The Vastness of Magical Destiny

This was precisely what Komer had hoped to achieve. It must be said that the missionary system of the Church of Light had no equal among any religious orders on the Continent. With its churches and priests spread throughout the land, a complete system for the cultivation of preaching and credentialing clergy, a powerful theocratic institution as a tool to suppress other faiths, a legion of zealous clerics willing to dedicate everything to the God of Light, coupled with centuries of accumulated prestige and a strong magic system as a support, it seemed highly unrealistic for any other faith to challenge the Church of Light’s dominant position. Even the Great Mysterium Sect, with substantial foundations and background, could only maintain its own sphere of influence in the more racially diverse regions of the South, while the Church of Light remained more popular in areas predominantly inhabited by mortals. As for the North, it was even more so the stronghold of the Church of Light; the most that could happen was the varying degrees of opposition from different nations to the Church of Light’s involvement in secular affairs.

Now, due to his own covert scheming, Komer had quietly burrowed an anthill into the grand dam that was Caucasus and Leon, and this anthill was silently expanding, attracting more ants. Although the dam’s collapse seemed far off, it was after all a beginning, and this was why Xerob and Uma were willing to continue serving Komer. Otherwise, even if Komer was the true heir of the Dark Lord, if he truly had no intention to revive the Dark Lineage, they would not hesitate to strike at him, though their success was not guaranteed.

The peculiar situation in Caucasus and Leon was based on the resentment of immigrants who had lost their homeland toward the Church of Light. Komer had subtly used various means to insinuate that the Church of Light had done nothing as the three lands fell, failing to fulfill its role as protector of mortals. This sentiment found a market in Caucasus, especially since the Church of Light had still not taken any effective measures against the invading beastmen, not even in the northern part of the Kingdom of Nicosia, which had likewise suffered such devastation, further proving this point.

While this was not enough to overthrow their traditional beliefs and customs, it could be said that the Church of Light’s foundation in the hearts of the immigrants in this region had been severely shaken. The indigenous locals, a mixture of various races, lacked reverence and awe for the Church of Light. Furthermore, Leon, now included in the management system, was primarily made up of Half-Beastmen who worshipped the War God, causing the region’s beliefs to gradually deviate from the control the Church of Light had hoped to maintain.

The arrival of Hoffman and Renta deepened Komer’s expectations for the situation in the Empire’s North. Important figures from the Church of Light had undoubtedly intervened in this subversive action against the kingdom’s ruling authority, and the knowledgeable in the Central Kingdom must have noticed this. However, they now dare not show the slightest hint of being informed, only able to redirect all their hatred toward the beastmen and the Four Great Lords. The Church of Light would likely not allow the beastmen to continue their ravages. Otherwise, it would exceed the baseline agreements reached with the beastmen. If that situation arose, the Church of Light would likely rally the Four Great Lords and even other countries of the Northern Alliance to launch a counteroffensive against the beastmen, and now was an exceedingly delicate period of calm.

The Church of Light was secretly communicating with the beastmen, while the Four Great Lords, clearly frightened by the beastmen’s ferocious onslaught, were certainly putting pressure on the Church of Light on the one hand, and on the other, actively preparing for the worst-case scenario. Komer could even guess that Philip, who had always hoped to watch a fight from the sidelines, now possibly regretted using this opportunity to launch an attack on Leon. If he returned in triumph, well and good, but a failed campaign would shake his position, especially at a time when the public’s concern about the beastmen was growing.

The Central Kingdom could now only gather forces like itself as much as possible to demonstrate the kingdom’s unity, using all means at its disposal as a provisional measure. Once a compromise was reached between the beastmen and the Church of Light, the kingdom must still rely on its own strength to ensure its security.

And what now were the beastmen contemplating?

Shami Taegor sat quietly in the center of the tent, composed despite having seized many fortresses. For the beastmen, they would never wish to see these formidable defensive structures that could inflict great harm on their warriors remain; every city fortress was without exception completely dismantled. Although the Fox tribe queen, Christine, had modest objections to this protective measure taken by the beastmen, even raising opposition at one point, no one wanted to live in these cold and inconvenient stone houses. Apart from destruction, there seemed to be no other choice. In the end, it was the diligent Cow Tribe soldiers who toppled and shattered these houses one by one.