Chapter Seventeen: Disintegration

Facing Komer’s grandiose claims, the merchants showed polite respect, but a few empty words were not enough to make the Odessa merchants submit. Komer’s words made it clear that Odessa would still serve as Homer’s main source of revenue, and its commercial taxes were likely to increase further. This was not surprising—after this great war, with Homer now on the run from Philip, it would surely require substantial funds. It was difficult for Odessa to escape its fate of exploitation, and the merchants had long been aware of this. They were mentally prepared for it and were now focused on another goal: how to expand Odessa’s commercial prosperity.

Since a reduction in tax rates was not possible, the only option was to increase the volume of trade in Odessa itself. This was a win-win solution—provided Odessa could truly become what Komer described: a trade hub in the canal region, a jewel in the Abyssal Sea and the Midland Ocean areas, and the main trading gateway between the Vast Continent and the southern coasts of the Midland Ocean in Nicomedia. Then, lower tax rates would become less important. This required tangible actions, precisely, concrete measures to achieve and promote this goal—something the merchants needed.

Seeing the hope behind the politeness in the merchants’ eyes, Komer had to admit that they were far more practical and direct than those nobles. His words could not deceive them; he needed to give them a clear answer. Without tangible actions, these merchants might see him as just another empty-mouthed Philip.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you are well aware, Leon under my rule has now far surpassed its development under Poninsky’s rule. The high-quality anthracite, iron ore, and crude iron produced in Leon now dominate the demand from Nicosia to the colonies in the Southern Central Ocean and the Vast Continent. However, in the interior of the kingdom, due to the poor relations between the Caucasus and Homer in the past, Leon’s coal and iron have not been able to reach those areas. Regions like Calais, Gothenburg, and Hesse still rely on inferior and expensive coal and iron from Silesia and Poznan. But what are Leon, the Caucasus, and even the Cordillera Wasteland in greatest need of? Food! And where in the kingdom is the highest quality and largest production of food? The Bosen Plain. And what is the gateway to the Bosen Plain? Odessa! Now that the Caucasus and Homer have truly merged, all obstacles to meeting these mutual needs have vanished. So, merchants of Odessa, what are you still waiting for?”

Komer’s highly inflammatory words instantly ignited the merchants’ enthusiasm. Indeed, Odessa, with its natural advantages, has always been the Caucasus’s biggest supplier of food. But during Philip’s reign, political considerations caused Odessa to miss out on the perfect opportunity to become the main gateway for food supplies to the Caucasus. That’s why the Catania Canal was built. Now, not only can Odessa immediately become the largest supplier to meet the massive needs of the Caucasus and Leon, but the lord has also hinted that the barbarians in the Cordillera Wasteland could be potential customers as well. This was nothing short of a dream come true for the merchants.

Think about it—hundreds of thousands of barbarians across the Cordillera Wasteland require at least twice as much food as an equal number of ordinary people. With such a huge demand, who else but the Bosen Plain can meet it? And to bring the various products from the Cordillera Wasteland into the interior of the kingdom, through what route? Of course, it’s still Odessa! The upper reaches of the Catania River can also do this, but only after meeting the demands of Odessa’s merchants first, because Odessa is now the trade hub of the entire Greater Homer region—this was clearly stated by the lord just now!

Komer could clearly sense the pounding hearts of the merchants, and even hear them swallowing their saliva and licking their lips. By offering such a huge bait, he wasn’t afraid they wouldn’t bite. The demand for food in the Caucasus, Leon, and even the Cordillera Wasteland was enormous, and the Bosson Plain was the kingdom’s granary. Which of these merchants didn’t own thousands of hectares of land in that plain? It was practically a money-making opportunity right in front of them—how could they not be overjoyed? For goods from the Caucasus to enter the interior of the kingdom, passing through Odessa was inevitable, at least until the upper reaches of the Nise River were fully cleared. Just these two factors were enough for the merchants of Odessa to ponder over. If they still weren’t satisfied, then they truly had no sense of reality.

It was like throwing a few sparks into a dry wasteland—immediately, the merchants started arguing loudly. Komer watched the scene calmly, effortlessly dismantling their united front. Now, they were all figuring out how to reap the greatest benefits from this “feast,” having long forgotten their earlier goal of gaining more influence for the merchants of Odessa as a whole.

Komer graciously sent them out of the city hall. He had easily broken apart their united front and sown discord among them. If they wanted to unite again to seize control of the city, they would have to put in a lot of effort. The idea of them banding together to challenge him was pure delusion. If they could unite for profit, they could also turn against each other for it. With a little manipulation, their united front would crumble.

The city governor of Odessa must be a key figure who needed to be under his control. Of course, he also needed to take the merchants’ interests into account to some extent. While many hadn’t yet realized the importance of merchants, Komer had already understood their significance to a region, especially one that wasn’t highly agricultural. Although Homer had the Bosson Plain as a granary, to compete with other parts of the kingdom, he still needed the support of these merchants, especially their financial backing. The success in the Caucasus proved this—whether building a strong army or winning the support of the common people, insufficient funds meant nothing. The downfall of the Romanov family also demonstrated this.