Chapter 5: Knocking on the Door

“Haidrin, Murad, I’m afraid I can’t offer you much help at the moment, especially since Homer isn’t yet fully stable and there are still many uncertainties in the kingdom’s situation. I don’t want to hide anything from you—my goals extend beyond Homer; I have greater ambitions. Yet the seas of the Southern Mid-Sea and Storm Sea are equally important to me. Do you remember what I told you? Those seas will become the most crucial routes for us to control and influence the countries along the Southern Mid-Sea, and through them, we can also gain control over the nascent continent of Mang.”
As he organized his thoughts, Komer spoke frankly to these two naval heroes who were listening attentively to his ideas. “So, I want to hear your thoughts—what methods do you propose to help me gain control of these seas? I mean to take control of these areas while Katrina is too preoccupied to focus on them, and at the same time, secure recognition from the countries along the Southern Mid-Sea of our influence over these seas. Of course, I’ll try to prolong the conflict between the Katrina Fleet and the Gray Skulls as much as possible.”
“Lord, our idea is to reuse the Lakulado Islands, which were once occupied by Demisheme. Sifnos Island can control the route from the Southern Mid-Sea to Mang, while the Lakulado Islands can serve as a gateway from the Storm Sea coast to Mang and the Southern Mid-Sea. Especially Kulah Island, the main island of the Lakulado Islands, has a favorable geographical location—though it can’t supply itself with necessary resources. If we can legitimately incorporate these islands into the Caucasus, Kulah Island could become a foothold in the Storm Sea, just like Sifnos, and perhaps even develop into a trade hub.”
“Oh? The Lakulado Islands?” Komer pondered for a moment. “Now that Demisheme has collapsed, who controls those islands?”
“Temporarily, we share control with the Corinthians, but they aren’t very interested in these islands. If possible, we should be able to obtain formal control over them from them,” Haidrin hesitated.
“What’s the difficulty?” Komer frowned.

“Well, first, certain costs are needed to gain the Corinthians’ consent. Additionally, securing recognition from the Corinthian Alliance and even the entire Southern Mid-Sea region requires funds. Of course, it’s also necessary to formally obtain recognition of these islands in the name of the Kingdom of Nicosia, which might be somewhat complicated procedurally,” Haireddin interjected.
“Hmm, I see.” Comer was well aware that even turning uninhabited lands into one’s own territory required rather cumbersome procedures. A lord couldn’t declare a land his own without authorization; it had to be granted by a sovereign state. For him, this meant going through the Kingdom of Nicosia or the Kingdom of Iberia before being granted the land. Cost wasn’t an issue, but completing all these procedures was troublesome.
“Well, what about obtaining sovereignty over the Lakulado Islands in the name of the Kingdom of Iberia?” Comer asked in return.
“That wouldn’t be appropriate. It’s well known that Sifnos Island now belongs to the Caucasus. Flanders isn’t coastal, so involving it would be rather far-fetched. On the other hand, acting in the name of the Caucasus wouldn’t offend the Corinthians, as those are just barren islands with no significant resources. No one will pay much attention to them until they’re developed,” Haireddin suggested.
“Good. I’ll arrange for Neptune to assist you with operations in the Southern Mid-Sea region. Flanders is already on track, so he can step back for now. As for the kingdom side, I’ll have Pube handle it to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.” Comer decided firmly, “Let’s follow your advice. Kura can be developed into a hub connecting the Storm Ocean and the Vast Continent, which will also be beneficial for future connections between the Caucasus and the Storm Ocean region. By the way, how’s development on the Vast Continent progressing?”
“The Vast Continent is developing rapidly. Many new colonies are being established there, and there’s a surge in settlement activity in the Southern Mid-Sea region. My lord, I think we shouldn’t ignore this trend either. Currently, the colonies on the Vast Continent still lack a truly organized structure; most of the power is held by one or a few influential families. It seems the countries on the Azure Continent haven’t realized this yet. Perhaps we could take the lead in this area?”
Comer appreciated Haireddin’s sensitivity in this regard. As someone from a business family, maintaining such keen observation and insight was truly remarkable.

“Well, I’ll consider that aspect, but we can talk about it only after we’ve taken care of what’s at hand.” Komer nodded. “Murad, I accept everything you propose. You’ll be in charge of coordinating the forces of Demisheme for now. But given the current situation in the Southern Mid-Sea and Storm Sea, I don’t want our plans to establish the Lakurado Islands to face obstacles. So I want you and Hayreddin to withdraw the forces of Demisheme to Homer in stages. I’ll hand over the Homer fleet to you. The Demisheme pirate group will become history, replaced by a large Homer fleet. You’re responsible for helping me build a more aggressive and formidable Homer fleet.”

Leclerc maintained his composure. The woman in front of him, clad in battle armor, was undoubtedly the strongest woman he had ever seen. Her dark battle helmet covered her beautiful golden hair, with a few strands falling around her ears, adding a touch of allure. There was not a trace of fear in her sea-blue eyes. She held a thick dragon spear so easily, as if it were just a wooden stick. Her shorter leather skirt revealed her strong, slender legs. Her reckless posture, with her legs crossed at an angle, not only undermined her feminine image but also made one want to lift the skirt to see more.

Leclerc was somewhat helpless in the face of this aggressive woman who had barged in. If she had been a man, Leclerc would have accepted her challenge without hesitation. But she was a woman—though more brutal and savage than most men Leclerc had met. Judging from the broken gate at his entrance and the terrified servants, one could imagine the “deep” impression this woman had left on everyone.

In fact, Leclerc already knew her background without her having to introduce herself. Shatima, the female warrior under Lord Komer—more precisely, an extraordinary super-warrior. Whenever the Homer Knights and Storm Infantry Regiment launched attacks, she could always be seen at the forefront of the battlefield. At least five knights had died at the hands of the dragon spear she wielded, not to mention countless infantry soldiers. If it weren’t for the formidable enemy Vladkov at the time, Leclerc would have surely killed her. But all that was in the past now. The Philip family was history, replaced by the Caucasus forces led by Komer.

Leclerc wasn’t as stubbornly opposed to King Komer’s rule as those old-fashioned nobles, but he also wasn’t shameless enough to fawn over him like a merchant. Right now, he just wanted to rest in peace. As a noble knight, he had his own lands and properties, and who he owed loyalty to no longer mattered much to him. He wasn’t a die-hard loyalist, nor did he want to serve anyone anymore, especially that spoiled brat from Cyprus.

Yet, enjoying a peaceful life seemed like a luxury now. The knights in Cyprus City, who had lost their purpose in life, kept causing trouble, and conflicts with the stationed troops kept breaking out. Although these were still contained to some extent, it was a troubling sign. Leclerc disapproved of his former colleagues’ actions. Though he understood their feelings, such dangerous behavior could easily give the other side an excuse to suppress them. At least for now, Komer hadn’t taken any extreme measures to harm the interests of those on the sidelines.

Leclerc knew he was sitting on a volcano’s crater. As the leader of the Homer Knights, when the Philip family fled Cyprus, he declared his withdrawal from the order, which then dissolved automatically. But the dissolution meant the knights had no longer any restraint and started causing trouble everywhere. Leclerc could imagine that the new rulers would surely target him.

As expected, what was inevitable would happen. But Leclerc never imagined it would come in such a way—it was almost humiliating, though he admitted the other party did have the strength to challenge him.

“Miss Shatima, as a woman, I suggest you maintain proper decorum. Your behavior will not only harm your own image but I believe it will also damage Lord Komer’s reputation. Don’t you think such actions are no different from those of bandits and outlaws?”

It was already the third time Leclerc had sighed. Faced with all this, he felt both helpless and embarrassed. He really didn’t know how to deal with this unreasonable woman. Should he really engage her in a duel in the style of a knight? That would be absurd and ridiculous. Leclerc didn’t want to become the subject of ridicule in such a manner. For a knight, honor was more important than life, and he didn’t want his reputation ruined in this way.