The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 978: Volume 31: A Single Hand Attempts to Cover the Sky, - 22: No Peace

Chapter 978: Volume 31: A Single Hand Attempts to Cover the Sky, Chapter 22: No Peace

Vladimir Koff had known from the very beginning that this mission was a treacherous and colossal one, venturing far from the Caucasus into the coasts along the Storm Ocean, and surprisingly, they had to deal with Elves, who were hostile towards Mortals.

Vladimir Koff couldn’t fathom why the Lord His Highness would get involved in such a distant matter, and yet he seemed to be quite interested, otherwise he would not have dispatched part of the Black Flame Knights and the Caucasian Mage Group to traverse thousands of miles across the Storm Ocean.

Although the Elf Woman who had always been seated at the bow of the ship was certainly related to this far-reaching mission, Vladimir Koff believed Komer was not a man to be swayed or willing to pay a price for a woman’s favors, even though this Elf Woman had been acting as Komer’s personal secretary. Vladimir Koff was clear that there was nothing between them, of course, that was in the past, and now things seemed to have changed, but Vladimir Koff still held firm to the belief that no woman could influence Komer’s decisions, as could be seen from the fleeting presence of women by his side.

The brigantine sailed smoothly over the North Mediterranean, with intermittent snowflakes falling down. Compared to Nicosia, the snow here was much lighter, but when mixed with the sea breeze, the sleet felt like knives cutting painfully against people’s faces.

This was the overlapping boundary of the Gray Skull and the Red-haired Witch’s influence. In recent days, the Gray Skull had held some advantage, but in this period, the Carter Fleet had launched frequent attacks, repeatedly defeating the Gray Skull’s patrol fleets; yet neither side’s main fleets were willing to face off lightly, lest they reveal their hands before securing an absolute advantage, thus benefiting those who were content to watch the battles from the sidelines.

However, the ship flying the special Bear Head Flag of the Caucasus Prefecture was undoubtedly something neither side wished to rashly provoke. Komer had been gradually withdrawing from the skirmishes between the Gray Skull and the Red-haired Witch, mostly maintaining a balanced stance to sell both sides the Mirror of Thousand Miles and Magic-armed guns. Both the Gray Skull and the Carter Fleet had realized this but were unable to change it, and their struggle for the North Mediterranean had turned the war into a desperate fight for survival. Only the victor of this conflict would earn the right for the next showdown with Komer.

Hayreddin’s fleet still maintained a courteous restraint towards the North Mediterranean Region, after all, with both forces of the Gray Skull and the Carter Fleet mixed in it was already chaotic enough. Hayreddin didn’t plan to intervene, focusing more on filling the void left by the diminishing power of Demisheme, especially in terms of consolidating territories in both the Storm Ocean and the Southern Mediterranean Region.

Vladimir Koff had been pondering the purpose of this voyage across the Storm Ocean. No one could guess Komer’s intentions, but for the Black Flame Knights, crossing swords with the Elves, who had a natural talent for Elemental Magic, would undoubtedly greatly benefit and train the Knights regiment. The Elf Clan was not a race to be trifled with; Beastmen and Barbarians might indeed have an overwhelming advantage in collective Martial Power, but when it came to individual combat, they were simply not on the same level, especially those Elf Mages, who were the stuff of nightmares for any Warrior.

Komer had not specifically instructed the Black Flame Knights and the Mage Corps on what to do. The Mages from the Mage Corps had already come to seek information several times, but unfortunately, Vladimir Koff was also unaware of the real objectives. Komer’s instructions were simple, to assist Finitz in achieving her goals as much as possible, but what Finitz’s goals were, Vladimir Koff himself had no clue, and that girl didn’t seem willing to reveal the truth to him just yet.

As Vladimir Koff was contemplating the true meaning of this mission, Finitz, who was leading this endeavor, was also filled with conflicting emotions.

The instructions Komer gave her were equally enshrouded in ambiguity.

The independence of the Forest Elves needed to be assured, but Komer’s insinuation also suggested the need for assistance in reordering the Elf Clan, which worried Finitz. She knew Komer’s tactics all too well as someone who had always followed him closely; once he interfered, it would whip up a storm. Had the Dark Elves not been too oppressive, driving the Forest Elves to the brink of extinction, Finitz would not have drawn Komer into the fray.

The Elf Clan had long been ensconced in the narrow strip of land along the Storm Ocean, from forests to mountains, from swamps to hills, from plains to deserts. The complicated and rugged terrain on this not-so-large stretch of land was fully displayed, and it was precisely this mix of complex and changing landscapes that had become the best habitat for the Elf Clan. Even the surrounding Mortals had given up on this land, which they considered as no man’s territory, because they reckoned the price of claiming this territory was too enormous.

To Mortals, those Elves who had not yet formed a proper government and instead lived in tribal forms were not considered the true owners of the land. This was because the cunning and obstinate Elves were too conservative, outright refusing contact with Mortals, which meant that for many years Mortals had no way to begin their encroachments. And if they were to rely solely on Martial Power to conquer, the harsh geographical environment would cost them dearly, undoubtedly an unwise strategy.

But now it seemed everything had changed. The mutation of the Dark Elves had given hope to Mortals, and it was this change that forced the previously isolated world of Elves to face the crisis of collapse.

Komer had in fact long known that the power of the Dark Elves alone was not enough to shake the position of the other Six Elf Races. Their boldness in causing trouble meant there was surely support from Mortal forces behind them. If he did not intervene, with the naive and immature mentality the Elf Clan had developed over years of isolation, it would not take long for these lovable Elven beauties to become bed slaves of those Mortals in power in the south. Rather than that, why not make these Elven beauties his own bed slaves?

Hayreddin and others also hoped to gain a foothold along the Storm Ocean coast, and their strength was certainly sufficient to support this action. This was Komer’s plan, but, of course, he wouldn’t tell Finitz so directly. It’s best to keep these lovely Elves from being too tainted by dirty and underhanded struggles, letting them see the more beautiful aspects of the world instead.

(To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author, support Authorized Reading!)