Chapter 18: Bimon’s Concerns

Sami Tagore stared irritably at the items on his desk. The documents that he had once found interesting now seemed glaringly obvious. He shook his head as if trying to relieve a headache—how troublesome! He had been able to sleep soundly almost every day. How could things that were going smoothly now become so full of complications?

He knew he couldn’t be impatient. Wolf and the others were just watching him fail, and even Muni and Bill adopted an indifferent attitude. The only one who truly supported him was Kristina. There was no way he could expect Dashler to offer any support; he always maintained that disgusting neutrality.

He needed to figure out what was going on. Jazair, which had been stable for over a year, should have been moving steadily along the path he and Kristina had set. Under his strong pressure, the Bimons had also begun to adapt to human civilization. In his view, human civilization could be absorbed and utilized by the Bimons, and the past year or so had seemed to prove this. But why had so many problems suddenly arisen now?

Sami Tagore knew he must persevere at this moment; otherwise, his authority would be severely damaged—a sign often preceding the end of an era for a ruler. He believed he could overcome this difficulty. It wasn’t something insurmountable, he told himself to stay motivated.

He carefully reviewed his recent policies and strategies—there were no major changes. The feedback from below also showed no signs of hostility among the humans toward these policies. He and Kristina had been very cautious in implementing them, even at the cost of harming their own tribe’s interests. If they still couldn’t gain the humans’ support under such circumstances, then he truly had nothing left to say.

The problem was that things had progressed smoothly at first—why had things suddenly changed now? There must be some trick behind it. Sami had a vague suspicion, but without enough information from Dashler, he couldn’t make a definite conclusion.

Soft footsteps were heard outside the door. Shami didn’t need to think to know who it was—other than Kristina, no one else came by every day. The poor Carter Wolf must be burning with jealousy again. Why go to such lengths? Women need care and warmth; otherwise, problems will arise sooner or later. It seemed Carter didn’t quite understand this. Shami smiled self-mockingly—when had he become as sentimental as those rabbit or deer tribespeople?

Shami admitted he had some feelings for Kristina too, but he knew she didn’t feel the same way about him. His years of relationship with Carter couldn’t be severed just because he held the title of king. Still, he enjoyed the daily intimate conversations, drinking tea and coffee like ordinary people, discussing and analyzing government affairs together, and finding solutions to problems. Although the pressure was great, it was truly pleasant.

“Shami, it seems the problem is really troublesome. Those mortals are plotting another strike again, demanding that we fully resume trade with Nicosia and reduce tariffs to the lowest level. They also want us to impose heavy taxes on goods from the west—it’s utterly unreasonable. They’re deliberately provoking us.” Kristina’s crimson eyes were filled with anger. Those damned mortals—when had they become so difficult? They were simply pushing their luck!

“Hehe, Kristina, calm down. As you often remind me, we need to stay calm now. We both know there’s something strange going on, so we need to maintain a calm and rational attitude toward this issue, right?”

Shami smiled broadly and gestured for Kristina to sit down. Though the armored guards were clumsy, the black tea they brought was Kristina’s favorite.

“Hmph, Shami, you seem quite confident. Is there any progress from Dasher?” Kristina eyed this seemingly unsteady-minded guy suspiciously. He usually wasn’t in such a good mood. Even if he were very magnanimous, he couldn’t remain indifferent to such bad news.

“Not yet, but I believe Dasher will bring us good news.” Shami Tagore still wore a polite smile, looking like a gentleman, though his somewhat fierce royal-patterned markings gave him an odd appearance.

“Good news? Hmph. That guy Dasher is full of tricks. It’s been so many days since we entrusted him with the task, and there’s still no news. Does he have to cause trouble first?”

Kristina’s tone was somewhat fierce. The policies she and Shami were pushing forward faced strong opposition from the Wolf clan represented by Carter, while the Ox and Bear clans they represented also remained indifferent, clearly dissatisfied with these policies as they seemed to deviate from the traditional customs of the Bimons. Yet this was the inevitable path for the Bimons to move toward civilization. Kristina firmly believed that only by persevering could the Bimons truly integrate into this world and become its leaders.

“Kristina, don’t set your expectations too high. After all, Jazair isn’t our traditional territory. Mortals still hold the upper hand here. We are outsiders and conquerors, not representatives of an advanced civilization. We have to seek their help to help our people integrate as quickly as possible. Since the mortals of this advanced civilization are now under our rule, we can understand and tolerate some dissatisfaction and resistance. As long as they don’t openly challenge our authority, we can resolve things in a more peaceful way. Right?”

Shami’s words left Kristina amazed. Was this really the once conservative and stubborn Tiger clan leader? Although she had been persistently trying to influence his mindset all this time, he had always remained ambiguous and inconsistent. Yet now he could speak such insightful words—she couldn’t help but look at him with new respect.

“Shami, did I hear that wrong? Or have I never really understood you before?”

Kristina’s intense gaze made Shami feel a bit uneasy. Even he thought his words were quite impressive. Could it be that in front of a beautiful woman, a man’s wisdom and inspiration flow uncontrollably?

“Hehe, I hope you haven’t understood me, Kristina. Right now, we have no choice. Those guys are still waiting to laugh at us. I don’t think we should let them succeed,” Shami said with a hint of pride.

“Shami, although I agree with what you just said, it doesn’t mean we should just sit back and let those guys provoke us endlessly. We also need to find ways to counter them. A combination of kindness and strength is necessary to ensure long-term stability.”

The sami grew increasingly fond of the woman before him. With such a woman by his side to assist him, how could he worry about failing in important matters? No matter how great the difficulties he faced, he was confident he could overcome them. That fool Carter was utterly unworthy of her. He absolutely could not just give up on this woman so easily. He must win her heart at all costs, and what he and she were doing now was undoubtedly his best chance.

“Kristina, rest assured, I think the same way. I’ve always suspected there’s something strange about these mortals suddenly stepping forward to cause trouble at this time. Initially, they seemed so calm, even quite cooperative, but now they’ve suddenly become nitpicky. It makes no logical sense. I’ve specifically instructed Dachler to investigate thoroughly to see if those ringleaders have any connections with external forces. If so, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

It was only then that the cold and merciless side of the sami emerged, leaving behind his earlier humble demeanor.

“You suspect external forces are involved? Which side?” Kristina was shocked.

“Hmph, it’s hard to say right now. Nicosia in the south, or the Northern Alliance in the west—either could be it. Especially that guy in the south; he’s currently very powerful. Even the barbarians in the Cordillera Wasteland are almost becoming puppets in his hands. Who knows? He might suddenly think he can unify the former Romanov territories?” A glint appeared in the sami’s fierce eyes.

“Logically, he shouldn’t be that crazy, right? Does he really think our Mon kingdom is as foolish as those simple-minded, strong-armed barbarians? And don’t those guys from the Northern Alliance also try to trip him up, subtly or openly? Can’t he sense that?” Kristina seemed unconvinced.

“Hmph, Kristina. Interest and vanity often cloud even the wisdom of smart people. That guy is clever and capable, but can he maintain a calm mindset in the face of endless desires? I doubt it. Even if it were us, we’d probably do the same.” The sami gave an impartial assessment.

“If that’s the case, we must prepare in advance. That guy has already united many forces from the Romanov era and successfully brought them together. If he truly decides to challenge us, it will cause us a lot of trouble, especially with those guys in the west also having ulterior motives.” Kristina frowned.