Chapter Twelve: The Big Deal (3)

“Baron, what do you mean by this?” Viscount Krayan, who prided himself on his elegant demeanor, grew anxious. “Weren’t we still in discussions? How can you threaten us in such a manner?”
“Viscount Krayan, I’m sorry. I suppose it’s because you first treated me like a beggar with such meager offers, which made me lose my composure. I apologize for that. But I believe our discussions can no longer continue, as our levels of commitment to this matter differ vastly. It seems you don’t regard these allied refugees as equal citizens.” Comer suppressed his joy and pretended to be outraged, bowing politely in apology.
The representatives of the three nations exchanged glances. They naturally knew the other side was dissatisfied with the amount offered, but they hadn’t expected this man to be so stubborn—alternating between anger and flattery, confusing everyone with his threats. Yet if things went beyond their limits, the representatives could do nothing.
“Baron, why don’t you share your views? That way, we can consider them. What do you think?” The Dutchman spoke cautiously, turning his gaze to Duke Teyz, who had remained silent. “Duke, what’s your opinion?”
“Baron, Mr. Seribas is right. Why not share your thoughts so everyone can be informed?” Duke Teyz nodded, a wisp of smoke rising from his rhododendron pipe, obscuring his sometimes unpredictable expression.
“Gentlemen, I came here intending to recruit thirty thousand strong, capable free laborers. I believe thirty thousand can be found among one hundred fifty thousand. I don’t think I need to pay a single gold shield for them—I’ll cover all their living expenses.” At these words, everyone was shocked. Could this man truly be so generous? Was he not upset because the money wasn’t enough?
Only Duke Teyz knew this was just a smoke screen—what came next would surely make the representatives of the three nations gag in anger.

“But the other 200,000 are mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children. To put it bluntly but objectively, they are just a burden who only consume resources. Think about it—the Caucasus is in a remote area with almost no infrastructure, and its original population is less than 10,000. How could they possibly prepare enough supplies in such a short time? Although there is plenty of barren land, it needs to be cleared through burning; the mines haven’t been developed yet. Everything—from houses, fuel, food, to clothing—must be brought in from outside. By next year’s harvest season, these people will still be a drain on resources, taking away what’s available for the indigenous population. As a lord, I must consider everything comprehensively.” Komer began to lay traps in a roundabout way.

“Baron Komer, though your words are harsh, they aren’t entirely unfounded. As dependents of the labor force, they indeed can’t sustain themselves in the short term. That’s precisely why the three kingdoms intend to provide you with financial subsidies. However, in terms of quantity, I’m afraid we can’t meet your expectations.” Viscount Kreian remained courteous as ever.

“Mr. Kreian, I think it’s likely the degree of concern these three kingdoms have for these refugees that influences your attitude. Consider how much trouble and hardship they would bring if they flooded into your kingdoms. If we let them suffer in the border regions during the harsh winter, I think at most half of those 200,000 might survive. But I believe next year, the orcs won’t even have to exert much effort—all the northern allied nations will open their doors wide for them to invade, because even their allies, for whom they’ve sacrificed their countries to defend, are unwilling to care for their own subjects. I think all the northern allied nations will be outraged by this.” Komer’s expression darkened as he said coldly, “If you don’t provide enough funds to ensure they survive this harsh winter and next year’s famine, it’s no different from abandoning them in the northern wilderness. The outcome will be the same—death from freezing or starvation.”

The representatives of the three kingdoms were alarmed; Komer’s words hit their sore spots. Although the Northern Alliance was composed of dozens of kingdoms, duchies, and city-states of varying sizes, it was actually divided into two main factions. One was the Moderate faction led by the Kingdom of Nicosia, while the other was the Holy Doctrine faction centered around the Kingdom of Knossos in the west and the Duchy of Attica. The seat of the Light Church, Marko, was located in the southern part of the Duchy of Attica. One of the main purposes of the Northern Alliance was to defend against the relentless southern invasions by the orcs from the northern wastelands. However, in recent years, the orcs seemed to target the Moderate faction’s countries more often, launching attacks along the borders of the eastern Moderate countries. In contrast, the northern borders of the Holy Doctrine faction’s countries in the west were much calmer, with only occasional small groups of orc warriors breaking in to plunder, rarely resulting in large-scale invasions.

The three kingdoms and the Kingdom of Nicosia were core forces within the Moderate faction. They adopted an inclusive policy toward religion. Although the Light Church still played a crucial role in the Moderate countries, these nations did not prohibit other sects from preaching within their territories and even supported them, either intentionally or unintentionally. This contrasted with the policy of the Holy Doctrine faction, which insisted that the Light Church should be the only legitimate religion in their territories, leading to ideological disputes and verbal battles between the two sides. Though this had not yet affected relations between nations, over time, the two factions became increasingly divided.

This year’s frantic orc invasions had even led to the destruction of the Duchy of Mellen and the city-states of Main and Susor, severely threatening the survival of the Moderate countries. The Kingdom of Nicosia was forced to expand its military forces on a large scale. Its already strained finances were further exacerbated, forcing it to borrow heavily from domestic lords as well as several wealthier allied countries within the alliance. Fortunately, the allies recognized the severity of the situation and, out of a sense of solidarity, were generous in their support. However, there were minor setbacks in funding the refugees.

Although Komer’s words were somewhat exaggerated, they forced the representatives of the three kingdoms to consider public opinion among their allies. If they truly lost public support, and if the other city-states and countries still fighting in the north lost their fighting spirit, the three kingdoms in the center might also face a terrifying orc invasion.

“Baron Komer, I think there’s no need to beat around the bush. Please state your price. I believe we can always find a solution that works for both sides. After all, the Kingdom of Nicosia and our three nations share the same goal: to address the survival issues of these refugees. I’m sure no one wants to see them suffer.” Baron Buhaz, who came from a merchant background, understood Komer’s feelings better. Glancing at Duke Teyz, who had remained cautious, he pondered for a moment before finally revealing his terms.

“Hehe, Mr. Buhaz is straightforward. For 120,000 people, including the elderly, women, and children, I hope you can provide a financial subsidy of 30 gold shields each, so that the Caucasus can offer them a more satisfactory living environment.” Komer uttered his demand word by word.

Almost simultaneously, they all gasped in shock. The representatives of the three nations exchanged glances and unanimously shook their heads, refusing to accept such terms. 30 gold shields per person meant 1.2 million gold shields in total—a huge sum. Although the three nations could afford it, they didn’t think it was worth such an expense.