Chapter 21: The Secret Alliance

“It’s here.” Following Komer’s gaze, a plain four-wheeled carriage slowly approached the count’s manor. The winged horse emblem clearly displayed on the carriage door was the exclusive symbol of the Rosenberg royal family. Komer stepped forward with steady strides.

Thomas was in a bad mood. Even his own sister could tell that their brother seemed to have lost the competition against Hoffman. It seemed Tracy preferred Prince Hoffman even more. His gloomy mood directly affected his enthusiasm. He hadn’t wanted to attend this unimportant ball, but the thought of Tracy appearing there and his own need to return to Jazair the next day to start his journey home made him accept the invitation despite himself. Though he knew Hoffman would be by Tracy’s side, he still wanted to see the angel in his heart once more.

“Your Highness Thomas, Your Highness Dou Lvtai, it’s a pleasure to see you.” Seeing the servants open the carriage door and a man and a woman step out, Komer greeted them with a smile.

“You? Baron Komer? You’re here for the ball too?” The prince, with a gloomy expression, raised his eyebrows and asked rudely. Had even such a lowly noble been invited? If he had known this, he should have given up from the start.

“No, no, you misunderstand. People like me certainly can’t attend such high-society events. I just heard that Your Highness is setting off for home tomorrow, so I wanted to give you a small gift.” Komer could see the contempt in the prince’s eyes, but Princess Dou Lvtai beside him and another middle-aged man who resembled a butler finally turned their attention to him for the first time.

“A gift?” Thomas was astonished. For the first time, he looked at Komer directly, his face filled with confusion. “Baron Komer, I think you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Prince Hoffman. You should be looking for him.” How could a baron from the remote lands bordering the Kingdom of Nicosia give a gift to him instead of to Hoffman, who was considered the representative of their king? Thomas simply couldn’t understand it.

“Hehe, Your Highness. Do you really think I’d mistake my gift recipient?” Komer smiled and shook his head. “A gift is meant for someone who knows how to appreciate it.” With that, he handed the crossbow delivered by Pube behind him to the still puzzled Prince Thomas.

Shrugging his shoulders, he saw that the other party was determined, and he didn’t want to refuse. Yet he couldn’t imagine what gift they might give him. He casually took the wooden box. As soon as it came into his hands, Thomas immediately sensed its extraordinary nature. Huh, it was made of Shachen wood, and the surface was inscribed with spells in Silver Stone script. Although Thomas wasn’t a magician or sorcerer, as a member of the Rosenberg royal family, he had been exposed to quite a bit of knowledge about magic. He considered himself at the level of a magic scholar. At a glance, he could tell of the splendor and refinement of this crossbow-like device.

Shachen wood wasn’t particularly rare—it was one of the best materials for storing magical elements. This meant the contents inside must be related to magic. The spells inscribed in Silver Stone script seemed to be protective, designed to shield the items inside from external magical forces. There was a small hole at the top front of the box, which resembled that of a crossbow arrow—a box-crossbow.

The moment he took it in his hands, Thomas’s attention was completely captivated by it. Various analyses and judgments flashed through his mind. The simple design of the wooden box and its slightly rounded edges indicated that it had been around for some time. It seemed to be a weapon—more precisely, a hidden weapon. By gently pressing a button on the left side of the box, it automatically opened, revealing a well-organized set of springs and spare arrows.

Thomas’s hands trembled almost uncontrollably as his glowing eyes stared at this exquisitely crafted masterpiece. All he could think of to describe it were the words “harmony” and “perfection.” No, it couldn’t be called a weapon—it should be called a work of art. Calling it a weapon would be a blasphemy, even though it indeed had the functions of a weapon.

The oil-black, shiny springs inside emitted a faint dark glow, radiating endless magical power. Clearly, they were made of magic metal. A slight touch with one’s finger could feel its magical energy. Just from these resilient springs, Thomas knew that it wasn’t something ordinary people could afford. Not to mention how difficult it was to obtain and smelt magic metal—even if it were smelted into shape, very few people in the entire continent could craft springs with such strong elasticity.

It’s not a matter of money; processing demon metal is also a challenge on the continent. At least no mortal family can do it—only a very few master craftsmen among the dwarves are capable. And dwarves are notoriously difficult to deal with. Asking them to spend great effort crafting an item would likely be far harder than hunting for treasures at an auction, as there are still quite a number of fine items available in the world.

The arrow shafts are made of Tianyang wood, which isn’t particularly unusual. Though rare, it can be purchased. However, the arrowheads being made of Fire Gold is somewhat innovative. Combining Fire Gold with Tianyang wood effectively also requires considerable effort. The arrow feathers aren’t ordinary either. Wind Chime Birds, known as the divine birds of the wind, are rare on the continent, only occasionally seen in some of the southern primeval forests. They fly like the wind, build their nests deep in cliffs, and are extremely difficult to catch. Using their feathers as arrowheads can indeed increase the speed of the arrows, but it feels like a waste, as these mythical birds are truly scarce.

Seeing such a fine piece, Thomas almost forgot the purpose of his visit that night. He was too absorbed in admiring the item in his hands, even ignoring Comer, who had brought it to him. It wasn’t until the girl beside him gently touched him that Thomas snapped out of his reverie.

Once back to his senses, Thomas immediately regained the composure befitting a prince. The item in his hands truly suited his taste. Though he calmly returned it to Comer, Comer easily read the lingering interest in Thomas’s eyes.

“Hmm, to be fair, it’s a fine piece. But I can’t accept it,” Thomas said, having fully regained his usual demeanor. “If Baron Comer is willing to part with it, I might be interested.”

“Heh, Your Highness seems to doubt my motives? Comer isn’t a merchant; he’s merely offering this as a token of friendship,” Comer replied with a raised eyebrow. “If Your Highness can’t even trust that, then Comer has nothing more to say.”

Taking the box back from him, Comer bowed slightly and politely said, “Then Comer won’t disturb Your Highness any longer.”

“Baron Comer, please wait a moment.” The middle-aged man, who knew his master’s preferences well, smiled and called out to the three who were about to leave. “Baron, please wait. My prince simply wants to know why you would give him such a valuable gift.”

As Komer was about to explain, the girl with eyes as clear as water also said coldly, “Lord Baron, I don’t want to hide it—my brother really likes this item, but we won’t accept gifts from others without reason. If you can explain the reason, I think we’d all be very willing to hear it.”
Although Thomas and the others were puzzled, they didn’t doubt the origin of this crossbow case. After all, Komer was also a noble, one who had just been granted territory—though it was somewhat remote and desolate. They were more concerned that he might have ulterior motives in trying to bribe them.
Komer was certainly aware of their doubts. As an important figure in the kingdom, he must always prioritize national interests first. No matter how much he liked this item, he wouldn’t act irrationally and incur unnecessary losses. If he didn’t give them a reasonable explanation, his hasty visit would likely fail completely.
“I understand Your Highness’s concerns. Though I, Komer, may be foolish, I wouldn’t do anything despicable just because a gift has been given.” After a pause, seeing the gazes of the three of them fixed on him, Komer forced a smile and said, “Your Highness probably knows that I was granted the region of Caucasus by the Grand Duke. It’s a remote and harsh place, with only a few thousand inhabitants. Food is the main problem, and transportation from north to south is extremely difficult. Only the Catania River runs through Caucasus. Pirates are rampant in the seas to the east, making it too risky to import food by sea. The only best route is through your country upstream. That’s why I dare to ask Your Highness to help facilitate this if conditions permit.” Komer’s expression remained calm as he openly revealed his intentions. There was no need to lie in front of real people. To gain their trust, telling the truth was the simplest way under these circumstances.
Before Thomas could respond, the girl’s expression changed as her eyes flickered. “Lord Baron, it seems you’ve forgotten what the middle section of the Catania River is like?”
“No, Your Highness. Of course I know. But I think it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. What I mean is, if I can solve that problem, I wonder if Your Highness would agree to our request earlier.” Komer’s expression stayed calm, showing no signs of disturbance.

They exchanged glances; both Thomas and Dou Lvtai were shocked by Komer’s idea. This swampy area had always been the domain of the Jellyfish People, a race separate from the mortal world. Their unique physical traits allowed them to live in aquatic environments for long periods, with swampy regions being their ideal habitats. The Greater Swamp, including the middle section of the Catalonia River, was exactly their territory. They particularly hated outsiders invading their domain. For centuries, the Duchy of Rosenberg had tried to open up this waterway to gain a valuable strategic transportation route, but without success. The Jellyfish People, who moved effortlessly through water and were extremely xenophobic, refused even to meet envoys sent by Rosenberg. Every warship that tried to force its way through was inevitably destroyed in the Catalonia River. It was extremely difficult for Rosenberg’s navy to compete with the Jellyfish People, who had lived in the water for so long.

Thomas’s attention, which had been on the crossbow earlier, was now fully drawn to what Komer said: “Wait, Baron, you just said you can solve the problem of the Jellyfish People and make the Catalonia River navigable?”

“No, Your Highness. Solving the problem of the Jellyfish People isn’t that simple. Your country has tried every means yet failed, hasn’t it? I only have some ideas. If I happen to gain their consent, would Your Highness still agree to my request?” Komer finally smiled. He shook his head to deny the other party’s claim but still stubbornly persisted with his request.

Slightly disappointed, Thomas withdrew his gaze. He thought it probably couldn’t be that simple and turned his attention back to the wooden box in Komer’s hands. “Hmm, if Baron really can solve this problem, not to mention importing grain from our Rosenberg, we can discuss any other conditions. I doubt anyone else can do it.”

“Then, Your Highness, let’s make a deal. If such a day ever comes, I hope you’ll remember today’s promise. That’s all I ask. This magic crossbow is a waste for me; I’m not very interested in such things. I heard you have a keen interest in them, so I wanted to give it to you as a small gift for visiting Sepulus. That’s all.” Komer smiled again and handed over the crossbow.