The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 497: Volume Eleven: Shrouded in Fog and Smoke - Nine: Journey

Chapter 497: Volume Eleven: Shrouded in Fog and Smoke Chapter Nine: Journey

Komer was moved by Hayreddin’s frankness. After all, such matters should be considered true secrets. Having a secret agreement with the preeminent pirate leader of the Nether Sea would indeed cause great ripples if word got out to those with ulterior motives. Yet, it seemed that Komer didn’t take this issue to heart—perhaps out of trust in Hayreddin, or maybe because he truly feared no one knowing about it.

"Your baron, although the Gray Skull is contending with the Red-haired Witch for supremacy in the North Mediterranean, the Southern Nether Sea is still their stronghold. I think they would be vigilant towards the Homer Navy. Mattdam is not too far from Rhode Island. If the Homer Navy Fleet really extends their reach to Mattdam, I believe the Gray Skull will not remain indifferent. Sir, if you negotiate carefully with Gote, I’m sure he will share this view," Hayreddin persisted with his opinion.

"No, no, Hayreddin, you might not fully understand the intricacies. Gote, that old fox who has been roaming the Nether Sea for so many years, do you think there’s no collusion between him and Philip? Their tacit understanding is probably closer than some allies. If you pin your hopes on him, you will be the one to suffer in the end. I never trust things I can’t control. As long as the Gray Skull guarantees they won’t attack the merchant fleets coming and going to Mattdam, I am satisfied. As for the rest, we’ll have to rely on ourselves," Komer said leisurely, waving his hand dismissively.

"But Your baron, it’s exceedingly difficult to communicate with the Jellyfish People. They ask for nothing from the outside world and have no desire to interact with outsiders. They seem very content with their current way of life. How can we communicate with them? On what grounds could we persuade them?"

Hayreddin finally gave up trying to persuade Komer to make an effort with the Gray Skull, sensing the baron’s unique approach to dealing with people—that everything must be under his control, rejecting anything that was not certain.

"Trust me, there will be a way. As long as they’re human, they have needs, they have weaknesses. Why do they establish strongholds? To communicate and connect with the outside world, which suggests they still have some dealings with outsiders, just that people can’t find or satisfy their needs. As long as we do that, I believe this obstacle is not insurmountable," Komer smiled, his confidence in himself on this matter profound. He had made thorough investigations and specific arrangements beforehand, and now it was time to see what would happen after entering the Java Swamp.

One night’s talk in Odessa had finally convinced Hayreddin Barbarossa to follow Komer to Luxembourg wholeheartedly. Hayreddin could feel the Lord of Caucasus’s ambition to control naval rights, from the situation in the Northern Nether Sea to the politics in the Southern Mediterranean. Komer showed a deep interest, and in his words, he let slip the desire for the Caucasus to build its own naval force under the Lord’s Mansion.

Although it was not yet clear whether it was a merchant fleet or a naval fleet, the revelation of this intent still thrilled Hayreddin. To command a fleet or even a navy was the lifelong dream of any navigator, and he was no exception. He even fantasized about leading a fleet through the Southern Mediterranean with glory, showing those who had once looked down on and humiliated him the true prowess of Hayreddin Barbarossa!

Mr. Rebry found it amusing how Komer so effortlessly captured a new follower.

He could see that although this newcomer had a strong build, in reality, he was at best an ordinary warrior, unable to match the fighting prowess of someone like Solonberg or Vladimir Koff, not even comparable to Fran and Baoling, who stayed in Ugru to train Komer’s Self-defense Army and Lord’s Guard.

However, Rebry noted that the baron seemed suddenly filled with renewed interest in everything maritime, which might just be the sole reason he recruited this man with a bright red beard.

Reflecting on their current destination, Rebry began to doubt if the baron genuinely intended to stay in his position as the Caucasus Lord indefinitely.

In Rebry’s view, the Lord of Caucasus possessed matchless talent in magic cultivation, though Rebry still had not figured out the origin of Komer’s overwhelming magical ability.

The idea that it was self-taught was simply a deception. Nonetheless, Rebry recognized the astonishing ease with which the enigmatic young lord switched between dark and light magic. His nonchalance was enough to make any dark wizard or light mage ashamed. Rebry had to admit that even with over twenty years of experience, he paled in comparison in this regard to the young lord.

If Komer really devoted too much of his thoughts to managing his own territory, Rebry felt it would be a great loss to the world of magic. A person’s energy is limited, and too much focus on these secular affairs can not only affect a mage’s cultivation intensity on the path of magic but can also easily lead to the mage being disturbed by secular factors in their cultivation.

Rebry didn’t oppose a mage-lord attending to secular affairs appropriately, after all, a good external environment could provide mages with more and better conditions which, in turn, could increase their ability to improve their powers in certain situations, but this definitely should not become mainstream. The enhancement of a mage’s abilities ultimately needs self-cultivation and self-discipline to achieve substantial growth, there is no doubt about that.

But now, Komer seemed to be deviating from the norm, which concerned Rebry. He didn’t want such a magic genius, especially one capable of communicating with both dark and light magic powers, to ultimately be buried in boring secular activities.

Still, he agreed to help Komer on his planned trip to the Java Swamp controlled by the Jellyfish People, as it seemed quite vital for the survival of Caucasus, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to witness the mysterious and unpredictable Java Swamp.

For Solonberg, going anywhere was a form of training. As a knight, experiencing various risks and challenges was an indispensable part of the pursuit of life and cultivation process. Only by constantly seeking challenges could one improve and achieve self-breakthroughs.

Solonberg’s Fighting Qi had entered a new realm, which at present was quite unstable. He needed to truly understand the changes and principles of Fighting Qi at this stage through life-and-death experiences, and this time he was fortunate to have secured this mission before Vladimir Koff.

It was an enticing and challenging mission, with no one able to predict what might happen in the Java Swamp, but only such uncertainty could truly unlock all of one’s potential.

After changing to an inland vessel from Odessa and sailing northwest, a two-day voyage brought them to the junction of the canal and the Sim River, an important inland port city in the Homer region—Plovdiv.

The canal, running from northeast to southwest, connected the river streams, making river transport a significant reliance for inland transportation within the kingdom, especially for bulky yet vital materials like food, coal, and ore. Unless it was an emergency situation, traders would opt for water transportation which offered the advantage of carrying large volumes at a low cost.

Heading west from here would lead into the heartland of the Galle Region. Gutenberg, the canal’s terminus to the west, was also the endpoint of Komer’s water journey. Traveling westward by horse-drawn carriage from Gutenberg could pass through the border of the Kingdom of Nicosia and enter another member of the Northern Alliance—the Duchy of Basarabia, then from Basarabia southwest to the famous Bohemia Magical Kingdom, and south through the Bohemia Kingdom to reach the destination of Komer’s group, the Luxembourg Kingdom.

Lome found that the Great Sage’s mood became somewhat unstable after taking a detour south from Plovdiv, and that mysterious Mr. Rebry seemed to enjoy casting sardonic glances at the Great Sage, even sometimes teasing him with baffling comments. The Great Sage could only respond to this with a peculiar silence. Lome didn’t know what secrets lay between the two men, but why did this atmosphere only arise after passing Plovdiv?

Komer indeed hesitated. Vero’s figure became clearer in his heart as they got closer to Gutenberg. Even though there had been no word from Vero since she left, Komer felt she was in Gutenberg, but could he go see her?

The situation in Galle wasn’t good either. As the Central Kingdom’s military power strengthened, the Central Kingdom’s attitude toward the major lords became increasingly tough, and some smaller lords had been forced to accept the "Utrecht Decree" under pressure from the Central Kingdom. This left the major lords extremely dissatisfied, with relations growing tense. If it weren’t for the unclear movements of the Northern Beastmen, Komer believed war might have been inevitable.

What was Vero doing now? Komer stood at the ship’s bow, gazing in the direction of the southwest, the prince of Bohemia?

It seemed like Zellin, the old fox, was trying to exchange his daughter’s life for external support, but could Bohemia truly help Galle weather the storm? Komer was skeptical about this. There was the Duchy of Basarabia, another member of the Northern Alliance, in between them. This barrier didn’t seem so easily resolved.