The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 634: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Six: Genius of Intelligence

Chapter 634: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Six: Genius of Intelligence

Maha Gummi was undoubtedly an intelligence prodigy that Komer had unearthed from among the Half-Beastmen. Although his Half-Beastman lineage made him somewhat unwelcome among Mortals, he still possessed half Mortal blood. After Komer had ordered him to improve his image, Maha Gummi’s sleek hair, appropriately styled attire, courteous demeanor, and eloquent conversation all underwent such a transformation within a month or two, leaving Komer thoroughly impressed.

"Maha Gummi, well done. I hope you can continue to maintain your state. Only like this can you break out of your original environment. Remember, you are no longer a Half-Beastman slave, but a civilized person with status. Bloodline and heritage prove nothing; what does prove something is your own ability and performance." Seeing the composed and generous man before him, it was hard to believe that three months earlier this fellow was a rough Half-Beastman Hybrid with a savage demeanor. Komer was curious about such a rapid change. "Maha Gummi, I heard you specially hired someone to standardize your behavior and cultivate your refined tastes?"

Seeing that there was no joking expression on the Lord’s face, Maha Gummi nodded, "Lord, in accordance with your instructions, I indeed thought of some ways to change my image. I know that my work in the future will not only be limited to Half-Beastmen or Barbarian groups but more so among Mortal communities, especially in territories like the Kingdom and those of other Lords. Therefore, I must set an example for my subordinates."

Komer was quite satisfied with Maha Gummi’s response. The fellow was quite astute; almost without any need for detailed explanation, he understood and could implement Komer’s intentions well. His learning and imitation skills in these areas were unmatched. Now, observing him, except for finding his physique excessively robust, one could hardly see any vestiges of a Half-Beastman slave.

"Good that you understand this. In the future, our Lord’s Mansion’s work scope in this area will further expand. Intelligence is the foundation of our survival for both Caucasus and Leon. You know our power is quite weak right now. If we want to survive on the Continent, we have to anticipate our enemies, and timely, accurate intelligence is the basis for that." Komer nodded, moving to the main topic, "What’s the situation like in the Kingdom now?"

"It’s bad. The Kingdom already intends to relocate the capital, but there are many conflicting views about where to relocate exactly. I’ve already had people spread the news extensively in Jazair and Leman regions about the Ferdinand family colluding with the Beastmen. The Ferdinand family is struggling both internally and externally, eager to clear their name, but the Four Great Lords now are powerless to intervene in the Beastmen’s actions. The Beastmen once again overpowered the Blue Dove Corps’ defense line, which has now retreated to the second line of defense. The situation is quite dire, and no one knows how long the Blue Dove Corps can hold on. Right now, the entire Western and Northern regions of the Kingdom have become a paradise for the Beastmen’s activities. The situation in Jazair is also chaotic. His Majesty the King is said to be in a terrible mood, and his health is fluctuating. Duke Mathew and Duke Tez are still barely managing the situation, but I don’t think the Beastmen will pause for long. It’s hard to say whether Jazair can withstand the Beastmen’s pace."

Maha Gummi’s work was progressing smoothly. He had identified some candidates to join his intelligence network. These included not only Half-Beastmen but more so Mortals, and even a down-and-out noble from Jazair. Faced with the onslaught of money, that bankrupt noble quickly became Maha Gummi’s loyal lackey. This gave Maha Gummi an indescribable sense of pride and glory. Having Mortal nobility bow before him was unimaginable even in a dream six months ago, even if it was just an inconsequential fallen noble.

"Hasn’t General Mathew sought military support from the Four Great Lords?" Komer was a bit surprised. In such circumstances, regardless of whether the Four Great Lords had any schemes, they would definitely not dare to ignore the Kingdom’s requests openly.

"General Mathew has made this request to the Four Great Lords, but apart from the Ferdinand family who gave a positive response, the other Lords seemed to have an agreement, unanimously claiming their territories are ridden with bandits, unable to send help. The Ferdinand family only verbally agreed to fully support the Kingdom in resisting the Beastmen invasion and offered to provide some material assistance, but Leman’s troops are still only stationing at the border region, showing no intention of actively attacking the Beastmen. I guess the Ferdinand family is also just trying to alleviate the pressure of public condemnation, attempting to clear their name with such a strategy. If Leman’s Army were really asked to attack the Beastmen, I doubt they could or would dare to do it."

Maha Gummi was very clear about this issue. In his eyes, the kingdom had already lost the power to check the Four Great Lords. Relying solely on moral high ground and legitimacy to dictate the Four Great Lords was nothing but a joke. Given the relationship between the two parties, it was already quite benevolent of the Four Great Lords not to kick the kingdom while it was down.

"Maha Gummi, although the Golden Oak and Iron Cross Corps have been defeated, hasn’t General Mathew immediately reformed these two corps?" Komer frowned, not wanting to witness this scene. Once the kingdom truly perished, Philip could comfortably deal with Komer himself. Even though the Storm Infantry Corps had been utterly defeated and his Mage Corps had dissipated, with Homer’s economic strength and Philip’s reputation, recruiting and forming a new Mage Corps wasn’t impossible. He could even possibly resort to using the power of the Church of Light to achieve this, and the likelihood of that happening was quite significant.

Only by ensuring the continuation of the kingdom and keeping the Four Great Lords’ attention focused on Central Kingdom could Komer alleviate his own pressure and win more time to breathe. Komer had always felt that the kingdom couldn’t possibly collapse so easily; how could the beastmen so effortlessly defeat the kingdom? Even if the Four Great Lords played a part in this, they couldn’t have accomplished it. They should be clear that if the beastmen truly defeated the kingdom, they would be the next targets. This logic should be clear to the Four Great Lords, but why would they dare take such a risky move? Who was supporting them? A term was about to surface in Komer’s brain, and the cold sweat had even seeped through the undergarments on his back, making him quite uncomfortable.

"Lord, the kingdom’s finances are in extreme difficulty. The expense of rebuilding two corps is astronomical. The kingdom was already heavily in debt from the efforts to form the Blue Dove Corps. Now, with the kingdom further devastated and the beastmen still eyeing it greedily, the kingdom could crumble at any moment. Who would want to throw their money into the water? In Jazair, not a single merchant or financier is willing to lend to the kingdom; even the usurers refuse to step foot in the Palace. Everyone is single-mindedly transferring their assets out of Jazair. The Finance Minister has become a beggar in the eyes of the Big Merchants and Great Aristocracy, and those gatekeepers don’t even accept his visiting cards anymore."

Maha Gummi shook his head. That down-and-out noble had provided him with rather detailed information. The situation in Jazair changed three times a day, with constant rumors of new beastmen attacks and defeats of the Blue Dove Corps. The state of affairs inside Jazair City was abysmal, and many wealthy individuals had already relocated their families and wealth to the south, ready to evacuate Jazair at any moment.

"If this continues, the kingdom might get even worse, and that’s not beneficial to us," Komer pondered the implications. Logically, the instigator behind the scenes should also have come forward by now. The kingdom’s complete decay serves them no good either. They merely wanted to weaken the power and strength of Central Kingdom to force it to rely more on them—a notion that was completely in sync with the intentions of the major lords. However, this situation had put Komer in a dangerous position.

Seeing that the Lord seemed to be in a bad mood, Maha Gummi tactfully did not continue the conversation. Caucasus and Leon seemed to be doing well on the surface, but this was just a facade. The Homer People had suffered a big loss, but that was based on their Mage Corps encountering an unexpected setback. If their Mage Corps had remained, it was unlikely that Self-defense Army would have been able to take control of Bruce Fortress—in fact, the Self-defense Army might have had to retreat tail between its legs. Even though Homer had suffered a major loss this time, in comparison to risking their rule, Philip would not be stingy. Once Homer’s Mage Corps was rebuilt, they would likely face another crisis.

After much contemplation, Komer still couldn’t think of a better solution. The fact that even savvy men like Mathew and Tez seemed somewhat overwhelmed proved just how well-coordinated the enemy and the beastmen were this time. No wonder the opposition had made such a ruthless move, forcing the Four Great Lords into a corner with no way out. Were they really meant to passively wait for death? Naturally, they would have to fight desperately. But those individuals were too malicious. Komer had thought that they would join forces and pressure the kingdom, but they intended to completely eradicate the kingdom’s threat and leave it in a desperate plight, unsurprising given the backer’s sabotage. Now, turning the tables had become quite difficult.

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM for more Chapters, support the author, and support authorized reading!)