Chapter Twelve: A Precious Asset

Some arrogant laughter sounded particularly grating in Kakiya’s ears. The other party clearly intended to provoke her, but they seemed to have forgotten who they were dealing with—such petty tactics were hardly worth mentioning. Yet Kakiya had to admit that their words had indeed touched upon the kingdom’s sore spots. She had no idea what would happen if her father heard them. But since she was facing someone who was known for his calmness, Komer’s plans might not work as well.

“Lord Baron, the kingdom is not a small fiefdom. It has to consider many issues across various aspects, and things cannot be as casual as you might think. Yes, relations between Homer and the kingdom’s center are tense, and the kingdom does indeed need to address this issue, but it certainly isn’t as simple as you imagine. We need your help, and the kingdom will not skimp on anything for its loyal subjects. However, your proposal to make the Caucasus a direct territory of the kingdom could easily become an excuse for Homer to attack us. So I cannot agree to that at the moment. Everything needs to wait until I return and report this situation to Lord Tez and Marshal Matthew. They, along with my father, will make the decision. But although this issue cannot be resolved right away, we can certainly discuss other substantive matters in detail. I believe we will find more common ground in those areas.” Kakiya finally shifted the conversation to substantive negotiations. While the other party’s exorbitant demands needed consideration, even if the kingdom agreed to them, it would take time to implement them. Right now, it was more important to discuss more practical and realistic issues.

“Well, it seems Princess Kakiya does not have full authority from the kingdom. Perhaps I was too hasty. But the princess is right—we can reach more agreements on substantive issues.” Komer also understood that such things couldn’t be accomplished overnight. Gaining the other party’s psychological acceptance was already a significant victory. At least Kakiya no longer dismissed his demands as unrealistic fantasies—that was enough. As for the kingdom, she believed that both Tez and Matthew could see further ahead and make wise decisions.

Negotiating with smart people is always the easiest. Once both sides’ bottom lines are clear, the second round of negotiations goes much more smoothly. The Kingdom promised to continue providing full support to the Caucasus in terms of food as before. Although Odessa was in Homer’s hands, as long as Homer and the Kingdom hadn’t completely broken off relations, Philip would likely not dare to interfere with ships that had permits issued by the Kingdom’s internal affairs department. Komer even suspected that the Kingdom wanted to use this to force Homer into chaos and provoke a conflict, so as to have a legitimate reason to deal with Homer. But would Philip fall for this trick?

Of course, the Caucasus would do its utmost to help Leon’s rebel forces maintain the status quo. It would be best to build a floating bridge across the Nise River to the north bank, allowing Leon’s rebels to directly threaten the north bank. Only in this way could Leon’s rebel forces be fully utilized to hold back Homer’s forces. On this point, Komer and Kakiya were surprisingly agreeable. The Kingdom wanted Homer to be held back by Leon, while Komer hoped that Leon’s massive rebel forces would cross the Nise River and spread northward. Such a powerful threat, if left in Leon, would remain a danger. When supplies couldn’t meet their needs, they would lose control, and even Komer wouldn’t be able to manage them. The only solution was to divert this threat northward, letting Homer’s forces and Leon’s rebels wear each other down.

The negotiations ended neatly, and Kakiya immediately reverted to the elegant and composed woman she used to be in Versailles. Beautiful and charming women always hold an advantage in men’s hearts—perhaps men subconsciously refuse to admit it, but it’s true. Komer never tried to hide his affection for Kakiya, and she seemed to appreciate it as well. In her view, this affection could be a good start for her to gain support from various parties, especially since the Caucasus would play an increasingly important role in future changes in the Kingdom’s situation. Kakiya didn’t dare hope to turn the Caucasus into a bargaining chip for herself, but at the very least, she wanted it to side with her in potential future conflicts and advocate for her. If that could be achieved, as a noble from another region, it would already be tremendous support.

Komer was also trying to figure out the other party’s intentions. It seemed the kingdom was overly interested in the details of Homer’s disastrous defeat in the battle against Leon. Clearly, they didn’t believe that Leon’s mobs and slaves could defeat Homer’s regular army, not even with the support of the Caucasus. The mystery behind this was exactly what they wanted to understand. Komer didn’t want to reveal his own strength. Although Kakiya was aware of the magical powers backing her, Komer deliberately ignored the intentions she expressed in her words. It wasn’t the right time to meet with Rebri and the others—Komer didn’t want them to know too much. Maintaining an appropriate level of mystery would give him an advantage in future negotiations.

Still, Komer agreed to Kakiya’s request to inspect the training of the Caucasus lords’ guard and self-defense forces. The army composed of mortals, half-orcs, and half-elves made Kakiya frown deeply. Clearly, like other noble lords from other kingdoms, she held significant prejudices against non-human races. “Those who are not of our kind must have ulterior motives”—this had always been the unwavering creed of mortal nobles. But this belief was overturned in the Caucasus. Perhaps because mortals made up a small proportion of the Caucasus’ indigenous population, the region adopted policies different from those elsewhere from the start.

However, the performance of the two mortal knight instructors piqued Kakiya’s interest greatly. Sorenberg and Vladkov, who had concealed their dark aura, performed in a fairly standard manner, leaving Kakiya puzzled as to why two nobles with such good manners and exceptional martial skills would choose to serve a minor baron in such a remote place. Even though the Caucasus had bright prospects for development, given their abilities, they could have found more promising opportunities in places like Gutenberg, Cyprus, or even Jazair. Yet these two noble knights seemed quite satisfied with their current lives, showing no signs of feeling underutilized or unrecognized. Apart from suspecting some secret connection between Komer and them, Kakiya couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Watching the sails gradually disappear, Komer’s expression grew darker. Kakiya had left. Before departing, she finally revealed her second purpose. Though veiled and subtle, Komer, who was quite sensitive to such things, quickly grasped her intentions. It could be said that they reached an immediate agreement.

Hoffman’s attitude toward the Caucasus was one of exploitation; though he appeared to value himself highly on the surface, his arrogance and contempt always showed through inadvertently. For Komer, who had experienced this before, it was all too sensitive. Being exploited and betrayed had left deep wounds in Komer, and he swore never to be betrayed or exploited again unless he chose to do so voluntarily. The last time he had done so was also out of his own will, but he felt it was worth it—at least it made him realize how hollow and powerless so-called love or eternity seemed under the influence of worldly forces, almost insignificant. The fact that Kakiya could clearly state her terms of exchange meant she already saw him as a partner with whom interests could be exchanged. Komer liked this sense of equality, especially the feeling of standing alongside the strong. Kakiya might not seem strong, but in reality, her political influence in Jazair and even throughout the kingdom ranked among the top three, even among the heirs to the throne. This was something Palermo accidentally revealed to Komer after a few drinks. After all, the fact that a daughter of a commoner from another land could become the third in line to the throne said a lot.

Kakiya explicitly hoped that Komer would support her in any future struggles for the throne. She also made it clear that under normal circumstances she didn’t need support from the Caucasus, but in case of emergencies, the Caucasus needed to clearly express its views and opinions, and possibly provide other forms of assistance. These emergencies included several scenarios: the first and most likely scenario was when all parties were evenly matched in their bid to become the first heir, in which case the Caucasus only needed to state its position. The second possibility was less likely but more dangerous—if one party tried to seize the right to inherit the throne through illegal means, then support from all sides might be needed, including force.

In return, Kakiya promised to help Komer secure the Caucasus as a direct territory of the kingdom and make him a direct vassal of the king, while using various means to defend Komer’s actions in the Caucasus and Leon. In other words, she would indirectly support Komer in acting as he saw fit in both regions. This carried great potential for manipulation. Although Kakiya couldn’t represent the views of the kingdom’s central authorities, she could undoubtedly serve as her own voice in Jazair.

It must be said that Kakiya’s visit this time was perfect in every regard, but unexpectedly, an offhand remark she made before leaving nearly sent Komer into disaster—the fanatics from the Church of Light’s Inquisition seem to have taken an interest in the Caucasus!