Chapter 1014: Volume 33: Where to Go, - 2: The Transcendental Balance
Komer nodded silently to himself. If he couldn’t even see this point, sitting on the throne of the Lord of Nicosia would have been in vain.
Be it struggling for territory or for the world, in the end, it was a struggle for the hearts of the people. If one couldn’t win the support of the populace of the territory, the rule established upon it would be like a tower built on sand, prone to collapse at any moment. Massive martial power could dominate for a while, but it wouldn’t last. Only by conquering an opponent in the depths of the mind could one claim true success.
Thinking up to this point, Komer couldn’t help but disdain Kennifer III, the one who brought him everything.
As the heir to the Dark Holy Church as well as the emperor of the Dark Empire, even though he might be incredibly powerful in magic and martial arts, he showed a level of stupidity seriously unbecoming of his station in some respects. With such a prestigious identity, he was actually defeated by the Church of Light under such superior conditions. Other than his limited political acumen, Komer could find no other reasons to describe the downfall of the Dark Lineage.
The Church of Light saw this point, and hence they grew strong. The Salvation Society had also realized this, which was why Welch and the others had lurked in the shadows for so many years, choosing this time to emerge and vie for people’s hearts.
Xerob was equally crafty, silently extending his reach into Nicosia, and even Komer himself, the nominal Chief of the Dark Lineage, only learned of it afterward. Clearly, Xerob did not trust him as the chief. The worldly power seemed to have blinded Komer, leaving no room for others.
Komer never believed that worldly power and the pursuit of faith could be separated. If the pursuit of faith lost the support of worldly power, it would always exist underground, and emerging would lead to numerous restrictions. Likewise, worldly power, if resisted by the pursuit of faith, would be greatly constrained and could even be toppled. Only those who were part of it could taste the mutually reinforcing transformation of these powers.
It was precisely because of this that the Church of Light, the Salvation Society, and the Dark Holy Church were sparing no effort to contend for Cartin. The unpredictable situation, along with the neighboring regions already conquered by the beastmen such as Jazair, had cast doubt among the Cartians on whether the Church of Light could help them fend off foreign attacks. It was under these circumstances that the Salvation Society, raising the banner of reforming neutrality, received such a warm welcome from so many supporters.