Chapter 275 - 16: Waiting for a Better Price
"Respected Baron, Mr. Dragumo doesn’t care how long he can wait, even if you still have several guests, Mr. Dragumo is willing to wait, as long as you have the heart to torture Mr. Dragumo so," he said. After interacting a few times with this young yet humorous Lord, even someone who considered himself as stubborn as elmwood, like Mr. Dragumo, was amused into richness of speech by Komer’s witty language. Although still burdened with worries, Mr. Dragumo used a bit of playful rhetoric to comfort himself.
"Hehe, Mr. Dragumo, your mood seems much better than the last two times, that’s more like it," Komer teased the other party, "No matter what difficulties we’re about to face, we first need to maintain a fairly relaxed and peaceful state of mind, only then can we handle and overcome these difficulties in the best posture. If we succumb to pessimism and disappointment, then even matters not so troublesome could become much more difficult, don’t you think? I believe Mr. Dragumo has brought some good news for me this time, otherwise, you wouldn’t be this happy."
"Good news?" Mr. Dragumo’s furry face showed a grin worse than a cry, he pursed his lips and finally let out a deep sigh, "Lord, think about it, what good news could there possibly be for me to bring to you now? I came all the way here this time to ask for aid, Sir. If you don’t come up with a satisfactory solution this time, I, Mr. Dragumo, am prepared to stay here as a guard soldier for the Lord and not return to Mandu. I believe I, Mr. Dragumo, am capable of fulfilling a soldier’s duties."
Mr. Dragumo’s words were filled with bitterness, revealing his true feelings. The various troubles in the Mandu Region had left him overwhelmed for months. Despite significantly reducing the size of the army on Komer’s advice, he was still strapped for resources. The Mortal Nobles in the region were not fond of residing there, so the wealth garnered was not much, and after trading for food and necessities, almost nothing was left. Now they were living off an ever-dwindling supply. All the formerly enslaved people now only knew to lie in the shade of trees to cool off and rest all day, waiting for bread to be distributed from above, unwilling to do any work. Other than his three thousand somewhat loyal soldiers, Mr. Dragumo did not know how to keep going; he would rather be a simple soldier than live every day in anxiety and sorrow.
Tens of thousands of Half-Beastmen and Mortal slaves proclaimed liberated were thus enjoying their so-called freedom and democracy, won through Martial Power, in and around the city of Mandu. But after just a few months of good living, they faced diminishing portions of bread and increasingly watery gruel, growing more and more discontented. Some of the more astute among them had noticed the vicious cycle. A portion began to quietly flee to Caucasus, while others approached Mr. Dragumo to solve the pressing problems. Most of these were leaders or participants in the rebellion who had or still held positions in his army. They were more concerned about their future fate, as there were already many discontent over the food issue, developing into demands for the return of the Mortal Nobility—if they could satisfy the need for food. The Mortal Nobility, once returned, might prioritize retaliating against these former ringleaders, whereas the lowest slaves would just revert back to their former state; having been skilled miners, the nobility would be loath to kill off what was essentially their property.
Komer observed the seemingly simple-minded Half-Beastman man with great interest, noting his evident distress. Intelligence fed back from Maha Gummi confirmed that the situation in Leon was deteriorating rapidly. Mandu was somewhat better off, whereas in places like Izmir, the situation had already spiraled out of control. Military leaders could not even contain their own soldiers, many deserters were colluding to become vicious bandits, rampaging and wreaking havoc, having completely transformed into malevolent brigands. The so-called rebel forces in the area had neither the power nor influence to restrain these bandits, who even subjected them to attacks.
The time was ripe. It was now his turn to step in. Mandu could be an excellent testing ground, and Mr. Dragumo might make a good officer, but he certainly wasn’t cut out to be an Administrative Officer, so Komer believed.
"Mr. Dragumo, I do understand the situation in Leon to some extent. You have come to me for aid time and again, and both emotionally and rationally, I should not refuse you. However, have you considered this? Even if I provide you with aid this time, what about the future? Could Caucasus keep providing Mandu with food aid indefinitely? If so, how could I, as the Lord, explain this to the Citizens of my territory? You know, Our Caucasus is not a place of boundless wealth or abundant food. We cannot even be self-sufficient in food, let alone continue to provide aid. Food is something our Citizens toil over, sweat over, seed by seed. If we provide for Mandu without compensation, wouldn’t your people become Nobles sitting on our heads? Moreover, if the people of Mandu receive such benefits, what would the other regions of Leon think?" It seemed that Komer was exceptionally patient with Mr. Dragumo, having given the same, distinctly unhelpful, response to other leaders of the uprisings from Leon’s various regions. For Mr. Dragumo, Komer was willing to spend some time and energy explaining patiently.