The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 335: Volume 6: Cautious Planning - 2: Crisis and Opportunity_2

Chapter 335: Volume 6: Cautious Planning Chapter 2: Crisis and Opportunity_2

Only in front of Puber and Ilot could Komer truly relax. This sudden life as a lord made him realize his adaptability was far less than that of Puber and Ilot. While they had completely immersed themselves in the life of the Caucasus, he still longed for the past ’Three years of exile’—a life with no responsibilities or pressures and filled with wanderlust. Komer knew that was only a phase of life and that one could not forever indulge in the past, but as a lord, he could not show an air of confidence and ambition in front of others. He constantly struggled with the doubt of whether this life was what he needed and the desire to surpass and retaliate against those who had caused him pain and humiliation.

Seeing the brilliant yet insidious smile on the other person’s face, Puber felt a surge of bitterness. The glorious image he had built so tirelessly was completely ruined by the trip to the brothel with Ilot and Zipla, and every time, he inevitably endured Komer’s mockery. He had no choice but to silently bear it since, as far as he knew, Komer had completely changed his dissolute ways. Despite three new brothels opening in Ugru this month, Komer, who would have been a frequent visitor in the past, had not visited even once, leading Puber to wonder if Komer had transformed into a person devoid of passion and desire during his magic cultivation.

"Alright, Boss, stop harping on about that nonsense every day. Can’t you focus on the important matters? We can’t afford to be negligent right now," Puber said, directly addressing the urgent issues, "Reese probably needs to recruit some more legal assistants. The establishment of legal assistant officers in Mattdam is imminent, and we can’t delay any longer. I reckon it’s only a matter of time for Darman and Bahomon too; we need to decide immediately. Over the past month, there’s been a clear increase in the number of scattered Immigrants moving in. It’s only halfway through March, and in just these ten days, over six hundred households, more than two thousand people, have migrated. I’ve already arranged all of them to go to Bahomon. Given this trend, the number of incoming people will likely continue to grow, so we must be mentally prepared."

As soon as they turned to serious matters, Komer immediately regained his composure, "Puber, we’re seriously short of administrative officers in areas like internal affairs, justice, civil issues, and finance in Our Caucasus. See if you can contact your classmates and alumni; even if we can get three or five people, that would help share the load. Right now, we can only rely on ourselves, as you said. Judging by the current situation, Our Caucasus is quickly becoming a hotbed for development. However, our land is too restricted by others, and with crises lurking around every corner, we have to be careful, or we risk everything. For now, we must do our best to accumulate power with every moment we have, or if others catch their breath, we’ll only have one fatal path left."

Sensing the implication in Komer’s words, Puber’s expression became solemn, "Boss, Ilot has already talked to me about it. No matter what, both Ilot and I support you. Since the three of us have been wrapped up in this, even if we wanted to leave, it wouldn’t be possible. Philip, that old fox, won’t make things easy for us, so we can’t give up either. However, Boss, it seems that Duke Tez, the Minister of Internal Affairs, thinks highly of you. I’ve heard that Palermo is a man of Princess Katya. I wonder if this is at the behest of His Majesty the King."

"Hmph, Puber, don’t pin your hopes on others. Tez think highly of me? Without the arrogance and insubordination of Philip and Zellin, he wouldn’t even spare me a glance. Philip and Zellin’s power has become a threat to the kingdom’s survival. He only regards me as a useful pawn because I’m conveniently located behind Philip and Zellin. In a desperate situation, he’s just clutching at straws. Right now, the kingdom is in grave danger, with the Four Great Lords acting autonomously. The Central Kingdom wants to reclaim the power that once belonged to the Royal Family but is powerless to do so. Moreover, the unrest of the beastmen in the North adds to the kingdom’s woes. Had it not been for the support provided by the two northern lords concerned about the kingdom’s collapse, the kingdom’s finances would have already been bankrupt. Even now, the kingdom cannot afford to maintain a larger Army. Just look at the Knights regiments and Magicians in Zellin’s territory to see how big the gap is. Economic foundation determines the superstructure; this is an unchanging truth throughout the ages. Tez or perhaps His Majesty the Emperor may want to change this pattern, but it seems not so easy," Komer shrugged and clicked his tongue dismissively.

"As for Palermo, he’s a pure opportunist. Political opportunism is always a highly profitable business, and that’s the kind of speculation Palermo enjoys the most. No one can make an opportunistic merchant remain loyal forever, except for interest itself. Not even Katya can do that. Palermo is more realistic than anyone, and of course, his vision and sense of smell are sharper too. He won’t fail to see the kingdom’s strong support for me in hopes of restraining Philip. First and foremost, he can use this opportunity to make more profit and placing a bet on us wouldn’t cost him much. Yet, if successful, the rewards would be substantial. Such a gamble, even with some risks, is worth it for him," concluded Komer.