Sardes was wearing the white robe of a common clergyman. His eyes were slightly cloudy. If it weren't for his serene temperament, it would be hard to tell the difference between him and the old folks who were basking in the sun on the street in Renstadt.
He looked around at the empty square of the Church and chuckled. "I was worried that you wouldn't dare to come, Lord of Storm."
With the momentum of a storm, Fernando sneered. "Why wouldn't we dare to come? Would the Church watch us develop and grow without doing anything? I bet that it won't take ten or even sixty years. When the pope's God's Arrival is recovered next year, he will launch a total war against us. So, we might as well take the initiative. "
Due to the rapid development in the past hundred years, the Congress of Magic had become the focus of the Church's suppression and strike. It was impossible for the Congress of Magic to enjoy the peaceful time when the North Church and the South Church were confronting each other.
When a force developed to a certain stage, it had to have a war with the original controller in order to gain room for further development.
Therefore, in the past ten years, the Congress of Magic had been provoking the Church, hoping that a controllable local war would break out when the Church was unprepared.
When the pope was restrained by the North Church and the Dark Congress, and he was not prepared for the corresponding mobilization and mediation, the Highest Council of the Congress of Magic believed that the loss of the legendary sorcerers could be controlled within a certain range. In such a way, they would have the foundation to win the seven legendary Knight's loyalty. However, the pope had been rational all the time. He had been suppressing the radical tides within the Church and making preparations step by step.
Faced with such a situation, the Congress of Magic was under tremendous pressure. Had it not been for the follow-up of the incident of the scarlet moon, the Congress of Magic might've been besieged by the Church. That was why Douglas' risky move to trick the pope into God's Arrival with the artificial planet experiment changed the situation and earned more time for preparation. Even if Sardes hadn't asked for cooperation, the Congress would've tried to raise a war this year or early next year.
As for Sardes' claim that the pope predicted that it would take sixty years for the Congress to become unstoppable and that a total war would break out in ten to twenty years, Fernando and the other members of the Highest Council did not believe it at all. The pope and the Grand Cardinals were not blind. They couldn't have missed the rapid expansion of arcana theories in recent years. Also, most importantly of all, the pope had issued an order for a total war because of the new alternate dimension before the new alternate dimension was discovered, only to be delayed by the search for demigods, which was more important.
Therefore, Douglas and the other grand arcanists had every reason to believe that, now that the situation in the new alternate dimension was gradually stabilized, the pope would focus on eliminating the Congress of Magic after God's Arrival was recovered. Perhaps, it would be a total war that the Church was fully prepared for at this time next year. In that case, it would be better to instigate changes and build momentum. Also, the dreadful situation that a top legend would be sacrificed as cannon fodder to attract God's Arrival could be avoided. None of the top legends would be willing to be killed, which would lead to internal divisions in the Congress.
Sardes' cooperation was exactly such an opportunity. It happened to fit the Congress' plan to launch the plan this year or at the beginning of next year.
Therefore, the Congress' plan for the operation this time was to deal with the sudden arrival of fifteen Grand Cardinals led by the pope.
Sard smiled, "The Congress of Magic is indeed full of vigor. After a thousand years, the Church has gradually decayed. Only blood and fire can bring it back to life. You can go in now. The divine power barrier has been closed. Even the moderates have been sent to Richard. There are only a few people left, including Vera Amelton, who will supervise the process on my behalf. "
He requested that the parts of the Radiance Church other than the transmission magic circles be preserved for his future use.
His stinginess and eagerness seemed to indicate his sincerity in the cooperation.
Without the divine power barrier, Fernando's spiritual power covered the Radiance Church without any hindrance. However, he was not careless. He asked Donald, the president of the Will of Elements, and Thompson, his student, to go in first and control the core of the divine power barrier and the massive transmission magic circles.
The archmages and senior-rank sorcerers soon took control of the Radiance Church. Some of the clerics who watched them had complicated feelings.
Although they were more inclined to the Congress of Magic, and they had the idea of changing like the North Church under Sard's bewitchment and did not want to live under the terrifying pressure of the Congress of Magic anymore, when they saw that the Radiance Church, the symbol of the Saint Truth's effective control over the area on the opposite side of the Storm Strait, was controlled by the sorcerers, they could not help but feel frustrated and teary.
Was an era over?
Because of the sturdiness of the massive transmission magic circles, the archmages could barely destroy them directly. So, Fernando walked to the Radiance Church with his red magic robe.
At this moment, Sardes smiled. "I'll withdraw from Renstadt first to clear your doubts. After you completely control this area, I'll come to be crowned as the Radiance Archbishop."
Fernando glanced at him with his stormy eyes and didn't say a word as he walked past him. Absolute Defense Ataman followed closely behind.
Sardes chuckled and walked out of the square of the church as if he were taking a stroll.
'Allyn' had flown to the sky of Renstadt at some point. The rails were all retracted, making it look like a battle fortress.
Watching over the thirty-fifth floor of the central magic tower, Douglas said, "Atlant, keep an eye on Sardes."
The Eye of Curse nodded and opened his closed eyes. A bizarre and fascinating world seemed to be hidden inside.
The east of the city belonged to the area of nobles. Both the Nekso Palace and the Radiance Church were located here. Therefore, the scenery was beautiful and the population density was low.
Before Sardes came out, a Knight whipped his dragon scale horse and galloped on the broad, desolate avenue. Under the scorching noon sun, he barely met anybody before he reached Duke James' villa.
"Her Majesty has requested an emergency meeting of nobles," James said in confusion. Also, the time requirement was so tight that only the nobles in Renstadt could attend the meeting. Those from other places could not make it at all.
After confirming the authenticity of the coat of arms, Duke James went to the Nekso Palace full of questions.
In a remote corner in the northwest of the Nekso Palace, Lucien leaned against a tree that looked like a sycamore and waited for the order, hoping that nothing would happen.
"Lucien, don't be nervous." Morris flew over from the royal magic tower with the sorcerers of the royal family of Holm and summoned Lucien on the ground. Then, they flew to the other side of the Nekso Palace.
"Mr. Morris, my name is Don't Be Nervous." Watching them leave, Lucien replied coldly and humorously. Looking at the spacious villas of nobles on the two sides of the road, he couldn't help but think of Chorre's family. Under Natasha's' arrangement ', they were on duty in the manor at the suburb in case they were affected by the possible war.
The disappearance of Juliana and Minsk had always made Lucien uneasy.
"I hope that Plan B and Plan C don't happen …" Lucien hoped in secret.
Outside of the Renstadt Abbey on the west side of the city, Hathaway, wearing a dark magic robe, stood in the shade quietly, waiting for Fernando to destroy the massive transmission magic circles. By then, she would destroy the entire Order of Knights of the Holy Grail and part of the radical clerics in the Renstadt Abbey.
For Stone, the Holy Knight, who was only level-one legendary, she was neither careless nor overly concerned.
… …
On the thirty-fifth floor of the Allyn magic tower, intelligence was sent back one piece after another.
"Erica has controlled the Grand Church of Cocus."
"Vicente has controlled the Grand Church of Branes."
"Hull-Chulia has controlled the Grand Church of the Light of the North."
"Brook and Holt are waiting for the order to take action."
"Confirmed. The pope is still preaching …"
"Confirmed. The few saints are still around him …"
Douglas stood in the front calmly, not anxious at all. Having established the Congress of Magic under the most unfavorable circumstances at the beginning, he had seen all kinds of dangerous situations. However terrible the situation this time was, could it be worse than the beginning of the Congress of Magic's establishment?
At that time, sorcerers were purged by the Church every day and could be destroyed at any moment!
Suddenly, Atlant said in a low voice, "Sardes is missing …"
Under the observation of his Eye of Curse, Sardes, who had just left the district of nobles, had disappeared without a sound!
Looking at Oliver and the rest of them, Douglas said peacefully, "Inform Brook and Hull-Chulia to take action. Send the few grand cardinals to Mountain Paradise or seal them before the legendary Knight realizes that the situation is not right. Also, tell Brook to return as reinforcements as soon as the battle is over."
"Hathaway and Davey's positions are switched."
"We're going to help Fernando!"
After the orders were issued, Hathaway disappeared and reappeared in the Allyn magic tower. Davey, her 'creator', took over her task — to stop Stone.
Inside the Radiance Church, the massive transmission magic circles were covered in holy light.
Standing far away in the atrium, Fernando was about to completely destroy them with 'Thunderstorm'.
At this moment, Vera Amelton, who was supervising from another direction, suddenly put on a sincere delight on her cold face. Holy light burst out of her body, and the muscles on her face twisted and wriggled, turning into a handsome man who was even more beautiful than a woman.
The man had long blond hair and a sacred and beautiful face. The pure white wings on his back were quickly unfolded. One pair, two pairs, three pairs, four pairs … There were eighteen pairs in total!
He kneeled on the ground devoutly, with countless spots of light among his wings. Behind him, the projection of Mountain Paradise with seven floors vaguely appeared, with the same singing holy spirits and angels, the same six seraphs, and the same boundless brilliance on the highest floor.
However, this projection was much more illusionary than the projection of God's Arrival. On the highest floor, the enormous angel that held the scripture before the feet of the God of Truth was gone!
"Whoever chants your name shall be protected from all harm."
The man prayed in a low voice. His body quickly blurred, covering everything around with waves that did not seem to belong to this world. The waves quickly spread out and enshrouded the massive transmission magic circles.
Fernando's red pupils constricted slightly.
"Mecantron, the Angel King!"
Instead of attacking the massive transmission magic circles in a hurry, he sent a signal calmly.
"Plan III."