Chapter 3: Inescapable Fate

The fact that the search at Bruce Fortress yielded nothing came as no surprise to Karu and Boriz. The young lord was just as perceptive in this regard as those cunning veterans. He would not allow himself to be manipulated in this strategic stronghold of the Caucasus and Leon, and Karu and Boriz had long been prepared for that.

However, the influx of adventurer teams here truly surprised them. It was only after learning about the rumor of the Nature Goddess’s treasure that they understood what was going on. Though they didn’t know the exact details, Karu’s intuition told him that this absurd treasure story must be related to the young lord. After all, the Divine Ring of Essence was indeed in the hands of Princess Galleviro, and it had been confirmed by Monsieur Mondel, the chief mage of the Gallevi Mage Corps. The Divine Ring of Tianmiao in the young lord’s possession was also a legendary masterpiece of water magic. All these undeniable pieces of evidence confirmed the existence of the Nature Goddess’s treasure, but Karu couldn’t figure out how such news had spread or what the purpose behind it was. He didn’t think the young lord was a simple-minded or careless person—every move he made seemed to hide ulterior motives.

Yet this issue had nothing to do with their own mission to the Caucasus. No matter what schemes the young lord had, as long as they could stop him at Damolensk Fortress, Karu believed everything could be brought to light. The closer they got to Damolensk Fortress, the stronger his intuition grew—even stronger than when they first tried to escape from it. He sensed that the young lord hid many unknown secrets, secrets that would shock everyone once revealed.

The arrival of so many adventurer teams caught Komer and Mahagumi off guard. They hadn’t expected the Nature Goddess’s treasure to attract so many teams, including several renowned elite groups from the continent. Two of them had even explored the Land of Mist, and although they hadn’t gone deep into it, the fact that they dared to challenge such a place was enough to earn them a place on the Adventurer Guild’s honor roll.

Komer showed great enthusiasm and sincerity toward these powerful teams. After all, their arrival could spark an exploration boom across the Caucasus and Leon, greatly boosting the adventure industry in those regions. Moreover, the impact brought by these people could not be underestimated.

Many adventurers, after growing tired of their adventuring careers, switch to employers and jobs they prefer. If such adventurer groups can be provided with an environment that satisfies them, Komer believes that many will surely choose to change careers after getting enough of the frenzy surrounding the treasures of the Nature Goddess. He urgently needs a large number of talents, both in military and magical fields, and the warriors and magicians from these adventurer groups could serve as an excellent addition to his own army and magic squad.

From the beginning, Komer had no intention of letting these futile individuals leave freely. With proper planning, it isn’t impossible to recruit some skilled and strong individuals from these adventurer groups, especially given the thriving conditions in the Caucasus and Leon. Many who feel little room for advancement in their adventuring careers cannot resist such temptations.

The relaxed racial environment in the Caucasus and Leon also left a deep impression on these adventurer groups. Half-orcs and barbarians can live and settle freely in this land, and half-orcs can even join the lord’s personal guard—a privilege unimaginable in any mortal realm. If even half-orcs and barbarians can enjoy civil rights, it goes without saying for other races. Many of these adventurer groups come from the south, where races such as dwarves, gnomes, elves, and giants are not uncommon among their members. The harmonious atmosphere in the Caucasus easily resonates with them. Some older adventurers are already inquiring whether the self-defense forces there need military instructors, while elf priests and dwarf craftsmen are equally interested in obtaining full citizenship in this land.

Pube timely promoted various policies in the Caucasus and Leon regions in places like Bruce, Barnasha, Ugru, Bahomon, and Matdan, especially the preferential policies for skilled talents, which immediately caught many people’s attention. From land development policies to housing construction subsidies, from preferential loan guarantees to tax reduction systems, Pube essentially turned this exploration craze triggered by the Treasure of the Nature Goddess into a successful policy promotion event. Although most of those who flocked there were adventurer teams and individuals, Pube knew that once these adventurers left, they would surely spread what they had seen everywhere, especially to those members of other races who faced discrimination in human society but were already accustomed to its way of life—this place would become a magnet that firmly attracted them.

Yet, it should have stopped there.

When Komer first sensed the immense pressure from all sides and noticed a hint of panic on Rebrí’s usually calm face as he stood at his door, he knew he was doomed this time.

An overwhelming sense of pressure almost instantly sealed off the entire Damorlensk Fortress from the outside world, as if tight air curtains covered the entire sky, bringing with them an invisible suffocating feeling. Two figures appeared at the corners of the fortress—one in the southeast and the other in the northwest. Komer saw four roaring half-orc guards throw sharp javelins, which turned to ashes in mid-air almost simultaneously, leaving not even a trace of powder, while those two figures didn’t even blink.

While wondering if his opponent might be the Pope of the Light Church in person, Komer’s gaze fell on Karu’s plain face and Boriz’s slightly arrogant smile—it turned out to be that madman, Noyora!

His eyes flickered between the two distant figures, still unable to determine which one was Noyora. The strength of both of them exceeded Komer’s imagination; one of them could destroy him several times over, let alone two with equal strength. This completely shattered Komer’s hopes of escaping.

Explaining anything further was now meaningless. The tribunal, having already identified his identity, wouldn’t believe anything he said, especially with Karu and Boriz around.

“My lord, I’m afraid we’re in a bit of trouble.” At this moment, the panic on Rebrí’s face vanished, replaced by calm confidence. “Do you know who they are?”
“The madmen from the Inquisition of the Church of Light, right?” Komer also quietly picked up his magic staff, packing as many things as he could carry. Fortunately, he had always been accustomed to hiding valuables in his pouch, so there was nothing really to worry about.
Komer’s composed demeanor impressed Rebrí greatly. It was likely hard to find two people in the entire continent who could remain so calm in the face of the Inquisition, especially knowing they were targeting him.
“We’re no match for them. Even if Mihajić, Sorenberg, and Vladkov were here, it would be the same. Just one of Norolla and Lorenzo is enough to send us all to hell.” With a soft sigh, though he admired the other man’s confidence, Rebrí still had to remind him of the vast gap in strength between them.
“I understand, but if we don’t meet their standards, we’ll just have to surrender. To defeat me, they’ll need to show some real strength,” Komer said calmly. “I’m a stubborn man. I hope they can understand that.”
Before Komer could respond, a clear voice cut through the air: “Viscount Komer? This is Norolla from the Inquisition. I believe you understand why we’re here. I hope you’ll cooperate with us for some checks and verifications. I assure you that your body, life, and lawful property will be safe.”
“Mr. Norolla, you’ve already broken your promise by damaging my property. My half-orc guards were bought with money and trained at great cost. By killing them, you’ve harmed my interests. I can’t trust your promises.” Komer smiled. “If you want to prove your sincerity, maybe you could let the others leave first?”
Stunned by Komer’s clever words, Norolla’s fat face flushed with anger before he regained his composure. “Very well. You may let your half-orc soldiers leave.”

After Komer gave the order for the half-orc soldiers to leave, Fort Damolensk quickly fell into silence. The joint appearance of Komer and Rebril caused complex expressions to appear on the faces of the members of the Tribunal. Clearly, though they were prepared, seeing Rebril still left Noyora, Lorenzo, and Karu with mixed feelings. How could one describe the situation of a once-great warrior who rose like a meteor among the powerful members of the Church of Light now reduced to surviving in a remote place like the Caucasus?
“Rebril, long time no see?” Noyora’s gaze remained fixed on Rebril, filled with sorrow, anger, desolation, memories, regret, and disappointment—all of which flashed across her eyes in an instant, leaving Rebril deeply moved. His former boss and colleagues had now reached this point of armed conflict. Were the reasons behind this the will of the God of Light, or was it beyond human control?