??Chapter 64: Chapter 16: Refugees
Chapter 64: Chapter 16: Refugees
In the following days, Kor engaged in deep discussions with Caffrey, who had already expressed a willingness to cooperate. Caffrey sent swift horses north to inform his partners and friends of the situation on his side, and at the sa ti, began to assist Kor in contacting Naples, dea, and Netherland to lay the groundwork in advance.
During their leisure, Kor and his companions inquired about the war situation in the north.
According to information obtained by Caffrey, this year the Beastn had beco unusually ferocious and violent, attacking the Mortal Countries in the south from several directions. Besides The Kingdom of Nicosia, which was just able to hold its own, after the fall of Myron Duchy, both ine City-State and Susoer City-State were successively overrun by the Beastman Army. The northern part of the western Blue Continent was in a state of alarm and despondency.
The Beastn continued to burn, kill, pillage, and take a large number of people as slaves. All wealth was plundered by them, and cities were intentionally destroyed by the beastn, no longer capable of bearing the responsibility of resisting invasions. This was also the primary reason for the large number of Refugees who had no choice but to leave their hos in search of new beginnings.
The replies from Caffrey’s friends and partners ca quickly, and in just over a week, Caffrey received responses and other news.
The situation in the north hadn’t changed much; the onslaught of the Beastn had diminished, but areas like ine, Susoer, and Myron had turned into ruins and were no longer able to accommodate the Refugees, whose lives had beco exceedingly difficult.
anwhile, their southern neighboring countries still hadn’t agreed on how to handle these Refugee problems. Several neighbors were passing the responsibility to each other, and The Kingdom of Nicosia also indicated it could not take on so many refugees, offering only so financial aid at most, and hoped the Refugees would return to their holand and restart their lives.
But from the Refugees’ point of view, this was clearly sending them back to beco slaves to the beastn, to be rcilessly enslaved, which was t with firm resistance from the Refugees, and the situation was trending toward further deterioration.
After much thought, Kor decided to head north as soon as possible with Caffrey to recruit labor. Of course, many tasks within his own territory also needed to be initiated imdiately.
Hesse finally decided to support Kor. In addition to mobilizing everyone to promote Kor’s new initiative, he sent his son to Kor, asking Neptune to follow Kor and Puber and learn well, hoping his son would live a life different from his own.
The actions of Hesse brought much relief to Kor’s heart. With Hesse’s support, especially in the town of Ugru, things beca much easier for Kor, and it was very beneficial for building his own authority among the Indigenous People.
When Fran learned of the tragic conditions of the people in his holand, the tough Warrior, who had never shed a tear, couldn’t help but kneel before Kor with tears streaming down his face, begging Kor to head north as soon as possible to rescue those still wandering helplessly and awaiting help. Winter was fast approaching, and without sufficient clothing, food, or shelter, the elderly and children would be hard-pressed to survive the harsh northern cold.
Kor quickly laid out a plan. On one hand, he arranged for the fleeing slaves to be relocated as soon as possible, using them as labor to repair the roads surrounding Ugru. On the other hand, he began a large-scale operation for felling and mining stone from the surrounding mountains, to ensure that once he returned from the north with the newly recruited people, he could quickly settle the Refugees and avoid any last-minute rush.
But once the Refugees arrived, the food supply for the winter was another major issue. After consulting with Puber, Kor approached Hesse to discuss a loan, using shares in the Fine iron mine as collateral, borrowing 50,000 Gold Shield from Hesse, and delegating Neptune to use these funds to procure as much food as possible in preparation for the impending wave of Refugees. Hesse readily agreed to the transaction.
anwhile, Kor also allowed Puber to recruit a batch of soldiers from among the escaping slaves who had migrated out, to start their training. After all, once a large-scale influx into the Caucasus from the south begins, although it’s still unknown exactly how many would co to the Caucasus, it’s certain to bring a plethora of security issues. Not making advance preparations would definitely lead to nurous headaches.
Ilot’s job remained to lead the guards in protecting the Dwarf as he continued exploring the wilderness within the territory, hoping to find other mineral deposits, especially coal mines. Without coal, Kor’s plans to establish iron foundries and iron workshops in Ugru were nothing but talk. Even the coal needed for Maximi’s small-scale blacksmith shop had to be bought from Leon, and just the freight cost was significant.
“Father, you wanted to see ?” Dressed in a pure white silk gown with a luxurious velvet cape draped over, a V-shaped neckline revealing a stretch of creamy skin, and matching lace trimming the edges with roiling wave patterns, the girl resembled a princess from the heavenly realm with a swan-like graceful neck adorned with a string of uniform pearls, accentuating her radiant and enchanting visage. Her satin-smooth hair was styled into an elegant courtly bun, and her azure eyes sparkled with defiance, every gesture steeped in a noble restraint.
“Yes, how have you and Prince Hoffman been recently? Why haven’t I seen him co to Cyprus lately?” Philip Duke’s ruddy face shimred with a moist luster as he sat back in his upholstered armchair, his magnificent ducal robes ticulously arranged. As the ruler of the Hor region, he looked at his youngest daughter with so concern.
“Nothing much, it’s still the sa. Perhaps he will co to Cyprus next week. I don’t want to go to Jazair; the court atmosphere there is too oppressive and suffocating, those poor ladies spend all day talking about nothing but the weather, vacations, and banquets, seemingly without any other topics of conversation.” The girl shrugged, casually picking up a stack of newspapers from her father’s desk. “What’s up, did sothing happen?”
“No, nothing. I just hadn’t seen Prince Hoffman in a while and thought sothing might have happened between you two. Maybe I’m being too sensitive,” the old man shook his head and said with self-deprecating humor, “Perhaps the father is truly getting old.”
“What could possibly go wrong? It was he who actively ca to Cyprus to propose to father. Father even rejected Prince Thomas because of him.” A flash of discomfort crossed the girl’s face, with a trace of coldness flickering in her eyes, “Has father heard sothing?”
“No, I was just worried about those past issues with you. That son from Ramla has already arrived in the Caucasus. It seems the kid has so luck; I heard he escaped a bandit attack in Leon, and now he’s even recruiting labor to develop mines,” said the old man with a hint of mockery on his face, “He really thinks he can make sothing of himself in the Caucasus.”
“Father, I don’t want to hear that man’s na. What he does in the Caucasus has nothing to do with . Wasn’t it you who banished him to the Caucasus? He’s like a cockroach that manages to survive wherever he goes,” the girl said with so discomfort, her words containing a veiled dissatisfaction with her father.
“But Tracy, have you ever thought that having him stay in Cyprus would be worse for your reputation? Sending him off to so remote and backward place, what could he possibly achieve? Developing a mine? I’ll tell you, the barbarians will take his life. If he really provokes a war with the barbarians, we won’t need to intervene; the Kingdom Star Chamber Court will sentence him to death,” said the old man, his deep grey eyes flashing with icy cruelty.
“Father, I think it’s utterly unnecessary. Wouldn’t it be easier to deal with him in Cyprus?” the girl said dismissively.
“No, Cyprus is a land of law, not suitable for such extre asures. Besides, if he were to disappear or die in Cyprus, it could be used against you by those with ulterior motives, notably impacting your reputation, especially now. However, he can’t stay in the city of Cyprus; hence, sending him to the Caucasus is the best choice. Maybe in a couple of days, the curse of the demons from Damarlinsk Castle will descend upon him. Just let him live a few more days,” the Duke said, gently stroking his daughter’s hair, his eyes revealing a ruthless glint, “No one is an exception to the god’s curse.”
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