Chapter 9: Coercion and Temptation (3)

“Mr. Hess, what do you think of this big tree?” Komer suddenly stopped and pointed at a lush evergreen tree about ten meters away.
Ignoring Komer’s question, Hess followed his gaze and said, “Oh, that’s a tree species unique to the Caucasus—Waterwood.”
“Is that so?” Komer wore a strange smile as he casually raised his finger and snapped it. “To me, it looks more like a piece of charcoal.”
“Huh?” Hess’s expression changed abruptly. He noticed the strange grip in Komer’s hand—it was clearly a unique magical gesture. Before he could react, something strange happened: a purple-black glow appeared between Komer’s fingers. With a soft “pop,” the glow transformed into a glowing sphere that shot straight toward the tree and silently embedded itself in it.
Hess glanced at him in surprise. The other man clearly wanted to show off, but why was there no reaction? He could already feel an unusual surge of magic in the air—clearly a sign that a magician was at work. Could it be a failed performance? Before he could take his eyes away, he heard a muffled sound. The brown bark of the Waterwood suddenly exploded, turning into massive purple-black flames that scattered everywhere. Countless sparks and fireballs, along with burning wood fragments, formed a huge mushroom cloud that rained down across an area of about ten meters.
Stunned, Hess stood there speechless. What was this? Was it some kind of illusion? The old adventurer rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he saw. If it weren’t for the burnt smell coming from the burning branches, he would have thought he was watching a circus act in his dream.
The sudden burning and explosion of the Waterwood scared the birds in the forest. A red-bellied pheasant flew past them. Komer raised his hand again, not even bothering to make a gesture this time. With a motion, the pheasant fell to the ground. When Hess picked it up, he realized it had already frozen into ice, its eyes still open.

Gasping in shock, Hes couldn’t help but tremble all over. It was utterly unbelievable—just moments ago he had performed fire magic, and now, without even reciting a spell, he had used ice magic to freeze a living pheasant into an ice bird. Hes had no idea how much magical energy was required for such a transformation. Though he was an experienced adventurer, he only knew a few simple spells that didn’t require advanced magical knowledge. He had never heard of, let alone seen, high-level magic like the one Kommer performed effortlessly, without even uttering a spell, with such tremendous power.

The sheer shock left Hes standing there in silence, his mind utterly stunned. He couldn’t understand how a noble like Kommer could be such a bizarre magician. With a casual clap of his hands, Kommer turned to the old adventurer with a smile and said, “Well? Mr. Hes, you surely don’t think we flew here from Cyprus to the Caucasus, do you? We’ve encountered many interesting things along the way, which has greatly broadened my horizons. There’s no need for me to say more.”

Hes’s spirit was completely shattered. He never expected the lord standing before him to be a high-level magician. He wasn’t sure if he could even be called a great magician, but his skill level was definitely beyond that of an ordinary magician, let alone someone who could be encountered commonly. In Hes’s eyes, Kommer’s smile even resembled the satisfied grin of a demon before striking its prey, sending chills down his spine.

After a long silence, Hes seemed to be pondering some difficult decisions. Kommer, in turn, became quite patient. He even sat down with interest, pulled up some grass from the ground, and began chewing it carefully, savoring its taste.

“Lord, I’m very curious about your plans for the future of our region in the Caucasus. Although you’ve shown extraordinary strength, there are still many problems in the Caucasus that cannot be solved by one person alone. If you could provide a good and reasonable plan, I believe it would be easier for you to gain the support of the people in this region. Of course, before that, it would be ideal if the people here, including me, could see you living safely in Damansky Castle.” Hes raised his head again, regaining confidence and humility, but his words were clear: if he wanted to earn the respect and support of the people in the region, Damansky Castle as the lord’s fortress was an issue that couldn’t be ignored.

“Mr. Hess makes a good point. I think we can find common ground, as we share a common goal: to create a better future for the Caucasus. As for your suggestion, I’ll consider it. Damorensk Castle? It’s my castle, my symbol of status. I believe it won’t be long before I hold a banquet there for you all.” Komer’s elegant noble demeanor made him appear even more graceful, his warm smile so radiant that Hess could hardly believe he was the same person who had casually wielded magic just moments earlier. This contrast in status and appearance stirred faint concerns in Hess’s already quiet mind.

As days passed, the new lord was rarely seen after his initial appearance on the streets in the first few days. In his place were his administrator and treasurer, Puber, as well as the head of his personal guard and instructor, Ilot and Fran. Puber had devoted himself entirely to clearing out all the population, property, and minerals in the territory. The mines with expiring mining licenses filled him with joy. Through this time of interaction, many people no longer treated the new lord and his entourage with indifference or hostility, as their behavior was much better than what had been rumored before.

The old, dilapidated farm was quickly restored thanks to Puber’s funding and the efforts of the half-orc soldiers. Located east of Ugru Town, the farm was quite large. In addition to a series of houses, it also had a large, strip-shaped birch forest. Bushes grew around the forest, and a small wooden cabin stood alone at the edge—originally the residence of the forest guardian, but now used by Komer as his meditation room.

With Puber, Ilot, and Fran handling daily affairs, Komer could focus on figuring out how to develop his territory. Hess was right—it would be difficult to win the trust of the people in the entire territory on his own. He couldn’t show everyone his seemingly immense magical powers. He still hadn’t fully mastered the power and memories from that strange crystal, so he set aside time to study in this secluded cabin, aiming to integrate the magical knowledge from his meridians with the extraordinary power of that crystal.