The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 893: Volume 28, Long Spear Plows the Courtyard, - 10: Capturing the King

Chapter 893: Volume 28, Long Spear Plows the Courtyard, Chapter 10: Capturing the King

Vladimir Koff’s request received Komer’s full support. The prospect of forming his own Dark Knights regiment was indeed irresistible to Komer. Although there were unlikely to be further loyalty issues with the combined Knights regiment of Lecler, it was not a force entirely under his own formation. But if Vladimir Koff could assemble the Dark Lineage martial powers within his territory to form a Dark Knights regiment, it would undoubtedly greatly increase his say in foreign wars in the future.

Of course, Komer was well aware that forming a knights regiment was not as easy as he imagined; without the backing of the Homer Knight Order, it would have been purely fanciful for Lecler to forge a knights regiment from scratch. Vladimir Koff explained his ideas and intentions to Komer, aiming for a small but elite strike group that could handle various situations, whether it was small-scale group clashes, one-on-one duels, or strategic breakthroughs in massive wars. Vladimir Koff believed that the power he created would have unexpected effects.

Vladimir Koff blatantly admitted that he was spurred by Lecler’s victory in the battle at Poznan. He felt that he could do as well as Lecler, if not better. The South possessed vast space and fertile soil, where the worship of and fervor for martial arts far exceeded that of the North. The infiltration of the Dark Forces made many noble warriors in the region more inclined towards Dark Lineage martial arts or, in other words, worshiping the God of Darkness. There were also considerable forces dissatisfied with the Church of Light in the extensive central regions. Solonberg advised Vladimir Koff not to limit his choices only to the Dark Lineage; any talents harboring hostility against the Church of Light could be of use to him. Vladimir Koff accepted this suggestion from Solonberg.

Vladimir Koff left, and his departure also aroused the envy of Shatima. When Vladimir Koff shared his ideas with this buxom, brainless beauty of a dragon, Shatima almost signed up for the knights regiment immediately. She longed to perform better in wars, but in human large-scale wars, individual power was still significantly limited. Even though she was a true Dragon Knight, facing countless mortal warriors who disregarded their lives, she would still feel fear and fatigue.

Komer gifted Vladimir Koff a manor in Flanders to use as the training base for his newly established Black Flame Knights, and provided him with special withdrawal rights at the Caucasus Bank, enabling him to utilize this special fund at any time to forge an elite force. Komer hoped that Vladimir Koff could travel the Continent from north to south as quickly as possible, finding a suitable group of candidates—a knights regiment that could rival the Homer Knights in strength but surpass them in agility. Quality, not quantity, was what Vladimir Koff desired and also the minimum requirement from Komer to Vladimir Koff.

The massive Dragon Spear spun up a frightening gale, the birch tree bark seemed about to peel off under the force of the air. The Dragon Spear pointed upward, the cold blue force, due to rapid contraction, congealed into a semi-transparent form as substantial as reality itself. Shatima let out a commanding yell, and the Dragon Spear, now enveloped by a thick layer of frost, swiftly gyrated in the air. The space began to distort due to the mad influx and rotation of the Ice Dragon Power. As the last sharp blast of force whizzed past, dozens of birch trees snapped off and fell to the ground. Some trees closest shattered into irregular pieces.

Shatima’s ample bosom heaved dramatically, and she exhaled two faint mists through her nostrils. Due to the intense activity, her entire body seemed to emit waves of heat, and wispy steam released from the gaps in her armor, making her appear almost celestial.

With the final powerful spin of the Dragon Spear, Shatima reluctantly yanked the tail of the spear, the Dragon Spear beautifully flipped in the air and landed straight into the mud, leaving just a segment of the tail visible. Shatima took a deep breath, gripped the tail with both hands, and abruptly shouted, causing a slew of mud the size of grinding stones to burst into the air. The flying grit scattered everywhere, and a robust airstream followed the dispersion of the mud, emitting a piercing shriek.

"Shatima, you seem to be in a bad mood. Do you feel like venting? Do you need me to use magic to help you make a show?" Komer sized up this idly voluptuous female knight; her overly full figure made it difficult for many to associate her with a Dragon Knight, which was both an advantage and a flaw. The advantage was that it allowed her to launch an attack before an opponent could react, gaining the upper hand, while the disadvantage was obviously her difficulty in blending in with others.

Casting him a glance, Shatima casually yanked the Dragon Spear up, the howling force swept through the air, making Komer feel a violent fluctuation in space. This beautiful Dragon Knight had been rather terrible lately, often venting her inner frustration through such destructive activities. It was unclear what about Vladimir Koff’s departure had upset her so much that she had been in a hysterical state ever since he left.

"Komer, I’m really not pleased with the current situation. Why must you always dawdle and drag your feet? The people of Poznan are like a bunch of castrated men, who become compliant with a little training, presenting no challenge at all. I dare say Vladimir Koff left because he felt he couldn’t develop further or improve in such an environment. He chose to leave, to seek higher challenges," Shatima lamented, trying to make her remarks appear well-considered and deeply analytical, but to Komer, they sounded like nothing more than absurd speculation.

"Shatima, what exactly are you trying to say?" Komer asked, tilting his head.

"What I mean is, don’t you dare keep fighting? Whether it’s the Silesian or the Church of Light or some damned Beastmen, if you want to conquer, you have to use war, even if you fail, at least it’s quick and simple. Looking around and hesitating, how is that manly? Men are born for war, aren’t they?"

Komer was at a loss for words. If only war were as simple as a duel, a one-time decision between winning and losing, victory would obviously be glorious and defeat dignified, as it would be a fair contest within the rules. But war? What fairness exists on the battlefield? Everything is about defeating the opponent, and if the situation is unfavorable, one must learn to retreat and yield; otherwise, it’s just asking for trouble. However, he couldn’t explain this to Shatima, for many deeply entrenched human issues can’t be resolved by an Ice Dragon who had mingled in the human world for just a couple of years. Even real human heroes might not fully understand the complexities involved.

"Shatima, I understand how you feel, but please trust me, there will be a time that satisfies you. Often, tranquility conceals danger, and from danger arises the opportunity to kill. Perhaps we are both waiting for that day," Komer said enigmatically.

"Oh? Are you saying someone will attack us?" Shatima immediately put aside any profound thoughts she had and focused solely on the prospect of battle.

"Yes, I think so. There are just too many enemies around us who would not like to see us succeed. Strangling us at the outset is the most effective method, don’t you think?"

Komer felt a bit amused within himself. Fooling an honest and straightforward Beautiful Dragon Knight like this felt somewhat wrong, but to stop her continuous reprimands, the best approach was to create an illusion of a bright future that would make her believe there might be many upcoming battles she looked forward to.

Zellin looked grim. As the stalemate continued, consuming countless resources without achieving any desired results, the mysterious loss of Poznan had Silesians full of grievances. They hoped for a powerful offensive to break through the Homer defense, but their army’s performance had not satisfied them, nor had he made up his mind to fight this war at all costs. With Poznan lost and the Silesians gaining nothing, the situation was uncomfortable.

But what could continuing the war possibly achieve? The internal situation of the Church of Light was still unclear. Zellin was not interested in the dog-eat-dog mess within the Church, but he could not ignore the changes in the overall situation in the North. However, he was disappointed that he had not yet seen any sign of Julius II emerging, the old fox perhaps waiting for the best moment to intervene.

How to break the current deadlock? Continuing this way was not the answer.

An idea sprung in Zellin’s mind—capture the king to capture the thief, mimicking Komer’s exploit in Marco. What if they launched a long-range raid while the enemy was not yet stable in Poznan? Zellin was moved by this sudden idea. With the help of the Bohemian Magicians, along with their Magic Knights and swordsmen, and the support of his own power, this seemed not impossible. Bypassing the stagnant frontline to strike a fatal blow might just be the best strategy to break the current impasse. (To be continued, for more details, please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support authorized reading!)