Dawn Town

Real-time audio-visual communication over long distances consumes a huge amount of magic crystals. The "Mirror of the Holy Decree" was immediately interrupted after the communication was completed.

Although meetings can be held using only sound, the Temple of Light, with the Pope in attendance, still requires careful consideration.

Augustus turned and went back to his office. He opened the door, Janet was already waiting inside.

"Father!" Janet bowed.

"You did a great job yesterday!" A rare hint of relief appeared on Augustus's face. "The evidence you submitted is sufficient to prove that the Plundering Clock did not actually interfere in the tragedy at the Sacred Mountain."

He walked to a chair and sat down. "This means that there is no irreconcilable conflict between us and them."

Even in the fight against the Final Bone Mad Machines, some cooperation might be possible.

Although this cult also harbors sinister intentions, the more direct threat at present undoubtedly comes from the Final Bone Mad Machines. As a major power, when faced with a matter involving its own foundation and survival, it will obviously only make one choice.

Janet's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer, which she quickly suppressed. "Thank you for the compliment, Father!"

"The Council of Cardinals has already begun arranging for personnel to contact the Plundering Clock," Augustus cautioned. "You must not get involved in this matter further. Too much of a good thing can be bad; doing too much might lead people to suspect you of having any connection with them."

"Yes, Father," Janet replied softly.

"I summoned you here because of matters concerning King Xialike of the Star Empire." Augustus then returned to the main topic, a hint of seriousness creeping into his expression.

"Father, Katharine's betrayal is definitely not related to the Star Empire," Janet said immediately.

"Everyone knows this, after all, we forced her to accept the title of Empress," Augustus said. "But a large-scale operation against the Final Bone Mad Machines is imminent." He added seriously, "I need Xialike to be completely open with us and share all relevant intelligence!"

Janet understood that this was the condition offered to the Star Empire, with her acting as the bridge between them. This was also the reason why the Divine Covenant Faction accepted her special status and allowed her to exist within the Church of Light.

"My daughter will go and convey the message immediately, and do her best to make this happen," she replied quickly.

The relationships between powerful forces go far beyond simple "alliance" or "hostility"; the intertwining of interests is always as intricate and complex as a spider web.

Augustus was quite certain that the Star Empire would hold a similar stance on dealing with the Final Bone Mad Machines, or at least be pleased to see the Temple of Light go all out.

But at the same time, he also knew that the thirsty young emperor of Xialike must also have various desires for the Temple of Light.

The fertile land of Midsummer Island has already been truly taken into his possession!

****

Janet quickly took her leave. After a short rest, Augustus activated the communication array embedded in the wall.

A moment later, a steady light shone from the magic circle. A long-distance, real-time voice connection was established, linking to an office in Corona City.

"Cortes," the Pope addressed the Ashen Repentance Friar directly by name, "What are your thoughts on the Star Sand matter?"

"An obvious trap," Cortes said.

Judging from their familiar tone of conversation, it's clear that their private relationship is far from the tense one they appear to be on the surface.

"The Magic Power fluctuations intercepted by the Military Intelligence Department indicate that numerous shipborne communication arrays have been frequently activated recently along the route from the Eastern Continent to the Northern Lands," Augustus said in a deep voice. "I suspect that the Pansy, the super battleship of the Final Bone Mad Machines, is among them!"

"This was an inevitable move," Cortes ' voice was chilling. "The Star Sand ' defection was bait, intended to lure us into attacking, so that the Blade of the Final Bone Mad Machines could cripple us in the Northern Lands!"

According to reliable intelligence from multiple sources, although the Final Bone Mad Machines possess low-cost, magical equipment for short-range communication, they, like the people of this world, rely on magical means for long-distance communication across oceans and continents.

The Magic Power ripples of long-distance communication can be captured; although the specific content cannot be eavesdropped on, the location can be roughly determined.

The Military Intelligence Department has been closely monitoring all communication fluctuations at sea, locating and analyzing them. One of the fleets, consisting of more than two thousand ships, has been unusually active over the past two weeks, with its movement trajectory extending from the Eastern Continent waters. It has long been listed as a highly suspected target of the "Pansy".

"My attack here will only be a show, to create a false impression of a strong offensive against Dawn Territory," Cortes revealed the true plan. "Once the Pansy ' appears or lands, I will immediately withdraw and retreat!"

Augustus nodded in agreement.

The Final Bone Mad Machines attempted to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out and engage in a decisive battle on a chosen advantageous battlefield. The Temple of Light countered with a feint, luring the enemy out of their hiding place.

They can then consolidate their forces and hold their ground in the territory under the Northern Continent Jurisdiction, awaiting further developments.

"I will closely monitor the battlefield situation and, when the opportunity arises, deploy the mobile fleet to the Expeditionary Crusaders." Augustus suddenly waved his hand, as if he had already grasped the invisible enemy in his palm, "Striving for a single strike, hitting their weakest point!"

"Okay!" Cortes replied.

The two then continued to discuss the details of the battle plan while looking at the map.

Augustus and Cortes had a close relationship, and the conflicts that had been on the surface for years were nothing more than a performance for the Council of Cardinals. Otherwise, these powerful bishops would have been suspicious and obstructive of the two men's appointment to high positions.

Given the current situation, let those old fogies who are keen on checks and balances continue to indulge in their self-deception of checks and balances.

Augustus and Cortes had painstakingly cultivated their loyal followers over many years. The two planned to launch a full-scale attack on the Council of Cardinals when the time was right, reshaping the power structure of the Temple of Light, but unexpectedly, the situation changed drastically.

It started as a "Spirit Cloud" wanted case, with the biggest turmoil being the "Bay Owl" scholar who repeatedly escaped capture.

Having finally managed to trap them at the Cui'an Sea Cliff, the Dragon Race suddenly intervened. Augustus was forced to pause, but unexpectedly, in this brief respite, the Bay Owl transformed herself, revealing her hidden identity as the pseudo-saintess "Ailisha," and broke free of the encirclement!

Augustus and the Council of Cardinals hastily launched an unprecedented maritime manhunt, but they never expected that the otherworldly visitor Bone King would enter the fray like a jinx, and Bay Owl escaped to safety!

This visitor from another world displayed astonishing abilities. Augustus wondered if everyone in that world was this powerful; otherwise, if a few more came, they could have surrendered immediately!

Cortes suddenly saw an opportunity.

"The Pansy won't arrive for several more days!" he told Augustus. "I have a mole in Star Sand; we can launch a coup against Katharine!"

The image of the Ashen Repentance Friar has always been glorious and majestic, and he treats ordinary people with great courtesy, thus enjoying an excellent reputation.

Zijin has a huge flaw in her identity as a member of "Pale New Words". Using this as a breakthrough to publicly criticize her, even if it cannot directly bring down Katharine, it can greatly divide the Northern Lands Church organization.

After all, the members of Star Sand are only a small part; there are also a large number of neutral priests and various grassroots believers in the Northern Lands Church.

Augustus expressed his approval and agreed to the action.

****

Northern Lands, Dawn Territory Administrative Center, Dawn Town.

As soon as Katharine and her team arrived, the defensive deployment work began immediately.

"Is this configuration sufficient?" A Star Sand officer couldn't hide his surprise. "We're only using the lowest grade of crystals to set up the defensive array?"

The force about to attack is a regular army from the Northern Continent Jurisdiction!

"Yes, just making a show of it is enough!" Katharine said confidently. "The Divine Covenant Faction won't actually attack."

Although everyone was somewhat confused, they accepted the order and began to study in detail how to build these superficial defensive facilities on the outskirts of Dawn Territory at the lowest cost.

"Remember, this is only to be known by us." Katharine's gaze swept over everyone as she solemnly instructed, "We must maintain a tense stance towards outsiders, making the atmosphere as tense as possible!"

"Yes, sir!" the officers responded in unison, their faces contorted with grimness and anxiety. They then opened the door and filed out in a hurried line.

Upon seeing that the military meeting had ended, Aoleisi Dawn Territory, knocked on the door and entered.

"How are the preparations for the rally going?" Katharine was just looking for her.

Tomorrow, the central square of Dawn Territory will host an unprecedented grand gathering. The Holy Maiden "Pale New Words" will deliver a speech, and a large number of Northern Lands priests will travel day and night to attend.

Many of them were neutral clergy who had not joined the Star Sand, and there were also a large number of devout believers. Despite the division within the church, everyone wanted to hear what this Legendary saint would reveal.

The sudden influx of people put a strain on reception and organization, and the entire Dawn Territory was running at high speed.

"Lady Katharine, the venue has been set up in the town's central square," Aoleisi reported calmly. "All barriers at points prone to congestion and stampedes have been removed, and additional guides have been deployed."

"Trampling?" The deputy, Ge'enda'er, looked puzzled. "The gathering consists of members of our Northern Lands Church organization; maintaining order should be easy."

"But the news will inevitably spread," Aoleisi explained. "Scholar Bay Owl is not only our saintess, but also a Titled Scholar and a Saint Rank expert. Her appearance will certainly attract a large number of curious ordinary people, so we must be prepared!"

Star Sand's accumulated prestige and positive image among the people of the Northern Lands made ordinary citizens dare to approach these extraordinary individuals and witness the excitement of the gathering.

After all, for the vast majority of ordinary people, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the legendary Saint Rank demeanor up close.

Even in an open square, when large crowds gather like a tide, minor disturbances can escalate into disaster.

"Indeed." A hint of approval flashed in Katharine's eyes. "Well done, Deacon Aoleisi!"

Aoleisi has been in charge of Dawn Territory for many years. She is shrewd, capable, and highly respected. Katharine once considered promoting her to the organization's second-in-command.

"Many dwarven cargo ships have arrived at the port recently." Aoleisi presented another document, "This is a detailed list; we need to organize the unloading."

Katharine unfolded the list and discovered that it contained supplies allocated by Su Ming. One part consisted of combat supplies such as weapons, armor, and magical materials, while the other part was food and living necessities.

As people from all walks of life continue to gather in Dawn Territory, the resources needed to maintain daily operations are rising, making these supplies a timely boon.

These goods were included in the 30 million share of the agreement with the dwarves, and were to be "delivered" to their door by the dwarves themselves, as requested by Zijin. However, the dwarves required Katharine's personal authorization before unloading the goods, and some ships had even been waiting in the port for several days, refusing any involvement from Aoleisi's side.

Katharine took out the pre-arranged token, a badge of the Final Bone Mad Machines engraved with dark patterns, and handed it to Ge'enda'er.

"You'll be in charge of receiving this shipment," she instructed. "Aoleisi, you focus all your efforts on arranging the meeting! After that, I have some new personnel changes to announce!"

Aoleisi nodded, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, "I will certainly not fail you!"

****

The following morning at 8:50, just ten minutes before the speech was scheduled to begin.

The temporary platform erected in the central square of Dawn Town was already surrounded by surging crowds. Just as Aoleisi Ores had predicted, in addition to the many priests and believers from the Northern Lands Church, nearby residents had also come to see it, and in even greater numbers.

The square couldn't hold them all; they stretched for several blocks, taking up half the town.

Ge'enda'er stood on the high platform, scanning the surroundings with his binoculars. Soon, he spotted a group of somewhat unusual figures—they were not distinguishable by their attire, but their posture and gait were unlike those of ordinary people.

Ordinary people were easily pushed aside and continued to crowd towards the center of the venue.

Ge'enda'er quickly looked around and discovered that there were several other groups of people like this. He roughly counted them and found that there were over a hundred people in total!

Among them were a few familiar faces. After a careful examination, Ge'enda'er quickly recognized them as the former ruling priests who had left the Northern Lands a few days earlier, including Patriarch Jialepien of the Northern Lands!

Ge'enda'er's heart sank. These persistent ghosts!

He quickly pressed the earpiece, "Lady Katharine, former priests have infiltrated the venue! Jialepien is leading a group of over a hundred!"

"They were given a way out, yet they didn't value their lives—" Katharine sighed, a chill running through her. "The crowds are too dense right now; the Star Sand Guard must not act rashly!"

"Understood!" Ge'enda'er replied.

He knew how formidable this group was; there were at least two archbishops and a dozen bishop-level clergy, whose combat ranks corresponded to Master Rank and Adept Rank combat power, such as Magister and battle masters.

In such a scenario, once a conflict breaks out, it is not only easy to cause a large number of friendly fire incidents, but the enemy can also easily blend into the chaotic crowd and escape!

On the viewing platform atop the clock tower opposite the high platform, Aoleisi also noticed this undercurrent.

For today's grand ceremony, she changed into a brand-new sacrificial robe embroidered with silver thread, symbolizing her status as High Rank- ranking deacon, and was now overlooking the entire scene.

"Although Star Sand has the advantage in numbers and combat strength, it's difficult to effectively suppress them in such a large crowd." She whispered to the people behind her, "Pass down the order: everyone stay put and wait for the right opportunity!"

"Yes, sir!" A priest accepted the order and left.

"However—" Aoleisi's gaze shifted to the high platform in the center of the square, where only Ge'enda'er stood, her brow furrowing slightly, "Where is Lady Katharine now?"