The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 766: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 4: Troublesome Power

Chapter 766: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 4: Troublesome Power

The situation was changing rapidly, and the seeds Komer had sown were beginning to sprout, whether it was in the region of Flanders, in the Southern Mediterranean of the Southern Continent, or within the Salvation Society in Nicosia and Hayreddin on Xifnos Island. These forces were emerging bit by bit. How much they would eventually impact the development of the Continent was unknown to Komer, but one thing was certain: the convergence of these forces would ultimately expand his influence continuously, allowing him to shake off the need to cower in the dark, wary of the authority of the Church of Light.

Nothing can be built without being destroyed first. After many years of lying dormant, the Dark Holy Church should rightly stand proud in the world now, Komer thought, somewhat absent-mindedly. From every angle, the current situation was the best opportunity for the Dark Forces. If they missed the opportunity when the strength of the Northern Church of Light was attracted by the beastmen and the Salvation Society, they would probably never forgive themselves.

The tranquility of the Nissai River made the entire journey extraordinarily peaceful, so much so that not even the frequently encountered red monkeys bothered them, which surprised the half-beast soldiers escorting them along the way. Their awe at Komer’s mysterious and noble stature grew even stronger. In fact, Komer had not employed any special methods, merely continually amplified and diffused the Deterrence skill from his psychic magic through air magic around them. This unique psychic magic could instill a tremendous fear and pressure from the ship into all creatures, including magical beasts, subconsciously making them want to avoid it.

The three days of sailing were very calm, which allowed Komer to quietly consider some matters, especially the stance he should take in various aspects.

In the Southern Mediterranean, he planned to continue his collaboration with Katrina, allowing Hayreddin’s fleet to grow stronger. He would keep up a façade of cooperation with the Gray Skull in the Nether Sea to maintain peace, while in the coastal regions of the Southern Mediterranean, he would fully support the Dark Holy Church’s emergence to publicly develop. He also aimed to swiftly win the official support of these countries and city-states, using this as a backing for his expansions to the north.

On his own turf in the Caucasus, Komer intended to stop hiding. Since the Religious Court had labeled him an adventurer exploring the unknown continents, it had been long enough, and it was time for him to "return from his adventures." As long as the Religious Court did not actively expose this thin veil of decency, Komer had no intention of provoking them; he had more important matters to attend to. Furthermore, Komer was confident that under the current circumstances, the Religious Court would neither publicly oppose nor challenge him again.

It was clear that he needed to accumulate more substantial power to deal with the threat from Homer in the North. As long as he lived, Philip’s threat to him would not cease. Instead of passively defending, it would be better to crush the opponent completely and resolve the threat once and for all. If Komer could secure Katrina’s position as Queen of the Kingdom of Nicosia, he might even claim the moral high ground, which is why the idea so strongly appealed to him.

However, at least for now, Komer knew he did not possess that strength. A force of 5,000 was already at a disadvantage against Homer, especially since he had allocated 3,000 to Livonia to help Katya establish a foothold there. Although they could be withdrawn if necessary, it was not very realistic to expect even 5,000 men to completely crush Philip, unless additional forces intervened.

Additional forces? Komer was lost in thought. Puber had already informed him in a letter that more and more barbarians were pouring into the Caucasus and Leon, with a large number of them appearing even around Bruce Fortress. Not only was the remaining labor from the Sanjia Tribe flocking in, but small tribes were also gathering around Sanjia Tribe to gain entry into the Caucasus and Leon as citizens of the Sanjia Tribe through official permits. The same policy was adopted in the Flanders Region, and the entire Cordillera Wilderness was roiled by policies of his own making.

"For a better life, go to the Caucasus, go to Flanders!" This slogan stirred the numb hearts of barbarians who had endured barrenness and hunger for generations, watching as their companions returned home laden with gifts every few months, their faces glowing with health, no longer the pale visage of previous days. No one could resist this temptation; leaving their homes in search of a better life became the most earnest and pressing desire for all those living deep within the tribes of the Cordillera Wilderness.

The large influx of barbarians into the Caucasus and Leon was causing some dissatisfaction among the beastmen. Compared to the barbarians, the beastmen did not have many advantages, particularly since the barbarians were more disciplined than the lazy beastmen. A large number of jobs were being replaced by barbarians, even such basic tasks as felling, transportation, and quarrying, now faced competition from them. This led to some worrisome developments in the security situation of the entire Greater Caucasus Region; brawls between beastmen and barbarians were happening frequently, and it was becoming the largest hidden danger affecting the security of the Greater Caucasus Region.

Undoubtedly, whether in terms of administrative power, military force, or psychological perspective, the Half-Beastmen, born with the advantages of landowners, held incomparable superiority over the Barbarians. The Judges’ verdicts always tended, intentionally or not, to favor the Half-Beastmen. The reason was straightforward: the Barbarians had merely obtained legal rights to enter the Greater Caucasus Region to work, and were not official legal residents, thereby not entitled to citizen rights. On this point, although filled with resentment, the Barbarians could only swallow their anger and bear with it. As long as the unfair treatment was not too excessive, the Barbarians preferred to keep the peace, realizing that on someone else’s land, they were merely the lowest class of workers, hardly able to contend with those wielding some level of national power.

As more and more Barbarians entered the Greater Caucasus and Flanders Regions, they gradually realized how barren and pitiful their former lives had been, and how rich and diverse the outside world was. However, they also came to understand that they did not belong to this world. No one recognized their legal rights, and no matter how hard they worked, they were just a group of transients, a group whose labor was tenfold harder than the locals, yet whose income and life were much poorer. This realization brought with it increased confusion, as they began to experience the beauty of the outside world and life.

When these confusions and misunderstandings reached a certain level, protests and demands naturally arose, which was understandable. At least, that was how Komer saw it now. Everyone had the right to pursue a better life, regardless of the race—Beastmen, Half-Beastmen, or Barbarians. The issue lay in how to fight for these rights, or rather, how much one was willing to sacrifice for them.

When Komer had just managed to rest for one night at Bruce Fortress, he had no choice but to face the representatives of the Barbarians who had been waiting there for over half a month. Accompanying them were the two instigators—the sheepishly embarrassed Puber and the indifferent Fran.

After settling the three representatives in the reception room, Komer silently crossed his arms and returned to his study in Bruce Fortress. This had originally been the fortress commander’s private reception room. After taking over Bruce Fortress, considering the importance and uniqueness of its location, Komer also decided to reserve several rooms for himself, as he expected to stay at Bruce Fortress for some time.

Following Komer into the room with some trepidation, Puber subconsciously sought support from Fran beside him. However, the usually serious Fran offered no help, leaving Puber clueless on how to convince Komer. If it weren’t for Fran’s full support, Puber wouldn’t have dared to entertain the thought. It was known that Barbarians were vastly different from the Half-Beastmen and Half-Elves. Like the Beastmen, they were enemies to all other races on the continent, from the north to the south. The Caucasus might maintain clandestine dealings with them, take small actions under the assumption that their remote location shielded them from scrutiny, but once their facade was torn away, pressure from all sides could grind the Caucasus to dust.

"Speak up, I’m quite eager to hear what reasons the two of you have to convince me. Puber, you are the Administrative Officer for the whole Greater Caucasus, in charge of all affairs, including Bruce Fortress and Leon. However, this does not include issues that could jeopardize the safety of the entire Greater Caucasus Region. I believe you understand this, yet you seem to have forgotten," Komer’s tone remained his usual calm, but anyone could hear the harshness in his words, and his cold gaze shifted uncertainly over the two men’s faces. "Fran, it’s one thing for Puber to be involved, but why have you become part of this as well? I’m surprised. Don’t the two of you comprehend the gravity of this situation? Why not simply and decisively reject it? Why not stop this trend from progressing?"

Komer was indeed furious. He hadn’t even enjoyed a good night’s sleep since returning to the Caucasus before being saddled with such an issue. On the surface, it may not seem like a big deal, but he knew that since the three Barbarian representatives could find Bruce Fortress and wait for him, and had waited for half a month, they must have already received support from Puber and Fran. It was clear that this was a request he couldn’t refuse, even though he was not yet fully aware of the specific contents. Reflecting on the vague words from Puber’s early conversations, it seemed there had always been many trap-like elements hidden within, and now Komer would be foolish if he could not guess what the other party wanted.

The problem was that it was far from simple.

(To be continued. For the continuation of this story, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There you will find more Chapters to support the author and enjoy authorized reading!)