Chapter 21: Beasts

Everything seemed to vanish after a fierce battle. Even Komer hadn’t expected the woman’s mindset to change so swiftly and unexpectedly. Just as Kleiper’s unpredictable attitude as a newcomer to love left Komer uncertain, his intuition told him that this woman’s hostility toward him wasn’t as strong as he had imagined.

He had thought he could use the fact that she had lost her virginity to blackmail this priestess of the Olympus Temple, who was supposed to remain chaste, forcing her to serve his needs. But now Komer was unsure. It would be even better to have someone serve you willingly, yet that was far too difficult to achieve.

Komer hadn’t fully considered how to take down Sparta. To challenge the dominance of Sparta and Corinth, the two powers in the Southern Mediterranean, required a long-term strategy and plan. He wasn’t in a hurry for immediate results, as his foundation in that region was still relatively weak. Although Hairedin was making active efforts and the situation was improving day by day, its land-based power was still insufficient. It would be unwise to directly challenge Sparta and Corinth rashly.

Only after experiencing Kleiper’s full devotion as a mature woman did Komer truly understand what it was like with women. Compared to the other women, Kleiper’s passion was more persistent and fervent than anyone else’s, which made Komer wonder what kind of relationship Zelin had once had with her, allowing such long-suppressed emotions to erupt in such a way, almost drowning her.

As Kleiper nestled in Komer’s arms and slowly recounted her past love stories, Komer couldn’t help but feel pain for this once innocent and devoted girl. Such passionate and sincere feelings were met with ruthless abandonment, all for political reasons. As Zelin, it shouldn’t have been difficult to give this girl who was willing to die for him a proper status. Yet, out of fear of affecting the nobles’ perception of him in his territory, he could easily cut off these emotional ties. Even Komer, an expert who was adept at navigating political messes, found it hard to determine whether Zelin’s actions were appropriate.

One thing was certain: this woman wasn’t as deep and complex as he had imagined. At least when it came to emotions, she was much purer and cleaner than many others. While pondering silently, Komer also thought about how to handle this somewhat absurd emotional entanglement in the most satisfactory way.

When Komer set off to return to the Caucasus, Kleiper said nothing more, but his intense and fanatical gaze made Komer realize he might indeed have provoked someone he shouldn’t have. Yet upon reflection, even if Kleiper had come to the Caucasus at all costs, it could be a good thing—after all, he now had another powerful ally who might even surpass Vladkov and Sorenberg. The conflict between the Church of Light and him was growing deeper, and the possibility of direct confrontation was increasing, especially against those despicable members of the Tribunal. He needed more strong allies who could fight at any moment. If Kleiper could truly serve him with unwavering loyalty like Shatima, it would indeed be a great gain from his trip to the Southern Seas.

Of course, Komer also hoped Kleiper would maintain his current special status. If, one day, an irreconcilable conflict arose between him and the Spartan Kingdom, this unexpected force could prove decisive in delivering a fatal blow.

Early winter snow fell heavily, enveloping the city of Katyn in a solemn snowy landscape. Pine and spruce trees stood on both sides of the streets. Though the dirty streets were covered by snow, they quickly revealed their dull black appearance after being trampled by carriages, mixed with mud and trash, making the entire scene chaotic.

Kagiyaa stood by the window, quietly watching the street outside. The pale yellow curtains were pulled back slightly, and the orange-red flames in the fireplace filled the living room with warmth. The heat spread everywhere, making one want to take off one’s coat as soon as entering. Her elegant, white neck resembled that of a swan just out of the bath, her head held proudly, her hair neatly combed and smooth. Her floor-length velvet evening gown blended perfectly with the woolen embroidered carpet beneath her feet. From either the front or side, Kagiyaa resembled a living work of art, appearing so harmonious and perfect.

The crackling sound of the wood burning in the fireplace added a touch of vitality to the quiet atmosphere. The room was warm as spring, but Kagiyaa’s mood was as cold and piercing as the snow outside.

Those guys really went too far!

The Atticans, the Knossans, and the Church of Light—none of them are good. A strange sorrow arose in Kakiya’s heart. It wasn’t that no one had warned her that their pretended help was nothing but a bait wrapped in sweet sugar coating, from which it would be difficult to escape once swallowed. Yet she kept imagining that these people would reward her after things succeeded.
She seemed to have forgotten that they were not vassal lords of the Romanov family—they were merely a pack of vicious wolves, eyeing Nicosia like a juicy piece of meat, ready to pounce at any moment!
Trapped and unable to back out—this was Kakiya’s current state of mind and situation. Of course, it couldn’t be said that these people played no role at all. At least, militarily, they had collectively prevented further invasions by armed forces from the east. Damn it, all this disaster was caused by Kommer, that insatiable crocodile.
Kakiya found herself surrounded by a group of wild beasts with bloodshot eyes; their breaths seemed to touch her body, and their greedy gasps could almost be heard one after another. Behind her were the wolves of the Northern Alliance; above her was the tiger-like orcs, ready to devour anyone they chose; across from her was Kommer, that crocodile still licking its sharp teeth; and above her head circled the eagles of the Church of Light.
The crocodile wanted to swallow her whole, while the wolves wanted to tear off her flesh bit by bit. The tiger had already digested most of its prey, and the eagles were searching for the most vulnerable parts to attack—what a bunch of beasts!