Chapter Eleven: The Fisherman
Seeing Puber staring at him with longing eyes, Komer knew nothing good was coming. Of course, he wouldn’t watch his old friend really end up on the laps of those physically superior half-elf women. Now, Ugru’s brothels were filled with half-elf and half-orc prostitutes, all said to come from the central lands. Fortress Bruce had a completely different attitude toward the influx of slaves and immigrants compared to goods like food and salt—no restrictions at all. To Komer, it seemed that the Homer region was even encouraging immigrants and slaves to enter the Caucasus. What motives they had were obvious.
“Alright, stop thinking about this all the time. If you keep going like this, you won’t be able to afford the Panbao Health Elixir no matter how much you drink it. Your body is your capital—taking good care of it is essential. Once that batch of health elixir is ready, I’ll give it to you myself. I still need to find some ingredients, so I’ve already asked the mountain people to gather them.”
In his spare time from practicing magic, Komer had developed a hobby of crafting various pills and elixirs. It wasn’t a particularly unusual hobby—most magicians could more or less prepare some medicines to restore magic power or enhance mental strength. But few reached Komer’s professional level. Komer always adhered to one principle: never fight unprepared, especially when he was at a disadvantage or the situation was unclear. Overestimating the enemy’s strength was only beneficial—meaning preparing more thoroughly was also advantageous.
Magic scrolls, magic artifacts, and various medicines to restore and replenish magic power and physical strength were all essential before battle. In everyday times, taking medicines that strengthened the body and focused the mind was equally beneficial for advancing one’s magic training. Many magicians were also apothecaries. Even some who struggled to make a name for themselves in the magical world chose to specialize in pill-making, becoming indispensable figures in the magical community. Especially before each war, these magic shops became the most frequented places by wealthy classes like magicians and knights, and the gold they left behind provided some comfort to those who were only semi-skilled in true magic.
“Boss, it’s settled then. Those half-elf women are absolutely amazing. You should give them a try someday—guaranteed to keep you there forever. The women we used to date pale in comparison to them; they’re not even in the same league.” When it came to women, Puber’s spirit soared instantly, his gaunt cheeks glowing with excitement, seemingly even more vibrant than after taking the Panbao Health Elixir. This made Komer sigh inwardly—everyone has their own passions, and it seemed Puber’s only interest was this.
“Alright, haven’t you been trying to brag about your love affairs for days? I’ve long heard of your reputation as a ‘bedside whirlwind’ these past few days.” Komer interrupted him. If he let Puber go on, he wouldn’t stop in less than half an hour, wasting Komer’s rest time.
“Hehe, of course not. But Boss, ‘A young man who doesn’t indulge in pleasure is wasting his youth’—that was your favorite saying back then. Isn’t enjoying life to the fullest also a way of being responsible for oneself? If we just live a mediocre life, what’s the point of coming to this world? Boss, enjoy life to the fullest.” Puber warned his friend with a comically serious expression.
Waving his hand to stop Puber’s rambling, Komer retorted, “Quality over quantity—that’s what I pursue. Leave those low-quality, shoddy things for you to enjoy.”
“Hehe, that’s the Boss’s style—my way isn’t alone after all.” Finally getting a genuine response from Komer, Puber laughed triumphantly. “I thought you’d changed your tastes. It seems the Panbao Health Elixir isn’t just for me after all.”
“Are there any developments outside these days?” The conversation finally returned to business. Komer knew Puber wouldn’t come to him for trivial matters; there must be something requiring his decision.
“Hmm, it’s not that big of a deal, but the situation is getting out of control. I’m not sure if it’s an opportunity or a disaster, so I need to think carefully.” Puber reverted to his usual expression. “The situation in Leon to the north remains unstable. Last month, there were two large-scale slave uprisings in Leon, with over three thousand slaves escaping. This month, there have already been three uprisings, involving more than eight thousand slaves—the largest in history. Now the entire Leon region is in chaos, and it seems this will continue. Bruce Fortress has been completely sealed off, and no caravans can pass through Leon to reach our Caucasus region.”
“What impact will this have on us? Mardan has already opened its ports. Although our local fleet isn’t capable of long-distance voyages, it seems that fleets from Odessa and several colonies across the sea have arrived. Besides, we already have a considerable stock of food, so there shouldn’t be any major problems.”
Komer was somewhat surprised, though it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The chaotic situation in Leon was well-known in the Kingdom of Nicosia and even across the entire continent. The abundance of minerals meant there was a great need for a large number of strong laborers, and half-orc slaves became the most sought-after commodity in this region. In particular, Count Poningsky leased numerous mines to numerous small and medium-sized nobles, who, in order to maximize profits, bought slaves—especially those with exceptional physical strength.
The entire Leon region had less than 350,000 inhabitants, of whom over 300,000 were slaves, with more than 250,000 of them being half-orc slaves. Hundreds of mines were scattered across Leon. To extract as much value as possible from the slaves, the nobles employed various methods to increase their workload, forcing them to work over twelve hours a day. To cut costs, the harsh working conditions in the mines left the slaves’ safety and health unprotected. On average, over a hundred slaves died each month due to collapses and leaks. Even the strong half-orc slaves could only work for three to five years before becoming exhausted, while ordinary humans rarely lasted more than three years.
The brutal living conditions led the slaves to resist, but sporadic and unorganized strikes were ineffective. The only response the nobles had to the slaves’ uprisings was suppression. Over time, the slaves gradually changed their tactics, turning to revolts and escapes as their main methods, with each attempt becoming larger in scale. Eventually, organized joint actions emerged.
Although each noble kept large numbers of private troops to prevent slave uprisings, rebellions and escapes still occurred from time to time, with increasing frequency and scale. When the situation turned unfavorable after an uprising, the slaves would flee to the Vot Mountains in the south to hide. Despite the nobles’ efforts to prevent and suppress these uprisings and even taking some measures to ease tensions, these efforts failed to address the root causes. As invasions by orcs from the north became more frequent, many mines in the north were shut down, increasing the demand for minerals in the Leon region. This situation made the nobles forget past lessons and increase the workload on slaves, leading to more frequent uprisings.
The number of escaped slaves hiding in the Vot Mountains also grew. Some crossed the mountains into the Caucasus and, when Komer took control of the region, they exchanged loyalty for citizenship. A significant number of them became soldiers in Komer’s lordly guard. The rest remained in the Vot Mountains, turning into bandits who attacked mines in the Leon region in coordination with the rebellious slaves. Although the nobles of Leon repeatedly joined forces to suppress them, the complex terrain and dense forests of the Vot Mountains made it impossible to completely eradicate these bandits.
These issues had existed since Komer arrived in the Caucasus, but now that Puber had specifically raised this problem, there must be something wrong.
“The situation is this: Over the past month, more than three thousand escaped slaves have entered our Caucasus territory. Most of them are half-orcs. They contacted us through existing connections and asked for citizenship in exchange for loyalty. Some of them have already started working as miners in the coal mines at the southern foot of the Vot Mountains, and this trend shows no sign of stopping,” Puber explained, clicking his tongue.
“That’s great! According to the usual procedure, as long as they swear loyalty and refrain from acting against kingdom laws, they can obtain citizenship. It’s like delivering help in a time of need. Haven’t those coal owners been complaining about a labor shortage? And in Bahomun, there’s also a great need for skilled miners. Perfect—send them there to help out,” Komer said excitedly, slapping the stone table. “The more, the better. Free labor—we welcome it with open arms.”
“Boss, where could there be such a good thing? The envoy of Count Poninsky has already arrived in Ugru. He has presented our lord with a protest, demanding that we arrest and send back those slaves who have fled to our territory. Otherwise, he will lodge complaints with Grand Duke Philip and the kingdom, accusing us of illegally harboring runaway slaves and possessing others’ property.” Puber forced a smile as he downed another glass of wine. His boss was thinking too simply about this matter. Illegally possessing others’ property, especially slaves, was a serious crime in the kingdom. Just harboring slaves was enough to ruin a noble’s reputation, let alone offending so many nobles at once. And there was no need to say how favored Count Poninsky was among Grand Duke Philip—this was necessary for the kingdom to protect the legitimate rights and interests of noble slave owners.
“Oh? Do they have any evidence? Those runaway slaves have come to our Caucasus and become free people. Who can still claim they are slaves? If they feel unsafe at the foot of Mount Vot, just send them all to Bahomun. Count Poninsky? Hmph, tell him we’ll do our best to assist him. But according to rumors, those runaway slaves are hiding in the Vot Mountains, and even he can’t do anything about it. Do you think I, a mere baron of Caucasus, have a better solution?!” Komer’s sinister smile carried a hint of cunning. “As for him wanting to sue me in Homer or complain to the kingdom, we welcome it. A person needn’t fear their shadow. To convict me, it ultimately has to be decided by the kingdom’s Star Chamber. Puber, do you think the kingdom will convict me now? I doubt even if I wanted to confess and face punishment, the kingdom would agree. Hahahaha!”
Puber couldn’t help but admire his boss’s cleverness. If this case were taken to the kingdom’s Star Chamber, given the current situation in Caucasus, the kingdom would likely not agree to Count Poninsky’s accusations against Caucasus. That was the need of politics.
“Additionally, there are some other issues. These slaves who have fled hope that we can help those still in Leon by providing them with support, so that those slaves who refuse to go to the Caucasus and instead keep attacking the noble mine owners in Leon can more effectively fight against the cruel mine owners and free more slaves. They say that if we give them some help, they will achieve greater success and might even drive those noble mine owners away.” Puber clearly showed little interest when discussing this situation. In his view, it was unlikely that Komer would accept such a plan—it carried no benefits and only risks. Even if a Poneski were overthrown, another would take his place, which would mean nothing for the Caucasus.
“Hmm, what benefits does this bring us?” Komer asked thoughtfully, hand on his chin. “These people are getting too ambitious. We still need to watch out for them. Half-orcs might be easy to deal with, but if there are ambitious mortals among them, that’s something worth paying attention to.”
“Boss, do you really think these slaves can cause any real trouble?” Puber said dismissively. “These guys can cause some chaos, but when faced with a regular army, they’ll just run for their lives. Besides, it’s hard for them to organize themselves. I don’t think we need to get too involved with them.”
“No, Puber. We can’t view this so simply. The fact that they can keep causing trouble month after month implies something. That Poneski is so close to Philip—if Philip decides to turn against us in the future, he’ll definitely be a major force. So what’s wrong with letting these slaves cause even more trouble? Our port of Matdam has just opened, and I think Philip is probably already figuring out ways to contain us. After all, Homer still has his navy, which, though not large, is still a significant threat to us. I don’t want to see it show up right in front of us right now. With these slaves causing trouble, it’s good to keep Philip occupied. If things go well, Homer will be busy dealing with them. If not, at least these slaves can free more slaves, which is good for us, as we’re short of miners. With no other choice, they’ll have to come to us.”
Komer’s thoughts were clearly more far-reaching than Pupper’s. Having experienced the events with Vansell and his group, he had unconsciously linked his territory to the kingdom. It wasn’t that he wanted to be loyal to the kingdom, but in reality, the Caucasus now needed the kingdom’s help to contain Homer; otherwise, Philip could crush them at any moment.
Pupper pondered for a while before asking, “So, what does the boss plan to do to help them?”
“It’s simple—providing some weapons and food will be enough. I think that’s all they need for now. As for if they can come up with something new in the future, we can discuss that later.” Komer nodded firmly. “I really hope they can make a bigger impact. I’m afraid they might end up failing like before, at best managing to free a few more slaves. Oh, by the way, any reactions from Cyprus?”
“Nothing yet. After Fort Bruce was sealed off, all our news comes from Middelton. There are many ships arriving now, but not many coming directly from Cyprus. Most come from Odessa and the colonies on the eastern coast of the Abyssal Sea. Our information flow is also restricted.” Pupper shook his head. “But I think Philip probably won’t let this situation continue for too long.”
“It won’t be quick for him to respond. From getting intelligence to making a decision and finally mobilizing the army, it takes time. Homer doesn’t have a standing army or the King’s guard like the kingdom does. His infantry regiments need to be fully mobilized before they can be sent into battle. If Philip asks the kingdom for help, he might worry that the kingdom’s central forces will take the opportunity to weaken him. For now, he probably has to handle this on his own.” Komer was also guessing what measures Philip might take. Another issue troubled him—perhaps it was necessary to strengthen intelligence gathering, especially at a time like this, given the changes in Leon’s area and the activities coming from Cyprus.
The opening of Middelton’s port brought about huge changes. The narrow docks were filled with ships of various sizes, marked with different emblems and symbols indicating their origins and families. As commercial fleets, they were always guided by profit—where there was profit, there would be commercial ships. Neither pirates nor storms could stop them from moving forward. The opening of Middelton meant that the Gray Skulls had recognized the safety of this region; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to expand the docks and build warehouse facilities.
It was only two or three miles from the dock to the market area of Matdan. The land value in this area soared several times after it was decided that Matdan would become a port. The profits generated from this alone made Puber laugh breathlessly. There was a severe shortage of ports, and the original design focused mainly on inland transportation. Before the port opened, only the inland waterway from Bahomon to Matdan supported this port. But now things were different. With the vast Abyssal Sea and the Midland Ocean, along with the long and wide waterways of the Catalonia River, Matdan’s strategic location at the confluence of rivers and seas gave it great significance. It would become a window for the Caucasus to engage in external exchanges. The Matdan Customs, under the jurisdiction of the Caucasus Lordship, also officially began operations, with inspecting goods and collecting taxes being their inherent responsibilities.
The chaos in the Leon region quickly affected Matdan. The closure of Bruce Fortress halted the shipment of coal, iron ore, and crude iron from Leon, triggering a chain reaction across regions that were in urgent need of these goods. The prices of these goods soared, even affecting the kingdom’s weapons production. Although they didn’t truly want to see order restored in the Leon region, it seemed unwise to let the kingdom’s weapons production suffer as a consequence. Although mines in other parts of the kingdom were operating at full capacity, the negative effects of closing a major export base like Leon couldn’t be easily compensated for. At this time, the opening of Matdan as a port caught many people’s attention.
Coal miners at the foot of Volt Mountain were already worried about how to dispose of the mined coal, while the iron mines in Bahomon saw increasing production after they started operating officially. Both types of surplus materials were transported to Matdan by land and water. Neither Matdan nor Bahomon’s ironworks could consume such large amounts of raw materials. It was then that the benefits of the port opening became apparent. Merchants who urgently needed these raw materials to replace those from Leon could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Just over a dozen ships were enough to unload all the goods piled up in Matdan.
Approved foreign merchant ships could sail directly into the Catalonia River and head to Bahomun, where vast piles of iron ore and crude iron provided the kingdom’s merchants with new options. Meanwhile, coal owners at the foot of Mount Volt were recruiting workers to increase production and also discussing the possibility of digging a canal to Matdan. The distance from the foot of Mount Volt to Matdan was only about thirty miles, and much of the route consisted of narrow, deep valleys. If high ground could be excavated to allow water from the Catalonia River to flow in, such a project was not entirely impossible—though, for now, further discussion was needed for such a large-scale endeavor.
The arrival of foreign merchant ships also boosted commerce in the Caucasus, especially the slave trade. Although Komer hated the slave trade, he did not ban it. A large number of slaves of various races flowed in from the south, particularly elves and dwarves, turning Matdan into the main slave trading hub in the entire Caucasus. Merchants in need of blacksmiths and various servants flocked to Matdan to buy slaves, which objectively even encouraged slave hunters in the south to pursue their activities more aggressively—a development Komer had not anticipated.
The expansion of the docks progressed rapidly. According to Puber’s plan, the first phase of expansion would triple the size of the docks, and the second phase would double it again, enabling Matdan to reach the scale of Odessa to the north in the shortest possible time. Komer obtained five hundred thousand gold shields from the Gray Skulls, which naturally served as the funding for the first phase of expansion.