The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 549: Volume 13: Sea Rain and Heavenly Wind - 19: River Heart State

Chapter 549: Volume 13: Sea Rain and Heavenly Wind Chapter 19: River Heart State

Seeing the vast misty expanse of River Heart State before him, Komer couldn’t help wanting to hug the stern-faced Jellyfish People in front of him and bite them twice. He wondered whether the Jellyfish People, who had always been at odds with him, were actually planning to surprise him by suddenly assigning such a strategic location to him. To avoid betraying the euphoria deep inside his heart, he had to suppress his emotions diligently, feigning indifference and even a hint of impatience as he listened to the other party’s introduction.

"Mr. Komer, it seems that this is the only place that meets your requirements and can also be accepted by our Pharaoh. Although this River Heart State is a bit elevated, it comes with certain advantages. The rising waters of the Catania River have no effect on this place. Look here, the terrain in several areas is suitable for building a dock. Don’t you just want a proper temporary mooring spot for ships? I think this place will do. As for the fact that it’s mostly barren hills and grass slopes, you’ll need to put in some effort to clear and tidy it up, but it’s passable for use. There are no members of our clan living for miles around, and they rarely come to this region, which avoids unnecessary conflicts. What do you think?"

The Jellyfish tribe person with his hair braided into countless small braids kept introducing the area incessantly while also carefully observing Komer’s expression.

Both the Pharaoh and the Double Honor had instructed him to keep the others from getting too close to their people. This guy didn’t seem easy to fool; he’d asked for several locations that were too close to large settlements on the riverbanks. His repeated objections had already caused some impatience in the other party, but he had no choice but to follow the instructions of the Pharaoh and the Double Honor. Mixing these cunning mortals with their own simple and kind tribe was not a good thing for his people.

"Hmm, this place? Isn’t it a bit too desolate, Mr. Selavi? With the rapid flow of the water, it’s not easy to dock the ships. Look at how big this River Heart State is, and it’s all barren hills and overgrown with weeds and bushes—how many people would it take to clear it? Wouldn’t it be possible to switch to a riverside area instead?"

Having walked all this way, Komer had set his mind on turning this spot into an important transit station in the Great Swamp Area of the Catania River, a base to connect himself with the Jellyfish Clan. Yet on the surface, he had to appear unsatisfied, looking for excuses to nitpick.

"Er, it is a bit desolate here, but I really can’t find a suitable place along the riverbanks, Mr. Komer. Look, the area of this River Heart State is large enough, isn’t it? It’s three to four thousand meters long from front to back and over a thousand meters wide from left to right. Once it’s cleaned up, it could entirely be turned into a fair. To construct a temporary dock, it’s more than sufficient. Just take this place so I can report back to the Pharaoh sooner."

As a government official from the council, Selavi, tasked with choosing the location for the temporary docking point in Caucasus, was somewhat reluctant. Dealing with these cunning mortals meant that each issue required careful consideration. If they seemed too eager to obtain something, he must not satisfy them right away. Even if the reason was unclear at the moment, there definitely lurked some conspiracy behind it. If they were hesitant about something, then he must persuade them to grudgingly accept it—that was Selavi’s lesson learned from experience.

Komer kept shaking his head, indicating he couldn’t accept such a desolate place. With no residents for miles and in the center of the Catania River, how long would it take to clear such desolation, which would greatly impact the impending shipping route? But the more Komer seemed to decline, the more convinced Selavi became that this was indeed the place. It was most suitable not only to keep the tribespeople from getting too close to these mortals, but also because, being in the heart of the river, it would not affect the lives of the tribe members. If these mortals dared to leave River Heart State for the riverbanks on both sides, they would be violating the agreement and could be subject to severe punishment.

In the end, Komer couldn’t outstubborn Selavi. After Selavi agreed to also include a smaller River Heart State located beneath the first as part of the same territory for the temporary docking point in Caucasus, Komer was compelled to "accept" both River Heart States as temporary docks. The two parties signed a treaty aboard the "Marta" merchant ship regarding the rental of these two River Heart States as temporary docklands leased to Caucasus, with a lease term of one hundred years, paying only a symbolic rent of one Gold Shield to the Jellyfish Clan each year.

When Komer and his group watched Selavi and company leave the "Marta" merchant ship on a raft, satisfied, Komer could no longer restrain the wild euphoria in his heart, laughing uproariously. Rebry and others also shook their heads with a bitter smile and sighed at the Jellyfish People’s smugness. These inexperienced Jellyfish People were no match for the Lord in scheming. With just a little prompting, Mr. Komer could make the Jellyfish Clan suffer a great loss.

Not only was River Heart State strategically located, but it also had a large land area and elevated hills suitable for establishing watchtowers. By handing over this strategic chokepoint in the Catania River that controlled the vital passage, the Jellyfish People had essentially given this shipping route to Caucasus. Although they still remained the rulers of the Great Swamp, without their involvement, Caucasus had in fact taken on the role of the de facto controller of the river. No matter how the situation changed in the future, as long as Caucasus firmly controlled this area, all ships going upstream and downstream would have to submit to Caucasus’s inspections and even pay taxes if Caucasus wished.

Stepping on the soft mud by the banks of River Heart State, an odor of aquatic plants and rotting wild grass emitted from the untouched grass beach. The Marta could not get too close to the shore, so Komer had to rely on the emergency boat from the merchant ship to slowly cross the more than ten meters of the weedy area before approaching the real land.

The aquatic plants entrenched in the shallow waters were over ten meters wide, making it impossible for ships to cross this distance. Komer had no choice but to once again use Fire Magic to burn through these worthless weeds from the surface of the water. The mist combined with the smoke billowing from the burning weeds shrouded the entire River Heart State, until a pathway was scorched into existence, and the emergency boat Komer was on could barely reach the shore.

Upon reaching the highest point of River Heart State, which was a small hill—actually not too high, but it towered over the surrounding flatlands—Catania River was split in two by the upper and lower River Heart States, continuing its majestic flow towards the east.

Shielding his eyes with a hand, Komer gazed into the distance. The endless expanse of Reed Marsh formed the most significant barrier within the Great Swamp Area. Stretching hundreds of miles from east to west, and over a hundred miles from north to south, it was an immense sea of reeds. Over two hundred thousand Jellyfish People lived within this several hundred miles square of Reed Marsh. For over one hundred years, so many countries and forces surrounding them, no one had ever challenged their authority on this land, nor had anyone ever succeeded in taking the slightest advantage from them. But now, all of this was about to change because of his arrival. Knowledge truly is power—the saying couldn’t be more accurate.

Only Hayreddin accompanied Komer ashore to scout. This former pirate, ever since Komer promised him a chance to return to his own stage, had been consumed with a fervent passion. He had a desire to work hard at any task, and when everyone else showed no interest in setting foot on this desolate River Heart State, it was only he who eagerly accompanied Komer on this venture.

Strolling along the state shore, the smell of decay was somewhat choking. Even Hayreddin was gradually losing his enthusiasm, but Komer was unfazed. This land would become his new base of operations and stronghold on the Catania River. Thinking about this tremendous gain, Komer couldn’t help but smile.

"Eh?" A sudden chill made Komer stop in his tracks. Spells were swiftly recited in his mind, and the Magic Wand he had never before used immediately flew out from the Cosmic Bag. The crystal ball atop the wand whirled with magic power, forming rapidly.

Komer’s body was almost stiff with cold, yet inside, he was cursing his luck for being so contrary. This damnable Ice Dragon, when everyone thought it had fled the Great Swamp Area, he hadn’t expected to encounter it here. Komer knew from the familiar icy chill that he had come across the Ice Dragon.

Hayreddin also sensed the abnormal situation. A burst of cold air was coming through, which was extremely abnormal for the warm region of the Catania River. This kind of weather was seemingly impossible here, which could only mean an unexpected event. He was trailing Komer by more than ten meters, uninterested in Komer’s near obsessive desire to walk along the riverbank end to end, and only followed along behind out of politeness.

"Hayreddin, don’t act rashly, leave at once, go back and call for Mr. Rebry and the knights of Solonberg, and say I am in danger, ask them to come quickly for backup!" Komer took a deep breath. The dark defense spell Sky Demon Cover formed immediately to protect his whole body. Komer felt somewhat relieved. He had witnessed the power of the Ice Dragon. For someone like Hayreddin, coming up would be purely a death sentence. It would be more trouble to have to protect him than to fight to the death and see how much strength the wounded Ice Dragon still had. If things went south, he could always make a quick escape. Relying on the several magical treasures in his Cosmic Bag, Komer felt somewhat confident in escaping from this already injured Ice Dragon.

Years of a perilous life at sea had made Hayreddin quick and decisive. Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and fled posthaste. Only by notifying Rebry and Solonberg in the shortest time possible could it be somewhat ensured to reduce the risk to Lord Komer.

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