Chapter 9: Walking the Path of Life

The atmosphere in the forest seemed tinged with a subtle ambiguity. Kakiya casually picked up her coffee cup and took a sip; her rosy lips and blush appeared all the more enchanting in Komer’s eyes. The seductive aura emanating from her every move was like aged wine, slowly revealing itself, seeming even more alluring than what he had seen her at that party a few months ago. Komer really liked this atmosphere. Though he had no intention of doing anything, he had come to realize that this subtle charm carried far more power than outright expressions.

Faced with the unhidden gaze from the other person, Kakiya, who was used to men’s stares, felt a slight tremor in her heart, which scared her. Whether it was emotion or attraction, such feelings seemed long gone from her. She had long been accustomed to exchanging interests under various gazes. Yet, she could sense that there was something slightly different in the other person’s gaze compared to everything she had experienced before. It seemed to carry a sense of admiration, affection, or closeness, yet it was different from mere lust or love. Perhaps things could develop into love, and this filled Kakiya with fear, as she realized she felt a hint of joy deep inside. She didn’t want any kind of connection, even just a possibility, with anyone. To cut off these feelings, perhaps the best way was to talk about those unpleasant yet unavoidable matters.

“Lord Baron, it seems your territory is indeed quite different from what I imagined. I see half-orcs and barbarians moving freely within your lands, and your guards are mostly made up of half-orc soldiers. Aren’t you afraid they might rebel?”

It could be said that this place really broadened Kakiya’s horizons. She had long heard that the Caucasus was a vibrant yet fearsome place, but she couldn’t understand it back then. It wasn’t until she arrived here and saw the prosperity of Matdan and Ugru that she grasped the true meaning of those words. Everywhere seemed bustling; shops and construction sites were plastered with notices recruiting workers, and streets were crowded with people of various races from all over, all searching for suitable jobs and places to live. Mortals made up the majority, but orcs, barbarians, half-elves, dwarves, and elves also formed a significant proportion. Even merfolk, which were rarely seen elsewhere, could occasionally be found here. Fierce-looking orc soldiers patrolled the streets with authority, while half-elf archers stood on tall towers, watching vigilantly in the distance. The people going about their daily lives seemed accustomed to all this, showing no fear or apprehension, which filled Kakiya with excitement as well as concern. This place resembled a territory where everyone was a soldier; a culture that valued martial arts seemed quite popular here. People on the streets seemed to carry weapons, but few dared to draw them casually.

The seemingly harmless and elegant baron before her was certainly not as naive and easy to deceive as one might imagine. To transform a desolate and remote wilderness into such a place in just a few months was nothing short of miraculous—if it were luck or opportunism, it would be pure nonsense. No wonder Hoffman and Lenta refused to mention anything about the Caucasus when they returned. If it weren’t for Palermo revealing a bit of the inside story and piquing her curiosity, she probably would never have bothered to come to this remote place.

“Rebellion? Hehe, Princess, do they look like they’re about to rebel?” With a loud laugh, Komer seemed to realize that she wanted to break the delicate and slightly ambiguous atmosphere. He didn’t want to dwell on it too much; keeping a certain distance was better for certain things, especially since he himself had no real intentions.

“Are you saying you can guarantee they won’t oppose your rule?” Kakiya asked, puzzled. It seemed he was quite confident about this. She didn’t know where his confidence came from—these races had never truly submitted to mortal rule. Could this man really do it?

“Well, if I didn’t have such confidence, how would I dare let them live freely in my territory?” With a rhetorical question, Komer nodded slightly. “Princess, don’t view these people as so frightening. They are actually very simple and kind-hearted, even easier to manage than ordinary people. Of course, you need to earn their respect first.”

It seemed this guy was quite confident, but his confidence must have some basis; otherwise, it would be arrogance. Judging from his behavior in Versailles, he didn’t seem to belong to the latter category.

“Lord Baron, I dare to ask a question. With so many half-orcs in your territory, do they come from the neighboring Leon region? If so, what status do they hold here?” She shouldn’t have asked this question, but Kakiya was too surprised by his behavior. Though she knew it was a fact, she still wanted to hear how he determined the status of these runaway slaves.

Evasively avoiding direct eye contact, Komer also knew that almost everyone who had been to the Caucasus wanted an accurate answer to this question. After all, such a large number of half-orcs couldn’t possibly be locals. The surrounding areas were either barbarian territories or vast swamps and the Sea of Darkness—so they must have come from Leon in the north. Leon’s chaotic situation seemed to provide the Caucasus with ample and cheap labor, all pointing to those runaway or out-of-control slaves from Leon.

“Hehe, it seems Princess is very interested in this question. But you’re not the only one who cares about it. I won’t hide it from you—yes, indeed, quite a number of runaway half-orc slaves have come to the Caucasus. Since they can’t even get their lives protected among ordinary people, who cares about what status these half-orc slaves hold? They probably think this place is a barbaric world! Hahaha! As for Homer, the relationship between the Caucasus and them has long been like this. If they want to investigate this matter, they can wait until they’ve dealt with the rebellion in Leon before coming to argue with me.”

Kagiyaa wasn’t surprised by Komer’s boldness; she had long seen the rebellious streak that occasionally surfaced beneath his polite demeanor. The Caucasus was in a remote location with poor road access, making it extremely risky not only to hold him accountable but even to travel there. In the eyes of those timid nobles in Jazair, aside from the kingdom’s sovereignty over that land in a geographical sense, they probably didn’t even want to glance at it on a map. Moreover, his words made it clear he wasn’t afraid of Homer pursuing him over this matter. After all, with the kingdom’s situation currently chaotic and Homer unable to even resolve a minor riot in Leon, pursuing charges against the Caucasus for illegally harboring runaway slaves seemed rather far-fetched.

Seeing him bring up this issue, Kagiyaa took the opportunity to bring up her own topic: “It seems from what Lord Baron says that Homer is already powerless to deal with the situation in Leon?”

“No, no, Princess Kagiyaa. It seems you’re misinterpreting my meaning. Do you really think Leon can survive on its own? It’s obvious—without producing food or other necessities, and without external support, it would collapse even without Homer’s army suppressing it. As for why those mobs in Leon were able to win in the early stages, both you and I are well aware of the reasons, so there’s no need for me to elaborate. If the Homerians really wanted to conquer Leon, it would be easy. It’s just that for various reasons, Philip can’t focus or devote enough attention to this matter. But it’s only a matter of time—I believe the situation in Leon will change soon.”

A thought struck Kagiyaa as she grasped the meaning hidden in the words of this seemingly calm Lord Baron. The situation in Leon was irreversible; it couldn’t continue as it was. Yet, there was still room for change in the direction it would take.

“My Lord Baron, what do you think can ensure that Leon maintains a situation that safeguards the interests of the kingdom and the Caucasus?” Kakiya knew that to prevent Leon from falling back into the hands of the Homers, this man was the key. The fact that Homer’s massive army had been defeated by Leon despite initially winning shocked the entire kingdom. The regular army, along with its magicians, had been defeated by a group of untrained slaves—yet even these half-orc slaves were fierce enough to draw attention. However, the truth couldn’t be hidden for long. Just as everyone suspected interference from the kingdom’s central authorities, the key figures there knew that the credit for this victory mainly went to that obscure Caucasian lord. The kingdom had only provided some food and logistical support. But truly defeating Homer’s regular army, which was no less formidable than the kingdom’s own army, couldn’t be achieved merely through food and supplies.