The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 637: Volume Seventeen, Darkness Descends, - Nine, Borrowing Troops

Chapter 637: Volume Seventeen, Darkness Descends, Chapter Nine, Borrowing Troops

Komer was aware that Hoffman and Renta were certain to have other requests during their visit to the Caucasus; although being ennobled as a Viscount and currently verbally willing to strive to become a direct vassal of the kingdom, they would, of course, expect certain performances in return. He had already mentally prepared for this. However, he kept pondering what more the Caucasus and Leon could possibly do to aid the kingdom: he had done all he could. Surely they weren’t expecting him to donate money or goods as well?

"Your Highness, please speak plainly. As long as it is within our capabilities, the Caucasus and Leon will comply without fail,"

Hoffman and Renta were pleased with Komer’s forthright response. Their assignment this time was rather difficult, so they had been worried about how to broach the subject. The situation was dire: the three main Corps of the kingdom were trapped in an impossible situation. Golden Oak and Iron Cross, although nominally declared rebuilt, everyone understood that rebuilding an army was not an overnight task. The beastmen’s movements were too mysterious, with no one able to predict when they would launch their next attack. What the kingdom needed most right now was not money or weapons, but real soldiers and armies. Hoffman and Renta were here to ask Komer to set an example by lending some of his forces to the kingdom, to help defend Jazair and assume a share of the responsibility in the kingdom’s time of crisis. "If you aspire to become a direct vassal of His Majesty the King, Viscount, I think this is the best opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty to the kingdom," they said.

Hoffman’s eyes locked onto Komer, whose expression fluctuated. Komer had realized the moment they mentioned the strength of his Self-Defense Force that they had designs on it. The Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force only numbered three thousand, and their combat effectiveness could at best be described as mediocre. The Storm Infantry Corps’ retreat was not due to their fighting, but this was something Komer couldn’t explain. To say such a thing now would only convince Hoffman and Renta that he was making excuses. Moreover, they were right in saying that what the kingdom truly needed was soldiers, not money or weapons, and the Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force, having successively defeated the Army of Homer, was undoubtedly the most eye-catching choice.

Renta, too, observed the increasingly cunning low-ranking noble. This Viscount could no longer be referred to simply as a minor nobleman. The Caucasus and Leon might be remote, but their territories were vast; it was only due to years of inertia that everyone in the kingdom had overlooked these areas.

The trip from Mattam to Ugru once again astonished both of them. From Mattam, the supposed canal project stretching to the Holy Land and continuing into Central Leon was busily underway—a project that would traverse the entire Volt Mountain Range and once mocked and derided throughout Jazair and the kingdom, as no one believed that such a costly canal had any value or would invest money in the seemingly baseless venture. But now, it was happening right before their eyes, and despite all the jeers, work had proceeded robustly. Seeing the laborers sweating profusely at the Construction site, under the incentive of Gold Shield, Half-Beastmen, Mortals, and Dwarves all toiled tirelessly. What shocked Renta the most was the large number of Barbarians from the Cordillera Wilderness amongst the workers. This gave Renta an even stronger sense of enigmatic depth about this erstwhile humble Small Aristocrat. Half-Beastmen already groveled at his feet, and now the once haughty Barbarians were also enslaved—what had the world come to?

The road from Mattam to Ugru was so smooth and well-maintained that it ranked highly even within the kingdom’s own infrastructure. The constant flow of horse-drawn carriages and animal-drawn carts, alongside the houses lining the road, demonstrated the unprecedented development happening in the land of the Caucasus. Immigrants from Myron, Meine, and Susoer were transforming this once neglected remote region with their industrious hands. It was the most affluent region within the Caucasus, and while it still lagged considerably behind the kingdom’s wealthier areas, it must be understood that this had once been an uninhabited wasteland. The earth-shaking changes that took place in just two short years were all thanks to the very Small Aristocrat who, only two years ago, had been dismissed by their party in Cyprus as unworthy even of conversation.

Now, she and Hoffman had to condescend to ask for his help, to aid a kingdom teetering on the brink of collapse. The stark contrast in circumstances was truly humiliating for a descendant of the noble Romanov family. While Renta felt little affection for Komer, her reason told her that among the Middle and Small Aristocracy supporting the kingdom, no one could play as crucial a role as he could. Hoffman had hinted on their way there that Tez had even hoped that the king would consider having a member of the royal family marry into Komer’s family, thereby perhaps gaining tighter control of the region and ensuring the Caucasus and Leon served the kingdom more firmly.