The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 724: Volume 21 The Path of Darkness - 8 Flanders Territory_3

Chapter 724: Volume 21 The Path of Darkness Chapter 8 Flanders Territory_3

His cheeks flushed involuntarily, and Montrey’s thick lips writhed a few times as if he was muttering something, but Komer’s words had indeed touched a sore spot, leaving him with little to say. If Brandenburg Castle at the end of the Meyrin River Valley could not be taken, then retreat was inevitable. The joint attack this time was not insignificant, having captured Gdansk Fortress, plundered the Flanders Region, and also broken through Erbin Fortress at the mouth of the Meyrin River Valley, laying waste to the entire valley and reaping a bountiful harvest. Now, lingering in the Flanders Region was simply waiting to see if there would be any progress in the battle at Brandenburg, and departing from the Flanders Region was only a matter of time.

"Mr. Komer, you should understand my dilemma. My warriors have gone through great hardships to conquer this land, and it’s in keeping with our mountain people’s traditions to reap some benefits. As for your claim that the land belongs to you, that’s your mortals’ agreement. We mountain people are not obliged to adhere to it. We only know that if we have made a contribution, we must see a return, or I can’t justify it to my men." Montrey could only resort to such a nearly shameless tactic to deflect, even feeling embarrassed by the words that came out of his mouth.

"Chief Montrey, I can understand your difficulties, but they are hard for me to accept. Still, I am prepared to accept them. I don’t want to see my territory continue to be desolate, and I also don’t want the relationship between me and the mountain people to become unpleasant over this matter. I believe Chief Montrey feels the same," Komer said, his tone carrying some displeasure, which made Montrey feel somewhat uneasy. After all, Caucasus had provided considerable help to the mountain people, be it food or weapons. Although they had cracked down hard on smuggling, it was undeniable that since Caucasus had a new Lord, the situation for the mountain people had improved. This was an important reason why the mountain people were able to launch an attack toward the South. Without the food provided by Caucasus, the mountain people could not sustain such a prolonged conflict. Montrey did not want to fall out with Komer; he simply wanted to use this opportunity to get more benefits from him.

"Of course, of course, Mr. Komer. The Caron Tribe’s current situation is quite difficult, and we would very much like to cooperate with Caucasus. Maintaining a peaceful relationship with you has always been my goal," Montrey replied, not sure how his words suddenly became so awkwardly formal and stilted.

"Hmm, Chief Montrey, if the Flanders Region could be under my control, perhaps the Caron Tribe wouldn’t need to go through the trouble of transporting supplies through Sanjia Tribe over such great distances anymore. This would probably be a more than favorable outcome for both our sides." Komer said with a slight smile.

"Oh?" Montrey perked up at what was perhaps the most wonderful thing he had heard, but then he immediately thought that there would be some corresponding conditions. After calming his emotions, Montrey cautiously asked, "Mr. Komer, what do you propose?"

"Hmm, I want to restore Gdansk Fortress as soon as possible and recruit back the citizens of the Flanders Territory in the shortest possible time to resume production," Komer said bluntly.

To his great surprise, Montrey had not expected such a demanding proposal. Restore Gdansk Fortress?! How could that be acceptable? If Gdansk Fortress was repaired, how would he maintain military pressure over the Flanders Valley?

"Why, does this request surprise Chief Montrey?" Komer looked directly at him. "If not even Gdansk Fortress can be restored, how can I convince the citizens of the Flanders Region that the mountain people won’t come for another raid? I cannot tolerate that under my rule, the mountain people could still plunder my citizens brazenly. Chief Montrey must understand this as well, right?"

"Uh, yes, that’s true," Montrey said, wiping the sweat from his forehead somewhat awkwardly, at a loss for how to parry Komer’s sharp words. Surely he couldn’t admit that his refusal to agree to restore Gdansk Fortress was intended to exert pressure on the other side? Such a thought was, by all means, unspoken.

"The Flanders Valley produces no food, but we can import food from other parts of the Iberian Kingdom. We can exchange our linen for it, while even if the mountain people plunder the linen, they likely won’t be able to exchange it for food from the hands of other mortals, right? Haven’t you understood this, Chief Montrey? It’s a mutually beneficial trade. Of course, the Caron Tribe territory under your control will need to provide things we need, such as gems, ore, medicinal herbs, and even magical beasts. I have always believed that the interests of both parties can only be established on equal trade. If one side oppresses or discriminates against the other, such a relationship can never last. Does Chief Montrey agree with my view?"

Struggling to comprehend Komer’s words, the Caron Tribe’s chief clearly couldn’t quite keep up with Komer’s train of thought. However, one thing he did understand was that Komer didn’t seem to intend to have such a deal with other mountain tribes. This made Montrey both excited and anxious. The Caron Tribe was not the Carlo Tribe; among the Yonka Tribe, Caron ranked only third in strength, and there were two tribes in the Sanwa Tribe stronger than Caron. He had to weigh carefully the risks behind this tempting offer and how to hide it from the other members of the alliance, which was a significant challenge. If the details of this secret deal got out, Caron and he himself would become the targets of public condemnation. Thinking about the ravenous glares from the other tribal chiefs, Montrey shuddered.

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM for more Chapters, support the author, and support authorized reading!)