Chapter 543: Volume 13: Sea Rain and Sky Wind - 13: Navigation
Komer’s words completely shattered the illusions of Stari, Hotep, Iris, and the other Jellyfish Clan leaders.
For them, the role of Magic Pharmacist was an unattainable fantasy. The Jellyfish Clan had never had much talent for magic, and although they suspected Komer of possibly exaggerating, this doubt was quickly smothered by the impassioned collective sentiment of the jellyfish nobles. The Jellyfish Clan was in desperate need to eliminate this magical calamity.
When Komer mentioned his desire to open up the Catania River navigation to Caucasus, this request stirred some ripples among the jellyfish people, but compared to the topic of breaking the Water God’s curse, which affected the fate of every household and the entire clan of the Jellyfish People, it seemed rather insignificant.
Luckily, the leaders of the Jellyfish People were shrewd. Seeing that the trend toward a deal was inevitable, they rationally gave up their opposition and started discussing the specific terms of the trade with Komer’s party in earnest.
Stari became Komer’s main opponent in the negotiations. Komer was aware that his opponent must have spent a long time in Mortal Society and was quite familiar with mortal etiquette and customs, but he didn’t care; he wasn’t planning to fleece the Jellyfish People or ask for an exorbitant price. He was looking forward to a long-term cooperation that could bring more substantial returns to Caucasus.
Guided by this mindset, the negotiations went remarkably smoothly. The Jellyfish People did not intend to fully open the Catania River navigation; they would only allow ships or fleets with special approval to pass through the Catania River navigation channel. This suited Komer’s wishes, as control of the channel would always remain in the hands of the Jellyfish People, and since they were now asking for his help, it meant that the rights to navigate the channel were effectively in his own hands. Countries and cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River would never be able to obtain this power, which was akin to a monopolistic scheme. Why not be pleased?
The compromise eventually reached was that the Caucasus Prefecture would submit a list of ships or fleets authorized to navigate the Great Swamp Area section of the Catania River to the Jellyfish Clan once a year. Upon confirmation by the Jellyfish Clan, the arrangement could officially proceed.
Ships navigating the Catania River were not allowed to approach within a hundred meters of the no-go zones on either side of the river to prevent conflicts with members of the Jellyfish Clan. Should any conflict arise, it would be resolved through joint consultation by legal officers authorized by the Caucasus Prefecture and legal hall staff of the Jellyfish Clan.
Since the swamp area section of the river spans several hundred kilometers, passing through this waterbody in one or two days, especially for upstream vessels, would be difficult, despite the assistance of sails, due to the Catania River’s fast flow and high water volume.
Komer also reached an agreement with the Jellyfish Clan to build a temporary emergency dock area in a shallow water zone near the Reed Marsh in the middle of the Great Swamp Area of the Catania River. It would serve as a temporary stop for passing ships, and the area within a five-hundred-meter radius of this temporary stop would be off-limits to members of the Jellyfish Clan. However, this additional condition was obtained by Komer in exchange for three thousand doses of free healing powder.