The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 698: Volume 20: Wolves Lurking in the Mediterranean, - 6: Barbarossa Family

Chapter 698: Volume 20: Wolves Lurking in the Mediterranean, Chapter 6: Barbarossa Family

"Alas, I never imagined the South would face such calamities too. My homeland has been destroyed by the evil Beastmen, so we had no choice but to relocate to the Caucasus. Fortunately, the benevolent Viscount Komer took us in. It’s just that I hadn’t expected the Barbarians to be so brutal, causing the South to live in constant fear as well," he sighed with a hint of emotion. Komer didn’t know if it was from the heart or from being touched, "It seems no place is as peaceful as one imagines."

"Isn’t that the truth? The Barbarians are like a curse always threatening us in the South; we can never completely defeat them. The Cordillera Wilderness is their natural sanctuary. Every year, the Southern countries and City-states contribute tens of millions in war Funds to the nations and City-states around the Cordillera Wilderness to prevent the Barbarians from breaking through their chains, and yet we’ve still encountered an incident like the one this year."

Kamado shook his head with a headache, "I don’t know when this war will finally end. I suspect the Mediterranean regional summit that accompanies the Olympia tournament will certainly discuss increasing aid to the Kingdom of Shimaina and the Iberian Kingdom. Chances are, we in Sparta will end up with another tax hike. Mr. Karadin, it looks like we’ll need to hurry and complete this deal before the kingdom introduces a new tax policy, or you might have to pay even more."

"Hmm, as long as Mr. Kamado can guarantee delivery in two months, there’s no issue on my side. Lord Komer has entrusted me with this transaction, and time is of the essence. He hopes to have these 500 sets of armor delivered to Mattdam or Bahomon Pier in the Caucasus within three months," Komer nodded, "Hopefully the Sphinx family has enough pig iron in stock."

"There shouldn’t be much of a problem. The Sphinx family has also expanded the scale of their smelting and forging workshops this year. Moreover, due to the instability in the North over the past six months, the Sphinx family must have taken this into account and probably increased their inventory to prevent any emergency. However, two months ago, the Barbarossa Family seemed to have also placed an order for pig iron with the Sphinx family. I’m not sure if they’ve replenished their stock since then." Mentioning the name of the Barbarossa family, Kamado’s face revealed a disdainful expression.

"The Barbarossa family? Mr. Kamado, I seem to have heard that the Barbarossa family has significant influence in Patre as well, but I thought they mainly dealt with maritime transportation. Are they also involved in the manufacture of weapons and armor?" Hearing the other party mention the Barbarossa family, Komer’s heart stirred slightly; Hayreddin Barbarossa must be on his way to the Southern Mediterranean by now. He wonders what feeling this place he longed for in his dreams will bring to Hayreddin.

"Hmph, their forging is just getting started and is far from a true manufacturing family. However, they are currently recruiting Dwarf Craftsmen in the North, in places like Ephesus and Piergos, hoping to improve the quality of their products. These people should focus on their shipping business, but they think they can make big money in manufacturing, so they’re heavily investing in this area," said Kamado bitterly. "Their foundation is too shallow. In Sparta’s weapons and armor manufacturing, the Barbarossa family doesn’t even rank. They haven’t even obtained the qualifications to supply the kingdom’s Army."

"By the way, Mr. Kamado, Sparta’s warriors are famous across the Continent. Given the significant threat of the Barbarians, why doesn’t the kingdom deploy its Army to the front lines to assist the Kingdom of Shimaina and the Iberian Kingdom?" Komer asked casually upon hearing the other party mention Sparta’s Army.

"Mr. Karadin, our Kingdom of Sparta is not without worries. You must understand; the Barbarians are not our only enemy. Carthaginian and Trojan peoples are always conspiring to take our land. If we do not maintain our armed forces, they will take advantage and loot us amid chaos. Although we do not fear them, we do not wish to see war ravage our Sparta mainland," Kamado sighed. "Moreover, at the First Tilo Alliance, all member countries reached an agreement that for threats from the North, we would give our support financially, but unless absolutely necessary, our Army won’t leave our country. This was reaffirmed at the Corinth City-State Assembly."

Komer was well aware of the intricate situation in the Southern Mediterranean Region; the Corinth City-state Alliance is an important organization in the Southern Mediterranean, but it doesn’t include all countries and cities. Due to differences in ethnicity and language, some nations and cities remained outside of the Corinth City-state Alliance.

For instance, the Kingdom of Shimaina had not joined the Corinth City-state Alliance but maintained a very close relationship with it. Carthage and Troy, located to the North and South of the Kingdom of Sparta and not members of the Corinth City-state Alliance, have had tense relations with Sparta, their armies having clashed with Sparta’s before. Carthaginian and Trojan peoples even formed a military alliance against the Kingdom of Sparta, and these two countries had close ties with Corinth City-state Alliance members Piraeus and Ephesus. This led to the Sparta Kingdom’s proposals for economic sanctions against Carthage and Troy being repeatedly vetoed at the City-state Alliance meetings, consequently becoming a major source of discord within the Alliance.

Komer nodded, looking at the other party with a touch of surprise. He realized that Mr. Kamado did not seem to be an ordinary merchant. Although the Odysseus family had a longstanding reputation, being so familiar with the anecdotes and history of Sparta and its surrounding nations seemed beyond the capabilities of an ordinary member of the Odysseus family.

"Mr. Karadin, there’s no need for you to look at me like that. The Odysseus Family is one of the members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Sparta, and I often represent the family in Senate meetings, so it’s no wonder that I know a bit more," he shrugged, noticing the surprise in Komer’s eyes, and explained with a smile.

"No wonder, I thought every merchant in the Kingdom of Sparta was so talkative—I must say, it has been quite an eye-opener," Komer too broke into a laugh.

"However, Mr. Karadin, you aren’t wrong. This time, our Kingdom of Sparta might really have to consider sending troops to help the Shimaina and the Iberians. We can’t just watch idly as Barbarians trample over our brethren’s land. Absolutely not!" Kamado’s tone suddenly became fervent, and his eyes sparked with intensity.

"Hmph, Mr. Kamado, the Senate isn’t something your Odysseus Family can decide on its own. Is it really the most critical time now? I doubt that’s necessarily the case."

A sinister voice came from the side. Komer turned to look and saw a fellow in a purple top hat puffing away at a pure silver smoking pipe, the arrogant smile on his face annoying enough to make one’s blood boil.

The guests aboard this fast sailing ship were no ordinary individuals; the ship’s exquisite and luxurious arrangement, as well as the setup for the breakfast and coffee, made this clear. Although the recliners made of evergreen vines did not have the healing functions of White Magic, they still provided a sense of mental pleasure. Upon boarding at the bow, Komer had sensed the presence of Water-based Magic but, after checking, hadn’t discovered anything—this suggested that there were likely Water-based Magic Tools installed below the waterline to reduce the ship’s drag, not only increasing its speed but also stabilizing the hull to give passengers a smoother ride. The ship’s masts and sails were also evidently treated and set by Magic Toolsmiths, probably with one or two small gadgets installed. Although these were not high-end Magic tools, the use of such Magic equipment on a passenger ship was a luxury in itself.

This luxurious fast sailing ship resembled a large private yacht. However, traveling on the Akmon River at this speed seemed a bit too fast; clearly, this fast ship was specially designed for the wealthy businessmen and officials traveling between Patre and Athens City. It had to ensure comfort and safety while considering speed, so the fare was certainly not cheap.

After a brief pause, Kamado immediately recognized the man and, slightly curling the corner of his mouth without a change in his demeanor, said, "I didn’t expect to see Mr. Baski on board too. Are you also rushing back to Athens City to attend the Senate meeting? Of course, the Senate is not ruled by the Odysseus Family alone, but I presume the Barbarossa Family can’t do it either."

The Barbarossa Family? This sly-looking fellow is also a member of the Barbarossa Family? Komer felt a wave of annoyance. How could this person look even more sleazy than the captain of the Luisa he had seen, with a skinny, inverted triangle face, a somewhat yellowish complexion that screamed malnutrition, and a sparse beard deliberately kept long. His prominent nose, which should have been his pride, looked merely like a dried-up hawk’s beak due to his gauntness. If this man were chosen as the face of the Barbarossa Family, it would likely bring a downturn in the family’s business, Komer thought with malicious amusement.

"Hmph, we’ll see who has the final say when the Senate meets, Kamado. I don’t want to argue with you. Why not introduce your friend here? He doesn’t seem to be from our Southern Mediterranean region," said the gaunt, sleazy man, unfazed by Kamado’s sarcastic retort, continuing with his own agenda.

This was a rather conceited fellow, perhaps not as deplorable as he appeared. Komer observed him carefully.

(To be continued. For further developments, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, with more Chapters, support the author, and support authorized reading!)