Chapter 6: Unforeseen Complications

The tall figure walking alone on the garden path appeared rather lonely. The cold wind of early spring was still biting, and the thin overcoat offered no protection against it, making the solitary figure even more desolate.
“The higher you climb, the colder it gets”—this saying resonated deeply with Welch.
When the Salvation Society was still hidden from view, he could secretly direct everything, handling affairs with ease and efficiency. Thanks to the influence of the Light Church, the Salvation Society’s influence had gradually spread to every corner. But now, having shaken off what seemed like the constraints of the Light Church, he thought he could fully exert his power—only to find that things weren’t going as he had imagined.
A rift had emerged between him and Komer; the close cooperation of the past was now a thing of the past. Though they still appeared cheerful on the surface, Welch knew it was merely a cover for the coldness beneath.
He couldn’t figure out that young lord. If he truly was a representative of the dark forces, his behavior in Nicosia and Flanders was incomprehensible. The treatment he received there certainly didn’t reflect that of a supporter. Or was he trying to ingratiate himself with the Salvation Society? Welch didn’t believe the other party was that foolish. Was he trying to highlight the Salvation Society’s loyalty in this way? That seemed absurd.
Steady footsteps came from behind. From the slightly hurried pace, Welch could sense that things were worse than he had thought.
“How’s it going, Clark?”
“Well, a week ago, Frenster and Vazinki both disappeared for two days each. Our agents couldn’t track their whereabouts,” Clark Dawes replied after bowing respectfully. “At the same time, Komer also disappeared for a while. I’m worried they might have met up and even reached some kind of agreement.”
“Hmm, that’s possible. But it’s not easy for Frenster and Vazinki to get together. Komer probably doesn’t have the means yet,” Welch mused before shaking his head slowly. “Maybe they’ll meet separately. That guy, Komer, is extremely persuasive. Perhaps he can convince those two proud men one by one.”
Clark Dawes grew anxious. “Then what should we do?”
“Clark, this day will come sooner or later. It doesn’t matter if it’s earlier. If the Salvation Society were afraid of their hostility and pressure, I wouldn’t have let it emerge at this time. Are there any changes in Nicosia?”

“Well, there have been some changes. Three days ago, Komer ordered a series of personnel adjustments from the governor’s office, which is temporarily in charge of governance—the changes are quite significant.”
“Oh?” Welch immediately frowned, feeling uneasy. Had this guy taken action so quickly and visibly? “Have there been any changes among our people?”
“Yes, but there’s no obvious trend in terms of positions. However, there are significant changes in the regions they’re assigned to. Three important positions have been moved from the Homer region, Gothenburg region, and Katyn region to the Leon region, Silesia region, and Poznan region. It doesn’t seem like an action targeting us; it’s more like a normal personnel adjustment.” Clark hesitated before sharing his opinion. “Besides, such adjustments at the beginning of the year seem reasonable.”
“Normal? Reasonable?” Welch saw through it instantly and sneered, “This guy is using a slow approach to weaken us subtly—his tactics are quite clever.”
Seeing Clark’s puzzled look, Welch sighed. “But right now, we really can’t comment on anything. Secular power is in his hands, so we can only let him do as he pleases. Homer, Gothenburg, and Katyn were originally key regions where we managed to break free from the influence of the Light Church. If the Salvation Society can gain support from local officials, we can easily establish an advantage in these three regions. Komer realizes this, which is why he doesn’t want us to achieve that.”
“Regions like Leon, inhabited by half-orcs, are mostly Komer’s fervent followers. Although we have a certain presence there, we can never shake Komer’s influence. It’s almost impossible to surpass his influence no matter how hard we try. As for Silesia and Poznan, they’re under the relatively conservative Vazinki faction. It’s very difficult to take influence away from Vazinki there. Komer is cutting us off at the source.”
“So how should we respond?” Clark asked anxiously.
“We need to fight back with reason and strategy. We must make Komer realize the danger of losing our cooperation with the Light Church, and also show him that we’re not unaware of his intentions. We can go to Silesia and Poznan, but not to Leon. We must stay in Homer.”
“Will Komer agree?” Clark doubted. “We don’t have the right to interfere in secular personnel adjustments.”

“We certainly have no right to interfere, but this affects the future of our Ji Shi Hui. We can’t just sit back. They want to use us to suppress the Light Church without providing us with proper support. Such a tactic of discarding us once we’re useful is far too blatant. We must force Komer to compromise,” Welch said with firm determination. “If we do nothing once this door is opened, that guy will surely push further. Perhaps this is just a test—we must thwart his plans.”

A series of resignations were delivered to Komer, while Homer, Gothenburg, and Katyn were also in turmoil, with various false and true rumors circulating constantly. The Northern Alliance was planning to blockade Nicosia, food prices were soaring, and rumors of orcs preparing for war spread vividly in Gothenburg and Katyn. The knightly class in Gothenburg was demanding justice after being treated unfairly and threatening to overthrow the governor. The upper and middle reaches of the Catalonia River region were also in upheaval due to trade disputes with the Caucasus, with threats to boycott their goods. Nicosia was in a state of panic, with unrest spreading everywhere.

Komer watched with interest the pile of documents in front of him. “Interesting. Mahagumi, your subordinates are really efficient—delivering me such a hefty plate of ‘delicious’ information all at once. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“My lord, not all of this is unfounded. There may be some of our own assumptions, but objectively, these possibilities do exist,” Mahagumi said, already accustomed to his master’s erratic behavior and becoming indifferent.

“Oh? Can you tell me which parts are unfounded and which are your assumptions?” Komer asked coldly.

“My lord, this…” Mahagumi looked troubled.

“Very well. Let’s reverse it. Tell me which pieces of intelligence are highly reliable and which are based on credible sources.”

“My lord, the orcs have been preparing for war for some time now. Although they haven’t shown any clear intention to march south—or maybe they’re only targeting the Northern Alliance—we can’t rule out that possibility. After all, it’s hard to fathom their intentions. The numbers of their wolf cavalry and Tiger Clan’s Heavenly Might Warriors are increasing rapidly. These are their elite forces, and only before a large-scale war do these units see such significant growth. This time, the intelligence shows the largest increase in numbers in nearly a decade.”

“Oh? What about the armies of the Bear Clan and the Ox Clan?”

“The armies of the Bear and Ox tribes are already quite large; there hasn’t been much change this time. The number of the Fox tribe’s Feathered Hands has increased slightly, but armies from some servant races have also begun to be included in the official forces, such as the fast infantry of the Sheep and Deer tribes, and in significant numbers. This is a very bad omen and the main reason we believe the orcs will launch large-scale military operations.”

Komer felt a headache coming on. If Jishi could control the orcs, he would never believe it, but the fact that Jishi would take advantage of such a good opportunity was somewhat troublesome.

“What do you think these actions by the orcs are aimed at?”

“It’s hard to tell for now. The war between us and the Northern Alliance has probably stimulated the orcs to some extent. We speculate that there might be problems with their rule in the Jazair region, so they might want to use war to shift their ruling crises.”

“Oh?” Komer’s eyes lit up. “Are there any changes in Jazair?”

“Not much for now, and that’s why we’re puzzled.”

Komer was somewhat disappointed but quickly regained his composure. “Ripples arise without wind. The orcs aren’t much less intelligent than us. There must be a reason behind their extensive military preparations. Mahagumi, you need to pay close attention to this and sort out all suspicious elements. Also, find a way to get information from within their ranks—I mean, inside the orc community.”

“We’ve already done that, but it’s difficult for us to get involved in the orc community, especially among their elite. Their Snake tribe’s counterespionage capabilities are quite strong. Since Katyn and Gothenburg were unified, they have become our biggest rivals. Thirteen of our spies have fallen into their hands, though we’ve also captured some who work for them.”

“Hmm, Mahagumi. The conflict between us and the orcs will be a long, perhaps endless, war. It’s good that you recognize its severity. The fact that the orcs are gradually approaching our mortal civilization also presents us with some opportunities. You should consider this aspect more.” Komer gave him some guidance.