The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 755: Volume 22: Revival and Rise - 15: The Power of Support

Chapter 755: Volume 22: Revival and Rise Chapter 15: The Power of Support

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Even the construction of a simple passageway through the Little Greenland Forest was exceedingly difficult, stretching over four hundred kilometers from Bruce Fortress to the rudimentary river dock on the banks of Lake Nissai. Although the river was relatively wide, it was bordered by untouched primeval forest, barren and uninhabited. The most troublesome aspect was the threat of magical beasts along the way. To establish a smooth connection between the river dock at Lake Nissai and Bruce Fortress, it was imperative to build intermediary supply stations along the four hundred-kilometer stretch of waterway, which posed even greater danger.

However, compared to the pressure faced by several regions in the southwest of the Kingdom of Nicosia and their need for martial power from Caucasus, Komer considered these dangers to be surmountable. Although the lakeshore was currently avoided due to the dwelling of monster groups, the risk was significantly reduced by bypassing Lake Nissai on land routes. For the time being, this passage was only open to the Caucasus Self-Defense Forces and, at most, some adventurer teams who dared to cross, minimizing the possibility of civilian merchants being attacked.

Even though the passage had been opened, Komer had not rushed to deploy the Caucasus and Leon Self-Defense Forces into Quke Valley. After all, the appearance of a Half-beast Army in Livonia would be too shocking for the mortals in the southwest of Nicosia. Perhaps only when the danger peaked and became critical would the impact and voices of opposition be suppressed to the minimal.

This period of respite was relatively more relaxed for Komer. Although Katya and Hoffman were both preparing their forces and harboring murderous intents, and verbal disputes were becoming increasingly fierce, news from Godeburg indicated that Hoffman was ready to forcibly ascend to the throne to better organize a counterattack against the beastmen, which had garnered support from the Four Great Lords and the majority of the Great Aristocracy. Some merchants also quietly changed their stance, considering Katya, who lacked military power, to be incapable of undertaking the task of resisting and combating the beastmen invasion, especially with the kingdom’s basic armed forces already greatly diminished, making the military support of the Great Aristocracy even more crucial.

Further disadvantaging Katya was the shift in stance by the Church of Light, which had maintained a neutral stance until then. The positions of Onia, the Court Mage Group Chief Mage, and Heseltine of the Nicosia Diocese, changed as they jointly attended Hoffman’s engagement ceremony. Princess Caroline from the Duchy of Basarabia became Hoffman’s fiancée, which greatly boosted Hoffman’s power. Moreover, the blessings spoken by the two towering figures of the Church of Light at the engagement ceremony deepened Katya’s worries. Without military strength and potentially losing the support of religious power, relying solely on the support of middle and small aristocracy and merchants in the Southwest Region seemed insufficient to defeat Hoffman.

"Mr. Palermo, what happened, have you lost interest in deer hunting?" Komer gently spurred his steed forward to meet the man who emerged empty-handed from a small grove on the opposite hill with several servants. Komer raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked.

"Oh, Lord, at my age, I dare not compare with you. That damned moose, it could leap so far—I hadn’t even gotten close before it darted into the thicket. I dare not venture in there; encountering bears freshly awakened from hibernation would be a disaster." Palermo swayed his portly body on the saddle, making Komer concerned whether the horse beneath could bear the weight of this heavyset man.

"Ha ha, Mr. Palermo, life is about staying active. If you maintain just one or two pleasant hunting activities each week, I think your health would be much better," Komer flattered, "At least your agility is still very sharp."

"Oh, Lord, I can’t tell if you’re mocking me or complimenting me," the fat man said with a joyful smile, half-joking as he brought his horse alongside Komer’s, "But truly, I don’t have much interest in deer hunting at the moment. Although the weather would make for perfect rest time, it seems we aren’t fortunate enough to have that luxury."

Komer had already discerned the deeper meaning in Palermo’s words. He shrugged indifferently, "Well, Mr. Palermo, it’s not us, it should be you, to be precise. I am quite comfortable right now. I relish this leisure time. Livonia’s early summer is truly memorable; compared to Caucasus, the climate here is much more pleasant. I’m seriously considering building a summer farm near the edge of Quke Valley."

"Lord, I don’t believe you have the luxury to think about such matters right now," Palermo motioned for the servants to stay away from him and Komer, his face losing its smile, "Do you really believe that Quke Valley belongs to you now? Or are you satisfied with the current situation?"

"Mr. Palermo, I understand your point, but what can we do now?" Komer took off his deer skin gloves, spreading his hands with a sense of helplessness, "The beastmen’s power is not something we can currently shake. Their military power is too formidable. For the time being, we have to accept the status quo. Even the Church of Light is powerless. With such a considerable loss to the kingdom’s military forces, it’s already quite fortunate that we can maintain the current situation. Do you think, Mr. Palermo, that we have a chance to turn the tide?"

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