestion. In future matters like this, I’ll have my administrators act carefully,” Komer readily agreed to their proposal. “Additionally, I also have some requests that I hope the Sanjia tribe can support.”

“Oh?” Both Di Fanchi and Belemon were taken aback. They had thought he had invited them here specifically to resolve conflicts over integrating the mountain people, but it seemed the real purpose wasn’t that—it seemed he had other intentions.

“I wonder what Lord Komer needs?” Belemon asked cautiously, exchanging a glance with Di Fanchi.

“I need the military support of the Sanjia tribe. To be precise, I need their armed forces to assist me in waging war in the near future,” Komer said straightforwardly.

“Military support?” Di Fanchi and Belemon looked at each other. “Lord Komer, where do you plan to wage war? Is it in Livonia or somewhere else?”

“Hehe, it seems Lord Di Fanchi is quite familiar with the situation in the Caucasus. No, this time it has nothing to do with Livonia. My main army is currently in Livonia, but there are no battles planned in the short term. Their main task now is to deter enemies. As for me, I intend to settle accounts with Homer’s Philip,” Komer said, smiling and revealing his snow-white teeth.

Di Fanqi and Beilemon were both shocked. This guy’s ambition and ruthlessness were finally showing, and he even wanted to borrow troops from the Sanjia tribe. Judging from his firm tone, there was no room for refusal. Of course, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.