Translator: Cinder Translations
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After the exploration fleet heading north lit up the coastal map north of Rocky Mountain, the Alden Administrative Council began investing huge resources into its development.
This vast virgin land was naturally seen as the new territory of the Grayman family, covered with dense primeval forests, countless precious mineral deposits hidden within, and fertile black soil that would be a waste to leave untouched.
The indigenous tribes here—primarily forest orcs—did not have the strict sense of territorial ownership that human civilizations had, and in fact, they were less concerned than their relatives in the grasslands. Products that could significantly improve their quality of life—such as delicious refined salt, strong ironware, vibrant fabrics, and fine porcelain—could easily be exchanged for their acknowledgment of ownership of vast lands.
And it wasn't just land—labor could also be easily traded.
Following the principle of "avoid conflict with the local tribes as much as possible," as instructed by Earl Paul Grayman, the development teams often chose lands that the forest orcs regarded as of no value as their bases.
They felled towering trees, drained the swampy waters, and drove out dangerous wild animals, swiftly building fortresses, farms, and workshops in places once considered uninhabitable, much to the amazement of the natives. Exploration and mining of underground resources were also underway, and the locally produced coal was enough to support the development team through the even colder winters compared to the Northwest Bay.
To many of the forest orcs, the changes brought by the humans felt almost like a miracle. The large, sturdy buildings, vast farmlands, and workshops producing exquisite objects—could these really be created by ordinary mortals? Some mysterious legends about the Alden people began circulating among the indigenous tribes.
However, there were still some bold and reckless individuals who sought to explore or take advantage of these changes, but they were invariably repelled.
In terms of technology, the Alden development teams had an overwhelming advantage compared to the forest orcs, who were still in a near-primitive state.
The forest orcs' bravery might match that of their grassland kin, but their wooden clubs and stone spears were no match for steel armor, and their leather could not withstand swords and bows. Furthermore, their organizational abilities were abysmal. Overall, their combat strength was inferior even to the bandits of human kingdoms.
After eliminating a few troublemakers, the Aldens established their authority in this wilderness. Those with ill intentions were quickly subdued, and many of them started trading furs, herbs, and various mountain delicacies with the humans.
The forest orcs were not entirely isolated from the world. Their kin in the grasslands would periodically send trade caravans, and the dwarf clans in the western part of Rocky Mountain would occasionally come down to do business. Salt, fabric, ironware, and food were all in high demand.
However, the goods brought by the grassland orcs were mostly discarded second-hand items, while the dwarfs from Rocky Mountain—these seemingly honest but actually rather unscrupulous creatures—often sold their wares at exorbitant prices.
When the Aldens arrived, the quality of their goods was far superior to the second-hand products from the grassland orcs, yet their prices were much lower than those of the dwarfs. The high-quality, affordable human products quickly won over almost all the indigenous tribes that had access to them.
Relying on trade and force, Alden gradually established more than twenty trade stations along the coastline on this vast and primitive land. After long periods of staff deployment and settlement, and the continuous influx of nearby natives, half of these stations had grown into towns.
Among them, the largest station was Black Worm's Nest, named by the locals. The name was unusual because the nearby sea was abundant with black sea worms, also known as sea cucumbers in the human kingdom, which were highly regarded as a potent supplement.
The management of Black Worm's Nest did not miss the lucrative opportunity and organized sea cucumber harvesting, selling them to human kingdoms. With this unique resource, Black Worm's Nest gained substantial trade income, which strongly supported local construction and development, making it the first trade station to develop into a town.
The peaceful Great Plain, Lucky Forest, and Black Water Basin were the names the Administrative Council used to refer to the lands north of Rocky Mountain, collectively called the Three Northern Lands.
The former commander of the Northern Exploration Fleet, Stanford, was appointed as the administrative head of the Three Northern Lands and stationed at Black Worm's Nest to oversee everything.
Since the invasion of Aldor by the grassland kings, the proximity of the Three Northern Lands to the Great Grasslands had drawn immediate attention to the region.
Black Worm's Nest received instructions from Alden Town: fully leverage their advantages and absorb the scattered and loosely connected forest orc tribes, even if they could not completely win them over, at least prevent the grassland orcs from taking further control.
After the peace talks between Alden and the grassland kings, Black Worm's Nest received another message from Alden Town, emphasizing the urgency and necessity of placing the Three Northern Lands under control.
Stanford felt the pressure.
Based on the information he had, the grassland kings' conquest of Alden's northern territories had spread to the forests of the Three Northern Lands. Some ambitious individuals, seemingly inspired by the "achievements" of their grassland kin, had their eyes on the nearby human outposts.
One of them was Gunther, the son of the chief of the Blood Ox Tribe. This guy had been running around, trying to unite other like-minded fools, planning to strike a major blow against the humans at some point.
"So, you mean our young chief has already gathered a considerable force?"
Stanford sat in his office, holding a pipe, as the smoke slowly rose. He calmly asked the guest across from him.
"Yes, my lord. Just before I set off, another tribe formed an alliance with him."
The guest was dressed in the popular style of Alden merchants, but the thick fur covering his body made it clear he was an orc—he could almost be mistaken for a large human due to his imposing physique.
In order to promote human goods and fulfill the task entrusted to him by Alden Town, Stanford instructed each trade station to display the allure of human civilization. Of course, it was still a long way from discussing poetry with a bunch of individuals who couldn't even read or write, so the primary appeal was material goods.
Clean, decent clothing, comfortable and bright housing, delicious and varied food... These were all trump cards for the forest orcs, who were still in a primitive tribal state.
In addition, Stanford focused on recruiting influential orcs from various tribes to develop a group of informants who could provide him with valuable intelligence.
Such as the individual before him, Mr. Broghal.
(End of the Chapter)
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