The Vastness of Magical Destiny-Chapter 200 - 4 Burning with Jealousy

Chapter 200: Chapter 4: Burning with Jealousy

Chapter 200 -4: Burning with Jealousy

The situation within the kingdom seems to be growing more tense with each passing day. Recently, news from Jazair revealed that the Minister of Internal Affairs publicly criticized the Dukes of Galle and Homer for neglecting to share the kingdom’s concerns. Instead, they unabashedly bolstered the military strength within their own territories, evidently harboring disloyal intentions, triggering serious discontent in the Galle and Homer regions.

Although the Kingdom’s Privy Council later intervened to mediate, the central government’s stance has become increasingly tough, especially the Finance Minister’s insistence on strict implementation of the “Utrecht Decree” in both the Galle and Homer regions.

Duke Galle publicly stated that the “Utrecht Decree” was not suitable for the Galle region and couldn’t be implemented in the near term, which led to another crisis between the central government and Galle. Duke Homer Philip initially took an ambiguous stance, but in the end, he decisively sided with Galle, escalating the crisis further.

To prevent the already volatile situation within the kingdom from worsening, it was then that Prince Hoffman and Princess Renta were sent on a diplomatic mission to Cyprus, and Princess Katya to Gutenberg. Their missions aimed to ease the standoff between Jazair and the two regions, but whether they would be effective was uncertain to everyone.

From the behavior of the few individuals yesterday, Komer had already concluded that the engagement between Hoffman and Tracy was on the brink of collapse. Despite maintaining a facade of customary politeness and restraint, the mutual wariness behind their backs was already proof enough. A mere engagement contract could not sustain the deteriorating relationship between the kingdom and Homer, forcing both of them to confront the storm of family interests.

On the surface, the visit by the two members of the Royal Family, Hoffman and Renta, appeared to be nothing more than a simple diplomatic affair. Even in their conversations, they seemed more interested in the exotic beauty of Caucasus than anything else. However, Komer was convinced that there was a deeper purpose to their presence, which they had not yet found the right moment to discuss with him, especially during a time when the situation in the Leon region was so unstable and bordering on losing control.

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Princess Tracy, constantly at their side, seemed to take on more of a supervisory role. Perhaps Hoffman and Renta were aware of this, but as the daughter of the nominal Great Lord of Caucasus, they couldn’t afford to dismiss her outright and engage with Komer directly.

“Your Highness is too kind. The conditions in Caucasus are poor; we are only at the beginning stages. Furthermore, the residents here, aside from the new immigrants, mostly comprise other ethnic groups from the surrounding regions, who differ in many ways from the predominantly mortal new immigrants. Ensuring peaceful coexistence is a long road ahead. But Komer believes that with the support of His Majesty the King and Your Grace, Caucasus will gradually prosper, and is willing to shoulder more responsibilities for the kingdom as necessary,” Komer said with a smile, politely uttering a heap of platitudes devoid of any substantial meaning.

“Haha, Your baron, you are too modest. We are well aware of the original state of Caucasus. To achieve such earth-shaking changes in such a short period, who could ignore Your baron’s abilities and talents? The kingdom sincerely hopes for rapid development in Caucasus, as it represents the farthest southern extent of the kingdom’s territory. Not only is this region ethnically diverse, but it is also inevitably at odds with the Barbarians, with whom we mortals have been in perennial conflict. We hope Your baron can properly manage the relations with the Barbarians and prevent unnecessary conflicts from arising. Such heavy responsibilities will continue to depend on Your baron alone,” Hoffman said, uttering a long string of magniloquent diplomatic phrases, but finally touched upon some substantive issues.

The Barbarians have always been a thorn in the side of the kingdom. Fortunately, they reside in the distant south, separated by several natural barriers, so the kingdom does not overly worry about this issue. It merely hopes that Caucasus can serve as a barrier against any potential dangers.

“Rest assured, Your Highness, the south has always been a focal point for Komer. I have a grasp on the temperament of the Barbarians. The lack of food on the Cordillera Wilderness is the Barbarians’ Achilles’ heel; as long as we control this lifeline, the Barbarians are not too difficult to handle. Yet, Caucasus is not a grain-producing land, and even meeting the needs of local residents is difficult. If we also have to care for the Barbarians, I fear we won’t manage. Should a disaster year occur with no food source, the unrest caused by the Barbarians would be hard to quell. Recently for some unknown reason, the surrounding regions – which supply food to the south – have seen their grain tax rates doubled by the Duke, leaving the Caucasus people utterly unable to afford such food prices. Let alone the Barbarians. If this continues, there will undoubtedly be trouble. I hope Princess Tracy can relay my concerns to the Duke on my behalf, and it would be best to revert to the original tax rate. I also implore both Your Highnesses to mediate in this matter, for which Komer would be deeply grateful,” Komer stated.

Since the issue of the Barbarians was raised, Komer subtly wrapped Philip into the discussion, indicating to the three that restricting food would not harm Caucasus but might instead provoke unrest among the Barbarians due to the food shortage. Of course, perhaps that was the outcome Philip desired — one that would harm Caucasus and not the other regions of Homer Province.

Tracy, Hoffman, and Renta each had a different reaction. Tracy, with a suppressed smile, feigned agreement to convey the message back to her father, but Hoffman and Renta were already aware of the underlying danger.