Chapter 6: What a Brilliant Move!

A faint magical fluctuation reached Komer’s six sense seas. Komer raised his head, his face showing anticipation. “Oh, it seems I was slow to realize. The guests have arrived—why not invite them in?”
Seeing Fran and Puber’s confused expressions, Komer became even more certain that these people merely wanted to use Fran. They hadn’t even informed Fran of their arrival, which put Komer at ease. He didn’t want to see someone he trusted betray him—that would only prove his own failure as a person.
“Respected Lord Komer, please forgive our unannounced visit. We bear no ill intentions, and we believe we have every right to stand together to face the changes unfolding on this continent,” came a clear, deep voice from outside the door, carrying an attractive magnetic force, with a hint of psychic magic. Yet Komer knew it was not psychic magic but simply the power of a pure voice. This only made him more alarmed and curious.
“Is that so? Facing the changes on the continent? Heh, I’d like to see who has the audacity to make such bold claims, daring to disregard the Light Church and the orcs as nothing?” Komer became calm instead, crossing his arms as he watched the door calmly.
Two figures suddenly appeared at the door. The half-orc guards in the corridor didn’t even see where the figures came from—they just noticed a flash before the two figures stepped into the study.
A mysterious smile appeared on Komer’s lips. Though he was deeply impressed, he showed no outward reaction. Truly a master—capable of using such intricate spatial illusion magic and teleportation techniques in such a narrow and complex corridor, even making it difficult for him to detect the spatial fluctuations around him. Relying solely on his six senses, though still quite basic, this skill alone was enough to secure a place among the many masters in the continent’s magical world.
The two men standing before Komer had very different appearances. One was tall and robust, with a square face and deeply set eyes that glowed faintly golden—easy to remember at first glance. The other man had an ordinary face that one would quickly forget.
“Lord Komer, I am Welch Meddow. This is my assistant, Clark Dawes.” The tall man’s presence exuded pressure that made Puber and Fran feel suffocated, but this aura vanished completely in front of Komer.

Welchi Medoff? Kommer’s shock was beyond words—so that’s how it is! No wonder even someone like Fran could be persuaded by him to act as his advocate! No wonder Mahagumi’s intelligence network was unaware of this sudden change! The most influential figure in Marko City after Pope Julius II—the Holy Saint in charge of the Light Church’s main sanctuary! His status was even higher than that of the two archbishops, Vazinki and Frenst, though he was overshadowed by the pope’s brilliance. As a result, people tended to focus more on the pope and the two archbishops who handled specific affairs; even the authority of the Inquisition overshadowed this role. But that doesn’t mean he and the power he represented could be ignored! “Holy Saint Welchi, oh, your presence at Fortress Bruce brings glory to the entire Greater Caucasus. Does this mean the light of the Light Church has reached every corner of it?” In an instant, Kommer regained his composure, his racing thoughts striving to understand the implications. What did the arrival of these people mean? Had the Light Church split? Or was he planning to start something new?! Various thoughts flashed through Kommer’s mind, but he quickly dismissed his absurd guesses. There was only one reason: this was a figure who had remained hidden until now but had stepped forward. The fact that they dared to show themselves meant they were confident enough! “Heh, Lord Kommer, you really know how to joke. But it seems now isn’t the time for jokes.” Welchi’s golden eyes were calm and unassuming, yet their hidden sharpness made them formidable. “I never expected it, really. Despite all my calculations, I never imagined the behind-the-scenes figure of the Salvation Society to be someone as important as you. No wonder I always found it strange that they were so willing to cooperate with me. I must admit, you played this move brilliantly! Truly brilliant!” Kommer’s face was filled with admiration. For the first time, Welchi realized that this man’s ability to stand firm in this land was no accident. A great mage or even an archmage wasn’t surprising, but having such a shrewd individual as a partner indeed required careful consideration of one’s capabilities.

“Lord Komer, I’m truly impressed that you could figure this out so quickly. Indeed, it is the Salvation Society that I’ve been supporting all along—its teachings are those we uphold and strive to realize. I believe Lord Komer’s strategies share a similar essence to ours, don’t you? That’s why we have chosen to cooperate with Lord Komer, wholeheartedly.”

Welchi set aside his contempt. Intelligence gathered from various sources confirmed that this man had close ties to the dark forces, but that didn’t prevent him from cooperating with him. On the contrary, it was the strong backing of those dark forces that made him more qualified to confront the Church of Light.

“Wholeheartedly cooperate with me?” Komer retorted before adding, “I wonder if Saint Welchi believes we can continue our cooperation?”

“Why not?” Welchi replied with firm eyes. “I think Mr.Franz has clearly outlined the current situation. The orcs are devouring the fruits of our mortal civilization, while the Church of Light has degenerated, forgetting its original purpose and turning into an entity obsessed with corruption and pleasure. It’s only inevitable that such a church will be rejected by the people. To break old chains, we must create something new—this is precisely what the Salvation Society aims to do. We also hope to work together with Lord Komer to break free from these old constraints and restore hope to the people, building a new life.”

Hmph, Komer sneered inwardly. The words sounded righteous and wonderful, but without self-interest, who could truly unite? Overthrowing the Church of Light was certainly desirable, but it required careful planning.

“Saint Welchi, I assume you’re aware of my relationship with the dark forces. Even so, do you think there’s still room for cooperation?” Komer cut through the pretenses and went straight to the core issue.

After a moment of contemplation, it was clear the other party was also weighing his words. Komer watched with interest to see how he would respond.

“Lord Komer, it would be untrue to say we’re completely unbothered. Though I’m puzzled as to why a nobleman like you holds such a preference for the Dark faction, I can respect any of your choices, as your actions have proven that your words and deeds aren’t clouded by any deviations in your beliefs. Perhaps you inwardly despise my views, thinking that the Light Church is full of hypocrites who appear pious but are actually corrupt—this isn’t surprising; even I must admit it. But this is a result of those guys distorting and defiling the true teachings of the Light faith. One day you’ll see the true teachings of the Light faith, and then you’ll realize the errors in your current views,” said Welch with earnestness and firmness.

Seeing the displeased expression on Komer’s face, Welch sighed inwardly before continuing, “Of course, I respect your opinion. The success of the Dark faction in the south seems to support your views. But I firmly believe that the people will ultimately make the right choice, though it will take time to prove it. I’m willing to compete openly with the Dark Church and let the people judge everything. Until then, I think we can cooperate closely—at least for now we share a common enemy, and their strength is even greater than we imagined.”

Finally, Komer nodded, partially agreeing with the other party’s views. “Saint Welch, we don’t entirely agree on the earlier points, but I share your last opinion. The Light Church needs to be destroyed before it can be rebuilt, and the rampages of the orcs must be stopped. They should be sent back to the Morgan Wasteland. On this basis, there indeed is a foundation for cooperation. But do you think by joining forces we can defeat them?”

“No, that won’t work. Whether it’s the Light Church or the orcs, their strength comes from various sources. I believe I understand this better than you do, which is why I suggested that Mr. Fran bring his views to you. We need to unite every available force and destroy them on all fronts, dismantling the foundation of their existence, so that we can achieve our goals,” said Welch, his eyes gleaming.

“Use the strength of barbarians?” Komer asked with a smirk.

“Yes, your overt strength is still far from sufficient, and our own strength cannot be revealed casually—at least not in the north. Nicosia is a key area under the Light Church’s control, but it is currently in chaos due to the orc invasions. If you can seize the opportunity to deal a heavy blow, this might just be the chance we need,” Welch added.

“Oh? Is that what you think?” Komer remained indifferent.

“As for specific strategies, I believe Lord Komer has plenty of talented people at his disposal, so there’s no need for me to elaborate. I’m just offering a suggestion,” Welch gently shifted the topic. He knew this wasn’t his strength, and it was obvious the other party didn’t want anyone meddling.

Welch and Clark left as silently and neatly as they had arrived—without a trace, leaving no lingering doubts about whether such a conversation had even taken place. Fran and Puber had completely become mere spectators to this talk, not even propersupporting role, just bystanders. From the calm yet confused expression on Fran’s face, Komer realized his armed leader didn’t truly understand any of this, let alone fully side with them. Politics wasn’t his forte, and it was likely Welch’s group was using him as a mouthpiece to make their proposal more acceptable to Komer.

Komer had already forgiven Fran, but this incident served as a warning to him—enemies and allies are often hard to distinguish, as they infiltrate everywhere. This could not happen again.

After listening attentively for a long time until he was sure they had left, Komer turned his attention back to the somewhat at-a-loss Puber and Fran. Seeing that both seemed to want to explain something, Komer shook his head to stop them. “There’s no need to say more. Welch and his group’s tactics are beyond your ability to counter. Alright, it’s time to discuss our real matters. But one thing must be clear: I won’t accept anything just because Welch said so, nor will I hold biases because of his views. I need to know your thoughts—and what benefits it will bring us in the future. Fran, you go first.”

The conversation between Fran and Puber didn’t last long. What Komer needed were the most straightforward facts rather than detailed explanations. Fran presented his views based on the balance of forces in the army and the advantages of forming a barbarian force under the Greater Caucasus. The urgent situation at hand also demanded a force that could be assembled faster than half-orcs. Puber, on the other hand, emphasized that attracting smaller barbarian tribes to join the Greater Caucasus could not only alleviate labor shortages but, more importantly, significantly reduce threats from larger barbarian tribes.

These smaller barbarian tribes were very different from the thirteen major barbarian tribes. Due to their weak tribal strength, they had almost no say and did not enjoy the rights that members of tribal alliances should have. They lived deep in the most isolated and barren Cordillera wastelands, with minimal contact with the outside world and extremely poor living conditions. They were marginalized and gradually encroached upon by those larger tribes, and their loyalty to the barbarian tribal alliance was quite fragile, far less compelling than the allure of a better life. If given certain rights, they could offer almost unconditional loyalty to the Caucasus—this was what Puber saw as the most promising aspect.

If half-orcs could be tolerated, why not barbarians? This was the shared view of Puber and Fran. Especially in the Greater Caucasus, a well-known region with diverse ethnic groups, the impact of accepting barbarians would be much less severe compared to other areas. Even if there were negative effects, such effects could be minimized given the chaotic situation in the Kingdom of Nicomedia, while the benefits would be obvious.