Chapter 20: Allies

Satisfied with her inspection of the Cordillera Wasteland, Kakiya knew that Komer had held several secret meetings with the three leaders of the Trija tribe without her knowledge. Though she wasn’t aware of the details of those talks, she could imagine they involved some kind of deals. Since Komer was so confident in his ability to control the Trija tribe, Kakiya had no objection to supporting a closer alliance between the Caucasus and Leon with those barbarians. She needed this force—this mixed group of dispossessed lower nobles, filthy half-orcs, rude barbarians, indigenous people from the borderlands, and numerous landless immigrants—gradually becoming her backing. If they continued to develop in this direction, she would indeed need to consider how to utilize this force more effectively for her own purposes.

Of course, her opponent wasn’t easy to deal with either. Greed and cunning ran through that minor noble’s veins. Dealing with him might not be any easier than dealing with her half-brother rival. But Kakiya felt there were more common interests between them. If given sufficient benefits, he might willingly join forces with her. Just the Zek Valley might not satisfy his ambitions, but that was fine—without ambition, there was no basis for cooperation. She wasn’t afraid of his high demands; she was afraid he wouldn’t be greedy enough. In this regard, Kakiya was quite confident in her tactics.

Kakiya’s trip to the Caucasus was brief. After returning to Ugru, she set off back to Mainz almost immediately, clearly trying to avoid Lenta from tracking her movements, at least preventing Jazair from knowing the exact purpose of her trip to the Caucasus. Before leaving, Kakiya finally warned Komer not to get too entangled with forces outside the Light Church. As the status of the Caucasus and Leon grew, the Light Church, which had previously dismissed this region, began to realize it was no longer the remote wasteland it once was. Now, not only did the Tribunal doubt various matters in this land, but the other two major powers within the Church were also paying attention. Though it was still a general level of interest, it was enough to prove that this land was no longer completely ignored.

Kagiyaa’s words were subtle and indirect, but Komer could tell that she seemed unconcerned about whether he had any ties to those so-called non-Order forces. However, she wanted him to avoid losing more by making small mistakes and not giving the Church of Light any leverage at such a critical moment. Komer also sensed that her attitude toward the Church of Light was somewhat similar to his own toward the Great Secret Cult—neither hostile nor close, but rather based on a desire to utilize each other. If it benefited them, they would work together; if there was no gain, they would maintain polite respect; if it threatened their interests, they would try to contain or eliminate it. Komer had to admit that, from certain perspectives, Kagiyaa had many similarities to him.

He never expected Kagiyaa to have such a hidden and strong influence within the Church of Light, to the point of knowing that he had been identified as a top target for surveillance in the Church of Light’s diocese in the Kingdom of Nicosia. Apart from the rising power of the Caucasus and Leon, it was likely that his own resistance and aversion toward the Church of Light had been inadvertently revealed in his daily actions. He had underestimated Beran and Kustav—thinking that his small favors could deceive them and keep them quiet, only for them to turn against him in the end. At this thought, Komer felt annoyed.

Perhaps it was time to deal a blow to those in the Great Secret Cult. In relatively remote areas like Bahomun, Santiago, and Izmel, Komer was well aware that the cult was secretly recruiting followers. Though their actions were subtle, they didn’t escape his notice. As a staunch atheist, Mahagumi had reported to him many times about the cult’s activities in those places.

Even a dark force from the central regions, thethe Mingke Club, had established a foothold at Fortress Bruce. It was said that thisthe Mingke Club was also intricately linked to the Great Secret Cult. Although they hadn’t shown any particular actions yet, it was enough to raise his alertness. This meant that many people saw their controlled territories as havens for spreading their own beliefs and doctrines—a not-so-optimistic sign. It also indicated that the Church of Light would pay increasing attention to the spread of non-Order ideologies in his territories, possibly even intervening. For now, Komer didn’t want his lands to turn into that kind of place.

Kagiyaa had agreed to help coordinate matters with the Church of Light, but she also reminded him that he was powerless against the Tribunal. She seriously warned him not to underestimate the Tribunal’s capabilities. Komer’s unease seemed to deepen after her words. In fact, ever since Karu and Boriz left, Reno had felt an indescribable worry, though he couldn’t find any concrete evidence to support it. Their actions had been too smooth, with almost no obstacles. Although he had done his job well in every aspect, as the saying goes, great fame comes with great responsibility. Reno still wasn’t convinced that the Tribunal had truly resolved everything and left peacefully.

Kagiyaa’s reminders and warnings further deepened Komer’s doubts about this issue, but at present, he was at a loss for a solution.

The proud, arrogant, and stubborn Tribunal was completely independent of this world; even the Church of Light found it difficult to exert much influence over it. It was this aloof and powerful group that gave it its unique status. To a large extent, it served as the unseen counterpart to the Church of Light, which presented itself to the world as kind, holy, tolerant, and loving. Methods and acts of cruelty such as burnings, hangings, floggings, and imprisonment were hard to believe when associated with the shrine of the God of Light.

“Evidence, evidence, Karu. I must remind you—we need solid evidence. Everything you say is nothing but subjective speculation and inference, full of absurdity and strangeness. In fact, I can’t find anything credible in your words. Or should I say I’m accusing you of spreading fear?” He shook his head exaggeratedly. His disheveled long hair and messy beard made it hard to believe he was the renowned vice-leader of the Tribunal, Lorenzo—a radical skeptic who doubted everything, even whether he was the son of his mother and a Church of Light priest.

Karu and Boriz’s arrival was rather unfortunate. The two giants of the Tribunal had just finished their penance in the meditation room. Under such circumstances, trying to avoid this crazy skeptic could only lead to even more doubts on his part.

“Uh, Lord Lorenzo, we have already presented our reasons. We believe at least one thing is certain: that little lord of the Caucasus has dark tendencies, and his territory is filled with all sorts of vile things. Although we haven’t found conclusive evidence linking him to dark forces, the pervasive atmosphere of decadence, negativity, and recklessness there is undoubtedly the perfect breeding ground for such forces. We’ve spoken with the priest Beran and the minister Kustav who are preaching there, and according to their accounts, that little lord shows no necessary respect for the Light Church. In such a suffocating environment, the Light Church simply cannot survive…”

Before the indignant Boriz could finish speaking, the plump old man with fluffy white hair interrupted him immediately: “Boriz, your task is to verify the reality of the spread of dark forces, not to investigate the survival and development of the Light Church there. How the Light Church is doing there is not our responsibility or duty—that’s something for Frunest and Vazinki to worry about. The incompetence and ineptitude of those missionaries have nothing to do with us. We don’t want to, nor should we, get involved. We just need to figure out a few things: whether dark forces have taken root there and what the actual situation is. If you haven’t taken action, is it because you lack strength or because the situation is already clear? Do we need the Tribunal to deploy other forces to deal with this?”

His domineering presence almost instantly pushed Lorenzo’s views aside. With plain, unremarkable eyes on his plump face and ordinary priestly attire, aside from the authority staff behind his chair, there was hardly any sign suggesting he was the top leader of the Tribunal. This was Archbishop Noyora, the most powerful figure in the Tribunal.

“Noyora, I object to your preconceived views. Based on what those two have said, their trip is purely a waste of time. Your attitude only encourages their lax behavior. I’m very worried about the huge losses our judges might suffer if they all adopt such an attitude.” Glancing at him disapprovingly, Lorenzo paid no mind to his colleague’s aggressive stance—upholding the truth was the premise and foundation of this group.

“Lorenzo, don’t be so pessimistic. We should have enough trust in our judges. We cannot tolerate the existence of dark forces, especially not in Nicosia. We must take precautions; as long as such forces exist, we must eradicate them completely without mercy. The reason why the darkness and heresies in the south are so rampant now is due to the excessive tolerance and kindness of our court and the church. We must not make the same mistakes again.” Nojora was already accustomed to his colleagues’ attitude.