Chapter 1550: Chapter 1550
The Eastern Desolation.
This is what the people living west of the Sea of Fallen Stars in the Hartland Region call the countries along the eastern coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
For the people here, the Far East is mysterious and exotic, a land full of unpredictability, dangerous magic, and unknown wealth.
The ’Desolation’ refers to the arduous journey from Hartland to here. Although the two places are connected by land, it is an impossible task for ordinary people. To the north, one must traverse countless rugged mountains, and to the south, one must pass through ancient empires ruled by powerful Exotic Divine Empires.
The most convenient way is to sail across the entire Sea of Fallen Stars, but pirates run rampant on the water’s surface, and ancient underwater empires and countless terrifying monsters lurk below. Every departure from the shore is a gamble with life.
Unless you are lucky enough to board a massive fleet like the one from the Komeer Kingdom transporting grain, even though it is known to be filled with expensive military supplies, the pirates dare not provoke it lightly. With just a slight mishap, the ship could be destroyed, and even if they managed to seize a cargo ship, they would still have to face Komeer Kingdom’s crazy retaliation, making it not worth the risk.
Even in bad weather, as long as it’s not a catastrophic disaster like hurricanes or tsunamis, the Transcendent Battle Mages on board can work together to minimize damage, not limited to using weather manipulation to suppress the power of natural disasters.
Prophecy Techniques and long-distance reconnaissance spells allow the fleet to foresee disaster in advance, leading it to avoid it.
Manipulation of Wind Element and similar spells can help the fleet accelerate and to evade some dangers.
So, the number of cargo ships departing from the Komeer Kingdom is the same as the number arriving, without any extra losses.
Gaven and his partners, despite not investing a penny in Komeer Kingdom, still gain half of the profits, which is not without reason.
The only point of disagreement is about the location for unloading the grain.
Komeer Kingdom wants to unload a large volume of grain in Tavelan of Cesk, after all, the Felen Allied Forces assembling in Komeer Kingdom have come at the invitation of the Cesk Kingdom, and this will be their main direction to intercept the Tukan Nomads Army.
The military supplies they transported are not just for sale; the main purpose is to prepare for the allied forces arriving later.
Gaven insists on unloading most of the military supplies in Usmer of the Great Valley because he knows how fierce the forces of the Tukan Nomads are, especially at the beginning, where even a slight unexpected factor can influence the development of the entire situation.
Due to his efforts, the military supplies provided by Komeer Kingdom this time are particularly ample. Aside from various equipment, the first batch alone includes more than ten thousand tons of grain, enough to supply an army of a hundred thousand for three months.
If judged by price alone, these more than ten thousand tons of grain are not particularly expensive. They were purchased at 1.1 silver coins per kilogram, and even though the market price has surged to a terrifying 1 gold coin per kilogram at the frontline, it’s just over ten million gold coins.
But these are essential for the army. Any loss would make it very difficult for the Felen Allied Forces to gain a foothold in Cesk, and if they collapse, the consequences would be disastrous.
They are on an expedition far from home, with the Sea of Fallen Stars as a barrier, making a large-scale retreat difficult.
Gaven did not teleport directly to the Komeer Fleet to argue with the fleet commander.
Although the military supplies were procured by him in conjunction with those merchants, he cannot command the Komeer Fleet.
He directly ran to the Komeer Kingdom to negotiate with King Yasan, knowing that once convinced, the rest would be merely a matter of a royal decree.
In Felen, there’s no concept of ’orders issued on the battlefield that may not be followed.’
It is quite common for those kings to be in the palace one moment and appear in the commander-in-chief’s tent the next.
After patiently listening to Gaven’s description, King Yasan asked a thought-provoking question, "How do you know this isn’t what we want?"
"Deliberately?" Gaven asked in surprise, his mind racing, pondering the other’s true intention.
Knowing the risk of being attacked, and still doing so, indicates that Komeer Kingdom intends to use this batch of grain as bait to attract the attention of the Tukan Nomads Army—if not to draw their main forces, then at least to draw some of their troops.
What is King Yasan’s reason for doing this?
To stir the Tukan Nomads Army into deciding to cross the river under unfavorable conditions?
Or to lure them into splitting their forces, allowing them to penetrate deeply so they can be defeated individually?
However, the Felen Allied Forces have just completed their assembly and have not yet left Komeer Kingdom to start their journey to Cesk.
Although, in necessary circumstances, they could ignore the cost and use the Teleportation Spell extensively to send part of the elite ahead, Komeer Kingdom’s resources can at best support only a few thousand or perhaps tens of thousands of people.
With the Tukan Nomads Army’s Vanguard Army numbering in the tens of thousands, the disadvantage in manpower is far too great.
Strategies are not omnipotent, and any effective strategy is based on having a certain strength. Otherwise, a slight mistake could lead to it being countered by the enemy.