The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 70 - 70 22 Crisis

?Chapter 70: Chapter 22: Crisis Chapter 70: Chapter 22: Crisis Although the atmosphere in the taverns of Versailles was not much different from those in other places, Komer had to admit that in terms of taste, the taverns in the Royal City were indeed of higher caliber than any other tavern he had visited, including Cyprus.

The spacious corridor seemed a bit gloomy due to the lighting; several oil paintings with somewhat blurred colors hung casually along the walls. The balustrades of the corridor were made of ancient, deep-colored camphor wood. Walking into the Grand Hall along the corridor, the S-shaped bar counter presented a beautiful arc around the hall. Bartenders were busily polishing their utensils, and amidst the flickering candlelight, silhouettes loomed, and the sparkle of glasses created an almost crystal dreamlike realm.

Since it was still early, Komer and Caffrey sat opposite each other in the spacious hall, which was sparsely populated, providing them with a quiet environment to discuss the thorny task entrusted to them by Lord Tez.

Leaning against the doorway was presumably a bard; the ancient harp in his hands suddenly transformed into a series of unpredictable tunes. Sometimes, it was like a stream bursting forth from a mountain valley racing across the plain, and at other times, it emitted a haunting, mournful sound, like a trickling spring meandering through ravines. And sometimes, it was fervent and stirring, as if heralding the unsheathing of swords and the gallop of iron-clad steeds.

While enjoying the improvisation of the bard, Komer and Caffrey nonetheless had to face the challenging problem handed down by the Internal Affairs Manager.

“Baron Sir, do you really plan to take on this task? No matter what, Caucasus cannot handle 80,000 people, and both you and I are aware of this,” Caffrey sighed. He naturally understood the weight of Lord Tez’s words; once uttered, there surely was no turning back.

“Caffrey, it might be even more than 80,000. Lord Tez would prefer if I could accept 100,000. It’s no longer a question of whether to accept or not, but how to accommodate them,” Komer replied with a slight smile. “There are already people who would like to see me fail in this labor importation, and not everyone is keen on seeing Caucasus take in such a large influx of population.”

Caffrey immediately became alert, “Oh? Is it Grand Duke Philip?”

“No names were mentioned, but I can feel it,” Komer obviously did not wish to elaborate. “You should think about ways to cope instead.”

“Based on what you said, we can only take one step at a time. You need to send word back immediately, so your Administrative Officer can start preparing enough tents and food. When spring arrives, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy food. Moreover, as soon as this news spreads, the price of food in Busen and Bruce will surely rise, so we must act quickly.”

“If, as Lord Tez said, the Three Kingdoms can provide a certain subsidy, then Sir, you might take a chance on it. Just make it through next spring, and the situation will be much better,” Caffrey pondered. “Still, the final decision rests in your hands, Sir. Personally, I’m not too in favor of it.”

“There’s no turning back once the bow is drawn. Since things have come to this, it’s out of my hands,” Komer said, clenching his teeth resolutely.

Accompanied by footsteps, an uncomfortable feeling came from behind. Komer exerted his utmost control not to look back, but he saw a warm smile emerge on Caffrey’s face, “Mr. Malone, do you also have the time to stop by here?”

“Oh, Mr. Caffrey, long time no see, what brings you to Versailles on business?” a hearty voice greeted them, “And this gentleman is ······?”

“Hehe, this is Baron Komer from Caucasus; he’s my current business partner. Baron, this is Mr. Malone, the Kingdom court wizard and mage to the Kingdom Fire Shadow Knights,” Caffrey introduced warmly.

Actually, the moment the other man entered the bar, Komer had already sensed the strong aura of magic power emanating from him. It’s a distinctive aura that mages can’t conceal and only they can sense. It was strong enough to make Komer feel uneasy. Without guessing, he knew that the other practiced light magic, for only such an aura would cause the dark magic power well-hidden within Komer to surge violently. He also knew that the other must have sensed it too.

After the period of seclusion, Komer found that his abilities had improved leaps and bounds in all areas, even in martial arts, which he was not originally skilled at.

Komer didn’t favor martial arts but during the process of learning magic from his master, the teacher insisted that Komer practice the necessary martial arts to maintain good physical condition. Later on, Komer realized that the martial arts knowledge taught by his teacher was becoming more and more profound, far exceeding the original purpose of strengthening his physique. The teacher only insisted on rote memorization of the techniques and warned Komer that every bit of knowledge and ability was useful. Many things don’t seem very useful on a daily basis, but at critical times, they could have unexpectedly significant effects.

So Komer muddled through, practicing martial arts alongside his magic training, and he noticed that his teacher’s martial prowess was only on par with his own. The subsequent knowledge was merely what he subconsciously taught Komer based on what was in his own mind. When Komer inquired about it, the teacher shook his head in silence.

After ending his seclusion, Komer discovered that his progress in martial arts was also extraordinarily rapid. Even the fighting Qi, which he had just begun to grasp, was starting to take shape. Although it had not yet reached the stage of true condensation and manifestation, Komer was certain that if he continued at this pace, he had a good chance of mastering fighting Qi. Nevertheless, Komer did not focus his main efforts on this, as aside from cultivating his magic and spiritual power during this period, he found himself fully occupied with an array of tedious tasks.

While cultivating his spiritual power for magic, Komer also found that his proficiency in elemental magic lagged far behind that in dark and undying magic abilities. This extended to his occasional practice of martial arts, where he also noticed a tendency for his fighting Qi to shift toward the dark series.

Although Komer did not reject the pan-dark magic, such magic was always subject to prejudice and discrimination on the Blue Continent. Komer did not wish to be seen as a mage of the pan-dark series, especially when the Bright Holy Teaching was still diligently searching for him. Komer was sure this had a lot to do with the crystal stone he carried, and he even suspected that the stone itself was inherently a relic of the pan-dark series. However, he could not uncover the history or origin of the crystal stone.

But the surge in the pan-dark magic power also exposed a drawback for Komer: he had to spend more time training to control this type of magic power. Otherwise, this force, which seemed to originate from outside, settled in his heart, giving Komer a sense of being uncontrollable.

In Caucasus, it might be a bit easier since the people around him had little profound understanding of magical matters. But once outside, Komer had to be very careful with every step, to prevent his peers from detecting his secrets.

Despite his caution in concealment, Komer never expected to encounter a light mage in the bar, especially when he was most relaxed. Moreover, the mage was a court-appointed one. Due to the mutual attraction and repulsion of magical energies, Komer was certain that the mage was filled with surprise and vigilance. Perhaps because of his unique identity, the mage dared not confirm his suspicions immediately. Nevertheless, Komer believed these light mages, who were always eager to get to the bottom of things, would not let him go easily, especially since he was already a suspect in the eyes of the Church of Light.

Though his heart was a sea of turmoil, Komer’s face was as calm as still water, and he rose to shake hands with the man gracefully.