The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 275 - 16: Waiting for a Better Price

Chapter 275: Chapter 16: Waiting for a Better Price

"Respected Baron, Mr. Dragumo doesn’t care how long he can wait, even if you still have several guests, Mr. Dragumo is willing to wait, as long as you have the heart to torture Mr. Dragumo so," he said. After interacting a few times with this young yet humorous Lord, even someone who considered himself as stubborn as elmwood, like Mr. Dragumo, was amused into richness of speech by Komer’s witty language. Although still burdened with worries, Mr. Dragumo used a bit of playful rhetoric to comfort himself.

"Hehe, Mr. Dragumo, your mood seems much better than the last two times, that’s more like it," Komer teased the other party, "No matter what difficulties we’re about to face, we first need to maintain a fairly relaxed and peaceful state of mind, only then can we handle and overcome these difficulties in the best posture. If we succumb to pessimism and disappointment, then even matters not so troublesome could become much more difficult, don’t you think? I believe Mr. Dragumo has brought some good news for me this time, otherwise, you wouldn’t be this happy."

"Good news?" Mr. Dragumo’s furry face showed a grin worse than a cry, he pursed his lips and finally let out a deep sigh, "Lord, think about it, what good news could there possibly be for me to bring to you now? I came all the way here this time to ask for aid, Sir. If you don’t come up with a satisfactory solution this time, I, Mr. Dragumo, am prepared to stay here as a guard soldier for the Lord and not return to Mandu. I believe I, Mr. Dragumo, am capable of fulfilling a soldier’s duties."

Mr. Dragumo’s words were filled with bitterness, revealing his true feelings. The various troubles in the Mandu Region had left him overwhelmed for months. Despite significantly reducing the size of the army on Komer’s advice, he was still strapped for resources. The Mortal Nobles in the region were not fond of residing there, so the wealth garnered was not much, and after trading for food and necessities, almost nothing was left. Now they were living off an ever-dwindling supply. All the formerly enslaved people now only knew to lie in the shade of trees to cool off and rest all day, waiting for bread to be distributed from above, unwilling to do any work. Other than his three thousand somewhat loyal soldiers, Mr. Dragumo did not know how to keep going; he would rather be a simple soldier than live every day in anxiety and sorrow.

Tens of thousands of Half-Beastmen and Mortal slaves proclaimed liberated were thus enjoying their so-called freedom and democracy, won through Martial Power, in and around the city of Mandu. But after just a few months of good living, they faced diminishing portions of bread and increasingly watery gruel, growing more and more discontented. Some of the more astute among them had noticed the vicious cycle. A portion began to quietly flee to Caucasus, while others approached Mr. Dragumo to solve the pressing problems. Most of these were leaders or participants in the rebellion who had or still held positions in his army. They were more concerned about their future fate, as there were already many discontent over the food issue, developing into demands for the return of the Mortal Nobility—if they could satisfy the need for food. The Mortal Nobility, once returned, might prioritize retaliating against these former ringleaders, whereas the lowest slaves would just revert back to their former state; having been skilled miners, the nobility would be loath to kill off what was essentially their property.

Komer observed the seemingly simple-minded Half-Beastman man with great interest, noting his evident distress. Intelligence fed back from Maha Gummi confirmed that the situation in Leon was deteriorating rapidly. Mandu was somewhat better off, whereas in places like Izmir, the situation had already spiraled out of control. Military leaders could not even contain their own soldiers, many deserters were colluding to become vicious bandits, rampaging and wreaking havoc, having completely transformed into malevolent brigands. The so-called rebel forces in the area had neither the power nor influence to restrain these bandits, who even subjected them to attacks.

The time was ripe. It was now his turn to step in. Mandu could be an excellent testing ground, and Mr. Dragumo might make a good officer, but he certainly wasn’t cut out to be an Administrative Officer, so Komer believed.

"Mr. Dragumo, I do understand the situation in Leon to some extent. You have come to me for aid time and again, and both emotionally and rationally, I should not refuse you. However, have you considered this? Even if I provide you with aid this time, what about the future? Could Caucasus keep providing Mandu with food aid indefinitely? If so, how could I, as the Lord, explain this to the Citizens of my territory? You know, Our Caucasus is not a place of boundless wealth or abundant food. We cannot even be self-sufficient in food, let alone continue to provide aid. Food is something our Citizens toil over, sweat over, seed by seed. If we provide for Mandu without compensation, wouldn’t your people become Nobles sitting on our heads? Moreover, if the people of Mandu receive such benefits, what would the other regions of Leon think?" It seemed that Komer was exceptionally patient with Mr. Dragumo, having given the same, distinctly unhelpful, response to other leaders of the uprisings from Leon’s various regions. For Mr. Dragumo, Komer was willing to spend some time and energy explaining patiently.

Komer’s words left Mr. Dragumo, who had prepared many a plea, suddenly at a loss for a response. The other party was right; Caucasus was not wealthy, and even if it provided aid this time, it could not continue indefinitely. Now those who were once his brothers, the liberated slaves, seemed to have completely transformed into another kind of person, lazy individuals wanting only enjoyment without work. Perhaps they believed this was a right they earned through violence and Combat, but was this really a normal life?

"Mr. Dragumo, I understand your predicament. Currently, it’s likely that your controlled regions are also gradually running out of food, a situation that includes the entire Leon Region, and the expectation that some party will continue to provide uncompensated food aid is unrealistic. There’s no such thing as a free lunch anywhere in the world. Now, Leon has lost its value, and the kingdom will not provide much aid to you any longer. Therefore, you must consider what to do next. I’ve also heard that in many regions, half-beast armies have started to turn into bandits. Such a situation is quite concerning. Should the circumstances spiral out of control, I’m afraid Leon will turn into a battlefield where half-beasts slaughter each other over the remaining scarce food—a result that surely doesn’t align with your original intent to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the aristocratic mine owners, right?" Komer continued his persuasive discourse, his eloquent voice seemingly imbued with an indescribable magic power. The cadence of his speech rose and fell, at times soaring, at times deepening, like a romantic ballad spontaneously composed by a bard.

The mind of the half-beastman armament Chief was entirely influenced by Komer’s words. He had no other ideas, as everything the other party said was actually happening or about to happen in his territory and the Leon Region. No matter what he did, he couldn’t prevent these events from occurring. The area was filled with complaints, and if he had not preemptively disbanded a large part of the army, leaving only the more loyal subordinates, Mandu would likely be overrun with bandits as well. But even so, what could an army of three thousand do? If nearly 100,000 disbanded slaves were to rebel, who could control them? That was Mr. Dragumo’s greatest concern.

Komer had to resort to a slightly disreputable trick once again. "Dust removing" was a kind of basic psychic magic that was particularly effective in deepening the goodwill and agreement in those whose minds were relatively simple and who already felt some recognition toward the caster. Komer, aiming to enhance the other party’s acceptance of his words, cast this originally Church of Light-exclusive psychic magic while elaborately presenting his viewpoint.

Clearly, under the influence of this magic and his persuasive language, the half-beastman armament Chief had fully accepted Komer’s perspective. Seeing his nodding head and devout expression, Komer was certain that at this moment, the Chief would unreservedly accept any suggestion he made. But Komer had no intention of taking such a hasty action.

"Well then, Mr. Dragumo, I have said all that I came to say. After all, I am not Leon’s Lord; I am simply the Lord of Caucasus. The affairs of Leon should ultimately be decided by you. Here’s what we’ll do—this time, I will provide you with a batch of food. Hm, you can exchange it for some of the remaining ore from the Mandu region. Normally, the Caucasus’s supply of ore is quite sufficient, but if I don’t exchange it for something symbolic, it’d be difficult to justify to my citizens. However, next time, I’m afraid I really won’t be able to help." He stood up, took a short sip from his coffee cup, and Mr. Dragumo knew this was the Lord’s prelude to dismissing his guest.

"I apologize, Lord, but I have yet to express my opinion. I must achieve a clear outcome for Mandu’s future today. I can’t manage other regions, but with Mandu now resting on my shoulders, I must find a way out for the tens of thousands of brothers and sisters below me." Mr. Dragumo’s expression had grown incredibly serious.

With a slight smile, Komer feigned surprise and raised an eyebrow, "Does Mr. Dragumo have a better suggestion?"

"Exactly, that is the very purpose of my visit. I would like to request that Lord Komer accept Mandu as part of your territory and dispatch officials to manage it. My army and I, as well as everyone in Mandu, will unconditionally accept your command and all orders. This is a unanimous decision made by me and all the people of Mandu. We hope you will accept."

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