The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Princess Renta’s clever provocations ignited a fire in Duke Philip’s heart that he could scarcely control, even though he knew she was deliberately stoking his anger.

The reason that Komer, the cockroach, has managed to survive so resiliently in such a short amount of time and become increasingly arrogant has much to do with the power represented by this woman. When he blockaded Odessa Port and prohibited food from the kingdom’s inland from entering Caucasus, he almost saw success. But these shortsighted fools used passes issued by the kingdom’s interior ministry to smuggle food into Caucasus on a grand scale. They managed to overcome the most difficult period until the Catania River route opened up and food was no longer an issue. Food merchants from the kingdom’s inland still maintained close contact with Caucasus. Now, they were even using the canals and the Nissai River route to provide Leon with food. And the most important castle fortress and dock on the edge of Greenland Forest he had set up had now become an important hub in the hands of that despicable Komer. Just thinking about this humiliation made Duke Philip feel an impulse to mobilize his entire army and take back Bruce Fortress at all costs.

But that was merely an impulse. Over the years of securely holding the position of Lord Homer, Philip had trained himself to be ruthless and impassionate. Bruce Fortress certainly needed to be reclaimed, but the choosing of the right moment was incredibly important.

"Heh, Homer always needs the kingdom’s support. It’s just that now it seems the kingdom has forgotten the nobles who made great contributions to it. Just look at the situation in Jazair, I can hardly imagine how the kingdom could have fallen to this state, Lady Renta," Unable to suppress the anger in his heart, Duke Philip couldn’t help but sneer at her, "As for Bruce, Homer has its own plans. The temporary success of those lowly ones doesn’t represent anything. I believe it won’t be long before that trash realizes that their lowly bloodline cannot become noble just by ruling over a bunch of Half-Beastmen."

Glancing at him disdainfully, Renta knew that such unrefined words must have been spoken by the enraged master of Homer at his breaking point. The talk of noble bloodlines was complete nonsense. While bloodlines were important, what could you do with a royal lineage if you ended up a street beggar? Traders wouldn’t give you food for free just because you have royal blood. Every year in Jazair, at least ten percent of the homeless who freeze to death on the streets hail from families that were once glorious. And every spring, the Kingdom Star Chamber Court announces the cancellation of numerous noble families that have gone extinct.

If this didn’t make it clear that power was more important than lineage, Renta could only think that his head had been squashed by a door—though clearly, Duke Philip understood this. He was only using these words to belittle his opponent and vent his frustration. Renta hoped so, at least. Otherwise, choosing such a collaborator blinded by hatred would be a real failure.

"Oh, Sir Duke, we would be very pleased to see such a situation, which is why I inquired whether you need help from the kingdom," Katya’s secret dealings with Komer had been confirmed, causing His Highness Prince Hoffman considerable anxiety. The Four Great Lords had all taken a stance of unwillingness to interfere with the Royal Family’s internal affairs. As a result, the voices of the smaller aristocrats became critically important. Of course, these Great Lords weren’t uninterested; they just hoped to place their bets at the last moment. They all wanted to back the winning side. However, Renta believed that among these Great Lords, some weren’t invulnerable. Her mission this time was to seek a more reliable collaborator for Hoffman.

"Help from the kingdom? I wonder, Your Highness, which aspect do you refer to?" Initially, Duke Philip thought it was just a formality, but hearing her repeat the question, he was genuinely surprised. What substantial help could the kingdom possibly provide now? Funds? The kingdom was already financially drained, barely surviving on loans—it was out of the question. An army? Even more wishful thinking. The scattered legions had only just been reformed and faced the unpredictable attitudes of the Northern Beastmen. They wouldn’t dare venture a step away from Jazair and its surrounding fortresses. So what could the kingdom offer?

"I’ve heard that Komer has a group of quite formidable Mage friends. Homer has suffered greatly in this regard. If Homer could strengthen its Mage Power, how could those Half-Beastmen who have never experienced Magic Power possibly withstand an attack from the well-rounded Homer Regular Army?" Renta suggested lightly as she continued to walk along the hillside.