Chapter 5: Whose Fault?
“Mr. Karmado, the scenery of the Akmon River truly lives up to its reputation—its clear waters like ribbons, and fertile lands on both banks. No wonder I’ve heard in the north that Sparta might replace Corinth as the leader of the city-state alliance.” Komer smiled slightly. “Patras is developing rapidly. I remember when I visited four years ago, it was far less prosperous than it is now. What could have caused such a sudden boom in Patras?”
Hearing Komer’s question, Karmado was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected a merchant from the north to be interested in such things. But as a Spartan, he was naturally proud of his country’s progress. “Has Mr. Kalladin been to Sparta?”
“Oh, I just passed through Patras by boat and stayed there for only one night. The lime wine at the ‘Old Sailor’ tavern by the port helped me sleep well.”Reeno laughed, his face showing genuine nostalgia that wasn’t feigned.
“Hehe, it seems Mr. Kalladin isn’t very tolerant of alcohol. Lime wine could make you fall asleep? Then perhaps only our Spartan honey wine is suitable for you.” Karmado wore a peculiar expression. Being unable to drink much seemed like an embarrassing topic for any man, but it seemed this merchant from Susor didn’t care about it at all. This made Karmado feel a bit more fond of this straightforward business partner. “When you arrive in Athens, Mr. Kalladin can enjoy our honey wine made from rose honey. It will keep you tipsy all day long, hehehe.”
“Hmm, I’ve been looking forward to such a wonderful experience. I tried Spartan honey wine in Patras four years ago, but that wretched owner, mistaking me for a foreigner, added too much sugar water to it, which disappointed me greatly. This time in Athens, I must savor it properly.” Komer also laughed. After this exchange, the distance between the two seemed to shrink significantly.
“Didn’t Mr. Kalladin just ask why Patras has changed so much in recent years? One of the reasons is related to the Caucasian lord you serve,” Karmado said, bringing the conversation back on track after glancing at him.
“Oh? How so?” Komer asked in surprise.
“Mr. Kaladin, you should be aware that although our region of the Southern Central Seas has always led the continent in forging and smelting techniques, the metal ores produced here are extremely limited—whether it’s iron, silver, or copper, the quantities are small and the quality is poor. Most of the raw materials must be imported from distant northern or inland regions. Due to this constraint, aside from Corinth, which is famous for producing high-grade and special weapons and armor, the forging and manufacturing workshops in other areas, despite maintaining high technical standards, struggle to expand in scale—Patras is no exception.”
“However, things are changing now. Since the Caucasus adopted the new lord you serve under, tremendous changes seem to have taken place there. The Caucasus exports large amounts of iron ore and crude iron to our Southern Central Seas. It appears that the region near the Caucasus is now under his rule as well, and the high-quality anthracite produced there flows continuously to our region. With guaranteed access to ore and fuel, it’s not surprising that the forging industries in these areas have developed. As for Sparta, we have additional advantages—our Pindus region produces certain special minerals, and through special methods, the ironware, especially armor, becomes so highly sought after. I believe Mr. Kaladin is aware of this and is therefore coming here to place orders.”
“Oh? Is that really the reason for Patras’ dramatic changes?” Komer found this reason hard to believe. It seemed incredible that the development of just one industry—forging—could lead to such significant changes in Patras.
“Of course, it’s not just that reason. The prosperity of Patras, as you see it now, is due to various factors. The mineral and fuel exports from the Caucasus to our Southern Central Seas are just one of them. You may have also noticed that the number of dwarfs in Patras has increased significantly since your last visit. That’s another factor.” When mentioning this, Kamado’s expression was indistinguishable between excitement and concern.
“Dwarves? Do dwarves have anything to do with this?” Komer was even more puzzled. In his understanding, dwarves were widespread across the entire Southern Continent, with the two dwarf kingdoms being the most concentrated areas. The largest was the Kingdom of Smyrna, located near the barbarian territories, where it was said that over a third of all dwarves on the continent lived there. The next largest was the Duchy of Sevilo, situated at the base of the Cisonia Peninsula in the south, which was also an important dwarf settlement. Most other dwarves lived scattered in various cities and nations established by other races in the south, and in these nations, other races did not reject dwarves; on the contrary, they welcomed those dwarves with special skills.
“Of course. Over the past year, the number of dwarves in Sparta and other cities and nations in the Southern Central Seas has increased significantly. Many of them are skilled craftsmen and artisans who work in construction, manufacturing, or metal smelting and forging. Our industry, which is expanding its production scale, needs a large number of skilled workers and laborers. That’s why Patra has seen such prosperity.” Kamado’s face showed concern and bitterness.
“Oh? Why has the number of dwarves increased so much? Could it be that their settlements have suffered some disaster?” Komer seemed to have a premonition that the increase in dwarves in these areas might be related to him in some way.
“Mr. Kaladin, the situation in the northern regions near the barbarians has not been peaceful for over a year. The barbarians’ attacks have intensified significantly this year, putting great pressure on surrounding countries and city-states. The Kingdom of Smyrna is hit the hardest. Its northern defenses have been breached several times by the barbarians. If not for timely reinforcements, the situation in Smyrna would have been even worse. Under such circumstances, many dwarves from Smyrna’s north have migrated to other areas to avoid the war. Naturally, our Southern Central Seas region is their preferred destination.”
Kamado felt both joy and concern about these dwarves’ migration. The influx of dwarves to the south brought a large number of skilled laborers to his family’s workshops, eliminating the worry about labor shortages as they expanded production. Meanwhile, the intensifying wars in the north increased the demand for armor and weapons, which should be good news for all merchants who produced such items.
But the threat of the barbarians has always been a nightmare for the various races in the south. No one dares to imagine what would happen if these barbarian tribes, rumored to be capable of devouring human flesh raw, broke through the defenses and invaded the inland areas. The defenses surrounding the Cordillera Wasteland had always been quite solid, and the barbarians’ countless attacks over the centuries never succeeded. Even when they occasionally managed to make inroads, the surrounding nations would quickly seal off those gaps, trapping the barbarians within that ever-shifting encirclement. Once their supplies ran out, they had no choice but to retreat to the Cordillera Wasteland in frustration.
However, the changes in the northern situation this year seem to deviate from past patterns. The barbarians’ attacks have become increasingly fierce, yet supply issues don’t seem to affect them much. The surrounding nations clearly aren’t fully prepared for this situation. When Kamado was transporting armor and weapons to the northern front, he realized the severity of the situation. The barbarians seem to be far better prepared this time than ever before, especially regarding their long-standing supply problems—they appear to have stockpiled large amounts of food and supplies. Under normal circumstances, such prolonged and intense battles would have forced the barbarians to retreat by now, but this time they still seem to have enough strength, forcing the surrounding nations to engage in fierce battles against them.
“Those damned barbarians—no one knows why they suddenly became so fierce and difficult to deal with. Their attacks have lasted three months now, and they show no sign of retreating. Three cities and fortresses along the northern border of the Kingdom of Smyrna have been destroyed in the wars, and the northern part of the Kingdom of Iberia further west has also suffered severe devastation at the hands of the barbarians. If it weren’t for Ephesus and Pylgos providing them with substantial financial support to equip their reserve forces quickly for battle, I think the Kingdom of Iberia might have been completely destroyed.”
Sighing deeply, Kamado appeared disheartened. “This Olympic festival isn’t just a simple competition. Both the Kingdom of Iberia and the Kingdom of Smyrna will send special envoys to attend. Representatives from all the member states of the Corinthian City-States Alliance will discuss this matter together with those other countries. I sense the shadow of war in the air.”
Seeing Karmado’s gloomy expression, Komer finally understood that the pressure exerted by the barbarians on these southern countries and cities was no less than that exerted by the orcs on the nations of the Northern Alliance. Both the Kingdom of Iberia and the Kingdom of Smyrna were flatlands, fertile and rich, producing the food the barbarians needed most urgently. It was no wonder the barbarians showed little interest in the poor-quality soil of the Caucasus; even if they captured it, it would hold little value for them. The same was true for Leon. It was just that Komer had not expected that the immense pressure the south was facing this time might very well be caused by him.