The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 476: Volume 10: Thunderous Movements and Winds Rising, - 11: Mysterious Support

Chapter 476: Volume 10: Thunderous Movements and Winds Rising, Chapter 11: Mysterious Support

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"Princess Katya, I think we can dispense with the riddles. Your visit likely isn’t just to see an acquaintance like me," Komer mused, with a mix of surprise and pleasure that it was Princess Katya who had come instead of His Highness Prince Hoffman or Princess Renta. "I’m glad, however, and I do hope that the kingdom sends more people to inspect our Caucasus, to give us the recognition we deserve."

After deliberating over his words for a moment, Komer felt it was time to discuss serious matters.

According to the intelligence he’d received, not only had the relationship between the Central Kingdom and the major lords continued to deteriorate due to the issues concerning defense funds against the Beastmen invasion, but it seemed the struggle among the kingdom’s successors had also intensified. Considering Katya’s triumph over Hoffman and Renta for this visit to the Caucasus, Komer couldn’t help but speculate her motive. Was she seeking assistance, or was she trying to showcase her talents to the king to earn his praise?

The smile that had charmed countless men once again graced Katya’s peerless face. Seeing Komer finally address the matter directly was a relief; she had outlasted him in patience, gaining a bit of the upper hand. Now, she could take a more proactive role.

She had subconsciously listed the man before her as her most formidable opponent. Of course, "opponent" was just a provisional term for now—maybe he was a partner, maybe an ally, or possibly an enemy. It all depended on his performance.

"Your baron, I admire your straightforwardness. Indeed, my visit isn’t just to see you, although I truly did wish to see you again. However, personal feelings must come second to matters of state, and I believe you feel the same."

Katya subtly expressed her feelings, signaling the importance of what they were about to discuss while also conveying her personal affection, aiming to gain his understanding and support.

"Lord Tez and General Mathew are very interested in how the rebels of Leon managed to defeat Homer’s army. They want to obtain more detailed intelligence. Also, they wish for Leon to play a greater role in the future."

"Your Highness, is that the Central Kingdom’s idea? Haha, it seems a bit naive, doesn’t it? How can Leon be expected to play a greater role? The Floating Bridge from Bruce Fortress to Leon has been burnt down. Although I’ve heard the Homer people have started repairing it on their side, it won’t be for at least three to five months that even a temporary bridge could be built. And the rebels in Leon, heh, not to sound negative, but they might be having trouble even finding food, let alone causing any significant stir. If the princess doesn’t believe me, I would be willing to accompany Your Highness on a visit to Leon."

Komer didn’t really care about the issue at hand. He had no interest in the kingdom’s thoughts and was well aware of their intentions, which revolved around using the chaos in Leon to restrict Homer’s power, thus facilitating their potential military actions against Homer in the future.

What interested him was how to benefit from the impending struggle.

The kingdom was continuously importing food to the Caucasus by sea, arriving at Mattdam Port and then flowing into Leon via Muscat, while the rebels exchanged the confiscated noble wealth for these supplies. This allowed Puber and others to earn unimaginable profits for the Caucasus, and quickly turned Muscat into a bustling hub of trade between the Caucasus and Leon.

As long as this trade continued, the Caucasus could keep profiting from it.

However, the new developments weren’t as promising as he had hoped. The wealth snatched from the nobles would eventually diminish over time, whereas the essential mining operations that sustained Leon had stalled. Even if mines were operational, there was no way to transport and sell the ore.

The market in the Caucasus alone couldn’t absorb all the mining products from Leon, not to mention that the Caucasus itself needed to export its own minerals.

At this moment, Komer didn’t dare harbor ambitions of swallowing Leon whole. He was more hopeful that Katya’s visit would clarify the kingdom’s stance towards the major lords, especially the Homer region.

Currently, Homer’s small but resilient navy had begun patrolling the seas east of Leon, inspecting ships traveling from the north to the south. Their aim was clear: to blockade Mattdam Port.

Though the larger merchant fleets often had ways to deal with such obstacles, either through upper-echelon connections or bribery below, the warning bells were ringing for Komer.

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Once Homer feels the time is ripe, they can completely block Mattdam, and just like that, Caucasus, too, will become dead water like Leon, left to await its doom.

Although the Homer Navy has not yet expanded its influence to the seas near Mattdam due to the power of the Gray Skulls in the Southern Nether Sea, the Gray Skulls, having acquired three Mirror of Thousand Miles, have begun their dominance push southward. After all, the south is where their roots and lifeline are. In their eyes, controlling the traffic line between the south and the Continent is the true golden path. In comparison, the connections between the north and the Continent are much smaller in scale.

Komer has repeatedly requested the Gray Skulls to ensure the safety of Mattdam, but aside from verbal promises, the Gray Skulls haven’t made many substantive responses. Instead, they have demanded that Komer swiftly produce the prototype of the Magic-armed gun, threatening that if he fails, they will not only refuse to protect Mattdam but will block it under the pretext of broken promises, causing Komer considerable headache.

Due to recent busyness, Komer has managed to produce only two Mirror of Thousand Miles in his spare time, with little progress on the development of the Magic-armed gun. Although the manufacturing principles of the magic-armed gun should be no problem according to the parchment scrolls, turning theory into actual production still requires considerable effort.

Fortunately, after receiving three well-crafted Mirror of Thousand Miles, the Gray Skulls seemed to have tasted the benefits from these mirrors. At least, the Gray Skulls, who had been at a disadvantage, could finally regain their momentum and contend with the pirate fleet of Katrina Red-haired Witch, active in the Mediterranean to the south. This excited Gote greatly, and he agreed to Komer’s request for more time to develop the Magic-armed gun.

However, Gote declined to protect Mattdam from the Homer Navy, stating that the original agreement between them did not include such a provision. He claimed he could only act as a mediator in his personal capacity, but would not use the armed force of the Gray Skulls to ensure the safety of Mattdam Port.

Komer couldn’t determine the underlying reason for their stance—whether they truly needed to focus their main efforts on the struggle in the Mediterranean, or whether they were reluctant to completely fall out with Homer. In any case, the Gray Skulls were unwilling to directly address this issue, and this made Komer doubt whether he could deliver the Magic-armed gun on time.

If a power not under one’s control becomes too strong and even threatens one’s own safety, it is not a good sign. Komer realized it would be unwise to further fuel this power. Perhaps there needed to be a means of restraint to keep them in check; balance was the reasonable and appropriate approach.

"Your baron, the situation in Leon concerns the grand scheme of the kingdom, and I believe you are well aware of this. I am confident you have a solid plan to ensure that Leon at least maintains its current state of affairs. If there are needs in other aspects, Princess Katya is willing to convey this issue back to Lords Parker and Tez. I am sure they will be able to meet your reasonable demands,"

Katya was, of course, aware of the hidden meaning in those words. Hoffman and the man had apparently been collaborating well, and the kingdom was very satisfied with the status quo. The purpose of sending her on this mission was singular: to ensure Leon and Caucasus would tie up Homer’s attention and resources even more effectively, preparing for the kingdom’s next moves.

Though Katya could not be sure of the nature of the kingdom’s imminent actions, she inferred from the severe look in her father king’s eyes that this was no mere war of words or impulsive act, and her father had never treated a mission with such gravitas before.

Katya had a premonition that the kingdom would soon make a significant move, and it likely would start in the Homer region.

As for the kingdom’s interest, it was less in Leon and more in the potential of Caucasus. At the very least, Katya was certain that the seemingly modest strength displayed by the young Baron was not all that there was to it. One fact alone could prove this: the magicians residing in Damarlinsk Castle.

The transformation of Damarlinsk Castle from a fearsome Magic Castle to the residence of the Great Lord and his friends was not easy to keep secret. Both the kingdom and Homer became aware of this news quite swiftly.

Although Komer’s identity as a mage was no longer a secret in the kingdom or Homer, it was clear that he alone lacked the power to conquer Damarlinsk Castle, and thus the stature of his backing friends suddenly grew immensely.

Rebry, Mihailovich, and Newman, who kept a low profile, did not draw much attention, but the two Dark Knights, tasked by Komer to be the Martial Arts Instructors for the Self-defense Army and the Lord’s Guard, had to frequently appear before the soldiers to instruct their martial arts training.

Though the various informants stationed in Caucasus could not gauge just how skilled these stern Martial Arts Instructors were, the extent of the Half-beast soldiers and Half-Elf Archers’ admiration and obsession indicated that these two were not ordinary powerhouses.