The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 324: Volume 5: The Path of the Lord, - 11: Fate

Chapter 324: Volume 5: The Path of the Lord, Chapter 11: Fate

As the wonderful strains of "Springtime in Prague" began, Komer naturally became the first choice of dance partner for Princess Vero, the birthday girl. While everyone watched with envy and admiration, the country bumpkin who had been a non-entity leaped to stardom at the banquet, and the bloodshot eyes of Knight Sate seemed ready to choose someone to devour.

The fox-trot was the most popular social dance among the high society of the Blue Continent. As a noble, you might not be able to do anything, but at the very least, basic noble etiquette and social skills were indispensable, else you would find yourself utterly incapacitated. And a proficient grasp of social dances was the most fundamental of social skills. Although Komer, one of the Three Wolves of Cyprus, learned nothing during his reckless youth, he mastered these symbols of nobility so well that they became the fundamental tactics for seducing respectable young ladies. In any situation, social dances were essential.

Komer’s proficient and masterful dance moves led the silver-haired girl gliding effortlessly across the hall, from feather steps to the triple step and finally to the Bruce. From light and graceful to firm and practiced, Komer fully displayed the high culture and standards expected of a noble, while the silver-haired girl’s supple body changed dance poses continuously under Komer’s guidance. Their harmonious cooperation earned them rounds of applause from the Galleian nobles watching, and from the admiring and entranced looks in the eyes of the ladies, it was clear that Komer’s generosity and elegant demeanor had completely won them over. Although the unmarried men were somewhat begrudging, the married gentlemen were full of praise for the performance of this young noble from the Homer region.

"Your Baron, I’m curious, don’t you feel any pain at gifting such a magical wonder as a present to me? Is it because of etiquette that you feel embarrassed to take back a gift once given?" Even amid the melodious music, the girl’s gentle voice still intoxicated Komer, her subtle fragrance not seeming like any expensive perfume but more like a natural body scent, wispy and enveloping around his senses, even inducing a dream-like daze.

"Oh Miss Vero, as one of the Seven Spirit Rings of the Goddess of Nature that she always carries, the Essence Spiritual Ring might indeed be a precious treasure to many, but in Komer’s heart, rather than having the ring worn by a mage to perform meaningless magic, it is better suited on Miss Vero’s hand to fulfill its intended purpose. If Miss Vero can always maintain the peerless grace that outshines the continent, then Komer believes the ring will truly have served its purpose. Even if Komer had another such ring, he would make the same choice." Perhaps entering some kind of time-space tunnel, Komer found himself unconsciously returning to the state of those noble banquets in Cyprus City years ago, sweet and cloying words flowing effortlessly without thought, surprising even himself with this reaction.

Facing such sweet nothings from a noble young man, the silver-haired girl seemed somewhat lacking in the necessary immunity. As the music echoed, their common language seemed to grow, from the refugees’ tragic fate to the harsh conditions of relocated life, from the daily lives of the nobles to the hard-earned livelihood of the common people. The girl found that the speech of this so-called country bumpkin was always filled with a hint of self-deprecating humor, giving an inexplicably agreeable feeling.

Seeing his daughter conversing pleasantly with the baron, the silver-haired elder’s face grew even more sullen. What was supposed to be a pleasant birthday banquet had become a stage for that fellow’s performance, a single ring had built up his good reputation among the Galle nobles. Zellin thought resentfully that Sate really was good for nothing and prone to ruining things.

"Mr. Mundell, is the ring that Vero is wearing really one of the Seven Spirit Rings of the Goddess of Nature? I am quite skeptical about whether there is some trick to this." The silver-haired elder finally turned his gaze away from the dancing couple and asked in a lowered voice.

"There should be no problem, I can feel the strong and vivid magic breath from that Spiritual Ring. Although I have never had the chance to witness the Seven Spirit Rings of the Nature Goddess, there is no doubt that this is a genuine treasure. And my friend Mr. Rebury, who has traveled all over the continent, is particularly focused on the research and search for such wonders. His judgment is infallible; he just told me that if the ring finds a suitable buyer in Jazair or Marco, it could be worth at least 300,000 gold coins! I can hardly believe it!" The mage’s gaze did not hide the envy and regret that such a magic wonder had become a beauty-maintenance accessory for a girl, it seemed too much of a waste.

"300,000 gold coins?!" Even as Zellin was wealthy in the kingdom, he was still shocked; such a small ring could be worth 300,000 gold coins, wasn’t that a bit too exaggerated?

Seeing the doubtful gaze of the other party, Mr. Mundell knew that they were not very familiar with the pricing of magical instruments and said with a faint smile, "Your Highness, magical instruments are not like other objects, they can’t be priced solely based on their material and craftsmanship. As you know, an antique or a famous painting often exceeds its own value by a lot, and the value of magical instruments is even more so. If a mage owns a divine artifact-level prop, their magical skills could improve by one or even two levels, which might save them decades of cultivation time. You can imagine the value in that. For a divine artifact like the Essence spirit ring, 300,000 gold coins is not much; if it falls into the hands of a mage specializing in Wood Magic, selling it for 500,000 gold shields wouldn’t be out of the question."

The silver-haired elder’s face slightly changed color. Before he had a chance to reply, Mr. Mundell dropped another bomb, "Didn’t Your Highness ask me to persuade Mr. Rebury to stay and serve you? I just conveyed your wish to him, and he said if he could have that Spiritual Ring, he might consider serving Your Highness for five years."

The silver-haired elder was visibly shaken, a mix of surprise and joy, "Is this true?"

"Hehe, those were the words from my old friend himself, no jest. But has Your Highness considered how to explain this to the county master and others?" Mr. Mundell nodded slightly with a hint of jealousy. He felt uncomfortable seeing how much the other party valued his friend. Even though he had known Rebury for many years, Mr. Mundell was reluctant to see his own status challenged, and he did not even know the extent of his friend’s magic level.

Mr. Mundell’s reminder indeed made the silver-haired elder furrow his brows. Giving away a rare treasure publicly presented to one’s daughter would undoubtedly be sought after by many. If he rashly used it as a trade for someone else, it’s hard to say what kind of talk it would provoke. As a lord, he could not overlook this.

Eventually, the banquet came to an end after its highs and lows. Princess Vero and Baron Komer became the most outstanding pair of the evening. Although Komer felt a pang of loss for giving away such a treasure so easily, the thought of the silver-haired girl stirring up memories and passion from his youth, and seeing from her gaze that he had successfully won her favor, laid the groundwork for many opportunities in the future, making him feel the trip was worthwhile.

However, what filled Komer with even more anticipation was not just that. The unkempt mage seemed to become suspicious of Komer as well. Something he said before leaving made Komer very cautious, but Komer had also left him with a loose end. With that guy’s psychology, he would certainly take the bait. When that man reached Caucasus, he might even bring Komer some unexpected gains—he hoped that would be the case.

The disturbance caused by the Galleians ended as quietly as it began, as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone returned to their roles—lords remained lords, envoys remained envoys. It seemed as though no one had ever thought to stay in Galle, and Duke Zellin never actually intended to accept the well-documented list of wealthy businessmen. They came quietly and left quietly.

The rolling masses made a pause in Galle and then continued to flow slowly southeast. Passing the fertile Galle Plain spanning thousands of miles, they entered the Busen Plain, which geologically is part of the same structural belt as the Galle Plain. This is Grand Duke Philip’s direct territory, equally flat and rich in resources. However, after the turmoil in Galle, the refugees already knew that neither nobles nor common people would ever allow them to live there, whether for political reasons or to maintain stability in their territory. Of course, if you are willing to become a slave, that is different.

The Galle Plain and the Busen Plain are the two main grain-producing areas in the southern region of the Kingdom of Nicosia. Every year, in addition to meeting local needs, a large surplus is sold to nearby regions. This is also one of the main financial pillars for both Duke Zellin and Grand Duke Philip, two of the Four Great Lords of the Kingdom. Passing through these areas again, Komer had to admit that in every respect, these places were far superior to his own broken territory: the perfected irrigation systems, the developed transportation, the fertile and well-tilled lands, the scattered market towns. It was no wonder that these refugees from the North, upon seeing lands even more bountiful than their homelands, could not help the desire to stay. But they seemed to have forgotten something—these lands were owned by others. How could such favorable conditions be easily attained? And the lives of ordinary people were not as happy and peaceful as they imagined.