The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 484: Volume 10: Thunderous Movements and Winds Rising, - 19: Merger (2)

Chapter 484: Volume 10: Thunderous Movements and Winds Rising, Chapter 19: Merger (2)

Hozer and Zip, as the leaders of the Meine traders, once again joined forces to win the construction project for the road from Mandu to Muscat, with the enormous funds required to be fronted by these saps — the Meine traders — who in Komer’s eyes simply couldn’t be overcharged.

However, the construction costs that should have been borne by the Lord’s Mansion were exchanged by Puber, after some negotiations, for half of the stock rights of the sole iron mine in the Mandu Region. That is to say, Komer didn’t have to pay a single Gold Shield; he just needed to hand over the iron mine in Mandu that had ceased operations to Hozer, Zip, and others. In return, he could enjoy half of the iron mine’s dividends each year, while the road from Mandu to Muscat would be built for free by the Meine merchants.

To use Komer’s words, this was like boiling the Meine traders’ own bones to extract their oil.

However, the Meine traders did not see it this way; at least they had acquired the rights to develop the sole iron mine in the Mandu region. Especially since this iron mine, although not as large as the Bahomon Iron Mine, was one that could be fully mined without any additional investment.

As long as enough workers could be recruited, production could start immediately. Coupled with the considerable amount of iron ore already produced, this was a pretty worthwhile deal no matter how one looked at it.

Of course, they still needed to quickly repair the road from Mandu to Muscat to truly benefit from the mine’s potential. The Muscat Stone Mine Mountain had plenty of excess stone and trimmings, which could be used as excellent foundation material for the road construction.

Neptune, acting as the sole Chief Administrative Officer in the region, had his passion fully ignited. He went door-to-door to gather information, held speeches to explain his intentions, and in just one week, he tirelessly covered the whole process.

At the same time, Neptune also surveyed the land conditions throughout the Mandu Region. Besides a few mines, many areas in the Mandu Region are, just like the Caucasus, unexplored wild lands, with a considerable portion being primitive forests, swamps, and hilly mountains. These areas are mostly in remote regions, especially near the boundary with the Caucasus.

This gave Neptune the idea to use those Mortal slaves among the miners to develop the region’s agricultural production, reducing reliance on external sources of food.

It must be said that the docile and honest nature of these Half-Beastmen and Mortal slaves made it unlikely for them to rise in rebellion. They had grown accustomed to lives managed by others. Although they had enjoyed a taste of freedom in these past few months, the life of idleness with a dwindling bread supply left them uneasy.

The principle that only those who labor shall eat had long been ingrained in these honest folk. The phenomenon that Komer had initially worried about — that enjoying freedom would make people reluctant to work or be managed — never occurred. Even those low-ranking officers who had served in Dragumo’s army accepted various arrangements without any qualms.

This phenomenon forced Komer to admit that if these slave miners ever revolted, it must have been driven by utmost desperation. Komer couldn’t imagine just how dire the living conditions had been in the various mines under the rule of Boninski, but under his own rule, he was determined not to allow such conditions to occur. This was the foundation for winning the support of the Half-Beastmen and Mortal slaves.

The auction of coal mines in the Mandu Region was also quietly underway in Ugru, with as many as twelve medium to large coal mines being silently offered for sale.

This was Puber’s idea, believing that this could maximize construction funds for the Caucasus. However, the relatively narrow flow of funds in the Caucasus was insufficient to meet the development needs of so many coal mines. Even with the participation of Palermo and Barefoot Society Merchants, and the Meine and Susoer merchants leading the charge, only six of the twelve coal mines found buyers.

This made Komer and Puber realize that to accelerate development, they needed to find more avenues, especially to have closer contacts with the outside world.

Only when the Mandu workforce of up to 60,000 finally got up and running did Komer realize just how immense an impact it would have, and that any attempt to cover it up or keep it secret was utterly futile.

Now, Komer’s only hope was placed in Katya and Hoffman, whose access to information far exceeded his expectations.

As soon as the construction of the road from Mandu to Muscat began, these keenly aware fellows realized that the Leon Region was slowly slipping into Komer’s grasp just as he had predicted to them, and the resulting business opportunities were the most precious chance for the merchants backing the two.

In return for agreeing to let the merchant forces allied with them to invest in Mandu, the two would help the Caucasus that Komer resided in to become a territory directly under the kingdom to the fullest extent and exert influence on the Star Chamber Court to declare the Leon Region as ownerless land. This was because the kingdom and its original lord had lost all control over it, and according to the Kingdom Law, whoever first gained actual control of ownerless land and asked for the kingdom’s approval after three years could officially become the new lord of the land.

By this time, Komer could no longer afford to concern himself with much else. Homer had never been friendly, and the relationship, even if it turned worse in the future, could hardly deteriorate much more than it currently was. What he needed now was to produce as much food as possible and open up passages to the outside world. Relying solely on Mattdam, already threatened by the Homer Navy Fleet, was clearly insufficient to take on the increasingly heavy task of export, particularly after the large-scale operation of mines in Mandu.

Standing on the river harbor dock of Bahomon, Puber smacked his lips and gestured authoritatively, directing the bustling barbarian workers on the dock.

"Boss, it seems Bahomon has nearly become the best employment territory for barbarians. Do you know how many barbarians live and dwell in your land? Let me tell you, just in Bahomon alone there are over two thousand barbarians, most of whom work in the mines as miners and porters, and then there are those who work on the dock as porters, their efficiency not a bit less than that of the half-beastmen skilled workers. Many more barbarians can’t find work here and have to go to Ugru and Santiago, which is a pity since those places are further from their homeland. They prefer the living environment in Bahomon, closer to home. Just open their legs and run, and they can get back home in a day. Sigh, it’s just that the mining output of this iron mine has almost peaked, and we can’t employ more workers; otherwise, these barbarians truly are the best workers."

"Puber, I must remind you not to be emotional when evaluating different races. Is it because you’ve taken a liking to a barbarian woman? Your irresponsible cheerleading for barbarians can affect how mine owners recruit workers, be careful it might provoke resentment among the half-beastmen. I have already heard some half-beastmen expressing their disapproval of your predisposition. Additionally, I must remind you that I don’t have the energy to brew a second batch of life elixirs. If you continue to spend your days atop that barbarian girlfriend, be careful she doesn’t drain you dry! When that time comes, even ten bottles of life elixir won’t help you!"

Komer scoffed at what Puber said.

Barbarians were indeed hardworking and willing, but half-beastmen were just as good, and the majority of them had experience working in mines. A skilled worker was much more appropriate for a mine owner. Puber’s favoritism could influence the impressions of the mine owners. Komer didn’t want to cause any disputes between barbarians and half-beastmen, especially since barbarians were only temporary day laborers earning some spare change, while half-beastmen were his real citizens.

After staring at his boss’s unfazed face for a long time, Puber then lowered his voice with gritted teeth and said, "Was it that damned half-beastman hybrid who reported to you again?! Boss, can you ask him to stop spying on me? Tell him to do more useful work for our Caucasus, okay? Do I, Puber, need that hybrid’s approval on which woman I fancy?"

Seeing his partner truly angered, Komer inwardly chuckled but maintained a serious façade, "It’s not that Maha Gummi has this hobby, but the Caucasus Territory’s Administrative Officer has taken a fancy to a barbarian woman and ignored so many half-beastman beauties on Ugru Street. The half-beastmen feel this is an insult and a challenge from the barbarians, hence their strong indignation. They have already brought their complaints to me. I think, Puber, you should perhaps broaden your tastes. Maybe I should find you a half-beastman beauty to enrich your love life."

"Pah, I haven’t seen a single decent woman among those half-beastmen. To get intimate with those half-beastmen women who bathe only once every six months would be even less pleasant than sleeping with a female gorilla," Puber roared vulgarly, cursing Komer’s intelligence officer while violently venting his anger.

"Alright, you should just watch out for your own health. A barbarian girlfriend may have a unique charm, but you should still keep it in moderation. I really don’t want to see you return to Cyprus looking like a skeleton. Your mother would come after me," Komer said, changing the topic, "How’s the progress on the harbor expansion project in Mattdam?"

Taking a deep breath, Puber’s expression returned to normal. The joking between friends had an end, and now it was time to discuss business. "Boss, the dock expansion is not the issue. The issue is that the export of our ore and the importing of food are now heavily restricted. And the restriction isn’t because of the docks, as you know. The main reason is the Homer Navy Fleet."