The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 666: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Seventeen: Showcasing Strength

Chapter 666: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, Chapter Seventeen: Showcasing Strength

The Little Greenland Forest depicted on the sheepskin map showed an odd black color, distinctly different from the surrounding regions and even dissimilar to the adjacent Great Greenland Forest. The area was renowned for producing various large and fierce magical beasts, with a significant difference in both size and aggressiveness when compared to those in the Great Greenland Forest, which has numerous species but relatively weaker individuals. The creatures in this territory were likely remnants of the ultimate magical beasts from an unprecedented, ancient war hundreds of years ago.

Records preserved in history books and intelligence from explorers on the edge of the Little Greenland Forest confirmed the presence of super magical beasts such as the Rolling-haired Rhinoceros, Nine-headed Kite, and Dread Ape. Even formidable creatures like the Wicked Dragon would not dare to provoke them lightly, let alone the possibility of ancient magical beasts still undiscovered and unknown to mortals.

The source of the Nissai River originated within the Little Greenland Forest, but the exact location within the woods remained unknown to anyone. No one had truly stepped into this mysterious forest, and nobody was willing to embark on a pointless adventure—after all, there were too few who sought to challenge themselves against the unknown.

After staring at the sheepskin map for a long time, Komer realized just how little he knew about his own territory. This forest, occupying a significant portion of the Leon Territory, had never caught people’s attention, perhaps because no one expected it to pique the landowner’s interest for some special needs. As a result, this land was often selectively forgotten.

Katya, without a doubt, hoped to find a passage through this forest that would directly connect the Central Kingdom with Leon and the Caucasus. Economic interests were secondary to her; she likely wanted to fully harness the power of the Caucasus and Leon for her own use after ascertaining their strength and to provide support at any time and place. With her own support, not only could she regain the favor of the fence-sitters, but she would also possess the qualifications to challenge Hoffman.

Komer couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Katya seemed shrewd, but there were aspects where she appeared somewhat naive to him. Why should he serve her? Did the paltry strength of the Caucasus and Leon really dare to oppose Hoffman? Was she so certain he would support her wholeheartedly, and that his power would undoubtedly play a decisive role? It seemed she hadn’t considered these questions, leaving Komer somewhat puzzled.

However, Komer did want to contemplate this issue seriously. The geographic positions of Leon and the Caucasus were incredibly disadvantageous. Besides Homer firmly controlling the exit of his territory, it was impossible to open a land route through the Cordillera Wilderness in a short time. The Sanjia Tribe alone was not enough to affect the entire Barbarian perception of him, and they did not wish for the Caucasus to be too closely linked with other Barbarian tribes. The Catania River navigation was constrained by the Jellyfish People, and the sea routes were fraught with too many uncertainties, stemming from weather and threats like the Wicked Dragon, Shark people, Pirates, and even the Homer Navy.

If it were indeed possible to make a breakthrough in the Little Greenland Forest, as Katya imagined, it would bring a gloriously bright path to the Caucasus and Leon. But there were severe obstacles ahead. The damage inflicted by the ancient magical beasts was beyond ordinary imagination. Unlike the time Komer went to the Great Swamp Area to negotiate with the Jellyfish People—of whose weakness he was well-aware, thus quite confident—venturing blindly into the Little Greenland Forest left him with no assurance whatsoever about what to expect.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the sheepskin map, Komer weighed the implications Katya had suggested. The risks hidden within the Little Greenland Forest were considerable. However, if it was indeed possible to carve out a passage, that could greatly alleviate the unfavorable transportation issues of the Leon Region. At least it would reduce the reliance on the Nissai River and eastern maritime transport. For the Kingdom of Nicosia, it would be an unexpected boon to connect the Caucasus and Leon with the directly-governed territories to the southwest of the kingdom. Securing support from the Caucasus and Leon became feasible, especially in the face of splitting pressures from the major lords to the east, threats from the beastmen to the north, and the dubious members of the alliance to the west.

The half-beast army from the Caucasus and Leon had left a profound impression on Jazair and the officials and nobles of the kingdom. Although they hadn’t truly clashed with the beastman army, the mere sight of their ferocious appearance and imposing manner was enough. Their strict discipline also raised the expectations of these nobles considerably. Even as laymen, they could roughly gauge the combat effectiveness of a military force.

Fearing that this might be the reason both Katya and Hoffman suddenly took an interest in this secluded corner of their territories, Katya had gone to Mainz, and immediately Renta rushed to monitor Mainz, obviously to prevent any secret collusion with Katya in her own territory. The two sisters were serious competitors, each quite formidable. However, it was unknown why Renta’s sudden return to Mainz provided Katya with such an opportunity to break free and visit his land.

Komer’s gaze wandered around the outskirts of Little Greenland Forest. To the northwest of Little Greenland Forest was the Galle Territory, and directly to the west was Quke Valley in the direct jurisdiction of the kingdom, an irregular triangular valley. Crossing this somewhat narrow land would lead into Basarabia and the Bohemia Kingdom, while to the southwest was a small neighbor of the kingdom in the south—the Ust Autonomous Region, a secluded city-state with special customs.

However, finding a road through Little Greenland Forest was daunting, with no starting point immediately apparent. To explore and search step by step would be too difficult without any information or maps, and Komer thought it would be absurd to venture into the unknown forest so rashly.

When Komer accompanied Katya by horse-drawn carriage to Bahomon, she could hardly believe her eyes. The excellent condition of the road from Ugru to Bahomon had already left her speechless—how much gold shield and labor would such a road require? Katya was no clueless woman confined to domestic affairs; she had some understanding of local construction projects. Building such a road would require not just a large sum of money but, more importantly, an adequate labor force, which seemed unlikely to be in such ample supply in Caucasus. Coupled with the full-scale canal construction from Lake Niall through Santiago to Mattdam, Katya’s interest in this unassuming small aristocrat grew stronger. However, when she saw the bustling Bahomon, she was astounded by the port town nestled deep beside the Barbarian Territory.

Seeing the streets bustling with residents of various races and docks filled with ships from all over, carrying newly arrived food and various goods; the iron mines spewing ore, the smelting workshops with billowing smoke, and the ceaseless sound of metal forging; and carts of rough iron and massive amounts of iron ore being busily loaded onto ships for export, Katya could hardly believe she was in a small market town in the remote edges of Caucasus. The sight she’d expect only in the central cities or ports of the kingdom was unfolding here. In her shock, she began to understand why Palermo insisted she should personally visit various places in Caucasus to see for herself.

Katya’s outward calm couldn’t hide her inner shock from Komer, who was keeping close watch on her. He felt both pride and satisfaction. A small fishing village that was desolate two or three years ago had been completely transformed under his direction into an important town in the southwest of Caucasus. Not only had it become the strategic town guarding the southwest, but it had also grown into an important trade town for the upper-middle reaches of the Catania River, connecting west downriver to the Nether Sea and North Mediterranean, and radiating south to the northern areas of the Cordillera Wilderness. Such an accomplishment was probably unmatched by anyone else in such a short time.

What shocked and also frightened Katya about this town was the large number of Barbarians, surpassing other regions. Whether in the iron mines or smelting workshops, on the docks or the streets, the tall figures of Barbarians towering over Mortals was a sight more numerous than both Mortals and Half-Beastmen combined, their unique stature and attire becoming a distinct feature of Bahomon. The presence of so many Barbarians in this land far exceeded Katya’s understanding of Komer’s permissiveness for their presence. Barbarians and Beastmen have always been the natural enemies of Mortals, one from the south and one from the north. The wounds inflicted by the beastmen upon the kingdom were well known, while the persistent attacks by the Barbarians in the south also exerted enormous pressure on the alliances of Mortals and other races in that region. Here in this place, the liberation of Half-Beastmen was already hard for many to accept; now to see Barbarians so openly in this land was a stark contrast that was hard to comprehend. Did this man not fear the Barbarians taking over as masters? Did he not fear his inability to control these wild, fierce, and brutal Barbarians?

The shifting expressions full of uncertaintly caught the eye of Komer who stood by. He understood the concerns of the princess who didn’t truly know the land, but this suited him even better. He had wanted to establish for her the impression that no one but he, Komer, could control this land—only then could he gain more in future negotiations.

(To be continued... For more details on what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where there are more Chapters available to support the author and authorized reading!)