The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Komer fell into deep thought. Now that the central power system of the kingdom had collapsed, it had completely lost the ability to check the Great Aristocracy, Hoffman and Katya had each set up their own camp, opposing each other. The Great Lords had also begun to connect with one another, and their purpose was clear without asking—they too hoped that the kingdom’s chaos would drag on. The longer this situation dragged on, the more the kingdom’s cohesion would dissipate. If this state of affairs continued for several years, the Romanov family would lose all its prestige among the people, and the only ones who could take their place would be the Great Lords, and the sight of numerous duchies reappearing was inevitable.

For Komer, both Katya and Hoffman were nothing more than collaborators, collaborators who could be discarded at any time for the sake of interest. Allies without strength could only occupy such an awkward position, and both Katya and Hoffman wanted to escape this situation desperately. However, this chaotic situation was a good opportunity for himself. Homer had suffered heavy losses in the last two campaigns against him, especially in terms of Mage Corps power, which left Philip unable to rebuild this force in a short period of time. Yet, he had won over the support of Clarence, Sheferley, and several other people, as well as the backing of Mihailovich, Uma, and the Great Mysterium Sect. Now, he had suddenly gained the formidable strength of the Mountain people. With their growth and the enemy’s decline, this was an extremely rare opportunity for a decisive battle.

But at this time, the old fellow Gote began to change sides, starting to cozy up to Philip again, bringing the Heine family into the picture. If Heine family’s reinforcements showed up during Komer’s own battle against Philip, and Gote caused trouble for him from behind, the battle that he was supposed to have absolute control over might undergo subtle changes. It was even possible that the Ferdinand family and Galle’s army would join the fray.

The more Komer thought about it, the more alarmed he became. The rise of Caucasus had already made several Great Lords feel threatened. If he were to take the initiative in challenging Homer, it was hard to say whether they would join in with a cold-hearted attitude. If he hadn’t fully considered all aspects, he might really fall into a predicament.

"Maha Gummi, what do you think the chances are that the other three Great Lords will join hands with Homer?" Komer finally asked after a long contemplation.

"Sir, if we can strike down Homer quickly, such as capturing Cyprus, Odessa, and the Busen Plain, then the other three Great Lords might reconsider the cost and likelihood of success in joining the war and might exhibit more through verbal threats. But once we’re in a stalemate with Homer, their likelihood of joining the war increases, and we might not be able to stop it," Maha Gummi did not draw a definitive conclusion with exact language. He knew his master held a complex mix of forces, and he couldn’t predict what would unfold. He could only make vague inferences based on his understanding of the strength’s configuration.

"Hmm, so you mean that if we go all out to take down Homer, we have a good chance of avoiding war with the other three Great Lords?" Komer mused.

"That’s what I believe, sir. Of course, we could also use other methods to divert the attention of the three Great Lords from Homer, tie up the forces they can mobilize and minimize our risk in this regard," Maha Gummi nodded.