The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 290 - 10 Division

Chapter 290: Chapter 10 Division

As the ship passed by Gutenberg, Komer finally suppressed his desire and abandoned the idea of going to the Archduke’s Mansion. He was not the same as he had been half a year ago. The relationship between Duke Zellin and Philip seemed to have gotten closer due to the need to confront the Central Kingdom, and he did not dare to take the risk. Vero’s cheerful and generous nature made it hard to hide her excitement when she was with him. Taking Vero to the Java Swamp seemed somewhat unrealistic. Komer was even more worried that if Vero knew his destination, she would insist on going. Thus, Komer chose to avoid it and decided to wait until his trip to the Java Swamp was over.

Exiting the Gutenberg Canal into the Dniester River waterway, heading upstream from here enters the important member country of the Northern Alliance—the Duchy of Basarabia. The beautiful and fertile Buzak Plains were known as the corner of paradise, supposedly a fertile land specially left to the Basarabians by the Creator God.

"Who has seen that place? Its natural abundance makes the wood trees lush and the land fertile. It is a place full of vibrant greenery, pleasant to the eye..." The high-pitched singing of a carefree bard echoed on both banks of the river, entrancing everyone, including Komer and Lome, as well as Rebry and Hayreddin, except for Reese who still maintained his indifferent demeanor.

Traveling slowly westward along the Dniester River, the pace of the passenger ship noticeably slowed, for it was going against the current and had to rely on the porters’ help when there was no wind. The fertile chernozem plain, the dense forests, the gentle hills, and the scattered lakes—this was the Buzak Plain. Compared to the Galle Plain and the Busen Plain, the land here was even more fertile, with black soil so rich that it seemed to ooze oil upon the slightest step, and any grain seeds tossed down would yield an ample return, even without any care or attention.

"Mr. Reese?!" When a somewhat familiar voice came from behind, Komer turned around in surprise. The reddish-brown hair stood out in the crowd, and he did not expect to encounter this person here. The large, prominent nose moved with his breathing, while the meticulous dress indicated he was a shrewd businessman.

"Oh, Mr. Piro, I didn’t expect to meet you here. It’s been a long time. How is Mr. Jack doing? I’m really sorry, I haven’t been back to Cyprus for quite some time." Seeing that Komer had run into an acquaintance, everyone who had come with him also stopped. Meeting the other party on the main streets of Kishnioff was unexpected for Komer. It appeared that the business of the Feller Family was not just ordinarily complex, as they even had connections in Basarabia, which only indicated the family’s complexity.

Kishnioff is the capital of the Duchy of Basarabia. It is not only an important grain trade center but also famous for its grape wine. Stork Wine is said to be the exclusive grape wine of the courts of the Northern Alliance countries. Among the common people, the price of this wine is staggeringly high, at 60 Gold Shields per barrel, and still, it is in great demand with limited availability.

"Ha ha, Mr. Reese, you’re now a lord in Caucasus, and as for Cyprus, it’s better not to return if you can avoid it," Piro said, with his hawkish nose giving Komer the impression of a false nose. However, the warmth on his face was quite comforting to Komer.

"Mr. Reese, how did you find the time to come here? Could it be that you’ve heard about the potential split of the Northern Alliance and came to purchase food early?" Piro asked tentatively, his shrewd gaze playing across Komer’s face.

The potential split of the Northern Alliance? Komer was shocked. When had this news come about? Why had he not heard any whisper of it? Was it because Caucasus was too isolated or was it something that had happened during his recent travels?

"Hmm, any new news? It seems there isn’t any good news that could cheer someone up these days," Komer dodged the direct question, responding vaguely.

"Indeed, what Mr. Reese said is true, it’s all quite disheartening news. Duke Ulysses of the Attica Duchy suggested during a meeting with Joseph, the Governor of the City-state of Naples, that Naples inspect and ban the Nether Guest Association, which Joseph rejected. The two parted on bad terms. Ulysses and Franz II, the king of the Knossos Kingdom, once again joined forces to demand the City-state of Medea and the Netherland Kingdom to completely prohibit the Nether Guest Association’s activities within their territories. Medea has formally refused their demand, while the Netherland Kingdom seemed to hesitate. The Kingdom of Nicosia has officially declared its respect for the positions of Naples and Medea. Encouraged by this, the Netherland Kingdom also informally stated that it would not prohibit the activities of the Nether Guest Association, a registered organization within the Netherland Kingdom’s Ministry of the Interior, unless there was sufficient evidence of threats to the kingdom’s security or incitement of the public to engage in evil deeds. Consequently, the Attica Duchy and the Knossos Kingdom have protested to the Kingdom of Nicosia, accusing it of encouraging the activities of non-Church of Light sects, especially the Dark Sect, within the territories of the Northern Alliance member states. They have declared this as unacceptable, and if Nicosia does not change its stance, they will exit the Northern Alliance and form a new covenant organization," Piro explained.

It was evident that Piro was very interested in this news and well-informed. Komer found it strange why a slave merchant would be so interested in state disputes caused by religious beliefs.

Seeing through Komer’s doubts, Piro explained with a smile, "Your baron, perhaps you haven’t realized that if the Northern Alliance collapses, the tax rates among countries will differ, significantly increasing the transit taxes on goods, and the taxes on my goods will skyrocket. Of course, I need to expedite shipments and complete transactions as much as possible before this occurs. This time I’m here to fulfill a contract for 800 slaves needed by the local manor. If I delay any longer and the transit tax increases, that’s not a small number for 800 individuals. Your baron, if you need grain, you should also purchase it in advance."

Komer then realized that among the members of the Alliance, taxes were calculated according to the tax rates of their respective countries or city-states, without any circulation tax in between. If the Alliance ceased to exist, circulation tax would be immediately imposed, something merchants naturally took into consideration.

"Nether Guest Association? This is the first time I’m hearing about this new thing. What exactly is it?" Komer’s attention was quickly drawn to this point.

"I’m not too clear on it myself, it seems to be a missionary organization from the South, probably connected to some dark religious activities," Piro shrugged and shook his head, "These matters related to the Dark Sect are certainly suppressed by the Church of Light in the North. Surprisingly this time, even the various governments of countries and city-states have been roped in, it seems that the Nether Guest Association is not so simple."

A missionary organization from the South? Could it be connected to the Great Mysterium Sect? Komer felt a shock in his heart. Could it be that the Great Mysterium Sect was also secretly expanding north? The image of Xerob floated through Komer’s mind again. He wondered how their dragon-slaying mission in the Baden Gold Mountain Range was faring; it could be a highly challenging mission. These were details he needed to explore about the true power of the Great Mysterium Sect.

"Does Basarabia also support Attica and Knossos?" Komer redirected his attention back to the present.

"It’s precisely because this reason cannot be ascertained that I hurried here to deal with this business. It’s said that Basarabia has considerable internal disputes, the Nether Guest Association isn’t active here yet. Although Duke Antonescu hasn’t commented on this matter, he has already been pressured from both sides and is now in a difficult position," Piro gestured for Komer to be mindful of their surroundings as he lowered his voice. Basarabia had always remained neutral, but due to economic ties, it had closer connections to the eastern Kingdom of Nicosia. However, because it borders countries of the Light Sect directly, it has always maintained an impartial middle policy in these matters. But this time, the tightrope policy is facing challenges.

"It seems that Mr. Piro is quite familiar with the important people of the Northern Alliance," Komer teased with a half-smile.

"Your Excellency the Baron, business these days is difficult, especially in our line of work. We need to keep abreast of the political changes and policy adjustments of various countries, otherwise, it’s easy to run into trouble. It’s all because of the circumstances," Piro’s dark grey eyes flashed with shrewd cunning, "May I ask what brings Your Excellency the Baron to Basarabia this time? Are you planning to import a batch of food? It seems that Homer is under strict blockade, which could be quite difficult to get through."

"Ha, no, I plan to take a trip to Bohemia to see the splendors of the magic paradise. A few of my friends also hope to purchase some necessary magic materials in Prague; they are magic practitioners," Komer replied casually.

"Hmm, the Mage Guild in Prague should be holding a round table conference in the next few days, and there will also be a single-discipline magic competition. It should be very attractive. Many magic enthusiasts have already headed to Prague. I’ve heard that the winners will receive quite substantial material rewards," Piro nodded, thinking Komer and his group were heading to Bohemia, the true kingdom of magic, the holy land for magic practitioners, where the upcoming conference is a coveted feast for mages seeking exchange and enlightenment.

"Oh?" Komer had not known that he would encounter such an event on this trip, no wonder the old man Rebry was hurrying him to set off. It seemed to be premeditated; he wanted to catch this annual Magic World Conference, "I hope to find good fortune in Prague."

Demon Destiny concludes, Wicked Dragon emerges. The new pseudo-fantasy dominance novel "Reincarnation of Wicked Dragon" with book number 1114080. Fans of Demon Destiny won’t be disappointed, though it may start a bit slowly. If you’re still dissatisfied after 300,000 words, feel free to delete and abandon it. Kindly collect and cast all your Recommendation Tickets for my new book "Reincarnation of Wicked Dragon"!

Thank you!