The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 977: Volume 31: A Lone Hand Attempts to Cover the Sky, - 21: Knowing When to Advance and Retreat

Chapter 977: Volume 31: A Lone Hand Attempts to Cover the Sky, Chapter 21: Knowing When to Advance and Retreat

"Komer, what’s the purpose of preaching to me right now? I’m not an idiot—I have my own thoughts and worldview. Don’t think that just because you’re in a dominant and advantageous position right now, you’re superior to me in any moral aspect. I can tell you that whatever understanding you have, I have my own persistence."

Katya’s attitude was very firm, but Komer heard weakness in her tone and smiled faintly. "Katya, do you think I need to use any despicable means to obtain anything from you? Cartin is optional for me. It’s just that I don’t want to see our Nicosia land fall into the hands of foreigners or other races. They have no affection for Nicosia; all they will do is plunder and grab. Even if they can pretend to be kind on the surface, their underlying purpose remains the same."

Katya fell silent again. Komer was right; he really didn’t need to resort to any tricks or manipulations under these circumstances. He could simply use martial power to solve the problem. Showing off his verbal talents to curry favor wasn’t his style. Perhaps he preferred to demonstrate his strength through power.

"What do you want?" Katya struggled to ask the most crucial question.

The smile on Komer’s lips was fleeting. He did not want to show a triumphant or gloating expression in front of her. Katya wasn’t foolish; she could distinguish the good from the bad. Compared to the Northern Alliance and the Beastmen, she had to concede that, from any perspective, he was much preferable.

"Katya, I think there are many paths we can explore. You don’t need to make things so complicated, nor do you have to think of Renta as being in such a wretched state. Personally, I believe that to some extent, you, me, and Renta, we all belong to the same kind of people. Maybe we don’t agree on everything, and our methods may differ slightly, but at least we can be honest about our thoughts and desires—the things we want to do and the goals we intend to achieve—we can express them openly and honorably."

Seeing Katya seem to ponder his words, Komer thought for a moment before speaking again: "Cartin doesn’t hold much value to me personally, but it means a lot to the people of Nicosia. No one wants to see Jazair fall and then witness Cartin falling into foreign hands. This may well be the basis for our cooperation."

Katya’s eyes flickered, seemingly moved by Komer’s sincere tone, but the chasm was not so easily bridged, and deception was ever-present in this world. Katya was reluctant to reveal her stance too easily.

Once they bypassed this topic, other subjects seemed much lighter. Whether it was the customs of the Barbarians on the Cordillera Wilderness or Komer’s personal marriage matters, Katya showed great interest. The standing and image of Renta, Furina, and Vero in Komer’s heart also caused him considerable unease, revealing the trickiness of Katya at this moment.

In the end, Katya stayed.

The issue of Cartin’s status was really about Katya’s own status. Offering Katya a position and identity proved quite troublesome for Komer. If Katya had not been betrothed, it might have been simple to grant her a title and hand over Cartin to her. However, Katya was already engaged, not yet married, but for nobles, this signified that she was spoken for, and a man of Komer’s status would certainly have no chance with her—at least not openly. Whatever other relationships they might have, in secret, were not considered here.

However, with Galle as a precedent, it wasn’t impossible to follow suit with Cartin. But given Katya’s special lineage and status, this option could bring negative consequences. Komer had to think thrice. The Romanov family had already withdrawn from the stage of history, but that did not mean everyone was content to live quietly; special lineage combined with ambitions could lead to trouble in the future, especially since Katya might not be willing to remain passive.

Since Katya had come here so magnanimously, Komer decided to float with the current and invite Katya to tour the whole of Nicosia, including the Caucasus. If possible, he could even invite her to visit the Cordillera Wilderness. It was not to show off but to let Katya experience firsthand how these "barbarian" tribes, viewed as savages by mortals, bow at his feet and live peacefully and happily under his rule.

Time waits for no one, and Komer did not want to continue this stalemate with the Northern Alliance. He needed a relatively unified Nicosia, aligned in purpose, so he could concentrate the various powers of Nicosia to their fullest potential. The Northern Alliance was not a single country; they had too much power. Though they might not fully align in their objectives, once the survival of the Alliance was threatened, they would band together—Komer neither wanted to engage in a prolonged war of attrition nor had much choice in the matter; it was unavoidable.

Komer needed Katya’s full support. After the collapse of Hoffman’s influence, many powers had already shifted their allegiance to Katya. While they held little hope for her rise, habit led them to choose the heir of the Romanov family, and their actions affected all of Nicosia, those unwilling to yield. If he could subjugate Katya, it would undeniably reduce this latent threat. Of course, bringing Katya to heel would require finesse and tactics.

Internal stability has always been the basis for an entity’s external expansion, a fact very clear to Komer. The fall of the Romanov Dynasty stemmed from this, and he was not keen on repeating history, but he knew that deep-rooted historical issues weren’t something he could resolve singlehandedly—it would take patience, time, and even more intricate strategic maneuvering.

Therefore, showing Katya the strength of Nicosia under his rule was imperative, especially impressing upon her his indomitable military power. Only by making Katya realize that by allying with him, she might gain more in the future—even if she couldn’t control everything alone—he could still offer her more in certain aspects. (To be continued, for further details, please visit www.qidian.com, with more Chapters, support the writer, support authorized reading!)