The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 974: Volume 31: With Only One Hand Covering the Sky, - 18: Beamon’s Thoughts

Chapter 974: Volume 31: With Only One Hand Covering the Sky, Chapter 18: Beamon’s Thoughts

Shami Taegor watched the items spread out before him on the desk with an air of irritation. Documents that once sparked his interest now seemed glaringly obtrusive; he shook his head as if to dislodge a headache. How could such trouble arise now from what used to be smooth sailing, he wondered?

He knew he mustn’t be rash. Wolfe and the rest were still mocking him. Even Mouni and Bill were observing with detached amusement. The only real support he had came from Christina alone. As for Dashler, you couldn’t expect any backing from him; he always managed to maintain a disgustingly neutral stance.

He needed to thoroughly ponder what might have caused the state of affairs. Jazair had been steady for over a year and was supposedly advancing steadily on the track set by himself and Christina. Under his firm control, the Beamon had even started adapting to the Mortals’ civil customs. He believed that Beamon could utilize the Mortals’ civilization for their benefit, and over the past year, it seemed to prove true. So why had this problem suddenly emerged?

Shami Taegor knew that he had to persevere now, or else his authority would be greatly damaged—a sign often heralding the end of a king’s era. Yet he believed he could overcome this difficulty; it wasn’t an insurmountable issue, he reassured himself silently.

Shami carefully reviewed his recent policies and strategies. There were no significant changes, and from the feedback, there was no evidence of Mortals harboring hostility towards these policies. He and Christine had been cautious in their implementation, even to the point of compromising their own tribe’s interests. If, despite all this, they couldn’t win the Mortals’ support, he was at a loss for words.

The problem was that the initial progress had been smooth, so why the sudden turbulence now? There had to be something amiss, Shami vaguely suspected, but without sufficient information from Dashler, he couldn’t make a definitive assertion.

A series of light footsteps approached from outside; Shami didn’t need to guess who it was. These days, the only visitor, aside from Christina, was none other than the poor Wolfe, who was probably seething with jealousy. Why torment himself? Women needed care and warmth, or there would eventually be problems; Wolfe seemed not to grasp that notion. Shami smiled self-mockingly. When had he become as sentimental as those of the Rabbit Tribe or Deer Tribe?

Shami had to admit he harbored some thoughts about Christina, but he knew she held no such feelings for him. The years of relationship with Carter couldn’t be severed simply because he bore the title of king. But he relished the atmosphere of close daily discussions, just like the Mortals, savoring tea and coffee, collaboratively exploring policies, and finding solutions to issues. Despite the pressure, it was genuinely pleasing.

"Shami, it seems the problem is indeed troublesome. Those Mortals are starting to stir up a market strike, demanding we fully restore trade with Nicosia, drastically reduce tariffs, and heavily tax western goods. This is utterly unreasonable; they’re obviously provoking us on purpose," Christina said, her fiery eyes filled with anger. These damn Mortals, when had they become so troublesome—so insatiable?

"Heh, Christina, stay calm, just as you often remind me. We need to remain cool-headed now. We’re aware there’s a trick here, so we need to stay calm and rational when approaching the issue, right?"

Shami smiled encouragingly, gesturing for Christina to take a seat. Although the Spotted Armored Guard was a bit clumsy, the black tea he brought was Christina’s favorite.

"Hmph, Shami, you seem quite confident. What, has Dashler made any progress?" Christina eyed him skeptically, noticing something off about his unusually good mood. Not even with his broad mind could he be unfazed by such bad news.

"Not yet, but I trust Dashler will bring us some good news," Shami Taegor replied, still smiling amiably, though the fierce royal pattern on his skin made him look somewhat out of place.

"Good news? Hmph, Dashler and his tricks. It’s been so many days, and there’s still no word from him. Does it have to come to chaos before he acts?"

Christina spoke with increasing fervor. The policies they’d been pushing faced fierce opposition from the Wolf Clan, represented by Carter, and the Cow Tribe and Bear Tribe, represented by those two fellows, remained indifferent observers. They seemed dissatisfied with the policies, thinking they strayed from Beamon’s customs. But Christina firmly believed that this was the necessary road for Beamon to walk toward civilization and become the world’s leader, and only by steadfastly continuing could Beamon truly integrate into and lead this world.

"Christina, don’t set your expectations too high. After all, Jazair is not our traditional territory. Mortals still have the upper hand here, and we are the outsiders and the conquerors, but not representatives of a more advanced civilization. We must seek their assistance to help our people assimilate as quickly as possible. As mortals of an advanced civilization are now ruled by us, we can understand and tolerate some dissatisfaction and resistance—as long as they don’t directly challenge our rule, we can resolve conflict more peacefully. Don’t you agree?"

Shami’s words sparked a gleam in Christina’s eyes. Was this the same conservative and stubborn Tiger Clan Leader she knew? Although she had been tirelessly working on changing his mindset, he had always been ambivalent and inconsistent. Now, to hear him articulate such an excellent point was indeed impressive.

"Shami, am I hearing things? Or have I never truly understood you?"

Christina’s piercing gaze made Shami a bit uncomfortable. Even he thought he had spoken quite eloquently. Perhaps when faced with a beautiful woman, a man’s wisdom and inspiration gush out uncontrollably?

"Heh, I hope you haven’t seen through me, Christina. Now, we have no other choice. Those guys are still waiting to laugh at us, and I think we can’t let them get the best of us," Shami said with a somewhat proud chuckle.

"Shami, although I agree with your earlier viewpoint, that doesn’t mean we should just sit back and let those guys provoke us endlessly. We need to have some tactics to retaliate and strike back at them. Only by balancing kindness with severity can we ensure lasting control."

Shami was growing increasingly fond of the woman before him. Having such a woman by his side, how could there be any concern about handling big issues? No matter how difficult the situation he faced was, he had the confidence to overcome it. Carter was a fool who didn’t deserve her at all. Shami couldn’t just stand by and give up on this woman. He had to win her heart, and what he was promoting with her was undoubtedly his best opportunity.

"Don’t worry, Christina. I have the same thoughts. I’ve always suspected that these mortals suddenly making trouble might be up to something. It doesn’t make sense logically or emotionally, given their earlier calmness and even cooperation. Now they’ve turned nitpicky out of nowhere. I’ve specifically instructed Dashler to investigate thoroughly what’s really going on and see if the instigators are connected to any external forces. If they are, they can’t blame me for turning ruthless," Shami said, his colder, merciless side now emerging, dispelling any prior gentleness.

"You suspect an outside force’s meddling? Which one?" Christina asked in surprise.

"Hmph, it’s hard to say right now. Nicosia to the south, the Northern Alliance to the west, both are possibilities. Especially the guy in the south, who’s now in his prime, even the Barbarians of the Cordillera Wilderness are nearly turned into his puppet dolls. Who knows if he’ll suddenly think it’s a good idea to unite the old Romanov Dynasty’s territories?" Shami’s eyes flickered with a dark light.

"One would think that he wouldn’t be that crazy, right? Does he think we of the Beamon Kingdom are as foolish as those simple-minded, physically strong Barbarians? And aren’t the Northern Alliance folks also tripping him up, whether overtly or covertly? Can’t he feel it?" Christina said, sounding skeptical.

"Humph, Christina, greed and vanity can often blind even the smartest people. That guy is clever and capable, but faced with endless desire, can he maintain a calm mind? I doubt it, and it would likely be the same for us if put in his position," Shami commented fairly.

"If that’s the case, then we need to make some preparations. That guy has already integrated many forces from the Romanov Dynasty era and has managed to unite them. If he truly challenges us, it will cause us quite a bit of trouble—especially with those guys to the west harboring ill intentions," Christina said, furrowing her brows. (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. There are more Chapters available, support the author, support authorized reading!)