The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 771: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 8: Accept with a Smile

Chapter 771: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 8: Accept with a Smile

Komer’s expression was calm, yet anyone could tell he was seriously considering the other party’s suggestion.

"Heinem, to be frank, your request puts me in a difficult position. You should understand the relationship between the Caucasus and your mountain people, and in the southern land of Flanders, I also have a very harmonious relationship with the Caron Tribe and several other mountain tribes. If I agree lightly to grant you the citizen rights of the Caucasus, it may bring many unforeseen and serious consequences." Komer was not being alarmist.

"Lord, we all understand this, and it is precisely because your Caucasus and the territory of Flanders are located at the northern and southern ends, both having close relations with the mountain tribes on Cordillera Wasteland, that you can better exert your influence and make them give in," Heinem’s eyes shone even brighter, and his tone grew more urgent, "You should be aware that the Chieftains of the big mountain tribes hardly consider our small tribes at all. Their sole intention is to seize any opportunity to devour and absorb us, to reduce us to their tribe’s slaves, without willing to give anything in return. Rather than that, we would rather join you!"

Komer’s heart shook. The moment those words were spoken, they were far from ordinary. He knew that it was impossible to make such a cross-racial statement without considerable courage, although it was also possible that it was a strategy of the other side.

"Oh? Heinem, is this truly what you all think? Or is it simply a flexible approach and strategy?"

"Sir, we mountain people have an old saying, ’time can test everything.’ Why are you not willing to give it a try?" The mountain man’s gaze at this moment was exceptionally deep.

Without clearly agreeing or disagreeing, Komer merely shrugged his shoulders and did not immediately respond. He was pondering whether the other side acted out of compulsion, genuine sentiment, or if it was a strategy of making a retreat to advance.

"Heinem, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I feel that neither the Caucasus nor Flanders is quite ready for this." After pondering for a while, Komer stated indifferently, to the great disappointment of the other two barbarian representatives.

However, Heinem did not lose heart, and the fervor in his eyes did not diminish. He had already sensed the scent of success. The other party’s hesitation meant they were not entirely unmoved, but merely unwilling to take a risk due to various concerns. If he could offer something beyond the other party’s expectations, then everything might just be possible...

"Lord, I sincerely hope you will consider it once more. In fact, the influence that our small tribes joining the Caucasus could have on those mountain tribes might not be as significant as you imagine. Including the Sanjia Tribe, those mountain tribes may not wish to see this happen, but if you really do it, I believe they will soon accept it. After all, it’s the Sanka tribe that is more interested in absorbing our small tribes, not them. The Sanjia Tribe’s power is still not enough to contend with the Sanka tribe, and with their attention mostly on the south, they will neither have much energy to focus on this matter for a while nor will they be likely to intervene, being separated by the Sanjia Tribe’s territory," Heinem elaborated in detail, suddenly causing Komer to look at him with new respect.

It was unexpected that among these barbarian small tribes, there would be such extraordinary individuals whose meticulous thinking and objective rational analysis covered nearly all possibilities, hardly inferior to Dvanch, causing Komer to hold the barbarians’ level in higher regard.

It seemed that the barbarians were not as easily deceived as he had once thought. There were many intelligent individuals among them, and perhaps it is only due to their limited circumstances and horizons that they knew too little of the outside world, thus restraining their thoughts. Once they obtained enough information, perhaps they could create a civilization not inferior to that of mortals.

"Heinem, I must admit, you are quite eloquent. Among the mountain people, it’s the first time I’ve encountered someone with wisdom that matches our mortals’ ability in debate. Ha, to be honest, what you said, or rather the things hidden in your words, have moved me. Well, if I continue to refuse your request, it would seem somewhat unreasonable. So now, let’s discuss the most concrete and direct matters. If you join the Caucasus, and I grant you the status of formal citizens of the Caucasus, what can you bring to the Caucasus? I need to have sufficient reasons to convince the mortals within my territory and also to leave the Half-Beastmen there with nothing to object to," Komer said, looking at the three men directly.

"Lord, what do you wish to gain? Since we mountain people are to become your citizens, everything we have will be subject to your mortals’ laws and customs, rest assured of that. We mountain people are not so uncouth as to disregard proper etiquette." After a surge of ecstasy, Heinem swiftly regained his composure. This was indeed just the first step; what followed would concern the vital interests of every mountain person.

"No, no, Heinem, such words sound a bit disingenuous. I don’t want the straightforward mountain people to pick up our mortals’ bad habits so quickly," Komer said with a smile, shaking his head. He needed the other party to make the offer themselves.

Heinem’s eyes flickered as he clearly understood the implication of Komer’s words. The mountain people would have to offer something compelling, for Komer would not take such a risk to grant them the citizen rights of the Caucasus if they could only provide simple labor like the Half-Beastmen did. This was a choice that Heinem knew the mountain people couldn’t afford to make.

"Lord, we have already reached a consensus among seven small tribes, each numbering less than two thousand people, some even less than a thousand. But each of our tribes can provide one to two hundred skilled soldiers; they are the foundation upon which our small tribes survive. As your citizens, as formal citizens of the Caucasus, we understand it’s our unavoidable responsibility to answer your call to arms and to defend the Caucasus. However, please, Lord, be sympathetic to the difficulties faced by our small mountain tribes. We are not like the Sanjia Tribe, whose ten tribes together don’t match the size of a single one of theirs, and this is something I hope you will understand, Lord."

Komer took a liking to Heinem’s forthright words. The other party hid nothing, and information from Maha Gummi confirmed that contributions from these small tribes were indeed limited. Yet even so, Komer could amass a fairly sizable armed force.

"Very well, Heinem, this is precisely what I’ve been waiting to hear. If your words can represent the will of all seven tribes, then I am prepared to accept your allegiance. I don’t want to hide anything; I need an armed force of about two thousand men, to be formed and comprised of mountain soldiers. I will appoint my most loyal and capable officers to lead and train this army; their equipment and conditions will be identical to those of the integrated Greater Caucasus Self-Defense Forces. But I must remind you that though I do not love war, an army’s duty is to fight, and fighting inevitably leads to casualties. I hope the mountain warriors understand this resolve fully," Komer said candidly, without mincing his words.

"Lord, please believe in our mountain warriors; though they are not many, they are brave warriors who have been called upon to fight in wars numerous times. They understand the meaning of sacrifice better than anyone else," Heinem said, his tone growing remarkably solemn and serious at the mention of his tribe’s warriors.

"Good. For the finer details, I think my Administrative Officers will discuss the next steps with you. As for other matters, I will make suitable arrangements; you need not worry. The Greater Caucasus has plenty of job opportunities and space for survival. I believe that after acquiring citizen rights, the mountain people will embark on a bright future. Congratulations to you!" Komer said, rising with satisfaction.

When the three representatives stepped out of the study and, nearly without delay, hastened south, their lengthy stay in Bruce Fortress had already made them anxious. With a favorable outcome in hand, they were eager to relay it to their companions as swiftly as possible. Before leaving, Komer and Puber also advised them not to spread the news for the time being; even though the Sanjia Tribe and other mountain people would inevitably learn of it, it was better to avoid provoking the other mountain people as much as possible.

As for Komer himself, he was contemplating how to address the protestations or even rebukes from the Sanjia Tribe. The proud mountain people would find it difficult to bow before what they perceived as weak mortals. This indignity would be intolerable for those with strong beliefs in the ideology of the big mountain people. However, Komer believed that only those with simpler minds would think this way. The upper echelons of the Sanjia Tribe would not fail to understand the current situation. Already unable to extricate themselves from the Caucasus in every aspect, especially economic interdependence, they would need to evaluate whether they had the stamina and public support for any action they considered.

Combining deterrence with appeasement should be enough to stabilize the Sanjia Tribe. Even if Dvanch could foresee future crises, he was powerless to act for now. The tide of the times cannot be stopped by any one person; even they themselves would, knowingly or unknowingly, become embroiled in it. Komer, for one, was looking forward to that day.

With the mountain people now established in the Caucasus, granting them citizen rights was merely the next step. It would be somewhat troublesome to quickly relocate the old, weak, women, and children still living in the harshest parts of the Cordillera Wilderness, but this was a necessary price to pay for their allegiance and the power they offered. Considering the vastness of the current Greater Caucasus, this price was entirely affordable.

(To be continued... For more about the subsequent events, please visit [Authorized Reading] WWW.CMFU.COM. More Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)