The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 661: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Twelve: Redemption

Chapter 661: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, Chapter Twelve: Redemption

Renta sneered inwardly, feeling that her brother seemed to be getting somewhat hysterical. If that fellow from Caucasus was so submissive, Hoffman was certainly overestimating his own abilities and charisma.

Now, the kingdom was a colossus with feet of clay, perilously close to collapse at the slightest push, but a kingdom’s downfall was an unwelcome prospect for both the Church of Light and the Four Great Lords, as well as the other countries in the Northern Alliance.

They did not wish for the kingdom to prosper, but that did not mean they wanted it to disintegrate completely. Such an event would plunge the northern reaches into utter chaos, exposing the entire northern plains to the blades of the beastmen. Without the kingdom’s martial power to counterbalance, both the nations bordering Nicosia in the Northern Alliance and the Four Great Lords would face the threat of being ravaged by the beastmen. Conversely, their reluctance to see the kingdom’s fall did not equate with a desire for its resurgence. What they wanted most was a kingdom that was weak yet still capable of combat so that the Church of Light could slowly implement their policies of state religion relying on the central kingdom’s dependence, while the Four Great Lords could rely on the kingdom as a barrier between themselves and the beastmen, a sentiment shared by the countries of the Northern Alliance.

The Kingdom of Nicosia had already become a mere pawn in the chess game of these power alliances, functioning as they wished, a truth that couldn’t help but evoke sadness. More pitifully, it seemed Hoffman chose to turn a blind eye, or was indifferent, still hoping that small aristocrats like Komer would unite in loyalty to him, serving the kingdom. Did he really think the kingdom’s cause or the noble blood of the Romanov family could inspire unending, unregretful devotion?

But it wasn’t she who wielded this power, it was Hoffman, and now her fate seemed inextricably tied to his, forcing her to fret, plan, and travel on his behalf.

"Hoffman, I can go to Mainz, but I must remind you not to trust that guy too much. I don’t see him as one willing to lie low. Utilization is fine, but there has to be a limit. You can’t put all your hopes on these people, or you’ll deeply regret it," Renta said coolly as she adjusted her skirt, "Let’s not end up making a wedding dress for someone else with our efforts."

Komer, who had relaxed, seemed to become somewhat indolent. The construction of the second Magic-armed gun was delayed, mainly because Komer hoped to have more time to unwind. With its own Magic-armed gun, the Gray Skull fleet seemed to have surged in momentum. According to the news from the Hayreddin Fleet, Gray Skull’s fleet had engaged the Red-haired Witch Katerina’s fleet twice in the North Mediterranean within three months, each claiming victories. However, the Magic-armed gun had severely damaged a main battleship of Katerina’s fleet, gradually undermining the previously dominant Katerina fleet’s advantage, pressuring them into a defensive stance.

Although Gray Skull was more urgent for the second Magic-armed gun, Komer did not want to satisfy their request too quickly and even thought about delaying the signed agreement. This made Gray Skull’s messenger come to Ugru almost weekly to hasten the process, while Gray Skull tried its best to meet Komer’s somewhat unreasonable minor demands.

The relationship with Homer had also reached a delicate state. It seemed to have forgotten that to its south lay a land that was once directly under its jurisdiction, and now even Bruce Fortress had fallen into the hands of opponents, firmly guarding the mouth of the Great Greenland Forest Plank Road that stretched between the south and Homer. With unclear intentions, Homer neither rebuilt a fortress at the northern end of the Greenland Forest Plank Road nor sealed it, perhaps realizing that since the blockade at the Mouth of Nissai River had been lifted, blocking the Greenland Forest Plank Road was meaningless.

With the full clearance of the Nissai River, Leon finally welcomed a chance for revival. All the mines could now be fully operational. After Komer promoted Neptune from Administrative Officer of Mattdam to assistant to the Administrative Officer of the entire Leon Region, Neptune had effectively become the actual Administrative Officer of the region. The young man’s enthusiasm for work was ignited like never before, as he sped back and forth between the four fairs of the Leon Region, persuading workers and merchants, encouraging investment, and promoting road construction. The development in Leon was reminiscent of Caucasus’s growth in the previous years.

The scale of several townships was rapidly expanding. Thanks to the restoration of the harbor at Bruce Fortress and the Greenland Forest Plank Road, the mines in the regions of Murray and Banassia were swiftly brought back to their peak production levels. Particularly in Banassia, after Neptune conducted a thorough survey of the terrain, he organized a large workforce to dredge the river channels that had been silted up for decades and pushed even further to clean and excavate, allowing the waters of the Nissai River to backfill and reach within less than two miles of Banassia. Moreover, Neptune was fully committed to advocating for the township area to develop closer to the river channel; he successfully constructed a modest-scale river dock on this recessed floodplain.

As a result, the ore from the entire Banassia region could be brought directly to this recessed river dock and loaded onto ships without the need to transport it by land to the harbor at Bruce Fortress. The only issue was that the scale of the river dock was somewhat limited, which posed a challenge to meet the expanding mining scale of Banassia.

The establishment of the Banassia river dock significantly eased the pressure on the Bruce harbor dock, allowing the coal from Murray to be shipped out from Bruce Fortress without hindrance. Although Banassia produces both coal and iron ore, neither the quality nor the scale could compare with Murray and Izmir. However, having both coal and iron ore spurred Neptune’s idea of building an ironworks in Banassia. This could localize the consumption of a large amount of coal and iron ore, shift Banassia’s focus from ore export to exporting pig iron and crude iron primarily, and significantly alleviate the transport pressure on the river dock.

Neptune’s ambitious planning and construction in the Leon Region garnered the full support of Komer and Puber. Leon was inherently a region that relied solely on ore export for its economy. The distant nobles had also considered building smelting workshops in this area, but the chaotic situation made them abandon the idea. Transformed iron was just a step away from weapons, which was far too dangerous for the mortal nobles already filled with fear of the Half-Beastmen; they would rather earn less than take such a risk. Even Cyprus would not agree to the construction of ironworks there.

Puber’s mind was completely occupied with how to selectively absorb the refugees from the northern kingdoms according to Komer’s intentions. Since it was selective, certain conditions were set: the utterly impoverished were completely excluded, and those with strong faith orientations were unwanted. Stationed in Mattdam, Puber personally led several administrative officers to scrutinize the refugees who wished to settle in the Caucasus. For those with particular skills or substantial family assets, the Caucasus adopted a more relaxed policy. This differential treatment also sparked great interest among the refugees still hesitating. If the Caucasus was in such high demand, it must have its strengths. With the chaos in the north and the threat of beastmen looming over everyone, perhaps the secluded south of the Caucasus and Leon really was an undiscovered paradise.

"I think it might be time for me to leave." The girl’s pure white priest’s robe with silver trim looked uniquely holy, complementing her tranquil and elegant cheeks. Her deep black eyes, profound as a still pond, met Komer’s intense gaze without a stir, yet with a touch of wistfulness.

"Why?" Komer’s somewhat deep voice carried a kind of soul-stirring magic power, piercing straight into the depths of the white-robed female priest’s mind, causing her to involuntarily shrink away, "Is it because Eve feels that everything she has done is too shameful and is troubled by her conscience?"

"No, not entirely. I am not someone who can betray my principles. Perhaps you have your own thoughts, and since I have agreed to your request, it means that I believe myself to be guilt-free. I trust that you have your reasons and difficulties. The means are not the most important; as long as the intentions are right, that is sufficient." Eve’s response was firm, which took Komer by surprise. He had always thought she had helped him solely out of gratitude for his rescue and had not expected such profound words from her. It seemed he had still underestimated her, despite his high regard for her.

"Then why does Eve want to leave? If you feel you are doing nothing here, I happen to have some matters for which I’d like to rely on you." Although she had not answered his question directly, Komer sensed a touch of melancholy hidden in her despondent mood. Perhaps he had indeed overlooked her feelings. This pure-hearted but not naïve girl harbored many secrets in her heart. For a priest, true success comes from saving the body and soul of the downtrodden. Komer seemed to glimpse something in her steadfast composure, thinking that giving her a goal might capture her heart. Well, he would play the weakling this time, he thought, smiling inwardly.

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