Chapter 818: Volume 25, Striking the Water Midstream, - 5: Knocking at the Door
"Hayreddin, Murad, I’m afraid I can’t offer you much help at the moment, especially with Homer not yet completely stabilized and the kingdom’s internal situation still full of uncertainties. I don’t want to hide anything from you; my goal is not just Homer. I have grander ambitions. Yet, the Southern Mediterranean and Storm Ocean areas are equally important to me. Do you remember what I told you? That sea will become the most crucial passage for us to control and influence the coastal nations of the Southern Mediterranean. Through it, we can also control the burgeoning development of the Blue Continent."
As Komer adjusted his thoughts, he candidly shared with the two seafaring warriors who were earnestly listening to his opinion, "So, I want to hear what you think, and see what kind of methods you plan to use to help me gain control of this sea area. I mean to take control of this sea’s power while Katrina has no capacity to focus on this area, and at the same time, make the coastal nations of the Southern Mediterranean acknowledge our influence over this sea. Of course, I’ll try to prolong the dominance battle between the Carter Fleet and the Gray Skull as much as I can."
"Lord, our idea is to make use of the Rakulado Archipelago, which used to be occupied by Demisheme. Xifnos Island can control the passage from the Southern Mediterranean Region to the Blue Continent, and the Rakulado Archipelago can serve as a gateway for the regions along the Storm Ocean to the Blue Continent and the Southern Mediterranean Region. Especially Kura Island, the main island of the archipelago, is geographically well-situated. The only issue is the inability to self-sustain with necessary supplies. If we can legitimately incorporate these islands into Caucasus, Kura Island could become a stepping stone on the Storm Ocean just like Xifnos Island, and perhaps it could even develop into a trade and commerce hub."
"Oh? The Rakulado Archipelago?" Komer pondered for a moment, "Now that Demisheme has disintegrated, who’s in control of these islands?"
"For now, we and the Corinthians share control, but the Corinthians are not very interested in these islands. If possible, we should be able to acquire formal control from the Corinthians," Hayreddin hesitated.
"What’s the difficulty?" Komer frowned.
"Well, first, it would require a certain fee to get the Corinthians’ agreement. In addition, gaining recognition from the Corinthians Alliance and even the whole Southern Mediterranean Region requires some funds. Of course, it also necessitates formal acknowledgment of these islands under the name of the Kingdom of Nicosia, which might complicate matters procedurally," Hayreddin continued.
"Hmm, I understand," Komer of course knew that, even as ownerless lands, a convoluted process was necessary to make them his territory. A lord cannot enfeoff land to himself; a sovereign nation must grant the enfeoffment for land to become territory, which in his case, could only be done through the Kingdom of Nicosia or the Iberian Kingdom, followed by the procedural granting to himself. Cost was not the issue, but completing this series of procedures was going to be troublesome.
"Hmm, what about obtaining sovereignty over the Rakulado Archipelago in the name of the Iberian Kingdom?" Komer counter questioned.
"Not quite appropriate. It’s well-known that Xifnos Island now belongs to Caucasus, and as Flanders isn’t on the coast, it seems forced to involve them. On the other hand, Caucasus wouldn’t cause the Corinthians any displeasure since these are just some barren islands that nobody values highly before they develop," Hayreddin suggested.