The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 638: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Nine: Borrowing Troops (2)

Chapter 638: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Nine: Borrowing Troops (2)

This news chilled Princess Renta to the core. Among the royal family, now only she, Katya, and another sister, Bijij, remained unmarried. However, Katya already had a fiancé, which left only herself and Bijij. But Bijij was only sixteen years old, and since her own maternal lineage was not as prestigious, it was most likely that she would bear the brunt of it. She had never imagined sinking to the state of having to marry a lesser nobleman of illegitimate birth, an idea she found simply unacceptable. Although the experiences of this journey had slightly altered Princess Renta’s impressions, it was not enough to change her mind. She would never marry such low nobility; her ideal husband was to be at least the heir to a Great Lord with a rich territory, or even better, the heir to a duchy or kingdom on the Continent. But now, this dream seemed to slowly be falling apart, especially given the kingdom’s current predicament, making hope even more elusive. Her only hope was for the kingdom to rise again, for only then would there be hope for her marriage.

At this point, Komer also noticed that the gaze of both their Highnesses was fixed upon him. Borrow troops? This request seemed somewhat absurd; the Central Kingdom was indeed asking him, a small lord whose desire for direct vassals was unattainable, to lend troops? Komer weighed the pros and cons, frankly admitting to himself that the combat strength of the three thousand Self-defense Army was limited. With insufficient training time and no experience in truly bloody and brutal wars, they had played little role in the conflict with the Homer People. This might be an opportunity for training, but the Self-defense Army was too weak. If the kingdom borrowed this army, who would defend Leon and Caucasus?

"Your Highnesses, of course, I should obey the kingdom’s command to send troops. But please also consider, how will the safety of Caucasus and Leon be addressed? The threat from the Homer People is very real. If that can be resolved, the Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force would naturally be willing to serve the kingdom," Komer said, diplomatically suggesting a retreat. However, he was well aware that since Hoffman and Renta dared to make this request, they must have considered the Homer situation.

"Viscount, rest assured on this matter. Before coming to Caucasus, we had already visited Cyprus and secured a promise from Duke Philip. He assured that he will not act against Caucasus and Leon before the Beastmen invaders are dealt with, and he is willing to make a public commitment. Moreover, Viscount, you may appropriately retain a portion of the Self-defense Army for the security of your territory. That’s not an excessive request, is it?" Hoffman wore a victorious smile, having understood why Philip was so readily agreeable to the promise after hearing about the battle with the Homer People from Komer: Philip had suffered yet another significant blow from the Caucasus and now needed time to recover. He was in no position to launch an attack recklessly anytime soon.

It was then that Komer realized that the two Highnesses had clearly set their minds on borrowing his seemingly strong but innerly frail Half-beast troops. As for the matter of passage, they must have also received Philip’s consent. He lacked a reason to refuse. So be it; let this army face a real battlefield, let the Half-Beasts and Beastmen come face to face. Didn’t Fran always want this army to experience a real war? Perfect, let him take two thousand Self-defense Army to give it a try.

"Your Highnesses, since you have considered everything so thoroughly, what else can I say? Our Caucasus only has three thousand Self-defense Army, so how about I send half of the soldiers to aid the kingdom? What do you think?" Komer no longer demurred.

"Viscount, can we have a bit more? Fifteen hundred is a little too few."

Hoffman’s face always maintained a smile, while Princess Renta seemed somewhat unsettled, though for what reason, Komer did not know. He feigned a decision-making struggle before saying, "Well then, I’ll add another five hundred. They are the most elite of my Half-beast Men and Elf Archers under my command. They will absolutely obey your orders, Your Highness, and I believe they can contribute to your cause. I will also continue to train more Half-beast Warriors. Should Your Highness need them in the future, I will be absolutely supportive."

Hoffman’s eyes gleamed sharply as he stared at Komer’s smiling eyes. Nodding, Hoffman patted Komer’s shoulder before saying, "Very well, I will remember the Viscount’s kindness."

"Heh, if Your Highnesses remember me, Komer, the lord of this remote and desolate small territory, I am already quite satisfied. We of Caucasus and Leon may be barbaric and unlearned, but we do not engage in trickery. If Your Highnesses value us, please feel free to command us. So far, only Your Highnesses have deigned to step foot in our lands, while others would scarcely spare us a glance. I personally am very grateful for Your Highnesses’ concern, and no matter how the situation changes in the future, Caucasus and Leon will always welcome Your Highnesses’ visit."

Komer’s feigned magnanimity greatly pleased Hoffman, achieving his aim and even exceeding expectations. It seemed that this petty noble was quite eager to forge ties with the kingdom; Komer saw no harm in fully making use of this fellow. It appeared that he had some means to deal with those Half-beasts and Barbarians, and indeed, he could use the fellow’s unruly barbarian warriors under his command. After this crisis was over, this fellow might play an even more important role for himself.

After escorting the two to the backyard of the mansion, Komer returned to his study with a cold expression, where Maha Gummi had been waiting for some time.

"Go and thoroughly investigate this Hoffman and Princess Renta. The way I see it, Hoffman’s request for troops is not as straightforward as it seems; the man is quite ambitious and might even intend to use our army to realize his own designs." After briefly detailing his earlier conversation with Hoffman, Komer said in a conclusive tone, "Also look into His Majesty the King’s health; it seems the turmoil sparked by the Beastmen invasion may soon be at an end. However, the subsequent affairs are likely to be even more complex, and we cannot afford to take them lightly."

"Lord, you’ve agreed to dispatch our two thousand Self-defense Army soldiers. Wouldn’t Homer take advantage of this...?" Maha Gummi was somewhat worried.

"You need not worry about that. If Philip dares to make a public pledge, we needn’t fear on this account. These hypocrites would never want to break their word to the public. They may engage in any dirty business behind the scenes, but they aim to maintain a flawless, shining image in front of everyone," Komer said with a scornful tone, curling his lip.

"Hmm, then I can rest assured. Lord, do you have any suspicions about Princess Renta, or perhaps other thoughts?" Maha Gummi was somewhat uncertain of his master’s intentions regarding the haughty princess.

Glancing at the stern face before him, Komer realized he might not have made his intentions clear and pondered for a moment before saying, "Hmm, there seems to be something on Princess Renta’s mind during her visit, different from the last time. Look into her background. Ha, other thoughts... Well, Princess Renta seems to be growing more and more beautiful. Perhaps something really might happen between us."

Accompanying his master’s hearty laughter, Maha Gummi could only force a bewildered chuckle.

(To be continued. For more of the story, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM where Chapters are updated frequently to support the author and authorized reading!)