The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 932 - 30 Volumes The Beginning of the Empire - 3 Weakness

Chapter 932: 30 Volumes The Beginning of the Empire Chapter 3 Weakness

"Palermo, I think we should stop dwelling on those irritating topics, wouldn’t it be better to switch to something more interesting? Why not share your thoughts, you know I mean your personal views and not Katya’s. Nicosia doesn’t need the haughty and incapable, it needs those who can make a true contribution."

"Komer, are you suggesting I should abandon Katya and join your camp?"

"No, I didn’t say that. In fact, whether you join or not doesn’t make much of an impact, because the general situation isn’t something one person can change. I believe you should be aware of this."

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"No, it’s not about what I want you to say, but don’t you think you could say something or do something? Perhaps Nicosia needs some changes." Komer said with a slightly emotional tone.

Palermo looked complexly at this relatively young man, who had embarked on a solitary path from attracting immigrants from three regions, undeterred and with no possibility of turning back. He had come all this way step by step, navigating between different powers, seizing every opportunity to grow stronger, and now he had shed all constraints and could openly step out from the shadows, discussing others’ fates as if it were nothing.

All of it felt like a dream.

"Komer, I don’t know to what extent you want to go, but you should be clear that a dynasty cannot be built on martial power alone. We in Mortal Society are not barbarians; we honor civilization and the law, we have faith and traditions. Martial power can destroy civilization but it cannot create it. If you want to achieve what you desire, you might need to carefully consider what you truly need right now."

Nodding silently, Komer realized that the clear-minded had already noticed this, whether Palermo or Zellin. Although they did not explicitly mention it, they had subtly pointed it out, and this was his vulnerability. To change this, compromises were often necessary, and of course, sometimes compromises could garner more benefits.

Palermo left nonchalantly.

He had not achieved anything he wanted, to be precise, he hadn’t managed to secure any tangible gains for Katya. Komer was not a magnanimous man; Katya’s two-faced nature was largely a necessity, but this at least gave him a reason not to bear any moral responsibility anymore. Quke Valley and Livonia, even if they were offered to him now, held no interest for Komer. If necessary, he could pluck them at will—why would he need favors from others?

Zellin’s disguised submission had lifted a great burden off Komer, as for how to deal with it, Komer had not decided yet. But this was no longer a problem. In Silesia, the Ferdinand family was more diligent and it seemed he might reap greater benefits there. Of course, Komer did not plan to push too hard lest he drive them into the arms of the Beastmen. At least currently, the people of Silesia felt more aversion to the Beastmen than to him, which was surely to his advantage.

It was perhaps time to consider the issue of faith within his territory. His vague and ambiguous policy on faith appeared as though he really adopted a laissez-faire stance, and religious freedom had indeed become the mainstream ideology in his lands. This had prevented the Church of Light from adopting their harshest measures against him, but it also allowed the Dark Lineage to keep an ambiguous attitude towards him, especially visible in his efforts to conquer Nicosia.

"This isn’t a matter of faith, Lord Komer, but rather what foundation your rule will be built upon," Rebry said lightly. "The Church of Light is reluctant to leave Nicosia, and the increasingly influential Salvation Society seeks to expand their influence here. The Dark Lineage sees this as their prime opportunity. Everyone anticipates gaining something from Nicosia, but the problem is, do you really intend to let religious powers dominate this region? What about the nobles and merchants who support you? Although the opposition between the two isn’t apparent now, the expansion of religious forces will inevitably impact the growth of secular powers, and this is already starting to become evident. I believe you should have noticed."

Komer was taken aback and then fell into deep thought. Rebry was right; he had focused too much on military conquest while neglecting these aspects. The small scheming of the Salvation Society in the Battle of Plovdiv, the initially cold but later eager Dark Forces, and the active involvement of the Church of Light—all warranted his attention as the secular and religious realms always seem so hard to reconcile.

"Rebry, this is indeed a difficult choice. You know my situation; my roots in Nicosia aren’t deep, and those nobles have always harbored deep hostility towards me. Even though victory seems assured, they still refuse to cooperate— or at least they only show submission on the surface, but they remain defiant at heart. In some cases, I have no choice but to rely on religious power to suppress and balance," Komer expressed.

"Yes, Komer, it’s good that you’ve realized this. I believe you can handle this problem. Suppression isn’t the solution; balance is the key. Your experience and power now dictate that you can only control Nicosia through balance. Only balance can buy you time," Rebry continued, "precisely speaking, if it weren’t for Caucasus and the martial forces of the barbarians, you wouldn’t even qualify to play this balancing act. Whether it’s Poznan, Homer, or later Silesia and Godeburg, your foundation is too shallow. If you truly want to become the master of Nicosia, you still have a long road ahead."

Rebry’s words were blunt and direct, which tasted somewhat sour in Komer’s ears, but he had to admit that the other man had a point. Besides the Caucasus, he could hardly control any other place, like Poznan, which wouldn’t have calmed down so quickly if it weren’t for Renta’s intervention. Homer was more like an empty framework, and maybe only the practical people of Odessa were still willing to accept him a bit. (To be continued, for further information please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support authorized reading!)