Chapter Seventeen: Everything Falls into Place
Though he had been mentally prepared, facing the straightforward words of the blunt half-orc, Komer still felt a bit ashamed. Weren’t his own tactics aimed at achieving just this effect? But then he thought again—given Leon’s current situation, if the Caucasus didn’t intervene, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it might turn into a haven for chaos. As the other party had said, it wasn’t easy to get tens of thousands of half-orc slaves who had supposedly been “liberated” to adapt again to a life under management and restraint, let alone to realize the fundamental truth that only labor could earn bread. He too would need to put in considerable effort to achieve this.
“Mr. Dragumo, it seems you’re a bit hasty. Leon belongs to the Kingdom of Nicosia, to Homer, or one could say to Duke Philip, and even to Count Poninsky—after all, the Royal Court has not yet officially stripped Count Poninsky of his noble and lordly status. But it doesn’t belong to you, nor to me. From a legal standpoint, you are still a bunch of rebellious outlaws in this secular society, and you will never be recognized by it. Although your reasons for rising up were understandable, they cannot serve as a legal basis for legitimization. As for those self-proclaimed freed slaves, they too won’t be protected by law, because no lord has accepted them as free people. They lack the legal procedures necessary to become free, so in this secular society, they remain slaves—moreover, rebels who can be killed without any reason or justification. I can understand your feelings. The situation in the Mando region is unstable, and the people need food. We have already agreed to provide some aid first, so there’s no need for you to try to win my favor in this way. I think it’s better for me to manage a relatively stable Caucasus.”
Komer’s words were calm and well-organized. He had learned to perform under any circumstances, a quality seemingly essential for nobles, and Komer found himself particularly gifted in this regard.
“Oh, Baron, I think you’ve misunderstood me. As I said earlier, I can’t represent all the brothers and sisters in Leon, but I can represent those who live in the Mando region now. Perhaps the concepts of law and morality you mentioned are important to you, but they mean nothing to us half-orcs who live at the bottom of society and face death at any moment. If a person’s right to life can be taken away at any time, how can they care about so-called laws and morals? So, I hope the Baron understands that we who live in Mando want Mando to accept your rule. We will regard you as our master just like the people of the Caucasus, obey your commands, and never betray you. I swear on Mars, the God of War, on behalf of my brothers and sisters that as long as you accept us and give us a chance to live.”
The half-orc spoke these words with deep emotion. Komer, who had initially planned to hold out, realized that his skills still weren’t sufficient. At least after hearing those words, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. To be honest, deep down he had already accepted the other party’s proposal—it was all part of his plan.
Yet even so, Komer kept his head lowered in silence for a long time, seemingly considering the various consequences and impacts of this decision. The half-orc watched Komer’s changing expression with nervous concern, fearing he might still refuse.
As Komer slowly raised his neatly combed head, Dragumo’s heart began pounding wildly. When he saw the reluctant yet moved wry smile on Komer’s face, he knew he had finally agreed to his request. His heart could finally rest, and the burden he had carried could finally be set down. This was a tremendous relief for Dragumo. For so long, he hadn’t even been able to sleep peacefully—a truly agonizing experience for a half-orc.
“Mr. Dragumo, it’s truly difficult for me to reject your sincerity. Please forgive my initial rudeness and indifference. I feel ashamed and moved by your efforts to plan things so thoughtfully for your fellow people. Although the Caucasus is also in difficult times now, I have decided to accept your proposal. I can now tell you that I can take temporary charge of Mando’s management, but on one condition: you must help persuade your people. Additionally, your army must obey my and my administrators’ orders just as absolutely as you do. Otherwise, it will be hard to succeed in this task.” Komer nodded slightly, his eyes filled with respect and sincerity. To Dragumo, this only confirmed that he had chosen the right person, and finally, he could relieve himself of this heavy burden.
“My lord, rest assured. I, Dragumo, will wholeheartedly assist you and your administrators in taking over Mando. Please give me any orders you have.”
At this moment, Dragumo immediately transformed from a half-orc warlord to a subordinate of Komer, his attitude becoming even more respectful.
“I’m afraid Mr. Dragumo is also aware that the entire region of Leon relies entirely on imports to meet its needs. Its mineral products are what it uses to exchange for food and other necessities. But now that Bruce is closed, Leon’s mineral products can no longer be exported, leaving the region practically paralyzed. If Mando is to sustain itself, it needs food and various daily necessities from the Caucasus. More importantly, it must get back on its feet—meaning the mines in Mando must resume operations. The road from Muscat to Mando must be expanded and repaired immediately to handle land transportation. All of this requires a large amount of labor. Your brothers and sisters should be able to handle it. They can choose between working in the mines or on the roads, but there will be no more free rides. Of course, I will also have my administrators manage the mines, and the judicial officers will oversee their operation. The living conditions of the miners will be the same as those in the Caucasus’ mines. Under my rule, there will be no mistreatment of miners.”
After hearing this, Dragumo nodded repeatedly. He certainly understood the necessity of restarting the mines. Only by reopening coal and iron ore mines and exporting those resources could they obtain food—something he himself could not do.
“Additionally, Mr. Dragumo, it seems your original army will also need to be reorganized. Three thousand men is too many for Mando; even the entire Caucasus Self-Defense Force plus my guard totals only a thousand. A Mando doesn’t need that many soldiers—quality matters more than quantity. You’ve surely heard this saying before, so I’ve decided to reduce your three thousand soldiers to a thousand. You will be the commander of this group. Well, as for a name, let’s call it the Mando Self-Defense Force for now. I will provide you with the necessary weapons, armor, and uniforms. All soldiers and officers in the Mando Self-Defense Force, including you, will enjoy the same treatment as those in the Caucasus Self-Defense Force and my guard. Perhaps, Mr. Dragumo, you might even become a knight in the future.”
Komer’s last words instantly erased Dragumo’s displeasure over such a large-scale reduction in the army. A knight?! Oh, for a half-orc, especially one who had been a slave with no freedom just half a year ago, this was nothing short of a myth. Dragumo had never imagined he might become a knight—a title reserved for the best among mortals, practically unheard of for half-orcs. Although he didn’t fully understand Komer’s somewhat awkward statement about quality over quantity, he could roughly grasp its meaning. It was clear that the other party didn’t trust the combat strength of his soldiers, which displeased Dragumo. But then, thinking of the magical power possessed by this lord, he found it entirely understandable.
Mando quietly integrated into the Caucasus region without drawing much attention at first. After all, Mando bordered Muscat, and there was frequent trade between the two places. All of Mando’s supplies had to be imported from Muscat. But when Neptune took office as both the assistant administrator of the Caucasus and the chief administrator of the Mando region, it was like a stone thrown into a pool, causing an immediate uproar throughout the Mando region.
Although Dragumo had already communicated the agreement he had reached with Komer to his subordinates and supporters in advance and won the support of most of them—after all, bread was the most important thing, and everything else could wait—he still saw a lot of confusion and misunderstanding when the changes actually happened.
One mine after another resumed operations, and recruitment centers for workers to build roads between Mandh and Muscat appeared everywhere. All this seemed somewhat different from what had been imagined. Meanwhile, notices were posted throughout the Mandh region: the army would no longer provide bread free of charge to everyone; everyone would have to work, either in mining or road construction, and everything would be priced at market rates. Workers would earn wages by working each day, and with those wages they could buy all necessities, including bread, anywhere. For those who had freed themselves from slavery and become free people, wages and salaries were still new concepts. Although they had seen free miners enjoy such treatment in the mines, it was utterly novel for it to happen to them.