The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 460: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle - 11: Ambush_5

Chapter 460: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle Chapter 11: Ambush_5

Komer’s tone was surprisingly gentle, yet the content of his words was extremely harsh.

"Are you saying that even you, Lord, would cut off our food supply?" The Half-Beastmen’s gaze was intense, staring fixedly at Komer’s face.

"Mr. Dragumo, please do not look at me with such a gaze, I have already proven my stance with my actions, but you should be aware that the food production in the Caucasus is currently not even sufficient for its own citizens. The food I provided to Leon recently was all transported by sea and then imported into Leon through various means. Once Homer, or even the kingdom, completely blocks the Caucasus’ maritime routes or restricts food imports, what will I use to supply you?" Komer said, spreading his hands in a sincere manner.

"Lord, I have already expressed our respect for you. If you are willing, we would like you to become the new Lord of Leon. As for the legal or food issues you mentioned, I firmly believe that with the Lord’s capability, these problems will be easily resolved."

The sincere gaze of the Half-Beastmen shone on Komer’s face like a beam of light, causing a twinge of guilt to rise in the depths of his heart; manipulating these simple-minded Half-Beastmen felt somewhat criminal.

"We do not wish to live the dark life we had before; our demands are low, only requiring the most basic assurance for survival. If even this cannot be met, then we prefer to choose death in battle! But it is different for you, Lord. I have heard of your kindness and fairness toward our Half-Beastmen in your territory, and so we hope that you can lend us a hand."

Faced with the burning gaze of the other, Komer remained silent for a long while before finally replying slowly, "Mr. Dragumo, I am deeply moved by your concern for your fellow kin, and I am very willing to help you, but as far as I know, your proposal does not seem to have unanimous support from within your group. It appears your companions do not like me interfering in the affairs of the Leon Region, of course, except when they need my help."

Komer’s words carried a hint of irony.

Maha Gummi’s information network was highly effective. Those Half-Beastmen holding what they called a grand assembly began amidst noisy clamor and ended fruitlessly in a struggle for power and wealth, none of which was surprising to Komer.

Dragumo had indeed proposed a compromise at the upper echelons’ meeting, suggesting that Leon temporarily affiliate with the Caucasus, with Komer helping to mediate the relationship between Leon and the kingdom. However, it was unanimously opposed by others, who believed that Leon should be managed and controlled by the people of Leon themselves and did not require outsider interference. Of course, they also advocated for strengthened trade with the Caucasus, especially hoping the Caucasus would continue to ensure their food supply as before.

The somewhat embarrassed Half-Beastmen did not expect that even this situation was known to the other party, and for a while, he did not know how to reply. After a long struggle, he managed to say, "Lord, indeed there are some hot-headed and unreasonable people among my companions, but they are only temporarily blinded by immediate benefits. Please give me a little time, I believe I can persuade them."

Even the Half-Beastmen themselves found his words lacked conviction. His own suggestion had been seen as treachery, and he had been ostracized by those short-sighted fellows. Disheartened, he had even thought about stepping out of these power struggles. If it weren’t for Maha Gummi’s approach, he might have already ceased his involvement in these matters.

"Forget it, Mr. Dragumo, I am well aware of your plight. It seems that your companions fail to understand that waging war and governance are entirely different matters. Maybe you can defeat the Homer Army, but if you have no food, no weapons, no armor, what will you do? Not to mention the army, there are so many ordinary people who need food and shelter; do they think these civilians don’t need to eat?" Komer said, waving his hand to comfort the other.

"Your feelings I can understand, but some people need to learn their lesson to truly wake up to reality; mere words are hardly enough to make them realize its harshness."

"Lord, Mr. Dragumo came today to earnestly plead for you to give the people of Leon a chance; we need your help. If you do not aid us, no one else will," the Half-Beastmen said, his angular face showing a pained expression, clearly worried for his fellow kin.

Without food, perhaps there would be no need for battle, and the entire Leon would again succumb to the feet of the cruel and vicious Homer nobles. The soil quality of Leon determined this dilemma; the locally produced food could only meet one-third of the need—where would the rest come from?

But now, those in power among his kin seemed completely entangled in power struggles, causing uproar over the division of lands and properties, completely unaware of the imminent crisis. Such a situation could only be maintained for so long; contemplating this, Dragumo saw only darkness ahead.

"Mr. Dragumo, I am very willing to help you and your fellow kin, but under the current circumstances, I think it’s essential for them to have a clearer understanding of the situation. Besides, the help I can provide is quite limited and will not satisfy the entire Leon Region needs. So, I can offer you some support to some extent, but in my personal opinion, it’s likely just a drop in the bucket for the entire region," Komer said.