Chapter 15: Returning in Splendor

A mottled, straight flagpole stood alone atop the castle’s onion-shaped peak, symbolizing the lily flag of the Philip family. It had long since been removed, awaiting the arrival of a new master.

The people in the streets wore expressions of indescribable complexity—disgust, fear, worry, hatred—but most notably, a faint sense of anticipation. Just a few years earlier, no one would have believed that Reiser, the second son of the leader of the Three Wolves of Cyprus and regarded as trash by the entire city, would return in such a manner.

Most of the city’s nobles and merchants, aside from those who fled Cyprus with Philip, kept their doors closed, watching the developments with trepidation. The crowd gathered in the streets was mostly made up of the city’s poor and commoners, who came out out of curiosity to see how Comer Reiser, once driven out of Cyprus, would re-enter—as a conqueror or returning in glory?

Ramla Reiser’s expression was unpredictable, with cigar smoke curling through the hall. The few people seated around him were all prominent figures in Cyprus and even throughout Homer. Their expressions were equally complex and strange—perhaps because they found this bizarre situation beyond their imagination, yet it was indeed happening: Homer now had a new master.

An edict from Katin had officially appointed Comer Reiser as the new lord of the Homer region. The nobles of Cyprus stared at the edict with skepticism. Though its legal validity was doubtful, the judges of the Star Court gathered around Princess Kajia, and no one dared question its legitimacy.

What troubled the nobles and merchants of Cyprus the most were the incomplete messages from Gothenburg. It seemed Gothenburg was also in secret contact with the Caucasus, possibly aiming to gain the Caucasus’ recognition and support for Gothenburg by acknowledging Comer’s rule over Homer. But this was merely a tentative idea; neither side would admit such a possibility for now.

Valensky Lux unconsciously rubbed his hands, his gaze wandering. Puber Lux was his son, but now he had become the First Minister of the Caucasus. As Komer Resser’s status soared to its peak, Puber Lux’s status also rose dramatically. Everyone knew Puber was Komer’s close friend and now wielded significant influence in the Caucasus. In fact, the entire Homer was now at Komer Resser’s feet, with people in panic, unsure of what lay ahead for them.

To them, both Leon and the Caucasus seemed so distant. Most of them had never been to Leon, let alone the Caucasus. They never imagined that the once-glorious rule of the Philip family would end in such a manner, so quickly, leaving none of them prepared—none of them, including Ramla Resser, Valensky Lux, or Sherman Mordo, the father of Ilot Mordo.

“Mr. Ramla, the decrees from Katyn have been posted everywhere in the castle. It seems the people in the city have accepted this reality. Grand Duke Philip probably won’t be returning anytime soon. They’ve taken everything they could carry away. Now it’s just us left. We need to think carefully about what to do.”

The noble who cleared his throat to break the tense silence undoubtedly represented the thoughts of all the nobles behind him. Philip had fled the city, and the fact that they hadn’t followed him proved certain things—they didn’t want to leave Cyprus, they didn’t want to leave Homer. They came today hoping to get clear answers.

“Mr. Frup, I understand what you mean. When you invited Valensky and Sherman here together, I knew what you were aiming for. But unfortunately, I have no intention of changing my stance. Komer is no longer part of our Resser family. You know that three years ago, our Resser family severed all ties with him. I, Ramla Resser, have only one son, Conan Resser. There are no other descendants. If you want to make any deals with Komer or have anything to say to him, I think you’d better go to him directly. Our Resser family has nothing to do with him.”

Ramla’s expression finally returned to calm, and his firm tone left no doubt about his attitude. Not even Wallensky and Sherman had expected the leader of the Resser family to be so resolute and uncompromising. Was it really Kommer’s actions that had deeply disappointed him, or was it his blind loyalty to Philip? Or perhaps he was enraged because Kommer’s behavior had brought shame upon him?

“Mr. Ramla, why go to such lengths? It’s inevitable for young people to be reckless and indulgent. Didn’t we also have our own foolish times when we were young? Grand Duke Philip has already punished Kommer for his mistakes, and it’s clear now that Kommer is no longer the naive boy of old. He has now received an endorsement from Katin, so I think there’s no need to remain hesitant. We need to be practical and face reality.”

Frupp remained gentle in tone, but impatience began to show. In his view, Ramla’s mind was undeniably stubborn and rigid, even to the point of paranoia. After all, Kommer was still a member of their Resser family. Even if his lineage wasn’t noble, Katin itself had recognized him and appointed him as the new lord of Homer. He also commanded powerful barbarian and half-orc forces, and even Homer’s army, allied with the Church of Light and the Court Mages, was utterly defeated by him. Who could stop him now? To refuse to adapt under such circumstances was simply stubbornness. In Frupp’s eyes, Ramla was nothing but pretentious, almost pathologically so. If it weren’t for the special blood relationship between Kommer and this Mr. Ramla, Frupp wouldn’t have bothered to argue with him at all.

“Has Homer recognized Katin?” Ramla asked coldly. “Princess Kakiya hasn’t received official recognition. It’s still undecided who will inherit the throne—her or Prince Hoffman. Yet she already tries to dictate terms to Homer? That’s usurpation!”

Frupp felt frustrated. Ramla really knew how to pick faults. He clearly knew that both sides of the kingdom had little control over their respective territories, and Katin’s decrees were nothing more than a pretext. Yet Ramla insisted on being pedantic. Would Kommer really retreat to the Caucasus without confirmation from Katin or Gothenburg? It was absurd!

“Mr. Ramla, do you mean that you will only acknowledge Homer’s change of sovereignty if there is also an official decree from Gothenburg?” Frupp asked patiently.
“No, I don’t really intend to acknowledge it. I will always only acknowledge Archduke Philip’s sovereignty over Homer,” Ramla replied firmly, shaking his head.
Frupp finally stood up and said with some regret, “Mr. Ramla, I deeply admire your loyalty and steadfastness. However, the changing circumstances won’t change just because of your attitude. We should learn to adapt to the trends. I respect your choice. Mr. Valensky, Mr. Sherman, and everyone else, I think we needn’t waste any more time here. Let’s act according to our own decisions.”
The group finally left the Reisser family’s mansion. Ramla, exhausted, placed his hand on his forehead and sat weakly in the ornate chair. The bright sunlight shone on the courtyard, making the patterns on the pine carpet extremely clear—every subtle stitch could be seen. The intricate weaving symbolized Ramla’s complicated emotions at that moment. Komer had returned, and in such a way! Conan had also returned, but he was beaten up by his brother’s barbarians. What a perfect irony!
Conan, whom he had always favored as his legitimate heir, had now become a fugitive, while Komer, whom he had always despised and wanted to separate from the family, had become Homer’s new lord. Even he himself would become his subject. It was utterly ridiculous and absurd! But it was the truth!
How would he face this unacceptable reality?
When the terrifying Earth Dragon warriors marched through the streets of Cyprus with heavy, determined steps, when the burly, ferocious barbarians and half-orc warriors stood proudly in every corner of Cyprus, the people of Cyprus finally realized that Homer had truly changed hands. The threat from the orcs had not yet completely faded from the hearts of the people of Homer, yet real barbarian warriors now stood on the walls of Cyprus City. This filled the people of Cyprus with panic and fear; they didn’t know how to deal with this change.
The fearful looks of the mortals filled the barbarians and half-orc warriors with a pride they had never experienced in Leon or the Caucasus. Although they too had been defeated by Homer’s knights, they had ultimately won. Now was the time for the victors to display their mighty presence.

There were hardly any instructions from Fran. The half-orcs and barbarian warriors performed exceptionally well in the city of Cyprus—they were disciplined, obeyed orders without hesitation, and followed all the requirements set before entering the city. Nothing of the problems Fran had initially feared happened, which greatly relieved him. He hadn’t expected the sense of honor among the barbarians and half-orcs to yield such excellent results. Yet Fran knew this situation couldn’t last long; keeping these half-orcs and barbarians under restraint in a strange environment for an extended period would gradually wear down their patience, unless they could integrate into it—something that seemed unlikely at the moment.

Komer wasn’t aware of the psychological impact his rule over Homer had on many people in their former lives. He now had little interest in figuring out what changes Cyprus would bring to the entire Kingdom of Nicosia once it fell under his control. He had more matters to consider, especially those related to the Light Church.

News had arrived from Mahagumi: Göteborg was completely stunned by the formidable strength of the Caucasus forces. No one expected that, even with the Light Church sending three holy saints to join the efforts of the Court Knights, Homer’s army would be routed by the Caucasus forces in such a short time. The Court Mage Corps suffered heavy losses, and the mages who returned to Göteborg remained silent about that war. The Light Church itself was still shocked and puzzled by the whereabouts of Saint Elena; reportedly, internal disputes had already arisen among them.

The two northern lords—Silesia and Poznan—halted their military preparations. At least on the surface, their armies, which had been gathered along Homer’s northern border, withdrew back to their own territories. Perhaps they were waiting, observing, and speculating, needing time to process these sudden upheavals.

The Gallics’ behavior was even more extreme. After the Resurrection Knights returned, Göteborg remained silent. When Katyn officially announced Homer’s new ruler, Zelin even sent congratulations right away—though these were kept secret and not made public. This made Komer once again realize how “precious” human kindness was once the veneer of pretense was removed from the world.

Although Hoffman did not immediately extend an olive branch, the announcement of their recognition decree from Katyn clearly stimulated him greatly. The Philip family had completely declined, with little chance of restoring their former glory, especially with chaos reigning in the heart of the kingdom, leaving no one to pay attention to their existence. Though Silesia took in the Philip family, given the Romansovs’ long-standing disdain for them, it was impossible for Philip to receive any substantial help. Perhaps his only outcome was to live out his days as a dispossessed noble in Silesia. The wealth he seized from Cyprus would last him for generations.

He finally had a brief period of rest, though this was only on a military level. The apparent calm foreshadowed more violent upheavals when the next crisis struck, and these would manifest through political and diplomatic channels—such as attempts to win over him from Katyn and Gothenburg, negotiations with the Church of Light, and secret contacts with other major lords.