Chapter 3: Irresistible Force
Komer did not stay in Livonia any longer. He chose to leave the Zek Valley and return to the Caucasus. After agreeing to resolve the kingdom’s issues within two months, Komer needed time to prepare for bringing the Kingdom of Nicomedia into the Kagiya era. Whether in Livonia or Brus, once the issue of the kingdom’s heir was settled, many matters would come to light.
The Freemasons, backed fully by Komer, were already becoming active, especially in the southwest region. Through Komer’s efforts, Kagiya quickly realized the role the Freemasons could play in future power struggles, particularly in confrontations with the Church of Light. Their influence was crucial, serving as a trump card in Kagiya’s hands. It was only natural that the two sides reached an agreement.
Komer was also pleased with this development. In fact, he urgently needed a force capable of containing the Church of Light, which would enhance his own influence. Once the Freemasons established a firm foothold in the southwest, it meant the Church of Light would have to focus its main efforts on them in Nicomedia—a clear advantage for Komer.
He knew that, in a sense, he had become the key factor determining success or failure. The intervention of the four great lords could change the current situation, but they didn’t want to get involved. Like Komer, they understood that whether Hoffman or Kagiya won the throne struggle, the Kingdom of Nicomedia would no longer be the powerful kingdom it once was, capable of shaping the entire Northern Alliance. After being ravaged by the orcs and torn apart by disputes over succession, coupled with the instigation of the separatist great lords, its authority had long since vanished. At most, it remained a symbolic honor. Especially now that Jazair had become the new capital of the Bimon Kingdom, this honor seemed even more dim and burdensome. They could simply watch this drama reach its climax before concluding the era of post-Nicomedia kingdom according to their own interests.
Hoffman’s arrival now was somewhat too late. Moreover, supporting an heir backed by powerful nobles didn’t serve the interests of the Caucasus. Komer knew he was dismissed by those nobles, and it was in his best interest to ally with them to create a nominally unified but actually fragmented and weak Kingdom of Nicomedia.
However, Lenta’s arrival piqued Komer’s interest. This princess of noble bloodline was now being used by Hoffman as a bargaining chip, though it was clear she herself had no idea the role she played in this deal—quite interesting indeed. Komer had no interest in marrying such a woman, but as Kakiya said, it would be good to use her as a trophy and toy with her. The thought that two female heirs from the great and noble Romanov family might end up beneath him, moaning in pleasure, filled Komer with a sense of glory and pride. Before leaving Livonia, Komer didn’t forget to extort some money from these southwestern merchants. With the momentum generated by the half-orc army, it was much easier to get this money, which made Komer more aware of the wealth in the southwestern region. The merchants there longed for a peaceful and stable environment. Thanks to their abundant resources and favorable geography, the commercial atmosphere in this region far surpassed that of the kingdom’s eastern and northern areas—whether it was Hesse, Pomerania, or Livonia. The level of prosperity among the people there surprised Komer. Thinking about why Kakiya had chosen the southwestern region as her base of operations, he even admired the vision of this descendant of the humble Romanov dynasty. Komer kept Ilot behind, along with Dragumo, to lead this army composed mainly of half-orcs along with five hundred half-elf archers. Given Livonia’s growing importance in his future territory, Komer gritted his teeth and pulled another thousand soldiers from the Caucasus, including five hundred half-elf archers. This caused serious concern among Fran. The total number of troops in the entire Greater Caucasus region had been reduced to just two thousand, of which one thousand five hundred were stationed at Fortress Bruce. With only five hundred patrol troops across the vast lands of Leon and the Caucasus, it was impossible to handle any potential emergencies. To deal with Hoffman’s desperate moves, Komer also had to keep Mihajic, Newman, and Uma in the Zuck Valley to prevent the court mages from breaking their promise and intervening. Even Komer realized that his territory was riddled with weaknesses; the slightest disturbance could lead to chaos on all sides.
The ship slowly left the dock by Lake Nisi and drifted downstream. It wasn’t the first time Komer had taken this route back to Fortress Bruce, but every time he passed through the Little Greenland Forest, it brought him a sense of novelty—various unknown shrubs surrounded by dense vines that hung thickly from the ancient trees on both banks of the river, so thick that even the scorching midday sun couldn’t penetrate them. Perhaps only on the wide expanse of the Nisi River could one feel a hint of warmth from the sun; otherwise, there was only a gloomy chill.
The Nisi River originated from Lake Nisi, which itself was formed by numerous springs beneath the ground. The many tributaries along the banks of the Nisi River kept its water volume high and its width increasing. The vines and plants along the banks had been cleared by the Caucasus region to make the river channel smoother. Yet, the sight of dozens of kilometers of the river channel devoid of people made Komer feel it was a great pity. This was a golden waterway comparable to the Catania River route, provided it could be developed.
This river channel could connect the interior of the Kingdom of Nicosia with the Caucasus. The only obstacle was the large number of magical beasts by Lake Nisi. Komer didn’t want to destroy the natural environment here; in fact, he liked its tranquility. But if it prevented him from expanding his influence into the southwest, then there was no choice.
Although he didn’t take a detour around Lake Nisi like the army did, the magical beasts living there still broadened his horizons. The variety of magical beasts here was extremely rich—both in number and quality, far surpassing those in the Great Greenland Forest. Driving these beasts away wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible either.
Thinking that building a dock on Lake Nisi could save thirty kilometers of land travel through the dense forest, Komer felt it was worth the risk or even a greater cost.
The three-masted sailing ship glided smoothly on the water. Even large magical beasts in the water were unlikely to challenge such a large ship used for transporting soldiers. The 40-meter-long ship could only navigate safely in a river with sufficient water flow like the Nisi River—this was also the main reason Komer was eager to open up this route.
The abundant water here allows various goods from the Caucasus and Leon to be continuously brought into the heart of the kingdom. If a port could be built along the elongated Lake Nysa, it would actually only be thirty kilometers by land to reach the Zek Valley. If conditions permitted, Komer even wanted to dig an artificial canal directly from Lake Nysa to the Zek Valley. The low-lying terrain of the Zek Valley was highly favorable for digging canals. Moreover, after completing the canal from Matdan to Lake Nirel, the barbarians also needed more jobs to satisfy their labor demands.
In fact, Komer found himself increasingly, consciously or unconsciously, including the barbarian labor force from the Cordillera Wasteland among his own people. Without the growing influx of barbarian laborers to the Caucasus, the half-orcs would not feel the pressure of work. In reality, the barbarians worked harder and with greater discipline than the half-orcs. It was the arrival of the barbarians that filled the labor market in the Caucasus with competition. Aside from the half-orcs still having an advantage in mines due to their skill, the barbarians were gradually taking over the job positions that had previously been dominated by the half-orcs in canal construction. This was probably the result of racial integration, bringing vitality and energy to this remote region of the Caucasus.
The barbarians—what a remarkable race. Komer’s thoughts unconsciously drifted to them. The situation in Flanders seemed even more favorable than in the Caucasus. Neptune had fully grown into an excellent administrator. At least in Komer’s eyes, this young man could almost keenly sense his intentions and adjust his strategies accordingly. Following the example of the Tiga tribe, the barbarians living near Flanders also began to appear on the borders of Flanders’ territory. But this time, they did not appear as invaders; instead, they showed up before Flanders’ merchants as traders.
The various specialties from the Cordillera Wasteland, especially precious metals and magic crystals, made all the Flanders merchants gasp in awe. What they needed, however, were the most ordinary goods in human society—grain, salt, and cloth. Of course, for merchants, such trades still required approval from the lord’s court. For the barbarians’ trade, everything was considered a strategic resource.
Another Caucasus has emerged, only this one is the Caucasus of the Iberian Kingdom. If small-scale smuggling is not channelled through proper means, it will quickly turn into a widespread problem, requiring a sound strategy to address it. Neptune requests the formation of a guard in Flanders to strengthen patrols along the borders, and also asks Comer for clear policy guidance.