The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 57 - 57 9 Threats and Temptations (3)

?Chapter 57: Chapter 9: Threats and Temptations (3) Chapter 57: Chapter 9: Threats and Temptations (3) “Mr. Hesse, what do you make of this tree?” Komer suddenly stopped walking and asked, pointing to a lush evergreen tree ten meters away.

Without grasping Komer’s intention, Hesse looked in the direction Komer was pointing, “Oh, this is a tree species unique to our Caucasus, Water Teng wood.”

“Is it?” Komer’s face showed a strange smile as he casually raised his hand and flicked, “Why do I feel it looks more like a piece of charcoal?”

“What?” Hesse’s expression changed abruptly. He noticed the peculiar pinching technique in the other’s hand was unmistakably a special kind of magic gesture. Before he could react, an anomaly occurred; a purple-black halo had already formed between Komer’s fingers, and with a soft “pop,” the halo transformed into a bead of light that suddenly shot towards the tree and silently embedded itself within.

Hesse glanced at the other in surprise. It was clear the other intended to show off his power, but why was there no response? He could already feel an unusual magic power trembling violently in front of him—a clear prelude to a mage’s intervention. Could it be a mishap?

Before he could collect his thoughts, a muffled sound was heard. The brown bark of the Water Teng tree suddenly burst into a huge purple-black flame that scattered in all directions, with countless sparks and fireballs mingling with burning wood chips in the air to form a massive mushroom cloud. Debris fluttered down, scattering across the ground within a radius of three zhang.

The dumbfounded Hesse was shocked speechless and stood on the spot unable to utter a word. What was this? Surely it must be an illusion? The seasoned adventurer rubbed his eyes as he watched the spectacle in disbelief. If not for the smell of burning wood from the Water Teng tree, he would have thought he was watching a juggling act in a dream.

The sudden combustion and explosion of the Water Teng tree startled the birds in the forest. As a red-bellied beautiful pheasant flew past them, Komer raised his hand again. He hardly bothered with any more gestures and with a swift movement of his hand, the bird fell. Hesse only felt a magic power fluctuation in the air in front of him, and the red-bellied beautiful pheasant had already fallen before them, frozen solid, its eyes not even having had the chance to close.

Drawing in a cold breath, Hesse trembled all over. It was beyond his belief. Just moments ago, Komer had demonstrated Fire Magic without chanting a single spell and then used Ice Magic to freeze a living pheasant in midair. Hesse couldn’t fathom the vast magic power transition required for such feats.

Although he was an experienced adventurer, he only knew the most basic forms of magic that did not require much specialized magical knowledge. Komer’s ability to perform advanced magic with such tremendous power, without even chanting spells, was unheard of to Hesse, let alone something he had witnessed.

Stunned by the immense shock, Hesse stood still in silence. His thought process had come to a halt—he couldn’t understand how someone from aristocratic lineage like Komer could be such an enigmatic magician.

Clapping his hands lightly, Komer turned to the old adventurer with a smile: “How about that, Mr. Hesse? Surely you don’t think we flew here from Cyprus to the Caucasus? We’ve encountered many novelties along the way, which has greatly broadened my horizons. I suppose there’s no need for me to say more.”

Hesse’s spirit was utterly crushed. He had never imagined that the lord standing before him would turn out to be a high-level magician, possibly even an Archmage—though he wasn’t certain. But the level of magic shown absolutely surpassed that of an ordinary mage and was certainly not comparable to any typical magician. To Hesse, Komer’s smile even seemed like the contented grin a demon sports before preying upon a victim, causing an involuntary shiver.

After a long silence, Hesse, who seemed to be pondering some difficult decisions, found Komer to be quite patient. Komer was even amusingly squatting down, plucking grass from the ground and chewing it slowly, savoring its flavor.

“Lord, I would very much like to know your plans for the future of our Caucasus. Although you’ve displayed extraordinary strength, there are indeed many issues in Caucasus that cannot be resolved by one person alone. If you can provide a promising and reasonable plan, I think it will be easier for you to win the support of the citizens within the territory. Of course, before that, I think it would be best if the citizens, including myself, could see that the Lord can safely reside in Damarlinsk Castle,” Hesse said, with a head now lifted in newfound confidence and humility. However, his words clearly meant that securing the respect and support of the citizens within the territory was an unavoidable issue, with Damarlinsk Castle being the key as the lord’s stronghold.

“Mr. Hesse’s words make great sense. I believe we can find a common ground, for we share the same goal—to make tomorrow better for Caucasus. As for your suggestion, I will consider it. Damarlinsk Castle, that is my castle, a symbol of my identity. I believe it won’t be long before I host a banquet there and invite all of you,” Komer responded with the elegant demeanor of a noble, his radiant smile making it momentarily difficult for Hesse to associate him with the man who had just effortlessly cast a spell moments ago. This disparity in identity and perception gave rise to a subtle unease in Hesse’s heart, which had just begun to settle.

As time passed day by day, the new lord, who had been seen on the streets in the first few days of his arrival, became hard to spot later on. Instead, his Administrative Officer and Finance Officer Puber, along with his daily Guard leader and Instructor, Ilot and Fran, began to appear in his place.

Puber, having devoted himself to accounting for all the population, property, and mines in the territory, was overjoyed with the several mines whose mining permits were about to expire. Through the encounters over time, many people no longer looked indifferently or hostily upon the new lord and his entourage, as their behavior far exceeded the rumors of the past.

The old, dilapidated farm quickly underwent a transformation with the funds for repairs provided by Puber and the work of the Half-Beast soldiers. Located on the eastern outskirts of Ugru Town, the farm spanned a vast area which included a series of houses and a belt-distributed birch forest of considerable size.

Surrounded by bushes, a solitary wooden house stood on the edge of the birch grove. The house had once been the residence of the manor’s forest ranger, but Komer had now turned it into his practice room.

With everyday matters taken care of by Puber, Ilot, and Fran, Komer could focus on how to tackle the development issues of his territory.

Hesse was right. It was difficult to win the trust of all citizens throughout the territory with one’s power alone, and he could not display his seemingly immense magical strength to every individual. He had not yet fully grasped the power and memories from the Strange crystal stone, which is why he took time to retreat to this undisturbed wooden house to delve deeply into his studies and practice, aiming to merge the magical knowledge of his own meridians with the wondrous powers of the crystal stone.