Chapter 549: Volume 13: Sea Rain and Heavenly Wind - 19: River Heart State
Seeing the vast misty expanse of River Heart State before him, Komer couldn’t help wanting to hug the stern-faced Jellyfish People in front of him and bite them twice. He wondered whether the Jellyfish People, who had always been at odds with him, were actually planning to surprise him by suddenly assigning such a strategic location to him. To avoid betraying the euphoria deep inside his heart, he had to suppress his emotions diligently, feigning indifference and even a hint of impatience as he listened to the other party’s introduction.
"Mr. Komer, it seems that this is the only place that meets your requirements and can also be accepted by our Pharaoh. Although this River Heart State is a bit elevated, it comes with certain advantages. The rising waters of the Catania River have no effect on this place. Look here, the terrain in several areas is suitable for building a dock. Don’t you just want a proper temporary mooring spot for ships? I think this place will do. As for the fact that it’s mostly barren hills and grass slopes, you’ll need to put in some effort to clear and tidy it up, but it’s passable for use. There are no members of our clan living for miles around, and they rarely come to this region, which avoids unnecessary conflicts. What do you think?"
The Jellyfish tribe person with his hair braided into countless small braids kept introducing the area incessantly while also carefully observing Komer’s expression.
Both the Pharaoh and the Double Honor had instructed him to keep the others from getting too close to their people. This guy didn’t seem easy to fool; he’d asked for several locations that were too close to large settlements on the riverbanks. His repeated objections had already caused some impatience in the other party, but he had no choice but to follow the instructions of the Pharaoh and the Double Honor. Mixing these cunning mortals with their own simple and kind tribe was not a good thing for his people.
"Hmm, this place? Isn’t it a bit too desolate, Mr. Selavi? With the rapid flow of the water, it’s not easy to dock the ships. Look at how big this River Heart State is, and it’s all barren hills and overgrown with weeds and bushes—how many people would it take to clear it? Wouldn’t it be possible to switch to a riverside area instead?"
Having walked all this way, Komer had set his mind on turning this spot into an important transit station in the Great Swamp Area of the Catania River, a base to connect himself with the Jellyfish Clan. Yet on the surface, he had to appear unsatisfied, looking for excuses to nitpick.
"Er, it is a bit desolate here, but I really can’t find a suitable place along the riverbanks, Mr. Komer. Look, the area of this River Heart State is large enough, isn’t it? It’s three to four thousand meters long from front to back and over a thousand meters wide from left to right. Once it’s cleaned up, it could entirely be turned into a fair. To construct a temporary dock, it’s more than sufficient. Just take this place so I can report back to the Pharaoh sooner."
As a government official from the council, Selavi, tasked with choosing the location for the temporary docking point in Caucasus, was somewhat reluctant. Dealing with these cunning mortals meant that each issue required careful consideration. If they seemed too eager to obtain something, he must not satisfy them right away. Even if the reason was unclear at the moment, there definitely lurked some conspiracy behind it. If they were hesitant about something, then he must persuade them to grudgingly accept it—that was Selavi’s lesson learned from experience.
Komer kept shaking his head, indicating he couldn’t accept such a desolate place. With no residents for miles and in the center of the Catania River, how long would it take to clear such desolation, which would greatly impact the impending shipping route? But the more Komer seemed to decline, the more convinced Selavi became that this was indeed the place. It was most suitable not only to keep the tribespeople from getting too close to these mortals, but also because, being in the heart of the river, it would not affect the lives of the tribe members. If these mortals dared to leave River Heart State for the riverbanks on both sides, they would be violating the agreement and could be subject to severe punishment.
In the end, Komer couldn’t outstubborn Selavi. After Selavi agreed to also include a smaller River Heart State located beneath the first as part of the same territory for the temporary docking point in Caucasus, Komer was compelled to "accept" both River Heart States as temporary docks. The two parties signed a treaty aboard the "Marta" merchant ship regarding the rental of these two River Heart States as temporary docklands leased to Caucasus, with a lease term of one hundred years, paying only a symbolic rent of one Gold Shield to the Jellyfish Clan each year.
When Komer and his group watched Selavi and company leave the "Marta" merchant ship on a raft, satisfied, Komer could no longer restrain the wild euphoria in his heart, laughing uproariously. Rebry and others also shook their heads with a bitter smile and sighed at the Jellyfish People’s smugness. These inexperienced Jellyfish People were no match for the Lord in scheming. With just a little prompting, Mr. Komer could make the Jellyfish Clan suffer a great loss.