Chapter 274 - 15: Harvest Season
Dragumo, anxious and restless, sat outside the spacious study of Komer in the Lord’s Mansion, waiting to be received. This was already his fourth visit in the past two months to see the baron, but unfortunately, his lordship’s interest in Leon seemed to grow ever fainter. The time spent conversing with him also grew increasingly brief, with tones of impatience creeping into the dialogue. Last time they spoke, there even seemed to be an insinuation that the collaborative relationship between Leon and the Caucasus might very well be over, which made Dragumo even more uneasy.
Dragumo had gleaned some insider knowledge through the veiled words of his compatriot Maha Gummi. It appeared that the patron behind the Lord, the Central Kingdom of Nicosia, was not quite satisfied with the current situation. Believing that the kingdom had taken on a great deal of pressure to supply Leon with a significant amount of food and resources, yet Leon’s rebel forces seemed unable to pose any further threat to Homer after their victory. Now, facing the massive threat from the beastmen, the already strapped central kingdom seemed intent on cutting off support for Leon—meaning a cessation of food and resource trade, which would be a bolt from the blue for Leon.
But it really wasn’t their own side’s fault. Those damned Homer People had burnt down the floating bridge, severing the only passage over the Nissai River. Even if their side desired to advance into Homer, the vast expanse of the Nissai River was enough to dispel anyone of such foolish thoughts. Without a bridge, the river became an unbridgeable chasm. It was unfortunate that Leon had an abundance of miners and brave warriors, but no craftsmen skilled in bridge-building. Everyone could only sigh in despair when facing the river. On the other side, Bruce Fortress seemed to be constructing a new floating bridge, but a mere moment’s thought revealed that if Homer was brave enough to build it, they must have a way to control it. Otherwise, that would be akin to inviting a wolf into the den. What’s more, judging by their progress, it would take months to complete. So, what should their own side do now?
All hope was placed on the Caucasus. Along the way, the wheat fields beside the road hinted at an impending bountiful harvest in the Caucasus, and although most of this land was newly cultivated and would not yield a high volume of grain, this vision of abundance still sparked a glimmer of hope in Dragumo. If the Lord could persuade the locals to save a bit more and import some food through Mattdam Port, perhaps Leon could endure a few more months.
At that thought, Dragumo couldn’t help but heave a sigh. With resources dwindling, much of what could be sold from the nobility’s confiscated property had already been liquidated, yet the daily consumption of food showed no signs of decreasing. Despite drastic reductions in soldiers and food supply restrictions within his controlled area, they were still running out of food every few days, with some regions even being in worse shape. More and more people began to long for the life of the mines—though hard, at least there was enough black bread to fill their bellies. The emergence of such sentiments alerted Dragumo to an impending crisis. If no measures were taken, the half-beastman slaves who had only just gained their freedom might soon volunteer to have the mortal nobility rule over Leon once again, fearing that leaders like himself would soon become corpses hanging outside the noble manors.
Now, his only hope lay with the Caucasus. If the baron did not lend him a hand, Dragumo did not know what he would do. He truly could not think of any solution to the current predicament, and it was only at this moment that he realized how naïve his past imaginings of a lord’s luxurious life had been. He had no idea how the noble lords solved such issues; perhaps his mind was simply not cut out for contemplating such complex problems.
Finally, the baron’s guests from the study emerged—it looked like two knights. Dragumo’s sharp eyes scanned the knights. These knights, who seemed a notch above everyone else, always carried an air of arrogance, remaining haughty even when stepping out of the baron’s room. The baron’s demeanor, on the other hand, was very composed, with a trace of a smile, and despite the knights not looking very pleased, the baron courteously ushered them to the door.