They had taken a day to get here, but returning to the border of the Duchy of Laxum at full speed took less than three hours. It had to be said that Dox deserved much of the credit. With his guidance, Angel had taken far fewer detours.
After crossing one rolling yellow dune after another, a temple eroded by wind and sand appeared before them.
"There. That's the one among the Desert Temple's twelve branch temples closest to the Guman Kingdom."
Angel said, "Desert Temple? An ancient faith of the Duchy of Laxum?"
"Not entirely," Dox said. "Though it was indeed passed down from ancient times, and there were ruptures and twists along the way, quite a few desert folk still believe in it now. I hear one Desert Temple has not been abandoned. Still, there are far fewer true believers these days. Most are merely going with the flow, paying lip service without any substance."
It was like someone picking up money by the roadside and exclaiming in delight, "Thank the goddess of fortune for her favor."
Their lips spoke praise, but did they truly believe in a goddess of fortune?
Angel nodded in understanding. The reason he had suddenly brought up faith was because any wizard would be wary of such divine beliefs. Many so-called gods were highly likely impostors—wild gods, outer gods, demon gods, and evil gods from beyond the realm. They manipulated the lives of believers, stole faith, and sought to use it to erode the Wizarding World.
For a time, the Extreme Sect had dealt devastating blows to all major religions. Yet faith was difficult to eradicate completely. To those at the top, it was a tool for fooling the masses; to those at the bottom, it was a refuge for the soul.
After discovering