The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 403: Volume 8: Gathering of Storm and Clouds, - 4: Burning with Jealousy_2

Chapter 403: Volume 8: Gathering of Storm and Clouds, Chapter 4: Burning with Jealousy_2

The arrival of Vero changed the somewhat stagnant atmosphere in the living room; whether it was Hoffman, Renta, or Tracy, all showed immense surprise at the appearance of Duke Zellin’s treasured princess in Baron Komer of the Caucasus’s residence. Almost in unison, a question arose in the minds of the three: what was the old man Zellin’s intention for reaching into the Caucasus? That Princess Vero, with her noble status, had been in the Caucasus for a period of time without any noise, raised all sorts of peculiar speculations among them. Originally planning to stay in the Caucasus for just a day or two, all three unanimously decided to linger in the region a while longer, to observe if there were any unspeakable secrets between Baron Komer and Princess Vero.

A vague sense of sourness and jealousy filled Tracy’s heart. Although she refused to admit that she felt envious of someone because of Komer, her remaining rationality told her that she was indeed somewhat jealous of the silver-haired girl. The girl’s smile was full of grace, her simple yet elegant white dress carried a touch of ethereal charm, and the pure innocence in her pale purple eyes was like needles to Tracy’s eyes, unbearably prickling her heart.

Why should she feel envious over Komer? Was Komer even worth her jealousy? Was it just because he seemed to have developed a certain flair in the Caucasus? Hadn’t she discarded him like an old shoe and even felt nauseated at the thought of him at first? Why did she now feel this way upon seeing a girl by his side? Tracy couldn’t comprehend her own feelings. This complex emotion tangled within her to the point where she almost forgot the purpose of her visit. It was only when she saw Hoffman chatting amicably with Komer that she managed to pull her thoughts from the haze and focus back on the conversation at hand.

Hoffman sincerely congratulated Komer on the opening of Mattdam’s port and inquired in detail about the throughput of Mattdam as well as the situation in other areas of the Caucasus Territory. Komer was forthright and exhaustive in his response, but his words carried more complaints about the backwardness and desolation of the Caucasus. Aside from the disclosed iron and coal mines, there seemed to be little else in the Caucasus that merited attention. Hoffman, however, was clearly not much interested in the natural resources of the Caucasus; he was more concerned about the repercussions of the successful port opening on the surrounding regions.

For the Kingdom of Nicosia, almost the entire east coast was under the control of Philip and another Great Lord from the north. Although the rich regions and waters along the Mediterranean coast are nominally part of the kingdom, history has left only a nominal legacy for the central kingdom. Whether it was the land, the cities, or the ports, every blade of grass and every bit of revenue was exclusively in the hands of these proud and uncontrollable Great Lords. Even the goods transported externally from the kingdom’s inland areas through rivers and canals had to pay high taxes to these lords. This not only angered the inland traders of the kingdom but also humiliated the kingdom itself. The opening of Mattdam’s port broke the monopoly of the two Great Lords over the kingdom’s coastline. Though it wasn’t much of a direct help to the kingdom due to its geographical location, the trend it initiated was profound. It gave the disgruntled Middle and Small Aristocracy a revelation that even remote areas like the Caucasus could flourish with the support of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Renta and Vero seemed to have entered a harmonious and intimate conversation. At that moment, Tracy felt more like an outsider, unable to interject a word, which made her feel both humiliated and enraged. Since when could someone like Komer manage her in front of herself?

Fortunately, this situation did not last long. Komer soon realized this and took the initiative to include Tracy in the conversation. However, Hoffman didn’t show much interest in Tracy’s joining, as women, no matter how charming, could not compare to power. Hoffman was both envious and somewhat concerned that Komer was able to command a force of Half-Beastmen in such a short time. This kind of foreign troop was unprecedented within the kingdom’s boundaries, even Private Soldiers of Small Aristocrats rarely employed foreigners, especially the lowly Half-Beastmen. In the eyes of Mortals, Half-Beastmen were fit only for slavery or crude labor such as mining, lumberjacking, and construction; even Farmers were of a higher class than them. The fact that Komer had them serve as a Lord’s Guard was a surprise to Hoffman.

However, Hoffman could see that Komer’s half-beast soldiers, though rough, all seemed to have undergone formal military training. Covering a taxing journey of more than two hundred miles from Mattdam to Ugru, the half-beast soldiers kept pace with the horse-drawn carriage on foot—a slow vehicle indeed, but already reaching the limit for a walking human. Even in a state of extreme fatigue, the half-beast soldiers managed to maintain a neat formation and, in combat readiness, deployed scouts to surveil the surroundings. This meticulous style was certainly not inherent to the idle and impulsive half-beasts; only mortal regular armies could cultivate such good discipline.

The half-beastman guards stationed at watch in Komer’s estate made an even deeper impression on Hoffman, exuding a restrained and solid presence reminiscent of mortal warriors. It was clear that these individuals had attained some proficiency in martial arts, and though they could not compare with expert warriors, it was inconceivable to imagine how they achieved this level, which to someone like Hoffman, who was versed in the Martial Arts Realm, was nothing short of a miraculous feat. Of course, he was unaware that these few half-beast soldiers were the cream of the crop, meticulously trained over the course of two months by two Dark Knights. Perhaps half-beasts were not as adaptable as mortals, but they were generally superior in terms of tenacity and perseverance. Once taught properly, their execution of each move was precise and diligent. Though the Dark Knights had never taught others before, they were quite satisfied with the performance of several batches of half-beast soldiers, a result of Komer’s policy of generous rewards under strict control.

As a member dispatched by the kingdom to appease Grand Duke Philip in the Homer region, Hoffman had a more important task: to gauge the attitudes of other middle and small nobles in the Homer region and identify potential allies who might stand with the kingdom in future conflicts. Based on recent events in the Caucasus, Komer was undoubtedly a pivotal figure.

Hoffman had already been contemplating the armed forces under Komer’s control in the land of Caucasus. Merely from his observations over the past two days, he had discovered that the Baron Lord commanded more than three hundred guard soldiers, a rather astonishing figure for a not-so-wealthy land like Caucasus. After all, soldiers consumed rather than generated wealth—from their weapons and armor to training expenses, all these represented significant costs. Many nobles with territories, especially from the middle and small aristocracy, did not even have private soldiers, also known as the Lord’s Guard, as it saved expenses and was often unnecessary. While it was true that an expansive and frontier land like Caucasus did necessitate the establishment of a guard, this scale of development was inevitably suspicious.

Even though Komer’s forces were still far from comparable to the armed forces under Philip’s control, it was just a beginning. As far as Hoffman was concerned, he was quite keen on seeing this trend continue, but he also needed to remind the other party that while it was good to be prepared against enemies, it was also necessary to act within one’s economic capabilities. In the depths of his heart, Hoffman had already considered the Baron as an ally. With such large-scale development, the economic power of the Caucasus was fundamentally incapable of supporting such a substantial guard. He did not wish to see this potentially important force for restraining the Great Lords become bankrupt due to financial issues.

Seizing on Tracy’s evident distraction, Renta and Vero quickly clung to her. Of course, Renta did this deliberately, while Vero acted merely as a pawn in the manipulation.