Chapter 668: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Nineteen: Fellow Kind
At this moment, Katya’s face was slightly changing hues, and under the glow of the firelight, her beauty was even more pronounced. Komer observed her openly, wanting to see how this woman would react to his behavior.
"Viscount, don’t you think your actions are playing with fire?" After a while, Katya finally exhaled and spoke somberly.
"Heh, are Barbarians fire? Well, perhaps they could be considered as such. This fire might indeed be scorching, but those who play with fire are not necessarily doomed to burn. It all depends on the skill and ability of the one playing with it. If handled properly, I believe this fire can bring us warmth and bring fear and burns to our enemies," Komer said presumptuously while sitting on a luxurious woolen hammock, making Katya feel somewhat confined. She subconsciously wanted to sit up, but then thought it might seem like a sign of weakness, so she simply curled her legs slightly to avoid physical contact between them.
A subtle atmosphere slowly developed in this environment, and Komer enjoyed it. He needed to test her limits.
"Oh, so the Viscount is quite confident?" Katya tried to keep her emotions steady. The scenes from the Caucasus and Cordillera Wilderness had left a deep impression on her. The young man before her was far from the simple Noble from Versailles he had been in the past. This remote corner had now become a crucial source of power, at least for her. He could even dispatch three thousand Half-beast soldiers to help Jazair fend off Beastmen attacks. This symbolic act alone had turned Caucasus and Komer into trendy topics among Jazair’s Nobles. This man’s schemes were deep, and every step he took was astonishing, each bringing him significant gains.
"Heh-heh, Your Highness, forgive my boldness, but confidence comes from strength. Although it may sound arrogant, to the Sanjia Tribe, either the Caucasus or I will forever be insurmountable obstacles. If they wish to survive, develop, and grow, they can only rely on me. Of course, I too have my own reliance on them, and I believe Your Highness understands this point," Komer’s smile always had a hint of mischief.
Taken aback, Katya’s gaze wandered across Komer’s face. "I don’t quite understand the implications of your words. Could you please give me a more detailed explanation?"
"Your Highness, the situation of the Barbarians is not as simple as you imagine. They are not a homogeneous group but an Alliance formed by numerous tribes of different sizes, similar in this respect to the Half-beastmen of the North. Their collective strength even surpasses that of the Beastmen, but in terms of unity, they are much looser, and one might say they are in a state of disarray. They are trapped in a vicious cycle due to the blockade by our Mortal world and other races. For their own benefits and survival pressure, these tribal communities have to compete with each other while collectively facing external threats. The contradictions that they cannot reconcile arise in their struggle to secure enough survival resources and advantages to ensure a better living space for themselves."
"The Sanjia Tribe is merely three of the smallest tribes out of thirteen significant tribes in the Barbarian Alliance. The tribes settled in the northern areas bordering the Caucasus, generally speaking, are relatively weak because the soil conditions of the Caucasus and Leon are not suitable for large-scale grain production, and the Catania River poses a barrier. However, now that the Caucasus has opened a passage to the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River, the ample food supply from that region can continuously flow into the Caucasus, not only meeting the needs of both the Caucasus and Leon but also supplying a portion to the Barbarians of the Cordillera Wilderness. The privileged position of proximity to resources has naturally turned the Sanjia Tribe’s land into a hotspot. To my knowledge, just within the last six months alone, five small tribal communities have come to join the Garong Tribe, with the larger ones numbering in the thousands and even the smaller ones have hundreds. Additionally, the Galong and Gapeng Tribes have each had three and two tribes come to affiliate with them, respectively. This period of time is probably when the Sanjia Tribe has seen the fastest expansion of its strength."
"Viscount, I still don’t quite understand. Doesn’t the expansion of the Sanjia Tribe’s power pose any threat or pressure to you? Aren’t you afraid they’ll become the masters? Or do you believe you have full control to suppress their Martial Power?" Since the subject was out in the open, Katya no longer concealed anything and asked the key question directly.