Chapter 22: Crisis

Although the bar in Vansell wasn’t much different in atmosphere from bars elsewhere, Komer couldn’t deny that in terms of taste, the bars in the capital were indeed superior to any he had visited before, including Cyprus. The spacious corridors were somewhat dim due to the lighting, with several vaguely colored oil paintings casually hung there. The corridor railings were made of dark yellow camphor wood. Walking along the corridor into the bar hall, an S-shaped bar counter formed a beautiful arc around the hall. Several bartenders were diligently cleaning the utensils. Under the flickering candlelight, shadows danced and reflections glimmered, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.

Since it was still early, Komer and Kafli sat facing each other. There were few people in the spacious hall, providing them with a quiet environment to discuss the tricky task assigned to them by Sir Teyz. Leaning against the entrance was likely a bard, whose ancient harp produced melodies of ever-changing tones—sometimes like a stream bursting from a valley and rushing across the plains, sometimes mournful and whispering like a brook winding through ravines, and sometimes passionate and intense, as if warriors were charging forth with swords drawn.

While enjoying the bard’s improvisation, Komer and Kafli had to confront the difficult problem handed to them by the chief administrator.

“Lord Baron, do you really intend to take on this task? Eight hundred thousand people—Caucasus simply can’t handle that. Both you and I know that.” Kafli sighed. He naturally understood the significance of Sir Teyz’s request, and since it had been voiced, there was no room for negotiation.

“Kafli, it might be more than eight hundred thousand. Sir Teyz hopes I’ll accept one million. The question now isn’t whether to take it on or not, but how to do so.” Komer smiled slightly. “Some people already want to see me fail in bringing in these laborers. Not everyone wants Caucasus to take in so many people.”

Kafli immediately became alert. “Oh? Is it Duke Philip?”

“He didn’t name him, but I can sense it.” Komer clearly didn’t want to discuss it further. “You’d better think of ways to deal with this.”

“If things are put that way, we have no choice but to take things one step at a time. You must send a messenger back right away to have your administrative officer prepare enough tents and food. By spring, even if you have money, you might not be able to buy food. Besides, once this news spreads, the price of food in Bosun and Bruce’s areas will surely rise, so we need to act quickly.” Kafli pondered. “If, as Sir Taze says, the three kingdoms can provide some subsidies, then my lord might as well take a chance. As long as we get through next spring, things will be much better. But the final decision still lies with you. Personally, I’m not too in favor of it.”
“There’s no turning back once we start. Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to go along.” Komer nodded heavily, gritting his teeth.
Along with the sound of footsteps, an uneasy feeling came from behind. Komer tried hard not to turn around, but saw a warm smile on Kafli’s face. “Mr. Melon, do you also have time to come and sit here?”
“Oh, it’s Mr. Kafli. Long time no see. What brings you to Versailles on business?” A cheerful voice greeted them. “And who is this…?”
“Hehe, this is Baron Komer of the Caucasus. He’s now my partner. Baron, this is Mr. Melon, a court mage of the kingdom and also the official mage of the Kingdom’s Fire Shadow Knights.” Kafli introduced them enthusiastically.
In fact, the moment the other person entered the bar, Komer had already sensed the strong magical aura they carried—a distinctive aura that mages couldn’t hide, but only mages could perceive. It caused Komer to feel uneasy. Without having to guess, he knew the other person practiced light magic, as only such an aura could cause the dark magic hidden deep within him to fluctuate violently. He also knew the other person must have noticed this as well.
Since leaving seclusion, Komer had found that his abilities in every aspect had improved dramatically, even in martial arts, which he had not been good at before.

Komer wasn’t interested in martial arts, but during his training in magic under his teacher, the teacher required him to learn essential martial skills to maintain good physical condition. Later, Komer found that the martial arts knowledge taught by his teacher became increasingly advanced, far beyond the mere purpose of strengthening the body. At that point, the teacher only demanded that he memorize everything by rote and warned him that every piece of knowledge and skill was useful—many things might not seem useful in ordinary situations, but they often proved surprisingly useful at critical moments.

Thus, Komer vaguely devoted some time to practicing martial arts while continuing to train in magic. He also noticed that his teacher’s martial arts skills were only at a level comparable to his own, and the subsequent knowledge was simply what the teacher instinctively taught based on what he knew. When Komer asked about this, the teacher shook his head and remained silent.

After ending his seclusion, Komer discovered that his progress in martial arts was also extraordinary. Even his initial level of combat energy began to take shape. Although it hadn’t yet reached the stage of true refinement, Komer believed that at this rate, he had a high chance of successfully mastering combat energy. However, he didn’t focus his main efforts on this, as aside from training his mental strength for magic, the numerous trivial tasks consumed all his energy during that time.

While training his mental strength for magic, Komer also found that his improvement in elemental magic skills lagged far behind that in dark and necromantic magic. Even when occasionally practicing martial arts, he noticed a tendency for his combat energy to shift toward a dark nature.

Although Komer wasn’t averse to dark-themed magic, such magic was still subject to prejudice and discrimination on the Continent of Azure. He didn’t want people to see him as a dark-themed magician, especially since the Holy Church of Light continued to tirelessly search for him. Komer was certain this had a lot to do with the crystal he carried. He even suspected that the crystal itself was originally a dark-themed divine artifact, though he couldn’t uncover its history or origin.

However, the surge in dark magic energy also revealed a drawback for Komer: he had to spend more time cultivating his control over this kind of magic. Otherwise, this magic energy, which seemed to originate from the outside world, lingering within him always gave Komer a sense of uncontrollability. It might be better in the Caucasus, as none of the people around him had much in-depth knowledge of magic. But once outside, Komer had to be extremely cautious to prevent others of his kind from discovering his secrets.

No matter how carefully Komer tried to conceal himself, he never expected to encounter a light magic practitioner in a bar, at a time when he was most relaxed—moreover, a court mage. Due to the attraction and repulsion between magic energies, Komer was sure the other party must be filled with surprise and wariness. Perhaps it was because of his unique identity that the other party hesitated to judge his intentions. But Komer believed that these light mages, who always liked to get to the bottom of things, would not let him go, especially since he was already a suspect in the eyes of the Light Church.

Though his heart was tumultuous, Komer’s face remained calm as water. He stood up gracefully and shook hands with the other party.