Chapter 24: The Opening Act

In fact, Komer had long realized this—without any mortals getting involved, none of the elf tribes could dare to challenge his entire clan so brazenly. This was also why he sent Vladkov and his group to the Storm Ocean region. He didn’t want to devote too much energy to internal elf conflicts for now. Since the Black Flame Knights and mages wished to hone their skills, giving them this opportunity served a dual purpose.

Early winter was a suitable time for warfare, no matter where.

Kagiyaa increasingly felt the crisis looming over her. Her trip to the Caucasus hadn’t gone unnoticed by the wolves of the Northern Alliance. Indirect messages suggested they no longer intended to drag things out and planned to confront her head-on.

Sighing softly, Komer offered tempting conditions. Though his arguments to persuade her contained some unreasonable elements, some of them did sound somewhat plausible. To hand over the legacy left by her ancestors to outsiders—Kagiyaa simply couldn’t do that. Although the power brokers of the Northern Alliance claimed it was to help her stabilize the situation, she knew that once their army entered her territory, she would no longer be in control of it, and both nobles and commoners would turn against her without hesitation.

Soft sunlight shone on the streets of Katin, with people moving about leisurely. The entire city was immersed in peace and tranquility. Standing by the window, lost in thought, Kagiyaa wondered whether this was what she wanted or what she despised.

Compared to Ugru and other cities in the Caucasus, Katin was more relaxed and lazy, lacking the vibrant energy of those cities. In those places, people of all races seemed to be busy happily. That was the difference—and perhaps that was why Komer succeeded. She seemed to lack the courage to challenge the old order or risk existing interests. Kagiyaa didn’t think it was a sign of her incompetence; Komer’s unique opportunities and starting point were the real reasons.

Rapid footsteps shook the wooden stairs and floor on the second floor. Even Kagiyaa could sense the other person’s tension and urgency. Her heart sank. Coming to disturb her in such a moment, and reporting in such a manner, could only mean bad news—likely something she least wanted to see.

The door was pushed open with a bang, and the guard who rushed in panted, “Your Highness, things are bad. News has come from the border—the armies of the Northern Alliance have officially entered our territory. There are also strange occurrences in the city of Katin. Scouts and vanguard troops from the Northern Alliance have somehow infiltrated Katin and are gathering forces; their target is undoubtedly you.”
“What about our troops?” Kakiya felt her heart tighten as she tried hard to stay calm.
“Your Highness, they’re still training in the suburbs of Katin. Sir Morichun took them there for drills—there’s no way they can make it in time,” the guard said despairingly.
Kakiya’s whole body turned cold. Morichun? How coincidental?
Skilled in political intrigue, Kakiya immediately understood what was going on. Without a doubt, Morichun had been bribed by the promises of those from the Northern Alliance. Though this army wasn’t strong enough to resist them, it was enough for her to use to protect herself and escape their grasp quickly. The Northern Alliance didn’t just want to seize this land—they needed an excuse to intervene in the situation in Nicomedia, and that excuse was undoubtedly her.
Without her as a rallying point, the Northern Alliance wouldn’t be able to gain any support. Moreover, Komer in the east could then justify launching a punitive campaign. But if she fell into the hands of the Northern Alliance, with the heir to the Romanov family as a bargaining chip, Komer’s campaign would be greatly compromised.
Realizing this, Kakiya quickly regained her composure. “Go to the suburbs right away and summon Sir Morichun. Tell him to lead his troops back to the city at once and eliminate these vanguard forces of the Northern Alliance. I’ll wait here for good news from him.”
As soon as the guard left, Kakiya, without even having time to gather anything or change her clothes, went straight to her bedroom, pushed open the secret door behind the wardrobe, and slipped into the dark passage.
A few minutes later, the entire courtyard was filled with strangers searching everywhere, their expressions tense and excited. But what awaited them was disappointment.
They found nothing. The wardrobe was ingeniously designed—most people would never discover its secret. By now, Kakiya had already left the tightly surrounded courtyard. She exited through another courtyard over a hundred meters away, boarded a carriage, and headed straight to the river dock. There, a single-masted sailboat was already waiting. As soon as she boarded, the boat set sail downstream.

“Has the Northern Alliance army launched a large-scale invasion of Katin?” Komer stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing.
“Yes, my lord. The Northern Alliance forces have split into two groups. One group, led by the Attica army, is advancing rapidly north of the Gar River, and they’re likely already in Katin. The other group has crossed the Gar River and the Lo North River and is moving swiftly south, likely to enter Hessen and Livonia soon.”
“They acted quite quickly—earlier than I expected. That’s not very pleasing,” Komer murmured. “If I had known, I would have made Vladkov and the others wait.”
“My lord, their pretext is that Princess Kakiya invited them to Katin to help defend it against possible invasions from the north and east.”
“Hmph. Of course they get to say that now. By the way, has Kakiya stepped in?” Komer immediately shifted his focus to the key issue. If Kakiya also confirmed this, then this war could become quite troublesome.
“No. Our spies have also lost track of Princess Kakiya’s whereabouts. But it’s certain that the Northern Alliance hasn’t succeeded either—they found nothing at her residence. She might have made other arrangements already. However, the Katin army has joined forces with the Northern Alliance under Morichun’s leadership, though this has drawn much skepticism.”
“Morichun? So this guy has finally shown up? Hmph. He’ll pay for his misjudgment for the rest of his life—no, he won’t even get the chance to regret it.” Komer snorted coldly. “As long as Kakiya isn’t on the side of those Northern Alliance scum, it’s fine. Since those guys want to meddle in our affairs in Nicomedia, I’ll teach them a lesson they’ll never forget.”
“My lord, what should we do now?” Mahagumi realized his master’s mood wasn’t as bad as he thought. Perhaps the lord had long awaited such a breakthrough—prolonging things indifferently didn’t suit his temperament.
“Do two things right away. First, search thoroughly for Kakiya. If possible, bring her to our controlled area. Second, create public opinion in Katin—claim that Morichun has colluded with the Northern Alliance to betray Kakiya and the interests of the people of Katin and Nicomedia. Call on the people to resist, using flexible tactics.”
“Understood,” Mahagumi replied knowingly.
“By the way, find out where Palermo is. I think Kakiya’s disappearance is related to him, especially in the areas bordering Katin,” Komer added.

As Mahagumi disappeared, Komer immediately began pacing excitedly in the room. The suffocating stalemate had finally been broken. Though it happened a bit early, Komer still felt a sense of joy deep in his heart. The Expeditionary Storm Ocean led by the Black Flame Knights and some magicians wouldn’t significantly impact his strength. After a period of integration and adjustment, the Minglan Knights and the Homer Knights had developed a fairly strong competitive atmosphere. Their initial unfamiliarity and resistance toward him as their new lord had vanished completely through the competitions held between the two knight groups, replaced by a stronger sense of honor and belonging—something Komer considered his greatest achievement in conquering Nicomedia. The only regret was that the Gothenburg Knights had not yet developed a proper fighting force and could not turn the rivalry between the two strong groups into a tripartite balance. Although their numbers had recovered to some extent, a knight group cannot rely solely on numbers to stand strong; they also need time and training to integrate. Of course, if they could experience appropriate warfare, both Komer and Fran believed it would help their growth. It had to be admitted that Lenta, a woman who had long been immersed in court politics, was far more politically sensitive than him. She skillfully placed the Minglan Knights and the Homer Knights, two groups she originally didn’t belong to, on equal footing, appropriately stimulating their initiative and sense of honor. With competitors, they quickly forgot their original loyalties. As for the newly formed Gothenburg Knights, though still immature, they were a group based on lands once under direct control of the Romanov family, which added even more pressure and urgency to them. Being grounded in reality was the most fundamental thing; how to excel in competition was the greatest honor for every knight. And as long as this was grasped, all previous conflicts and grudges would melt away.