The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 752: Volume 22 Revival and Rise - 12 Fleeing

Chapter 752: Volume 22 Revival and Rise Chapter 12 Fleeing

Viscount Komer notified Princess Katya at the first opportunity to leave quickly. The massive invasion of the beastmen was now an irreversible reality, and the departure of the Nicosia Court Mage Group essentially declared that Jazair City was incapable of withstanding the attack of the Beastman Army. To stay in Jazair City any longer would be akin to sitting ducks, waiting for death.

In the following five hours, the craziest scene of the great escape from Jazair unfolded. Nobles swarmed out of the eastern and southern gates of the Royal City, forming long queues of horse-drawn carriages that were stacked with all sorts of crates and bundles. The nobles had little time to consider where to go. Escaping Jazair was certainly a wise choice, as no one believed that the newly-formed Golden Oak Legion and the Royal Guards could withstand the onslaught of the entire Beastman Army.

"Where are we going now?" Princess Katya leaned tiredly against the carriage window. On both sides of the avenue, carriages of nobles and traders rushing towards the south were jammed so tightly that there was no room to move. If a single carriage stopped, it would immediately turn the entire procession into a stagnant, lifeless dragon. Amidst the incessant swearing and clamor, the nobles’ only hope was to leave this godforsaken place as soon as possible, under the protection of their private soldiers and servants.

"Your Highness, it depends on your will. Hoffman has already gone to Godeburg in the East, where the Galle Army and the Homer Army will be able to arrive in the shortest time. The Court Magicians are estimated to return to Godeburg swiftly as well. It is said that if Jazair falls, they plan to use Godeburg as a base for the liberation of the Royal City. However, I suppose you might not want to join that bustle, so I took the liberty of retreating south. If it’s not beneath your dignity, you could seek refuge at my place," Komer said carefully, not wanting to agitate her at this time.

"No, I won’t consider going to the Caucasus for now," Princess Katya flatly rejected Komer’s suggestion, which wasn’t surprising to him. Even now, this woman’s ambition hadn’t completely died. Perhaps she still fantasized about quickly returning to the Royal City and continuing her unfinished contest with Hoffman, but Komer was clear that such a scenario was unlikely to recur. This invasion by the beastmen seemed anything but simple.

"Well, now is indeed not the best time to go to the Caucasus. There are many places still available in the Southwest and Central Region for your selection. The local lords are all eagerly awaiting Your Highness’s visit, such as Leman and Cartin," Komer suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don’t know if leaving the Royal City was a mistake. Perhaps I should have stayed and endured this disaster with the residents and soldiers in the city. Leaving quietly like this feels like being a coward and a scaredy-cat," Princess Katya said, becoming more unpredictable.

"Your Highness, with General Mathew and Lord Tez in charge inside the city, and with the Golden Oak Legion and the Royal Guard present, your staying would be meaningless. If the beastmen truly breach Jazair, everything would need to start anew. Establishing a stable base in the rear is what you should focus on, and if General Mathew and his forces were to successfully hold off the beastmen’s attack, you would also need ample funds to rebuild the North, and that would win you more support," Komer boasted about quickly finding a suitable excuse.

"Viscount Komer, you are too eloquent. It seems that whatever choice I make, you can always find a suitable reason for it," Princess Katya realized, "Then may I ask, do you think General Mathew can hold Jazair?"

After a moment of silence, Komer asked in a low voice, "Princess Katya, do you want to hear the truth?"

"Of course," Princess Katya tensed inwardly.

"Personally, I see very little possibility. The beastmen came prepared this time, even mobilizing their previously unused servant forces. And the crucial issue lies in the departure of the kingdom’s Court Magicians from Jazair, greatly weakening the city’s defense. You are aware that the Golden Oak Legion is no longer what it used to be; it has become a training camp for new recruits. Expecting it to withstand the seasoned Beastman Alliance Army is extremely difficult," he spoke with a somewhat sad and lonely voice. No one wanted to witness such a scenario, having spent enormous efforts to unseat Hoffman, only to be thwarted by the beastmen, causing many plans to require reconsideration. The beastmen’s interference would bring many unforeseen changes to the kingdom’s political situation, and the role that the Church of Light would play in this catastrophe was yet unknown, but Komer believed that the Church would not stay idle.

Princess Katya’s mood was equally complex; the outcome of the beastmen invasion would force her accession plans to change regardless. She had hoped to use this opportunity to dethrone Hoffman and ascend to power, seizing the initiative. But now it seemed far from realistic,

Surrounded by the great aristocracy, Hoffman surged toward the east, and Godeburg would soon become a new political center. Whether in terms of economic strength in the central region or the rallying power of these great nobles, the middle and small aristocrats and traders gathered around her could not yet compare to Hoffman’s supporters. Especially since Hoffman had gained the support of several of the kingdom’s great lords, this turn of events would render the efforts she had invested in the Star Chamber Judges worthless. With the support of the great lords, Hoffman could bypass the law and use strength, even war, to prove he was the true ruler of the kingdom.

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to have General Mathew and his men temporarily retreat, ..." ventured Princess Katya, but was rudely interrupted by Komer, "Your Highness, do you think General Mathew would accept this suggestion? To not resist and abandon the citizens of the Royal City, to let the beastmen rampage through the capital of the Kingdom of Nicosia, if such a thing were to happen, then it would mean that the Kingdom of Nicosia no longer has a reason to exist. The people would abandon the kingdom, and once public sentiment is lost, foreign enemies will invade, and the Four Great Lords may even take advantage of the situation to declare independence!"

Princess Katya’s face darkened as she lowered her head, fully aware of this rationale, but now the Iron Cross Corps had been completely destroyed, and if the Golden Oak Legion was beaten again, only the Blue Dove Corps would be left. Moreover, once Jazair was lost, the Blue Dove Corps would face a precarious situation of being attacked from both front and rear, and without even a place to retreat to, an army without supplies, reinforcements, or objectives could not last long. The Four Great Lords might even tacitly approve of this development, which would mean the Romanov family would become a mere puppet decoration, while the Four Great Lords would become the true masters of the kingdom.

"What should we do now?" Princess Katya could no longer contain herself; she did not want to become anyone’s subordinate, and she now realized that if she kept dancing to the tune set by this man before her, this possibility would become reality.

"Your Highness Princess Katya, you have already rejected my opinion, haven’t you? Then you only have the southwest to go to. Cartin and Leman are both good choices; the people there are awaiting your arrival. You can temporarily settle in either of these two places, waiting for news from Jazair. If the beastmen are just looking to plunder and leave, then maybe things aren’t as bad as we feared," Komer said, perceiving the intentions of Katya but without the desire to keep a tight leash on her. With Hoffman present, Katya would eventually have to depend on Komer, and there was no need to create a rift between them now. Did she want to break away and act independently? Then let her try and taste the bitter reality of harshness. However, before that, it seemed necessary to consider how to pocket his remuneration for the Quke Valley. This was an agreement with Princess Katya; if she could not even fulfill this, it would seem that the partnership lacked assurance.

As a transit hub for those evacuating from Jazair, Cartin had become an essential location. It was Komer’s first visit here, and it seemed passable. As the capital of the Black Forest region, which, along with the adjacent Pomorie and Livonia regions, had always been directly under the control of the kingdom, consisting of dozens of middle and small aristocratic territories as well as large royal farms. This area had always been a stronghold for Katya’s supporters. From here, one could travel southwest all the way to Basarabia and eventually reach Bohemia. It was said that His Majesty the King once traveled in disguise to Bohemia from here, encountering the mother of Princess Katya, and eventually, brought the Bohemian singer back to Versailles.

The Quke Valley was located at the very southern end of the Livonia region in the south, and it belonged to His Majesty the King.

Komer knew his own avaricious appetite for land had raised Katya’s guard, but the Quke Valley was not very large, and a 300 square kilometer territory could not possibly inflict much harm on the kingdom. Any of the small lords in the three regions owned more land than the Quke Valley. If rewarding this piece of land to Komer, a frontier lord, could secure his loyalty, Katya was not opposed to such an idea.

Perhaps, as Komer himself had said, awarding a tract of land in the kingdom’s direct territory to this frontier lord could strengthen the sense of belonging to the kingdom among the people in the border regions. After all, the Caucasus was too far from the heartland of the kingdom, and the influence of the kingdom’s politics and culture had long since missed the area. With a substantial population of Half-Beastmen and other races, local loyalty to the Romanov Dynasty had significantly waned. If this reward could have such an effect, then it would indeed be a gain.

(To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters; support the author, support authorized reading!)