Chapter Nineteen: Disdain

Her deep gray eyes turned crimson in an instant, and Katrina’s face took on a wild and ferocious expression, causing Komer to worry that the Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean might lose her sanity from the shock of this news. Though Komer wasn’t afraid of her sudden outburst, he hadn’t intended to provoke her this time—nothing good would come of that for either of them.

Soon, Katrina proved that her self-control, worthy of being the leader of the Katrina Fleet, was no exaggeration. A mix of fury, anger, surprise, sorrow, excitement, joy, and anticipation flashed across her face in just a few seconds, creating an unreadable expression. Yet she didn’t lose control, which made Komer see her in a new light.

“Viscount, state your conditions. As long as I, Katrina, can fulfill them. I need the Thousand-Mile Mirror and the Magic Armored Cannons. I’m willing to agree to anything within my power, provided they’re given to the Katrina Fleet immediately. I need your help, and in return, I can offer you everything that Gote and his crew will never be able to attain.”

Now calm and composed again, the red-haired witch appeared even more resolute. Her gray-blue eyes shone with determination and fervor—though that fervor resembled a cold kind of obsession.

“Oh, I understand how Katrina feels right now. In fact, I regret partnering with that selfish wretch Gote. His shortsightedness has disappointed me greatly. Homer’s navy still blocks my routes to the Caucasus and León, leading to Cyprus. The canal from Odessa into the interior of the Kingdom of Nicosia remains under Philip’s control. I’ve given them so much, yet they haven’t given me what I deserve.”

At this point, Komer suddenly became verbose, constantly complaining about his former partners.

“Enough, Viscount Komer. I’m not interested in hearing about your nonsense with Gote. It was your mistake to choose the wrong partner—your judgment failed you. But it seems your mind isn’t completely foolish after all. It’s not too late to make amends. Choosing me will be the best decision you’ll ever make. With me by your side, the Earthly Ocean and the Abyssal Sea will both belong to us.”

With icy determination, Katrina put Komer’s thoughts to rest, giving him a stern lesson. It wasn’t until her last words that one could detect the fervor and longing in her heart.

“Oh, Miss Katrina, becoming too immersed in the sea of desire for power can lead to loss of direction. I must remind you.” Komer wasn’t offended. The eccentric Queen of the Undersea World probably tolerated his bold statements as far as her limits allowed, but Komer enjoyed the turbulence of such situations. Slowly savoring the thrills brought by this enchanting red-haired witch was truly delightful, and the risks were worth taking.
“Hmph, Viscount Komer, I think you’d better focus more on yourself and your own territory. Your disappearance will likely remain hidden for now. The Light Church’s members have sharper senses than anyone else. If they discover you’re in the Undersea World, even if it’s the domain of Hades, they won’t let you go easily.” Katrina sneered coldly.
“Hehe, my territory doesn’t need Miss Katrina’s concern. It will continue to thrive just as long as I’m in charge. I’m feeling more relaxed than ever. Traveling through the Undersea World has always been my dream, and now it seems it might come true.” Komer shrugged nonchalantly.
“Enough! I don’t want to hear your meaningless nonsense anymore. I want to know the terms of our cooperation. I’ve promised I’ll agree to any conditions I can meet. Please think carefully.” Katrina snapped impatiently.
“Oh? All conditions? What if I wanted Miss Katrina herself?” Komer narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
“Myself? Do you mean my body or something else?” After casting a pitiful glance at Komer, the red-haired woman suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears seemed to well up. It took her a while to stop, after which she said, “Viscount Komer, I don’t know how you can have such strange ideas. Are the Caucasus and Leon really full of half-orcs and barbarians? Are there no other mortal women? As far as I remember, Viscount Komer isn’t short of women around him.”
Komer ignored her harsh mockery and continued to wait patiently for her next words.

“I’m not an ascetic, but Viscount Komer, I doubt your physique will allow you to show off your masculinity. I’m afraid you’ll die of shame by then. Hahahahaha!” She couldn’t help but laugh wildly again. Katrina’s graceful and alluring figure became even more seductive with her back-and-forth movements. “If Viscount Komer’s words imply something else, I can only tell you that you don’t have the strength yet—no strength to make me submit to you! If you truly possess that power, Katrina won’t need you to say anything; she’ll naturally kneel at your feet and beg for your mercy!”

If the earlier words were a severe insult and mockery, the latter was outright provocation and disrespect. Yet, to Komer, it brought a sense of pleasure. She had character—I like that. Truly worthy of being the Pirate Queen of the Midland Seas, a fierce character indeed. Now, he wouldn’t be lonely in the Midland Seas.

After shifting the topic, things became much smoother. Faced with Komer’s arrogance and Katrina’s hubris, these two equally narcissistic individuals quickly reached an agreement on cooperation. Sifnos Island, located 300 nautical miles southeast of Grande Corsica, would become Komer’s private territory in the Midland Seas. Komer would develop the Magic Mirror and Magic Gunpowder Cannon for Katrina on this island. Katrina would not interfere with any of Komer’s actions south of Sifnos, and Komer promised not to operate in the areas north of the island in the Midland Seas.

Nominally, this island belonged to the city-state of Tyros in the Collins City-States Alliance, but due to its proximity to Katrina’s fleet’s base, it was actually abandoned. For Katrina as well, it was a marginal area—constantly threatened by the navies of the various member states of the Collins City-States Alliance, and further south, the Demisheme Pirate Group, who roamed the edges of the Storm Seas and Midland Seas, also kept an eye on this fertile sea region.

The Demisheme Pirate Group was a general term for those atheists despised by the gods. Most of them were descendants of mortals, dwarves, or hybrids with elves, forced to live in coastal areas due to being denied recognition by their own ethnic lines, working as thugs, killers, and mercenaries.

As these people grew stronger by banding together, they also caused fear among the Collins City-States Alliance and the nations surrounding the Southern Mid-Sea. These nations began to unite to suppress these roaming bands of mercenary warriors, forcing them to flee from the landmasses into the regions bordering the Mid-Sea and Storm Sea. Over time, they turned into a group of unruly pirates who constantly raided the waters of the Southern Mid-Sea and Storm Sea, seizing ships and attacking coastal towns, becoming the most rampant bandits in those areas.

The Demisheme Pirate Group tried several times to invade the Mid-Sea and seize Katrina’s territory, but three defeats in a row completely shattered their confidence to compete with Katrina’s fleet. They turned instead to raiding the Storm Sea region, forcing the navies of the Storm Sea’s coastal nations and the Collins City-States Alliance to join forces to hunt them down. However, by using several key islands far from the continent as bases and maintaining supplies through trade with the Eastern Vast Land, their plans to suppress them were never successfully carried out.

Komer chose this place as a temporary base first to avoid attention and escape the pursuit of the powerful Light Church, and also to learn more about the situation in the southern part of the continent—especially how strong the influence of the Great Secret Sect was there—so as to determine goals for his next steps. Another reason was that Komer hoped to find a foothold for Caucasus and Leon in this region. The developed maritime trade in the south could allow Caucasus and Leon to break free from the control of the Kingdoms of Homer and Nicomedia. If they could be closely connected to this region, Caucasus and Leon could become an independent force separate from both the kingdoms and even the Northern Alliance—exactly what Komer aimed to achieve.

The dark and mysterious atmosphere of the southern region gave Komer an indescribable sense of relaxation. He was aware of certain changes in his body—the power and memories of King Kenifer III’s soul were gradually permeating every part of his being, both in his bloodline and spirit. Over time, the originally weaker dark energy within him grew stronger, surpassing even the light energy he had long strived to cultivate. He could even sense a profound dark force accompanying every move he made.

This is undoubtedly a level that a dark magic practitioner could never reach in a lifetime; many great magicians struggle their entire lives to experience such a feeling, yet Komer is experiencing it now. This is a sign of the initial formation of a dark core. Once the dark core is fully formed, a great Dark Archmage will emerge.