538 Sards Plan (1/2)

Subconsciously, Fernando was about to establish a storm barrier in case other legendary experts were snooping around them, but Sard hurried to say, ”Use other spells. I cannot cast my projection into your barrier.”

He certainly dared not leave the Radiance Church and talk face to face with the grand arcanists, which would be like feeding himself to the enemy. A saint cardinal was not as unpredictable and unkillable as a legendary sorcerer.

Therefore, Fernando and Hathaway set up multiple magics together to prevent prying. The seemingly empty and peaceful air was full of fatal traps.

After everything was done, Fernando looked at the human-shaped air with his red eyes. ”By cooperation, do you mean cooperating with the two of us, or the Congress?”

Hathaway had always been taciturn when somebody else could speak for her. Alferris, on the other hand, had been blocked by Fernando since the beginning, unable to see them or hear their conversation.

It was not because Fernando distrusted it but because it was still too young and might reveal secrets subconsciously. Also, the sense deprivation was a torture for other people but nothing for a dragon. Alferris had already fallen asleep, floating in midair with Fernando's strength.

Sard smiled as warmly as when he was preaching. ”The cooperation I want cannot be supported by you two alone. The Congress of Magic is stronger than the Northern Extremists in terms of both the capabilities of their leadership as well as the personnel on the lower levels, but why is it only restrained in the cities such as Allyn, Rentato and Cox? Why can't it control a massive empire as well as its vassal kingdoms and duchies, like the Northern Extremists, who do not need to worry about the Church inside but only need to pay attention to external defenses? This is highly undeserved for the second strongest force in all the dimensions.”

Fernando calmed down and replied loudly, ”That's because we grew from weak to strong, unlike the North Church which was partly capable of resisting the South Church and had the full support of the northern nobles since the very beginning.”

”The Church has set up one big and four small transmission magic circles in Rentato, Cox kukesi and other cities, ensuring that they can reinforce it in time if we intend to remove the branches of the Church on this side of the Storm Strait, transforming a local war into a total war. In such a case, both parties need to calculate the potential losses prudently. However, I believe that, as the Congress develops, the situation will be greatly changed in ten years.”

”Ten years? You mean the legendary advancement made possible by 'new alchemy'?” Sard asked about the details unhurriedly.

Hathaway interjected, ”Yes. The system will be more or less perfected in ten years, and the errors will be rectified.”

”By then, Hathaway will certainly reach the peak of legendary, as well as Raventi, Morris, Donald, Prado and other archmages who have stayed in the ninth circle for a long time will advance into legendary, too.” Fernando declared confidently and exaggeratedly, leaving the impression that he was bragging.

However, he was even more confident than he appeared. He did not show it because he wanted to mislead Sard. Whatever purpose Sard might have, sending him the wrong intelligence might yield amazing results in the future. For the big shots in their level, a conversation was also a competition.

Sard smiled, ”Lucien is truly a genius. Ten years later, the Congress of Magic will be able to make the Church waver between losing half of the Grand Cardinals and evacuating from the few countries on the other side of the Storm Strait. His Holiness the pope estimated that it would take sixty years and therefore is not anxious.”

While God's Arrival was terrifying, it could only be used once. Even if Douglas was killed, what could they use to kill Brook and Hathaway?

By then, as long as the two grand arcanists at the peak of legendary stalled the pope, the other legendary sorcerers of the Congress would definitely make the Grand Cardinals pay gravely. After all, the South Church was surrounded by enemies, and it was impossible to summon all the legendary experts to attack the Congress of Magic, unless certain compromises were made to achieve the cooperation of the North Church and the Dark Congress.

Of course, such a possibility was little to none. The conflicts of heretics could not be mediated. Also, they certainly would not wait and watch the Church, which was the strongest of all, to swallow the Congress of Magic without losing anything. In that case, it would be their turn to be swallowed soon.

”Ten years is not too distant. I wonder how you want to cooperate, Sard.” Fernando asked solemnly.

Just now, he described the Congress' possible improvement following Hathaway's opinion, but in fact, with the new alchemy, the mass-energy formula, and the reverse-engineering of 'fission' and 'fusion', he was confident to reach the peak of legendary in one to two years even though he could not grasp all of them due to the lack of knowledge. Hathaway was the same.

If neutrons were discovered in advance, the advancement of Raventi, Donald and other archmages would be sooner, too. It would be a major mistake to predict the change of the Congress of Magic in a time span of ten years.

Sard said calmly, ”I can shorten ten years to one year. After one year, you will control Holm, Brianne and other territories like the North Church controls the Schachran Empire. The frequency of sorcerers being killed will be significantly lowered.”

”It would take the pope one year before God's Arrival could be used again. Therefore, one year later will be a good point. By then, I will shut the transmission magic circle in Rentato, so that you will not fear reinforcements. It will take at least half an hour to transfer from the Holy City. I believe you are capable enough of pushing the frontline to the Storm Strait in the meantime.”

Storms seemed to be raging in Fernando's pupils, indicating that he was not calm. While Hathaway was still indifferent, her focused eyes showed her attention, too.

For the Congress of Magic, the Radiance Church had to be removed in order to control this side of the Storm Strait, and the greatest problem for the removal was the super large transmission magic circle inside it. Because of the uniqueness of the divine power barrier, it could not be blocked in advance. However, Sard was implying that he would shut down the lifeline of Holm!

”What do you want from this? What about the Grand Cardinals of the other four parishes and the legendary knights in the countries?” Fernando controlled his anxiety.

Sard chuckled. ”You should've made some progress on diagnosing the fake gods. I believe you must've reported Lucien's report on Ell's church, too. Do you not know what I want? I want to establish a church with my own beliefs in order to approach the Almighty Lord.”

”The lands on this side of the Storm Strait is an excellent choice. I will reform the doctrines of the Church and return the interpretation right of the Cannon to the believers. The Saint Truth will be everyone's Saint Truth. In such a way, my church will be something that you can count on and work with, like the North Church and their nobles.”

”For the legendary knights and nobles, it will be an acceptable balance. Until the South Church is completely destroyed, you cannot abandon them and have to respect them.”

”What I'm doing right now is to make use of the radicals in the Holm parish to transform the opinions of the clergy and to intensify the relationship between the nobles and the Church, so that the liberals will abandon the Church and join my arms when a new balance is available, and the conservatives will make a similar choice after weighing the pros and cons.”