Chapter 19: Undercurrents of Turmoil
Lenta’s cunning provocation ignited anger in Philip’s heart. Though he knew she was deliberately stoking his fury, he found it hard to control his emotions.
The reason why that scumbag, Komer, had managed to survive so stubbornly in such a short time and grow even more arrogant was largely due to the power represented by this woman before him. He had sealed Odessa Port and barred grain from the kingdom’s interior from reaching the Caucasus, and it seemed to have worked. Yet those shortsighted fools used permits issued by the kingdom’s Ministry of Internal Affairs to smuggle grain into the Caucasus, allowing it to get through its toughest times. By the time the Catalonia River route was opened, the grain issue was no longer a problem. Still, grain merchants from the kingdom’s interior maintained close ties with the Caucasus. Now, they even used canals and the Nise River route to supply grain to Leon. Meanwhile, his most important castle and port at the edge of the Greenland Forest had become a key hub in Komer’s hands. At the thought of such humiliation, Philip felt an urge to abandon everything and lead an army to retake Fortress Bruce.
But it was just an impulse. Over the years, having remained firmly in his role as Lord Homer, Philip had trained himself to suppress his emotions. While Fortress Bruce indeed needed to be reclaimed, choosing the right timing was crucial.
“Hehe, Homer always needs the kingdom’s support. It seems the kingdom has forgotten the nobles who once made great contributions to it. Look at what’s happening in Jazair—I can’t imagine how the kingdom has fallen to this state. Princess Lenta, I’m sure you’re aware of this.” Unable to contain his anger, Philip couldn’t help but mock her. “As for Bruce, Homer has its own plans. The temporary rise of those lowly wretches means nothing. I believe it won’t be long before those scum understand that a lowly bloodline can’t become noble by ruling a bunch of half-orcs.”
Glancing at the other party with disdain, Lenta knew this was probably because her master Homer was so enraged that he uttered such words befitting only a lowly person. Talk about noble bloodlines was pure nonsense. While bloodline did matter, what good was it if you ended up as a street vagrant? Merchants wouldn’t give you food for free just because you had royal blood. At least 10% of the street vagrants who died of cold in Jazair every winter were once nobles of illustrious backgrounds, and every spring, numerous noble families declared extinct by the Royal Court. If this still didn’t make it clear which was more important—bloodline or strength—Lenta could only assume he’d been hit on the head by a door. But obviously, Duke Philip wasn’t among them; he was just trying to belittle the other party to vent his anger. Lenta hoped so, otherwise choosing a partner blinded by hatred would indeed be a failure.
“Oh, Duke, we’re delighted to see this situation arise, which is why I asked if the kingdom needs your help,” Kakiya said. It had been proven that she and that Komer had some secret dealings, which left Hoffman quite anxious. The four great lords all pretended not to want to interfere in royal affairs, making the voices of the lesser nobles more significant. Of course, these great lords weren’t indifferent—they just wanted to wait until the last moment to make their bets, hoping to back the winner. But Lenta believed none of these great lords were invincible. Her mission this time was to find a more reliable partner for Hoffman.
“The kingdom providing help? I’m not sure what Your Highness means,” Philip replied. He had thought it was just polite talk, but hearing her ask again really surprised him. What substantial thing could the kingdom offer now? Funds? The kingdom was already bankrupt and relied on borrowing to survive—impossible. An army? That was even more unrealistic. The few regiments that had been reformed were still fragile, and with the unpredictable behavior of the northern orcs, they wouldn’t dare leave Jazair and its surrounding fortresses. So what else could the kingdom offer?
“I heard that Kommer has a group of quite powerful mage friends. Homer suffered a great loss in this regard. If Homer can strengthen his magical power, how could those orcs, who have never seen magical power before, resist Homer’s regular army?” Lenta gently spurred her horse and continued to walk along the hillside.
“Mages?” After a moment of confusion, Philip understood. This was probably the only real asset the kingdom could offer. He was well aware that the kingdom’s court mage corps still possessed considerable strength—far surpassing his own mage corps. With the full support of the kingdom’s court mage corps, capturing Fortress Bruce shouldn’t be a problem. And with Homer’s army’s full cooperation, even crushing those crude and barbaric orcs would not be difficult.
Philip’s mind immediately became active. It seemed Kommer must have allied with Kakiya, Hoffman’s biggest rival. Otherwise, Hoffman’s close friend wouldn’t be so eager to seek support. What benefits had she promised in Gaul?
Yet the other party’s offer was indeed an irresistible temptation. Needless to say, Fortress Bruce was thriving. Not only had Leon’s mines resumed full operations, but merchants’ enthusiasm for investment had also surged, with them continuously expanding and building new mines. The coal and ore produced were shipped southward via the Nise River and the Undersea Road in large quantities. Its prosperity far exceeded the era when that fool Poninsky controlled Leon.
It was said that Fortress Bruce’s river port had been expanded twice, tripling in size, yet it was still overcrowded with ships. A large number of orcs flocked to Bruce, and the towns and streets around the fortress kept expanding outward. A large commercial area had also emerged south of the floating bridge. Orcs had become the main inhabitants of Bruce, and the local humans could even live in harmony with them. Philip couldn’t understand how these humans could tolerate living alongside orcs. It was said that the second floating bridge connecting the north and south banks of the Nise River was also under active construction. Bruce’s unprecedented prosperity filled Philip with both hatred and envy—a feeling truly unbearable.
Feigning deep thought, Philip gazed into the distance. He did not respond immediately to the proposal, but that did not mean he was uninterested. On the contrary, he was quite interested in the idea of cooperation. However, he needed to consider what he would have to sacrifice. Supporting Hoffman coming to power was not difficult; Philip believed his influence among the kingdom’s elite was second to none. Aside from Galle, no one could rival him. The two men from the north were far inferior to him and Zelin. If he and Zelin joined forces, Kakiya would have no chance at all. But there was no news from Galle, and he wasn’t sure what Zelin was planning. Still, Philip believed Zelin would not support Kakiya—perhaps he was also waiting for a better deal.
“Princess Lenta, I roughly understand your intentions. His Majesty is no longer in good health, and we need a new king. The kingdom also needs stability. Lord Hoffman is a suitable candidate, but Princess Kakiya is also good. In fact, each of them has their advantages. I’m glad the kingdom can provide its court mage corps to help me eliminate those lower races, but I can do it even without it. I think if Lord Hoffman can form a closer relationship with my family, I can support him wholeheartedly—and I can guarantee that he will become King Hoffman.”
At such a time, Philip didn’t want to beat around the bush. Just offering magical support wasn’t enough to move him. He still needed to fight for Tracy. Although it was difficult, Philip wanted to hear the other party’s stance on this issue.
Lenta was prepared for this question, but she thought that after proposing to use the court mage corps to help Homer, the other party shouldn’t bring it up again. Indeed, Tracy had once been Hoffman’s lover, and the two had even been engaged—but that was in the past. Hoffman had lost interest in Tracy’s body, let alone marriage. Now he had many noble ladies around him—who would remember this Tracy? But now, Lenta didn’t dare refuse outright. She gently conveyed the royal family’s opinion to her persistent father.
“Duke, I can understand your feelings, but I cannot comment on Hoffman’s marriage issue. I also think it would be better to discuss this matter later. However, I can assure you that no matter what path Tracy takes in the future, the kingdom will grant her a satisfactory status. What do you think?” Lenta said with difficulty, her tone turning somewhat bitter.
“Hmph!” With a light snort, Philip felt disappointed, realizing it would be hard to get the other party to compromise according to his wishes. Hoffman needed support from external forces right now; likely, a princess from an important country in the Northern Alliance would be his choice. Lenta’s words seemed aimed at offering Tracy some reward—granting her a higher noble status as Hoffman’s mistress was probably their plan. The Romanovs were truly shameless, but it seemed this was the best outcome he could hope for on this issue.