The Vastness of Magical Destiny

If Zellin could provide his own Mage Corps, that would be fantastic. Philip’s face shifted between shades of darkness and light. Perhaps he should personally visit Gutenberg to see what exactly Zellin was thinking, or even pay another visit to Ferdinand to permanently eliminate the nuisance to the south. This thought emerged in Philip’s mind and refused to leave. Even if the cost seemed somewhat high at the moment, it would be worth it; if he allowed that man to continue unchecked, there might come a day when he himself would become the man’s prisoner.

At that thought, Philip couldn’t help but shiver. The idea of becoming someone whom the other party could ridicule at will was unbearable. He would rather make concessions to both Zellin and Ferdinand than accept such a possibility. Just thinking about the greedy face of someone in the Ferdinand family made Philip feel depressed. Did he really have to take that step?

Indecisive, Philip couldn’t make up his mind until the sound of approaching footsteps behind him snapped his thoughts back to reality.

"Father, did you call for me?" The once charming voice now irritated Philip. Without turning around, he responded in a deep voice, "What did Hoffman say?"

"He agreed to help us, but he also spoke of his difficulties. The Church of Light has yet to declare their position clearly, so the remaining power of the Royal Court Magicians seems somewhat weak. The unrest to the southwest keeps simmering, so..." Tracy said timidly. She could tell that her father was in a bad mood. Ever since that secretive pirate had visited, her father’s temper had been on edge, often erupting into inexplicable fury. Several attendants had been whipped, and the Administrative Officers tried to avoid reporting to him as much as possible. This was not a good sign.

"Hmph, what trouble can those in the southwest really cause? People from the Romanov family are all cowardly braggarts with limited ability, and Hoffman is a short-sighted fool. Can’t he see that without our support, he is nothing?!" Philip said thoughtlessly, his disdain evident on his face. "Go to Godeburg immediately and tell Hoffman that he must send the Royal Court Magicians to me. I need those mages! You make sure to tell him clearly that if he can’t do this, he can forget about Homer’s support, and I will choose Katya!"

Tracy was startled. Her father seemed to have lost his composure, using such language to provoke Hoffman, completely devoid of his usual pretense of dignity and arrogance. This would cause trouble. Hoffman was unlikely to agree to such an almost threatening demand. Now, with Katya stirring up trouble to the southwest and the Church of Light overwhelmed with their own issues, how could Hoffman dare to part with the Mage Corps so easily?

"Father, I’m afraid I can’t do it; Hoffman won’t listen to me," Tracy shook her head. Instead of making a meaningless attempt, it was better to accept reality sooner.