The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 824: Volume 25 Beating the Current - 11 The Madness Vow

Chapter 824: Volume 25 Beating the Current Chapter 11 The Madness Vow

Just as Palermo had feared, at this moment, Komer had not even considered letting Katya ascend to her position smoothly. On this point, Komer and several other lords unanimously agreed that maintaining an evenly matched standoff between the two contenders of the Romanov family was the most pleasing outcome for the lords, of course, this was only under the current circumstances.

Komer knew that once his blades pointed toward those two guys in the North, the situation in the Kingdom of Nicosia would begin to stir up once again. Whether it was Galle, Poznan, or Silesia, they would all react in the shortest possible time, and by then, the two heirs of the Romanov family would probably once again be pursued by the people. After all, the influence of the Romanov family might have more convincing power to deal with his own threats.

However, Komer had no such plans at the moment. Before realizing his next goal, he needed to amass power more actively. Homer needed to be completely stabilized, and the Homer Knight Order also needed a period of time for training and tempering. A more important task was dealing with the Barbarians. After conquering Homer, the Sanjia Tribe had, openly or covertly, proposed to take back command of their tribal warriors. To Komer, this undoubtedly meant severing his own arm. From the very beginning, Komer had never considered returning this army to the Sanjia Tribe. On the contrary, he hoped to establish this army’s image as a foundation for his next step in the plan and to firmly control this army in his own hands—a point that was unshakeable.

The suggestion to reassemble the Storm Infantry Corps was rejected by Komer, at least for now he had no such intentions. Komer did not want to be overly restricted by Homer’s local forces. A fast-moving Homer Knight Order was already sufficient for the moment. It, along with the Light Infantry composed mainly of Half-beast Men, the Heavy Infantry primarily consisting of submissive Barbarians, and the Crossbowmen who were mostly Half-Elves, constituted the current armed forces of Homer and Caucasus. Of course, there was also another important force serving a balancing role—the Caucasian Mage Corps. It was this balance that Komer currently needed.

Of course, this was only temporary. Komer also knew that to realize his next, rather grand, plan, the forces in his hands would far from suffice. It was imperative to expand the armed forces of Half-beasts and Mortals, especially after gaining control over an increasing number of Barbarian armies. To achieve better balance, the only way was to find a solution among the Half-Beasts and Mortals. To Komer, the naive Half-Beasts were more to his liking, and if pushed, Komer would prefer to form a force of Mortal infantry or Crossbowmen from Flanders.

Looking at the Half-beast Men eagerly enlisting before him, Komer couldn’t help but sigh. He had to admit that compared to working in the mines, these Half-beasts were indeed more suited for the army. Their courage in disregarding life and death, their determination to obey orders, and their absolute loyalty made it impossible for Komer not to consider this force, along with the Caucasian Mage Corps, as a fundamental power. In contrast to the common interests of the Mage Corps, the Half-Beasts offered more of a pure trust in Komer—a complete trust born from the promise of a better life, and this absolute simplicity was precisely what made Komer feel at ease.

Expansion of the military seemed to be an unavoidable topic for Homer and Caucasus. Although Fran always advocated for quality over quantity, a necessary number was still fundamental. When Komer discreetly revealed his target to Fran, the man nearly turned to stone. He knew his lord was an ambitious one, but he had not realized that his Great Lord had such an enormous appetite. The diverse and scattered territories of Homer, Caucasus, and that exclave Flanders, even the isolated Quke Valley in Livonia, were enough to keep an energetic lord busy and flustered. And in the mind of this Great Lord, this was merely a beginning?!

"Uh, Sir, I can’t comprehend your true intentions. Are you saying that you plan, uh, that you plan to—" Fran hesitated to blurt out those somewhat presumptuous words, but the other party’s intentions had been unmistakably expressed, and there was nothing wrong with his own ears. This man still had the same unstartled and rather bland expression on his face. Was he treating this like a game on a map, casually dabbing with a charcoal pencil and then discarding it without a second thought? Fran could not detect a joking expression on Komer’s face. The other should know that he was not someone who joked around, especially in such a setting, and Fran found it even harder to accept.

"That’s right, what you’re hesitant to say is precisely my goal. Nicosia, the Romanov family seems to have completed their historical mission. Perhaps it’s time for someone else to take over that responsibility, and it might be more appropriate. Hmm, maybe also some surrounding regions, the Northern Alliance, those who only know how to echo the Church of Light’s garbage should disappear as they’re supposed to. If they can’t do it themselves, letting me help them finish would be a fine choice, and then there are the beastmen. Although I’m not averse to them, as a Mortal, I still think it’s more appropriate for them to stay in the Mogan Wilderness, drinking in the breeze, unless they can prove themselves worthy of affirmation. Of course, if there are suitable ports in the Southern Mediterranean, I won’t ignore them either. How about it, Fran, you don’t think I’m delusional, do you?"

Komer smiled gently. It was the first time he had revealed his true thoughts to someone else, even in front of Puber; he never fully disclosed his plans. And Fran, Komer believed that this man might never become his favorite or most admired person, but if it came to loyalty and reliability, he could undoubtedly rank in the top three.

"Sir, if my ears are not deceiving me, I think I heard you clear enough. Uh, this, I’m having some difficulty accepting it, my mind’s a bit muddled, I need to think this over well."

Fran realized he was speaking incoherently, just as his thoughts were at this moment. He tried to clear his head with a shake, attempting to calm his mind, but he found he couldn’t do it. The man opposite him had dark and profound eyes that caused a sweat to break out on his back.

This man was too crazy, his craziness was perhaps unmatched on the Continent. But was this craziness truly unfounded? Fran asked himself deep down, did he really know nothing at all? No, Fran discovered the echo deep within his heart telling him that he should have known all along. Hadn’t he been silently supporting the other side? Hadn’t he been racking his brains to help the other complete all this? Was it merely to repay the other’s kindness? He should say yes, but it was not entirely so. Didn’t he also always want to prove himself? To use his success in the Caucasus, his punishment of the Church of Light, to prove himself?

Looking somewhat bewildered at the laid-back man before him, Fran could only use deep breaths to help calm his emotions. Although it might not truly be effective, when the other’s crisp, clear gaze flowed ceaselessly through his heart, Fran found he could finally calm down and face everything.

"Lord, what do you need me to do?" Even Fran himself was surprised by the question he posed, without any superfluous words.

Caught off guard, Komer finally laughed, a delighted laugh that hardly anyone had seen before. His cheerful smile was so infectious that Fran couldn’t help but feel the urge to crack a smile as well.

"Very good, Fran, I haven’t misjudged you," Komer nodded vigorously, the gleam in his eyes twinkling like the stars. "There’s only one thing I need you to do: help me establish a qualified army. You need people, I’ll give you people; you need supplies, I’ll give you supplies; you need weapons, I’ll give you weapons. But I want an army that is both powerful and loyal to me. Remember, both powerful and loyal, not one without the other! As for how to achieve these two aspects, with loyalty, I can help you, but strength is entirely up to you!"

A wave of passion surged in Fran’s chest. He was not some inexperienced bumpkin, nor was he a hot-blooded youth without a brain. But to live up to Komer’s words, he was confident that in the entire Caucasus and Homer, even in the entire Kingdom of Nicosia, there was probably only himself who could do so. This alone, Fran believed, was worth serving him for, to swear to die for his goals!

"Great Lord, Fran is not one to shirk responsibility. I will do my utmost to meet your demands, but I must remind you, we will face not just traditional enemies. You will encounter many foes on the road, many unexpected enemies. You should be mentally prepared for this, as relying solely on the army will not be enough to defeat these enemies, no matter how strong our army is." Fran suppressed the warmth in his heart as best as he could to maintain calmness. Only by staying calm could he avoid making mistakes, especially the kind of low-level mistakes that smart people make.

A radiant smile blossomed on Komer’s face, and he nodded silently, taking a deep breath before slowly speaking: "Fran, rest assured, I have a clear understanding of my own mind. My enemies may be more numerous and more powerful than you imagine, I’m aware of this more than anyone. But trust me, since I dare to act this way, I am afraid of no one, even if it’s Julius!"

An overpowering presence seemed to fill the space, almost squeezing the breath out of Fran with its near-boundless arrogance. But Fran didn’t think for a second that the other was spouting mere bravado, because this was Komer! (To be continued. For more information, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support authorized reading!)