Chapter 21: Knowing When to Advance and Retreat

“Komer, what’s the purpose of you preaching at me like this? I’m not an idiot—I have my own thoughts and worldview. Don’t think just because you hold the upper hand now that you’re morally superior. Let me tell you: you may have your understanding, but I have my own convictions.”
Kagiyaa was firm in her attitude, but Komer detected weakness in her tone. He smiled faintly and said, “Kagiyaa, do you really think I need to resort to despicable tactics to get something from you? Katyn means nothing to me. I just don’t want Nicocia’s land to fall into the hands of outsiders or foreigners who have no affection for us. They only seek to plunder and exploit. Even if they can pretend to be kind on the surface, their true intentions remain the same.”
Kagiyaa fell silent again. Komer was right—there was indeed no need for him to use any tricks or schemes. In this situation, he could simply use force to resolve the issue. Showing off his eloquence to win her favor didn’t suit his style; perhaps he preferred to prove his strength through action.
“What do you want?” Kagiyaa asked, struggling to utter the most crucial question.
The smile on Komer’s lips vanished instantly. He didn’t want to show triumph or schadenfreude in front of her. Kagiyaa wasn’t foolish—she knew what was important and what wasn’t. Compared to the Northern Alliance and the orcs, he was far superior in every regard.
“Kagiyaa, I think there are many paths we can explore. There’s no need to complicate things. You also don’t need to see Lenta as such a terrible person. In my opinion, to some extent, you, I, and Lenta belong to the same group. Maybe we don’t agree on everything or use slightly different methods, but at least we can openly express our thoughts and desires. We can honestly state what we want and what goals we aim to achieve.”
Seeing that Kagiyaa seemed to be pondering his words, Komer added after a moment, “Katyn isn’t very valuable to me personally, but it’s of great significance to the people of Nicocia. No one wants to see Katyn fall into foreign hands after Jazair has already been conquered. I think that might be the basis for our cooperation.”

Kagiyaa’s eyes sparkled, seemingly moved by Komer’s sincere tone. Yet the gap between them was not so easy to bridge, and deception in this world existed at all times. Kagiyaa did not want to reveal her stance too hastily.

Putting that topic aside, other subjects seemed much more relaxed. Whether it was the customs of the barbarians in the Cordillera Wasteland or Komer’s personal marriage affairs, Kagiyaa showed great interest. The issues regarding Lenta, Vyrana, and Viro’s status in Komer’s heart also made him feel very uneasy—only then did Kagiyaa’s sharpness truly come to light.

Kagiyaa finally stayed.

The issue of Katin’s status was essentially the issue of Kagiyaa’s status. Deciding what kind of status and identity to give her posed a dilemma for Komer. If Kagiyaa had not been married, giving her any title and handing over Katin to her would have been one solution. But Kagiyaa was already engaged; although not yet officially married, for nobles, this already meant she was a married woman. Someone like Komer, with his current status, had absolutely no chance with her—at least not in terms of official status. As for any private relationship, that was not even considered.

However, with Galle as a precedent, it was not impossible for Katin to follow suit. But due to Kagiyaa’s special lineage and status, such a choice might bring some negative consequences, forcing Komer to think carefully. Although the Romanov family had stepped back from the historical stage, it didn’t mean everyone was content to be ordinary subjects. With special bloodlines falling into the hands of those with ulterior motives, and given that Kagiyaa might not be willing to submit, this could create many variables in the future.

Since Kagiyaa could come here so unreservedly, Komer took the opportunity to invite her to travel throughout Nicosia and the Caucasus. If possible, he might even invite her to visit the Cordillera Wasteland. It wasn’t to show off, but rather to let Kagiyaa experience firsthand how those considered barbarians in ordinary people’s eyes submitted to her and lived peacefully under her rule.

Time waits for no one. Komer didn’t want to keep wasting time like this with the guys from the Northern Alliance. He needed a relatively unified Nicosia to unite as one force—only then could he maximize the strength of all factions in Nicosia. The Northern Alliance wasn’t a country; they possessed too much power. Though they didn’t always agree on everything, once the survival of the alliance was at stake, they would band together. A protracted war of attrition wasn’t what Komer wanted, but sometimes it was inevitable.

Komer needed full support from Kakiya. After Hoffman’s forces collapsed, many had turned to Kakiya. Although they weren’t overly hopeful that she could rise again, inertia led them to choose the heir of the Romanov family. Their actions also influenced those in Nicosia who were still unwilling to give up. If Kakiya could be made to submit, it would greatly reduce these potential threats. Of course, making her submit required skill and strategy.

Internal stability was always the foundation for any force to expand outward—a fact Komer understood well. The collapse of the Romanov dynasty stemmed from this, and he didn’t want to repeat that mistake. But the deep historical legacy couldn’t be reversed by one person alone; it required patience, time, and more complex strategic maneuvers.

So, it was necessary to show Kakiya just how powerful Nicosia was under his rule—especially to make her realize his military strength was unmatched. Only by making her realize that cooperating with him might yield more benefits in the future could he ensure she still received advantages in certain areas, even if she couldn’t control everything on her own.