The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 780: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 16: Continued Battle

Chapter 780: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 16: Continued Battle

Komer fell into deep thought. Now that the central power system of the kingdom had collapsed, it had completely lost the ability to check the Great Aristocracy, Hoffman and Katya had each set up their own camp, opposing each other. The Great Lords had also begun to connect with one another, and their purpose was clear without asking—they too hoped that the kingdom’s chaos would drag on. The longer this situation dragged on, the more the kingdom’s cohesion would dissipate. If this state of affairs continued for several years, the Romanov family would lose all its prestige among the people, and the only ones who could take their place would be the Great Lords, and the sight of numerous duchies reappearing was inevitable.

For Komer, both Katya and Hoffman were nothing more than collaborators, collaborators who could be discarded at any time for the sake of interest. Allies without strength could only occupy such an awkward position, and both Katya and Hoffman wanted to escape this situation desperately. However, this chaotic situation was a good opportunity for himself. Homer had suffered heavy losses in the last two campaigns against him, especially in terms of Mage Corps power, which left Philip unable to rebuild this force in a short period of time. Yet, he had won over the support of Clarence, Sheferley, and several other people, as well as the backing of Mihailovich, Uma, and the Great Mysterium Sect. Now, he had suddenly gained the formidable strength of the Mountain people. With their growth and the enemy’s decline, this was an extremely rare opportunity for a decisive battle.

But at this time, the old fellow Gote began to change sides, starting to cozy up to Philip again, bringing the Heine family into the picture. If Heine family’s reinforcements showed up during Komer’s own battle against Philip, and Gote caused trouble for him from behind, the battle that he was supposed to have absolute control over might undergo subtle changes. It was even possible that the Ferdinand family and Galle’s army would join the fray.

The more Komer thought about it, the more alarmed he became. The rise of Caucasus had already made several Great Lords feel threatened. If he were to take the initiative in challenging Homer, it was hard to say whether they would join in with a cold-hearted attitude. If he hadn’t fully considered all aspects, he might really fall into a predicament.

"Maha Gummi, what do you think the chances are that the other three Great Lords will join hands with Homer?" Komer finally asked after a long contemplation.

"Sir, if we can strike down Homer quickly, such as capturing Cyprus, Odessa, and the Busen Plain, then the other three Great Lords might reconsider the cost and likelihood of success in joining the war and might exhibit more through verbal threats. But once we’re in a stalemate with Homer, their likelihood of joining the war increases, and we might not be able to stop it," Maha Gummi did not draw a definitive conclusion with exact language. He knew his master held a complex mix of forces, and he couldn’t predict what would unfold. He could only make vague inferences based on his understanding of the strength’s configuration.

"Hmm, so you mean that if we go all out to take down Homer, we have a good chance of avoiding war with the other three Great Lords?" Komer mused.

"That’s what I believe, sir. Of course, we could also use other methods to divert the attention of the three Great Lords from Homer, tie up the forces they can mobilize and minimize our risk in this regard," Maha Gummi nodded.

"Beastmen?" Hearing the suggestion, Komer immediately understood Maha Gummi’s meaning; they shared a tacit understanding.

"Yes, why shouldn’t we use such a strong force? Since they can use Beastmen to destroy the kingdom, why can’t we use Beastmen to suppress them? Provoke some border conflicts, fabricate lies to delude the people. I believe that the people who are already extremely fearful of Beastmen will immediately become agitated. Both the Ferdinand and Heine families are increasingly wary of Beastmen, and now the Beastmen’s actions have far exceeded their expectations—they cannot remain indifferent. Even if the probability is slim, they have no choice but to join the fight," Maha Gummi added.

Maha Gummi sneered. This mongrel’s understanding of the mortals’ darker aspects was deepening, Komer thought. Nevertheless, he shared the same thoughts.

"Very well, leave this matter to you. Make sure it’s handled properly. If necessary, bribe those nobles and make them our mouthpiece to tie up their power," Komer nodded his approval.

"Lord, there’s no need to bribe. We only need to show them some seemingly plausible evidence. They dare not disbelieve it—better to err on the side of caution. They cannot afford such a risk, right?"

Maha Gummi grinned again, leaving Komer speechless. This mongrel had a precise grasp of the mortal nobility’s mentality. Those nobles, timid as mice, wouldn’t dare to gamble their fortunes and lives, especially when they faced the incomprehensible Beastmen.

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"Hmm, you decide the means, I just need the results," Komer nodded.

"Then, Lord, when do you plan to act? The sooner the better, from my end. I don’t need any preparation, just your command, and I can spread rumors throughout the territories of the Four Great Lords within a week. However, this needs to be coordinated with your plans to achieve the best effect," Katya inquired demurely for Komer’s opinion.

"One month from now, you may initiate. I want to give Fran one more month, that should suffice," Komer finally made up his mind.

Mornings in Cyprus were still delightful, the streets very quiet, as most people lingered in bed, wrapped in slumber. A faint golden light had leapt from the clouds, heralding another day of fine weather.

Philip, with his arms folded, stood before the window. A sleepless night left him somewhat languid, and his eyes bore a few streaks of red. Breathing in the fresh air from the garden, he stared into the distance, lost in thought.

The phrase ’nurturing a tiger invites calamity’ could not be more aptly used than in his own case. He had little time left to regret such a foolish decision from the past. Now, he had to face reality.

Thankfully, Gote, the man, had at least bought him some time. Philip did not understand why Gote would suddenly stab his opponent in the back, but it hardly mattered. What was important was that it had happened. Thinking about it, Gote’s lack of loyalty meant he could betray anything at any time, so Komer being betrayed was not surprising. Philip was curious, though, about why Gote had almost fallen out with him earlier and was unwilling to help blockade Mattdam, yet now he was actively willing to help strangle Caucasus. What could have made Gote so infuriated?

A Barbarian Army? Humph, that damned fool, to harbor the common enemy of mortals, and even train them into an army. Philip was beyond words, upon learning this news. He could tolerate a Half-beast Army, but now, even exploiting Barbarians. The term ’audaciously reckless’ was no longer sufficient to describe this madman’s folly.

Clearly, this man was not only expanding his martial might for the sake of the struggle between Katya and Hoffman for the throne—that was just a smokescreen. His likely target was Philip himself. A grudge must be avenged? A chill ran down Philip’s back, as he suddenly remembered Zellin’s advice—to marry Tracy off to Komer. At the time, it sounded unpleasant, but now, bitterness tinged Philip’s lips.

Shaking his head, Philip tried to cast aside his inner turmoil. Dwelling on these issues was fruitless; the real task was to calmly face the threat from the South. The Heine family had agreed to support him with all their might should anything transpire. In contrast, the Ferdinand family was hesitant to make a clear commitment. Philip, of course, knew the other party was holding out for a higher price, which was expected. However, the lack of response from Galle was casting a persistent shadow in his mind. What exactly was Zellin up to?

Philip did not believe Gote could be of much help. A brief blockade mattered little to Caucasus now, especially with the Catania River unobstructed. It would do little to weaken Caucasus’s sea blockade. As for expecting Gote’s Grayskulls to engage in land combat, that was pure folly. The decisive battle would still be on land, and Philip regretted not building the fortress at the mouth of the Great Greenland Forest Plank Road more robustly. Had he been more thoughtful, he would have constructed a tri-castle formation with a formidable defense. But regret was pointless now.

Philip quietly weighed the forces at his disposal and contemplated his response strategy.

He was unaware of Komer’s true power. Still, he knew that Komer’s original main force had been kept in Livonia by Katya to counter pressures from the Hoffman side. According to the information provided by Gote, Komer only had a newly-formed force of three thousand five hundred Barbarian infantry and two thousand Half-beastman warriors. This hastily assembled rabble, composed of low-intelligence, low-caste, but physically strong races, were still poorly trained. If Philip could use the fortress to safely block them outside Busen Plain and avoid damage to his granaries, there should not be much of a problem. But without the assistance of the Mage Corps, he had one less card in hand. Now, he had to rely entirely on the Heine family’s Mage power. Hopefully, they could teach these lowly creatures a profound lesson.

(To be continued. For further developments, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where Chapters are updated more frequently. Support the author, support authorized reading!)

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