Chapter 9: The New World

After pondering for a long time, Welch slowly shook his head solemnly and said, “No, I don’t think we need to tell him this news.”
The priestess seemed to have realized her superior’s decision. She lowered her head slightly, sighed, and said, “But if that guy, Komer, finds out that we knew about these matters in advance but didn’t inform him, it could cause serious problems in our future cooperation.”
“There is certainly considerable risk, but we have to think in the long term,” Welch said, also sounding regretful. “Komer is a man of firm resolve. Since he has already allied himself with dark forces, it will be very difficult to make him change his ways and abandon them. The reason we can still coexist peacefully with him, even as allies, is purely because of our mutual needs. In other words, at present, our interdependence outweighs other issues. But once that external pressure disappears, we might immediately turn against each other. His current growth rate far exceeds our initial expectations, which is not a good sign for us.”
The priestess understood the hidden meaning in Welch’s words and simply sighed without speaking.
“Just as Komer dealt with the Romanov family by keeping Kakiya and Hoffman in a state of relative balance to maximize his own gains, he has indeed succeeded in doing so. We need to do the same now—uniting all factions in Nicomedia to oppose Komer. Let the pressure he exerts force them to unite against each other. Only in this way can we survive in the gap between them and gain more from Komer.”
Welch remained calm. He knew full well that Komer was not a generous person. Hiding information from allies in such matters was undoubtedly betrayal. But it was also an opportunity. Komer’s influence had expanded too rapidly—from the Caucasus to Homer to Poznan, in such a short time that it seemed almost instantaneous. This also placed immense pressure on the Salvation Society, with which he was cooperating.
Especially his dark background constantly reminded Welch that Komer might turn against the Salvation Society once he had used it to his advantage. Although Welch admitted that Komer shared many views with the Salvation Society and was not entirely like those dark forces, that didn’t mean he would always get along with them.

Komer was not aware of everything that was happening in Gothenburg. Although Mahagumi’s intelligence network also had spies in Gothenburg, as Komer shifted his focus to Calais and Silesia, the spies likewise devoted their attention to spying on those areas, leaving Katyn and Gothenburg to become secondary concerns. In this regard, Mahagumi made a mistake of moderate severity.

At that time, Komer was proudly inspecting his army. The neatly arranged troops in the parade ground filled him with a sense of conquest, making him realize that his pleasure might stem from relentless warfare and destruction.

The situation in Poznan had settled down, thanks in large part to Lenta’s diligent efforts. Perhaps for the first time, she truly experienced the beauty that came with power and responsibility. Intelligence reports from all sides confirmed that Lenta had faithfully fulfilled her duties in Poznan. She inspected various territories—from Poznan itself to Groningen and Tylins—visiting farmers’ fields and homes, merchants’ shops, and noble residences. Even Puber, who had always been critical of Lenta, secretly praised her. Even Komer admitted that he was far less talented at integrating into the local social circles than the members of the Romanov family.

Negotiations with the mountain people finally yielded decisive results. After Komer completely conquered Poznan and became its lord, the mountain people reluctantly submitted. Poznan was also a major territory of Nicomedia, as the leaders of the Sanja tribe were well aware. Yet the fact that it had become part of Homer’s domain so quickly shocked them greatly. Times were changing, and living under the shadow of such giants was uncomfortable. The leaders of the Sanja tribe had to consider their own development, especially with growing demands within their tribe, forcing them to make difficult choices.

Although the Jarong and Jarlon tribes insisted on preserving their unique mountain customs, Komer agreed to this reasonable request. After all, it would be unreasonable to expect a tradition-bound tribe to abandon its customs overnight, and it didn’t conflict much with Komer’s demands. As long as the Sanja tribe submitted to him and continued to provide him with sufficient soldiers and laborers, nothing would be a problem.

After the formal agreement was signed, resources from the Sanjia Tribe flowed continuously. Dihanglong and Leipeng immediately became key targets for Fran’s integration efforts. Currently, Komer’s army boasts excellent numbers and quality of regular troops. However, facing the attacking forces composed of knights and magicians from the west, and possibly even armed forces made up of various orc tribes in the future, Fran had to think ahead. Only by rapidly strengthening these unconventional assault forces could they gain the upper hand against increasingly powerful enemies.

Even the leaders of the Sanjia Tribe never expected that their decision, which resembled sacrificing sovereignty, would provoke such a strong reaction within the tribe. Aside from a few conservative and stubborn elders who opposed it, the vast majority of the mountain people were overjoyed. They cheered for the happy life ahead. The mountain people, who had already seen the rich and beautiful world outside, had their hearts captivated. They longed to integrate into the prosperous and vibrant life of their neighbors as soon as possible. The dazzling lifestyles of the mortal world further enchanted the young mountain people. Even without the decision by the Sanjia Tribe leaders to follow the course of history, they would eventually break free from their shackles and venture into the wonderful world beyond.