The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 877: Volume 27: Sudden Storm, - 16: Collaborator

Chapter 877: Volume 27: Sudden Storm, Chapter 16: Collaborator

The subsequent conversation once again shattered Komer’s good impression of Mr. Feuerbach. His outrageous demands made Komer witness the truth behind "birds of a feather flock together." Far greedier than the Gisa people, this hybrid with an appetite bigger than the Karmani’s, had the audacity to demand a share of the profit from smelting and refining the magic metal ore in proportion with Komer, which led Komer to suspect this man had been influenced by the Karmani to make such an excessive demand.

Seeing the suspicious gaze Komer cast upon him, Karmani knew he might have been unjustly blamed. This Lord was already deeply prejudiced against the Gisa people, and cursed the voracious Feuerbach for causing the Lord to suspect a private agreement between them.

"Mr. Feuerbach, you are too hasty. How can you propose such an unrealistic demand when things haven’t even truly begun? My suggestion is, perhaps, after we see some substantial results, you should then exchange ideas with Lord Komer, which would likely be much more reasonable."

Komer cast a glance at Karmani; this guy was finally speaking sensibly. He dared to talk prices about something that was still just a shadow; Feuerbach was indeed unusually mad. If it weren’t for witnessing his "professional level" performance, Komer would have already kicked the man off the boat. For now, he still needed to keep Feuerbach close, especially to establish the magic metal refining center in Izmir.

Goat head must have seen Komer’s displeasure and offered a way out for themselves: "I was only speaking hypothetically. With my professional level, as long as Lord Komer can provide enough ore materials and artisan workers, I can assure you that in one year, the Caucasus will become a place that lords and mages from the Whole Continent will covet."

"Mr. Feuerbach, do you have any special requirements for the craftsmen and workers?" Komer asked directly, ignoring the other’s attempt to ease the situation.

"Hmm, it would be best if we could have many Dwarf craftsmen. Their talents in smelting and refining operations are unparalleled by other races. With Dwarf craftsmen, work efficiency will be higher, and we can fully guarantee the volume and purity of magic metal produced," Feuerbach earnestly replied, conscientious about his expertise. "I saw many Dwarves settling by the Lakeside of Niall on the ship; I wonder whether they belong to the Hill Dwarves or the Forest Dwarves? If they are Hill Dwarves, that would be most suitable—they all should have the basic qualifications."

Komer’s trip to Izmir yielded considerable results. With the opening of the canal, traders gathering in Izmir were gleaming with eagerness. The mining conditions there were extraordinarily favorable. Once the transportation bottleneck that had restricted mining was broken, the location could immediately become a more suitable smelting center than Bahomon. Superior coal from Santiago could be directly delivered to the dock in Izmir, and Izmir’s flat terrain was also extremely suitable for constructing a large smelting center. All the necessary conditions were in place; a massive infusion of funds would kick off an intense construction boom.

Many of Komer’s subordinates did not prioritize the development of Izmir. In their view, areas like Homer were where Komer should be focusing. However, Komer and Puber saw it differently. Homer was still a new territory for Komer; gaining full acceptance from the people of this region would take significant time, as would erasing the marks left from Philip’s era—his father Ramla. Philip’s policies, which were not entirely reasonable and favored agriculture over commerce, were still deeply ingrained, so much so that any attempt by Komer to alter these policies could potentially destabilize the situation, which was clearly not appropriate at this stage.

Everyone, including Fran and Rebury, knew that with the systematic development of several large corps underway, the rapid swelling of the new forces of the Homer Knights and the Homer-Caucasus Allied Wizards was taking a toll on Caucasus’s already fragile finances, devouring the meager income like an abyss. If not for Puber’s wise decision in the beginning to sell off various rights in the Caucasus and attract investments aggressively, even the salaries and equipment expenses for the initial Half-Beastmen and Barbarian soldiers might not have been sustainable, let alone expanding the Army.

But now, facing an Army that had increased several folds in number and had considerably improved in quality, even with the inclusion of Homer, a huge fiscal deficit still plagued the entire territory. Puber had warned Komer that unless a reliable method was found to secure a large amount of money to cover this shortfall, Komer’s military expansion plans would inevitably fail.

Every day, the Army consumed a substantial portion of the meager financial resources of the Caucasus and Homer, which made Komer anxious. The Caucasus Bank has formally issued a warning: if this dire financial situation in the Caucasus and Homer continues, in the interest of all shareholders, the Bank would be forced to stop loan support to the Lord’s Mansion, which was essentially like serving Komer and Puber an ultimatum.

In such a predicament, selling off mining rights and shares of the canal in Izmir was the only way out. The sudden emergence of the magic metal ore opened another avenue for Komer, who was in a tight spot. How to quickly develop the Mines, convert those ores buried deep within the mountains into gleaming Gold Shields at the fastest speed, was Komer’s most urgent problem. Especially considering the staggering returns from magic metal, the prospect left Komer unbearably eager. Establishing a real magic metal smelting and refining center would be even more satisfying than developing a large gold Mine. The vast disparity between a small piece of magic metal and entire ships full of ore and coal could hardly keep Komer’s heart at rest.

It was clear that the Laurent family had already prepared for everything. Komer had to admit that these Gisa people had an exceptional ability to grasp business opportunities. Although reluctant to deal with them, under these circumstances, he had to acknowledge that they were indeed the most suitable partners. (To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit www.qidian.com. For more Chapters, support the author, support authorized reading!)