Chapter 7: Joining Forces

After understanding Puber and Fran’s intentions and thoughts, Komer accepted their advice without much hesitation. Rather than struggling to cope in such a difficult situation, it was better to take some risks and quickly strengthen his own power.
The growing strength of the Salvation Society also startled Komer somewhat. Especially Welch’s capabilities made him realize just how important it was to strengthen his own strength. Could it be that the Salvation Society valued him so much precisely because he controlled the half-orcs?
Now, these small barbarian tribes also hoped to become his subjects. Although they would face immense pressure from the mortal world, thinking back, he had been subjected to hostile and scornful looks ever since arriving in the Caucasus—assassinations, interference, blockades, armed invasions—wave after wave of attacks that never ceased. Yet he had managed to survive all of it. Bringing in these barbarian tribes would only mean adding more enemies, and with his current situation, what did a little more pressure matter? Especially now, with the Kingdom of Nicomedia in chaos, it was a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the turmoil to avoid more attention.
Komer listened with interest as the three representatives poured out their complaints and requests. Undoubtedly, the guy sitting in the middle was the core figure among them. The other two, though fairly eloquent for barbarians, lacked anything notable compared to the youngest one in the middle. Apart from constant complaints and pleas, they had nothing worth considering.
With a smiling face and frequent nods, occasionally interjecting a word or two to show understanding, the three initially reserved barbarian representatives gradually relaxed. Komer could tell that at least in terms of eloquence, they were likely the most capable people among these small barbarian tribes. And the guy in the middle seemed to hold a certain status among them as well.
“Heinem, I’ve heard all of your opinions and requests. To be honest, I don’t think my judges have been unfair or biased in handling disputes between the mountain people and the half-orcs up to now. If there has been any bias, it’s within the bounds of what’s normal and allowed by law. You must understand that the half-orcs are also the masters of this land—they are full citizens with all civil rights, while you are outsiders, to be precise, temporary residents here in the Caucasus, seeking a living temporarily. I wonder if my description is accurate?”

Glancing at the three people with a hint of resignation, Komer knew they acknowledged the validity of his arguments, so he continued to use his eloquent speech. “No matter which regime it is, what must be defended first is the foundation upon which it was built. It’s already quite difficult to handle disputes between outsiders and local citizens from a relatively fair perspective. I believe my judges can do this, and from the issues you’ve raised, I don’t see any violation of the laws of the Kingdom of Nicosia.”

The three exchanged glances. The young man with curly hair, after receiving affirming looks from his companions, mustered the courage to speak up: “My lord, as far as I know, those half-orcs were in just as low a position before you arrived in the Caucasus, or before you ruled over the entire Greater Caucasus. In your mortal world’s hierarchy, they are considered slaves, with no rights at all, no different from beasts. They are even worse off than us outsiders. Now, by suddenly elevating them to such a status, isn’t it too unfair to us mountain people who are also striving to contribute to the prosperity of your realm?”

“Hehe, Haimeim, if you insist on arguing over the status of the half-orcs, I think there’s no need to discuss it. There’s only one reason: they are official citizens of the Greater Caucasus, while you are not. That’s simple! It’s already remarkable that the judges can strive to be impartial. If you have any further unreasonable demands, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Or perhaps you can choose to leave.”

“As for why the half-orcs were able to turn their fortunes around, I think you know the reason—because they submitted to me, willing to serve as my subjects and fulfill all their obligations. And they have indeed proven their promises through action. Leon and Bruce’s fortress, where we are sitting now, became part of the Greater Caucasus thanks to them! Since they did this, it’s only right that I fulfill my promises as well!” Komer’s tone suddenly became louder.

His sharp gaze swept over the faces of the three barbarian representatives, sending a chill through them, including Haimeim. This mortal lord, secretly regarded by many barbarians as a savior of mortals, possessed such authority. That cold look made all three of them instinctively feel as if their bodies were submerged in icy spring water, cold from head to toe.

Struggling to regulate his breathing, Heim finally realized that the formidable presence of this legendary mortal lord was by no means something that could be achieved through simple cultivation. Compared to those so-called strong knights among mortals, this man’s skill level was far beyond theirs—just a glance from him was enough to penetrate deep into Heim’s soul, causing his entire body to tremble.

Komer was also somewhat surprised by this young representative of the barbarians. While the other two barbarian representatives were trembling with fear, his face was pale, though his slightly bent posture clearly showed him trying to resist the pressure of his own powerful aura. His tightly clenched lips revealed a determined expression. It seemed this guy had received special warrior training and possessed considerable strength.

With a gentle inhale, Komer reined in the “intimidation” in his mental magic. As his mental power grew, so did his understanding of mental magic. The various variants he developed had become his favorite form of training. Suddenly unleashing mental magic in a confrontation could often yield unimaginable results. Komer was already looking forward to facing those guys from the Inquisition again and letting them experience the power he had gained after rising from the ashes.

Feeling as though heavy burdens had been lifted from his body, Heim could now breathe smoothly. Without any hesitation left, he had finally obtained the conditions after discussing things with his companions.

“Lord, my companions and I would like to make a request to you. We ask that you allow some of us mountain people to settle in the Greater Caucasus. If half-orcs can do it, so can we. We can submit ourselves and fulfill the obligations expected of your subjects. At the same time, we hope to gain citizenship in the Greater Caucasus and enjoy all the rights that come with it.”

Heinem and the other two representatives fixed their gazes on Komer’s thoughtful face. Making such a plea was already the greatest sign of sincerity for the proud mountain people, but now, faced with his calm and even composed demeanor, Heinem felt a sense of insecurity. What if he refused? Heinem had never thought about it—it was unimaginable. It was already hard to believe that the arrogant mountain people would submit to an ordinary person, let alone refuse such loyalty. Yet he already had a hunch that his heartfelt pledge of loyalty hadn’t stirred much interest in him; this act of allegiance wasn’t going as smoothly as he had hoped.

“Heinem, can you truly represent the opinions of all the mountain people?” Komer asked back without giving a definite answer, showing no immediate interest.

“No, my lord. As you know, we do not belong to the Sanja tribe. We are just small tribes living in the depths of the Cordillera Wasteland. We paid a certain price to obtain the Sanja tribe’s identification and come to the Caucasus. Your licensing system has completely kept us, the mountain people of these small tribes, out of the Caucasus.”

“Heinem, if you’re just complaining about this issue, I can resolve it for you right away,” Komer interjected.

“No, no, my lord. You misunderstand me. We need more than just convenience—we need citizenship in the Caucasus,” Heinem said, his eyes burning with passion.

“Heinem, I can roughly understand your thoughts now, but have you considered the Sanja tribe’s attitude?” Komer placed his hand under his chin and blinked.

After a moment of silence, the young barbarian raised his gaze and said firmly, “The Sanja tribe surely won’t be happy to see this situation. They might even bring up various rules from the Mountain People’s Alliance to punish us. But we’re not part of the Mountain People’s Alliance. Or rather, their thirteen tribes have never treated us as one of them. We can make our own choices!”

“Is it that simple?” Komer nodded and asked again.

“Uh, my lord, I don’t want to hide anything. Your influence in the Cordillera Wasteland is unmatched, even far surpassing that of the Karo tribe leader Wuguli. If you could exert pressure on the Sanjia tribe, I think things would become much easier.” Hainem became cautious at this point; this was the crux of the issue. Without Komer’s intervention, these smaller tribes simply couldn’t break free from the Sanjia tribe’s control, especially after using the Sanjia tribe’s identification to enter the Caucasus.