The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 767: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 5: Fire in the Backyard

Chapter 767: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 5: Fire in the Backyard

With a somewhat awkward lick of his lips, Puber couldn’t help but steal another glance at Fran beside him. It wasn’t the time to shirk responsibility, but Puber still subconsciously wanted to involve Fran in discussing the matter. It was clear that his old friend was indeed a bit angry, and Puber was also pondering whether this time he had been too reckless.

"Lord, it was Fran who brought this about, and Mr. Puber doesn’t have much to do with it. However, Fran still believes that this matter is more beneficial than harmful for Caucasus, if my guess is not too far off the mark."

Komer and Puber hadn’t expected Fran to be the first to speak up and take on this responsibility, and he did so with confidence.

"Guess? What is your guess?" Komer was more interested in what Fran had said last; he didn’t know what sort of conjecture this typically calm and steady warrior could have.

"Sir, if you wish to establish a powerful armed force, um, I mean one strong enough to overpower the forces of the North, you cannot overlook the power of the Barbarians!"

The feverish light flickering in Fran’s eyes even surprised Komer. When had his military chief become so aggressive and war-hungry? In Komer’s memory, Fran always advocated for a strategy of elite forces and never supported blindly expanding the army with an emphasis on quantity over quality. His own initial two expansions of the army had faced opposition from him, and if not for Komer’s forceful implementation, the army numbers might still be less than three thousand people.

Seeing Komer’s inquiring gaze sweeping over him, but without voicing opposition to his views, Fran took a deep breath to calm his mind a bit.

"I don’t know what your next plan is, Lord, but since you’ve already deployed Ilot and Dragumo to Livonia, even a fool would know that you’ll be involved in the kingdom’s civil war. Since we will interfere, there’s no need to disguise it any longer, in fact, it’s impossible to hide. So instead of waiting passively for things to happen, it’s better to actively engage. ’Seizing the initiative’ is a military principle that emphasizes proactivity. If we can move first, then we will have the advantage and maintain the initiative. Just one step ahead, and it could decide the outcome of the war."

Komer stared intently at Fran’s face for a long while without speaking. Fran’s unexpected assertiveness surprised him too much. What had made him act so out of character?

"Fran, tell me your true thoughts and intentions. I don’t want to be kept in the dark, stumbling around. If our ideas coincide, I won’t reject a brilliant plan that could help realize my intentions." It took a long time for Komer to nod slowly, his extensive experience navigating among nobles, bureaucrats, and traders had made him adept at handling any sudden situation with a seemingly deep and strategic composure.

Fran also knew that the Lord before him was no longer the inexperienced Small Aristocrat of the old days, easily manipulated by others. Slight hints could hardly escape his keen sense of smell and perception, and besides, Fran had no intention of deceiving him. He believed they shared the same thoughts at heart, at least in terms of objectives. Although their desires to reach the ultimate goal differed, Fran firmly believed that in terms of methods, the Lord would use even less scrupulous means than himself.

"Lord, I do not wish to conceal anything. The beastmen’s banner has already been raised over the walls of Jazair. In fact, the Kingdom of Nicosia is no different from my homeland Myron, the only difference being that Nicosia’s territory is too vast, and the beastmen cannot yet digest this land. Thus, they can still tolerate the struggle for survival among various powers here. Looking at the beastmen’s actions, they are no longer satisfied with mere plundering; they aim to seize the entire bounty of human civilization. You must have seen the messages sent by Maha Gummi. The emergence of Shamanic Power signifies that the beastmen also possess a force to counter human Magic Power, a connection to natural forces. Isn’t their behavior in Jazair sufficient to awaken everyone?" Fran’s fiery gaze was so intense it hurt to look at, and even Komer was momentarily stunned by his impassioned speech.

"Fran, these are not realities that you and I can change in a short time. The emergence of Shamanic Power is indeed shocking, but it doesn’t represent everything. The gap between us mortals and the beastmen cannot be bridged by Shamanic Power alone. Just look at their clumsy attempts to learn everything about our mortal civilization, and you’ll see the difference between us and them," Komer spoke slowly after a while, but his brow had acquired a hint of gloom.

"Of course, there is a big gap between the beastmen and us mortals, but Lord, you are also aware of our weakness as mortals: we can never unite. The incessant back-stabbing and power-grabbing in our mortal world is an inextinguishable flame. In such a situation, can we really contend with the united beastmen?" Fran retorted unsympathetically.

"Desire is forever the eternal engine of our mortal civilization’s development; this has been proven to be undeniably true. Without desire, we lose the momentum to advance civilization, and the scheming and competitive elimination is the product of civilization’s evolution, not exclusively our mortals’ patent. When the beastmen learn from our mortal civilization, they too will pick up these issues," Komer said, his expression clearing as he seemed to connect some dots.

"But before that, they might just destroy everything we mortals have!" Fran retorted strongly after a moment of suffocation.

Another awkward silence ensued, and Komer had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment of the other’s point: "You’re right; such a possibility indeed exists. What is it that you want to convey, Fran? I’m all ears," he said.

"Lord, the Kingdom of Nicosia is finished, or rather it has fallen. The Church of Light has also thoroughly degenerated. The rise of the beastmen is undoubtedly related to their indulgence and support; we might say that the two main pillars of us mortals in the North, the secular and the religious, have both collapsed. The beastmen, who will soon be firmly established, will let the other lords of Nicosia taste the pain. Nicosia now has no one who can stop their military blades. The other countries of the Northern Alliance have not yet deeply felt this crisis, after all, they haven’t experienced this pain themselves. Now, you are the only one who can undertake this responsibility. We hope you can stop the rampage of these civilization destroyers," Fran explained.

Startled, Komer’s gaze immediately turned icy, his cold eyes piercing into Fran’s heart. Us? This word instantly aroused a foreboding feeling in Komer’s heart.

Taking a deep breath, the phrase ’a fire in one’s backyard’ floated in Komer’s mind. He had never imagined that as he roamed the Southern Mediterranean and turned the world upside down in Nicosia, someone would stab him in the back. Had the one he trusted most betrayed him? Was Puber involved too? Glancing at the utterly confused Puber, Komer felt some of his pain subside. At least Puber had not betrayed him, which was better than anything else. The emotional hurt he had already endured made the scabs in Komer’s heart very fragile. He feared nothing, but the loss of friendship was what he feared the most.

Swallowing the bitter saliva that had built up from his nerves, Komer hadn’t felt this way in a long time. His state of mind was unusual, and he forced his thoughts to clear so he could analyze this sudden turn of events.

Since Fran had come alone, it seemed the situation was not as bad as Komer had initially thought. That said, it was bad enough that someone had managed to turn his military leader. It was a huge joke! If it weren’t for the fact that nearly all his military forces were Half-Beastmen, Komer would probably not even have the tears to cry. No matter how Fran trained these Half-Beastmen, he would never be able to erase the impression that Komer had established in their hearts; Komer was fairly confident in that.

Why? Komer immediately cast aside all emotional factors and analyzed calmly. Why had Fran betrayed him? What person or power was manipulating everything from behind? What was Maha Gummi’s security system doing? He was enveloped by a sense of anger like never before, but he knew now was not the time for anger.

"You? Fran, I didn’t misunderstand, did I?" Komer did not intend to unveil the truth suddenly; he needed time to ponder. He also wanted a detailed and comprehensive answer, "Who do you and these others you speak of represent? Is it Baoling, or all of my Caucasus Army, or perhaps the entire Greater Caucasus?"

Fran, undisturbed by the hidden murderous intent in Komer’s words, responded calmly, "Sir, I think you have some misunderstandings. I can’t represent them, nor can even Baoling. The Caucasus Army still belongs to you, always! I am just representing some people who share my views, who are not from the Caucasus, and who have no ill intentions."

"Oh? Let’s hear it then, who are these people? I am very curious indeed," Komer nodded inwardly. His analysis could only be this: no one could yet have incited rebellion in the Caucasus, at least not without Maha Gummi knowing, and Fran didn’t seem to harbor ulterior motives. But after all, what force of gods had persuaded Fran to come and perform this advisory play?

(To be continued. For subsequent events, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters to support the author and authorized reading!)