Chapter 9: Conquest

Sathima, the dragon woman, suddenly but naturally became what could be called a consultant to Komer. In fact, even the name Sathima was one Komer had given her on the spot without consulting her at all. When Sathima asked what special meaning the name had, Komer was at a loss for words; he didn’t know what Sathima meant either. He only vaguely remembered from Kenifer III’s memories that Sathima was a promiscuous female monster. Of course, he couldn’t tell her this and could only mumble that Sathima was a very beautiful and unique creature from the Land of Mang. Naturally, Sathima didn’t realize his ulterior motives and happily thanked Komer for choosing the name for her.

The gloomy atmosphere in Fort Damorlensk certainly didn’t escape Sathima, but for an ice dragon, it was undoubtedly the best place for healing. Declining the kind offer to live near Lome, Sathima chose a room on the lowest floor directly facing the Eye of Darkness, so that she could absorb as much dark energy as possible to nourish her body.

For the first time, Sathima felt that staying here was the best decision possible—free food, no need to struggle in the wild, time to practice and heal at night, and time to stroll around during the day, chatting with a few humorous male companions and discussing the mysteries of human martial arts and magic from the dragon race’s perspective. This life was far more fulfilling and enjoyable than her previous freedom in the Cordillera Wasteland or her leisure in the Great Swamp. Due to Komer’s “favor,” Sathima gradually developed a favorable impression of this seemingly cold lord.

Sometimes, Sathima felt guilty for staying here so long. The young noble lord seemed to have no restrictions or demands on her. With its excellent healing environment, delicious food, and pleasant living conditions, Sathima even began to grow fond of this life. Although she knew she couldn’t stay here forever, she still hoped to do something within her power for him. Right now, the young lord seemed extremely busy; he was hardly ever seen. The last time she saw him was the day before yesterday. She had no idea what he was busy with.

Komer was indeed quite busy; Mando was on track, but the addition of the other three regions in Leon to his jurisdiction suddenly filled the entire lord’s palace with work. As agreed, Izmel, Murey, and Barnasha each received authorization to form a hundred self-defense troops, with these soldiers selected from the existing mob forces—a process so rigorous that even Fran and Ilot, who served as examiners, found it overly strict. Yet the half-orcs were still eager, as this was their only chance to don magnificent armor and become great self-defense warriors. Tens of thousands of half-orcs flocked to each registration site, yet there were only a hundred spots available per site, leaving many disappointed.

It was only under the strong insistence of Fran and Ilot that Komer reluctantly agreed to increase the quota by three hundred, one hundred for each region. Even so, the competition was fiercer than anything Fran had seen before, even surpassing that in the selection of royal guards in the Melen Kingdom.

Progress on developing the coal and iron mines in these three regions remained slow. Although continuous food supplies and the presence of the Caucasus Self-Defense Forces patrolling the area quickly stabilized the situation, figuring out how to exploit the abundant coal and iron resources posed a significant challenge for Komer. Puber and Kafli had already set off for Jazair. Without written approval from the kingdom, no one dared to invest money recklessly in this bottomless pit.

The funds of the Caucasus merchants had been exhausted by the auctions of the mines in Mando. To successfully sell the mines in the remaining three regions and raise funds, they would have to rely on sources outside the Caucasus, especially from Luxembourg and Jazair. However, before formal recognition was granted, Leon’s status was not yet confirmed officially. By convention, this territory should revert to its original grantor, namely Duke Philip of Homer.

Poninsky has been officially stripped of his noble status, and it remains unknown what will become of this territory. Homer has submitted a request to the Kingdom’s Chancery to reconfirm Leon’s ownership, but the Chancery has not yet issued a ruling, which gives Komer an opportunity. At least his letters to Kakiya, Hoffman, and Duke Tez have had some effect, though it’s clear that’s not enough. As for what Puber and Kafli’s involvement will bring to the Caucasus, Komer isn’t entirely sure. He has authorized Puber to use any means necessary to seize control of Leon’s territory at all costs, aiming to make Leon and the Caucasus direct fiefs of the kingdom.

After Puber left, Komer had to temporarily take on the role of administrator. He wasn’t skilled in these matters, but Eve, who was asked to help Komer handle daily affairs, gradually showed talent in this area. Though not as experienced as Puber, the fact that a young girl could do so well already satisfied Komer greatly.

Eve has gradually adapted to life in the Caucasus. Although the grotesque faces of the half-orcs and the violent behavior of the barbarians made them uneasy at first, they soon realized that these races, considered barbarians by humans, were often much simpler and more honest. Seeing the priests and ministers of the Light Church tirelessly preaching about the greatness of the Light God among these races, along with the idols and temples built by various tribes in the streets of Ugru, and even some mysterious missionaries lurking in the shadows, Eve and her group felt as if they were in a bustling city in the southern part of the continent.

In fact, this place wasn’t much different from those southern cities, even with a similar climate. The racial diversity here was even greater than in some southern cities. At least it was probably the first time in this continent that barbarians could openly work and make a living on the land of the Caucasus.

Xavier, Bayezid, and Briarnos all took on the role of instructors for Komer’s self-defense forces in their free time. It wasn’t for any particular reason; they simply felt that teaching was a way to prove their abilities, and training those dull-headed guys into warriors ready for battle was a remarkable achievement in itself.