The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 65 - 65 17 Irreconcilable Differences

?Chapter 65: Chapter 17: Irreconcilable Differences Chapter 65: Chapter 17: Irreconcilable Differences A horse-drawn carriage quietly slipped out of Ugru into the night, heading north at a swift pace. Aside from Komer, the only other passengers were Caffrey and Fran. The carriage belonged to Caffrey, and although its craftsmanship wasn’t particularly exquisite, it boasted a simple, lively style. A small skylight was built into the center of the oak carriage body, and on sunny days, a ray of sunlight shone through the window, the sound of the wind whistling past, brushing the cheeks of those on the carriage.

Having passed through the Leon Region, Komer was not afraid of attacks from the Leon Gang, but he also did not want to trouble himself with these nuisances. He simply wished to safely reach Jazair first, to get to know the kingdom’s officials in charge of domestic affairs through Caffrey’s connections, and to clear the way by establishing good relations.

Although the nations of the Continent had not forbidden the movement of people and migration was mainly decided by the lords of the territories, Komer considered that once the number of immigrants introduced was too large, and especially being refugees that the kingdom had persistently refused to accept, it would inevitably face scrutiny from all sides. Therefore, he decided it was best to handle the kingdom’s internal affairs first.

While passing through Bruce, Caffrey went to visit Balmore, the commander in charge of Bruce. It seemed that Caffrey was quite familiar with Balmore. As a merchant, commanders like Balmore, who controlled strategic checkpoints, were always prime targets for merchants to bribe and curry favor with.

Not until they left Bruce did Komer’s gaze lose the thoughtful expression it carried. The carriage set off once more toward the Greenland Great Forest. This time, Komer and his group set out following a caravan that had hired mercenaries for protection.

“Baron sir, you seem to have some dealings with Lord Balmore as well. Why didn’t you join me in meeting him?” Caffrey chewed on a fruit called the olive fruit, a shrub fruit capable of giving off a sweet taste and a refreshing fragrance, which also helped protect the teeth. It was said to aid in relieving tension, and many traders and travelers liked to chew on this little fruit, including Caffrey.

“Oh, although I am acquainted with Mr. Balmore, I don’t have a deep relationship with him. We can leave that for another time,” Komer replied, still wondering if the last attack he suffered in Leon might have involved Balmore, who refused to escort him and took an unusual interest in his hometown. All these actions seemed to be connected to someone.

However, Komer was not certain, as he was now a lord who had been enfeoffed. Such acts of assassinating nobles, once exposed, would be difficult even for His Majesty the King to cover up. Balmore thrived in Bruce and was no fool; it was unlikely for him to take such a direct risk, hence using bandits for the attack was the best option.

“Speaking of which, the prosperity of Bruce is greatly related to Lord Balmore. The previous fortress commanders weren’t as astute and adaptable, prohibiting merchants from approaching the fortress defenses randomly. Merchants faced many difficulties when passing through, with strict time restrictions on loading and unloading goods at the dock and vessel comings and goings. They were not allowed to conduct trade outside the fortress, and merchants who did underhanded trading outside the fortress were severely punished. Bruce never thrived until Lord Balmore came along and changed these rules. He not only expanded the wasteland around the fortress into a marketplace but also greatly relaxed the inspections for passing through and at the docks. Together with the increasing prosperity of the Leon Region, it spurred the development of Bruce, transforming it into the booming state it is today,” Caffrey seemed to have a rather positive impression of Balmore.

“Mr. Caffrey, I must disagree with your view. Bruce’s flourishing should be attributed to the development of Leon and the hard work of the merchants. Without the coal and iron mines of Leon, and their development, the docks of Bruce would never have thrived; ore merchants would not have converged here. The mining operations in Leon spurred the need for slaves and various necessities of life, such as fabrics, food, oil, salt, and so on. The merchants were driven here by market demand, creating a cycle. As these industries became more and more prosperous, they, in turn, promoted further development of the mines in the Leon Region. Due to the special security environment of the Leon Region, it has never been able to form a central city, so all commercial and political centers gradually moved to Bruce. Look at the mansions around us. Aren’t many of them owned by those mine owners?”

Komer shook his head, disagreeing with the other party’s opinion. Under Caffrey’s puzzled gaze, he eloquently expressed his own views, which made Caffrey nod continuously in agreement.

“Of course, Balmore has his merits as well, which is to go with the flow of this development trend, rather than stubbornly obstructing like the previous defenders. This has allowed Bruce to develop more smoothly, that’s why he has been able to sit in this position for so long,” Komer said with an indifferent smile.

“However, Bruce also has its own bottlenecks. It doesn’t produce anything itself, is surrounded by forests, and is entirely a commercial fair that has developed through transit trade. It is easily affected by external factors, such as wars, trade route blockages, and so on.”

Komer’s analysis left Caffrey looking at him in a new light. He had not anticipated that a noble-born wastrel from Cyprus who was known as a scoundrel could have such profound and incisive analytical insights. Every point was a piercing truth, showing none of the arrogant and ignorant demeanor associated with the aristocratic children of Jazair and Cyprus. This solidified Caffrey’s confidence in collaborating with him.

After passing through the Greenland Forest and entering the Busen Plain, the horse-drawn carriage split from the convoy. The convoy was heading to Cyprus, while Komer’s group was headed directly to the kingdom’s capital, Jazair. Watching the convoy disappear into the distance, the sharp-eyed Caffrey politely inquired, “Baron, are you truly not planning to visit Cyprus at all?”

“Why return? Although I am nominally enfeoffed to Grand Duke Philip, according to the kingdom’s ‘Utrecht Decree’ established twenty years ago, I am already an autonomous lord, and the Caucasus is an independent territory. All lords who are enfeoffed by the original territory lord are first and foremost subjects of His Majesty the King, then subjects of the original territory lord. Which means first and foremost, I must obey His Majesty, and then we can talk about Your Grace, Duke Philip,” Komer stated, giving a cold glance as he replied.

“But Grand Duke Philip is still nominally your lord, and every year you must pay him a substantial amount of money or goods. If you anger him, I’m afraid he could make things difficult for you in many ways,” Caffrey had already consciously or unconsciously started to think on behalf of Komer.

“Mr. Caffrey, I know you are also very familiar with Cyprus, and you must be aware of how I was exiled to the Caucasus. Exile for three years, then chased from Cyprus to the Caucasus, amidst assassin’s attempts on my life and attacks by bandits, every time I’ve narrowly escaped death. Do you think the terrible relationship between the Duke and me could be changed by a mere visit to Cyprus?”

“No, no, that’s ludicrous. I will tell you that there will never be room for reconciliation between me and Grand Duke Philip. In Cyprus, the reason he didn’t get rid of me was probably for fear that my father would irrationally expose his scandals, and secondly, to avoid rumors that would tarnish his daughter’s reputation. After all, there are some in the upper society of Cyprus who are aware of the affair between Princess Tracy and me. Perhaps as long as I live, no one will mention it, but once I’m dead, it’s a different story. The best solution for them is to let me die in some remote backwater, so no one can say anything about it, like in the Greenland Forest or Leon, or even the Caucasus.”

“It’s just that these cowardly fellows have never been to the Caucasus in all these years, thinking it’s a cursed Wilderness where nothing grows, and that I, Komer, will suffer the same fate as the previous lords. But I will disappoint him,” Komer said, his tone turning colder.