The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 669: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Twenty: Allies

Chapter 669: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, Chapter Twenty: Allies

The inspection of the Cordillera Wilderness could be said to have ended to satisfaction, and Katya knew that, in her absence, Komer had engaged in several secret talks with the three leaders of the Sanjia Tribe. Although she wasn’t clear about the contents of their discussion, she could imagine that it wouldn’t be far removed from various transactions.

Since Komer had such absolute confidence in controlling the Sanjia Tribe, Katya naturally did not object to supporting the idea of Caucasus and Leon forming a tighter alliance with the barbarians. She needed to utilize this power for herself—a power composed of the disgraced low-ranking nobles, the filthy half-beastmen, the crude barbarians, the indigenous people of the borderlands, and the large number of immigrants who had lost their land— was gradually turning into her support. If they could maintain this developmental momentum, she indeed needed to seriously consider how to make use of this power more effectively for her own benefit.

Of course, her opponent was not anyone easy to contend with; greed and cunning permeated the very blood of that small aristocrat. Dealing with that individual might not be any easier than her own half-sibling rival, but Katya felt that there were more mutual interests between her and him. If sufficient benefits were offered, perhaps he would willingly tie himself to her cause. The mere Quke Valley might not be enough to satisfy his appetite, but that was desirable. Without ambition or desire, there could be no foundation for cooperation. She wasn’t afraid of his big appetite—only that he might not be greedy. In this regard, Katya was quite confident in her own ability.

Katya’s trip to Caucasus was brief, and upon returning to Ugru, she hardly paused before setting out back to Mainz. It was apparent that Katya wanted to avoid letting Renta grasp her whereabouts, at least to prevent Jazair from understanding the exact purpose of her trip to Caucasus.

Before leaving, Katya finally warned Komer not to get too entangled with the forces not aligned with the Church of Light. As the status of Caucasus and Leon kept rising, even the Church of Light, which had never deigned to cast its gaze upon this land, began to realize that it was no longer the desolate wilderness of yesteryears. Not only was the Court becoming suspicious of the activities in the lands of Caucasus, but the other two giants within the Church were starting to take notice as well. While it was still a general interest, it was enough proof that the land no longer went unnoticed as in the past.

Katya’s words were subtle and tactful, and Komer could tell that she didn’t really care whether he was connected to so-called non-Light Series forces. However, she hoped he wouldn’t jeopardize anything for minor gains and give the Church of Light any leverage against him, particularly at such a critical time. Komer also sensed that her stance toward the Church of Light seemed consistent with his own toward the Great Mysterium Sect—not antagonistic, but certainly not close. It was more of a utilitarian connection, a partnership of convenience if there were benefits, polite respect if there were none, and, if there was harm to one’s own interests, then one must find ways to contain or eliminate the threat. Komer had to admit that in some respects, Katya was quite similar to him.

It was unexpected that Katya had such a hidden yet profound influence within the Church of Light, enough to be aware that he had been marked as a primary surveillance target by the Church within the kingdom of Nicosia. Besides the rise of Caucasus and Leon, it seemed that his inner resistance and antipathy toward the Church of Light had inadvertently revealed themselves in his everyday affairs. He had underestimated Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav, thinking his token kindness would blind them; instead, they had played such a trick on him, which infuriated Komer.

It might be time to reprimand the members of the Great Mysterium Sect. In relatively remote areas such as Bahomon, Santiago, and Izmir, Komer was aware that the Great Mysterium Sect was secretly recruiting followers. Even though their actions were minor, they didn’t escape his notice. As a staunch non-believer, Maha Gummi had reported to him several times about the small moves the sect was making in these places.

Even a Nether Guest Association, a force from the central region of the main Avenue, had taken up residence in Bruce Fortress. It was said that this Association had intricate connections with the Great Mysterium Sect. Although they had not yet shown any particular actions, it was enough to make him vigilant. It meant that many saw his controlled territory as a paradise for spreading their own beliefs and doctrines, an indicator that was not optimistic. It also foreshadowed the Church of Light’s growing attention toward the proliferation of non-Light Series thoughts in his dominion and their potential move from mere attention to influence and intervention. For the time being, Komer didn’t want his land to end up that way.

Katya had agreed to help him coordinate matters with the Church of Light, but she also warned him that she couldn’t help with the Court and seriously reminded him not to underestimate the Court’s capabilities. After Katya’s words, Komer’s unease seemed to deepen. In fact, after Caru and Boritz had left, Reno had an indescribable sense of foreboding but couldn’t find any solid evidence to confirm it. The other party had been too smooth in their approach, showing hardly any obstacles, and while he had put much effort into his work beforehand, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that the Court hadn’t truly let go of everything and left with a sense of openness.

Katya’s reminders and admonitions once again deepened Komer’s skepticism on this issue, but now Komer was at a loss for a way to deal with it.

The proud, arrogant, and stubborn Court was completely independent of this world, and even the Church of Light found it difficult to exert much influence on it. It was this transcendent group’s strong position that created its unique status. To a great extent, it also acted as the unknown other side of the Church of Light, which presented itself to the world with an image of mercy, holiness, tolerance, and benevolence. The use of burning stakes, gallows, whipping, and imprisonment as cruel methods and practices made it almost impossible to believe that they also occurred under the holy icons of the God of Light.

"Evidence, evidence, Caru, I must remind you that we need concrete evidence. Everything you have said is purely your subjective conjecture and inference, full of absurdity and bizarre elements. In fact, I cannot find anything credible enough from your words, or perhaps I’m saying that your words are alarmist?" With an exaggerated shake of his head, his disheveled long hair and scruffy beard made it difficult to believe that he was the notorious Deputy Leader of the Court, Lorenzo. According to Caru, he was an extreme skeptic who doubted everything, even whether he himself was the illegitimate child of his mother and a Priest of the Church of Light.

Caru and Boritz really had bad timing; the two giants of the Court had just finished atoning in the meditation room. Under such circumstances, avoiding this mad skeptic would only lead to more doubts on his part.

"Ah, Sir Lorenzo, we have stated our reasons. We believe there is at least one certainty, and that is that this small lord from the Caucasus has dark tendencies. His territory is filled with all sorts of messy things. Although we haven’t found concrete evidence of his involvement with the Dark Forces, the pervasive air of decadence, negativity, and dissolution undoubtedly serves as the perfect breeding ground for the Dark Forces. We have had contact with Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav who were preaching there. According to their statements, that small lord has no necessary respect for the Church of Light. The Church of Light cannot thrive in that suffocating atmosphere••••••"

Before the indignant Boritz could finish speaking, the fat, elderly man with a head full of fluffy white hair had already interrupted him: "Boritz, your task is to verify the actual situation of the Dark Forces’ proliferation, not to investigate the conditions of the survival and development of the Church of Light there. How the Church of Light fares in that place is not our responsibility or duty; that is for Frenster and Vazinsky to consider. The incompetence and clumsiness of those missionaries have nothing to do with us. We have no desire, nor should we inquire into it. We only need to clarify some questions: are the Dark Forces there or not, what is the real situation? Did you not act because you lack the strength, or is the situation certain? Does the Court need to use other forces to resolve the situation?"

The overbearing presence almost instantly pushed Lorenzo’s viewpoint aside. The fat-faced man’s bland eyes and ordinary Priest’s attire, with nothing but the enforcement scepter behind the chair that hint at any connection to the leading Judge of the Court, presented a sharp contrast to the first potentate of the Court, Archbishop Noyola.

"Noyola, I oppose this preconceived opinion of yours. Based on their own words, their mission was a pure waste of time. Your view only encourages their lax attitude. I’m very concerned that if our Judges all carry this attitude, it could bring considerable damage to our cause." Displeased, Lorenzo glanced at his colleague, not caring about his assertive demeanor, as upholding the truth was the premise and foundation of their group’s existence.

"Lorenzo, don’t be so pessimistic. We should give enough trust to our Judges. We cannot tolerate the existence of the Dark Forces, especially not within the territory of Nicosia. We must nip it in the bud. The reason why the Dark Powers and heretics in the South are so rampant is because of the excessive leniency and compassion of our Court and the Church. We cannot make the same mistake again." Noyola was already accustomed to his colleague’s attitude.

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