The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 346: Volume 6: Cautious Planning - 7: Cunning Seizure_2

Chapter 346: Volume 6: Cautious Planning Chapter 7: Cunning Seizure_2

"Mr. Wollin, I believe there might be some misunderstanding. Bahomon is my territory, including the land beneath your feet, and I don’t need to seek anyone’s permission regarding my actions on my own land. However, as a friend, I’m still very willing to give you a heads-up. I originally planned to pay you a visit, and it turns out that we’re old friends, which saves me a lot of trouble. I intend to develop an iron mine here, and then build a town relying on this iron mine. Many immigrants have relocated to my territory; they are refugees without a proper source of livelihood. They need jobs and use labor to sustain themselves and their families. As their lord, I have the responsibility and obligation to ensure their needs for work and survival. As for the weapon issue you mentioned, I think you might be a bit confused. They do carry a small number of weapons, but that’s for self-defense since this region still has many dangers, such as the ogres we see before us. The rest should be mining tools, I presume. Does this explanation satisfy Mr. Volen?"

Komer’s words were soft yet firm, consciously expanding the borders by twenty miles in one breath. Although this area was a wilderness that lay barren and desolate, its development was inevitable once Bahomon prospered. Moreover, he harbored even greater ambitions in his heart, but the time was not yet ripe to disclose them.

"What? Your territory?" The burly man was taken aback; he had thought that the other party was referring to the populated areas, but then he heard that even the land he stood on belonged to the other party. How could he not be surprised and angered? Although the concept of territory was not as complete and standardized among barbarians as it was for mortals, they still understood sovereignty. The burly man also knew that, although this land had been left unattended due to its remote location, at most, it could be considered an ambiguous boundary, not outright someone else’s territory.

"Yes, Mr. Wollin, this land surely belongs to our Caucasus; otherwise, why would I have taken the trouble to come here and eradicate the ogres? If it wasn’t my land, I don’t think I would bother to risk my life for others, right?" Komer still wore a sincere smile.

The naturally simple-minded barbarian seemed somewhat indecisive. Indeed, no detailed boundary had been established for this region. However, upon learning of the ogre sightings and the northward movement of a large number of mortals, they came in search. They indeed found boundary markers and posts that seemed to be erected some time ago, their rust suggesting they were decades old. Of course, he did not know that Komer had concocted a corrosive liquid that could easily age various items to resemble antiques, and Puber was reputed to have a knack for creating counterfeit antiques. The products of their collaboration were these markers and boundary posts.

"Your Lordship, as far as I am aware, this region has never had determined ownership, and your claim to the land seems to fall within that category. By arbitrarily taking possession of land with unclear ownership, we cannot accept such an explanation," said the burly man, unable to fully harden his tone despite his attempt to remain firm while facing the ever-smiling opponent.

"Heh, I’ve long known that nobles like yourself value reason and honor, Mr. Wollin. The way you’re speaking seems to suggest I’m being unreasonable. How about this? Let’s both present our evidence and see who is right and who is wrong. Without argument, there’s no clarity; without discussion, there’s no resolution. Justice lies within the heart of the people. Mr. Wollin, what do you think?" Komer gestured, and Ylot produced an ancient-looking sheepskin map that had been prepared earlier, while Komer himself took out a map drawn on thick paper from his own person. "Mr. Wollin, please look. This is the original sheepskin map preserved by the Caucasus Prefecture 160 years ago at the initial grant of our Caucasus, and this one is a comprehensive geographical map of the entire Caucasus territory that was remade twenty years ago. You can see the dates of the maps; these aren’t something we could have fabricated, right? Please, Mr. Wollin, bring out the map preserved by your nobles so we can take a look. I think this way we can resolve our differences."

Receiving the map from Komer with suspicion, the towering man beckoned for two Barbarian aides to help scrutinize and verify it. Komer and Ylot exchanged a glance of shared amusement that only they could understand, still waiting calmly for the other party’s examination results.

After examining it thoroughly for a long time, the Barbarians could not find any flaws in the two maps, and the towering man found himself in a dilemma when Komer pressed him assertively to produce a map for confirmation. While they did possess a map, which he had the fortune to see once, the only such map owned by the whole Barbarian Tribe was kept within their Tribal Alliance. How could they obtain it, and how could it compare to Komer’s two detailed maps? A mere shift of a hand on that map might represent a hundred-mile discrepancy — how could it serve as proof? The Barbarians living on the border relied more on their memory to determine the boundaries of their land.

Seeing the towering man’s embarrassed and troubled expression, Komer couldn’t help feeling immensely satisfied internally. However, he maintained a sincere demeanor as he stepped forward and said, "Mr. Wollin, I think this is not surprising. Nobles are not accustomed to using maps, and this land was previously of no concern to both the nobles and us Caucasus people. This has led to an indeterminate boundary over this land. To my knowledge, the area Mr. Wollin refers to as not yet formally claimed should be about ten miles from here, also noted on the map, which we can surely settle through negotiation. I believe the nobles did not intentionally cause this mistake, and personally, on behalf of all Caucasus people, I welcome the nobility to visit and trade on my land."

Komer’s humble tone eased the towering man’s discontent and resentment, but upon hearing that there was yet another land whose ownership was undecided, he became anxious again. Fortunately, the other’s attitude was extraordinarily good, unlike any other mortals he had dealt with; the towering man was at a loss on how to handle the troublesome situation at hand.

The Ogre’s roars once again drew the attention of the group. Eight Ogres, two males and six females, and two of the females had already fallen, clearly slain by the Barbarian warriors. But the Barbarians had paid a heavy price as well, with more than thirty of their warriors falling to the deadly claws of the Ogres. The ground was littered with scattered remnants of limbs and bodies within a radius of over ten meters.

It was evident that the Barbarians had few effective means against these thick-skinned, invulnerable Magical Beasts. They had not expected an encounter with the Ogres here. The two Earth Dragon Warriors, which were meant to showcase their Martial Power, instantly became the main force against the beasts. However, the group of eight Ogres presented a significant challenge to the Barbarian Soldiers, who struggled with keeping a tight defense. The agile Ogres, nearly as clever as the Barbarians, constantly used diversion tactics to create gaps in the defensive line and then chose the right moment to launch surprise attacks. Almost every sneak attack resulted in a Barbarian Soldier falling to their sharp claws and the toxic gas from the glands under their arms made it increasingly difficult for the Barbarians holding their breath to maintain their fragile encirclement.