Chapter 2: Conspiracy

“Fran, what’s your opinion?” Among those around Komer, only Fran and Mihajevic could truly offer him sensible advice. Newman was a pure magic practitioner who knew a lot about magical techniques, but he was clueless when it came to practical matters. Illot and Baoling were not present, so in this room, only Fran could be considered a true soldier.
“Lord, the situation is indeed unfavorable for us. I’m not sure about the strength of the court mage corps, but if it truly has the power to turn the tide of war, I think our army, composed of mountain people and orcs, will struggle to withstand the natural forces unleashed by those mages. These races fear natural forces far more than we mortals do. Although orcs have received specialized training, they will still collapse if faced with forces beyond their limits. As for the barbarians, though they’ve experienced wars in the south, magic was rarely used there. Faced with such magical attacks that alter the very landscape, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to hold out.”
Fran’s words drove Komer’s heart deeper into endless darkness. If even Fran said so, it meant the war was a complete failure. Moreover, Komer sensed even darker omens in Fran’s words.
“But we can’t retreat. Not to mention the Homers, Gdańsk, Poznań, and Silesia are all watching our moves. If we back down, they’ll pounce on us like hungry wolves and tear us to pieces. The vague orders given to us by the kingdom will also be interpreted in another way, and we’ll be cast into oblivion forever.”
Sure enough, Fran’s subsequent words were even more unbearable for Komer. Unable to advance or retreat, was there really no other choice but to sit idly and wait for death?
“So, we can’t retreat. We must move forward. We must crush the Homers completely before Poznań and Silesia’s armies intervene, take control of all of Homer, and sever any external forces’ ambitions to interfere. This is our only path! We have no other way!”
“But you know too that our mage corps can’t match their mages’ power. If we continue this war, our fate will be the same,” Komer said slowly, staring at Fran.

“It’s merely the difference in the power of the mage squads. Can’t Lord-sama find a way to turn this disadvantage around?” Fran replied to Komer seriously.

This guy seems to know something, Komer thought. But he’s very cautious and careful; his loyalty doesn’t seem to be a concern. It’s just that his behavior is too gloomy.

Nodding silently, Komer said nothing more. If there really was no way out, he certainly wouldn’t stay here wasting time.

In the dark cellar, Komer always felt a chill crawling up his spine. The eerie atmosphere made him uncomfortable. This guy wasted such a perfect body yet preferred to hide in these cellars, absorbing dark energy. Perhaps gender differences made him uncomfortable—this was probably his only regret.

“I need your help.”

“Heh, kid Komer, you’ve come to ask me for help now? Haven’t you always treated me as a bystander? What’s wrong? Why are you asking me now? Did you run into some trouble?” Her pale golden face still showed indifference, but her tone revealed the perverted old woman’s genuine pride and excitement. It was truly bizarre—she took pleasure in his troubles. Did his unfavorable situation excite her that much?

“Well, I’ve indeed run into some trouble. Those trashers from the Light Church have started causing me problems again. They sent powerful mage squads to help the Homerians. The Caucasus Mage Squad isn’t strong enough to confront them, so I need your help.” Komer wasn’t ashamed. Losing meant losing—there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

“Oh? Can’t Mihayevich and you handle it either? Didn’t you recruit a few mediocre magicians? Their strength is barely sufficient for battle. Can’t you fight together?” Hearing that he had to face the Light Church mages, eerie flames flickered in her dark eyes, and even her numb face twitched slightly.

“It’s not enough. Four experts at the level of Light Saints or above will be responsible for defending Cyprus. I’m not confident I can deal with four of them, and their other mages are far stronger than ours. I can’t allow them to disrupt my plans.” Komer said each word carefully. “That’s why I need your help.”

“Oh? A Light Saint? Four of them? Hmph, quite interesting. I haven’t smelled the scent of a Light Saint in ages.” A sinister laugh echoed in the dungeon, utterly eerie. Her lips curled slightly—this must be Uma’s smile. “Very good. I like Light Saints. It’s been three hundred years; I’m eager to see what level this generation’s Light Saints are at. Well, kid Komer, I agree—but I have one condition.”
“What condition?” Komer was surprised that she would impose a condition.
“The golden corpse you’re using for cultivation isn’t suitable for me. I need a better body—one that’s female. If you can find a body with pure Light magic within the Light Church, I’ll be happy to offer more help. I’ve always wanted a body with Light magic to study the fundamental differences between the Path of Darkness and the Path of Light.” Uma’s gaze grew even darker.
“Oh, do you have a specific target in mind?” Komer sensed there was more to her words.
“Well, for example, the Holy Maiden of the Light Church. You’ll have to help me fulfill this wish.” Uma’s lips curled again, looking truly chilling.
“Deal. One of those three Light Saints seems to be a Holy Maiden. It depends on your luck. But let me remind you—though your strength alone is formidable, we’re not fighting alone. This is a war, and I need collective power to turn the tide. Do you understand what I mean?” Komer stared at her.
“I understand. You want me to make some preparations. Well, how about an army of undead and a squad of skeletons? It seems I’ll have to return to Damorlensk Fortress to get ready. It’s been so long—I miss those days by the Eye of Darkness. That scent was wonderful. I also need enough dark power to restore myself.” Uma nodded. She knew Komer was risking a lot by betting everything he had accumulated over the years in an attempt to take over all of Homer. A single victory wouldn’t significantly change the course of the war.

“Well, that’s exactly what I mean—be prepared for anything, maintain sufficient strength as a reserve, and deliver the final blow at the critical moment.” Komer nodded, his expression fierce. “I not only need the power to attack their mage corps but also need to deliver a devastating strike to Homer’s army and the Rebirth Knights on the battlefield. I must win this war in the shortest possible time.”

Stepping out of the underground chamber, Komer let out a soft sigh of relief. There was no other choice. He hadn’t wanted to bring the forces of darkness into the open so early, but once those forces appeared, it would mean declaring war on the entire Light Church—not just the Inquisition. As for how the Salvation Society would react and whether their partnership would be affected, it was hard to say. After all, it might be possible to get others to accept the forces of darkness, but necromancy was much harder to accept—it belonged to a completely different world.

“Is it settled?” Mihajevic asked in a low voice as he followed closely behind Komer. He was also one of those who knew, albeit vaguely, that Komer had some connection with that elusive Umma. Though he wasn’t sure what kind of power Umma possessed, the dark, deathly aura emanating from that man was enough to reveal his true nature.

“Hmm. I didn’t want to do this, but I have no choice. The Light Church is forcing me down this path of confrontation. It’s my fault.” Komer nodded grimly. “Once Umma’s necromantic forces enter the picture, there will be no room for compromise.”

“Lord Komer, there never was any room for compromise. Why do you still cling to that slim possibility? Their pretense of hypocrisy was merely because they lacked the strength and faced too many obstacles. Once they feel the time is right, they will never tolerate your existence. The fact that they’re sending three Light Saints now proves that.” Mihajevic spoke dismissively. He never believed that light and darkness could coexist. Or rather, for that to happen, both sides would need to be equally powerful; otherwise, one side would be destroyed and the other would thrive. History seemed to prove this—the Light Church was built on the decline of the forces of darkness.

Komer paused for a moment, his gaze fixed as if deep in thought, his face showing a thoughtful expression. “Perhaps you’re right, but our current strength doesn’t allow us to do that yet. So, I hope to use this power sparingly, and if we do use it, we must ensure that outsiders remain unaware, or at least have no reason to criticize us.”