Chapter 15: The Sword’s Aim

Difanqi and Belemon were extremely cautious about Komer’s intentions. They had heard of the grudges between Komer and Homer Philip, though they were not aware of the specifics. From the current situation, it seemed Homer and the Caucasus were about to settle their differences once and for all. Neither Difanqi nor Belemon wanted to get involved in human conflicts; in fact, they even favored such internal strife, especially those related to Komer, as it could alleviate their own pressures to some extent.

However, the bait offered by Komer made Difanqi and Belemon eager. The restrictions on food supplies would be completely lifted, and quotas for various strategic materials would be significantly relaxed—things the Sanjia tribe had long dreamed of. But despite their pleas, Komer had never agreed under his firm stance. Now, he was offering to make concessions on these two key issues—how could this not arouse their interest?

Though neither Difanqi nor Belemon expressed their stance outright, Komer knew they had already made their choice. Since they hadn’t rejected his unusual demands immediately, it was clear they realized they had no power to refuse. Moreover, they understood they had to choose between him and Philip. Remaining neutral meant siding with Philip, and Philip’s deep-seated contempt for the mountain people before Komer’s arrival made it impossible for Difanqi and the others to support him. Although Komer was also dangerous, it was still better than the status quo.

Once Sik, this thorn, was inserted into the Sanjia tribe, their united front would collapse. Komer was proud of his brilliant move. With the Jiapon tribe acting as a wedge among the barbarians, it no longer mattered how united Difanqi and Belemon were. The Jiapon tribe could provide up to three thousand warriors for the Caucasus. Combined with the three thousand five hundred barbarian warriors he already had and two thousand half-orc warriors, he now had enough strength to confront Homer. Of course, if the Jiarong and Jialong tribes could offer military support, his chances of defeating Homer outright would increase greatly. This was the best time to deal with Homer, and Komer wasn’t willing to give up such a rare opportunity easily.

As Komer had expected, Difanchi and Belemon quickly gave him a clear reply: the two tribes were willing to provide a total of four thousand warrior infantry, and the two sides would adopt regular joint meetings to discuss and negotiate the development of their relationship. Komer readily agreed to Difanchi’s demands, marking the moment when the large tribes of the mountain people bowed their proud heads. Under economic and political pressure, the already severely disadvantaged mountain people no longer had the strength to resist the appeal of the prosperous civilization of the northern mortals. This was just the first step; as more steps were taken, the pace would accelerate. Once the mountain people fully experienced the inclusiveness of mortal civilization, they would be drawn to it, like moths to a flame, and eventually integrate into it. To prevent leaks, Komer ordered Fran to transfer all three thousand five hundred mountain warriors who had been assembled to the mountainous territory south of Bahomon, where a training camp was built. The entire Sanjia tribe also sent two thousand warriors each, as agreed. Thus, an armed force of nine thousand five hundred mountain people was formed. Together with two thousand mortals, half-orcs, and half-elves, a total of eleven thousand five hundred fighters were secretly training in the wilderness camp south of Bahomon, preparing for the next phase of the war. The docks at Bahomon were filled with ships from the Southern Central Seas. Workers on the docks worked hard to unload large burlap bags, while quartermasters from the Caucasus Self-Defense Army carefully counted the densely stacked bags. Ox carts, already waiting, were arranged in disarray behind the docks, ready to be loaded and transported once the quartermasters finished counting. No one knew what was in these goods, nor did anyone care where they were being sent—except for the spies secretly watching around the docks. These were military orders from the Southern Central Seas. The Caucasus’s production capacity simply could not produce such a large quantity of armor and weapons in such a short time. There was no other choice but to place orders with the various city-states in the Southern Central Seas.

Haideling’s fleet was tasked with transporting these military supplies. This was also why Komer, in order to prevent Homer from detecting his plans for such frantic military preparations, had the tribesmen of the Sanjia clan and the seven infantry units he had assembled in the Caucasus bring equipment of pitiful quality. The fact that they could still compete with Homer’s well-armed and armored human armies with such inferior gear was enough to prove the bravery and ferocity of these mountain warriors.

However, Komer had no intention of letting these brave mountain warriors face Homer’s regular army head-on, clad in such crude armor and wielding weapons made of wooden sticks with sharp stones attached. For Komer, the battle against Homer might just be the first step. He never intended to let the warriors of the Sanjia clan go once they were under his command; they would become another ace in his hand, just like the orcs, helping him charge into battle in the kingdom’s conflicts and perhaps even against their own kin—the reckless tribes within the Barbarian Alliance. One day, they too would kneel at his feet. And to turn them into sharp blades in his hand, it was worth paying a heavy price upfront.

Exquisite armor and advanced weapons, unimaginable to the mountain warriors, kept flowing into the Caucasus from the southern lands. Set upon their strong bodies one by one and held in their sturdy hands, these weapons came alongside increasingly rigorous training under Fran. As for the mountain warriors, they already possessed physical strength and combat experience, and even in terms of combat discipline, they far surpassed the orc soldiers who had just joined the Caucasus army. What they needed now was to master tactical formations and coordination.

Mahagumi followed Komer into the study respectfully—this was the second time he had entered Komer’s study in three days.

Training for the mountain warriors in the Cordillera Wasteland was in full swing, while the half-elf archers stationed in Livonia quietly returned to the Caucasus. The three Patriarchs of the Great Secret Religion had also arrived in Ugru. With the power of the mage corps, everything was ready except for the final push. During this time, Mahagumi had been lurking in the city of Cyprus, constantly monitoring the situation in Homer’s region. He also kept a close eye on the changes in the garrison at the exit of the Great Greenland Forest in the Bosen Plain. For the Caucasus army to invade Homer, they first had to take control of the Bosen Fortress at the exit of the Great Greenland Forest—a battle of critical importance.

“My lord, news from Odessa, once verified, shows that the Grey Skulls’ fleet has been active in that area for half a month. Our agents detected Got’s presence at that time, and Philip happened to be there as well,” Mahagumi reported, stepping forward quickly.
“Do you think this is a coincidence?” Komer remained indifferent.
“Unlikely. The Grey Skulls rarely operate in the central Abyssal Sea these days; they focus mainly on the southern Abyssal Sea and the Northern Mid-Sea. Got’s sudden appearance there must be to meet Philip,” Mahagumi shook his head.
“What do you think their meeting is for?” Komer asked.
“I dare not be certain, but even with careful analysis, it’s clear that the magic-powered cannons of the Ka family’s fleet can only come from our Caucasus. Such coincidences don’t exist. Magic-powered cannons haven’t appeared in centuries, yet the Grey Skulls have just acquired them, and so has the Ka family’s fleet. This is highly suspicious,” Mahagumi said calmly.
In fact, Komer had already anticipated this. What worried him now wasn’t what the Grey Skulls might do, but whether their alliance with Homer could bring about unforeseen changes. With war looming, Komer didn’t want carelessness to lead to irreparable disasters.
“Are there any changes in Gallia?” Komer asked after some thought.
“Nothing unusual has been detected for now, but the two northern lords have increased contact with Cyprus recently, especially the Haine family,” Mahagumi didn’t miss any suspicious details.
“Oh? Have their armies made any adjustments?” Komer frowned; this wasn’t a good sign.
“Not yet, but I believe it’s because time is too short. Once our army appears on Caucasus soil, it’s likely to trigger a chain reaction. Even if Philip is overconfident, he’ll probably have to seek help from other lords,” Mahagumi added.