Chapter Thirteen: Infinite Sea Power

The sea map before him sparked immense interest in Komer.
It was clearly still a draft, with obvious traces of revisions. Most of the middle section remained blank. Aside from the western part, where each city, port, and nearby island was clearly marked, the waters slightly farther from the coast appeared empty. On the other side of the blank area, scattered markings indicated that human exploration of the Vast Continent had only reached so far.
“The ocean is infinite; conquest is infinite.”
These words left a lasting impression. Komer even silently repeated them, pondering them carefully.
Sifnos Island was clearly marked on the map. Two small islands marked in the northeast direction of Sifnos caught Komer’s attention.
“Hairedin, are these the two unnamed islands you discovered?”
“Yes, my lord. One island is larger than the other, separated by just ten nautical miles. Both islands have lush vegetation and fresh water. Apart from being smaller in size, their conditions are quite good. In particular, their rugged cliffs form a natural circle, making them ideal for ships to anchor and shelter from storms. They are about 1,200 nautical miles southwest of Sifnos Island, 1,800 nautical miles west of the Blue Continent, and 2,200 nautical miles east of the Vast Continent. They are strategically located in the heart of the Northern Seas.”
“Have they been named?”
“Not yet. We’re waiting for you, my lord, to give them names. However, we’ve already engraved your bear emblem in prominent places on both islands, so anyone who visits should know they belong to you,” Hairedin replied with a smile.
“Hmm, good. I really want to visit them in person, but unfortunately, I don’t have the time,” Komer said regretfully. “Then let’s name them Bear Island and Deer Island.”
“Understood. We’ll mark them on the map immediately as you command.”
Komer sat down. “Hairedin, do you think we should expand on the Vast Continent now? You know I have the desire but not the resources. Over in Nicomedia, I still need to focus more there—it’s our foundation. Without it, we’d be rootless drifters.”

“My lord, of course I understand. But if you don’t wish to be confined merely to the Land of Azure, then you must pay attention to the Midland Seas. I recall a philosopher once saying that to conquer continents, one must first control the seas. The Midland Seas will provide you with more convenient and faster routes, and their transportation capacity is unmatched by land routes. Meanwhile, the Land of Mist is still in the early stages of development, and many nations and city-states—such as Sparta, Corinth, Carthage, Piraeus, and even dwarf kingdoms like Sevilo—have begun organizing expeditions and colonization efforts. It seems that the nations and city-states along the Storm Seas have also realized this. If we don’t seize this favorable opportunity now, I fear we will lose the advantages we’ve already gained.”

Haidrin spoke with sincerity. He understood Komer’s concerns, but his duty forced him to tell Komer the truth. Everyone had realized the importance of the seas, and the continuous new discoveries in the Land of Mist had piqued even more interest in it, driving various nations and city-states to explore the seas and the Land of Mist.

Komer remained silent. How could he not understand the importance of the Land of Mist? The Land of Azure had been fully explored—except for the barren regions considered barbarian territories that were off-limits, every usable piece of land there had been trodden by mortals. But what about the Land of Mist? Aside from a few scattered colonies along the coast, no one had even reached the other side of it.

Which was more important? Komer’s conclusion was that both were indispensable.

But with his limited strength, could he manage both?

As if reading the doubts in Komer’s eyes, Haidrin pondered for a moment before saying, “My lord, perhaps we can’t yet devote full effort to the Land of Mist like other nations and city-states. But we have an advantage in the seas, and the Kars fleet, which dominates the entire Midland Seas, hasn’t utilized their advantage. So I think we can use our advantage to slow down the other forces’ entry into the Land of Mist. At the same time, we can establish small colonies in areas in the central part of the Land of Mist where no other forces have entered yet, to secure our own territory. As for those colonists who lack a sense of nationhood, we can buy them off or coerce them into submission through our advantages in trade and shipping, until they acknowledge our sovereignty. By taking these measures, we can buy some time until my lord is free to act.”

“Are you sure?”

“At least this can minimize the gap between us and other forces, so we won’t lose the chance to catch up later on,” said Haiding with a sigh.
“That’s all we can do for now. Haiding, you can decide for yourself how to handle things. As for funds and resources, I’ll provide as much as possible. You don’t need to worry about manpower—recruit and use them boldly; I’ve got your back.” Komer seemed determined. “It’s said there are still a considerable number of slaves in Paruka Bay. If we’re short of manpower, we can buy slaves and promise to grant them freedom after completing the development tasks. This might help ease the shortage. You can contact the orcs directly—I believe you can get a good deal on prices at this time.”
A fervent glow appeared in Haiding’s eyes as he nodded firmly.
“Haiding, you’re right. Sea power belongs to the future, and we can’t afford to lose it. So we must take the initiative and seize the upper hand,” Komer said, slapping Haiding’s shoulder firmly. His tone carried an almost dreamlike fervor. “This world provides us with a grand stage to perform on, and the Midland Ocean will be the focal point of that stage’s lighting. I hope we can seize this opportunity to create something even more glorious, so that history will remember us clearly, and we won’t regret it in our old age.”