The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 769: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 6: Well Played!_2

Chapter 769: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 6: Well Played!_2

Welch put aside his contempt and gathered intelligence from various channels that proved this fellow had close ties with the Dark Lineage. However, this did not hinder his own cooperation with the other party. On the contrary, it was because the other party possessed the vast power of the Dark Forces as a backing that they were more qualified to contend with the Church of Light.

"Cooperate with me wholeheartedly?" Komer retorted before adding, "I wonder if Saint Welch believes we can still continue to cooperate?"

"Why couldn’t we?" Welch’s gaze was piercing, "I think Mr. Fran has already fully articulated the current situation. The beastmen are eroding the civilization that mortals have built, and the Church of Light has fallen, having forgotten the original purpose of its mission, completely transformed into an entity that knows only decadence and pleasure. Such a church is bound to be abandoned by the people; destruction precedes creation, and the Salvation Society is the new force that is to emerge from the slowly collapsing body, breaking free from the old shackles. Together with Lord Komer, we hope to bring back hope to the people and rebuild their lives anew."

Hmph, Komer sneered inwardly, sounding righteous and wonderful, but who would genuinely offer a warm hand without the drive of interests? Toppling the Church of Light is indeed an anticipation, but one must think strategically in the long term.

"Saint Welch, I suppose you are not unaware of the relationship between me and the Dark Lineage, are you? Even so, do you think there is still room for cooperation between us?" Komer pierced directly to the heart of the matter, lifting the veil.

There was a moment of rumination, clearly, the other party was also weighing their words. Komer was intrigued to see how the other would respond to this question.

"Lord Komer, to say that we don’t mind at all would certainly not be true. Although I am puzzled and perplexed as to why a noble-born like Lord Komer would take such a liking to the Dark Lineage, I can respect any choice you make, as your actions have proven that your words and deeds have not been blinded by some deviance in your faith. Perhaps you scorn my words in your heart, believing that everything about the Church of Light is hypocritical, but that is not surprising. Even I have to admit this, but this is the result of certain individuals twisting and tarnishing the true doctrine of the faith. One day you will see the true doctrine of the Light, and you will understand the errors in your original viewpoint," Welch said with an earnest and firm tone.

Seeing a displeased expression on Komer’s face, Welch silently sighed before continuing, "Of course, I respect your opinion, and the success of the Dark Lineage in the South seems to prove your point. But I strongly believe that the people will ultimately make the right choice, although it will take time to prove. I am willing to compete openly with the Dark Holy Church and leave it to the people to test everything. In the meantime, I thought we could cooperate unreservedly, at least at present, we share a common enemy, whose power is greater than we imagined."

Finally nodding, Komer partially agreed with the other’s viewpoint, "Saint Welch, our views aren’t entirely aligned on the points you mentioned earlier, but I do agree with your last point. The Church of Light needs breaking and remaking, the beastmen’s rampage needs to be stopped—they should return to the Mogan Wilderness. On this basis, we indeed have grounds for cooperation, but do you think that by joining forces we can defeat them?"

"No, it’s not enough. Whether it’s the Church of Light or the beastmen, their great strength comes from multiple aspects, and I believe I understand this more deeply than you, which is why I suggested to Mr. Fran that he should make this proposition to you. We need to unite all the forces we can harness and destroy them on every level, undermining the very foundation of their existence. Only then can we achieve the goal we hope to reach," Welch said with a shimmering gaze.

"Utilizing the power of the barbarians?" Komer asked with a sardonic smile.

"Yes, your visible power is still far from sufficient," Welch continued. "And most of our power cannot be readily exposed, at least not in the North. Nicosia is an area heavily managed by the Church of Light. But now, it is in a chaotic period due to the beastmen invasion. If you can seize the opportunity to strike a blow, this may be the chance you need." Welch elaborated further.

"Oh? Do you think so?" Komer replied noncommittally.

"The specifics of the strategy, I believe, are best left to the talented individuals under Lord Komer. My words are but a suggestion," Welch gently sidestepped the topic, aware that it was not his area of expertise, and, obviously, the other party did not welcome unsolicited advice.

Welch and Clark’s departure was as spectral and silent as their arrival—clean and free of attachments, making one question whether such a conversation ever took place. Fran and Puber had been completely reduced to the role of extras in this conversation, or could not even count as extras, but mere bystanders. From the air of resignation and confusion on Fran’s face, Komer knew that his armed chief truly hadn’t understood all of this, let alone truly committed to the other side’s camp. Fran was not adept at playing politics; presumably, Welch and his companions merely used his voice to make their suggestions more palatable to Komer.

Komer had already forgiven Fran, but this served as a wake-up call—enemies and allies could be difficult to distinguish, and both were omnipresent. Such a phenomenon could not happen again.

After ensuring the others had left, Komer turned his attention back to the somewhat bewildered Puber and Fran, noting they both seemed eager to explain. Komer shook his head to stop them, "There’s no need to say more. Welch’s tactics are beyond your guard. Now, let’s focus on our real issue. But first, it must be clear; I will not accept anything just because Welch has said it, nor will I harbor any bias due to his thoughts. I need to know your opinions and, furthermore, the benefits this will bring us in the future. Fran, you speak first."

The conversation with Fran and Puber was not long; Komer wanted to know the most direct aspects rather than detailed explanations. Fran discussed his viewpoints about the benefits of creating a balanced army composition and the advantages of establishing a force of Caucasus Barbarians that could assemble faster than the half-beastmen in the face of the current urgent situation. Puber focused more on the attraction of small Tribe barbarians to join the Greater Caucasus, which could not only alleviate the labor shortage but more importantly, significantly reduce the threats from the larger barbarian tribes.

These small Tribe barbarians were very different from the thirteen great barbarian tribes. Due to their insignificant tribal power, they had almost no say and could not enjoy the rights they deserved as members of the Tribal Alliance. They lived deep within the desolate Cordillera Wilderness, had minimal contact with the outside world, and their lives were impoverished and marginalized. With their status gradually being eroded by the larger tribes, their loyalty to the Tribal Alliance was fragile. By contrast, the allure of a better life was a far stronger motivator. If they were granted certain rights, their loyalty could be unconditionally devoted to the Caucasus. This potential was what Puber was most optimistic about.

If they could tolerate half-beastmen, why couldn’t they accept barbarians? This was the consensus between Puber and Fran, especially in the well-known multi-racial region of the Greater Caucasus, where the impact of accepting barbarians would be much less than in other areas. Even if there were negative effects, these could be minimized in the face of the current chaos in the Kingdom of Nicosia, while the benefits were clear and substantial.

(To be continued. If you wish to find out what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM for more Chapters. Support the author, support authorized reading!)