The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 83 - 83 Eleven The Big Trade (2)

?Chapter 83: Chapter Eleven: The Big Trade (2) Chapter 83: Chapter Eleven: The Big Trade (2) The middle-aged gentleman with elegant manners was Viscount Kleyan from the City-state of Naples, a gentleman with the demeanor of a scholar. Setting down the jade-embellished snuffbox in his hand, he spoke in a calm but firm manner, “Duke Tez, please forgive my candor. I believe that our Three Kingdoms and your country have reached a consensus on the number of refugees to be accepted, and 100,000 is already the limit we can accommodate. I think there is no need for further discussion on this matter. This is the shared opinion of Baron Buhaz, Viscount Selibas, and myself.”

Upon hearing this, Komer was struck with a sense of shock. Could it be that they expected him to accept 170,000 refugees? That was simply impossible. No longer concerned with Duke Tez’s stern gaze, Komer raised his hand to interject, “Wait a moment, Viscount Kleyan, I believe there are some issues we need to clarify. My Caucasus will not accept a single person over 100,000, and even with that number, I cannot guarantee how many will survive this winter and the next spring.”

170,000 people? That was an insurmountable number. Once these refugees started dying in large numbers within his territory, the humanitarian pressure would surely cause the Star Chamber of the Kingdom to send him to the gallows. No matter how severe the pressure from Duke Tez and no matter the amount of financial aid, Komer dared not take such an unjustifiable risk.

All three plenipotentiaries cast their doubtful glances at the Internal Affairs Manager simultaneously. A flicker of annoyance crossed Duke Tez’s face, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a coldness in his grey-blue eyes that caused Komer to guiltily lower his head, “Your Grace, please forgive my impulsiveness, but the Caucasus simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to support these refugees through the winter… ”
Before Komer could finish, the Internal Affairs Manager gestured with his hand to interrupt his unfinished words, “Alright, we’ll discuss the issue of surviving the winter later. Let’s settle it this way, the Caucasus accepts 150,000 refugees, and the remaining 120,000 will be taken in by Naples, Medea, and Netherland. What does everyone think?”

Komer almost stood up again, but ultimately he sat back down, defeated. The representatives of the Three Kingdoms also exchanged glances and decided that this was probably the maximum capacity that the Kingdom of Nicosia could handle. Pushing further might just cause that rural lord to jump up and refuse outright. Viscount Kleyan nodded in approval of Duke Tez’s proposal, and thus the first issue was finally settled, much to Duke Tez’s relief.

“Hold on! Duke Tez, since you have made this decision, Komer has no choice but to obey. However, I must say in advance, the Caucasus is too barren and currently lacks any reserves, nor the finances for it. No matter what, we cannot bear the entry of such a large number of refugees—food, housing, fuel, land, job positions, I cannot guarantee any of the logistics. This, I point out beforehand for your consideration. It is not that I am unwilling to share the burden, but the Caucasus is remote, with poor transportation and scarce production. Even if we get through this winter, we will definitely not be able to endure the famine next spring. I had only planned to recruit 30,000 laborers, but now I am being pushed by everyone to go beyond my limits, so it is crucial that I clarify this matter first,” Komer spoke unhurriedly, expressing his position after the consensus was reached. The terms of the subsequent negotiation were of the utmost importance. Whether it was 80,000, 100,000, or 150,000 people, the numbers far exceeded his initial expectations, and it was too late to back out now, so he might as well make a bold demand and bite off as much as he could.

The representatives of the Three Kingdoms were well aware of the purpose behind Komer’s sudden interjection, but what he said was indeed reasonable. Considering the barrenness of the Caucasus and the colossal task of suddenly having to accommodate 150,000 people, it was not just a matter of whether they had enough logistical supplies—just the issues of housing and food were monumental problems for the Three Kingdoms as well. It was within reason that he brought up these concerns.

“Baron Komer, we, the representatives of the Three Kingdoms and the Kingdom of Nicosia, are very grateful for your performance in this refugee crisis. Due to various reasons of our own, we cannot make significant adjustments in the number of people we can accept. However, after discussing with Duke Tez, we are willing to provide you with a certain amount of financial aid for receiving refugees this time to help them overcome the initial difficulties. Perhaps the amount is not much, but it should still be of some emergency aid.” The speaker this time was Baron Buhaz, belly protruding and bearing an air of arrogance. His greyish-yellow moustache quivered slightly upward with the trembling of his lips, giving off a somewhat pretentious appearance.

As a city-state, Medea not only enjoys a strategic position at the throat of two major trade routes on the western part of the Blue Continent but also benefits substantially from its silver mines, an essential financial source. Accompanied by numerous deposits of magic crystal ore, famous throughout the western Blue Continent, it’s a vital ingredient for creating various magic crafts, magic weapons, and magic equipment. Its value is incalculable in terms of money. Therefore, the City-state of Medea is one of the most staunch opponents of the refugee acceptance policy, bending only due to the strong protest and pressure from the Kingdom of Nicosia, and thus reluctantly agreeing to this clause.

Here it comes, the most crucial part, thought Komer, who was prepared. With a slight smile and relaxed demeanor, he said, “Emergency aid? Mr. Buhaz, you really have a sense of humor. Do you think these refugees can survive until next year’s harvest with just a quick fix? They are people, people who paid the price of a nation to fend off the beastmen invasions, citizens of our ally. What you’re suggesting sounds like you’re tossing a few gold shields at them like they’re beggars, abandoning them to the desolate Caucasus and then washing your hands of the matter, allowing yourself to rest easy? Such actions, I am sure, will not be accepted, not just by Duke Tez and me, but by all the refugees as well.”

“Indeed, Baron Buhaz, your statement is a bit off the mark. No matter how much tangible help we can offer these refugees, we must take responsibility for their survival, or the next time the beastmen attack, no one will be willing to make sacrifices.” Seeing the opportunity to capitalize on the situation, Duke Tez began to echo and support Komer’s momentum. Now that the overall situation was settled, it was time to strive for interests. Duke Tez was quite pleased with the performance of this rustic lord before him. He was oblivious to the fact that his attendant, whom he sent to specially instruct the other party early that morning, had not found Komer. At the time, Komer was lying in the wild, so the attendant had no choice but to briefly inform Caffrey about the banquet’s content; however, the core discussion—to cooperate with the duke in extracting interests—had not been elaborated upon.

It was clear, though, that the representatives of the Three Kingdoms were prepared for the acts of these two men. Ultimately, it all came down to one thing: money. Without money, it’s likely that this Caucasus Lord, who had come from afar, wouldn’t take in even a single refugee even with a sword to his neck; likewise, Duke Tez would have shown the representatives of the Three Kingdoms the door long ago. Given the current financial condition of the Kingdom of Nicosia, it’s impracticable to support the expenses required to solve this refugee crisis.

“Duke Tez, Baron Komer, please forgive the slip of the tongue from Baron Buhaz. We certainly intend to provide the necessary living securities for the refugees. However, our Three Kingdoms also need to settle over a hundred thousand refugees, and our finances are not that robust. Therefore, we can only offer as much support as we can manage. Please do not misunderstand our intentions,” finally intervened the Netherlander. With matters having reached this stage, there was no need to quibble over details; it was time to lay the cards on the table. “Our proposal is to provide the Caucasus with ten gold shields for each refugee it receives, as a financial subsidy to cover the costs of temporary residence, winter food and fuel, and subsequent resettlement. May I inquire what you both think of this proposal?”

“Ten gold shields? Heh, Viscount Selibas, you truly are too generous. One hundred and fifty thousand people—that would be 1.5 million golden shields. What an astronomical sum! I, a simple rural man, have never seen so much money. Wouldn’t that keep me awake for days? Don’t you think you’re being too lavish?” Sounding like a hissing snake, Komer’s face flushed as he suddenly sprang up, darting about the resting lounge in a frenzied manner, his sarcasm and irony reaching their peak: “This is too comical! The proud City-states of Naples, Medea, and Netherland think they can use 1.5 million golden shields to sell off one hundred and fifty thousand citizens who made great sacrifices for them, to some desolate and impoverished backwater. I imagine the editor-in-chief of the ‘Caffilo Times’ would be quite interested in the details of this transaction, wouldn’t he?”