The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 336: Volume 6: Cautious Planning - 2: Crisis and Opportunity_3

Chapter 336: Volume 6: Cautious Planning Chapter 2: Crisis and Opportunity_3

"Boss, our financial situation is not at all optimistic," he said. "The rights to sell the coal and stone mines have been invested in road construction, and we haven’t seen a penny from that. Just relying on the financial subsidy provided by the kingdom will hardly sustain us for long. We’re likely to need another way to generate income. There are quite a few wealthy individuals among the immigrants from Meine and Susoer. Do you think we should try to borrow from them? I want to invest all our available funds into buying and storing grain. After all, we still can’t be self-sufficient in food, and immigrants are still streaming in. Bruce Fortress is our only route for external communication and yet it’s controlled by Philip. If he decides to choke off that lifeline, we would only have one way out: complete ruin." Ever since Ilot informed Puber of his conversation with Komer that night, Puber had become even more interested in information from the outside world. The poor external transportation of the Caucasus forced him to make early preparations. Food had always been the lifeline of the Caucasus, and until it was self-sufficient in food, anyone could exploit it, and he had to make precautionary plans.

Komer silently nodded in agreement; the other party was right. Having a certain grain reserve was something every Lord had to consider, especially in the Caucasus where this issue warranted more attention. Although a simple cultivation after slash-and-burn could plant the first batch of crops, one couldn’t expect much harvest from these newly reclaimed lands during the first or second season. Meanwhile, Duke Philip in the north was always looking for opportunities to put him in a deadly situation. Although, for the moment, due to the kingdom’s and outsiders’ attention to the immigrants, and probably Philip himself feeling that he still had control, he could strangle him any time he wished, so he hadn’t made a move yet. But Komer firmly believed that if one aspect of the two changed, Philip would not hesitate to eliminate him as easily as one would kill an ant, and the simplest and most effective way would be to block off the food supply.

"But where do we find the funds for grain reserves right now? You know that a third of the finance was swallowed by the kingdom, and most of what’s left has already been spent on buying and distributing food. Our various expenses are not small, yet without any other income, if we proceed with the food reserves, there will be a large financial shortfall." Komer had delegated all the financial affairs to Puber, but he was very clear about major expenditures. The funds needed for grain reserves were not a small amount, and the current financial situation in the Caucasus could not afford to cover them.

"That’s why I suggest that as Lord, you invite those wealthy individuals from Meine and Susoer to establish a bank for us in the Caucasus," Puber said confidently. "The official reason, of course, is to prevent the ravages of usury merchants, which is already becoming a trend. If we don’t control it, the usurers will grow even faster, which is not good for our control of the entire region." Puber had thoroughly prepared himself. Over two years of tedious study in Phoenix City had made him a qualified Administrative Officer, especially his natural financial acumen led him to study financial subjects harder than any other discipline in the school. He was confident that he was better suited and competent for the positions of Finance Officer than those rigid, old-fashioned financial clerks.

Banks, the product of economic development reaching a certain level, were no longer a novelty, but they were still a fresh concept in remote places like the Caucasus. A small fair like Ugru had no need for such an institution—typically, only small-scale mutual borrowing occurred between small traders. However, with the influx of a large number of wealthy individuals and merchants, Ugru had undergone earth-shaking changes within a few months. The rapid concentration of popularity had given it the tendency to develop into a small city, and the prosperity of commerce also increased the demand for funds. Usury merchants appeared as a result, and the emergence of financial institutions, which are bound to develop from usury to a certain extent, was consistent with the laws of economic development. Puber only wished to take this step a bit earlier.

"Do you think those guys would be willing to invest in setting up a bank?" Komer wasn’t very proficient in financial matters. The concept of having others contribute money for his use seemed quite challenging to him.

"Heh, Boss, banks are like hot cakes, especially those led by a Lord’s Mansion, which are industries with rich profits and a bright future. With the support of the Lord’s Mansion and the momentum we have in Caucasus now, Meine and Susoer and their lot are more cunning than anyone. Their noses for profit are more sensitive than anyone’s. I’m afraid when the time comes, even if you don’t want them to join, they’ll be begging to come in," Puber said reassuringly to Komer, with a laugh. "However, Boss, all this depends on whether our mines can be rapidly opened and turned into export goods, especially the Fine Iron Mine of Bahomon. Right now, everyone is counting on the mining of this Iron Mine to drive the economic development of the Caucasus region. There are already three Ironworks in Ugru rushing to construct. If this Iron Mine can’t produce Iron Ore as scheduled, our Lord’s Mansion’s reputation and finance will suffer great damage, which are the very foundations we rely on for our existence."

Komer seemed to sense the subtext in his close friend’s words. His gaze shifted only to see Puber’s face taking on a serious tone, as if he was considering his words carefully. After a long pause, he swallowed with difficulty before speaking, "Boss, to tell you the truth, we’ve encountered some troubles with our Iron Mine. The workers who were preparing the site have discovered Ogres again, and not just one. According to a worker who narrowly escaped with his life, there should be at least two or three male Ogres near the Iron Mine!"

The issue with the Ogres was something Komer had been mentally prepared for. During the exploratory mission before the Iron Mine development, Ilot nearly got devoured by an Ogre—fortunately, a Magic Scroll Komer had made saved his life. Komer also knew that Ogres usually do not move around at will, so their appearance in Bahomon only proved that their home was near the Mine, which was an obstacle that must be removed. If he couldn’t even handle this, not only would the Indigenous People like Hesse doubt his ability to control the Caucasus, but the Immigrants who had high hopes for Komer would be disappointed as well. From any angle, the Ogres must be eradicated, and Komer even hoped for this chance to arise. If he could deal with the Ogres smoothly, not only would Bahomon become a stable source of wealth for him, but his prestige would also be greatly enhanced in the eyes of all residents of the Caucasus, definitely a golden opportunity.

However, the Ogres weren’t so easy to deal with. Firstly, Ogres generally lived in groups, with two to three Ogres usually following one male Ogre. If what Puber said was correct, then there were at least ten Ogres around the Mine. Although Komer was quite confident in his increasingly improved magic skills, he did not rashly claim he could handle about ten Ogres. But, although Ogres lived in groups, they seldom gathered together. If he adopted a strategy of defeating them one by one, Komer felt somewhat certain.

"Hmm, I understand. I’ve almost finished dealing with the matters here, and I will immediately head south to Bahomon to solve this problem. Fortunately, I haven’t been resting during this period, and my mastery of magic has made some progress. It’s just right to test how much my magic level has improved on these Ogres," Ilot and Puber both knew about their Boss’s formidable magic strength, which was why the two of them were full of confidence in Komer. In this era, being a Mage meant being a strong person, representing power. In the Kingdom Court Mage Corps, there are only a little more than thirty Mages, and a considerable part of them actually belong to the Mage Corps directly affiliated with the Church of Light. Only about twenty are those who truly swear allegiance to the Nicosia Royal Family, and each of them is a well-known powerful figure in the kingdom. The kingdom spares no effort to win over these Mages, treating them as distinguished guests, and even His Majesty the King often invites these Magicians to participate in the kingdom’s top social events—the importance of these Magicians in the Kingdom is easy to imagine.

The extent of Komer’s magical prowess was something neither Puber nor Ilot were clear about, but they knew that their Boss’s level had in fact surpassed that of an average Mage and had even entered the realm of an Archmage. They didn’t understand how their Boss could have achieved such a level in just a few years, and especially in the months since arriving in the Caucasus, his Magic ability had shown a dramatically rapid progress, astonishing both of them.