The Church's Request

Chapter 719: The Church's Request

Recently, Lister, whom Paul had appointed Arda's representative in Horn Bay, had been somewhat on edge. The war between the New Sect Army and the Guardian Army was raging, but the scales of victory were slowly tipping toward the Guardian Army.

After all, the Guardian Army had the Holy See behind it. The power that colossus had accumulated over thousands of years was far beyond what the handful of coastal nations in Horn Bay could compare with. In terms of influence alone, the Holy See could theoretically summon the power of nearly half a continent and crush this small group of people in Horn Bay who dared to show disrespect to the gods.

Fortunately for the New Sect Army, limitations in transportation, execution, and other areas prevented the Holy See from bringing all its theoretical strength to bear. The New Sect Army would not face quite such a devastating disaster.

However, even if the Holy See could only move one finger in Horn Bay, once it began taking the matter seriously, it quickly changed the course of the war.

After the Northern Route Army's grand encirclement failed, the Guardian Army changed its strategy. It shifted to the defensive in the north while concentrating most of its strength in the south, and the Holy See had even sent an army under its direct command over a great distance to join the fighting personally.

Faced with a greatly strengthened enemy, the New Sect Army advancing eastward suffered a narrow defeat beneath Moorburg in Collins. Afterward, it not only failed to organize another decent offensive but was instead driven all the way back into the Horn Bay Alliance by the Guardian Army, whose main force consisted of troops from the Holy See.

After several more demoralizing defeats, the