The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 458: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle - 11: Subdued_3

Chapter 458: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle Chapter 11: Subdued_3

Maha Gummi had always been puzzled by his master’s attitude. The reversal of the situation in the Leon Region, ultimately allowing the rabble to triumph, could be said to be entirely the work of his own side. Had it not been for the targeted training in advance and the powerful counterattack at the end orchestrated by his group, Woodhardt and his gang would probably have retreated into the Volt Mountain Range to become bandits long ago.

It was this battle that completely crushed the main force and morale of the Homer Army, and ignited the confidence of the mob, leading the situation in Leon to where it stood today. Leon had essentially become an independent kingdom, and in Maha Gummi’s eyes, these people should all be subservient to his own master’s feet, his master should be the true ruler of this land.

Of course, this was just Maha Gummi’s personal view, and he also knew that the ownership of these lands in the world of mortals involved a very complicated history and legal procedures; it wasn’t as simple as whoever occupied the land could claim it as their own.

"Maha Gummi, some things need a longer view. Do you really believe these people can last?" Komer had come to consider this shrewd half-beastman hybrid as a close confidant to cultivate.

Although the man lacked political experience, his keen political intuition and talent for intelligence were sufficient for him to take on the tasks Komer had given him, and thus far, he had done an excellent job.

Komer’s current task was to get this fellow adapted to his role as quickly as possible, to break away from the psychological presets characteristic of half-beastmen.

"Sir, do you mean that Leon will be reclaimed by the Homer side?" Startled, Maha Gummi looked up with a puzzled gaze. "But didn’t Sir say that now Homer temporarily has no power to interfere with Leon? Even the Grand Floating Bridge of the Nissai River outside Bruce Fortress has been destroyed. Rebuilding that bridge will not be a short-term endeavor."

"I didn’t say that Homer would recapture Leon; I only said that given the current situation, it’s unlikely that Leon’s state of affairs can last very long."

Komer leaned back lazily in his chair, his thoughts returning to Ugru, to that specimen that was still in the secret chamber. He was unsure whether the dormant state would harm her body, as this was his first time conducting such an experiment, but he felt it was a gamble worth taking.

"What reasons, then, does Sir believe will lead to Leon’s inability to continue?" Maha Gummi had a vague guess, but his own side had been continually sending supplies there. Could his master suddenly change his stance?

"Food, of course. Without food, how long can the hundreds of thousands of people across Leon rely on what little their land produces?" Komer spoke intermittently, seemingly indifferent.

"An order from Cyprus will soon be delivered to the Lord’s Mansion in Ugru. Homer will definitely demand that we blockade any connection with Leon. Leon’s food supply is almost entirely dependent on us delivering it from here. Their local food reserves are dwindling. It’s not a question of breaking off relations—if we continue at the current pace of delivery without increasing the amount of food, Leon won’t last long. These fools really think they can stir up trouble? It won’t be long before they turn on each other over food issues."

"Then does Sir mean that it will be our turn to step in and clean up the mess when the time comes?" Maha Gummi seemed to understand his master’s plan.

"No, it’s true that ’an ounce of precaution is worth a pound of cure,’ which is why I will meet the other side today. If Leon wants to survive, it must restore order quickly; no land can live by war. War might transfer ownership of wealth, but it doesn’t create it. When even basic survival is at stake, Leon’s chaos could affect us in Caucasus, and therefore we must possess the ability to control the situation."

Komer’s mumbled remarks left the half-beastman listening with half-understanding, rolling his eyes as he tried hard to decipher the hidden meanings in his master’s words.

As Komer’s mind drifted to the specimen in his secret chamber and Maha Gummi was frowning in thought over the implications of his master’s statements, footsteps finally sounded from outside the door.

Just like the first time Komer met Maha Gummi, he still regarded the beastman man who came forward and knelt on one knee to show respect with an exploratory gaze.

The man’s auburn hair was as disheveled as most half-beastmen’s, likely because their particular hair texture made it difficult to keep it neat, and his broad face seemed more angular than Maha Gummi’s, giving him a somewhat promising appearance. His broad shoulders paired with sturdy, elongated arms, and his brownish-yellow eyes were proof of his lineage.

"Mr. Dragumo, please rise. Such ceremony is unnecessary between us. You are not my citizen, nor am I your lord; I am somewhat overwhelmed by such formalities."

Komer understood that this person’s use of such a high-level courtesy was entirely because of his own performance in the battle of Mandu.

As a senior officer among the rebel forces and strongly recommended by Maha Gummi, he was privileged enough to learn that the earth-shattering magic attack in Mandu was the work of the lord of Caucasus, the genteel seeming young man who gave off an air of a delicate noble, standing before him. Reverence for the strong is a longstanding tradition among half-beastmen, so he used the most venerated ceremony to show respect to a superior.