Chapter Eleven: Whimsy

Hoffman paced restlessly in the room, hands on his back. The aggressive attitude of the Light Church was already annoying enough, but that wasn’t the main issue. These utterly degenerate scum of the church still seemed indulged in the glory of their former dominance over the continent, believing their doctrines could convert all unbelieving fools and that everyone would blindly follow their commands. Hoffman wasn’t worried that these fools from the church would cause much trouble; he was more concerned about his half-sister, Kagia. Though he never dared admit any connection between their inferior bloodlines, it was undeniable that this woman still possessed considerable influence in both the kingdom and the city of Jazair, on par with his own.

Now was the perfect time to deal with her. The king had abandoned governance, and the orcs had retreated. Although the north was still in chaos and Jazair was in disarray, none of this mattered to Hoffman. What mattered was that the orcs showed no intention of occupying the northern lands, and the Light Church had expressed willingness to help him establish a solid defense system there, even helping him persuade other nations in the Northern Alliance to support the kingdom—of course, with certain conditions hidden behind it.

It seemed everything was under his control. Lord Teyz had clearly expressed support for his efforts to stabilize the kingdom’s regime. Hoffman had never felt so pleased before. Yet at such a moment, this woman simply left without saying goodbye to go to Mainz!? Had she sensed his intentions? No, that was impossible. If so, she would be far too dangerous!

She had always been his most dangerous rival. Now that he seemed to stand at the pinnacle of power, did she think she was not strong enough to confront him and thus retreat? Hoffman didn’t believe it. He had seen through Kagia’s mindset and tactics. If not for his noble birth and strong backing, he might have already been overthrown by her. With the battle not yet over, would she admit defeat? No, absolutely not. Hoffman was sure her desire for power was no weaker than his own.

“Lenta, what do you think Kagia is planning by going to Mainz this time?” Hoffman glanced at the woman sitting on the ebony chair diagonally across from him, seemingly absorbed in trimming her nails.

“What’s the matter, Hoffman? Are you worried? Worried that she’ll cause you trouble?” Raising his head, his green eyes sparkled with mocking intent, and Lenta’s faint smile made Hoffman extremely displeased.

“What do you think? She suddenly slipped away at this moment—surely she must have sensed something,” Hoffman said through gritted teeth. “Does she really think that by sneaking to Mainz, she can escape my grasp?”

“No, Hoffman. You can’t act against her now. This isn’t the right time. There are many more important matters at hand than dealing with her. You know she still has many supporters in the city of Jazair. Acting now would be unjustified, and hasty moves would only alert her. Although you’ve initially won Lord Taze’s support, he won’t back you in such matters—indeed, it might even offend him, unless you manage to take over your father’s throne.” Lenta could tell that her brother seemed too eager for quick success; perhaps seeing victory within reach, he had become impatient and forgotten his current situation.

“Hmph, if I could take my father’s throne, why would I worry about her? The overall situation isn’t settled yet. By hiding now, she’s clearly waiting for the right moment. If I don’t use the advantage I have now to depose her, it will only cause us trouble in the future.”

Hoffman took a deep breath. Lenta had some point. Acting against his blood relatives before securing his own position would indeed be hard to justify, especially since she had already adopted a defensive stance, which would make it easier for her to gain sympathy and support from others. Now wasn’t the right time to act. But if he missed this opportunity, it was hard to say what tactics his opponent might employ against him. As long as he hadn’t taken the throne, there would always be many variables and risks.

“Hoffman, I advise you not to act rashly now—it could backfire. Kakiya isn’t an easy opponent. Without Lord Taze’s support, your attempt to strip her of her inheritance rights won’t be approved by the Star Court. The issue lies not with her, but with our father. Unless Lord Taze and the other nobles fully support you, do you really think you can pull that off?”

Lenta’s expression was cold and calm, and her words were like a sharp knife, gradually stripping away the unnecessary layers to expose the core of the issue, allowing one to quickly grasp the essence. “With the kingdom in such chaos, there are many more important matters than dealing with these. Your actions will only backfire and even undermine the advantages you’ve managed to gain so far.”

It must be said that Lenta’s words ultimately convinced Hoffman. Hoffman wasn’t foolish; he quickly realized he might have been too obsessive about this matter. Yet he also understood that if he didn’t handle carefully that rival who seemed to have given up on participating in kingdom politics, it would be hard to say who would end up winning in the end.

“Is there any other reason besides avoiding trouble for Kakiya to go to Mainz?” Hoffman pondered the geographical reasons behind Kakiya’s choice. There didn’t seem to be any particularly scenic areas around Mainz, nor was it a particularly important city. Was there another reason for her to choose there?

“Do you find it strange too? Well, Mainz doesn’t seem like a place for someone who enjoys pleasure like Kakiya. Apart from its abundant grain, it doesn’t seem to have anything special.” Lenta was clearly skeptical about Kakiya’s motives for going to Mainz, but she couldn’t think of any other reasons either. “What do you think she’s doing there?”

“The transportation there is very convenient; it’s easy to get to anywhere. With canals everywhere and ships coming and going, it’s hard for others to keep track of her real whereabouts. Lenta, do you think she might be trying to use this opportunity to get in touch with that guy?” An exceptional political sense had always been a genetic advantage of the Romanov family. Although Mainz seemed ordinary, its convenient transportation network, along the canals, allowed easy access to Calais, Homer, and the Caucasus to the south. Especially after the blockade on the Nise River was lifted and the Katalonia River became navigable, the advantages of cities along the canals and rivers became even more apparent.

“What, are you suggesting I spy on Kakiya?” Lenta raised her beautiful eyebrows.

“Lianta, I know you don’t want to meet that guy, but we have to face reality—the kingdom is no longer what it used to be. The four great lords are now essentially outside the kingdom’s control. In the past, we could still give them orders; in many cases, they had to act according to the kingdom’s wishes, even if only in appearance, showing respect for the central government. But look at them now—what role have they played in this war? I don’t want to go into details. Even the kingdom’s orders to defend its sovereignty can be ignored by them. They’re desperately expanding their power, aiming to gain independence while the kingdom is too weak to interfere. ”
Hoffman’s eyes reflected indescribable hatred and helplessness. The situation had evolved to this point beyond everyone’s expectations. The kingdom was now extremely weak; the central government didn’t even dare provoke the four great lords, fearing they might declare independence in a fit of anger. Apart from seeking help from the Church of Light to mediate and maintain the legitimacy of the Kingdom of Nicosia, Hoffman knew his only options were to stabilize the situation in the areas directly under the kingdom’s control and to gather strength by allying with any forces that could help him. It seemed that the previously overlooked remote southern regions had suddenly become important.
Clearly, Kakiya had also noticed the available forces around her. The four great lords would never openly support anyone; they preferred to see a bloody struggle between her, Kakiya, and the other heirs, as that suited their interests best. Neither she nor Kakiya could rely on those who were essentially the culprits—so the figure controlling the rapidly developing Caucasus and Leon suddenly became crucial. It seemed Kakiya had some kind of relationship with that guy during the last Vansel. Could her trip to Mainz at this sensitive time be aimed at seducing him?

“Lianta, we must now seize every force we can rely on. We can’t give Kakiya a chance to turn things around. I’ll reach an agreement with the Church of Light as soon as possible. As for the four great lords, we’ll hold back for now and wait for the Northern Alliance to take a stance before taking action. But we absolutely need a core force that supports us. Rebuilding the Golden Oak, Iron Cross, and Blue Dove regiments requires funds, and their strength won’t be restored in a short time. That guy can now control the orc armies and even has a close relationship with the barbarians. You know what we’ve seen—Thunderbirds, Earth Dragons! If we can get these forces to support us, we’ll be invincible!” Hoffman grew more and more excited, waving his hands as if those armies were already at his feet.