The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 397: Volume 8: Gathering of Storm and Clouds, - 2: A Group of Three_2

Chapter 397: Volume 8: Gathering of Storm and Clouds, Chapter 2: A Group of Three_2

The influx of adventurers posed a severe challenge to Caucasus’s security, and Komer had no choice but to deploy two hundred-man teams from his Lord’s Guard to Mattdam, led by Ilot. Similarly, Santiago faced the same pressure, and Baoling led a hundred-man team of guard soldiers temporarily stationed in Santiago to prevent conflicts between the local fierce Half-Beastmen residents and the adventurers from other regions.

It should be said that the well-equipped Half-Beastman Guards were a huge shock to the adventurers from afar. They had never seen a military guard composed mainly of Half-Beastmen within a region controlled by mortals, especially as this was the territory of The Kingdom of Nicosia. The mortals of Nicosia were known for their aloof pride, making it difficult for them to get along harmoniously with other races. Although the Homer region was a relatively relaxed area, it was unexpected for Caucasus to be this open.

A medium-sized ship bearing the lily mark slowly entered the expanding Mattdam Port. The dark hull was clearly made of top-quality Black locust wood, and atop the mast flew a lily flag with a golden double-headed eagle flag above it, the exclusive symbol of the royal Romanov family of The Kingdom of Nicosia. Only those with royal lineage had the right to fly such banners. The pilot, an experienced hand, saluted most respectfully with his signal flags and then quickly signaled that the ship could dock at berth number seven in the third row—that was a berth dedicated to welcoming distinguished guests, a privilege that had never been bestowed since Mattdam Port first opened.

The ship approached the dock slowly and steadily, appearing even more stable as it neared the shore. With a splash, the iron anchor plunged into the water, and the hull gently eased towards the shore. The dockworkers, having braced to catch the mooring ropes thrown from the deck, put their strength into securing the ship to the designated stone pillars on the shore. Although the dockworkers, hardened by weather and experience, were unclear of the identity of the passengers on board, they also knew that on these lands, no one would dare impersonate members of the royal family or the ducal kin. However, it was curious that he had not received any notice from Ugru and there were no Lord’s Mansion officials at the dock to receive them.

Reclining comfortably in his lounger by the window, the young man with a somewhat pale face seemed more profound than six months earlier, his gaze complex as he looked out the window.

"Renta, look, this is the so-called barren Wilderness they spoke of?" His gaze wandered along the shore as he thoughtfully propped his chin, nodding slightly, "It seems people can be fearsome indeed. The people of Cyprus have belittled Baron Komer to nothing, painting him as a profligate scoundrel engaging in all manner of debauchery. But look at all this—what I heard was merely a small fishing village of one or two thousand people half a year ago, tsk tsk. If a tiny fishing village looks like this, the tastes of the Homer people must be exceedingly high. Perhaps, to them, Jazair is nothing more than a town, huh?" His laughter, devoid of much emotion, failed to evoke any reaction from the girl sitting across from him, who focused more on every blade of grass and tree on the shore.

The orderly docks and berthing for ships were all constructed from neatly arranged large bluestone. The row of Pilasters used for mooring ropes along the shore did not appear very old, likely only erected recently. A solitary stone building on the dockside looked forlorn, with other buildings situated no closer than five hundred meters around it—those were rows of warehouses likely belonging to the port’s storage area. Across from the warehouses, buildings of diverse styles were undoubtedly the merchants’ mansions, with the elegant courtyards of Southern Florentine style and the three-story Tudor-style buildings of wood over stone scattered throughout the residential area that was just one street away. And six months ago, this place was just a blank slate with maybe a few dilapidated wooden houses scattered around.

The solitary building stood out in the middle of the dock square, with a tall flagpole in front reaching over thirty meters high, made from a single piece of Black cypress wood. A wide banner on top of the mast fluttered against the sea breeze, depicting a bear head with a ferocious grimace, lifelike and imposing.

"Eh, what is that?" The girl’s attention quickly shifted to the target, with the pattern on the flag capturing her interest, "That doesn’t seem to be the Ress family emblem. I remember the Ress family crest is supposed to be a white rose."

Confident in her memory, but faced with the present evidence, it would be unthinkable for Komer to hang another family’s crest on the docks of Caucasus, the face to the outside world. Moreover, although the bear head was formidable, it had never played any part in the girl’s memory and was likely not a mark of any famous noble family in the kingdom.

"Renta, haven’t you heard? They say that His Excellency the Baron has a very odd and reclusive temperament with a strong rebellious streak, clashing with his father. I heard that he fell out with Viscount Ramla over the enfeoffment of Caucasus. Could it be that because of this, he refuses to acknowledge himself as a member of the Reese family and has created a new emblem for himself?" The young man had sources that were obviously well-informed, and his mind was very sharp, quickly speculating a possibility based on the information he had.