The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 933 - 30 The Empire Emerges - 4 Sheepskin Scroll

Chapter 933: 30 The Empire Emerges Chapter 4 Sheepskin Scroll

Is balance indeed the pinnacle of governance? Komer mulled over the flavor of this thought. For a territory not yet fully grasped in his own hands, necessary compromises were inevitable. The old powers had been greatly shaken but not extinguished, and a total eradication was neither possible nor completely in his interest. At least, in many cases, they could help him counter religious forces that had long coveted Nicosia.

Whether it was the Dark Lineage, the Salvation Society, or the Church of Light itself, none wanted to miss such an opportunity. And Komer had to admit that the Romanov family had managed this balance quite well; even the mighty Church of Light could not achieve an absolute dominance in Nicosia. Instead, the relatively free atmosphere had made the secular forces in Nicosia much stronger. Of course, this also brought some problems, such as the local powers being overly strong, causing the Central Kingdom to appear ineffectual, and the intended implementation of the "Utrecht Decree" further exacerbated the conflict between the local powers and the kingdom’s central authority.

Now it was his turn. The Romanov family had failed to handle the balance properly, resulting in the swelling of local powers to an uncontrollable size. What about himself? Local powers seemed suppressed for now, but that didn’t mean they wholeheartedly supported him. Surface compliance might signify deeper dormancy—a fact Komer was keenly aware of, wasn’t that how he’d risen, step by step?

But relying on religious powers to completely suppress local forces was even less acceptable. Whether it was the Dark Lineage that recognized him as their chief or the seemingly ascetic Salvation Society, they were merely means to be used. If he allowed them to grow unrestrained without having means to curb them, it would only be a matter of time before he became a puppet.

Balance, oh balance—the all-encompassing balance. Between local powers, between religious forces, between local powers and religious forces—only by skillfully manipulating these balances to his will could he buy time and seize the opportunity to strengthen his own unique power.

As for Galle, let it be put on hold for the moment. Zellin, having suffered such a blow, wouldn’t be able to recover quickly. And Katya? Komer hadn’t yet decided how to handle her. He didn’t want to provoke a backlash from conservative forces still nostalgic for the Romanov’s rule at this juncture, making the support of Tez and Mathew all the more crucial.

Myriad thoughts plagued Komer. It was only now did he realize the true intricacy of ruling over such a vast territory—the same troubles the Romanov family faced awaited him. And now, he also had to consider the olive branch extended from the Pericles Church; whether it was an olive branch or a trap, Komer couldn’t be sure. Everything needed to be approached slowly.

Komer spread out the parchment scroll and began reading carefully. It was the Sheepskin Scroll from Bear, seemingly penned by multiple hands and covering an extensive array of subjects. From unique Magic Spells to the origins of certain institutions within the Church of Light, from the little-known secrets of the Court to tips on enhancing Magic power, from brief introductions to magical warfare to insights on combat experience—they encompassed a complex array of topics.

Komer wasn’t particularly interested in most entries, but the tips on enhancing Magic power, insights on combat experience, and certain Magic spells that he still couldn’t understand could be quite useful for his future undertakings. At the very least, he thought some of these needed to be copied for preservation—of course, if time permitted, he would prefer to copy and preserve them all.

The writer’s thoughts sprawled in the scroll like a wild steed galloping without reign—unaligned and with no systematic classification—resembling a messy journal that was difficult to read. That was why Komer had initially given up on it. This Sheepskin Scroll, so closely guarded by Bear, must hold significant value, but having read it thoroughly before, categorizing the useful from the useless proved far too challenging.

The small print also made it a strenuous read, even for someone like Komer. The truly remarkable feature of this scroll was that it evidently used overlapping magic, allowing each parchment to be minutely divided into several layers. The font was designed to cleverly float, thereby compressing several times more content on each sheet. The ends of the parchment were then meticulously sewn with fine tendons to prevent fraying and guarantee the scroll’s integrity—an exquisite work of art indeed.

Komer, intrigued, looked at the last two pages of the scroll—surprisingly blank, save for a pale yellow stain pattern, which you wouldn’t distinguish as a map unless you examined it closely.

Nestled at the very end was an unassuming Tiger Head Insignia, which had initially escaped Komer’s notice.

The slightly open mouth of the tiger’s head and its playfully exposed fangs were not particularly menacing, adding instead a lively and endearing touch. The tawny spots were rendered so vividly that the insignia seemed rather unique.

This was likely the maker’s family insignia. A glimmer of recollection about the insignia flickered in Komer’s memory.

The Ulgum Family, a family that had fallen silent for two to three hundred years, had not faded with the passage of time. On the contrary, their family’s honor shone brighter because of history’s patina, and their crafted artworks glittered in every corner of the Blue Continent.

The Ulgum Family was the most famous in the history of the Blue Continent for crafting magical instruments, with each generation boasting outstanding Soul Craftsmen. They were called such because people unanimously believed these individuals dedicated their entire being to the Art Goddess, allowing them to create such impeccably perfect artifacts, each one unique and unreplicable.

For such an insignia to appear at the end of an otherwise unremarkable parchment scroll signified the importance of the material, yet the true significance or content hidden within remained an enigma to Komer.

Not much time was left before the meeting with Deneby, and Komer had no intention of breaking the appointment. (To be continued, if you wish to see what becomes of our heroes, please log in at www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support authorized reading!)