Chapter 18: Two Prongs of Attack
“Miss Kleiper, it is for this very reason that my father and I wish to refrain from naming the Pirean’s tactics for now. Once Miss Helena defeats that guy named Umma, we can then criticize them without hesitation or concern,” said Slupig proudly. “Even if that guy uses ghostly magic horses, they are no match for the celestial horses on Mount Olympus. Miss Helena’s Sword Qi of the Azure River is already on par with any strongman on the continent. I believe that wretched guy can only submit under Miss Helena’s sword.”
“Your Highness Slupig, you’re too confident. To be honest, I don’t think Helena has no rivals—especially that guy named Umma, who is far from ordinary,” Kleiper said, a hint of concern crossing her face. “Your Highness, you underestimate the power of magic too much. That Umma is undoubtedly a magician, and his magical power is quite strong—I can sense it. The ghostly magic horses are not real animals but rather abominations powered by magic. In a sense, they are more like magical artifacts, only at a very high level.”
The South has always valued martial arts more and held prejudices against magic. Kleiper was well aware of this. Having traveled in the North, she knew that the path of magic was equally vast and unfathomable, not inferior to the pursuit of martial power. Perhaps it might fall short in terms of raw power application, but it far surpassed martial arts in terms of the versatility of power.
Yet such prejudices had taken root deep in the hearts of these martial arts experts in the South. In their eyes, only the highest realm of martial arts represented true ultimate power—nothing or no one could withstand the strike of a master who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts. Magic, in their view, was merely a trickery that relied on external forces. This view wasn’t held only by ignorant people; even some renowned experts held such absurd opinions.
“Miss Kleiper, I’m surprised. Do you really think Miss Helena won’t be able to defeat that despicable guy?” Slupig raised his eyebrows in astonishment, his face showing disbelief.
“Princess Slupig, that’s not what I said. But I must tell you that the power of that Umma will by no means be weaker than Helena’s.” Unfazed by the strong objections, Kleiper was clearly a woman with her own firm opinions. “I don’t support Helena’s reckless adventure, but after all, she has received guidance from Mr. Aristotle, and her skills in the Sword Qi of the Blue River have also improved greatly. So I won’t express my own opinion on this matter; everything depends on Helena’s own decision.”
Slupig turned her gaze toward the chaste maiden who had been sitting quietly aside, like a pure and graceful lotus, standing silently on the water’s surface, elegant and serene. Her calm demeanor made even the usually proud Slupig feel a hint of inferiority deep in her heart—this was true beauty.
“Miss Helena, Miss Kleiper wants you to make the decision yourself. What do you think?” Slupig licked her lips, feeling unsure for the first time.
“Master, since both His Majesty the King and Princess Slupig hope that we will contribute to the Kingdom of Sparta, I believe Helena should take on this responsibility without hesitation. Your Majesty Slupig, I accept your invitation. If that Mr. Umma attempts to use Sparta’s honor to bring glory to the people of Piraeus, I will give him that chance.” Helena’s radiant smile made Slupig’s heart seem about to leap out of her chest.
The outstanding performance of the people of Piraeus in the racing battles greatly stimulated neighboring city-states, especially the Trojans and Carthaginians, who had always had a tense relationship with the Spartans. Having defeated the Spartans, who had long dominated this field, they were even more excited than the people of Piraeus themselves.
Upon learning that the real identity of that racer was a high priest of the Great Secret Cult, and that all three contestants who made it to the semifinals in the gladiatorial contests were followers and priests of the Great Secret Cult, both nations and cities suddenly became interested in this cult, which had been operating quietly in their own countries. The dark sect’s missionary activities were common throughout the south, but they seemed to focus more on the lower and middle classes, rarely interacting with the official authorities or the mainstream society. The mainstream society also didn’t fully understand this somewhat mysterious form of missionary work. When followers of the dark sect became heroes who defeated the Spartans, the leaders of Troy and Carthage suddenly became enthusiastic about this cult, which mainly operated among the lower and middle classes.
More and more delegations came to visit Piraeus, all eager to understand how the followers of the Great Secret Religion could help the people of Piraeus achieve such remarkable success. In fact, the people of Piraeus themselves did not know much about these secretive followers within their city-state. It was only when the actual competitions began that these people suddenly offered through various channels to help the city’s officials win honor by competing in the Olympic Games. Naturally, the city officials were delighted by this; the economically prosperous people of Piraeus wanted to use this opportunity to showcase their city’s prosperity.
In exchange, the Great Secret Religion would be granted land in the center of Piraeus to build a large dark temple. They would also construct an unprecedentedly large sacrificial hall and altar in the city’s central square, allowing followers of the god of the underworld from across the Southern Mediterranean to fulfill their lifelong wishes without having to travel to the temple on Zogos Island—just by going to Piraeus.
This was also a win-win situation for the city officials. Some of the council members who were devout followers of the dark faith had long proposed building a sacrificial temple in the city center. Now that someone had volunteered to do this without incurring any costs to the city treasury—just by allocating land for religious use—why not go along with it?
The people of Piraeus also felt honored by the visits from representatives of neighboring nations. This approach even had a greater short-term impact than the economic development of their city-state. Everyone in the Southern Mediterranean knew that the people of Piraeus had defeated the Spartans and won the chariot races. They all wanted to know how their city-state had done this, which filled the city officials with both excitement and anxiety.
The Great Secret Religion also has a large number of followers in other countries and cities, but in the city-state of Piraeus, the god of the underworld, Hades, is the most revered deity. Although some city council members proposed designating Hades as the guardian god of Piraeus, this proposal did not gain support from all members. After all, no city-state or country in the entire Southern Mediterranean region had yet chosen Hades as their guardian god; instead, they preferred to use various primitive traditional deities as guardians and protectors. It seems now is the time for change, otherwise it is hard to say whether Piraeus will remain attractive to those dark missionaries. If other city-states offer more favorable conditions for the spread of the Great Secret Religion and even take the lead in adopting Hades as their national or city guardian, it is uncertain whether the religion will abandon Piraeus.
Xuro has been in an extremely excited state these past two days. The attitude of the officials in Piraeus has changed drastically compared to when they first competed. The participation of Sorenberg, Vladkov, and another high-ranking priest of the Great Secret Religion secured three spots for the people of Piraeus among the sixteen contestants in the knockout rounds—a breakthrough unprecedented in previous competitions. In earlier contests, Piraeus’ best result had been just one person reaching the knockout rounds, often even none at all.
Now, the people of Piraeus have obtained nearly as many spots as the Spartans, even one more than the Corinthians and Iberians. In gladiatorial contests, the number of spots actually symbolizes a country’s military strength to some extent. Although there are many unknown secrets involved, this mere vanity is enough to embolden the officials of Piraeus.
The outstanding results in the chariot races prompted the officials of Piraeus to agree to submit immediately a proposal to the city council to designate Hades as the guardian god of Piraeus, assuring Xuro that it would surely be approved. After Xuro explained the status and situation of the city (court) mage guilds in the northern regions of the continent, the officials also showed great interest in his proposal to help Piraeus establish its first city (court) mage guild in the south. The continuous visits from officials of other countries and city-states to learn more about this situation made the people of Piraeus worry that the Great Secret Religion might shift its loyalty elsewhere, which filled Xuro with immense satisfaction.
Xu Luo had to admit that the Dark Lord understood the psychology of these upper-class figures far better than he did, and it was a piece of cake for him to use their psychological traits to achieve his own goals. With just such tricks, he had fully mobilized the enthusiasm of the people of Piraeus and even sparked interest in the dark forces among the elites of other neighboring city-states.
“Dark Lord, good news!” Faced with Komer’s serene expression, Xu Luo couldn’t imagine why such a young noble not only possessed extraordinary wisdom but also an unnerving composure for his age. Experience and age should be what bring maturity, not just innate intelligence or extraordinary gifts—yet the Dark Lord’s performance made Xu Luo feel inferior.
“Oh? There seems to be too much good news these days. Xu Luo, it’s especially important for you to stay calm and composed now. In this world filled with selfish desires, those who spread teachings should focus more on cultivating their spiritual strength.” Komer raised his gaze tiredly. He had spent the entire night discussing the creation of the illusionary puppet armor with Mihajic, and now they had finally entered the actual production phase, allowing him to take a break.
“Dark Lord, I believe this news will excite you too.” When they were alone, Xu Luo didn’t want to hide his emotions too much. Prolonged suppression and restraint sometimes left him feeling inexplicably irritable. Komer told him that allowing oneself some indulgence could ease certain strange psychological impulses, though this was only a temporary solution; the best approach was to improve spiritual cultivation. “The Iberians hope that our Great Secret Sect can build a grand temple of darkness in their capital to meet the religious needs of their followers and those in surrounding areas. They also ask us to help them form a group of mages to defend against the increasingly fierce attacks of barbarians.”
“Hmph, I suspect the latter request is their real goal. The pressures they’re facing are no ordinary ones.” Komer smiled slightly. Even fertile lands like the Flanders Valley had to be abandoned—one could imagine how difficult the Iberians’ situation must be.
“Your Majesty, though this may seem like a difficult situation, it is also a rare opportunity for us. Our Great Secret Sect already has a solid foundation in the Kingdom of Iberia. If we make good use of this chance, we can greatly expand our influence there and extend it to surrounding regions.” Xuro smiled in understanding as well.
“Hmm, the people of Piraeus can help the Dark Sect expand its influence at sea, while the Kingdom of Iberia’s strength on land is second only to that of the Kingdom of Sparta. If we can firmly hold onto these two forces, we can push the Corinthians and Spartans into a corner, making them realize that without the support of the Dark Sect, their positions could be taken over by the people of Piraeus and Iberia. The Trojans and Phoenicians will also eye their wealth. Only by making them feel threatened can the Dark Faith truly take root in these cities and nations,” Komer commented calmly.
“But, Your Majesty, have you considered what if the Corinthians and Spartans turn to other sects instead? Like the Church of Light? What then?” Xuro nodded and raised another question.
“Hmph. Can’t the Dark Sect even prevent such a thing? Why can’t we mobilize those devout followers? Have them destroy the temples of the Church of Light and put pressure on their lords and magistrates. Besides, we can’t just wait passively; it’s also necessary to take proactive measures. I believe the Corinthians and Spartans aren’t that inflexible. In any case, we must absolutely prevent that from happening,” Komer said coldly, turning his face slightly toward the distance.