Chapter 10: Advancing Forward

The successive pledges of loyalty from the nobles of Gothenburg were like stones thrown into Lake Nicosia, creating ripples that disturbed even the fishermen standing by the shore, watching the lake. With the nobles of Gothenburg turning to Komer, it meant that the people of Calais had lost their foundation for re-establishing independence. The people of Silesia in the north had already pledged loyalty to Komer. Under the dual pressures of economic interests and military threats, Nisa Ferdinand, who had long lost his former vigor, could finally resist the immense pressure from within his family and signed an agreement to relocate to Ugru. He knew he would be forever marked as a disgrace in the history of the Ferdinand family.

In exchange, Komer generously offered substantial financial compensation to the Ferdinand family members who had lost their lands and agreed to let them use this money as shares in the Caucasus Bank. This was the first time the bank had expanded its capital since its founding. The high returns of the Caucasus Bank had long been renowned throughout the Caucasus and even across Komer’s territories. Even the Anson and Laurent families, who had provided significant support to Komer, had not been granted such an opportunity. Yet the Ferdinand family members obtained this privilege so easily—this was the main reason why they insisted so firmly that their leader agree to relocate to Ugru.

For them, money was not important; what mattered more was an asset that could generate continuous interest—whether it was land or bank shares. With the backing of noble estates, the Caucasus Bank would only grow stronger, and its profits would only increase. Why not take advantage of this? As for territory, while these nobles were reluctant to leave their homeland, if they had no other choice, they would surely opt for conditions that better served their interests.

The fall of Silesia and the submission of the Gothenburg region closed the last two doors for Calais. Calais had become a caged bird. No matter how unwilling or struggling Zelin Storten was, he could not escape his fate of being controlled. The tragedy of the Romanov era would not repeat itself—Komer was confident he could prevent that.

As a condition for Komer’s army not entering the city of Gutenberg and the Storten family continuing to rule Calais, Calais would be forced to disband all its armed forces except for the Order of the Resurrection Knights. Even the Calais Mage Corps would only retain three mages in name, while the Order of the Resurrection Knights would be limited to no more than three hundred members and supervised by several overseers sent by Komer. This was a typical capitulation treaty, but Zelin Storten had no choice but to accept it. The disbandment of Calais’ infantry forces meant that its hopes of regaining its former glory through force were completely shattered. If they wanted to restore their past independence and glory, they might have to rely on Komer’s complete failure. Komer’s army entered Gothenburg and Silesia in a rather low-key manner, as he did not want to provoke the neighboring regions, especially the orcs in the north. Despite having already prepared himself mentally for such a vast territory, Komer still felt a sense of emptiness and powerlessness. Although Gothenburg and its surrounding areas were much smaller than Calais, their level of development was not inferior to any other part of Calais except for Gutenberg. In particular, the canal connecting Gothenburg to Gutenberg further strengthened the ties between the two places. Komer believed this would be advantageous for him to subdue the people of Calais through economic means in the future. “Why not march straight into Katyn? What on earth are you thinking?” Without even time to rest, with her fair face still marked by dust and a slight blush, it was clear that the heir to the Romanov family was extremely dissatisfied with Komer’s strategy. “Lenta, don’t you think you’re going too far? It seems you’ve forgotten our original agreement!” Komer frowned, but seeing her chest heaving rapidly, his mood seemed to improve considerably. “You!” Stunned by Komer’s words, Lenta’s expression changed several times, and her blush turned grayish-white. Komer also felt some pity. Although she was somewhat self-interested, she was after all acting in his own interest. Sighing, he said, “Lenta, do you really think now is a good time to enter the southwest region?” Her previously troubled mood was instantly dispelled by Komer’s use of “we,” and her grayish cheeks quickly regained their vitality. “Why not? The little power Kakiya has is insignificant. Within a week, your army could be resting by the borders of Bessarabia!”

“Oh? It seems you’re more confident than I am, Lenta. Kakiya’s little power is indeed negligible, but haven’t you considered how others feel?” Seeing Lenta’s puzzled gaze, Komer smiled faintly. “Our good neighbors don’t have such self-control. If there’s a family dispute next door, they’ll definitely step in to mediate. Of course, if mediation fails, who knows—they might get angry and take matters into their own hands.”
Lenta’s expression turned uneasy. She wasn’t stupid; she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. “Are you saying those guys from the Northern Alliance will also interfere in our internal affairs in Nicotia?”
“Why not?” Komer shrugged nonchalantly and handed over some documents on the desk. “I think if there were discord within their Northern Alliance, I’d go and join in the chaos too.”
Lenta’s eyes grew fervent as she flipped through the documents. “These damned bastards! What right do the Atticans have to give us in Nicotia orders? And the Cnosians—who do they think they are?! It’s infuriating! These shameless thieves! That bitch Kakiya is inviting wolves into the house!”
“Oh, Lenta, remember your place. No matter what, maintain a ladylike demeanor,” Komer said, wagging his finger. “There’s no need to get so upset. Everything is within my expectations. If they don’t step in, that’s when I’d really start to suspect something.”
“What do you plan to do?” Lenta finally finished reading the documents and reluctantly handed them back.
“I have no plans. Doesn’t Kakiya like to cooperate with the Atticans and Cnosians? Let them cooperate then. Let’s see how much Kakiya can satisfy those guys’ demands. I believe a partnership without sincerity won’t last long—they’ll soon get tired of each other.” Komer smiled. “It happens to suit me too—I need some time.”