The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 635: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Seven: Showing Goodwill

Chapter 635: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Seven: Showing Goodwill

Komer had little affection for the kingdom—whether it was Duke Tez, His Majesty the King, or Katya and Hoffman, each one only used him for their own benefit. Komer had never believed the kingdom would genuinely appreciate his contributions; his performance would never satisfy them. Gaining temporary control over the Leon Region was only possible because he had spent a great deal of money on public relations. But now, the survival of both Caucasus and Leon depended on the kingdom; his relationship with Homer had irrevocably deteriorated, leaving no room for reconciliation. Philip would sooner or later take action against him. He had miraculously survived two crises already, but his good luck could not last forever. To buy himself more time to catch his breath, he had to rely on the kingdom. And if the kingdom were in jeopardy, so too would his foundation be shaken.

To ensure the kingdom continued to support him, even if only in a moral sense, Komer had to keep it afloat—even a weakened Central Government of the Kingdom would significantly alleviate the awkwardness of Caucasus and Leon’s status. Komer saw this clear as day. However, when it came to the next step, he found himself without a clear direction. The matter was somewhat complex for the inexperienced Komer. The kingdom’s internal factional struggles and personal turf wars would not disappear in the face of national crisis—perhaps they would even intensify under certain circumstances.

Perhaps it was time for him to do something for the kingdom, no, for himself. Komer nodded subconsciously, but what exactly to do and where to start required careful consideration. The resources of Caucasus were hardly abundant. Providing a small sum of money was feasible, but anything more would be beyond his capacity. Sending troops to help defend the kingdom? That was even less realistic; not to mention that he was still under threat from Homer, he had only three thousand Self-Defense Army soldiers at best, which would be a mere drop in the bucket for the kingdom and utterly ineffective.

"Maha Gummi, what do you think we should do now?" Komer didn’t really expect Maha Gummi to offer a clear solution; he just asked the question out of habit.

"Uh, Lord, I dare not speak recklessly. The laws and traditions that you mortals follow in your countries are somewhat different from those of Half-beastmen, Beastmen, mountain people, and other races. You value lineage, history, and so-called morality more, while our races value strength. If one is strong, they naturally become king, and if one is weak, they naturally become prey. Your world does not entirely adhere to this rule. However, it seems that our Caucasus has always relied on the Central Kingdom—one’s glory is shared, and one’s loss too. Our relationship with Homer is now irreparably broken, and although the kingdom is in decline, its legitimacy isn’t shaken, so we may have no choice but to firmly rely on the kingdom at this stage."

While carefully observing Komer’s expression, Maha Gummi could only vaguely state some universally accepted truths, as he was well aware that the Lord often acted unpredictably and that Maha Gummi, an intelligence officer, may not need to worry about such matters. That much was clear to Maha Gummi.

"Hmm, I understand," Komer said. Maha Gummi’s pedestrian comment had unexpectedly lifted the fog from Komer’s mind. This fellow from the Half-beastman Race had a perspective on Mortal Society that made some sense indeed; Mortal Society adhered more to history and tradition, with a deep attachment to its legacy. Although the Romanov Dynasty was severely damaged, no one dared to challenge its legitimacy in the Kingdom of Nicosia, and that fact alone was enough. What to do next became clear to Komer.

When Hoffman and Renta returned to Mattdam, it was a month after Komer’s return to Ugru. A lot can happen in a month. The act of the Lord of Caucasus-Leon providing 200,000 Gold Shields as well as one thousand combat knives and one thousand shields in support of rebuilding the Golden Oak and Iron Cross Corps caused a significant stir in Jazair and created waves throughout the kingdom. Komer even issued a call urging lords big and small across the kingdom to unite and support the kingdom in its war against the external threat in every conceivable way. From any angle, Caucasus and Leon barely registered in the eyes of those lords, except for the Four Great Lords. Many places were richer than Caucasus and Leon, and aside from a few insiders, no one knew what this Baron Komer was up to, daring to make such a loud declaration when the kingdom was on the verge of collapse.

No one could have imagined the impact of Komer’s actions. The lords around the kingdom, both small and large, were galvanized by Komer’s initiative and broke their silence, showing their support for the kingdom in actions, from funds to weapons and armor, from soldiers to knights. Every contribution—little by little, feather by feather—pushed the four great lords to the edge of a cliff, including the allies in the Northern Alliance, who had been watching the kingdom’s defense lines collapse with fear. Everyone was looking to the Four Great Lords for their response. If they were to prove they had not joined forces with the Beastmen, then they would have to show practical action.

The news of Homer Army’s latest failure on their southern campaign was tightly sealed; for Homer, the news was utterly disastrous. If it became known to outsiders, it would be a fatal blow to Homer’s authority. The Storm Infantry Corps could not return to Cyprus, and instead, they had to station themselves south of Busen Plain. Before receiving further orders, they could not return to Cyprus; otherwise, the considerable loss of the Mage Corps and the Knights Regiment could trigger an earthquake in Cyprus City. Although rumors had already hinted at the Homer Army’s repeated failure in their southern campaign, only a handful of people knew the details. Nonetheless, the undeniable fact was the fall of Bruce Fortress, a vital passage to the South for Homer—impossible to cover up. Many traders still had to go through Bruce Fortress to conduct their dealings with Leon and Caucasus. The profligate baron proved with his actions that he could fully control the fierce Half-Beastmen. He also promised to steadfastly protect the legal interests of Homer traders in Bruce, and even in Leon and Caucasus.

Driven by economic interests, and following the example of their fellows in Caucasus, the Homer traders quickly submitted. The Greenland Forest Plank Road began to buzz with activity again, and Bruce Fortress rapidly returned to its pre-war condition. Aside from the river harbor docks on the Nissai River still languishing under the blockade of the Homer Navy at the Mouth of Nissai River, everything else seemingly returned to normal. Of course, new banners representing the new master, the Bear Head Flag, and sentries of the Half-Beastmen, as well as Elf Clan archers, now hung from the fortress city’s walls.

Although the Storm Infantry Corps was stationed in the southern part of Busen Plain, they had not received orders to blockade the northern entrance of the Greenland Forest Trail. In fact, Homer was well aware that blocking Caucasus was now pointless; once Caucasus managed to open the navigation on the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River through unknown means, all blockades lost their meaning. The countries and cities along the Catania River were eager to continuously send their surplus food and goods to Caucasus. Any further blockade would only harm the interests of Homer traders, who were already lobbying Duke Philip to open the Mouth of Nissai River and allow merchant ships to reach the docks of Bruce Fortress. For the moment, at least, they had to rely on the Greenland Forest Trail for their trade, but even this was quite satisfying for them.

Although Komer had moved his residence to Damarlinsk Castle, he retained his original Lord’s Mansion out of a desire to maintain closer contact with the populace. He even expanded and renovated it to fully utilize the Lord’s Mansion’s functions.

Hoffman and Renta eyed the interior garden arrangement of the Lord’s Mansion with pensive curiosity. It was simple and unpretentious, devoid of extravagant decorations. Other than being large in area, everything about it was surprisingly unaltered from a year ago to Hoffman and Renta, who were accustomed to the ostentatious mansions of the wealthy—except it was now tidier and the plants lusher. Was this really the profligate who funded the kingdom with 200,000 Gold Shields and copious weapons?

"What brings you interest in my Lord’s Mansion, Your Highnesses?" Komer asked with a smile, accompanying the two along the shaded path.

"Oh, Baron, no, I should now address you as Viscount, I bring you the king’s edict of enfeoffment, Your Majesty has graciously ennobled you as a Viscount." Hoffman observed the other carefully as he spoke quite sincerely, "The Princess and I are surprised to see that your residence still retains its simplicity. Personally, I also appreciate elegant and opulent villas, but given the current situation, I must admit you have done better than anyone else in this regard."

"Oh, Your Highness, you flatter me too much; I don’t believe I’ve done anything that merits such praise. To be honest, everything I’ve done is for the kingdom, but it is equally for myself; I don’t wish to conceal this fact. Without the kingdom, there would be neither Caucasus nor Leon, I’m very clear about this. So, I’ve done some things within my ability, hoping to be of help to the kingdom." Komer responded in a manner both fitting and standard for a noble, making Hoffman and Renta, who were accustomed to this lifestyle, feel quite at ease.

(To be continued. For further details, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where you can find more Chapters, support the author, and enjoy authorized reading!)