The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 407: Volume 8 Gathering of the Storms - 5 Alliance of the Talks

Chapter 407: Volume 8 Gathering of the Storms Chapter 5 Alliance of the Talks

When the three girls disappeared from the Reception Hall, only Komer and Hoffman remained. Komer sensed that the latter seemed to have some kind of intention and was expecting him to broach the subject.

"Your Baron, there is a matter I would like to presumptuously inquire about. If it involves personal privacy, you are fully entitled to refuse an answer, and I will not mind. May I know your thoughts on this?" Hoffman knew the somewhat enigmatic baron in front of him shared a certain understanding with his half-sister. However, he didn’t care— the other party needed food, and Palermo just happened to have a deep relationship with Katya. Hoffman admired Katya’s pervasive methods, but he did not believe the other party could win over him based only on this deal. With mutual interests at stake, many relationships could change at any time.

"Your Highness, you flatter me. Please ask, and Komer will withhold nothing." Komer replied cautiously. Last time, he had unwittingly caused quite some trouble for this prince with Katya. He wondered if His Highness was aware of that incident. However, Komer wasn’t worried that Katya would leak such news, and even if she did, it would be hard for the other party to believe such talk coming from an opponent.

"Princess Vero is young and beautiful with a naïve heart. I can tell that Your Baron holds her in high regard, but what exactly brought Princess Vero to the Caucasus? Did she come on her own, or was it at Duke Zellin’s behest? Please consider your response carefully. The current situation in the Empire is somewhat chaotic, the climate in Leon is unstable, but Philip has kept it under wraps, probably fearing Central Kingdom’s intervention. Duke Zellin and Philip recently joined forces again to resist the implementation of the ’Utrecht Decree’ in Homer and Galle, worsening their relationship with the Kingdom. This is why I and Princess Renta made our trip to Homer. Before coming here, Lord Tez instructed me to take the opportunity to visit the Caucasus. Originally, I held Your Baron in high esteem, but the appearance of Princess Vero has caused both Princess Renta and me some concern. We hope Your Baron can give us a clear response to alleviate our doubts."

Hoffman was extremely careful with his words and sentences. Komer might be a low-ranking noble, but the position he held now was critical for the Kingdom. Tracy had become a burden to him; even without the opposition of Tez and Duke Mathew, the current relationship between Homer and Central Kingdom barred him from progressing any further. Moreover, as Renta said, deep down, he only wanted some fun and didn’t truly intend to pursue a result, unless Tracy had more utility. He wished to use this opportunity to clear any discord caused by Tracy, perhaps considering the low-ranking noble before him as an additional weight in his future competition for the throne.

"Your Highness, I think you and Princess Renta are a bit too sensitive. As you have mentioned, Princess Vero is indeed naïve. Although Duke Zellin is not on the same path as us, Princess Vero has not been involved in that. She came here at my invitation for a visit, and of course, there were other reasons, but those are personal and have nothing to do with the current situation of the Kingdom. You both can be assured of that," Komer assured, adapting his words to suit Hoffman’s polite demeanor and the mutual need for cooperation between them.

"If that’s the case, then we are reassured. Your Baron is well aware of the current chaotic state of the Kingdom. The beastmen have been highly active on the Mogan Plateau and could head south at any moment. The Kingdom’s western barrier has already broken, and we have to expend more effort to deal with it while these Great Lords care nothing for the Kingdom’s plight, only for themselves—especially the situations in Homer and Galle are worse. Therefore, we have to be cautious." Hoffman explained his caution before changing the subject. "Now the situation in Leon has worsened, Bruce Fortress has been sealed, and we had no choice but to enter the Caucasus through the sea route. What is Your Baron’s view on the current situation in Leon?"

"Heh heh, Your Highness, while the situation in Leon might be dire for Philip, it is not necessarily the same for us," Komer responded with a shrug and a hint of schadenfreude in his smile.

"Your Baron, don’t you think the chaos in Leon could impact the security of the Caucasus?" Surprised, he raised an eyebrow. Could this man not see an issue so simple?

There are only three routes leading out of Leon to the outside world. One is through the river port of Bruce Fortress, another requires passing through Bruce Fortress, then traversing the Greenland Great Forest to reach the Busen Plain, and the last is through the Darman Pass into the Caucasus. Of course, the last route leads only to the Caucasus, as it has no other land passages—its other sides are bordered either by the Great Swamp or the barbarian territories. Philip had already stationed heavy troops at Bruce Fortress. Although he had not yet sent more troops to suppress the increasingly violent riots in the Leon Region, it was impossible for the mobs to breach Bruce’s blockade. It seemed their only way out was the Caucasus.