The Vastness of Magical Destiny

The vast Nissai River divided the Leon Prairie from Greenland Forest, and from the high hills outside Banassia Town, one could clearly see the empty expanse above the turbulent river as its muddy waters rolled westward. The once bustling Banassia River Harbor was now deserted. Ever since Homer’s army was defeated in the battle at Leon, Cyprus had declared that any ships entering Nissai River to transport goods to Banassia would be detained and all cargo confiscated. After two vessels daring to bring coal to Banassia were seized by Homer Navy at the Mouth of Nissai River and subjected to heavy penalties, no foreign ships dared to trade between Banassia and the outside world.

Both the coal and iron mine production in Banassia had in fact come to a halt, which was the greatest headache for Komer. Unlike Moray, which was not far from Mandu and had relatively good roads, the increased cost of transportation for Moray was manageable, thanks to the special product of Leon Prairie—black-haired cattle which have always served as the main draught animals for land transport in Leon Region. Thus, it barely managed to cope, but some smaller coal mines were also forced to cease production. Banassia simply couldn’t operate at all; the cost of rerouting through Moray to Mandu was astronomical, unacceptable for the Coal Mine Owners, which was the main reason for the difficulty in attracting investors. No one was willing to buy a mine whose output could not be transported, no matter how cheap the price.

This situation also led to a massive influx of Half-Beastmen miners to Mandu and Muscat, which at one time troubled Puber, but after the decision to commence construction on the Canal Project from Lake Niall to Mattdam, it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Canal construction project could fully accommodate these robust workers, and construction merchants contracting various segments of the project even plastered job advertisements throughout the streets of Banassia, Moray, and Izmir.

Merely opening the Canal from Lake Niall to Mattdam wasn’t enough to exploit the rich mineral resources of Leon’s land for oneself; Banassia and Moray both relied on the waterways of Nissai River to prosper, as reliance on land transportation was unsustainable for the long term.

Piles of coal were visible everywhere, the filthy, disordered streets were repulsive, even the plants beside the street were covered in coal ash. Idle Half-Beastmen in tattered clothes wandered the streets; although they did not exhibit any extreme behaviors, Komer knew that if this situation continued, Banassia would eventually become a source of upheaval. Many Half-Beastmen accustomed to mining for a living still had no desire to leave their homeland. If their living issues were not properly resolved, they might have to face their dissatisfaction.

But these were not the issues Komer had to consider right now. What he needed to contemplate was how to deal with Homer’s army, which was poised to move southward. Intelligence had shown that Homer’s army was ready and the vanguard troops had already moved south to Busen Plain, and would pass through Greenland Great Forest opposite them in a week’s time, while the Mage Corps and Knights regiment that Komer was most concerned about seemed to be following behind the vanguard troops.

"We must control Bruce Fortress; we also need a force that can withstand Homer Navy, otherwise, we may have to abandon this place," Komer remarked, surveying the lush forest across the river, that appeared as an enormous jade basin stretching for miles. This very forest split Homer into two distinct parts: one side impoverished and chaotic, the other wealthy and peaceful. It was upon the poverty of the south that the peace and wealth of the north was established, with Bruce Fortress locking all the poverty and chaos to the south.

"Lord, you really have started to fit into the role of a lord now. I truly cannot understand why a mage of such accomplishment as you would cling to this kind of life. Do you really find it more fulfilling than the pursuit of the magical arts?" Mihailovich asked, his face bearing an expression of incomprehensible regret. In his opinion, Komer had a natural talent for Magic Practice, laying a strong foundation in both Elemental Magic and Psychic Magic, and his origin might even stem from the Dark Lineage. It was inconceivable to these magicians that a man of such profound knowledge was preoccupied with these mundane matters, especially since it was so out of sync with their understanding.

"Mr. Mihailovich, life is rich and diverse, and so are the thoughts and spirits of people. Some people love worldly power, some love mellow wine and beautiful women, some love the power of nature. Perhaps their thoughts will change with the progression of time and understanding of the world, so you cannot expect everyone to think and have interests like you," Komer smiled, bringing up an issue that was probably not just Mihailovich’s view alone. Others, such as Newman as well as Solonberg and Fradkov, likely held the same belief, while maybe only Rebry had somewhat recognized some of his intentions.