The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 880: Volume 27 Sudden Outburst - 19 Must Counterattack

Chapter 880: Volume 27 Sudden Outburst Chapter 19 Must Counterattack

A caravan of horses raced toward the castle, kicking up clouds of yellow dust like locusts sweeping through an autumn field. The soldiers atop the castle had heightened their vigilance. Although the group of knights was not large, the current regional situations were unstable, and no one desired chaos at such a time.

The middle-aged man grimaced as he reigned in his horse and shook the yellow dust from his cloak. He looked up at the castle, which was now drawing near. It seemed that the soldiers of the Mechelen Fortress had not received any notice. Nissa had been quite cautious in this aspect, but it now seemed unnecessary to continue with the subterfuge. Facing pressures from the beastmen in the west and north, and now with that usurper in the south sharpening his blades, it was unclear what that man was scheming. If the Ferdinand and Heine families united, the only outcome would be to vanish from the history of the kingdom’s noble lords like Philip did.

The middle-aged man did not delay much. He quickly passed through the grand gates of Mechelen Fortress. St. Nicholas, Mechelen, and Hasselt—three major fortresses, along with the Gratz Great Fortress, were the most important fortresses in the north of the Kingdom. Now, St. Nicholas and Gratz Fortress had become the beastmen’s playgrounds like the rest of the northern territories. Only Mechelen, under the control of the Ferdinand family, and Hasselt Fortress, under the control of the Heine family, were still hanging on. But under the pressure from both sides, how much longer could they endure this painful and stifling situation?

The spacious and bright Grand Hall did nothing to brighten the middle-aged man’s stern face, making the master realize that he likely brought more distressing news.

"Ebson, you’re in such a rush to meet—has something happened?" Although he knew it couldn’t be good news, Nissa Ferdinand still felt a twinge of anxiety. It must be a significant matter to make a leader of the Heine family come here in such haste.

"Nissa, do you think I’d come here if there were nothing?"

The relationship with the Ferdinand family head—who had some sort of tacit understanding with the beastmen—was something Ebson Heine found slightly distasteful. If it hadn’t been for this man’s misleading persuasion, making him believe a potential move against the Ferdinand and Heine families by the Kingdom, he would not have tacitly permitted the secret dealings of the Ferdinand family with the beastmen. Of course, the shadow of the Church of Light’s influence played a part, but if it had been unpermitted, Nissa would never dare play with fire with the beastmen. But now, it was all too late for regrets.

Seeing the other’s grim mood, Nissa felt even more tense. Recently, rumors had been rampant in his territory, particularly the ones about the beastman army likely advancing from the east. It disturbed him so much that the nobles gathered every few days to conspire, making him, a noble lord, very uneasy. Relying solely on a verbal agreement to restrain the beastmen was exceedingly fragile. Initially, giving up the St. Nicholas Fortress under the condition of not disturbing Leman Province had been agreed upon. Yet now, Leman Province had become the beastmen Cow Tribe’s finest grazing land. If the words of those damned beastmen could be trusted, then there would be no justice in the world.

"Tell me, what unpleasant news do you have?" Nissa sighed numbly, hoping it wasn’t about the beastmen. He couldn’t handle the pressure anymore.

"Nissa, that damn usurper dared to have his navy blockade my Groningen Harbor, demanding that every vessel from my Poznan must pay a passage tax to Cyprus." Ebson’s face nearly turned black with anger.

"You mean that Komer has commissioned the Homer Fleet to blockade Groningen?!" After his initial shock, Nissa cautiously asked. Groningen was the largest and only ice-free port in the Poznan region, crucial for many goods being shipped overseas from Poznan and even Silesia. It served as a throat for trade with the vast Continent and the southern regions, especially since the beastmen had already occupied most of the eastern territory, highlighting the port’s importance.

"No, no, merely the old Philip’s Homer Fleet wouldn’t be capable of this. This naval force is much larger than the original Homer Fleet. According to my fleet commander, many of these ships are large warships from the south," Ebson declared, his eyes bloodshot.

"What about Gote and his people?" Nissa frowned, aware that Gray Skull had connections with both the old Philip and Ebson.

"We can’t get a hold of them. It’s said that his men are currently embroiled in a fierce battle with Katharina of the South. They probably can’t spare the effort to look after us here."

Slumping back in his chair somewhat despondently, Ebson showed a weary expression. For days, he had been trying to quell the protests of the noisy nobles and traders, having even sent people to negotiate with that man in the south. However, that man wasn’t in his office in Cyprus, but had merely stationed a representative in Cyprus City. That man spent most of his time in the barren lands of the Caucasus, only occasionally visiting Odessa, and Ebson’s messengers hadn’t even seen him to this day.

Nissa’s mouth felt bitter. It seemed conditions in Poznan were quite dire, and he suspected it wouldn’t be long before the effects spread to Silesia. A large amount of Silesian wool and linen was transported through Groningen to the south and the vast Continent. If this route were blocked, the local nobles and traders would surely start causing trouble.

"So, what do you plan to do? Submit to that man?"

"Submit? That man will take a mile if given an inch. He sets the tax rates, and if he keeps raising them, what are we to do?"

"Ebson, what are you suggesting? Stop beating around the bush." Nissa sensed the dangerous glint in Ebson’s eyes.

"If he won’t let us survive, then we have no choice but to fight to the death," Ebson’s face took on a sinister look, "Whether it’s a desperate struggle or a final gamble, maybe we have no other choice. Nissa, realize that he is choking us, not letting us live. If we lose this trade route, both of us are done for, and those greedy nobles and traders will tear us to pieces." (To be continued, for the continuation please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters are available, support the author, support authorized reading!)