Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1375 Is he actually a leader?

The Cloud Whale Sky Island slowly rose into the sky, its enormous body breaking through the clouds and casting a vast shadow against the azure backdrop. The wind surged in from all directions, only to be gently pushed aside by an invisible barrier, leaving behind a faint whistling sound that echoed the silent and solemn atmosphere within the chapel.

Ling remained silent, his gaze fixed on the stained glass, which depicted an image of the goddess, vibrant yet sacred.

The first time I heard of Solomon's name was in Nimsher, the City of Springs, from Rochelle, a traveler of the Fertile Societies. He was once a member of the Witches' Society and was awarded the title of Philosopher for perfecting the magic system. He was also known as the father of modern magic and held a prestigious position. However, he eventually betrayed the Society and founded the Thirteen Hermits, who still enjoy a great reputation in the mystical world.

To survive the Witch Society's pursuit and establish himself as a mage on the continent of Eastern Empire, teeming with gods and extraordinary beings, his cunning and methods are undeniable. What puzzles the young man is that Rochelle seems to have been watching him for a very long time, perhaps even before the Witch Society noticed him. However, Rochelle has admitted to having contact with Solomon and establishing a cooperative relationship. Therefore, it's difficult for Lin Ge to guess whether Solomon's attention towards him is due to Rochelle's subservience or whether he's truly interested in the power he represents.

The belief in the creator goddess, once widespread in the Western Continent, and the Holy Goddess Cult, which was the first to submit to the Religious Decree, were unlikely to be associated by ordinary people. However, for the archmage Solomon, who had personally experienced the era of magical wars and had the authority to access the society's confidential documents, things might be different.

However, these are all things of the past, and may become a story for the future, and are irrelevant to the present.

Even if it's related, it's not necessarily a good thing. Don't forget that the Cult of the Goddess of Creation was suppressed by local forces in the Eastern Continent. At that time, those who suppressed it included not only the major traditional churches represented by the Spirit Prayer Society, but also national political systems represented by the Yalas Empire... and even numerous secret societies represented by the Thirteen Hermits Society.

From this perspective, the Thirteen Hermits undoubtedly have a deep grudge against the Church of the Creator Goddess. So, is Linger, who is praised and recognized by Solomon, the leader of the Thirteen Hermits, credible in the eyes of the Goddess's believer, Arnor?

As expected, the young man noticed that while the other person wore an expression of "I've long admired your name," a hint of apprehension and suspicion flashed deep in his eyes. Although he concealed it well, it was fleeting, but the young man's intuition was clearly more acute than he had imagined, seeing through every subtle change in emotion, though he simply chose not to point it out.

Arnor was unaware that his intentions had been exposed; he was still pondering the rationale behind his actions.

Theoretically, since the last Elf King and the followers of the Goddess of Creation came from across the sea, it's reasonable that they would have a legacy in the Western Continent. However, many questions remain. For example, the Goddess of Creation in the Eastern Continent survived only because of the protection of Assyria, the Paradise City, but how did the Holy Goddess Church in the Western Continent escape persecution from the Witch Society? Furthermore, even the seven saints who founded the Goddess of Creation had forgotten their mother's face; where did the Holy Goddess Church find the image of the goddess to carve and worship? Finally, and most importantly… their purpose.

For nearly a thousand years, they have never been heard of, but today they have suddenly appeared and shown an intention to make contact. What is their purpose?
Until he understands the problem, Yanor finds it difficult to let down his guard against these people.

When he subtly but restrainedly expressed his doubts, Medien blinked slightly, not surprised by his question. Back when they devised this plan, Ling and his sister O'Vila had anticipated every possible reaction and devised corresponding countermeasures. As for Arnor's question, though seemingly sensitive, it was actually the easiest to answer.

Just be open and honest.

“We want to make contact with Paradise Township Assyria, whether directly or indirectly.”

The pink-haired girl said softly, "Everyone knows that the Holy War Army is supported by the demon spirit race of Assyria in Paradise Village, and Lady Cheryl has personally contacted the leader you speak of. It is said that Assyria has long since gone into seclusion and no longer communicates with the outside world. Our rash search might cause unnecessary misunderstandings, therefore..."

It turns out they came for Assyria.

Arno immediately understood; frankly, this purpose was not uncommon. As Medien had said, everyone knew of the connection between the Holy War Army and the Assyrian Paradise. Therefore, many attempted to gain the Holy War Army's trust to pursue the legendary, ancient, and most mysterious fairy land, considered the foremost of the three great secret realms. Their reasons were often noble, but their true motives lay elsewhere—power, wealth, influence, or fame. Such people not only failed to gain the approval of the fairies, but also couldn't pass the Holy War Army's test. Their best fate was expulsion, while their worst was being targeted by those who tried to threaten them with force—the dragon-slaying holy sword Hydras, inherited from her brother and wielded by Lady Cheryl, had never hesitated to use it…

But that only applies to ordinary people; the purpose of this visitor is probably not so simple.

Could it be——

The cloud whale continued its ascent, passing through a thin layer of clouds. The sunlight suddenly intensified, streaming through the stained-glass windows and casting dappled patterns of light onto the church floor. The statue of the Virgin Mary on the altar seemed to be edged with gold, her compassionate eyes appearing even more profound in the halo of light. And in that instant, a flash of insight struck Arnor; he seemed to understand something.

But if things were really as he suspected, it would have a severe impact on the Jihad Army, on Assyria, and even on the situation in the entire province of Atoliga. Whether that impact would be positive or negative, he couldn't be sure.

Arnor took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. He realized that he had been on the defensive throughout this negotiation, not only because the other side possessed more information, but also because of the extraordinary power and resources they had displayed. He glanced at his companions: Edwin was bent over adjusting the rock flute at his waist, as if recording this wondrous journey; Kalia remained vigilant, her eyes constantly scanning every corner of the church; Gordan sat cross-legged on the ground, seemingly relaxed, but his muscles were tense, ready to strike at any moment.

They were all battle-hardened warriors, yet they appeared so small in this church floating in the sky. Arnor couldn't help but think that if these people truly harbored ill intentions, they probably wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.

This embarrassing yet reassuring truth finally made him decide to stop going in circles.

"Forgive my bluntness," Arnor said in a deep voice, his gaze on Medien as sharp as a hawk's, "Is your purpose in seeking out Paradise Country Assyria perhaps... to restore the Goddess's scattered doctrines to their wholeness?"

Simply put, it's a merger of religious sects.

This is extremely rare in religious history. We have only ever heard of sects that split internally due to differences in ideology and beliefs, viewing each other as mortal enemies and wishing nothing more than to eliminate each other; but we have never heard of any split sect that would voluntarily return to its original principles. But there are exceptions.

Most of the divisions in other factions are doctrinal differences, and these subjective problems are the most difficult to resolve. However, if the origins of Medien and others are true, then the division between the Church of the Creator Goddess and the Church of the Holy Goddess is due to the oppression of the Witch Society, which is an objective factor, and there is naturally a possibility of reunification.

If that's the case, perhaps both Assyria and the Jihadist army could gain a powerful ally.

A slight thought crossed Yanor's mind. Putting everything else aside, the colossal sky whale beneath his feet was undoubtedly a weapon of war. Perhaps it couldn't compare to the giant beasts of Assyria in Paradise Village, but don't forget, it was an inanimate object, created by humans. From this perspective, the person behind the creation and control of the sky whale was definitely far more powerful than the giant beasts.

Besides them, the others were all highly skilled: an unfathomable alchemist, a young female knight who easily defeated Gordan, and a young man even praised by Solomon, the father of modern magic, if they were all willing to join the Assyrian camp...

Although such thoughts were somewhat utilitarian, he couldn't help but be tempted.

Medine was stunned.

Actually, she hadn't thought that much about it. She just wanted to make contact with Assyria in Paradise Village first. And right now, the most important thing was to fight against the Witch Society and the Axis Powers. The internal cult merger and such felt very complicated and would take up a lot of time.

Then she reconsidered, and it didn't seem so bad. If the Church of the Creator Goddess and the Church of the Holy Goddess were to unite, they would surely trust each other more, and their combined strength would be even greater. But the problem was, who would lead this new sect after the merger? The Church of the Creator Goddess certainly had its own pope, but the people of Cloud Whale Sky Island undoubtedly trusted Linger more. Both emotionally and rationally, Medine felt that Linger was more suitable to lead them. But without concrete evidence, who would believe it? And even if they did believe it, would such a large sect really need to re-elect a pope just because a few outsiders joined? Starting with internal strife would leave a bad impression, wouldn't it?

Just because of one question from Arnor, Medien had many thoughts running through her mind, but clearly, these were things a girl her age shouldn't be thinking about or understanding. Instinctively, she turned to her brother for help, but Ling simply shook his head, leaving the choice and decision to his sister. Ever since he entrusted the Church of Heaven to Medien, or rather, since Medien voluntarily took on the responsibility of maintaining the Church of Heaven, she had always had more say than her brother, who had given up halfway, regarding everything concerning the Church of the Holy Goddess.

Despite the momentary confusion, hesitation, the possibility of making the wrong decision, the sad outcome, and the regret... all of this was to help her truly understand the essence of faith.

Just then, the Cloud Whale Sky Island suddenly trembled slightly, causing the small chapel to shake as if it had experienced a minor earthquake. This was likely due to it accidentally entering a turbulent high-altitude airflow. Similar incidents were not uncommon during the long flight, and everyone was already used to it. After all, while the girl piloting the Cloud Whale Sky Island was very responsible and never wanted to disappoint everyone, she couldn't maintain a high level of focus 24/7, and occasional mistakes were to be expected.

These guests, however, had never experienced flying at high altitudes before, so their reactions were inevitably a bit excessive. The werewolf girl, Selena, let out a low whimper and instinctively lowered her body; while the dark elf, Kalia, instantly placed her hand on the short blade at her waist, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings to determine whether it was a natural phenomenon or an attack. Only after Rorona smiled and explained the situation to them did they finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief.

Her explanation, however, allowed Yanor to glean a crucial piece of information.

As expected, this cloud whale island was being controlled by someone.

Arnor unconsciously rubbed his fingertips, his gaze shifting between Rorona's smiling face and Linger's calm brow. He could feel the long, deep breaths of the behemoth beneath his feet, and this incredible creation once again tipped the scales in his heart slightly—if these people were willing to form an alliance, perhaps even the plan that Cheryl had been scheming but unable to implement could be given a shot.

This brief commotion gave Medine precious time to think. After learning of her brother's attitude, she realized that only she could make a decision on this matter. She took a deep breath, the air crisp and clear, carrying the faint scent of candlelight in the church. She loosened her grip on her clothes, her fingertips lightly brushing against the goddess's canon that Arnor had returned, as if drawing courage and strength from it.

When the pink-haired girl raised her eyes again, her emerald green eyes had regained their previous clarity and composure.

"Feel sorry."

She spoke calmly, as if it were a genuine matter, something she had truly considered carefully, rather than a hastily chosen phrase: "Regarding this matter, I need to discuss it in detail with His Holiness the Pope of the Church of the Goddess of Creation and the master of Assyria in Paradise Village before I can give you an answer. Until then, everything is an inside story—"

She gave Janor and his companions a deep look: "I cannot disclose that."

"understand."

Arnor wore a knowing expression. He knew he had been somewhat presumptuous in asking the question, and the answer he received from Medien, which wasn't really an answer, was enough to confirm many of his suspicions. As for deeper matters, naturally, as Medien had said, only the representatives of the two sects were qualified to discuss them.

But then again...

Is this seemingly innocent and naive pink-haired girl actually the leader of the Holy Goddess Cult?

It's really unbelievable.

Give me some cats