Chapter 9: Faith

The Grammy Inn was undoubtedly one of the best-located places in Athens, situated at the edge of the Acropolis. It was said to belong to the Haimi family, one of Sparta’s five major families. The hundreds of steps made of pure marble not only did not deter the nobles from staying there but also made many people proud to spend some time there.

Kamado’s introduction was undoubtedly the main reason why Komer could stay at the Grammy Inn. Komer never expected that staying somewhere would require an introduction and that one had to specify how long they intended to stay—something he had never heard of before. But thinking of the Olympic flame, which would be lit the next day, he came to terms with it.

The streets were filled with travelers and tourists from all over. Hotels throughout Athens were already packed. If it weren’t for the guests at the Grammy Inn, who needed special introductions, and the camps set up on the outskirts of Athens for competitors from the southern and central regions, it would likely be impossible to find a place for Komer to stay.

After watching the parade pass by below the steps, Komer found his mood stirred by the carefree joy of the crowd. His blood seemed to boil, as if fueled by the rum consumed the previous day, leaving him in a flushed state. It wasn’t until he approached his room door again that a faint dark aura pulled him back from that fervent atmosphere.

Gently pushing open the door, he saw two elderly men in plain clothes standing quietly by the open window. Their large black robes covered them entirely in darkness, and they hadn’t removed their cloaks even inside the room. The slanting sunlight made it impossible to see their faces clearly in the shadows.

Taking a breath, Komer didn’t ask them anything. He simply glanced at them before stepping inside quietly. He naturally knew who they were. He just hadn’t expected the news he sent back to the Caucasus to reach here so quickly. It was clear that the Dark Faction had considerable power and connections here. It had only been two hours since he arrived in Athens, yet the Dark Faction had already come looking for him.

The moment Komer stepped into the room, the two people standing by the window felt an invisible yet immense pressure, as if all the air in the room had been sucked out, leaving behind a suffocating sensation from all sides, akin to being suddenly thrown alone in a desolate wilderness. This made the two elders realize they had been too forward. Ignoring them, Komer silently sat back in a chair in the room, placing a hand on his forehead, and asked lightly, “Has Xuro arrived yet?” Almost instantly, he overwhelmed them completely. They exchanged glances, and one of the elderly men in black slightly bowed his head and said in a deep voice, “Proxis and Seramius, the protectors of the Great Secret Sect, greet the Dark Lord. Xuro the Dark Envoy is on his way. He instructed us to come to Athens first to await the Dark Lord’s orders.” Waving his hand, Komer shook his head with slight annoyance and said, “Gentlemen, I think we should avoid mentioning the term ‘Dark Lord’ in my presence for now. If possible, I suggest you call me Mr. Kaladin for now. I will be operating in the south under the identity of Sosor, a merchant from the Caucasus. As for other matters, I think it’s better to wait until Xuro arrives.” Looking at each other, the two men in black clearly found it hard to understand this young man who had already been recognized as the Dark Holy Lord. No wonder Xuro the Dark Envoy had repeatedly emphasized in his magical messages that this Dark Lord had a peculiar and stubborn temperament, and it was best not to go against his wishes; everything could be temporarily obeyed until he returned and made arrangements. “Since this is the Dark Lord’s decision, we have no objections. Xuro the Dark Envoy will return within a week. I wonder how long the Dark Lord will stay in Athens?” The other man in black spoke in a somewhat high-pitched voice, his thin eyebrows and slightly furrowed forehead suggesting there might be something unusual about his gender. “Ms. Seramius, please call me Mr. Kaladin. I will stay in Athens for a while, but during this time I have other matters to attend to. I don’t want to be disturbed or attract unnecessary attention,” Komer replied indifferently. “Your Majesty the Dark Lord, we won’t cause you any trouble. On the contrary, we will be at your service whenever you need us. It’s our duty. Please don’t put us in a difficult position,” Ms. Seramius said, her tone becoming more persistent and firm. She didn’t seem to give up because of Komer’s coldness; instead, she became even more determined.

He examined her face carefully. The dark shadows couldn’t hide Komer’s gaze. It was clear that Ms. Seramue was quite old—at least over forty. Although her skin still appeared smooth and delicate, the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes revealed her true age. A witch who suffered from some psychological issues, Komer thought to himself.

Mr. Proxis, standing beside her, seemed delighted to see his companion bicker with Komer. He waited calmly, head bowed, for the outcome of their argument, showing no intention of stopping his companion.

“I plan to stay at the Glamie Inn. Do you two also intend to stay here?” Komer raised his eyebrows.

“Dark Lord, we’ll be staying right next to you. You can summon us anytime if you need us,” Proxis finally interjected. “You’re new here and don’t know the place well. I think you’ll need us at some point. This situation will only last a week until the Great Dark Messenger returns, and then he’ll handle everything with you.”

Komer gave them a helpless look. It seemed these two were determined not to listen to his advice. But the Glamie Inn was of such high standard that ordinary people would hardly be able to enter such an exclusive establishment, as evidenced by the difficulty he’d faced to check in himself. Yet these two could stay right next to him?

Seeming to notice the confusion in Komer’s eyes, Proxis patiently explained, “Mr. Kaladin, our Great Secret Sect holds influence in Sparta that rivals that of any other sect. The Temple of Athena is merely worshipped as the city’s guardian deity. The local residents truly believe in our Great Secret Sect. The Glamie Inn may be difficult for others to enter, but they can’t refuse us.”

“Is that so? I still saw the Temple of Light on the Acropolis,” Komer said with a smirk.

“Mr. Kaladin, that doesn’t mean much. In every country and city in the south, faith is free. Even if there’s only one person who believes, they can build a temple for their faith if they have the means. The Church of Light is just an insignificant sect here. I doubt the number of priests and ministers in the entire Kingdom of Sparta exceeds ten,” Proxis said with a proud smile.

Realizing that both of these Patriarchs of the Great Secret Religion seemed quite talkative, Komer had an idea. Perhaps these Patriarchs had other identities as well, with their devotion to dark forces being their most firm belief, but those hidden identities might prove useful in certain situations.

“I wonder how many of the five great Spartan families believe in the Great Secret Religion?” Komer asked, lifting the corners of his mouth slightly.

They exchanged glances again. Proxis glanced at Seramue, who also seemed embarrassed, and understood why the Great Dark Envoy said this dark lord was a difficult master—almost every question struck at the core, making it hard to answer.

“Mr. Kaladin, according to the five great Spartan families themselves, they only worship their patron goddess, the wise Athena, believing her to be their sole deity. However, this situation is gradually changing. Now, many members of these families have begun to worship the god of the underworld, Hades. They are slowly accepting the teachings of our Great Secret Religion, and this trend is becoming increasingly clear. I believe that with the leadership of the Dark Lord, our religion will achieve even greater growth in Sparta and throughout the Southern Central Seas region.”

Proxis’s difficult explanation amused Komer. Although the preaching environment in these southern countries was quite favorable and the Light Church was indeed not popular, these nations still had a tradition of worshipping natural deities. Especially the royal families and nobles in power often revered the patron gods of their own countries or city-states, treating other beliefs with indifference. Thus, though the dark sects had a strong foothold in these regions and were indeed far more influential than the Light Church, they mostly remained at the lower levels and had not made much headway among the upper classes.

Cities like Piraeus could even be considered exceptions. It was precisely because Piraeus was a new city-state, with its newly rising common citizens and merchant class mostly adhering to the dark sect, that the dark sects were able to designate the Gigantia Temple on Zogos Island as a sacred site of darkness.

In most areas of the Southern Central Ocean, although dark beliefs are very prevalent among the lower classes, there is still a long way to go before they can penetrate the mainstream society at the middle and upper levels. Comer, who has discussed the development of dark forces in the south with Xuluo on many occasions, also has his own views. He has always believed that a landmark breakthrough is needed to drive the rise of dark forces in the south, so that they can truly establish a foothold there and become a stronghold capable of competing with the Northern Light Church.