Volume 30: The Rise of the Empire

Chapter 1: Non-Violence

Zerin Storten, who seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, appeared particularly unsteady. The complete defeat in the battle of Plovdiv left Galle almost devoid of its war potential, while the collapse of the Golden Oak and Blue Dove regiments directly led to Hoffman’s resignation. This meant Galle lost its few remaining support forces, and it now seemed nothing could stop the forces coming from the east.

Zerin knew he couldn’t blame Susinov. Under such circumstances, it was already remarkable that Susinov had managed to bring so many of Galle’s troops back. As their leader, Galle’s forces suffered far fewer losses than the Golden Oak and Blue Dove regiments—both foreign forces. It was both ironic and comforting, as it was still the people of Galle who had survived.

The strange withdrawal of the Rema knights from the battlefield led to this defeat. Zerin had nothing to say. He was powerless to control or influence these church forces, only astonished by their abnormal behavior. He didn’t understand why these knights of the Light Church had initially supported him enthusiastically only to turn against him at a critical moment. If it was a conspiracy, all signs suggested it wasn’t.

That Denebi was undoubtedly the key figure behind this. Only he could explain why this had happened, but it no longer mattered. What lay before Zerin now was how to confront the unstoppable Homerians—or rather, Komer.

The influence of St. Basil’s Church in Nicosia seemed to have come to an end after this battle. Continuous defeats, coupled with its poor performance in the Battle of Marko, and being defeated by the same opponent—such contrasts made it hard for the people of Nicosia to believe that such a force and such a faith could protect them from foreign invasions. Especially under the immense pressure from the orcs, they saw little role played by St. Basil’s Church.

“Is there no hope at all?”

Susinov lowered his head, embarrassed and pained. As a veteran soldier whose life was dedicated to war, he really didn’t want to face such a weak and hopeless question from the grand duke. He wanted to shout a defiant “No,” but reality was cruel. Galle’s forces could no longer be called an army. Though they still seemed numerous in number, a force that had lost its fighting spirit and dignity couldn’t truly be called an army—something Susinov understood better than anyone else.

“Duke, there’s no hope left. The Calais army is now even worse than private militias. The battle of Plovdiv completely shattered their confidence and pride. Moreover, the bravery and fearlessness shown by those barbarian armies surpass ours. That general from the Principality of Mellen is truly a military genius—he was able to train those wild, undisciplined barbarians into such an army. I truly admire him. We no longer have the strength to confront them.”
“We still have the Resurrection Knights and the impregnable City of Gutenberg. We can…”
Susinov shook his head and rudely interrupted Zerin: “Duke, it’s useless. The Resurrection Knights can’t help us defend Gutenberg. No matter how strong Gutenberg is, a single city can’t hold out forever. It will fall in half a year or a year, unless we’re sure of external reinforcements. But who will help us now?”
Seeing Zerin silent, Susinov sighed and added, “Komer’s power has grown immensely. Even if we could get support from Transylvania or the Northern Alliance, I doubt we could hold out until then. We saw the power of those magical devices in the battle of Plovdiv—they far exceed our imagination. Even a strong city like Gutenberg can’t withstand them for long. I’m not exaggerating. I believe Lehman and Satt also personally experienced the destructive power of those devices.”
“Are we just going to surrender like this? Will the century-old honor of the Storten family be ruined in my hands?” Zerin’s face turned pale, his eyes blazing with madness. “Philip is finished, the Haine family has disappeared, and the good days of the Ferdinand family are over. Are all four great families doomed to be destroyed by this guy? Will the Storten family end up like those families who are now beggars on Jazair Street?”
Susinov had no reply. He was just a simple professional soldier. The glorious legacy of noble families wasn’t his responsibility. He was merely objectively analyzing the current situation for him. But sometimes, acting as a strategist occasionally didn’t seem to go against his principles.
“Duke, I heard Princess Vero has a good relationship with Komer, right? So far, the Homers still haven’t crossed the line near Plovdiv. It seems like they’re waiting for something. Why not send Princess Vero to Plovdiv? Maybe we’ll get a surprise.”

“Do you really think Kommer would still show mercy over such things now?” Zerin couldn’t believe there were such fools in the world; even if Kommer were naturally kind-hearted, that wouldn’t be possible.
“No, no, I don’t think so. Destroying Gutenberg and erasing the name of the Storten family from the land of Nicosia—these he can do. But would it really bring him great benefits?” Susinov shook his head. “Princess Vero’s visit is just an opportunity. If Kommer is a rational and far-sighted man, I believe he can see this.”
Zerin seemed to understand something, but he hoped Susinov could explain it more clearly.
“Grand Duke, Kommer also comes from a noble family. Though he’s an illegitimate child, he knows that ruling Nicosia can’t be solved by conquering it with barbarian soldiers. To bring the entire Nicosia under his control perfectly, without the support of the nobles, he would only end up with another desolate and barbaric land like the Cordillera Wasteland.”
Zerin was impressed. Susinov’s words were indeed philosophical. Kommer wasn’t a fool; his ambition proved he wanted to replace the Romanov family as the new rulers of Nicosia. He didn’t want to destroy everything that existed in Nicosia, as that would only leave him with a land filled with violence and chaos. He needed help to restore order—just as it was with Homer, Poznan, and all of Nicosia, including Galai.
Perhaps sending Vero to Plovdiv was indeed a good idea? Zerin hesitated. It wasn’t the foreign rumors that worried him. Compared to the survival of the Storten family, even Vero herself could be abandoned—so what were a few rumors? Zerin was simply concerned whether now was the right time. Maybe it would be better to use Gutenberg to show Galai’s tenacious resistance?
In the end, Zerin dismissed his own idea. It wouldn’t mean much. If Kommer really needed him, needed the Storten family, it wasn’t the courage of the people of Galai that could change his mind. Compared to those barbarian warriors who saw death as nothing, the bravery of the people of Galai seemed insignificant.

Komer was indeed caught in a state of hesitation and internal conflict. Undoubtedly, no one could now stop him from advancing toward Calais, Silesia, and even Gothenburg. The southwestern region under Kakiya’s influence would not last long either. Given these trends, sensible people understood that persistence would yield nothing. Komer believed that it wouldn’t be long before Kakiya might willingly come to him and discuss everything amicably.

The question was: Was this the situation he truly needed? Was he ready to accept everything? Or rather, waswholeNicosia ready to accept him? Komer wasn’t sure.

Conquering successfully did not mean perfect control—Cyprus had proven that point. Komer knew that even now, the Cypriots still did not acknowledge him inwardly. In fact, he should still be considered a true Cypriot, yet he was not recognized there.

Although the soldiers of the Rock Legion had made the Cypriots submit, that was only superficial. The nobles and merchants still refused to accept him, forcing him to support the Odessa people to retaliate against their contempt toward him.

In contrast, the situation in Poznan was much better. Ebsen’s cooperation had largely dispelled the Poznanians’ hostility, and his low profile also played a role. It had to be admitted that Lenta’s outstanding performance there had greatly won over those Poznanian nobles—the blood relations between the Romanov and Anson families had played a significant role.

Now it was time to turn to Silesia, Calais, and even Gothenburg—a truly intricate puzzle.

Komer would not tolerate a situation where the four major lords of old existed within his control. Poznan had been established on the basis of his unimpeded authority, and the same applied elsewhere. Yet, within this framework, there were still many flexible ways to solve practical problems.

Compromise—perhaps a form of compromise—might be needed to address the issues he faced. Komer frowned. Did he still have to use force to conquer first? He didn’t think force was the best method. It seemed a bridge was needed to establish communication.