The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 289 - 9: Journey

Chapter 289: Chapter 9: Journey

Hayreddin was somewhat moved by Komer’s candidness. After all, having a secret agreement with the leading pirate chief of the Nether Sea should be considered a true secret. If such information fell into the ears of those with ill intentions, there’s no telling how much turmoil it would stir up. However, the other party didn’t seem to be concerned about this issue at all; perhaps it was out of trust in him, or perhaps it was simply because they had no fear of anyone finding out.

"Sir Baron, although the Gray Skulls are contending with the Red-Haired Witch for hegemony over the North Mediterranean, they still have their roots in the Southern Nether Sea. I believe they must be vigilant towards the Homer Navy. Mattdam isn’t too far from Rhode Island. If the Homer Navy Fleet really extends its reach to Mattdam, I think the Gray Skulls won’t remain indifferent. Sir, if you negotiate well with Gote, I believe he will share this view," Hayreddin insisted on his opinion, not ready to give up.

"No, no, Hayreddin, I’m afraid you don’t quite understand the intricacies. Gote, that old fox, has been active in the Nether Sea for so many years; do you think there’s no collusion between him and Philip? Their understanding is likely closer than that of some allies. If you pin your hopes on him, you’ll surely be the one to suffer in the end. I have never trusted anything I cannot control. I am quite content if the Gray Skulls can guarantee that they won’t attack the merchant fleets to and from Mattdam. As for everything else, we will have to rely on ourselves," Komer waved his hand dismissively.

"But Sir Baron, it’s really difficult to communicate with the Jellyfish People. They ask for nothing from the outside world and are not willing to make contact. They seem to be very satisfied with their current way of life. How can we communicate with them? And on what basis can we persuade them?" Hayreddin finally gave up on persuading Komer to make efforts with the Gray Skulls. He had felt that this baron was unique in his dealings, insisting on keeping everything under his own control, and preferring to do without anything that wasn’t certain.

"Trust me, there will be a way. Everyone has needs and weaknesses. Why do they establish outposts? To communicate and connect with the outside world. This shows they still have certain dealings with the outside, it’s just that people haven’t been able to find or meet their needs. As long as we can do that, I believe this obstacle can be overcome," Komer smiled confidently. He had deep faith in himself in this area, having already conducted a thorough investigation beforehand and made some targeted arrangements. Now it was time to see what would happen upon entering the Java Swamp.

The overnight discussion in Odessa allowed Hayreddin Barbarossa to wholeheartedly follow Komer to Luxembourg. Hayreddin felt the Lord of Caucasus’s desire for control over maritime rights, from the situation in the Northern Nether Sea to the conditions in the Southern Mediterranean. Komer showed keen interest, and in his words, he conveyed the hope that Caucasus might assemble a fleet belonging to the Lord’s Mansion. Although it had not been explicitly stated whether it would be a merchant fleet or a naval fleet, the revelation of this intention still excited Hayreddin. Commanding a fleet, perhaps even a naval fleet, was almost the lifelong dream of any navigator. He was no exception and even fantasized about one day leading it to sail gloriously in the Southern Mediterranean, to show those who once despised and humiliated him the true might of Hayreddin Barbarossa!

Rebry found it amusing that Komer so easily captivated a new follower. He could tell that, although this newcomer was physically strong, in reality, he was at best an ordinary warrior. In terms of combat ability, he simply couldn’t compare to the likes of black knights such as Solonberg or Vladimir Koff, nor even to Fran and Baoling, who stayed behind to train their self-defense armies and Lord’s Guards in Ugru. However, Rebry noted that the baron had suddenly taken a renewed interest in everything maritime, which might be the sole reason for recruiting this red-bearded fellow.

Considering their current destination, Rebry couldn’t help but wonder if the baron truly intended to stay in his position as Caucasus Lord indefinitely. In his view, this Caucasus Lord possessed unmatched talent in the realm of magic cultivation. Although Rebry still hadn’t figured out the source of Komer’s overwhelmingly powerful magic ability—claiming self-taught prowess would be a plain lie—he could discern the lord’s mysterious skill to switch between dark and light magic power effortlessly. The lord’s nonchalance in this regard was nearly enough to embarrass any dark wizard or light mage, and even Rebry had to admit that in this area, he was outclassed, despite over twenty years of dedication.

If Komer truly devoted too much attention to managing his territory, Rebry felt it would be a significant loss to the magical world. A person’s energy is limited. Focusing too much on these mundane matters not only affects a mage’s ability to cultivate in the Magic Heaven but can also easily cause disruptions in their training due to worldly influences. While Rebry didn’t oppose a mage-lord attending to mundane affairs as it can provide a conducive environment for more beneficial conditions, it should not become the main focus. The enhancement of a mage’s abilities ultimately requires self-cultivation and training for substantial growth, which is unquestionable. But now Komer seemed to be deviating from this path, which worried Rebry. He didn’t want to see such a magic genius, especially one capable of harnessing both dark and light magic powers, ultimately lost in the trivialities of worldly affairs.

However, he still agreed to help Komer with the plan to visit the Jellyfish People-controlled Java Swamp, as it seemed quite important for the survival of Caucasus, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to see for himself what the mysterious Java Swamp was really like.

For Solonberg, going anywhere was a form of training. As a knight, experiencing various risks and challenges was an essential part of the pursuit of life. Only by constantly seeking challenges could one improve, continuously seeking self-breakthrough. Solonberg’s Fighting Qi had entered a brand new realm, which at the moment was quite unstable. He needed to truly understand the changes and principles of Fighting Qi at this stage through life-and-death experience. This time, he was glad that he had managed to secure this mission before Vladimir Koff—it was an enticing and challenging task. No one could predict what would happen in the Java Swamp, and only such unpredictability could truly unleash all of his potential.

Traveling from Odessa and transferring to an inland river ship sailing northwest, they arrived at the intersection of the canal and the Sim River after two days’ journey, in an important inland port city of the Homer region—Plovdiv. The northeast-to-southwest-oriented canal linked the rivers, making inland waterway transport a major dependency for the kingdom, especially for bulky yet important materials like food, coal, and ore. Unless it was an emergency, traders would opt for water transport, for its large capacity and cost-efficiency were the greatest advantages of waterway travel. From there, heading west would enter the interior of the Galle Region. Gutenberg was the endpoint of the canal to the west and also the endpoint of Komer’s water journey. Then, traveling westward by horse-drawn carriage from Gutenberg, they could cross the border of the Kingdom of Nicosia and enter another member of the Northern Alliance—the Duchy of Basarabia. From Basarabia, turning southwest would lead them into the famed Bohemia Magical Kingdom, and traveling south through the Bohemia Kingdom would take them to their destination, the Luxembourg Kingdom.

Lome found that the Great Sage’s mood seemed to become somewhat unstable after detouring south from Plovdiv, and the mysterious Mr. Rebry seemed to always enjoy watching the Great Sage with a mocking eye, even occasionally taunting the Great Sage with some inexplicable words. The Great Sage could only respond to this situation with a strange silence. Lome did not know what secrets lay between the two men, but why did this situation only arise after passing Plovdiv?

Komer indeed hesitated. The closer they got to Gutenberg, the clearer Vero’s image became in his mind. Although there had been no news from Vero since she left, Komer could feel that Vero was in Gutenberg, but could he go to see her in person?

The situation in Galle was also not good now. As the central military power of the kingdom continued to strengthen, the Central Kingdom’s attitude toward the great lords became increasingly tough. Some small and medium lords had been forced to accept the "Utrecht Decree" under the pressure of the Central Kingdom, which made several Great Lords extremely dissatisfied, further straining relations between the two sides. If not for the uncertain movements of the Northern Beastmen, Komer believed that war might have been inevitable.

What was Vero doing now? Komer stood on the bow, gazing toward the southwest, the Bohemia prince? It seemed that old Zellin wanted to trade his daughter’s life for an alliance. But could Bohemia really help Galle through the crisis? Komer was skeptical, as between them lay another member of the Northern Alliance—the Duchy of Basarabia, and this connection did not seem so easy to resolve.

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