The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 695: Volume 20: Wolves Lurking in the Mediterranean, - 3: Loyalty

Chapter 695: Volume 20: Wolves Lurking in the Mediterranean, Chapter 3: Loyalty

Puber was actually relieved by the departure of this large group of people. The individuals named Xerob and Uma, along with their followers, were constantly appearing and disappearing, like ghosts. Although he wasn’t sure what exactly they were up to, the gloom and cold brought on by their dark natures always made others uncomfortable. This bunch seemed to have contributed nothing to the betterment of Caucasus and Leon. Their leaving must have been related to the Boss’s news. Sending them to the Boss’s side may be for the best; perhaps only the Boss could get them to settle down and do something meaningful.

As for the woman named Shatima, although her figure was sultry and captivating, a woman with a few loose screws was always a concern, especially since her excessive strength and explosive temper formed a perfect storm. Puber had always thought she’d be better suited to the arenas in the South, assuming they would accept a female gladiator. Her departure was a relief without any additional emotions attached.

However, the departure of the four women who had unclear relationships with the Boss made Puber a bit reluctant to let go. It was not that he had any untoward thoughts about the Boss’s women, but their presence in Caucasus always served a certain purpose. Lome’s mana was highly praised even by Mihailovich, and Grace was unquestionably a top-notch assassin. Eve was gradually becoming a communicator among the various faith sects in the Lord’s Mansion across the territories of Caucasus and Leon, on one hand continuing her cultivation of White Magic and on the other, striving to help coordinate the chaos brought about by these disparate beliefs. Even the Elf girl Finitz showed exceptional talent in magic, which made Puber, who had always longed for magic, lament the unfairness of fate.

Mihailovich, Newman, Solonberg, and Vladimir Koff were the last to propose leaving for the Mediterranean to the South, which met with Puber’s firm objection. If even these four fellows left, then the entire military strength of Caucasus and Leon would be nearly unsupported, with no one capable of holding back even the sneaky Thunderhorse Knights from flagrantly provoking them, and Puber had no wish to become a wretch who could only issue orders from a basement.

Furthermore, their attitude was very firm. Staying in Caucasus held no meaning for them now. Although Komer’s whereabouts had been confirmed, Rebry’s were still unknown; even the messages Lord Komer sent back from the South made no mention of her. This puzzled Mihailovich and the rest, who felt compelled to head South to understand the real situation.

Puber was powerless to stop their departure. The fact that these people had remained in Caucasus when there was no news of Komer, but now that he had been located, it seemed as if Caucasus was experiencing a "the tree falls and the monkeys scatter" scenario. This left a bitter taste in Puber’s mouth. Was his own charisma truly that lacking? This was quite a blow to his pride.

Fran and Baoling, on the other hand, were now too preoccupied to consider the feelings of Puber, the acting Lord. Learning of Lord Komer’s whereabouts, they were instantly filled with wild joy and stability; their hearts, which had been empty for over a month, immediately felt secure and steady again, and everything returned to normal. The Half-beastmen officers, like Dragumo, gleaned something of the situation from the expressions of Fran and Baoling, the highest commanders of the army. The Half-beastmen were generally slow to respond, but their intuition in this matter was seemingly no worse than that of Mortals.

The training of the Caucasus and Leon Self-Defense Forces immediately resumed its lively vigor. Burianos, Havier, and Bayezid had not left; like Fran and Baoling, they had more important tasks. Komer, through magical communication, had explicitly stated that alongside Fran and Baoling, they bore the responsibility for training the Caucasus Self-Defense Forces. Compared to the profound and overbearing methods of Vladimir Koff and Solonberg, the training approach of the trio Burianos was evidently more suited to these brawny Half-beastman warriors.

If anyone in the entire Caucasus was most concerned about Komer’s whereabouts, it was undoubtedly Maha Gummi, the intelligence officer of the Lord’s Mansion. As a Half-beastman Hybrid, Maha Gummi was acutely aware of where everything he had today came from, and by whom it was provided. Without Lord Komer, Maha Gummi would still be a worthless Half-beastman Slave, likely dead in some mine deep inside Leon. Komer’s disappearance had plunged Maha Gummi into days filled with anxiety and a suffocating heartbreak, uncertain of how to proceed without Komer. Should Komer be lost, Maha Gummi did not believe his work would hold much meaning and perhaps he would again become just another piece of refuse in the mines of Leon.

The news of Komer’s whereabouts came like a spring of clear water into a sapling on the verge of withering. The previously anxious Maha Gummi almost instantly regained his vitality. Although he was eager to see Lord Komer, he knew that since the Lord had not mentioned him going South, he must continue according to the original plan. Doing his job well was the most loyal testament to Lord Komer, Maha Gummi thought.

As an intelligence officer at the Lord’s Mansion, Maha Gummi knew that much of his work was no longer purely intelligence affairs. In addition to the focused collection and understanding of information about the kingdom and Homer in all aspects, the collection of various domestic intelligence had also gradually become a major part of his work. Since the opening of the Catania River navigation channel, the changes in the situation in Rosenborg, especially in the middle and upper reaches of the Catania River, had been listed as targets. The increasingly close relationship between the Sanjia Tribe and the Caucasus made the internal situation of the Barbarian on the Cordillera Wilderness equally important, all of which added a heavier burden on Maha Gummi’s shoulders.

However, Maha Gummi was more excited the more tasks the Lord entrusted to him. This was not only an implicit display of trust from the Lord, but Maha Gummi also had a natural craving for the possession of all kinds of secret intelligence. It was an indescribable sense of superiority; whenever Maha Gummi thought that only he and the Lord shared this intelligence, a proud and contemptuous satisfaction would arise within him. He liked this job and loved it from the bottom of his heart.

But now, Maha Gummi had once again discovered an oversight in his work. He realized he knew far too little about the intelligence department on the Mediterranean, almost a complete blank. Apart from barely knowing the geographical position and the different racial states and city-states on the Mediterranean, Maha Gummi found that he didn’t have any other valuable information at hand.

This was intolerable. Although Maha Gummi couldn’t understand why the Lord suddenly ran off to the Southern Mediterranean, as an intelligence officer, everything had to revolve around the needs of the Lord. Maha Gummi was not planning to wait. Even if the Lord hadn’t yet arranged for this aspect, he should take the initiative and start the work ahead.

After sending away the large group of people, Puber didn’t feel any inconvenience. He had long since mastered administrative affairs. Neptune had shown quite a good performance in Leon, and after a few months, he had become darker and thinner. This made Hesse, the old man, quite distressed, but Neptune’s spirits were exceptionally robust. He had visited several fairs in Leon, and he knew the mines like the back of his hand. For a local Administrative Officer to be able to do this was already commendable.

The construction of the canal from Mattdam to Lake Niall was still progressing smoothly. Komer’s short disappearance had not affected the lower classes; in their eyes, the Lord’s Mansion was still operating normally. The number of Barbarians entering the Caucasus was still slowly increasing. More and more Barbarians could be seen on the Canal construction site between Lake Niall and Mattdam. Although they were still far fewer than Half-beastmen and Mortals, it was a sign that Barbarians were gradually attracted by the vigorous vitality of the Caucasus and were unconsciously integrating into this thriving entity.

Many Barbarians had already begun to settle in the suburbs of Mattdam and Santiago. Although farming was not their forte, the number of laborers needed for the canal excavation was simply too great. Digging canals, quarrying stone, cutting trees, processing timber, transporting goods—these high-intensity tasks were now dominated by Barbarians and Half-beastmen. Mortals were being squeezed out of these jobs. Astute contractors unanimously indicated a preference for recruiting Half-beastmen and Barbarians in their hiring announcements, and these workers did not quibble over wages as their Mortal counterparts did. Where else could one find such a good deal?

However, the influx of a large number of Barbarians into the Caucasus still raised some concerns for Puber. He had informed Komer of this issue at the time, but the intelligence department quickly produced a report that these Barbarians did not belong to the nearby Sanjia Tribe. Sanjia Tribe did not have so many idle laborers; a significant portion came from the smaller tribes around Sanjia, who had bought identity documents from Sanjia Tribe to obtain legal permission to enter and work in the Caucasus.

Puber had been greatly dissatisfied with this, thinking that he did not object to Barbarians outside the Sanjia Tribe working in the Caucasus, but this procedure fee should be earned by the Caucasus Lord’s Mansion. How could they let those guys from the Sanjia Tribe get something for nothing? However, Komer rejected Puber’s suggestion, believing that maintaining a stable relationship with the Sanjia Tribe aligned more with the current interests of the Caucasus and Leon. These Barbarians coming from the smaller tribes, who settled in the Caucasus, could also influence the real Barbarians from the Sanjia Tribe, and this influence was quite subtle—something many people might not be able to appreciate.

(To be continued. For further developments, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters available. Support the author, support authorized reading!)