Chapter Sixteen: The Arbitrator

One million gold shields in cash was deposited into the account of the Caucasus Lord’s Palace at the Caucasus United Bank, making Puber so happy that his mouth almost reached the back of his neck. There were also various jewels, gold, and magic crystals worth two million gold shields. The appraisers’ clever attempts to lower the prices didn’t surprise Gott—aside from gold and other hard currencies, these items were difficult to sell, so it was only natural for their prices to be reduced. Being able to use them as collateral was still considered a gain.

Komer’s plan to expand the army met firm resistance from Puber. It wasn’t until this funds arrived that Puber relented and agreed to Komer’s plan to expand the army by two thousand men.

“Are you sure?” A shadow descended over Komer’s face like dark clouds suddenly appearing in the sky. Komer wasn’t someone who showed his emotions easily, so something that could upset and confuse him must be quite troublesome. Mahagumi certainly understood how important the information he brought back was; otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned to Ugru in person to report to the lord.

“Lord, there should be no problem. They come from Jazair and have a very distinctive appearance. Although they tried to disguise themselves within Homer’s territory, we noticed them as soon as they left Jazair. It seems they’re targeting us,” Mahagumi said, his palms slightly sweaty.

Komer, with his hands behind his back, took a slow breath. What was inevitable would happen eventually. He had thought the chaotic situation in the kingdom would delay or even prevent such a scenario, but it seemed he had been too optimistic. To be honest, these people could be considered true, pure believers, fundamentally different from those in the Light Church. But at this moment, Komer would have preferred it if they were sent by those two—then he would have had an easier time dealing with them. Now that these madmen were coming, he would need to prepare carefully to see if he could survive this ordeal.

“Where do you think they’ll come from? The Greenland Forest Trail or by sea from Odessa to Middelton?” After pondering for a while without coming up with a better plan, Komer asked, his expression growing darker.

“It’s hard to say for now. They just left Cyprus, but I believe they’re more likely to come through the Greenland Forest Trail,” Mahagumi replied respectfully.

“Why?” Komer asked back.

“The appearance of undead at Bruce Fortress surely can’t be kept hidden. Although the Great Secret Cult is active in the Caucasus, those two from the Rema Knights Order don’t have concrete evidence proving that your support exists behind the dark forces’ activities here. Moreover, though Priest Bella and Pastor Kustav are dissatisfied with the lord, after all, the lord has provided them with considerable funds for building the Church of Light, so they have nothing to say. Bishop Turado belongs to Archbishop Frenst’s faction, and they hold the Inquisition members in high disdain; under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t turn to them. So, it’s more likely that the undead issue at Bruce Fortress has drawn their attention.”

Komer was quite satisfied with Mahagumi’s analysis. This guy’s performance was becoming increasingly admirable—his sharp instincts and meticulous analytical skills showed he was becoming more adept at this trade. It seemed his impulsive decision had indeed led to the discovery of a talent. Such racial discrimination must have stifled countless talents. At least this hybrid, who wasn’t even as good as a half-orc, had already surpassed anyone under his command—well, at least in this regard.

“Hmm, it seems I need to go to Bruce Fortress and make proper arrangements to avoid unnecessary trouble,” Komer mused before making a decision.

“Actually, my lord, you needn’t worry too much about Bruce. The residents there are unaware of these matters. Though the Inquisition members are paranoid, they’re not the kind to take action without evidence. According to the kingdom’s laws, freedom of belief is protected by law, and these Inquisition members are aware of that. Although the half-orcs in Leon worship Mars, it’s unlikely they’d be a concern. I’m more worried about Ugru and Bahomon. The Great Secret Cult is quite active there. Maybe the Rema Knights can’t obtain solid evidence, but for the Inquisition members, once they subjectively conclude such a possibility exists, things will get troublesome.”

Mahagumi’s worried expression made Komer think. There was some truth to what he said. There was also worship of natural deities in the Homer region. At Bruce, there was no evidence against them, but in Ugru and Bahomon, the Great Secret Cult already had a foothold. If those guys caught even the slightest suspicion, it could lead to chaos.

“I see,” Komer said, rarely patting Mahagumi on the shoulder, which surprised and delighted Mahagumi. “In that case, I won’t go to Bruce or Leon. I’ll handle the Great Secret Cult myself.”

Two monks clad in black cloaks rode their horses into the Greenland Forest Trail that led from the Bosen Plains to Leon. Unbeknownst to them, just as they reached the town at the northern end of the trail, a peddler had already slipped ahead of them and rushed southward toward Fortress Bruce through the forest overnight.

The cold-faced monk had strangely long eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and thin lips, giving off an impression of a man with a strong will. His large monk’s robe covered his tall frame completely, while the short monk following him appeared even more like a servant. Cold glances could be seen in his slightly wrinkled eyes, yet the golden emblem hidden beneath his robe proved his status was no less than that of the tall monk ahead.

“Boriz, could you slow down a bit? Since leaving Cyprus, you’ve been rushing like you’re in mourning. Aren’t you tired?” the short monk reminded his companion unhappily. “It’s still a day or two until we reach Bruce. Rushing like this won’t solve anything.”

“Karu, we need to hurry. I heard the guy we’re after isn’t easy to deal with. Philip has suffered several losses at his hands—going from an obscure minor noble to someone who can make his master suffer without anyone being able to do anything about it. Hmph, that’s truly remarkable. Defying authority and still staying in power—this is the first time I’ve encountered such a case,” said the tall Boriz, his eyes gleaming with cold fury.

“Boriz, that’s an internal squabble within the Kingdom of Nicosia. It has nothing to do with us. Our task is simple: complete the mission assigned to us by Lord Noyora. If true, let’s bring chaos to the Caucasus, letting the blood of these wretched darklings nourish the land. If not, we still need to warn this lord to restrain himself. Although the Kingdom of Nicosia has an agreement with our church, we must make him understand that the kingdom is no longer what it used to be. If he wants to hold his ground in this remote place, he can’t succeed without the Light Church! This can also be seen as a reward from our Tribunal to Frenst.”

The short-robed monk carefully trimmed his nails, seemingly unfazed by the words of the tall monk. In his view, worldly conflicts were probably not worth the involvement of someone of his high status. The Church of Light should be the arbiter and enforcer of this world, not a participant.

“No, no, Karu. Your understanding is too narrow and one-sided. The teachings tell us that the God of Light will shine in every corner—not just every place, but every realm as well needs to be bathed in the sacred light of heaven. Leon and the Caucasus are habitats for those despicable half-orcs and other inferior races. Although we may not be able to confirm that this place is a breeding ground for darkness since we have no evidence, it is definitely a mess filled with weeds. If Thulad’s people cannot eradicate these weeds here, I think, if time permits, we might be able to help them.”

Brother Boriz, preoccupied with his thoughts, had his lips twitch slightly. He was somewhat dissatisfied with his companion’s conservative strategy. However, the purpose of this trip to the Caucasus was indeed too simplistic—merely to investigate any signs of dark forces. In other words, if there were no signs of dark forces, then idol worship by other inferior races could be ignored as well. This was something Boriz could not tolerate. Having stayed in the Tribunal for too long, he had almost forgotten the pleasure of cleansing sacred artifacts with blood. And wasn’t this a perfect opportunity? No one could stop him from doing this, not even Karu.

Seeming to sense the firm tone in his companion’s words, Karu shook his head. This Boriz seemed even more extreme than Lord Noyora. “Those who follow me will prosper; those who oppose me will perish.” Even Lord Noyora wouldn’t dare make such a decision lightly. Though Lord Noyora was reckless, he was not simply extreme. Otherwise, the Pope wouldn’t have given him such broad authority. Karu didn’t want something that should have been simple to become overly complicated and difficult to handle. Although Lord Frenst didn’t want to alienate Lord Noyora, such blatant provocation wasn’t what Lord Noyora wanted either. It was just that his companion’s temperament was really hard to control. Karu was quite troubled. Could a bloody conflict really achieve the desired outcome? It couldn’t be that simple.