Chapter Sixteen: The Odessa Merchant

After years of trials, Komer found that his once passionate heart had unknowingly turned cold and heartless. He had abandoned Tracy in Middelburg, treating her like trash. The remaining tenderness and attachment he once felt for her had been completely replaced by a perverse physical satisfaction. Occasional indulgence might be acceptable, but the idea of sharing a bed with her even for one night filled him with discomfort. This transformation surprised Komer himself. Human emotions are so complex—once a certain intrinsic element is lost, everything else disappears. Yet on the surface, she remained the same, even more glamorous.

Komer could imagine Tracy’s resentment at this moment, but he didn’t care. The hatred of petty people had numbed him. Besides, he believed that if he offered her a little sweetness, she would come crawling back to him like a lapdog. It wasn’t even impossible for her to betray her father. Once the Philip family’s prestige was shattered, the noble guise surrounding her would be completely stripped away. What else could she do without a foundation for survival?

Now, Komer’s focus was no longer on such trivial matters. The most important thing was to take control of this land as quickly as possible and truly become one of the major lords in the Kingdom of Nicosia. The recognition from Katyn and Gothenburg, the tacit acceptance from Calais, Silesia, and Poznan, and the approval of the nobles and common people in the Homer region—all these issues lay before Komer immediately.

For some reason, Komer had no desire to go to Cyprus. He preferred to stay in Odessa. Perhaps this port city offered him more novelty while allowing him to avoid everything familiar from the past. Everything in Odessa seemed unaffected by war. This city, connected to the interior via canals linking it to the Sea of Darkness and relying on the resources of the Busen Plain, had a much weaker sense of hierarchy compared to inland cities. Here, aside from the city governor, merchants held greater influence. Although many of these merchants originated from noble landowners in the Busen Plain, once they became part of the merchant class, their noble status seemed to fade away. Komer liked this atmosphere.

The city governor had fled as soon as the Caucasus forces entered the Buzson Plain. As Philip’s main confidant here, he could hardly wait for the Caucasus to acknowledge him. Before the Caucasus forces reached Odessa, the Federation of City Industry Representatives temporarily took control of the city’s operations—in fact, it was the merchant representatives who controlled it.

“My lord, all the merchant representatives have arrived,” the servant said softly, standing respectfully behind him.

“Oh? They’re all here?” Komer asked indifferently. After the complete defeat of Homer’s army, these merchants’ attitude underwent a 180-degree change. From their initial pretense of coldness and deliberate distance, they suddenly became friendly. Some even went to visit him secretly, leaving Komer in awe of their audacity—unashamed at all by their earlier reserve and indifference.

“Yes, they’re all waiting for your arrival,” the servant said with a slight bow.

Odessa’s city hall was different from those in any other city in the Homer region. It lacked the strong Nicosia style seen in other cities there. To be precise, it resembled a city from the southern part of the continent. Low buildings were scattered around the center of the city square. Aside from the slightly larger city council hall, other buildings such as the tax office and the judicial office were very simple and unadorned, which suited Komer’s taste.

The two half-orc guards stopped at the entrance of the council hall, which greatly reassured the merchant representatives. Although they knew the half-orcs wouldn’t act recklessly without reason, seeing their fierce faces, massive bodies, and fully armed appearance made the merchants feel immense threats and pressure. Entering the council hall, they even wondered if they would be able to express themselves clearly.

“Honorable Lord Komer, on behalf of all the merchants and people of Odessa, I congratulate you on being granted the kingdom’s title. From now on, you will be the sole ruler of our Homer region. Odessa is part of Homer, and we all will be your loyal subjects.”

The merchant representatives took off their hats, pressed them to their chests, and bowed, placing one hand in front of their knees—a standard merchant’s gesture.

Comer also had to show a kind smile to these merchants. Although their behavior was despicable, it was part of a merchant’s nature, and he couldn’t really blame them. Moreover, he would need their support in the future, so he had to win them over and pacify them carefully.
“Thank you all for placing trust in me. A new chapter in Homer’s history is about to begin. The past is behind us; we need to move forward and start anew,” Comer said, carefully choosing his words. He couldn’t let them feel undervalued, nor could he give them any false hopes. Balancing these factors was indeed a challenging task.
“The situation on the continent is turbulent. Orcs from the north have infiltrated the heart of the kingdom and even captured its capital. The various territories within the kingdom still act independently, with strict trade barriers. Pirates in the Dark Sea and the Midland Ocean remain rampant. Our connections with the Midland Ocean region and the Vast Continent are severely hindered. All these obstacles must be overcome so that the people of Homer can enjoy a better life. And it is you merchants, who are here today, who should take on this responsibility first. As the lord of Homer, I am also obligated to lead you and all our citizens to help restore the kingdom to its former glory and enable its people to reap the benefits of this new era.”
For the merchants, orc invasions and restoring the kingdom’s lands were unimportant. What mattered more was breaking down trade barriers, reducing tariffs, and ensuring smoother trade routes from Odessa to every city along the Midland Ocean and the Dark Sea, so as to fully leverage Odessa’s role as a trade and logistics hub. These issues were directly related to their interests. If Comer could achieve this, they would even be willing to kneel and lick the soles of his shoes.
The canal connected Odessa to the inland regions of the kingdom, including Galia. Its location in the central-southern part of the Dark Sea gave it a natural advantage in connecting with the coasts of the Midland Ocean and the colonies on the Vast Continent. Backed by the fertile Bosson Plains, Odessa was, by all accounts, a natural trade and logistics center in the Homer region. However, due to the policies imposed by the officials of Cyprus, Odessa was not as prosperous as it could have been. Tensions between the merchants and the city officials representing Philip also intensified several times. Before Comer arrived in Odessa, Mahagumi had already prepared a detailed report for him.

“My lord, we are equally looking forward to this day. Odessa will always be part of Homer, and we will always remain your subjects. Yet Odessa is different from other parts of Homer. As you are likely aware, the prosperity of Odessa depends on thriving commerce—we contribute over half of Homer’s commercial taxes each year, even more than Cyprus. Yet we receive little in return from Homer. We sincerely hope that you will spend some time in Odessa to see for yourself the actual situation here. Um, we also hope you will consider the opinions of our representatives and consult us when choosing the governor of Odessa and other municipal officials.”

Truly typical of merchants—even knowing there are half-orcs and barbarian armies outside the city hall, they still strive for their own interests. What a group of people who value money over their lives. Bringing up such demands on their first formal meeting—aren’t they afraid of angering their lord?

A faint smile appeared on Komer’s lips, but to the merchants, it was unclear whether it was a sign of good or bad fortune.

This prodigal son from Cyprus had a poor reputation there, but this scoundrel managed to survive in the desolate lands of the Caucasus and even conquered the half-orcs near Leon and the barbarians of the Cordillera Wasteland, forcing those lower races to serve as his vanguard willingly. Even Homer’s knights and court mages were defeated by these seemingly ragtag forces. This made the merchants sigh at the injustice of the world. Yet facing reality was the most basic requirement for them. It didn’t matter who ruled Homer; what mattered most was who could guarantee their commercial interests. Especially since this prodigal son controlled the Caucasus and Leon and could even establish connections with the barbarians of the Cordillera Wasteland. Some astute merchants were already thinking about expanding their business opportunities there.

“I will consider your requests. But no matter how special Odessa is, it is part of Homer and also part of the kingdom. Now that the kingdom is in trouble, all of you here have a responsibility to help restore it.” Komer glanced at the merchants, who all appeared uneasy, then smiled and said, “Of course, Homer also faces its own difficulties. As an important trading hub for Homer, Odessa should take on greater responsibilities. I believe the next governor will take Odessa’s special circumstances into full account. I also hope that in a year, Odessa will become a shining jewel across the Nether Sea and the Midland Ocean—whether on the coasts of the Midland Ocean, in the Vast Continent, or in the interior regions of the kingdom—wherever people mention Odessa, they will show envy!”