Chapter 2: The Olympic Championship
Realizing what had happened, Kamado slapped his own head. “I see! I’m truly sorry, Mr. Kaladin. Please forgive my suspicion. It turns out you work for Viscount Komer of the Caucasus. Five hundred sets—seems Viscount Komer trusts you greatly. To entrust such a large order to you is no small feat.”
Kamado expressed his apologies eagerly. It turned out the armor was meant for the orcish warriors of the Caucasus, which immediately dispelled his doubts.
It wasn’t news that the lords of the Caucasus and Leon were at odds with his direct lord. The two sides had already waged two wars, and the lord of the Caucasus seemed to have the support of the royal family of Nicomedia. Now, it was said that the Kingdom of Nicomedia had been nearly destroyed by an invasion by orcs from the northern wastelands, greatly weakening its strength. Perhaps the lord of the Caucasus now needed to worry about the safety of his territory, making such a large order understandable. Yet all this had nothing to do with Sparta or his family. The more intense the wars in the north, the better—only then would those northerners think to come to the south to buy weapons and armor. The weapons and equipment they considered standard in the north were nothing but junk even by southern standards. Kamado had always disdained those crude northern products. Compared to the exquisite and practical southern goods, northern products were clumsy and lacking in beauty. No true warrior would want to use such things.
“Well, Mr. Kamado, I wonder when I can receive this batch of armor?” Komer also wanted to test the production capabilities of this family, said to be the best in the Kingdom of Sparta.
“Five hundred sets is an enormous quantity, Mr. Kaladin. I can’t give you an exact answer right now. Our family needs to contact the Sphinx family to check their inventory of refined iron plates. If possible, I’d like to invite you to visit Athens, the capital of our Kingdom of Sparta. First, to show you the beautiful scenery of Sparta’s interior, and second, so we can discuss the delivery time for this order in person. I wonder if you might spare the time to come?”
After some hesitation, Karmado still did not dare to accept the other party’s order outright. Five hundred sets of armor was an enormous quantity, requiring support from raw material suppliers. Since the Sphinx family’s base was in Athens, the capital of Sparta, Karmado also needed to go to Athens to discuss matters with the Sphinx family’s leaders before making a decision.
“Athens?” Komer hesitated. Athens was not on his itinerary. His plan did not include any land travel; he only intended to cruise along the three major bays of the Southern Central Seas. Athens, however, was deep in the interior, at least 200 kilometers west of Patras.
“Mr. Kaladin need not worry. From Patras, you can take a boat up the Akmmon River to reach Athens directly. The journey takes only two days—it’s very easy, and you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.”
“Oh? Well, fine. But please arrange the time carefully, as I have other matters to attend to in the Gulf of Corinthia.” Komer eventually accepted the invitation. After all, it was a rare chance to visit Sparta, and it would be great to experience its stunning charm.
“Hehe, Mr. Kaladin, you surely won’t regret this trip to Athens. The most famous Olympic Games in the Southern Central Seas will also begin in a few days at the foot of the magnificent Mount Olympus. All city-states and countries in the region will send representative teams to this competition. I’m sure you’ll be captivated by the exquisite beauty of Athens when you visit.”
The pride and satisfaction on Karmado’s face lifted Komer’s spirits as well. He had long heard of the Olympic Games—this was the most renowned sporting event in the Southern Central Seas. In addition to various competitive sports for entertainment, there were also intense military-style competitions such as gladiatorial fights, racing, and horse racing, which were highly favored by nobles and officials from various countries.
It was precisely because of these attractive competitions that the Olympic Games had become a comprehensive festival for the countries and city-states of the Southern Central Seas. The presence of officials and nobles from various nations, who usually couldn’t gather together, also made Athens an ideal location for negotiations and meetings.
The Olympic Games were held every four years, always at the circular stadium at the foot of Mount Olympus—this was also the main reason Sparta attracted so many tourists from all over.
“Oh? The Olympia Championships are about to begin? Hehe, I definitely can’t miss such an event.” Komer also wore a bright smile. To be able to witness this competition that represented the highest level of competition in the entire southern continent was truly a fortunate opportunity. It seemed that officials and nobles from the entire Southern Region would gather in Athens.
When the people from the Caucasus received the magical message from the distant south, almost everyone became excited. No one had expected Komer to appear in the Southern Region. What exactly had happened was unknown to them, but it was enough for them to know that Komer was safe.
Xuro and Uma immediately prepared to head south. The south was the stronghold of the Great Secret Sect. There, the sect could openly spread its teachings, and its underground influence was extraordinarily strong. Since the Dark Lord had arrived at the southern stronghold, it proved that he still had an inherent connection to the dark forces. What this connection implied was something Xuro didn’t know yet. But since the Dark Lord was in the south, it suited the Great Secret Sect’s plans. Now they had enough time and opportunity to prove to the Dark Lord that the dark forces remained strong on the Continent of Azure, showing him just how fertile and vibrant the soil for the Dark Holy Religion was in the south, thereby strengthening his resolve to devote himself to reviving the Dark Holy Religion.
Uma didn’t have any other thoughts. He already had a vague understanding of Xuro’s background and was deeply moved by the Great Secret Sect’s persistent pursuit of its goals. But due to his extreme admiration for the Dark Emperor Kenifer III, he didn’t believe that such a remnant of darkness as the Great Secret Sect could take on the task of reviving the Dark Holy Religion, unless they could gain the leadership of Komer, who had now become Kenifer III’s successor.
To reestablish a glorious and great faith, merely possessing powerful magical or secular forces was far from enough. Brief moments of brilliance would only lead to a longer period of stagnation in the revival of the Dark Holy Religion. Building a sound and effective inheritance system, cultivating more talents, and gathering greater strength were all essential. And all of this required a great leader. In Uma’s eyes, there was no one better suited for this role than Komer.
On this matter, Umma had openly exchanged opinions with the high-ranking members of the Great Secret Cult led by Yi Xuluo. Umma’s unique status and the powerful dark forces he displayed also intimidated the arrogant envoys of the Great Secret Cult, making them take Umma’s opinions more seriously. Without consulting Pube or Mihajlovic and the others, Umma quietly set off southward with the group from the Great Secret Cult, only informing Pube and the rest just before departure. By the time they found out, they had already boarded a ship departing from Bahomon for the Central Ocean. Pube knew nothing about the origins of this group; he only knew that these people had some special relationship with Komer—neither friends nor partners, somewhat like subordinates or in an employer-employee relationship, but either way, there were contradictions. Pube never expected these people to follow his orders; as long as they didn’t cause him trouble, he would be grateful. That mysterious and erratic woman, Shatima, disappeared without even saying goodbye after learning about Komer’s situation. At that time, no one had the energy to deal with this woman whose mind often seemed to malfunction. She had always been a loner in the Caucasus, not getting along with Lome, Grace, Eve, or Finitz, but rather getting along well with fierce individuals like Sorenberg and Vladkov. Yet her origins remained a mystery—no one knew how she ended up by Komer’s side. Perhaps aside from Komer himself, only the missing Rebrí seemed to know something about her background. In the current Caucasus, no one could interfere with this woman’s actions. Lome and Grace also promptly informed Pube of their decision to head south to the Central Ocean. When they learned that this timing allowed them to catch the most bustling comprehensive sports event in the southern Central Ocean—the Olympia Championships—they couldn’t resist joining in, and of course, the elf girl Finitz wouldn’t be left behind either. This group of women also insisted on heading south, leaving Pube at a loss. These women and their leader seemed to have an indescribable relationship. The journey from Matdan to the southern Central Ocean would take over half a month at sea, passing through waters controlled by the Red-Haired Witch Katrina, making it hard to say whether any accidents might occur.
Fortunately, Komer’s second spell resolved Puber’s problem. Besides ordering the army to intensify training in preparation for potential crises in the north, Komer simply asked Hairedin to head south to the city-state of Corinth as soon as possible to wait for him. Thus, this group of women with no prior sea experience naturally became Hairedin’s entourage.