Chapter 7: Reconciliation

As soon as he boarded the ship heading from Lake Nysa to Fortress Bruce, Komer fell into deep thought. Kajia’s sudden appearance gave him a bad feeling—he seemed to have neglected the feelings of these allies too much.
In fact, Komer knew that the relationship between him and these allies was superficial. Both Kajia and Hoffman saw his value diminishing, and their interests increasingly diverged from his own. It was no wonder—he never intended for either Kajia or Hoffman to ascend to the throne of the Kingdom of Nicosia. To be precise, it was in his interest to keep Kajia and Hoffman in a state of mutual hostility and restraint. But such a situation clearly couldn’t last long.
The relationship between his side and these two had evolved from mutual exploitation to perfunctory treatment. Kajia and Hoffman weren’t fools; they had also noticed this and were showing subtle changes in their attitudes. Realizing they couldn’t become true partners, they might have had other plans. Yet, faced with his dominance, they couldn’t harbor any dissent. But what about now?
Komer gazed at the calm waters, pensively resting his chin in his hand. Kajia and Hoffman surely wouldn’t be happy to see his power grow, but they seemed unable to stop him now. Neither Galai nor Cilicia was within their sphere of influence. Zelin and Nissa feared the Romanov family just as much as he did. Without Kajia and Hoffman’s support, he might face some pressure in public opinion at most. But with his strength far surpassing theirs, how much impact could public opinion really have? At most, it might make future pacification efforts more difficult.
Still, it was necessary to take precautions. Over time, he and Mahagumi had seemed to relax their attention on Kajia and Hoffman. Kajia’s arrival now seemed to serve as a reminder—that even minor figures can stir up big storms.
Komer wasn’t fully aware of the approaching crisis. He was too arrogant. The smooth progress he had enjoyed for so long had made him complacent. In his view, once the orcs were successfully drawn into his plans, no one could change the overall situation.

Just as Komer returned to Bruce, the minor characters in his mind were not content to wait idly for fate to unfold as he had imagined; it seemed that stirring up turmoil was inherently their duty as minor characters.

As soon as Kakiya left Livonia, she headed straight for Gothenburg. It was her first time there since the orcs occupied Jazair. This city, which had always been Hoffman’s stronghold, did not welcome her, but in such times, it seemed everything could be set aside.

Kakiya’s movements were secretive and concealed. If it weren’t for the necessity of going to Gothenburg, she certainly wouldn’t have taken the risk, but the circumstances forced her to shake hands with her former rival.

Hoffman calmly initiated peace talks with his half-sister using perfect court etiquette. It was the only option left. The orcs’ misdeeds and Komer’s dominance in the east had leftwholeNicosia trembling. The Romanov family, once looked down upon, now seemed to hold some value in the eyes of the Gallics and Silesians. Hoffman believed Kakiya, like him, understood that these ungrateful Gallics and Silesians were unreliable, but in the face of a common survival crisis, joining forces for self-preservation wasn’t entirely impossible.

The situation was somewhat awkward, but Kakiya wisely avoided titles and topics that might deadlock the conversation. What mattered most at this moment was containing the threat from the east. From Silesia to Galicia, to Katyn, and even Livonia, it seemed everyone present was under that guy’s threat.

“Has Archbishop Frenst’s envoy not arrived yet?” Kakiya glanced around, frowning slightly. Onia was undoubtedly Vazink’s representative, and although the Inquisition hadn’t sent anyone to this multilateral negotiation, everyone knew that man had become the Inquisition’s number one enemy. They would never give up if they got the chance. But today, the Frenst faction should have been the main focus. Without their involvement, the orcs might not stop so easily.

Regarding the delicate relationship between the Frenst faction and the orcs, everyone maintained a strange unspoken understanding. It was certain that Frenst had considerable influence over the orcs, as proven by many facts. Yet no one could truly figure out what kind of relationship existed between Frenst and the orcs.

“It hasn’t arrived yet,” Hoffman shook his head. His gaze swept over the two solemn-looking nobles sitting across from him; the emblems on their chests indicated that they represented the Ferdinand family and the Storten family respectively—according to Nacker, both were members of those minor factions.
“Then we’ll have to wait a while longer,” Kakiya said with a focused look. “Is it certain that the Tribunal won’t be coming?”
“Hmm, they’ve promised to send people as agreed, but they won’t participate in this negotiation,” Hoffman felt his momentum being suppressed by the others, which annoyed him, though he couldn’t find a way to vent it.
The meeting room seemed to fall back into silence and tension. Hoffman lowered his eyelids, ceasing to look around. The real focus now wasn’t him but the representative of the Periclean Church faction. Although they had expressed dissatisfaction with Nacker’s actions earlier, how much effect they could actually have in this joint effort would only become clear after further discussions. Such a loose alliance was merely formed under the immense pressure from the East, and in Hoffman’s view, it was quite fragile. Whether it could achieve its intended goals remained highly uncertain.
A silent figure finally appeared before everyone’s eyes. Frenst’s envoy immediately captured everyone’s attention. From head to toe, he was wrapped in light brown linen; aside from his eyes, which suggested he wasn’t very old, it was even difficult to tell whether he was male or female.
The Periclean Church faction didn’t have much interaction with Nicosia, as it wasn’t within the Church’s traditional sphere of influence. Moreover, the Periclean Church had remained mysterious and low-key over the years, and even Onia was quite unfamiliar with these people. Especially since they deliberately kept a low profile, it was hard to discern their true identities.
However, the token in his hand was sufficient to prove his identity. After seeing Onia nod in slight surprise, Hoffman finally acknowledged his identity.
“Gentlemen, I think there’s no need to repeat why we’re here. We’re facing invasions from bandits in the north and east. We earnestly hope you can offer us your help. Grand Duke Nissa has asked me to convey his sincere gratitude to you,” said the envoy from the Ferdinand family, kicking off the negotiation meeting with dry words.

Immediately afterward, the envoy from Calais also described the difficulties the city was facing, especially after the orcish Bear Warriors were dealt a blow, followed by relentless orcish reprisals. Wolf Riders and Deer Light Cavalry launched attacks from hundreds of miles away on Calais’ western regions, even threatening the central control areas of the kingdom, which filled Hoffman with fear. The overwhelming numbers of Ox and Sheep infantry surrounded the city of Cologne and its surrounding fortresses, but they did not attack immediately; instead, they seemed to be waiting for reinforcements from behind Calais, seemingly preferring to engage in a major battle with Calais’ army in the plains.

“These are not the most critical issues. If it were merely the orcs’ provocations, we would have the strength to hold on and overcome this difficulty. What worries us more is that usurper behind us might take advantage of our troubles to launch a surprise attack.”

“Look at what he’s done over the past few years—his various despicable tactics. From becoming the lord of a remote territory to seizing the position of Lord of Homer, Poznan fell into his hands as well. Now he’s spreading rumors and inciting the common people to prepare for his military actions. Gentlemen, this man’s ambitious plans are obvious. Just Silesia and Calais alone will never satisfy his hunger. Numerous signs indicate that he is deeply connected to those dark remnants that have resurfaced in the south, and his actions are undoubtedly supported by those dark forces aiming to extend their influence northward. We suspect he might well be their vanguard, and Nicomedia could very well be their first target! If none of you pay enough attention, one day we may all become prisoners of these dark forces, and the entire map of Nicomedia will be covered in deathly black with skull symbols!”

The envoy from Calais was far more eloquent than the envoy from Silesia. His detailed analysis and accurate predictions greatly enhanced the persuasiveness of his words. Even Kakiya, Hoffman, and that mysterious envoy were captivated by his speech.