Chapter 29: To Discuss Again Later

“Well done! Vladkov is now fully ready to take on responsibilities. The Dark Flame Knights can handle matters independently in many aspects. Although they may seem weaker than the three major knight orders in terms of strength, I must say that in many ways, those three orders fall far short of the Dark Flame Knights’ methods of handling affairs. Their approaches are too dogmatic and rigid, making them increasingly unsuited to this changing society.”
Komer nodded in satisfaction. For now, he didn’t have the energy to compete with the Assyrians over the remote Mistflower Hills. Yet hundreds of thousands of elves constituted a considerable labor force. Unlike half-orcs and barbarians, they were not as physically strong, but they far surpassed them in delicate tasks. On the continent, they, like dwarves, were popular among mortals.
Nicosia’s development had entered a new phase. While the Caucasus still needed a large amount of physical labor, regions like Homer, Goetheburg, and Katin had highly developed agriculture, though their handicraft industry lagged behind agriculture. Compared to the industrially advanced Southern Central Seas region, it was far behind. Therefore, Komer had always hoped to bring Nicosia’s industrial and commercial economy up to par with that region. By relying on Nicosia’s strong agricultural economy and the abundant mineral resources of the Caucasus and Leon, he aimed to elevate the local handicraft industry and use industrial development to drive growth in other service sectors such as commerce and finance.
However, the Assyrians interfered early by targeting the Mistflower Hills, disrupting Komer’s plans. Since he lacked the means to intervene on a large scale in the Storm Ocean region at the moment, such a small but powerful action was undoubtedly the best choice. And Vladkov and his team indeed lived up to his expectations. Their swift actions completely ruined the Assyrians’ plans. Not only did they successfully destroy the already close relationship between the dark elves and the Assyrians, but more importantly, they showed the elves that the Assyrians were not reliable allies and could not serve as representatives of the mortal civilized world. At least the assertiveness shown by the Nicosians forced the elves to reflect.

“Boss, the Black Flame Knights have done well, but the three major knight orders are also performing admirably right now—full of energy and high morale, with their loyalty to us growing rapidly. They are the true foundation for rebuilding Nicomedia.”

Puber didn’t entirely agree with Komer’s view. In his eyes, Komer’s past actions had indeed been somewhat rebellious, but that was out of necessity under special circumstances. Things were different now; Komer was the rightful ruler of Nicomedia. To govern people with various interests on this land, he still had to rely on those knights who held considerable influence at the grassroots level. Even with their full support, there was still a long way to go.

“Foundation? Do you think the three major knight orders are our foundation?” Komer shook his head dismissively. “Wrong. They’re not the basis of my power—at least not yet, and not in the short term. On the surface, they seem to support me, but once something goes wrong, their attitude becomes questionable. I’m not a skeptic, but that’s the reality. Where does my foundation lie? It lies in our principle of absolute freedom of nation and faith—whether one believes in any religion or not at all. It’s those who hold this belief who are our true supporters. It is this principle that has turned the Light Church’s rule in the Caucasus into nothing more than a mere gang belief.”

“Komer, I have to remind you—you’re no longer just the lord of the Caucasus and Leon. You’re the lord of entire Nicomedia! The true heart of Nicomedia remains the inland regions, including Homer and Galle. Only by winning over these people completely can you truly strive to achieve your goals and be worthy of stepping onto a higher stage to realize a greater self.”

Puber couldn’t help but roar. In his view, his boss still hadn’t shaken off his status as a rustic lord of the Caucasus, always considering only the interests of half-orcs and barbarians. He could understand his boss’s feelings, but emotions couldn’t be the basis for making decisions about military matters—under no circumstances. Otherwise, it would only make things infinitely worse.

“Puber, please calm down. Of course I’m aware of everything I said. The three knight orders and the groups they represent will eventually become our base of support among the people, but not now. It’s unrealistic to expect to gain both sides at once, or to assume that the three knight orders and the interests they represent will support us unconditionally. The only thing I’m sure of is that right now, the barbarians and half-orcs have their interests tied to ours. Without us, they’ll revert to their original state—nothing, worse than dog shit. So they’ll support us unconditionally, and they possess powerful military forces. Do you understand? This is our foundation at this stage! Without them, do you think those knights and the groups they represent would submit to us so easily? Impossible!”
Faced with Komer’s eloquent words, Puber was momentarily speechless. He had to admit that his own words earlier had been somewhat wishful thinking. The leader saw further and more clearly than he did, but he still needed to remind him not to cling too much to old feelings, as that would only lead to trouble.
“Leader, I admit it’s unrealistic to expect all the Homers, Goths, and Katynians to fully support you now, but you should learn to adapt gradually. You’re the lord of Nicosia, no longer a lord of the Caucasus. You need to make this role transition. Stop indulging in Ugru or Bruce. You should spend more time in Gothenburg or Cyprus, or maybe in Groningen and Katyn. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Thank you, Puber. I understand,” Komer said, sighing and nodding slowly. His words were sincere. Puber’s help was unmatched by anyone else. Although his contributions might not be obvious, Komer knew that Puber had played a crucial role in keeping his territory functioning and developing to its current state. Though the guy had his flaws, they were trivial compared to his loyalty and achievements.

“Well then, perhaps it’s time we discussed your marriage to Vyrana? Hmm, and Lenta and Vero too. I think we can’t delay this any longer. You understand, we’re not sure about Jazair in the short term; we need to face reality.” Pube clapped his hands and said with envy, “Boss, you’re really lucky. Even while sitting at home, people come to offer you women. I’m just worried if your body can handle it. I heard there’s a herb called Epimedium in the Cordillera Wasteland, found at the peak of the Baden Gold Mountains, which has miraculous effects on those with poor health. I suggest…”

“Enough, Pube. Don’t tell me you’ve already used that herb to sleep with ten women without tiring. Can we talk about serious matters?” Komer really had no idea what to do with his friend. Whenever serious talk started, he would always interrupt with jokes and silly stories, which annoyed Komer greatly. “Marriage? Ah, marriage… Has it really come to the point where we must discuss this?”

“Hehe, boss, if you don’t want to lose Bessarabia as an ally, if you want the influence of the Romanov and Anson families to work in your favor, if you can ignore Zelin’s growing suspicion of you, if you can ignore the feelings of these girls—oh, no, can Miss Lenta even be called a girl? I doubt it. You probably already have an affair with her. It seems I found her handkerchief in your bedroom…”

Pube’s lecherous smile nearly drove Komer crazy. The series of forceful statements made Komer nod repeatedly, but the last sentence turning to this topic made him furious.

Seeing the wild look in Komer’s eyes, Pube quickly stopped talking. “If you want to further strengthen Nicomedia so you can reclaim Jazair as soon as possible, you have to face this issue.”

“What’s your idea?” Komer suppressed his anger and asked resentfully.

“My idea? Boss, it’s you who sleeps with women. Why are you asking me?” Pube, interrupted, was also annoyed and retorted sullenly.

“I’m asking how best to deal with these women and what potential side effects there might be.”

“Boss, are you sure you want to have them all in your bed?” Pube licked his lips.

“Can’t we just not have them?” Komer grew furious. This guy had been boasting earlier, and now he was asking him questions again.

“We need to discuss this carefully.” Pupber clicked his lips. “Flanders and Sifnos Island have already been promised to Miss Eve and that half-elf hybrid. Nicomedia is a whole entity; it can’t be split, or there will be a lot of trouble later. All three women are eyeing this place—it’s not easy to handle.”
“What about the Cordillera Wasteland?” Komer also found it troublesome. These three women were hard to deal with, not like Tracy, who could be satisfied with just any castle.
“Hehe, boss, you really know how to make jokes. Do you think Vyrana or Veyro would accept the title of Queen of the Wasteland?” Pupber couldn’t help but laugh. “Or maybe send Lenta to sit in the Golden Tent of the Barbarian Alliance as queen—hahaha!”
Angrily, Komer glared at Pupber until he sheepishly stopped laughing. “Boss, I just thought it was too funny.”
“Just funny? Then come up with a solution!” Komer spat out each word through gritted teeth.
“Uh, this issue probably requires careful consideration.”
“Careful consideration? Who was the one babbling nonstop just now, saying this problem needs to be solved urgently?” Komer retorted. “Pupber, if you can come up with a solution, hmph, I’ll make you eat enough of that so-called epimedium, then throw you into the Cordillera Wasteland! I mean it!”
Pupber was speechless and stammered, “Let me think carefully, boss. After all, your territory is just too small. The Cordillera Wasteland isn’t really our mortals’ true land—there aren’t even permanent inhabitants. Otherwise, we could maybe make do.”
“Get lost! Make do with whom? Who can be fooled? Vyrana or Veyro?” Komer spoke recklessly.
“Boss, how about considering Haiding?” Pupber said slowly after a brief thought.
“You mean those bases on the Continent of Mist?” Komer shook his head repeatedly. “It’s not much better than the Cordillera Wasteland. Haiding has established a few bases, but first, the location must be chosen well, second, there must be suitable resources, and third, it can’t be too close to the already developed territories. So progress is slow, and there are even fewer permanent residents—just adventurers, settlers, or fugitives avoiding punishment. Who can you convince to go there?”

“Hehe, boss, the Land of Mist is after all too far from us. Aside from Haiding and the others, how many people really know what’s there? Even you and I only hear Haiding’s version of things, right? Besides, I’m convinced that place will develop in just a few years. As long as we control the island of Sifnos and Haiding’s armed fleet keeps growing stronger, we have nothing to worry about. It’s not hard to make those people in Bithysaria believe in the beauty of that place—just create a couple of maps and find some painters to draw beautiful pictures of your new territories in the Land of Mist. I think that will win over that little skylark’s heart.”
Komer had to admit that his old friend’s ideas were ingenious. Bithysaria was an inland country with rather vague notions about the Land of Mist. All they needed was a pretext. Vyrana wouldn’t go to the so-called territories in the Land of Mist either, which gave everyone some leeway. More importantly, Bithysaria needed this ally, so giving them a semblance of legitimacy was enough.
“Hmm, it’s worth a try. So who’s missing?” Komer pondered for a while before nodding.
“Let’s discuss it later, let’s discuss it later,” Pube sighed, realizing he had trapped himself.