The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 457: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle - 11: Ambush_2

Chapter 457: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle Chapter 11: Ambush_2

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"Hmm, Lord Boninski, whether your earldom can be retained will depend on the decision of the Kingdom Star Chamber Court. However, for a lord who cannot even protect his own territory, I cannot imagine how such a lord still has the face to stay here."

Facing the increasingly arrogant Boninski, Philip’s words had become much more cautious. He had not expected this man, whom he thought he firmly controlled, to adopt such an attitude. This unexpected turn made him feel the lurking crisis around him.

"Very well, Your Grace, let us wait and see. I trust the Kingdom Star Chamber Court will give us all a fair answer."

With a composed nod, it was only now that Boninski truly revealed his true nature, a cold smile on his sullen face, he left the great hall without looking back.

The fall of Leon was not only a huge shock to the entire Homer region but also brought unimaginable turmoil to the Kingdom of Nicosia and the surrounding areas.

The fact that a mob of half-beastmen could defeat several thousand regular soldiers from Homer was previously unimaginable. Yet the intricate detail of this phenomenon was clear to few, firstly, because at the time of the outbreak of the war, only the combatants from both sides were present, and secondly, the Leon Region was now in a total state of closure. The only link to the outside world had to be through the Caucasus Muscat, which filled outsiders with curious astonishment at the bizarre outcome of the war.

Philip’s defeat in Leon directly affected the kingdom’s attitude towards Cyprus. Their condemnation of Philip, as the lord and highest military and political officer of the Homer region, was unprecedentedly humiliating for the entire kingdom, being defeated in such a critical battle by a group of half-beastman slaves armed with hoes and pickaxes.

Now, with the Bruce Great Floating Bridge burned down, rebuilding it would not only require time but also necessitate the complete defeat of the half-beastmen and clearing of the instability in the region before it could even be considered. Before that time, Leon would have to be in a strange anarchic independent state, untouchable by anyone, forced to watch these despicable slaves do as they please.

Faced with the aggressive stance of the kingdom, Philip knew it was not the time to confront the kingdom head-on. Finding a way to mitigate the negative impact of this crisis and urgently expanding his weakened forces was of the utmost priority. For now, the best course of action was patience and silence.

"Sir, I would like to take the liberty to ask you a question, if I may?"

The verdant window sheer blocked the dazzling sunshine, lush greenery abounded outside, and the Caucasus was already a bit hot this season. This was a secret contact point set up by Maha Gummi in the Caucasus Muscat, and perhaps for convenience of meeting, Komer had chosen to meet his upcoming guest here.

Perhaps in an attempt to find a topic to pass the time while waiting, Maha Gummi, who had gained Komer’s complete trust, appeared much more composed in front of him. However, after witnessing the magic array launched in collaboration by Komer and Rebury, Maha Gummi, a devotee of the War God Mars, had almost come to believe that his master was an incarnation of Mars himself.

The power to destroy the heavens and earth could only belong to a deity, an imagination far beyond someone like Maha Gummi. This led Maha Gummi’s loyalty to Komer to reach a near fanatical level of worship.

The rapid development of the stone industry and the completion of the road from Ugru to the Caucasus Muscat led to crazy growth in this newly built fair, much like blowing up a balloon. Since it is directly adjacent to Leon and located at the throes of the only avenue leading to the Caucasus, a massive number of slaves freed by the mob who did not wish to join their ranks chose this route to enter the Caucasus. Thus, the Caucasus Muscat became the first stop for the slaves entering the Caucasus.

The exploitation and processing of the stone mines required a vast workforce, instantly making these sites attractive to fleeing slaves. Mine owners and workshop bosses went so far as to offer to arrange all documents for Free Citizen status in the Caucasus to draw in labor. This quickly attracted a large number of slave laborers to join.

The rapid expansion of trade with Leon’s half-beast mob also turned the area into a hub of goods distribution. Large quantities of supplies from outside the Caucasus landed at Mattdam before being resold in Muscat. The plundered and confiscated goods from nobles, mine owners, gentry, and merchants were being dealt through this place either openly or in secret.

While the Caucasian Business Society, bearing the official color of the Caucasus, monopolized large-scale contraband trade, many other private merchants stealthily joined in. They dared not compete with the Caucasian Business Society and could only conduct small-scale transactions. Even so, this resulted in an unusually prosperous commercial state in the region.

"Hmm, if you have a question, just ask. Keeping it inside will only make you uncomfortable." The room wasn’t large, and the furnishings were simple, consistent with the straightforward and efficient style of this intelligence officer, which suited Komer very well.

"Why do you refuse to attend the consultative assembly, Sir? Even unwilling to reveal your identity. If it is to avoid unnecessary trouble, I could represent you. At the very least, we could secure quite a few benefits. But you instructed that even I should not attend, which could severely influence our next steps in the plan."

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