The Vastness of Magical Destiny-Chapter 211 - 8 Temptation_2

Chapter 211: Chapter 8: Temptation_2

Chapter 211 -8: Temptation_2

For someone as eager for power as this, Puber was undoubtedly the most suitable person to deal with. The generous promises and bright future that Puber offered won over the two priests quickly, aligning them with the Lord’s Mansion. Although they were somewhat dissatisfied with the policy of religious freedom that Komer had advocated, the two also expressed a degree of understanding given the special circumstances of the diverse populations of Caucasus. After Puber boasted about the Church of Light’s capability to enlighten all people, they implicitly accepted the policy of religious freedom in Caucasus and actively engaged in the fundraising project for constructing the first church in the region. They even wrote to the Archbishop of Tulado, requesting the recall of the two troublesome Thunderhorse Knights to Marco to prevent them from hindering their missionary work on this land, for the people here clearly showed their unwelcome attitude toward such sneaky knights.

Hoffman’s visit to Caucasus once again made Komer feel the pressure on him. During that time, Princess Renta also had the chance to speak privately with Komer. Representing her brother, she revealed to Komer about Philip’s ambitiously ongoing military expansion plan. In addition to the Knights regiment and an infantry division from Homer’s Territory, Philip was secretly forming a second infantry division. It was clearly an overstep of a local lord’s authority. Without authorization from the Central Kingdom, such unilateral recruitment beyond an infantry division was undoubtedly a sign of rebellion. When the Central Kingdom sternly rebuked the Homer region, they were countered by Philip with a mockery, that the Central Kingdom was unable to safeguard the borders, leading to the destruction of allies, and he had to prepare in advance. This sparked a massive war of words between the two sides, and the relationship, deteriorating day by day, forced Hoffman and Renta to visit Homer in an attempt to ease the tension between the region and the Central Kingdom.

The implication in Renta’s words seemed to suggest that Philip’s purpose in expanding his army on such a large scale was to confront the kingdom, and Komer, a loyal lapdog of the kingdom, seemed to have become Philip’s primary target. Although Komer didn’t believe the Homer army would cross the Greenland Great Forest and Leon to attack him, the continuous increase of Bruce Fortress’s troops worried him. He didn’t trust that the Half-beast mobs could withstand the regular army of Homer. In his view, once Homer decided to intervene in Leon, it wouldn’t take many days for the mobs to be utterly crushed, of course, under the assumption that no external forces intervened.

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Once those mobs in Leon were defeated, it would be hard to say whether Philip wouldn’t seize the moment to strip him of his territory. Although legally, without His Majesty the King’s approval, a Great Lord has no right to revoke a smaller lord’s territory, in reality, this legal provision is often established on the primacy of strength. The kingdom is unlikely to confront a Great Lord over a smaller lord’s territory being taken back, as such incidents happen in almost every era—hardly surprising. Of course, if you have the strength, you certainly can refuse to accept the illegal revocation by a Great Lord, but then you’d likely face the swords and spears of the Great Lord’s soldiers, and at that point, the sword and spear are the only criteria to test the truth.

The only way to change this possibility, besides what Hoffman suggested, of providing as much help as possible to the Half-beastman slave mobs, would be to strengthen his own power. Philip possessed more than ten mages, and even had masters of Archmage level. Such a terrifying strength, once utilized in direct combat, would be a disaster for those Half-beastman slaves, who only knew how to fight with spears and clubs and had no experience against magic attacks. Facing the mages’ magical onslaught, the only option for the slaves would be to flee and hide in the Volt Mountain Range, but by doing so, the purpose and significance of their uprising would be lost entirely.

Although currently Caucasus appears to be clear-skied with all seeming smooth, Komer is aware that it’s all but a castle in the sky, a house built on sand. Should Homer truly make a move against him, everything he has could vanish in an instant. To truly eliminate the threat from Homer, he must not allow the shield of half-beast mobs in Leon to crumble easily and must also quickly amplify his own strength.

Two Dark Knights and four Mages, that was the only external aid available aside from the power within his own grasp. Komer was also somewhat doubtful about whether these six outsiders would actually stand by him during a real confrontation, or if they would give their all to help him in a critical moment. Perhaps it was a route out of desperation to choose cooperation with the Great Mysterium Sect, but Komer didn’t plan to take that path just yet. He hoped that Rebry and Mihailovich could help him attract more friends, which would be like sending coal in snowy weather. In truth, Komer harbored another purpose deep in his heart, a wicked thought that flitted by, known to no one.

Still short of money, the lack of funds had been troubling him since his arrival in the Caucasus. A considerable part of the population from Meine City-State were descendants of the Elf Clan, numbering around four to five thousand, mainly of the Prairie Elf lineage. These Elves were naturally excellent archer seeds. If he had sufficient funds, he could easily recruit a few hundred of them. With a competent instructor and a period of time for training, they could certainly fill the ranks of archers in his guard. But now, he was strapped for cash. Even though there was The Caucasus Cooperative Bank, as Puber had said, the bank was not the treasury of the Lord’s Mansion but a hen that lays golden eggs. He couldn’t rely on the bank for everything.

Fortunately, Hoffman had now agreed that the kingdom would bear a part of the support for those Half-Beast mobsters, from which Komer could also profit. The treasures and antiques that he had stockpiled from the Half-Beast Mob could be exchanged for funds through Caffrey’s friends in other countries of the Northern Alliance. The Feller Family was also a decent partner; their close relationship with slave traders in various places meant that they could dispose of some hard-to-sell items in the South, and Komer believed they would bring him some good news.

Vero was finally leaving. Not long after Hoffman had left the Caucasus, knights from Galle arrived with Zellin’s letter. No one knew the content of the letter, but no matter what, Vero couldn’t possibly stay in the Caucasus indefinitely. While Komer wished the situation could persist, both Vero and Komer knew it was not possible. On the night before Vero’s departure, Komer was once again sleepless, a rare occurrence that he had not experienced in years. Komer realized that Vero had firmly secured a place in his heart. Whenever he felt down, just being with the silver-haired girl would quickly lift his spirits. This led Komer to wonder if the girl possessed a natural magic power that improved people’s moods.

Without any verbal promises given, both understood everything through the look in each other’s eyes. As Vero, with tears in her eyes, finally disappeared at the bow of the departing ship from Mattdam, Komer found the scar in the depths of his mind was once again soaked with blotches of blood.