The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 982: Volume 31: Covering the Sky with One Hand - 26: Quenching Thirst by Looking at Plums

Chapter 982: Volume 31: Covering the Sky with One Hand - 26: Quenching Thirst by Looking at Plums

However, it was no longer Dragumo’s decision to make; Lord Komer had clearly resolved to take control of Livonia, a piece of land of substantial significance to the entirety of Nicosia.

It was said that this land was promised to Lord Komer by Princess Katya. Dragumo had once ostentatiously paraded across this territory a few times. It was unclear why, after initially withdrawing from Livonia, Lord Komer had not dispatched troops to this land again; yet now, he was rushing in as if his life depended on it. Was it possible that there was something between Princess Katya and Lord Komer that made it awkward for Lord Komer to make a move while Princess Katya controlled Cartin?

Is it also because of this liaison that Lord Komer is so actively proclaiming his intent to fight a decisive battle with the Northern Alliance? Perhaps it’s due to him riding on someone else’s coat-tails and now having to settle the account?

Although Dragumo’s somewhat vulgar and dirty thoughts might not be accurate, he was lucky enough to guess one truth—that Komer indeed had an affair with Katya. As for settling accounts and all that, it was far off the mark; Komer was not a saint who would return territories just because he had taken advantage of someone. According to his thoughts, to continue having Katya as his lover, he needed to unapologetically take control of the Cartin region. Only by controlling Katya’s fate could he have her compliantly lie in bed and do as he wished.

Having Katya as a lover in his bed fundamentally held no cause for pride. There were other beautiful women like Katya, but for any man, seducing two female heirs of the Romanov Dynasty and making them his forbidden pleasures was an exceedingly tempting dream. Fulfilling this dream would greatly boost a man’s self-esteem and confidence. What else does one seek in life if not to indulge in life’s pleasures to the fullest? On this point alone, Komer felt it was worth it.

Thirty cargo ships of different sizes and specifications silently sailed up the Nissai River.

Disregarding the geographical reasons of the Greenland Forests on both banks, the Nissai River was unquestionably ideal for navigation. The brisk winds coming from the Nether Sea were warm in winter and cool in summer. As they gently made their way from the Mouth of Nissai River into the interior of the Continent, the ships only needed to hoist full sails to make good speed against the current, hardly inferior to sailing downstream. Such a convenient route would naturally become another Catania River if not for the limitations of the primitive forests on both banks.

Disembarking from the boat at Nissai Lake entrance, Dragumo had to detour dozens of miles to avoid the habitat of the Magical Beasts. Although venturing through the habitat of the Magical Beasts could save time now, the risk was too great, and Dragumo dared not take the chance. Lord Komer’s repeated cautions before departing weighed heavily on him.

Dragumo quietly lay in the dense forest on the outskirts of Quke Valley. The situation was very bad; the enemy had arrived faster than expected. The multiple columns of smoke emerging from the only small town in Quke Valley proved this. The town, having no more than a few dozen households, why would such wild smoke columns emerge out of nowhere? Clearly, it indicated the enemy troops were camping in the wild.

The Half-beastmen were exceptionally quiet, which made Dragumo quite proud. This was no longer the Half-beastman Army that had just been formed. After several major battles and strict regular discipline, the beastmen had adapted to military regulations, completely different from their habitual lifestyles. To secure this salary, the first thing they had to do was to adhere to regulations, and the beastmen had achieved this.

The scouts still had not reported back, which made Dragumo quite anxious. Those mortal scouts were always so meticulous and cautious, unwilling to overlook any small detail. He only wanted them to ascertain exactly where the enemy was. Now, time was the essence of victory; no matter how many enemies there were, as long as they could catch the opponent off guard, Dragumo believed his men could overwhelmingly defeat them in one fell swoop.

A few bird calls came from the distance. The alert Half-elf Archers breathed a sigh of relief, and the figures of several scouts immediately appeared at the edge of the cliff beside the forest. Their agile shapes filled Dragumo with envy; indeed, these mortal figures were more suited to scouting than the bulky and tall Half-beastmen, just as Half-elves were better suited to archery.

"How is it?"

"Lord Dragumo, we’ve basically figured out the situation. These guys also just arrived, about two hours ahead of us. Most of their people have just begun to set up camp for rest."

"What’s with the smoke columns?"

"They are burning fires to prepare hot water and soup; it seems they are quite exhausted."

"How many people?"

"There are probably only a thousand people in the valley, but it seems that two thousand have already been stationed in Livonia,"

Dragumo’s heart sank. Had the Northern Alliance troops entered Livonia already? How would he complete his mission? Dealing with the Northern Alliance troops in Quke Valley wasn’t the difficult part, the problem was how to capture Livonia. Two thousand Northern Alliance soldiers were neither a large nor a small force; if the enemy was prepared and it turned into a protracted battle, and if the enemy’s reinforcements caught up, his three thousand men would be doomed.

"What’s the composition of these thousand people in the valley?" Dragumo steadied himself; after all, he was a veteran of many battles. How could he fight a war with such unease? Dragumo despised himself internally; flinching at every disadvantageous situation did not bode well for fighting hard or nasty battles.

"Well, we have discovered dozens of battle horses, which should belong to the Northern Alliance cavalry. The main force should still be infantry." The scouts had done their work very meticulously.

Deep in thought, Dragumo remained silent, but the nearby Half-elf Crossbowman Leader intervened, "Lord Dragumo, could we possibly exploit this cavalry unit?"

"Hmm, what do you mean?" Dragumo’s interest was piqued. It seemed someone was on the same wavelength as him. Livonia must be captured, but the challenge was how to take and then hold it. Near the capital of Livonia were only a few structures that could hardly be considered fortresses. He guessed that the Northern Alliance entering Livonia hadn’t anticipated that his side would launch a counterattack from the Nissai River. The behavior of the Northern Alliance troops in Quke Valley showed they were completely unprepared, thinking that advancing their troops here meant they had achieved their goal.

"If we can wipe out these guys in the valley, especially completely annihilate this cavalry unit, and then immediately hasten a surprise attack on Livonia, catching them off-guard, I believe we still have a chance. But holding onto Livonia after taking it will be quite challenging, as the Northern Alliance troops will soon overwhelm us."

The Half-elf Leader was a strikingly handsome man in his thirties; these mixed-race breeds always seemed to inherit the best features from both parental lines, their distinct appearance and physique setting them apart from other races.

Dragumo was also contemplating this scenario. From Quke Valley to Livonia was sixty kilometers; at the march speed of his army, they could reach in four hours. If they dealt with these guys in the valley now and then made a quick preparation to infiltrate Livonia by forced march, they would arrive in the dead of night, perfectly timing a surprise attack. His soldiers had rested on the ship for two or three days and should have regained their strength, ready for another burst of energy.

"Your crossbowmen won’t be a problem, right?"

"No problem, we’re just waiting for Lord Dragumo’s command."

"Good, then in a while, some of you block the mouth of the valley tightly, not even letting a mosquito fly out," Dragumo said through gritted teeth.

Glancing around at his officers, who were gazing eagerly at him, Dragumo felt his confidence surge. With so many spirited young men, what did he have to fear? Could it really be that the older he got, the more cowardly he became? Back when he rebelled in Leon, he had not hesitated like this; he only thought that if caught, it was just death. Could his head be chopped off twice? Now, however, he had become hesitant and timid, a fact that even made Dragumo himself feel embarrassed.

"Well, we can’t worry too much now. Lord Komer has tasked us with holding Livonia, but he hadn’t considered that the Northern Alliance bastards would return so quickly. However, since we’re already here, we can only tough it out and not just tough it out, but do it spectacularly. We must take Livonia, and we must also hold it. The Northern Alliance bastards now think that just by arriving, they’re perfectly safe. Let’s show them that stepping into someone else’s garden uninvited means getting beaten and paying the price. The Lord is waiting for news of our victory, and he has already prepared a generous reward for us; half of the treasury of Livonia will belong to us. We are going to make history!"

Dragumo tried hard to imagine what Komer would do to inspire the soldiers in such a situation, but to his disappointment, he found he could never do it as well as Komer could. Other than Gold Shield, he seemed unable to find anything that could truly attract the attention of his men, who were gazing expectantly at him.

But perhaps that was better, simple and practical, far superior to those illusory promises. Let the treasury of Livonia become the greatest goal for his army. As long as he could take Livonia, he believed that Lord Komer would not begrudge the treasury. As for whether this so-called treasury existed, that was not his concern for now; surviving was what mattered. (To be continued. For more information on what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, support authorized reading!)