Chapter Thirteen: Planning
“My lord, are we really going to let them go like this?” one of the unwise deputy generals asked reluctantly.
Glancing at him coldly, Bamarli knew that this guy was actually sent by the Grand Duke to keep an eye on him, with the intention of taking over his position. But in the short term, this man wouldn’t be a threat. His own soldiers were accustomed to chaos and couldn’t be controlled by someone inexperienced and overambitious like him. Still, he didn’t want this guy to tarnish his reputation in the Grand Duke’s report, so he patiently explained, “What else can we do if we don’t let him go? He’s still a lord after all. We can’t just kill him in broad daylight here in Bruce, can we? If word gets out, both of us will end up on the gallows. Nothing stays hidden forever. The unnatural death of a lord, especially with this guy currently attracting attention from the kingdom’s leadership, means the kingdom won’t give up easily.”
“Leon’s men can’t be used now. They don’t have the courage to try again. Their failure last time has scared them to death.” Bamarli raised his head again, his gaze uncertain. “That guy is a magician, and now he’s escorted by a group of half-orc soldiers. To deal with them completely, we’d need at least two hundred men. But even with that many, we can’t guarantee success. And who among our soldiers can be trusted to keep quiet?”
The deputy general standing behind him also showed a sympathetic expression. After all, killing a noble lord, no matter the reason, was a grave crime. The Star Chamber would undoubtedly sentence him to death. It was a challenge to the entire ruling class, and forgiveness was absolutely out of the question.
“We have no choice but to let him go this time. It’s difficult to explain this to the Grand Duke, but he also demands secrecy and caution. If we can’t meet these requirements, it’s better not to act at all. That’s all we can do.” Shaking his head, Bamarli patted his deputy’s shoulder, looking regretful.
When Puber received Komer’s report, he was already extremely busy. When the message was sent back as quickly as possible, everyone, including Ilot, was shocked. 150,000 people! What did that even mean?! It was nearly twenty times the current population of the Caucasus. With the existing facilities in the Caucasus, it was simply impossible to support more than 50,000 people—this was the conclusion reached by Puber and Hes after extensive calculations. Although Puber and Hes also desired sufficient population resources, such a sudden influx of over 100,000 people was indeed beyond the Caucasus’ capacity.
But Komer had made it clear in his letter that there was no room for change—there was no way to avoid it. Fortunately, the three countries provided fairly satisfactory financial assistance, which gave them some relief. It wasn’t until food and daily necessities were shared between Palermo and Kafli that Puber and the others left in the Caucasus could truly breathe a sigh of relief. The remaining task was to address the housing needs of these soon-to-arrive 100,000 people and their future livelihoods.
All arrangements for 150,000 people suddenly fell on his shoulders. Though he had Hes and his son to assist him, managing such a large scale of people was something the three of them had never experienced before. Everything had to be started from scratch. Fortunately, Puber had studied administrative management at Phoenix City Academy for two years, so he could handle general affairs to some extent. Yet, the housing arrangements, food supply, daily necessities, and even future livelihoods for over 100,000 people suddenly lay before him. As a government official, he first needed to solve several issues.
Ugru, Matdan, Dalmansky Pass, and Bahomon became the first four towns planned in Puber’s blueprint. Ugru, needless to say, was the core area of the Caucasus, located at its center, surrounded by relatively flat wastelands and forests—perfect for immigrants to settle and cultivate. With enough labor, this land could surely become the main grain-producing region of the Caucasus. Damansk Fortress was also located here, and it was currently the most densely populated area in the Caucasus. The lord’s residence and the administrative institutions of the Caucasus region would also be set up here, making it the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire region.
Matdan is the other major town among the only two existing settlements. Located by the sea and at the mouth of the Catalonia River, the ambitious Puber and the enthusiastic Neptune have planned to develop this place as the most important port suitable for both sea and river transport in the entire Caucasus. Of course, all this can only be put on the agenda after resolving the problem of pirates in the Eastern Abyssal Sea. Although the Dalmann Pass currently has only a dozen or so hunters and a small logging camp, and doesn’t even have an official name, its location near the Leon region makes it quite important. Puber doesn’t need to think much to realize that it will eventually develop into a fortress-like town with settlement features. Its abundant stone resources can also be fully utilized once road conditions improve. As for Bahomun, though its location is somewhat remote, its high-quality and substantial iron ore reserves have been recognized, so it will surely develop into a major settlement centered around mining and related industries. However, the issues of magical beasts in the surrounding area and relations with barbarians in adjacent regions need to be addressed.
The mad dwarf’s new discovery is what excites Puber the most. In the foothills of the Volt Mountains, the dwarves have found a series of coal mines of varying sizes but with rich reserves. Although they are a bit far away, if a road can be built from there to Matdan, the abundant water power of the Catalonia River can be used for transportation, allowing coal to be continuously shipped to Bahomun, thus saving a significant amount of transport capacity. But the area is currently too remote and almost uninhabited, surrounded by forests. To develop it, not only roads need to be built, but most importantly, a small settlement must be established to meet the various needs of coal mining—something that remains purely theoretical for now.
Once the general locations of several towns were confirmed, Puber and Neptune also launched their frantic land acquisition campaign. In Ugru, aside from the existing lands of the indigenous people being legally reconfirmed, all other lands were reverified and registered by the lord’s residence. Especially the lands around Ugru Town were planned out piece by piece. According to Puber’s plan, all lands and streets within a kilometer of the intersection at the center of Ugru Town needed to be replanned and classified into three categories based on their distance from the center. Those who wanted to build houses on the streets within this kilometer had to purchase the land rights, while those outside this range only needed to pay a fee to obtain land ownership. This classification ensured that the wealthy among the immigrants had priority in using the land, in line with Puber’s principle of exploiting the rich to the fullest.
The same was true in Matdan. A large area along the coast and another area at the river mouth were designated as future port and dock development zones. Although Matdan currently had only a little over a thousand people, Puber and Neptune believed it would become the Caucasus’ most important foreign port with the arrival of immigrants. Of course, the pirates in the Abyssal Sea posed a challenge, but both believed that once Komer returned, they would surely find a proper solution.
Hess’s task was even more arduous. Not only did he have to use all his connections and influence to guide and persuade the indigenous people of Ugru and Matdan that the arrival of over a hundred thousand immigrants would bring endless wealth and business opportunities, but he also had to keep a tight grip on public sentiment in these two areas. Any signs of trouble had to be addressed promptly to nip them in the bud. Hess’s agitation and propaganda indeed played a crucial role. Especially after seeing Kafli’s friends arriving one after another in Ugru and Matdan to open shops, the locals were greatly inspired. Driven by Hess, the merchants in Ugru and Matdan also expanded their businesses, aiming to make big profits once the immigrants arrived. Various shops that had never existed in the towns before gradually appeared, such as cafes, large hotels, weapon shops, bookstores, and many other service industries that the indigenous people of the Caucasus had never experienced before. Under Hess and his friends’ careful guidance, public sentiment developed favorably.
Although the situation seemed promising, Puber did not dare to be complacent. After Hes provided help from several adventurer friends for Ilot and Baoling, Puber resolved to significantly expand the Lord’s Guard to address potential conflicts and issues arising from the large-scale influx of immigrants. A combination of rewards and punishments—using both kindness and force—has always been the unique method of rulers to maintain control over the situation.
The Lord’s Guard was expanded from 60 to 180 members, and this was only the initial plan after discussions between Puber, Ilot, and Baoling. With 150,000 unfamiliar immigrants arriving, it was hard to say whether conflicts might arise with the local natives. Over the past month, many immigrants from other regions had also arrived at the lord’s estate at the introduction of the locals, seeking to settle in the Caucasus. In accordance with the announcements, Puber, in his capacity as an official, granted them legal resident status. However, as the population became more diverse, races such as dwarves and half-elves—those who faced discrimination elsewhere on the continent—also began to appear. This filled Puber with both joy and concern. Many problems from various aspects needed to be considered as soon as possible. Since his group had only recently arrived in the Caucasus from Cyprus, and despite holding the title of lord and having the support of Hes and his son, their foundation was still weak, and many conflicts had yet to erupt. Therefore, it was particularly important to establish a strong military force under complete control in this remote territory—a view shared entirely by Puber and Ilot.
Under Puber’s instructions, Ilot and Baoling focused on selecting half-orcs with simple minds for the expanded guard. They had good physical fitness and strength, and more importantly, they had little interaction with the local natives. Having just escaped from slavery in the mines, they would be deeply grateful to the lord who granted them freedom, making it easy to control them. Baoling was responsible for basic infantry training, while Ilot and several adventurers handled individual skill instruction—half a day for individual skills training, half a day for basic infantry formations, and even the evenings were used by Baoling for discipline training.
When Ilot appeared before Komer with over fifty fully armed half-orc warriors, those formidable warriors even caused a stir among the people of Bruce. After all, it was rare in the human-controlled areas of the continent to see such a large number of half-orcs used as warriors. Most half-orcs living in human societies occupied the lowest rungs of society; jobs like farmers, miners, loggers, and porters were already the best they could get, and many half-orcs lived as slaves in such societies. Yet Komer seemed to never pay much attention to this aspect, perhaps deeply influenced by his master’s dwarf and barbarian heritage, which made him indifferent to the issues surrounding human populations on the continent.
Seeing all this, Komer was somewhat pleased but not overly surprised. However, Hozel and Raffet, who were with him, suddenly showed a look of awe. In their eyes, these half-orc warriors didn’t seem much different from the brutal orcs—both were strong and muscular, with fierce appearances. Although they wore human warrior armor, their rebellious nature remained strong. Yet these newcomers were completely obedient to Ilot. Clearly, following their race’s tradition of respecting the strong, they, like their predecessors, must have experienced painful defeats after challenging Ilot.
Leaving Hozel and Raffet in the carriage, Komer, who had been feeling stifled, finally got the chance to ride freely. He spurred his horse, leaving Ilot far behind. At that moment, Komer felt an indescribable sense of joy and relief. This time, Leon’s journey was exceptionally smooth. From Bruce to the Dorman Pass, aside from a few caravans from Palermo transporting food to Ugru returning, Komer even encountered many scattered immigrants who had gone to the Caucasus after hearing about the call for settlers issued by the Caucasian lords. But by now, Komer no longer had the initial eagerness; 150,000 immigrants weighed heavily on his mind like a burden.