The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 833: Volume 25 Stirring the Waters - 20 Muddy the Waters

Chapter 833: Volume 25 Stirring the Waters Chapter 20 Muddy the Waters

Slowly rising to his feet, Komer and Iliana faced each other, their cheeks less than twenty centimeters apart, so close that even their breaths were palpable. Even as Komer asked the question, his eyes still wandered over Iliana’s body, before adding, "It’s such a pity, such a wonderfully exquisite body. Why do you refuse to grace the world with it, always hiding beneath these heavy robes? I’m wondering whether it should be up to me to lift this mysterious veil."

Iliana didn’t want to use words to express her feelings anymore. Apart from the raging fury in her eyes, she simply watched the other coldly, lips sealed, unwilling to utter another word.

Komer was somewhat disappointed. It seemed this fellow was truly out of the ordinary in strength and stubbornness, to still be able to maintain such a state under these circumstances, which he found quite rare. Nevertheless, it didn’t matter to him, as he still had plenty of time and opportunities.

"Hmm, it appears Miss Iliana has some serious misunderstandings about me. I think we need some time to slowly communicate, and I believe my friend Miss Uma should serve as the bridge for this." Komer smiled warmly, "Uma, Miss Iliana is in your hands now. It’s understandable that her thoughts might not turn so quickly, so I think you need to put a little more effort into helping Miss Iliana. Yes, it would be best if you can accomplish this within a week. I am looking forward to your performance."

When Komer floated out of the secret room, not only was Iliana cursing incessantly, but even Uma couldn’t help but curse Komer in her heart—a freakish, bitter man with such immense power, his existence seemed truly an unfortunate affair for this world.

"You’re saying we go to Marco to rescue Rebry?" Mihailovich wasn’t too surprised, yet his brow still betrayed a trace of worry. Everyone knew what Marco was—the Holy City of the Church of Light, home to the elite of the entire Church. To cause trouble there was predictably perilous.

"Are you a bit worried, Mihailovich?" Komer asked with a light smile.

"Aren’t you worried?" countered Mihailovich. He was puzzled by Komer’s casual demeanor; Komer couldn’t possibly be unaware of Marco’s strength. Apart from Julius, the two great archbishops of the Church of Light—Frenster and Vazinsky—were magic powerhouses who had almost reached the heavenly path. Additionally, there were the zealots Noyola and Lorenzo from the Religious Court, whose strength, while slightly inferior to Frenster and Vazinsky’s, was limited in difference. And with countless Light Saints and Paladins, as well as three major Church Knights regiments, challenging the Church of Light there was tantamount to suicide, no matter how many people you brought.

"You seem to have misunderstood my intention, Mihailovich. I’m not openly challenging the Church or the Court; what I mean is that we’re only planning an operation that can be completed in a very short amount of time. The prison tower where Rebry is held is not exceptionally well-guarded. If we can mount a surprise attack at their weakest moment, it’s entirely possible to complete the mission and withdraw from Marco without alarming those other powerhouses. To put it precisely, this would be akin to a hostage rescue operation." Komer fiddled with the devil’s ring on his finger, musing aloud, "We already have a rough idea of the prison tower’s situation. It’s a considerable distance from where the other masters reside, and if we act appropriately, I believe we stand a complete chance of ending the battle and withdrawing before the Church of Light responds."

Mihailovich sighed softly and shook his head, "Lord Komer, I think you’re underestimating the Church of Light’s strength. Let’s not even talk about whether we can successfully rescue Rebry—if we do manage that, have you considered how the Church of Light would react? Are you truly prepared for a complete rupture with the Church of Light?"

Seeing Komer hesitate, Mihailovich pressed on: "I know you now have the support of the Salvation Society and the Southern Dark Line, but in my opinion, neither is truly prepared to openly contend with the Church of Light. The Salvation Society still hopes to maintain its current half-open, half-covert status while expanding its own influence, while the Dark Line is still actively consolidating their stronghold in the South. Whether the timing is appropriate, I think you should contemplate it a bit more. It would be best to communicate with the other two parties and, I believe, to rely more on their strength—especially the Salvation Society, which might yield you greater benefits."

Komer fell into deep thought at Mihailovich’s words. Even now, his understanding of the Salvation Society was a vague and incomplete concept: how many members the organization had, what layers of society they were spread across, and how much power they actually had in a specific area—all these specifics remained quite unclear. Maha Gummi had clearly made some efforts in this area, but the results were not good, and considering that even the Court of Church of Light had failed to eradicate the Salvation Society despite years of relentless investigation, and that the Society was now growing, the true extent of the Salvation Society’s influence could be imagined.

Perhaps the most difficult enemy to grasp is the one lurking within. The Religious Court has tried every means to eradicate the influence of the Salvation Society from within its own ranks, but it has always been unable to achieve its wish. Furthermore, they were keenly aware that some members of the Salvation Society had even infiltrated their middle and upper echelons of power.

The Salvation Society? Komer slowly chewed over this term that was both unfamiliar and familiar. Carreila’s performance could be considered quite conspicuous. Even in the Leon Region, dominated by Half-Beastmen, Carreila still managed to win the support of many Half-Beastmen with his performance. Of course, this support was limited; if he had other ideas, they would be meaningless. The monument Komer had built up among the Half-Beastmen shone brightly, not easily replaced by just anyone. Komer was confident in this, which was why he insisted on including the Half-Beastman Armaments as a fundamental part of his own military forces.

But if Carreila were to be placed in a region dominated by Mortals, his influence could be far greater, which was what Komer worried about. A person who could not be wholeheartedly used by himself, no matter how outstanding his performance, could sometimes pose a greater threat to himself. The political scheming of life had taught Komer how to showcase strengths and hide weaknesses for his benefit. It was acceptable for Carreila to help the impoverished regions to recover, but once he gained a certain level of influence, it would be time to adjust his role.

"Mihailovich, your words carry hidden meaning that I don’t quite understand. Could you be more explicit?" Komer asked after pondering for a while, wanting to see if Mihailovich’s thoughts aligned with his own.

"Lord Komer, you should figure it out for yourself," Mihailovich said. "Considering that the Salvation Society could grow robustly right at the heart of the Church of Light, they must certainly have the support of some high-ranking individuals within the Church. If we could gain the understanding and support of the Salvation Society on this matter, I think the pressure and threats we face could be minimized to the greatest extent. You should understand what I mean. They do not necessarily have to come forward, but they can provide us with the intelligence we need to the greatest extent possible. They can give us detailed information about everything from the prison tower guards to various factors around us that could hinder and influence our actions, and even offer us some better suggestions."

Komer’s eyes brightened. Mihailovich was right; those guys were essentially dissidents within the Church of Light. They must have had an excellent grasp of Marco’s intelligence, especially their internal intelligence. Gaining their support would greatly reduce the difficulty and risk. Mihailovich’s other concern also gave Komer something to weigh—was he truly ready to sever ties with the Church of Light?

His conversation with Mihailovich made Komer realize that he had underestimated Mihailovich. Perhaps when they communicated, the topic was more focused on Puppet Magic, which left little space for other topics. But today, Mihailovich’s performance had invigorated Komer. Mihailovich might not know the Church as well as Rebry, but he certainly knew it through and through. To survive in the Northern Blue Continent as a Dark Mage, it was crucial to be intimately familiar with the Church of Light, their number one adversary. It was no wonder then.

The battle on the Busen Plain had dealt a significant blow to the Church of Light’s influence within Nicosia, but this had not shaken the Church’s foundation in Nicosia. In Poznan, Silesia, Galle, and the directly governed territories of the kingdom, the Church’s power remained considerable. Even in Homer, the Church had a solid base. The faith of the people was not something that could be changed with a day or two or with a few conciliatory policies from the rulers. Compared to other regions, the suppression of the Church by Philip had left Komer with a good base in Homer. As long as he continued to push slowly according to this trend, Komer was confident that he could gradually eradicate the Church’s influence from this land over the next several years or even decades. The ideal strategy would be for the Church to engage in internal strife, causing the Salvation Society to stir the waters and completely muddy other regions of Nicosia.

However, getting the Salvation Society to willingly take this step would certainly require something in return. Komer’s mouth slowly curled into a sly grin. Empty promises cost nothing to make—why not promise a few more, such as the right to preach in Poznan, Silesia, and even Galle, to the Salvation Society? After all, those were matters far in the future. If the Salvation Society could slowly emerge in these regions, it would be a great boon, both for his grand ambitions and for consolidating his existing territories.

Looking at the darkening sky, Komer stood with his hands behind him, contemplating. The situation was stabilizing day by day, and the path ahead seemed clearer. The struggle between Cartin and Godeburg now seemed like child’s play in his eyes—lamentable that they aspired to greatness without real strength. The Anson family had also been making frequent overtures. It seemed Iliana was not content to be merely Hoffman’s accessory. Hoffman, huh, Komer sneered at the memory of the latter’s haughty demeanor when they first met. Now Hoffman was undoubtedly the biggest wretch. Without Komer’s support, how long could he last? Balance, indeed. This balancing act of his was probably making Katya seethe with anger. Who knows what might happen the next time he met with Katya...?

Komer thought maliciously. (To be continued. For further developments, please visit www.qidian.com where the Chapters are more comprehensive and support the author by subscribing to read the authentic materials!)