Chapter 7: Balance

The orcs’ unexpected lack of action surprised Komer greatly. In his view, such an opportunity was an irresistible temptation for them, yet they rejected it. This ruined Komer’s plan to use the orcs to invade Silesia and seize the regions of Lendbel and Kechin at once. The idea was wonderful, but reality was not as expected. Although Komer was confident that his current army could easily defeat the Silesians, the Gallicians in the west still lingered near the border, the Church of Light issued severe condemnations and warnings, and there were the unpredictable orcs—Komer had to be cautious.
“These orcs don’t seem as simple as we thought. They actually rejected our invitation. How could they be uninterested in such fertile land as Silesia?” Komer was baffled. In his opinion, greedy orcs would never refuse such a temptation.
“Lord Komer, didn’t you once say that the orcs might have some connection with the Church of Light? Could there be a link between this latest threat from the Church of Light, the special relationship between the Silesians and the Church of Light, and the mysterious fall of Fort Saint Nicholas in the last war?” Rebril said casually as he admired the lord’s manor. The Haine family had excellent taste—combining rich Baroque styles with Byzantine elements made the manor resemble a magnificent complex of palaces. “It’s amazing how much effort the Haine family put into these buildings. It would be a great loss if someone lost them.”
“It’s a shame that everything that should have stayed here was taken away by that guy, Ebson. He’s such an annoying brute. Doesn’t he realize that many things lose their value once they leave? Look at the decorations on these walls—he even removed those! It’s outrageous!” Puber complained angrily. “Komer, you’re too lenient with Ebson. His behavior far exceeds what a failure deserves.”
“Is that so? I don’t think so. I only know that his actions are crucial to our ability to establish a foothold here easily. Without his cooperation, we might have faced many unforeseen troubles. I think his efforts are worth it,” Komer replied indifferently.

“Hmph, you’re always squandering things like this. If this continues, no amount of wealth will be left untouched by your recklessness.” Puber was extremely dissatisfied with some of Komer’s actions, but every time Komer could justify them as strategic necessities, leaving Puber with no chance to interject and only able to grumble in private.

“Enough, Puber. You need to focus on proper operations, not just the decoration of individual buildings.” Komer interrupted him. If you don’t give this guy a firm response, he’ll keep talking nonstop. “I think we should return our attention to the topic of Rebrí. That’s what we need to focus on now.”

“Orcs, the Light Church, and the Cilicians—there must be some kind of understanding or special relationship among them. But linking the orcs to the Light Church is simply unbelievable.” Rebrí pondered for a moment before saying, “There can’t be more than five people in the Light Church who would dare to do such a thing, and those with both the courage and motivation seem even rarer.”

“Hmm, the ambush on Eve and her Night Angel Mercenaries by unknown forces is likely related to this issue. The orcs made such significant advances in the Northern War—it’s impossible without some factors beyond our imagination. For years, the orcs have only been harassing at the borders, causing less harm even than the barbarians in the south. But with the appearance of siege engines in the last war, that was a beginning. The orcs couldn’t have created such devices on their own. To be honest, I think certain human factions provided them with these weapons. Javier, Bayezid, and Briarnos’ experiences support my guess.”

Komer’s words caused a stir. Rebrí was deeply moved as well. “Lord Komer, I’ve heard you mention this before, but you weren’t specific. Could you tell us the details?”

Komer revealed everything he knew, especially the Night Angel Mercenaries’ experience of transporting prohibited goods within the Northern Alliance and later facing a deadly ambush, which shocked everyone present. From Komer’s words, it became clear that many factions within the Northern Alliance were involved. So who was the mastermind behind this? Who could mobilize so many forces to suppress any potential upheaval?

“Who in the Light Church possesses such immense power as to be able to mobilize the forces of many nations in the Northern Alliance? This is not something an ordinary person can do,” Rebrí mused. “I think we can narrow down our suspects. Neither Norjola nor Welch can do it; only Vazinki, and perhaps Frunest, could barely manage it.”
“Vazinki seems to have no motive. It’s only he who suffers from the orc invasion in the north. He wouldn’t destroy his own walls. So that mysterious figure becomes increasingly likely,” Komer said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Why would Mr. Frunest do this? What could he gain? It seems unlikely he could hide this from Julius either. Isn’t he afraid of Julius punishing him?”
“No, Lord Komer. You don’t fully understand the internal affairs of the Light Church or the Pope’s character. The balance of power within the church stems from the Pope’s impartiality. If he were to show favoritism easily, it would disrupt the entire balance, even leading to its collapse—something even the Pope might not be able to reverse,” Rebrí said with a bitter smile. Such matters were truly not meant for outsiders to know.
“I see. Now that we have a clear target, everything becomes much easier. It seems that Lord Frunest also wants to create a small balance among the orcs, Cilicia, and us. He wants to play the role of savior and arbitrator—quite interesting. As long as we don’t declare war openly on the Light Church, we seem to have to give him some face, right? Interesting, truly interesting,” Komer laughed.