The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 304: Volume 5: Lord’s Path - 1: Immigrants

Chapter 304: Volume 5: Lord’s Path Chapter 1: Immigrants

An endless stream of people and carriages formed a long dragon that one couldn’t see the end of, stretching from the far end of the avenue all the way to its tail. Horses neighed, oxen bellowed, blending with the crying of kids, the turning of carriage wheels, the coughing of the elderly, the cursing of women, and the shouting of men, composing a sonata that was harmonious yet complex, rolling slowly forward along the avenue.

The sky was somewhat overcast, mirroring Komer’s mood at the time. The initial excitement of having over a hundred thousand citizens had vanished without a trace, replaced by endless worry and anxiety. The intermittent line of people before him was just a part of the first group of immigrants heading to Caucasus, all one hundred and fifty thousand of them. It was impossible for them all to set out at once, whether in terms of vehicles or the logistic support along the way could not bear such a large population migration. They could only be divided into several groups and move in phases.

Komer, of course, became the trailblazer and leader of this first group, even though he was not familiar with the road either. But as a lord, almost everyone regarded him as their dependance. Fran was left behind; he would lead the second group of refugees. Fortunately, his special status quickly won the recognition of the refugees from Myron Duchy, which made it much more convenient for him to communicate with the refugees. At least, the people from his homeland felt great respect for this infantry division commander who had bravely been wounded and captured in the defense of Mycenae. Although the war had been lost and the kingdom had perished, the blame could not be placed on the valiant warriors, and the simple trust of his hometown folks once more reminded Fran that the sky of life was not all overcast.

However, at this moment, Komer’s heart was indeed filled with gloom. He did not know what preparations Puber and Hesse had made in Caucasus during his month of absence. Once it was confirmed that the number of immigrants would reach one hundred and fifty thousand, Komer had the Versailles mercenary guild send out a letter with the news and the necessary initial preparations as quickly as possible. The initial preparations of food, housing, land, and various aspects made Komer’s head ache at just the thought of it. A massive influx of people into Caucasus, which had always been half-dead due to a lack of population, he wondered whether the indigenous people would suddenly find it impossible to adapt? Komer was unclear what the final outcome would be. But since they had come this far, there was no turning back; the only option was to grit his teeth and keep moving forward.

The desolate autumn wind swept across the wilderness, lifting wisps of dead grass and dried leaves, allowing one to feel the approach of winter. Winters in the northern Blue Continent were cold, especially the chilling winds from the Northern Wasteland. Mortals simply could not live like the Beastmen in the wilds. This was the disparity. Indeed, it was this physical difference that forced the western countries of the Blue Continent to passively rely on a network of fortresses and a comprehensive defensive system against the threat from the Northern Beastmen. Perhaps this was the natural distinction created among all creatures. If the Beastmen possessed the unique intelligence and shrewdness of Mortals, or if Mortals had the robust physique and endurance of the Beastmen, perhaps one race would have become slaves to the other by now. Komer silently pondered this.

"Lord, you seem to be troubled?" The voice from beside him interrupted Komer’s musings. Within the spacious horse-drawn carriage, Komer was not alone; apart from him, there was another man who looked like a true gentleman. The middle-aged man sitting across from him appeared somewhat stern. His square-shaped face, with meticulously groomed whiskers, thick eyebrows, and grey eyes, featured a raised prominence on the bridge of his nose that seemed out of place, as if healed from an injury, looking somewhat discordant. His deep black robe, faded with age, seemed a bit shabby.

"Oh, Mr. Reese, I indeed have some concerns. I didn’t expect you to notice," Komer said, not wanting to hide his anxiety. The man sitting across from him, appearing as a gentleman, could be said to be one of the few people Komer trusted among the tens of thousands of refugees that were to be relocated to his territory.

Reese originated from Myron Duchy and was an old acquaintance of Fran. Born a commoner, this former judicial officer had witnessed the valiant resistance by the soldiers of Myron in the besieging of Mycenae, but the disparity between the enemy and allied forces was too great. The warriors’ lives did not translate to victory in the war. As Mycenae fell, Reese, along with his family and other refugees, fled southward to the southern border region.

Among the quota to stay in Netherland, Medea, and Naples, there was naturally no place for Reese’s family. Tens of thousands of spots had already been taken by various nobles and their extended families and friends. This was exactly what Komer had hoped to see – his territory only needed loyal servants, not nobles that were like maggots. Although the nobles might bring more money and wealth, Komer preferred having a stable territory over the two options. Wealth could be created, it only needed the efforts of hard-working hands, but a peaceful and obedient situation could not be bought with money, especially when the proportion of original inhabitants in his own territory was extremely small.

Fran played a considerable role in making Komer and Reese trust each other as friends. Reese had great respect for this person who had once been a senior officer in the Myron infantry division, and Fran equally admired the judicial officer’s incorruptible integrity. For a judicial officer to remain unmarked by the generally similar bureaucracies of different countries and maintain integrity despite a dead-end career earned Reese the respect and trust of the common people. Myron’s admiration for Komer had also directly influenced Reese’s impression of Komer. Added to that, the sincere treatment Komer extended to Reese in their subsequent encounters also steadily increased the judicial officer’s fondness and trust toward the trusting lord.