The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 701: Volume Twenty: Wolf in the Mediterranean - Nine: Faith

Chapter 701: Volume Twenty: Wolf in the Mediterranean Chapter Nine: Faith

The Grammy hotel is undoubtedly one of the best-located in Athens City, situated on the edge of a hill on Mount Acropolis. The Grammy, said to be a property of the Heyinmei Family—one of the Five Great Families of Sparta—boasts hundreds of pure marble steps that far from deter travelers, instead contribute to the prestige of a stay here, with many taking pride in being able to spend some time at this establishment.

It was Kamer’s referral that was indisputably the main reason Komer could stay at the Grammy. Never had Komer imagined that lodging would require a referral, nor had he anticipated needing to specify the length of his stay. It was unheard of to him, but thinking of the Olympic Flame that would be lit tomorrow, Komer came to terms with it.

The streets were teeming with travelers and tourists from all over, and all inns in the heart of Athens City were filled to capacity early on. Had it not been for the Grammy’s requirement for guests to have a special referral, and if encampments hadn’t been specially set up on the outskirts of Athens City for racers from the Southern Mediterranean Region, Komer likely wouldn’t have found anywhere in Athens City to stay.

As Komer watched a parade procession pass jubilantly below the stairs, he found his own mood stirred by the revelry of the carefree crowd. His blood boiled as if spurred on by the previous night’s Lime Wine, growing heated until the faint dark aura he encountered upon returning to his door sobered him up from that fiery atmosphere.

Gently pushing open the door, Komer saw two elderly figures in plain clothes standing quietly by the wide-open window. Their voluminous black robes enveloped their entire figures in darkness, even within the room their dark cloaks remained drawn. The slanting rays of sunshine made the faces of the two individuals even harder to discern in the shadows.

After a deep breath, Komer didn’t ask the visitors for their purpose. He simply glanced at them and stepped lightly into the room. The arrival of the visitors had not escaped Komer’s notice; what surprised him was the speed at which his message had circled back from the Caucasus. The Dark Lineage obviously wielded considerable power and connections here; Komer had been in Athens City for no more than two hours, and the Dark Forces had already sought him out.

The moment Komer set foot inside the room, the two men who had been standing at the window felt an immense, invisible pressure, as if the air in the room had been sucked out in an instant. What followed was a suffocating sensation from all directions, akin to being suddenly abandoned in a desolate wilderness. This realization made both elders conscious of their presumption.

Without acknowledging them, Komer simply took a seat and rested his hand on his forehead, speaking faintly, "Has Xerob not arrived yet?"

Having effectively subdued the two men with his mere presence, they exchanged a quick glance. One of the figures in black robes slightly bowed and spoke in a hushed tone, "Grand Protective Pope Prosis of the Great Mysterium Sect and Selamu greet the Dark Lord. The Great Nether Envoy Xerob is on his way, having instructed us to come to Athens first to await the Dark Lord’s commands."

Waving his hand, Komer shook his head as if annoyed, "Gentlemen, I would prefer that you refrain from using the term ’Dark Lord’ in my presence for the time being. If possible, I suggest you address me as Mr. Karadin instead. In the South, I will temporarily be adopting the identity of Karadin, a Susoer merchant from the Caucasus. As for other matters, let’s wait for Xerob to arrive before we discuss them any further."

After a moment of mutual uncertainty, both cloaked figures appeared not to fully understand the young man confirmed as the Dark Sanctuary King. No wonder Xerob, the Great Dark Envoy, had repeatedly cautioned them in his magical communications that the disposition of the Dark Lord was somewhat capricious and stubborn. They were advised not to counteract his wishes and to comply with his requests for the time being until his return when arrangements could be made.

"If the Dark Lord wishes it so, we have no objections. The Great Nether Envoy Xerob will return within a week. May we ask how long the Dark Lord plans to stay in Athens City?" asked the other cloaked figure, whose voice sounded rather sharp, with lightly furrowed brows and delicate eyebrows that seemed to hint at a gender uncertainty.

"Ms. Selamu, please address me as Mr. Karadin. I will be staying in Athens City for a while, but I have other matters to attend to during this time, and I do not wish to be bothered or draw unnecessary attention," Komer replied indifferently.

"Your Highness, we will not intrude upon your business or cause any trouble. On the contrary, we will be at your beck and call whenever you require our service, as it is our duty. Please do not make things difficult for us," Ms. Selamu said with a persistence and firmness that seemed to intensify rather than diminish in response to Komer’s cool demeanor.

After carefully examining her face, Komer noted that the shadows couldn’t obscure his gaze, and he could see that Ms. Selamu was no longer young, at least in her forties. Though her exposed skin remained smooth and supple, the crow’s feet at her eyes betrayed her true age. "A somewhat psychologically troubled old virgin mage," Komer mused to himself.

Mr. Prosis, standing beside him, clearly enjoyed watching his companion argue with Komer, his face calm as he bowed his head, waiting for the outcome of their dispute without any intention of persuading his partner to stop.

"I plan to stay at the Grammy hotel. Do you two intend to stay there as well?" Komer raised his eyebrows and asked.

"Dark Lord, we will reside next to you, so you may summon us at any time, should you require our assistance," Prosis finally interjected, "Being unfamiliar with this place, you might find our presence useful. This arrangement will last only a week, until the Great Nether Envoy returns. After that, he will coordinate everything with the Dark Lord."

Helplessly glancing at them, it seemed they were determined not to heed his advice. The Grammy hotel was known for its high standards—ordinarily, it would be difficult for common people to enter such a prestigious establishment. The difficulty he faced in getting a room was proof enough. And yet these two somehow managed to secure rooms next to his?

Noticing the confusion in Komer’s eyes, Prosis patiently explained, "Mr. Karadin, our Great Mysterium Sect in Sparta wields influence no less significant than any other sect. The Temple of Athena is merely worshipped by them as the city’s guardian deity. The local residents truly follow our Great Mysterium Sect. For others, the Grammy hotel might pose some challenge, but they cannot refuse us."

"Is that so? I still saw the Temple of Light on the slopes of Mount Acropolis," Komer said, glancing at him with a half-smile.

"Mr. Karadin, that doesn’t prove anything. In the South, every country and city-state has freedom of faith. Even if there is only one believer, as long as their finances permit, they can build a temple for their own faith. The Church of Light here is just an insignificant ordinary sect. In the entire Kingdom of Sparta, the number of priests and ministers of the Church of Light probably doesn’t exceed ten," Prosis said with a proud smile on his face.

Realizing that these two protective mages of the Great Mysterium Sect seemed quite talkative, Komer’s curiosity was piqued. Maybe these two protective mages of the Great Mysterium Sect had other identities, but their pursuit of dark powers was their most devoted belief. However, the identities hidden beneath this might play some unexpected roles at certain times.

"I wonder how many families among the Five Great Families of Sparta follow the Great Mysterium Sect?" Komer asked, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Once again exchanging glances, Prosis looked somewhat sullenly at Selamu, who also appeared somewhat embarrassed. No wonder Xerob, the Great Dark Envoy, said this Dark Lord was a difficult master to serve; nearly every question he asked hit the nail on the head, making it difficult for them to answer.

"Mr. Karadin, according to their own claims, the Five Great Families of Sparta only devoutly believe in their patron deity, the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, whom they consider as the sole divine protector. However, this situation has started to change. Many members of the Five Great Families now worship Hades, showing increasing acceptance of our Great Mysterium Sect’s doctrines. And this trend is becoming more apparent. With the leadership of a Dark Lord, I believe our Great Mysterium Sect will achieve greater development in Sparta and throughout the Southern Mediterranean Region," Prosis explained with some difficulty.

Prosis’s somewhat strained explanation amused Komer. Although missionary work in these Southern countries was indeed lax and the Church of Light not particularly popular, these nations had a tradition of worshipping nature deities, especially among the royalty and nobility who wielded political power. They revered their own kingdom’s or city-state’s guardian deity and were indifferent to other faiths. Therefore, even though the Dark Sects had a strong foundation in these areas and had more influence than the Church of Light, they were mostly confined to the lower and middle classes and had yet to make a significant breakthrough in the upper echelons of mainstream society.

Piraeus City State could be considered an anomaly, with the Dark Sects able to designate the Giganthia Temple on Zago Island as a Dark Sanctuary. All because it was an emerging city-state where the new and rising merchant and tradesmen class, which was mostly composed of commoners, believed in the Dark Sects.

In most parts of the Southern Mediterranean, although dark faiths were indeed popular among the lower classes, there was still quite a long way to go to infiltrate the upper echelons of mainstream society. Komer, who had discussed the development of the dark forces in the South with Xerob on numerous occasions, also had his own opinions. He always believed that what was needed was a symbolic breakthrough to drive the rise of the dark forces in the South, to firmly establish the Dark Forces’ foothold and become a mainstream base capable of truly confronting the Northern Church of Light.

(To be continued. For further developments, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where the Chapters are more abundant, and to support the author and authorized reading!)