The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 242 - 8: Intervention_2

Chapter 242: Chapter 8: Intervention_2

Komer mused silently, feeling caught off guard by the rapid deterioration of the situation. The Homer army would reach Mandu in a week at most, and the number of rioters still exceeded thirty thousand, ten times the invading Homer’s forces. The ferocious and brutal behavior of the Homer army in Banassia had terrified the rioters, their morale was low. If there had been any escape, they would have already resumed their flight. To now defeat this enemy, it was first essential to bolster the morale of the rioting forces, then use their overwhelming numerical advantage to crush the Homer army. Of course, this would involve disrupting the enemy’s formation and breaking their spirit, which would require the assistance of the mages and Dark Knights standing by his side.

"Maha Gummi, contact their chiefs immediately and have them hand over all command to me. We will take responsibility for directing this battle." Although Komer knew this might risk exposing their side, he couldn’t care less. If they did not intervene, this rabble would undoubtedly collapse without a doubt. Not only would the Homer army potentially advance into Caucasus after stabilizing the situation in Leon, but the surge of fleeing slaves would also serve as a perfect excuse for the Homer army to march into Caucasus.

"No problem, they’ve lost their direction and are now hoping for us to take over. I’ll contact them right away." Maha Gummi’s face beamed with excitement, clearly hoping for Caucasus to take charge. To sit by and watch those detestable aristocratic mine owners swagger about the land once more was something Maha Gummi would not stand for either.

When Komer and his party appeared before a group of riot leaders, these so-called leaders immediately felt the pressure emanating from the newcomers. This pressure was so intense that they momentarily felt suffocated. They looked at the party in awe and promptly stepped forward with the utmost respectful etiquette to greet the guests. Any previous doubts had vanished without a trace.

The number of rioters holed up in the Mandu region totaled more than thirty-six thousand, making up the largest riot force in the entire Leon Region. The majority were Half-Beastmen and those with Half-Beastmen ancestry, and of course, there was also a significant portion of Mortals.

Komer’s gaze slowly swept over the faces of those standing before him. Both the Half-Beastmen and Mortals felt a chill in their hearts. This man, with only his eyes visible beneath a scarf covering his face, exuded an aura that clearly denoted his natural nobility. This made the riot leaders, who were accustomed to feeling inferior before mortal nobility, fight the urge to kneel. His companions, shrouded just as tightly in scarves, had no regard for anyone present. Their disdainful gazes were even more unbearable than that of the noble guest’s.

"Mr. Woodhardt, Mr. Bovary, Mr. Sora, Mr. Mizari, these are the distinguished guests from Caucasus you have long been waiting for," said Maha Gummi smartly, avoiding any introduction of their true identities. In the current ambiguous circumstances, Komer also wished to maintain the necessary secrecy to avoid any complications that might later arise.

"Honored guests, thank you for coming. We need your help, and your presence will bring us good fortune. Please, take a seat over here." Seeing some of the half-beastmen appearing awkward as if unsettled by their host’s imposing manner, the only mortal among the four stepped forward and expressed goodwill towards them in as respectful a tone as possible.

This was likely in the reception hall of a noble mine owner’s manor on the outskirts of Mandu Town. The room was spacious, and the peach wood furniture looked brand new yet lacked substance. The shelves that should hold antiques were empty, perhaps because the urgency of war had left no one with the mind to consider such things. The armed mob had no choice but to use this place to receive their guests.

"Gentlemen, I believe our goal is the same. Defeating Homer’s army is our common wish. However, I’m afraid everyone is aware of the situation in Banassia. It’s not about diminishing our own prestige to bolster the enemy’s morale. Our armed forces lack training, and although we have more than thirty thousand people, the vast majority of them don’t even have complete weapons and armor. They haven’t undergone any formal military training. Facing Homer’s army, which has been trained rigorously over many years, we stand no chance of winning. In fact, we might suffer an even more humiliating defeat than we did in Banassia." Komer had no mind for pleasantries. With Homer’s army bearing down, they needed to reorganize these civilian militias immediately. Out of the thirty thousand armed forces, managing to compile a force of ten thousand was already the limit, and this ten thousand would serve as the decisive power in the upcoming defense of Mandu.

"Sir, aren’t you being a bit alarmist? We’ve heard that there are only three thousand soldiers in Homer’s army that are preparing to march south to Mandu. Are you saying that even with ten times their number, we cannot defeat them?" The half-beastman chief known as Mizari clearly felt dissatisfied with Komer’s debasement of their own combat capabilities and rebutted indignantly.

"Mr. Mizari, I’m not being alarmist. In the Banassia battle, twenty thousand armed men collapsed in less than an hour, a fact you’re surely aware of. You should also understand your soldiers—they lack weapons, armor, and have not been formally trained, nor have they ever experienced or witnessed a magic attack. A few simple magical assaults from a mage can leave them in utter disarray. Given the impact of regular army assaults, how long do you think your thirty thousand can hold out?" A scornful sneer crossed Komer’s lips as he pointedly jabbed at their vulnerabilities.

The word ’mage’ pronounced, all the mob leaders, including Bovary, fell silent, brought up short by their greatest weakness, which even they couldn’t deny. The half-beastmen were innately in awe of the forces of nature, regarding them as divine punishment. Mages who could freely wield these natural powers were considered envoys of the gods. The psychological impact of a magical attack far exceeded the physical harm it inflicted, especially so in large-scale military combat. They were all too aware of their own weakness. Obviously, in the battle of Banassia, Homer’s army had used magic attacks. The retreating soldiers reported that before a formal attack could even be launched, countless thunderbolts struck down from the sky, and giants formed of mud devoured half-beastmen soldiers. This powerful visual shock directly led to the collapse of their own forces. They fled in utter disarray without needing the enemy army to charge. The pursuing forces of Homer’s army merely played the role of battlefield cleaners.

Seeing all the half-beastman chiefs head hung low, Komer knew he had struck a nerve and pressed the advantage, "Gentlemen, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but the stakes of this battle are too high for any negligence. If we fail, perhaps I can slap my rear and flee back to the Caucasus, but what about you? And what of the tens of thousands of slaves who have just obtained their freedom? Therefore, in this battle, we must emerge victorious without fail! The gentlemen behind me will assist you and your soldiers to grasp what true warfare is, what true warriors are, over these next few days. They will also acquaint your soldiers with the baptism of magic, to prevent them from falling into disarray during the imminent war."