The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 615: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, - 8: Arrival

Chapter 615: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, Chapter 8: Arrival

Maha Gummi always felt oppressed and constrained when sitting in front of the Lord, although he was not a person who lacked confidence, especially after obtaining the position of Information Minister; his confidence had soared to unprecedented levels. However, no matter how easygoing he appeared before others, the moment he entered this room, he couldn’t help feeling a deep reverence towards the Lord. The Lord never said anything special, but Maha Gummi had to admit that he felt an inexplicable fear towards the Lord.

"Are you saying that Homer’s Storm Infantry Corps is actively training? Is there something suspicious about that? Armies need to train," Komer put down the quill in his hand and gently tapped his finger on the desk as he asked.

"No, Sir, something is not quite right. The new Storm Troop Commander is a career soldier, different from previous command by Noble Knights, his training methods are closer to those of professional mercenaries. In my opinion, his training is more suited for actual combat, and now the construction of the floating bridge at Brook Fortress is nearing completion. I’ve also received information that the knights of Homer’s Knights regiment are preparing too, and even the mages are practicing in coordination with the knights, which is a rare sight. All these signs indicate Homer is very likely to take military action against Leon," Maha Gummi was a bit anxious, as the Lord seemed unwilling to believe that Homer would use troops against Leon at this time.

"Do you think Homer’s military preparations are targeting us? Why not against the beastmen invasion from the north?" Komer lifted his head to counter question.

"Sir, the kingdom is still resisting, and in the short term, the beastmen could at most just wreak havoc in the central region. If they really plan to keep heading south, I think they would need to be more thoroughly prepared. But Homer’s actions at this time could well be a ruse to catch us off guard. The progress of the floating bridge at Bruce Fortress indicates their intentions; there was little progress for months, and then suddenly they are building day and night. What do they mean by that?" Worry furrowed Maha Gummi’s brow.

"Hmm, you do have a point, it seems that Philip that old fox is not giving up. If Homer really wants to deal with us, hehe, we are indeed in for some trouble."

Komer smacked his lips; he had not failed to consider this possibility. The Four Great Lords had conned the kingdom, allowing the beastman army to breach the Northern Front and delve deeply into the north of the kingdom, with the intensity and depth of the invasion worsening. The Great Lords should be on alert for this; the tacit agreement between beastmen and mortals could only exist based on mutual need. Once one side deems their interests in jeopardy, this tacit agreement dissolves. Now, not only had the beastmen broken through Saint Nicholas Fortress in the north, but they were also pushing forward in the west, directly threatening the interests of the entire kingdom, including the Four Great Lords. It should be a time for the Great Lords to be highly vigilant against the beastmen invasion. Could it be that Philip is so confident the beastmen can’t pose a threat to him, and that he even has spare energy to deal with us? But Maha Gummi’s analysis is not unfounded; if Philip has indeed made up his mind to eliminate us, now would be an excellent opportunity, at least on the surface.

"Therefore, Sir, you must remain highly vigilant. Once the floating bridge outside Bruce Fortress is completed, Homer’s army could move south into Leon at any time. It would be better if you also made some military preparations," Maha Gummi was keenly aware of the stark disparity in strength between the two sides. Although Lord Komer and his few mage friends possessed profound strength, Homer also had a Mage Corps. The last successful sneak attack was because they caught the enemy off guard. Now that the enemy is coordinating mages with knights, it is obvious they have become more vigilant. Would the situation still be as optimistic as last time?

After all, the Storm Infantry Corps had a rather long history as a formal infantry division, and although it couldn’t compare with the Golden Oak Infantry Corps, it was still a well-known combat force in the duchy with numbers several times that of the current Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force. Although the Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force had been training hard under the supervision of Fran and Baoling, firstly their experience was limited, and secondly, the Half-beastmen’s inherent laziness hindered the formation of their combat strength. Except for the initial batch of five hundred of the Caucasus Lord’s Guard which were passable, the rest of the troops, especially the Half-beast soldiers selected later from the rebellious Leon forces, caused Fran and Baoling much annoyance. Their physical qualities were excellent, far superior to mortals, but war is about teamwork, and in this regard, these lax Half-beast soldiers nearly drove the training officers mad.

Maha Gummi’s last remark touched a sore spot for Komer. Initially, Komer had favored the recruitment of Half-beast soldiers due to their excellent physical qualities, high loyalty, ease of recruitment, and low cost, but he hadn’t anticipated that their slovenly nature would become the biggest obstacle to the improvement of the troops’ combat effectiveness. Whenever Komer saw groups of disorganized Half-beastmen waving their weapons and howling chaotically during training, he felt the urge to turn and walk away. Such troops might be good for intimidating ordinary citizens, but when it came to hard-hitting engagement with regular infantry, Komer had no confidence at all.

After Maha Gummi had left, it was only then that Komer truly settled down to consider this thorny issue. He didn’t want to reveal his worries in front of Maha Gummi. If they were to conduct conventional warfare, Homer’s army could easily annihilate his self-defense force without breaking a sweat. Even if he were to expand his forces immediately, it might be too late. Homer’s infantry division numbered fifteen thousand men, plus a knights regiment of over three hundred. His motley crew stood no chance of victory, a fact Komer understood well without needing to consult Fran and Baoling.

Borrow troops from the barbarians? This thought flashed through Komer’s mind and disappeared as quickly as it came—the risk was too great. Now that Caucasus was finally on the right track, if the barbarians were to ascertain its weaknesses, it might not bode well that after driving away Homer’s forces, the ones at their back would pose an even greater problem. Relying solely on Rebry, Mihailovich, Solonberg, and Vladimir Koff was clearly unrealistic. Setting aside the fact that the enemy also possessed a magician group, the tens of thousands of regular infantry couldn’t be dealt with just by magic, unless under special circumstances.

Special circumstances? A thought flickered in Komer’s heart. The sinister and lengthy passages of the Greenland Great Forest seemed to give Komer some inspiration. What if these Homer soldiers encountered a large migration of magical beasts? But the enemy had their own Mage Corps, so accomplishing this wouldn’t be easy, and even small Warcraft like Gray Wolves would hardly inflict substantive damage on an infantry division exceeding ten thousand men.

Although he hadn’t yet found a concrete method, the ancient paths in the Greenland Great Forest suddenly sparked an idea in Komer. If the old man Philip truly sought to eradicate his enemies completely, this long and eerie passage was indeed a perfect place for an ambush. Here, he and Rebry and the others could operate freely, including Shatima and Uma—it was simply a haven for the unscrupulous, with endless novel tricks to be displayed. Homer’s people would never forget this place. Right, hadn’t the Great Mysterium Sect always wanted to foster a relationship with him? It seemed that this could be a way to test their sincerity. The issue with Wicked Dragon had yet to receive a response, but surely a trip to Greenland Forest wouldn’t be a problem? With this thought, Komer’s mood improved considerably.

The situation was just as Maha Gummi had anticipated. As Homer’s army continued to drill on the outskirts of Cyprus City, the news flowed back to Ugru unceasingly. There was little secrecy to these reports, as such a large-scale military operation was impossible to conceal. In fact, Philip had no intention of keeping it secret; he wanted the world to see what fate awaited those who betrayed the Philip family. Leon belonged to Homer, as did Caucasus—if he wished to reclaim it, then it was his for the taking.

A dark cloud suddenly loomed over Leon and Caucasus. Perhaps the Half-beastmen had not yet realized the severity of the problem, but the Administrative Officers under Lord Komer’s Mansion were acutely aware that a crisis was imminent. Meanwhile, Homer’s spies began to stir in Mattdam and Ugru, and even the attitudes of The priests from the Church of Light began to flicker with ambiguity. In taverns and coffee shops, the public abounded in discussions revolving around these rumors.

On the contrary, Leon was much calmer. The Half-beastmen seemed uninterested in the hearsay of mortals. All they knew was that Leon now had a lord, the current Baron Komer, and they disregarded everything else. The memories of their last victory over Homer’s forces in Leon were as fresh as ever, although they didn’t understand that Komer was responsible. But even the simplest-minded Half-beastmen could conclude that that battle must have had the shadow of Caucasus behind it, for never had there been talk among them of anyone capable of casting magic.

The three-thousand-strong Caucasus-Leon Self-defense Army marched and trained en route to the north of Leon. Intelligence indicated that Homer’s great army had begun to move, slowly advancing southwards. No matter what, at least superficially, Komer had to present a strong posture. At the same time, he sent out a war warning to the beleaguered Central Kingdom, stating that Homer might breach the verdict of the Kingdom Star Chamber Court and cause a war, asking the Kingdom to intervene. At the very least, Komer hoped to establish a moral high ground.

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