The Vastness of Magical Destiny-Chapter 134 - 2 Crisis and Opportunity_3

Chapter 134: Chapter 2: Crisis and Opportunity_3

Chapter 134 -2: Crisis and Opportunity_3

“Boss, our financial situation is not looking good,” the Finance Officer said. “The proceeds from selling rights to the coal and stone mines have all been put into road construction, and we haven’t seen a penny from it. Relying solely on the financial subsidy from the Kingdom, I fear we won’t last long. We’ll have to find another way to make money. There are quite a few wealthy individuals among the immigrants from Meine and Susoer; do you think we should try borrowing from them? I want to invest all of our existing funds into purchasing and storing food, because we still can’t produce enough to be self-sufficient, and immigrants continue to flood in. Bruce Fortress is our only outlet for external commerce, yet it’s controlled by Philip. If he decides to choke off our lifeline, we’ll be done for.” Ever since Ilot had informed Puber of his conversation with Komer that night, Puber had taken a greater interest in external information. The poor external transport conditions of Caucasus made it essential for him to prepare early. Food had always been the lifeline of Caucasus, and until they could be self-sufficient, it could be exploited by anyone, forcing him to plan ahead.

Komer nodded silently; the other party was right. A certain amount of food storage was essential for every Lord, especially in Caucasus where the issue deserved even more attention. While it was possible to sow the first batch of grain after slash-and-burn agriculture, such freshly cultivated land shouldn’t be expected to yield much in the first or second seasons. To the north, Grand Duke Philip was always looking for opportunities to bring about their demise. Even though currently, due to the Kingdom’s and the outside world’s focus on the immigrants, and Philip probably feeling that he still had control over them, he hadn’t taken action against them yet. But Komer was convinced that if any one of these two factors changed, Philip wouldn’t hesitate to dispose of them as easily as crushing an ant. The simplest and most effective method would be to cut off their food supply.

“But where do we find the funds for food storage at the moment? Puber, you know that the Kingdom has already taken a third of our finances, and most of the rest has been used to buy and distribute food. Right now, our expenses are not small, and we have no other income. To continue stockpiling food, there is a huge funding gap.” Although Komer had left all financial matters to Puber, he was still very clear about the major expenses. The funds needed for food storage were not trivial; Caucasus’s current financial state was in no position to handle it.

“That’s why I suggest, Boss, that in your capacity as a Lord, you invite the wealthy individuals from Meine and Susoer to establish our own bank in Caucasus. The official reason, of course, would be to prevent the ravages of usury merchants. There are already signs of this happening. If we don’t control it, usury merchants will develop even faster, which is detrimental to our control of the entire region,” Puber said, confidently. His more than two years of tedious study in Phoenix City had made him a competent Administrative Official, and his innate financial acumen had driven him to work harder on fiscal studies in the academy than on any other subject. He was confident that he was much more suitable and competent for the Office of Finance Officer than the rigid and old-fashioned financial clerks.

As a product of a certain degree of economic development, banks were not a new concept, but they were novel for a remote place like Caucasus. A small fair like Ugru had no need for such an institution, at most involving mutual loans between small traders. However, with the influx of a large number of wealthy individuals and merchants, Ugru had undergone earth-shattering changes in just a few months. The rapid concentration of people made Ugru tentatively trend towards developing into a small city. The prosperity of commerce also drove the demand for capital, and usurers emerged accordingly. As a financial institution that would inevitably appear when usury reached a certain degree of development, it was in line with the laws of economic growth. It was just that Puber wished to take this step a bit earlier.

“Do you think those guys would be willing to put up the capital to form it?” Komer, not well-versed in financial matters, doubted the possibility of getting people to put up their money for his use.

“Heh, Boss, a bank is a delicious prospect, especially one headed by a lord which promises hefty profits and a bright future. With the support of the Lord’s Mansion and the rising momentum of our Caucasus, Meine and Susoer and their lot are craftier than anyone else. Their sense of profit is sharper than anyone’s. I’m afraid that even if you didn’t want to involve them, they’d come begging to join,” Puber said, reassuring Komer with a smile. “However, Boss, all of this depends on our mines being able to quickly start mining and turning the ore into export goods. Especially the fine iron mine of Bahomon, everyone is looking forward to this iron mine’s extraction to boost the local economy in Caucasus. Ugru already has three ironworks that are accelerating their construction. If we can’t start extracting iron ore from the mine as scheduled, the reputation and finances of our Lord’s Mansion will suffer greatly. This is the foundation on which our Caucasus Prefecture’s survival depends.”

Komer seemed to sense that his close friend had more to say, looking over to find Puber with a somewhat serious expression, considering his words. After a while, he swallowed hard and said with difficulty, “Boss, to not hold back from you, our iron mine has run into some trouble. The workers doing the preliminary preparations discovered ogres again, and it’s not just one. According to the workers who narrowly escaped death, there should be at least two or three male ogres near the iron mine!”

The issue with the ogres was something Komer had already prepared for mentally. Before the development of the iron mine began, Ilot had nearly been devoured by an ogre. Fortunately, a magic scroll crafted by Komer himself saved his life. Komer was aware that ogres generally do not migrate without reason. Their presence in Bahomon only meant that their lair was near the mine, an obstacle that must be eliminated. If he couldn’t even do this much, not only would the indigenous people like Hesse start doubting whether he was capable of controlling Caucasus, but it would also disappoint the immigrants who had placed so much hope in him. From any perspective, the ogres had to be eradicated. Komer even looked forward to such an opportunity. If he could neatly solve the ogre problem, it would not only make Bahomon a stable source of funds in his hands but would also greatly enhance his prestige in the eyes of all the residents of Caucasus. It was an excellent opportunity that comes once in a blue moon.

However, ogres were not so easy to deal with. For one thing, ogres usually lived in groups, with two to three ogres often behind a male ogre. If Puber was correct, there would be at least ten ogres in about three groups around the mine area. Although Komer was quite confident in his increasingly powerful magic skills, he didn’t dare claim he could take on about ten ogres by himself. However, although ogres were gregarious, each group rarely gathered with other groups. If he adopted a strategy of defeating them one by one, Komer did have some assurance.

“Hmm, I understand. Things here have pretty much been dealt with; I’ll head south to Bahomon right away to take care of this problem. Fortunately, I haven’t been idling during this time; my magic abilities have also improved somewhat. It’s just the right moment to test how much my magic skills have really advanced against these ogres.” Ilot and Puber were both already aware of their boss’s formidable magic strength, which was a cornerstone of their confidence in Komer. In this era, being a mage meant being a strong person, symbolizing power. There were only about thirty mages in the Kingdom Court Mage Corps of the Kingdom of Nicosia, and a significant number were directly affiliated with the Church of Light. Those who were truly loyal to the Nicosian Royal Family numbered only about twenty. Each of these individuals was a renowned figure in the kingdom, and to win over these magicians, the kingdom catered to their every desire, treating them as honored guests. Even His Majesty the King often invited these magicians to partake in the kingdom’s highest-level social events. One could imagine the importance of these magicians within the kingdom.

Neither Puber nor Ilot knew precisely what level of magic skills Komer possessed, but they were aware their Boss’s abilities had already surpassed that of a common mage, even reaching the realm of the archmage. They didn’t understand how their boss could have achieved such a level in just a few short years, especially since his magic ability had shown extraordinary progress in the few months since arriving in Caucasus, leaving them both astounded.

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