The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 659: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Ten: Chaos and Balance

Chapter 659: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, Chapter Ten: Chaos and Balance

"Boss, it’s such a pity; the slave prices at Parluca Bay are unbelievably low, so low that it’s hard to believe. Those beastmen aren’t trading slaves, they are practically giving them away. No, even saying they are ’giving them away’ is too polite, they are practically throwing them out!"

Puber was incessantly chattering in Komer’s ear. According to Puber, the Caucasus should also find a way to get involved in this very profitable business, buying slaves from Parluca Bay and reselling them to the countries along the Mediterranean coast or the free city-states in the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River to make a hefty profit.

"If you don’t consider the image of the Caucasus Prefecture and the sentiments of the immigrants within the Caucasus Territory, you can go ahead and do such a thing." Komer glanced at his skinny friend whose beady, chicken-like eyes were rolling incessantly, snorted coldly. This guy actually wanted to trade slaves in the name of the Lord’s Mansion, wasn’t he just looking for trouble? Although the beastmen’s treatment of the mortal common people had sparked a strong backlash, this had, indirectly, helped him somewhat. Maha Gummi had done an excellent job. Let those sanctimonious hypocrites of the Church of Light be splashed with this filthy water and help them shed their holy cloaks, reverting to their true colors.

"Ah, it’s really a shame; quite a few merchants from our Caucasus have gotten involved. Just look at the ships of Mattdam and Bruce heading to the North; they are nearly all involved in this trade. How did these damned beastmen suddenly get wise this time? How come they never thought of such a good deal before?" Puber still muttered relentlessly, shaking his head.

"Alright, Puber, don’t waste your energy on things we shouldn’t concern ourselves with," Komer interrupted the other’s boring talk impatiently, "Now that the people from the Court have left, we won’t have any other major troubles for a while. It’s time for us Caucasus to work hard."

"Hehe, I naturally understand that, but Boss, what do you plan to do?" Puber finally showed a rare serious expression on his face, "Do you really plan to let those folks from the Great Mysterium Sect take root and flourish in our Caucasus? Isn’t that a bit too risky? Although those guys from the Court have left, it seems the Thunderhorse Knights aren’t shaken at all."

"No, I do not plan to make my stance clear so early. The Church of Light is indeed a bunch of nauseating hypocrites; I do not like them, and I loathe them, but that does not mean I will accept the Great Mysterium Sect. Moreover, even if I internally accept the Great Mysterium Sect, it does not mean that the Caucasus and Leon have to accept them now. Given the current situation in Caucasus and Leon, I think it is wiser to adopt a low-profile, ambiguous, and gradual strategy. Let outsiders slowly become aware of the uniqueness of the Caucasus and Leon Region and their differences from other regions. Over time, even if the Caucasus steps out of line, outsiders will be able to accept it," Komer slowly said after composing himself: "At this stage, I think we should still look for opportunities to gain more benefits from the kingdom."

"Hmm, a lot of gentlemen from the North of the kingdom have already sent inquiries about the situation in the Caucasus and Leon, it seems they have been frightened by the beastmen’s tactics and no longer trust the kingdom and the Church of Light. They are hoping to find a more suitable foothold in the South," Puber chuckled sinisterly, "This time they are the ones seeking us out; we can choose carefully."

"We must indeed choose carefully, especially understanding the emotional tendencies of these people. I do not want the devout followers of the Church of Light to flood into my territory, nor do I want those who excessively hate the Church of Light to become the mainstream sentiment in the territory. What I need is a balanced and relatively calm environment."

Puber kept nodding in agreement as Komer’s meaningful words sank in. Given the current situation, the Caucasus and Leon indeed had no need to get involved in the conflict between the Church of Light and the Dark Forces. A huge vortex was swirling not only between light and darkness, but the contradictions between the Church of Light and the secular authorities also seemed to be getting clearer. The two contradictions were gradually intertwined and increasingly complicated. Whether being pulled in or trying to easily exit, neither was easy, and the power of the Caucasus and Leon was simply not enough to play with fire. Thus, observing from a distance and maintaining a satisfactory balance were the most appropriate.

Jazair had completely become a city of refugees; the influx of refugees who had fled earlier had stuffed the city so full that the increasing number of refugees who wanted to find a meal in Jazair City was now utter wishful thinking. The newly reformed Golden Oak Legion’s primary task was no longer to resist the beastmen’s invasion, but rather how to keep the hundreds of thousands of refugees out of Jazair City. Even so, Jazair City had become a chaotic city, and many nobles who previously lived there could no longer tolerate the mess. With the uncovered North facing them, they moved South one after another. But for the northern noble refugees flooding into Jazair, this was but a drop in the ocean.

Katya sighed lightly, swaying the wine glass in her hand unconsciously. The situation was simply dreadful. Although the beastmen had retreated, the kingdom was in ruins, or to be precise, nearly in ruins. Whether it was Galle or Homer or the other two Great Lords, they only maintained polite respect for the kingdom, while the disdain and contempt deep inside were palpable to all outsiders. To face such a cold welcome as the third in line to the throne of the Princess of the Kingdom of Nicosia was something Katya only truly felt when she realized how insignificant the weight of her status left to her. Facing the arrogant faces of those Great Aristocrats, Katya profoundly felt the bone-chilling cold envelop her.

The Great Lords treated everything as if it were far removed and irrelevant to them, like the cold and courteous refusals at the endless balls and banquets, the lavish hunting excursions, and the sun-drenched afternoon teas. Everything occurring in the north of the kingdom seemed to have nothing to do with them, even that damned Philip, who was so closely related to the Romanov family, yet his behavior was the worst.

My father had become a recluse, his excessive pride and stubbornness leaving him clueless on how to deal with the current dire situation. Instead of confronting this headache-inducing predicament, he would rather lock himself in his room and numb his senses with alcohol. Thankfully, there was still Lord Tez, but even he seemed unable to hold up the current crisis. To think that the despicable Church of Light chose this time to negotiate with the kingdom about amendments to the missionary and faith laws—either they were kicking us while we were down, or they were the ones who had engineered it all. Katya never wanted to believe this reality, but the harsh truth she was reluctant to believe seemed all the more likely to be true.

"Palermo, do you really think we need to leave Zaire?" Katya asked for what felt like the umpteenth time, a pointless question. The stimulation of the red wine on her taste buds seemed to affect her reason as well, and she knew she was just too nervous.

Shrugging, with his excessively overweight body the gesture looked not dashing but rather comical, Palermo still stuffed beef into his mouth non-stop and prattled on, "Your Highness, now is the best time to leave. His Highness Prince Hoffman is currently stabilizing the situation with Lord Tez. He will soon become the kingdom’s first in line to the throne, and Your Highness, you’ll be a thorn in his side. Under these circumstances, it would be very disadvantageous for you."

"Hmph, what time does he think it is now, to still be scheming against me?" Katya said resentfully. It was a blatantly obvious truth; this was the perfect time to move against her.

"Your Highness, you should understand that Jazair is too chaotic now, and His Majesty has lost his capacity to govern. Although Lord Tez harbors no malice towards you and we all know what kind of person he is—a man who definitely places the kingdom’s interests first—he won’t favor anyone. But now, in his eyes, Prince Hoffman is more capable of helping the kingdom stabilize the situation. Therefore, everything else needs to be set aside. If someone is deemed to be hindering the stability of the kingdom’s affairs at this time, he will not hesitate to support Prince Hoffman in wielding the longsword."

Palermo patiently advised her, aware that this time his master had no choice but to temporarily leave Jazair to lay low. Her trips to Galle, to Ferdinand, and to the Heine family had yielded no valuable outcomes. Central kingdom voices were already criticizing her for the Great Lords’ cold treatments due to bloodline issues. To them, sending Katya as an emissary was a disrespect to the Great Lords of the kingdom. Such groundless slanders were clearly rumors fabricated by some with ulterior motives, but in the current situation in Jazair, this could become a reason to displace her from her position as heir, or even strip her of her royal title, if Hoffman deemed it necessary. Now taking the initiative to retreat and show submission was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years, especially since His Majesty had not officially abdicated but had merely entrusted regency to Hoffman. Nothing was settled until the final moment, and perhaps staying in Jazair to handle this mess was not an enjoyable task.

"Hmm, maybe it’s time I took a break. Palermo, how about Mainz? I’d like to rest at a farm in the suburbs first, and then decide on the next steps." Nodding, Katya’s delicate, flawless skin was free from any blemishes or marks, and her slightly curled sun hat radiated youthful vigor.

"That’s a good idea, I also wanted to see how this year’s harvest turned out over there." Palermo’s face revealed a deep, enigmatic smile. Mainz was right beside the Canal; following it would allow one to sail from Odessa to the sea. It was possible to enter Leon through the Nissai River and go from Mattdam into the Caucasus. It seemed that his master wasn’t ready to concede after all.

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