The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 740: Volume 21: The Dark Road - 19: Undercurrents Stirring

Chapter 740: Volume 21: The Dark Road - 19: Undercurrents Stirring

Princess Renta’s clever provocations ignited a fire in Duke Philip’s heart that he could scarcely control, even though he knew she was deliberately stoking his anger.

The reason that Komer, the cockroach, has managed to survive so resiliently in such a short amount of time and become increasingly arrogant has much to do with the power represented by this woman. When he blockaded Odessa Port and prohibited food from the kingdom’s inland from entering Caucasus, he almost saw success. But these shortsighted fools used passes issued by the kingdom’s interior ministry to smuggle food into Caucasus on a grand scale. They managed to overcome the most difficult period until the Catania River route opened up and food was no longer an issue. Food merchants from the kingdom’s inland still maintained close contact with Caucasus. Now, they were even using the canals and the Nissai River route to provide Leon with food. And the most important castle fortress and dock on the edge of Greenland Forest he had set up had now become an important hub in the hands of that despicable Komer. Just thinking about this humiliation made Duke Philip feel an impulse to mobilize his entire army and take back Bruce Fortress at all costs.

But that was merely an impulse. Over the years of securely holding the position of Lord Homer, Philip had trained himself to be ruthless and impassionate. Bruce Fortress certainly needed to be reclaimed, but the choosing of the right moment was incredibly important.

"Heh, Homer always needs the kingdom’s support. It’s just that now it seems the kingdom has forgotten the nobles who made great contributions to it. Just look at the situation in Jazair, I can hardly imagine how the kingdom could have fallen to this state, Lady Renta," Unable to suppress the anger in his heart, Duke Philip couldn’t help but sneer at her, "As for Bruce, Homer has its own plans. The temporary success of those lowly ones doesn’t represent anything. I believe it won’t be long before that trash realizes that their lowly bloodline cannot become noble just by ruling over a bunch of Half-Beastmen."

Glancing at him disdainfully, Renta knew that such unrefined words must have been spoken by the enraged master of Homer at his breaking point. The talk of noble bloodlines was complete nonsense. While bloodlines were important, what could you do with a royal lineage if you ended up a street beggar? Traders wouldn’t give you food for free just because you have royal blood. Every year in Jazair, at least ten percent of the homeless who freeze to death on the streets hail from families that were once glorious. And every spring, the Kingdom Star Chamber Court announces the cancellation of numerous noble families that have gone extinct.

If this didn’t make it clear that power was more important than lineage, Renta could only think that his head had been squashed by a door—though clearly, Duke Philip understood this. He was only using these words to belittle his opponent and vent his frustration. Renta hoped so, at least. Otherwise, choosing such a collaborator blinded by hatred would be a real failure.

"Oh, Sir Duke, we would be very pleased to see such a situation, which is why I inquired whether you need help from the kingdom," Katya’s secret dealings with Komer had been confirmed, causing His Highness Prince Hoffman considerable anxiety. The Four Great Lords had all taken a stance of unwillingness to interfere with the Royal Family’s internal affairs. As a result, the voices of the smaller aristocrats became critically important. Of course, these Great Lords weren’t uninterested; they just hoped to place their bets at the last moment. They all wanted to back the winning side. However, Renta believed that among these Great Lords, some weren’t invulnerable. Her mission this time was to seek a more reliable collaborator for Hoffman.

"Help from the kingdom? I wonder, Your Highness, which aspect do you refer to?" Initially, Duke Philip thought it was just a formality, but hearing her repeat the question, he was genuinely surprised. What substantial help could the kingdom possibly provide now? Funds? The kingdom was already financially drained, barely surviving on loans—it was out of the question. An army? Even more wishful thinking. The scattered legions had only just been reformed and faced the unpredictable attitudes of the Northern Beastmen. They wouldn’t dare venture a step away from Jazair and its surrounding fortresses. So what could the kingdom offer?

"I’ve heard that Komer has a group of quite formidable Mage friends. Homer has suffered greatly in this regard. If Homer could strengthen its Mage Power, how could those Half-Beastmen who have never experienced Magic Power possibly withstand an attack from the well-rounded Homer Regular Army?" Renta suggested lightly as she continued to walk along the hillside.

"Mages?" After a brief moment of surprise, Duke Philip understood. This was probably the only thing the kingdom could offer that was immediately useful. The Royal Court Magicians still wielded substantial power, which Philip knew very well. Their strength was several notches above his Mage Corps. If he could get the full support of the Kingdom Court Magicians, taking back Bruce Fortress should be no significant challenge. And with the full cooperation of the mighty Homer Army, crushing those crude and barbaric Half-Beastmen wouldn’t be difficult at all.

Philip’s mind became instantly alert, realizing that Komer must have allied with Hoffman’s biggest rival, Katya. Otherwise, Hoffman’s staunch supporter wouldn’t be so eager to seek support. What benefits did she promise on Galle’s side?

However, the proposal was indeed a temptation hard to resist. Bruce Fortress needs no introduction, but now the mines in Leon are not only fully operational, but the traders’ enthusiasm for investment has been ignited as well, continuously expanding and establishing new mines. The coal and ore produced are incessantly transported south through the Nissai River and the Nether Sea, far surpassing the prosperity of the time when that fool Boninski controlled Leon.

It is said that the river harbor of Bruce Fortress has already been expanded twice, doubling in size but still congested with ships. A large number of Half-Beastmen are flocking to Bruce, and the town’s streets around the fortress are continuously extending outward. A commercial area has also risen to the south of the floating bridge. Half-Beastmen have become the main inhabitants of Bruce, and the local Mortals seem to live in harmony with them, a concept Philip couldn’t fathom.

The construction of the second floating bridge connecting the north and south banks of the Nissai River is said to be actively underway. The unprecedented prosperity of Bruce was both hateful and enviable for Philip, and the feeling was simply unbearable.

Feigning deep thought, Philip cast his gaze into the distance. He didn’t respond immediately to the proposal, not because he was disinterested. On the contrary, he was keen on the suggestion to join forces, but he needed to consider what he would have to give in return. Supporting Hoffman’s rise to the throne wasn’t difficult; Philip believed his influence in the upper echelons of the kingdom was second to none, except for Galle’s. The two from the North paled in comparison to himself and Zellin. As long as he joined forces with Zellin, Katya wouldn’t stand a chance. But with no news from Galle and uncertain of Zellin’s intentions, Philip believed Zellin would not support Katya—perhaps he was also waiting for a better price.

"Lady Renta, I roughly understand your intentions. His Majesty’s health is failing, and we need a new king, and the kingdom needs a stable political situation. His Highness Prince Hoffman is a suitable candidate, but Princess Katya is also good. It should be said that both of them have their strengths. I am pleased that the kingdom can offer the Court Mage Corps to help me eliminate those lower races, but even without the Kingdom Court Magicians, I can still do it on my own. If His Highness Prince Hoffman can form a closer relationship with my family, I can support him unreservedly. Furthermore, I can assure you Hoffman will become Your Majesty."

At this point, Philip didn’t want to beat around the bush. Merely offering magical support wasn’t enough to move him; he had to fight for Tracy, although it might be challenging. He wanted to hear the other party’s stance on this issue.

Renta was somewhat prepared for this question, but she thought she shouldn’t have to address it after offering to help with the Court Mage Corps. True, Tracy was once Hoffman’s consort, and they were even engaged, but that was in the past. Hoffman had lost interest in Tracy’s body, let alone marriage. Now, surrounded by noblewomen and girls, how could he remember Tracy? But now, Renta dared not reject the proposal lightly, her words tactfully conveyed the Royal Family’s opinion to the persevering father.

"Duke, I understand your feelings, but I can’t speak on the matter of Hoffman’s marriage. Besides, I believe that it’s more appropriate to discuss this matter in the future. However, I can promise you one thing, Duke. No matter where Tracy ends up, the kingdom will ensure she receives a satisfactory status. What do you think of that?" Renta said somewhat hesitantly, her tone turning somewhat dry.

With a soft snort, Philip felt somewhat disappointed but realized he probably couldn’t get the other party to agree to something more to his liking on this issue. Right now, Hoffman needed the support of external forces more, and likely a princess from an important country in the Northern Alliance would be his choice. Renta’s words implied nothing more than to throw a sop to Tracy by granting her a higher noble status, presumably what they had in mind. The Romanov family and their breed were shameless like that. But on this matter, it seemed Philip could only strive for such a result.

(To be continued, for what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, with more Chapters, support the author, support authorized reading!)