Chapter Eleven: Hidden Hands (Part 2)
Just as Komer turned his attention to the subject in his dark room while Mahagumi frowned, pondering the meaning behind his master’s words, footsteps were finally heard outside.
Just as when Komer first met Mahagumi, he watched with an inquisitive gaze as the half-orc man stepped forward and knelt on one knee to show him respect. His reddish-brown hair was as messy as most half-orcs’, likely due to the inherent nature of their hair that made it difficult to keep tidy. His broad face had more angular features than Mahagumi’s, giving him a somewhat imposing appearance. With broad shoulders and strong arms, his brownish-yellow eyes revealed his lineage.
“Mr. Dragumo, please rise. There’s no need for such formalities between us. You are not my subject, and I am not your lord. Such courtesy is too much for me to bear.” Komer understood that the man was showing him such respect because of his performance in the Battle of Mando. As a high-ranking general in the mob forces and a strongly recommended candidate by Mahagumi, he had the privilege of learning that the astonishing magical attack in the Battle of Mando was carried out by the lord of the Caucasus—this refined-looking young man who even exuded an air of delicate nobility. Worship of the strong had always been a tradition among half-orcs, so he used the highest form of courtesy to show respect to such a powerful figure.
“No, my lord. Please allow me to express my respect in this way. It is because of your and your friends’ help that my companions and I were able to avoid being enslaved by those cruel nobles once again. In this regard, no amount of gratitude I express will be excessive.”
It was clear that this half-orc had a straightforward personality, but that didn’t mean he was simple-minded. The fact that he could come to Muscat at this time alone proved his discernment and breadth of vision. Komer never believed in the notion that half-orcs were stupid, slow-thinking, or intellectually inferior—only able to survive on this continent because of their physical strength. Perhaps half-orcs lacked the scheming nature of humans, but that was due to habits formed over time. As they interacted more with humans and integrated into human society, even orcs gradually adopted human ways of life. These changes subtly influenced their thinking as well.
The half-orc who stood up immediately gave Mahagumi a very intimate and warm hug. It was clear that the two of them had a close relationship, which was one of the main reasons why Mahagumi recommended him to Komer.
“Please sit down, Mr. Dragumo. Welcome to Muscat, and welcome to the Caucasus. Due to various reasons we both know, we can only meet in such an environment. I hope you can understand, Mr. Dragumo.” Komer tried his best to show his civilized and polite side toward this visiting half-orc warlord, but the terrifying side of a magician had already taken root deep in the half-orc’s heart and could not be erased no matter what. There was always a sense of awe in Dragumo’s gaze.
“My lord, please forgive my boldness, but why are you unwilling to attend our council meeting? And why don’t you want the outside world to know about your support for us? Perhaps you were worried about pressure from Homer earlier, but now that the Bruce bridge over the Nise River has been burned down, the Homerians can’t come at all. We have sent a team to guard the banks of the Nise River. Any attempt to build a bridge across it must first get our permission. Leon is already independent. Of course, if my lord is willing to attend our council, I and my companions will support you becoming Leon’s new lord!” Perhaps out of respect for Komer, this straightforward half-orc spoke without any hesitation.
Hearing such a direct declaration from the half-orc before him, Komer couldn’t help but laugh in amazement. “Mr. Dragumo, you may not fully understand the concepts of territory and lordship in our mortal world. To become a lord, one must first be a noble, and not all nobles can become lords of a region. They need to receive land grants from the landowners and approval from the kingdom’s council for it to take effect. Of course, the most important condition is the former. Claiming to be a lord just by occupying land is not recognized or accepted in our mortal world—it goes against our secular legal principles. As for your claim that Leon is already independent, this is even more unacceptable to us mortals. Independence means that a region fully possesses the characteristics of a nation or city-state and is recognized by neighboring countries. As for Leon, please forgive my honesty, but it doesn’t meet any of the conditions for independence. In its current state, it can’t even sustain its own existence, so how can it be called independent? In my view, it’s just a ridiculous joke.”
Komer’s blunt words instantly created an awkward atmosphere. Even Mahagumi felt that it was excessive for her master to show such rude disdain toward the other party, especially since they had clearly shown sincerity by offering to make Komer the new lord of Leon if she agreed to attend their conference.
“Lord, are you saying that Leon cannot survive or continue to exist?” The half-orc’s expression changed slightly, but upon seeing no trace of contempt in Komer’s eyes, he lowered his head and pondered for a while before asking such a question.
“Yes. If you take control of Leon, it won’t be able to survive. But if Homer takes control, Leon can continue to exist,” Komer replied calmly, her tone unchanged.
“Oh, why? What’s the difference?” The half-orc’s expression turned ugly again.
“It’s simple. The Kingdom of Nicocia is a mortal nation, and Leon is just a region under one of its provinces. No one will tolerate such a regime. Although you’ve achieved temporary success now, it won’t last—perhaps even for very little time. Maybe Homer is too busy with other matters for now, but once he resolves those issues, he’ll turn his attention to this. Besides, due to Leon’s unique geographical and soil conditions, it already has fatal weaknesses. Perhaps no military action is needed—just block Leon’s connections to the outside world. Before long, you’ll face a shortage of food.” Komer’s tone was surprisingly gentle, but her words were cruel.
“Do you mean the Lord will also cut off our food supply?” The half-orc stared intently at Komer’s face.
“Mr. Dragumo, please don’t look at me that way. I’ve already proven my attitude through my actions. But you should understand that the current food production in the Caucasus isn’t even enough to feed its own people. The food I provided to Leon recently was brought in by sea through various means. Once Homer or the kingdom completely blocks maritime traffic to the Caucasus or restricts food imports, what will I have to supply you with?” Komer shrugged, her attitude sincere.
“Lord, I have already shown you our respect. If you are willing, we hope you will become the new lord of Leon. As for the legal issues and food problems you mentioned, I am convinced that with your abilities, these issues can be easily resolved.” The orc’s sincere gaze fell upon Komer like a beam of light, making Komer feel a hint of guilt—using tactics against such simple orcs seemed almost criminal.
“We don’t want to live in the dark conditions we once had. Our demands are simple: just a basic guarantee for survival. If even that cannot be provided, we would rather die in battle! But you, Lord, are different. I’ve heard of your kindness and fairness toward us orcs in your territory, so we hope you can help us.”
Faced with their intense gaze, Komer remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, “Mr. Dragumo, your concern for your people deeply moves me, and I am very willing to help you. But as far as I know, your proposal hasn’t received unanimous support among your people. Your companions don’t seem to want me involved in Leon’s affairs—except, of course, when they need my help.”
There was a hint of sarcasm in Komer’s words. Mahagumi’s intelligence network was quite effective. Those orcs held so-called assemblies that ended in chaos and disputes over power, results that were entirely within Komer’s expectations. Dragumo had indeed proposed at the highest-level meeting that Leon should temporarily join the Caucasus, with Komer helping to mediate relations between Leon and the kingdom. However, this was unanimously opposed by the others, who believed Leon should be managed and controlled by its own people without outsiders interfering. They also advocated for stronger trade ties with the Caucasus, especially hoping that the Caucasus would continue to ensure their food supply as before.
The embarrassed orcs didn’t expect Komer to be aware of this situation and were at a loss for words for a while before reluctantly saying, “Lord, among my companions, there are indeed some who act impulsively and lack wisdom. But they are only temporarily blinded by immediate interests. Please give me some time; I believe I can persuade them.”
Even the half-orc himself felt his words lacked persuasiveness; his suggestions were seen as treasonous, and those shortsighted fools ostracized him. Disheartened, he even considered withdrawing from these power struggles. If not for Mahagumi coming to find him, he might have long since given up on these matters.
“Forget it, Mr. Dragumo. I’m well aware of your situation. Your companions seem completely unaware that warfare and governance are entirely different things. You might be able to defeat Homer’s army, but without food, weapons, or armor, and with so many ordinary people needing food, shelter, and clothing, do they really think those people don’t need to eat?” Komer waved his hand, trying to comfort him. “I understand how you feel, but some people must be taught a lesson to truly wake up. Words alone are hardly enough to make them realize the harsh reality.”
“My lord, Dragumo has come today to plead with you to give us in Leon a chance. We need your help. If you don’t help us, no one else will.” The half-orc’s angular face showed pain, clearly showing that he was truly worried about his people. Without food, even without fighting, the entire of Leon might fall back under the feet of those cruel and vicious Homer nobles. But Leon’s soil meant that locally produced food could only meet one-third of the needs—where would the rest come from? Yet now, the rulers among his people seemed completely engrossed in power struggles, fighting over territory and wealth, utterly unaware of the impending crisis. How long could this situation last? At the thought of it, Dragumo saw only darkness ahead.
“Mr. Dragumo, I’m very willing to help you and your people, but under these circumstances, I think it’s necessary to make them more aware of the situation. Moreover, the help I can provide is quite limited and cannot meet the needs of the entire Leon. So I can offer some assistance to you to a certain extent, but in my opinion, it’s probably a drop in the ocean for the entire Leon region.” Komer also sighed deeply, looking pitiful.
To be honest, Komer still hasn’t come up with a better way to deal with the situation in Leon. Though deep down he’s also eager for that resource-rich region, considering the potential hostility from Homer, Komer thinks it’s better to observe for a while. After all, those short-sighted half-orcs are unwilling to get involved, giving Komer an opportunity to stay hidden. Of course, necessary pawns must be placed, and Dragoemo is a suitable candidate. However, it seems Dragoemo is too concerned about the fate of his own people, which both amazes Komer and worries him that he might refuse to cooperate due to this.
Fortunately, this half-orc isn’t as rigid as Komer had imagined. Although he hopes Komer will consider the entire region of Leon, after Komer clearly states that only limited support can be provided, Dragoemo prefers to ensure the safety of the forces under his command first. He also agrees with Komer’s idea that letting his people face the harsh reality might make them more realistic for future cooperation.
After accepting Komer’s advice, Dragoemo arrived quietly and left just as quietly. No one knows what was discussed in their over-hour-long private conversation. But at the subsequent division meeting in Leon, Dragoemo volunteered to guard the already unprofitable Mando region, which immediately won over the leaders of his people. After all, Mando was the first region occupied by the mob forces, and almost all valuable things there had already been looted. Aside from some shut-down mines, there were only the mansions of some nobles in Mando Town, but these held no value in Leon. At that time, almost everyone was still immersed in the ecstatic joy of defeating Homer’s nobles and achieving a new beginning. The newly empowered mob leaders, eager to show their kindness to the freed slaves and win their favor, continued to provide free food and supplies. The crude and disorderly half-orcs hadn’t thought about what to do in the future; they seemed content to live day by day.
Upon returning to Leon, Dragoemo quickly carried out significant cuts to the armed forces, reducing the 10,000 armed slaves under his control to 3,000. According to his own statements to the outside world, the Leon Revolution had been successful, and it was time to reap the fruits of victory. Although he also distributed various supplies to the people, as did rulers in other regions, the frequency and quantity were much smaller. He encouraged the freed slaves to seek new lives in the Caucasus. Now, the entire Leon region had fallen into a state of stagnation; there was no production, and everything had to be imported from Muscat, which required exchanging for captured gold, silver, and treasures. But no one cared about these issues—they were matters for the rulers to consider. The noble families of Homer still retained considerable wealth sufficient to last for a while, and everyone was still indulging in this lifestyle of living off accumulated resources. Worried, Dragoemo didn’t know how long this situation could continue, but he knew clearly that that day would come sooner or later.