Chapter 20: A Safe Haven

Compared to the turmoil on the competition stage, Comer’s role now was much easier. After finalizing the deal with Baski regarding Cotton Castle, Crystal Castle, and their surrounding forests and pastures, the territorial contract for the Flanders Valley also came into Comer’s hands. The blank contract bore the seal of the Enrique royal family of the Iberian Kingdom. All that was needed was to fill in someone’s name to officially become the lord of Flanders. Of course, if one wished to be ennobled as a noble of the Iberian Kingdom, a considerable additional fee would likely be required.

Cotton Castle and Crystal Castle were not far from Athens, less than twenty miles away. Wide, beautiful white stone roads led there, with the castles and estates of Spartan nobles along the way. A carriage could reach them in less than half an hour. The two castles were less than a mile apart, facing each other across the valley. A clear stream flowed down from the forests behind them, connecting the two castles with a small bridge. Beautiful pastures lay in front of the castles. Such a prime location made it highly desirable for many Spartans. If it weren’t for Marquis Solomon’s good reputation in Athens and the hope that the Barbarossa family would buy them at a low price, these two castles would likely never have fallen into Comer’s hands.

After a brief inspection, Comer gave up the idea of living in these two castles. Although Marquis Solomon had already moved out, there were still many traces of his style remaining. While Comer wasn’t averse to the Rococo-style elegance, he couldn’t accept the excessive number of statues and portraits that reflected his personal style.

The deal with the Odysseus family was finally finalized after gaining the support of the Sphinx family. Five hundred sets of armor required a large amount of wrought iron as raw material, and the tight deadline meant that Camado was busy as soon as he returned to Athens. Upon learning that the Odysseus family had secured such a large order, many people came to meet Comer, this major buyer from the north. The Caucasus had now become one of the most important trading partners in the Southern Central Seas region. Large quantities of iron ore, crude iron, and anthracite flowed into this area, earning the Caucasus many gold shields. Now, buyers from the Caucasus were also coming to the Southern Central Seas region to purchase goods—a truly pleasing development.

Especially when Komer revealed the need to purchase a large quantity of high-grade weapons as well as daily necessities such as fabrics and dyes for the lords in the Caucasus, the merchants of Athens were immediately eager to take action. Even if this deal didn’t succeed, maintaining such a relationship was crucial—given the distant and remote Caucasus, its demand for the prosperous regions in the south would only grow, presenting endless business opportunities.
“This is the detailed map of Flanders that you requested, Your Dark Majesty,” Komer said, completely captivated by the map delivered by the Grand Secret Society.
The Flanders Valley was located between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees in the northern part of the Iberian Kingdom. Compared to the towering Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains appeared much lower and less formidable. The Gdańsk Fortress, which controlled the Gdańsk Pass, had always been one of the most important fortresses in the Iberian Kingdom.
The Iberians believed that as long as they held this place, the barbarians would not be able to break through the Cantabrian Mountains and enter the Flanders Valley. But they clearly underestimated the tenacity of the barbarians. When the barbarians ventured through the Bovor Gorge at the western end of the Cantabrian Mountains, the Gdańsk Fortress found itself under siege from two sides. Two months later, the fortress fell, marking Flanders as a defenseless region. The inhabitants there didn’t even have time to decide to evacuate before being trapped in the valley by the invading barbarians.
However, the barbarians were not as savage and terrifying as expected. They merely plundered everything edible and valuable, showing little aggression toward the terrified Iberian people unless provoked. Soon after the barbarians left, the people of Flanders fled south. The Gdańsk Fortress was completely dismantled, leaving only ruined ruins. It was clear that the barbarians didn’t want it to become another threat to them. Although they had no interest in the Flanders Valley’s low grain production, that didn’t mean they would allow the Iberians to rebuild a fortress there that could threaten their attacks on the Iberian Kingdom from other directions.

The Iberians were forced to retreat to the more rugged Pyrenees Mountains, where fortresses were rebuilt along the mountain passes to protect the central plains of the Iberian kingdom from the barbarians. However, in the northeastern part of the Iberian kingdom, where it bordered the Smeena kingdom, the flat terrain made it an ideal spot for the barbarians to break through.
“What a great place,” Cohmer muttered to himself. Since he couldn’t return to the Caucasus for now and couldn’t appear openly in the southern countries and cities, Flanders was indeed a good haven. The Iberians were seeking the Great Secret Order to establish a royal mage corps to resist the barbarian attacks—another invaluable opportunity.
The barbarians in the central and southern regions of the Cordillera Wasteland were among the fiercest of the thirteen tribes in the Barbarian Alliance, far stronger than the Trija tribe. Putting pressure on these unruly tribes and showing them the power of human magic would not only help him gain greater influence within the Barbarian Alliance in the future but also strengthen the Iberian kingdom’s reliance on its mage corps—killing two birds with one stone.
“It’s a shame the local inhabitants have already been driven away; otherwise, this land could serve as an excellent base,” Cohmer said thoughtfully, gazing at Xuro.
“Dark Lord, it’s not difficult. Right now, the Iberian kingdom is struggling with a large influx of refugees from Flanders into the south. They lack food and clothing, putting heavy pressure on the kingdom. As long as the barbarian problem is resolved, I believe these refugees with nowhere to go will eventually return to their homeland,” Xuro replied, seemingly guessing Cohmer’s intentions. “Of course, this requires suppressing the barbarians so they can no longer harass this region—but that doesn’t seem like a problem for you, Dark Lord.”
“Hmph, not a problem? You make it sound so easy. Barbarians aren’t easy to negotiate with. Their way of thinking is different from ours as mortals. Sometimes they yield to soft tactics, other times they refuse to bend—it’s hard to understand their true thoughts and intentions,” Cohmer sighed slightly.

“I believe the Dark Lord can find a proper way to resolve this,” Xuro ignored Komer’s complaints. “If we can manage to stop the barbarians from invading this region and instead harassing other areas, and then use appropriate methods to make the people realize that it is the power of the Dark Sect that protects them, Dark Lord, what do you think? Could this achieve the best possible propaganda effect?”
Heroes often share similar insights. A faint smile touched Komer’s lips. He had to admit that this guy had a natural talent for inciting others. No wonder he could become the Grand Envoy of the Great Secret Sect—able to draw parallels and infer much with just a little guidance. What he had just thought of hadn’t even been voiced yet, but the other party had already considered it.
“Xuro, it depends on how you handle it. If you can win over both the support of the common people and that of the upper-class mainstream society, I think it’s only a matter of time before the Dark Sect establishes a firm foothold in the Kingdom of Iberia.” Komer didn’t waste words. Many things only needed a little guidance from him; the rest was a chance to train the members of the Great Secret Sect. To take on the role of leader of the Dark Sect, it would be hard to gain credibility without showing some solid results.
The second round of the thrilling gladiatorial contests finally began. Even Komer hadn’t expected the competition to be so unpredictable. In the second round, Vladkov unfortunately faced the genius-like warrior Kaiselen, while Sorenberg encountered the invincible Slupig. Aristotle’s two disciples both faced strong opponents from the city-state of Piraeus, which made people marvel at the fickleness of fate.
As soon as the drawing was completed, Komer realized this might be a Spartan plot—to completely exclude the contestants from Piraeus from the third round, thereby greatly reducing their chances of winning.
Clearly, the Spartans were afraid. They preferred to use such despicable tactics to suppress Piraeus and limit its efforts to expand its influence. But this also aligned with Komer’s plans. If they could break the undefeated myth of Aristotle’s disciples, it would accelerate the Dark Sect’s ability to establish itself among the Spartans and leave a deep impression on their upper-class mainstream society. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Weighing the pros and cons, Komer stood by the window, lost in thought. Two carriages came to a gentle stop outside the Grammy Inn. As the coachman respectfully opened the doors, a red-haired girl with a pretty and fit figure jumped out first, causing Komer’s eyelids to twitch involuntarily. The several girls who followed made his heart surge with emotion—hadn’t they been sent to the city of Corinth to wait for him? Why were they all in Athens?