The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 835: Volume 26: Gathering Strength, - 2: The Laurent Family of the Gisa People

Chapter 835: Volume 26: Gathering Strength, Chapter 2: The Laurent Family of the Gisa People

"Oh, Lord Komer, do you really think all of us Gisa people are only interested in profit?" the young man with the sharp face shook his head repeatedly to show his dissatisfaction, "Lord Komer, those are all prejudices against us Gisa people. It’s true that we Gisa people are mainly engaged in commerce, but we also make a living through our own abilities. People always think that Gisa people do not produce, and that we can accumulate wealth merely through trade, thus harboring some prejudices. However, they overlook the fact that we are exchanging our intelligence and knowledge for these achievements."

Seeing that Karmani seemed to be about to launch into a long speech again, Komer quickly interrupted him, "I apologize, Mr. Karmani. I have no prejudice against the Gisa people. In my view, every nation must have its own reasons and basis for survival in this world. The saying ’survival of the fittest’ should be the best explanation. As for the means they adopt, I do not mind."

"Ah, that’s good, that’s good." Karmani’s face was full of smiles, "I just wanted to make it clear to you, Lord, that we Gisa people are not as bad as the rumors say, and we can also contribute to the development of your territory."

Komer looked at him deeply. This fellow seemed to have something up his sleeve. Did he have some other idea? But it seemed that the other party also felt that this was not the right occasion to speak, so he prudently withdrew and said no more.

"Carreila, how many immigrants are there now reclaiming wasteland by the shores of Lake Niall?" Komer brought his attention back to the matter at hand.

"About three to four hundred people, and the number is slowly increasing. However, I am very much looking forward to Mr. Karmani’s canal being completed. Once the canal is through, it will greatly promote the development of this region. I have already agreed with Mr. Karmani to first construct a simple dock at the entrance of the canal to the lake to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods by general boats and make it easier for immigrants from other places to come and go freely." Carreila’s face also showed a touch of excitement, proud and satisfied with the prospect of turning barren wilderness into fertile fields and homesteads through his efforts.

"Hmm, where do most of these immigrants come from? From the Caucasus?" Komer asked offhandedly.

"No, not many immigrants come from the Caucasus because most of them have already settled and cultivated land there and do not wish to change their environment. Most of the immigrants here have scattered to the Caucasus after the Beastmen invaded Jazair from the south, and some have come from the landless farmers from the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River. It is a trend; it seems that there is a serious concentration of land ownership in the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River, with even some unrest breaking out. This is probably the main reason these landless farmers have migrated here," Carreila was quite clear about the composition of these immigrants.

"Oh?" Komer paused, surprised. He had not noticed that the region surrounding the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River was becoming somewhat chaotic. However, for the time being, this had little impact on the Caucasus. After gaining control of the Busen Plain, food had become a secondary concern. At least all of Homer and the Caucasus did not need to worry about food anymore. Even if the region around the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River did not export a single grain, the Caucasus could still manage.

"Lord Komer, the development prospects in Izmir are very promising. Many merchants have come to inquire about developing iron mines in the Izmir region. Personally, I believe that under the current circumstances, it is still feasible to increase the number of iron mines. With the opening of the canal, the export of iron ore can not only solve the local labor problem but also bring prosperity to transportation. This is like killing two birds with one stone. Moreover, there are signs of magic metal ore associated with the discovered iron mines in Izmir. If this situation is confirmed, it would be an extremely delightful event."

Carreila’s beaming smile was so contagious that even Komer felt a bit affected by his excitement.

In fact, Izmir had always been one of Komer’s main areas of concern. Izmir was arguably the region with the most development potential in the whole of Leon. This region is rich in high-grade fine iron ore with low extraction costs. The only thing holding back the region’s development was transportation. Located in the inland west of Leon, it was a considerable distance from the coast and the Nissai River. The only river flowing through it, the Kido River, was a tributary entering Lake Niall, and until there was a canal connecting Lake Niall to the Nether Sea and the Catania River, transport had to rely on the land route to get the iron ore out, making the cost prohibitively high. As a result, the mining of iron ore had never been able to expand, and many high-grade iron ores, which would be considered quite good in other regions of the Continent, had to be abandoned by the mine owners. The mine owners would only select the small fraction of the highest grade to mine and transport away to try to reduce the pressure of transport costs.

But now the situation was different. With the opening of the canal, coal from Santiago could be easily transported to Izmir, and Izmir’s iron ore could likewise be cheaply transported to Santiago, Mattdam, or any coastal location along the Nether Sea and the Mediterranean by water. With such favorable conditions, Izmir could flourish and prosper in a relatively short amount of time, becoming the second major smelting center after Bahomon sooner or later.

However, this was the first time Komer had heard about the discovery of magic metal ore in Izmir, which had his ears perked up with interest.

Magic Metal Ore reserves in the Blue Continent were quite small, and almost always found as by-products in other ores. The smelting and purification processes were not easy, but the utility of Magic Metal Ore was just too significant. It had an extremely wide range of applications, not only as an essential component for high-grade weapons but also extensively used in Magic tools and Puppet Magic Dolls. It was vitally important for enhancing the effectiveness of weapons, props, and puppets. For instance, if high-level knights’ Knight Spears were forged with some Magic Metal that matched their attributes as an additive, it could greatly enhance the power of the Knight Spears.

"Are you talking about Magic Metal Ore? Are you certain?" Komer’s breathing became much more rapid; if it were indeed possible to mine Magic Metal Ore, then the entire weapon manufacturing industry of Caucasus might leap forward. Especially since high-grade weapons could then not only be independent of the Southern Mediterranean Region but might even be exported,

"Yes, there should be no problem, but the exact quantity and composition still require further exploration. I estimate it will take a period of time before we can produce something detailed and accurate." Carreila nodded, "However, our smelting capabilities here in Caucasus probably can’t handle the separation and purification of these associated metals. This is something you might want to consider as soon as possible, Lord."

"Hmm, that’s true; at present, perhaps only those smelting families from the Southern Mediterranean or those experts in Magic Metal smelting from Bohemia possess such technology. If we want to make use of these Magic Metals, we will need to put in some effort indeed."

Komer also knew this problem wouldn’t be easy to solve. Smelting and purifying Magic Metal was a high-end technology within the metallurgy industry, requiring not only a wealth of smelting experience and technique but also and most importantly, mastery of Fire Magic. This effectively demanded that these metallurgists also be Magic Practitioners, like Alchemists or similar powerhouses, to provide guidance on-site; otherwise, it would be difficult to successfully refine pure Magic Metal. Such individuals were quite rare on the Continent, and among the strong wielders of Fire Magic abilities, not many were interested in smelting, and those who were skilled in smelting techniques might not necessarily be proficient in Fire Magic. Only outliers like Alchemists would possess talent in both areas.

"Lord Komer, do you need someone capable of helping you refine Magic Metal?" Karmani, who had been listening carefully to the conversation between Komer and Carreila, seemed to suddenly find a topic and hastily joined in.

"Oh? Mr. Karmani, you’re not telling me you’re an Alchemist, are you?" Komer joked half-seriously with the other party.

"Oh, no, no, Lord, you really are humorous." Karmani did not feel embarrassed at all, "What I mean is if you truly need talents capable of refining Magic Metal, our Laurent family knows some people in this field, and we could help you find them."

Hearing the other party’s earnestness, Komer scrutinized him: "Mr. Karmani, are you serious?"

"Lord Komer, how could I possibly lie to you?" Karmani affirmed with sincerity.

"Well then, I’ll trouble you to help me recruit some talents in this field. However, I really hadn’t thought that the Laurent family would have such extensive connections in this area." Komer remarked with implied meaning.

"Lord Komer, if you interact with our Laurent family more, you’ll discover that we are always fully supportive of our friends. Moreover, our family has stayed in many kingdoms across the Blue Continent and made numerous friends. So, please be assured in this regard, we will definitely fulfill any promise we make," Karmani smiled, clearly pleased with Komer’s words that carried an obvious positive connotation.

"However, Mr. Karmani, I’ve also heard that the Laurent family’s reputation isn’t very good in various places. It seems that in every business deal, you try to extract every possible benefit. As far as I know, not only are the laborers involved in the Canal project very unhappy with their treatment, almost causing protests on several occasions, but even the merchants partnered with you speak poorly of you," Komer glanced sideways at Karmani, who was looking complacent, and said with an unperturbed tone, "I wonder if what I’ve heard is true?"

"Ah? This, this, ••••••" A clearly embarrassed Karmani quickly recovered his composure, "Mr. Komer, could you allow me to explain?"

(To be continued. For more information, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available and support the author by reading the authorized version!)