"I suggest using the Divine Descent Spell to imdiately wipe out Ostend. Such a city of betrayal, existing even for a day more, is a blasphemy against our Lord!"
"No way! Have you considered the enormous consumption of using the Divine Descent Spell?! If launched based on the Great Divine Array, the power of Six Cities will be drained in an instant!"
In the City of Radiance, the high-level decision-making eting of the Holy See was still in progress. The Pope sat high on his throne, speaking only when necessary. Before him, representatives of various factions held their own opinions, arguing fiercely:
The faction representing the pastoralists advocated for appeasent, nurturing, and fostering local faith.
Believers and faith are the foundation of everything. The prayers of believers flow into the cathedral, forming the basis of their divine spells and ensuring their advancent. The donations from believers are a vital source of their daily economy.
The Holy Knight Order, representing the largest regular military force of the Holy See, demanded the suppression of the rebellion, though not very firmly.
When the Holy Knight Order operates, they usually seek cooperation from local lords, from logistics to personnel support. Without these, they can still act, but it would be very challenging.
The Inquisition, representing the unconventional military force, or the "black glove" of the Holy See, firmly demanded suppression. Any sign of rebellion must be extinguished decisively; any spark must be doused thoroughly from top to bottom!
The ascetics firmly opposed the use of the Divine Descent Spell. Once the Divine Descent Spell falls, everything collapses, all life and souls are erased—
"Can you be certain that there isn't a single believer of our Lord in Ostend City? When our Lord destroyed the City of Sin, the prophet pleaded for rcy before the Lord. The Lord agreed that if there were ten righteous people, He would not destroy the city for their sake."
"We are rely servants of the Lord. Shouldn't we follow the Lord's path and act according to His way of forgiveness? I am firmly against the reckless use of the Divine Descent Spell!"
"The devout believers of the Lord should be willing to sacrifice for the Lord's cause!" The black-clad cardinal of the Inquisition pounded the table. The ascetics glared at him angrily, and another cardinal beside him coughed lightly and prayed softly:
"Blessed are those who die for the Lord. They have ended their labors and returned to the kingdom of God. The Divine Descent Spell is not to make them suffer but to grant them the Lord's great blessing..."
"I hate it when you talk in riddles." A seated archbishop impatiently slapped the table:
"A bunch of old guys, can't even speak plainly when discussing matters. Praying today, praying tomorrow—can prayers kill those rebels?!"
"So what do you suggest, Cassino?" The black-clad cardinal glared at him. Cassino glared back without hesitation:
"Suggest? Speak sothing useful! Is using the Divine Descent Spell that easy? Even with Heaven's Mountain, to launch a Divine Descent from such a distance, either the holy power reserves of the Six Cities will be drained, or—"
He pointed to those who resolutely supported the use of the Divine Descent Spell, one by one:
"Or, it requires a newly advanced legendary cardinal to guide it with life, soul, and holy artifacts. High-level legends won't have to sacrifice their lives, but using it once would make them bedridden for a year or two, unable to advance for a decade—who's willing? You? You? You?"
As he pointed at each person, no one, even if they didn't shrink back, stood up to say, "I am willing." As Archbishop Cassino said, guiding holy power directly from Heaven's Mountain to launch the Divine Descent Spell requires an anchor point—
The greater the distance and the larger the scale, the more solid the anchor point needs to be. If the Great Divine Array of Seven Cities were still intact, it could bear about three uses. But the already damaged Six Cities, having released the Glorious Holy Sword once, could only use it once.
After one use, the holy power reserves would be empty. What if the enemy attacks afterward?
Indeed, a large-scale Divine Descent Spell would require two or three high-level legendary spells to withstand, and new legends would have to retreat. But once you use it, the enemy can counterattack—
One legendary spell can completely overturn the divine array of a cathedral!
As for not using reserves and sending people directly. What a joke, no legendary cardinal would risk their life unless absolutely necessary.
For new legends, one use would summon them to the Lord's favor; high-level legends would damage their foundation and cut off their future if they forcibly summoned the Divine Descent Spell without the Pope's triple crown and holy staff.
Even the Pope can only summon large-scale Divine Descent Spells without harm twice in his lifeti. The third ti would cost his life. The legendary priests of the Holy See are not to be casually expended!
"Therefore, I still believe we should proceed slowly, appeasing the nobles in central Brolin and caring for the people. Once the holy power reserves of Six Cities and central Brolin recover to normal levels, then we can take action against Ostend."
"So, what if the heretics attack Six Cities before the holy power recovers?"
"If they attack, it's a different matter. At that ti, if necessary, I am willing to sacrifice for the Lord."
The Holy See eting ended like this. The decision was made to send Archbishop Cassino to take over Six Cities for a year;
Dispatch five hundred elite Holy Knights, led by the 18th-level Great Swordsman, "Rock Sword" Polato, for protection;
The Inquisition sent a hundred elite black knights and a 20-person "Blood Glove" team to execute related tasks;
The ascetics sent an elder and a hundred ascetics to spread the Lord's grace in central Brolin...
The grand procession left the Holy City of Radiance and headed west. anwhile, the evaluators in Nevis finally breathed a sigh of relief:
"It seems the Divine Descent Spell won't be used for now. Notify Ostend to execute Plan Three, and those who aren't needed can withdraw."
Both sides using Divine Descent Spells and legendary spells might look cool, but it’s genuinely damaging! If the Holy See goes all out, they could send soone to your major city and launch a Divine Descent...
Either the city is leveled, or all residents are forcibly converted to the followers of the Radiant Lord. Either outco would be a headache for the Kingdom of Kent.
The Magic Council has 18 legends, with only eight permanently stationed in Nevis. The rest are either far away or exploring other spaces. Besides, legendary spells aren’t sothing you can cast anyti, anywhere!
Days passed slowly, and after the Holy See's reinforcents arrived, they didn't use large-scale divine spells to forcefully attack but instead deployed regular forces to surround Ostend tightly.
Today they set up divine ballistae to shoot dozens of tis at the city walls; tomorrow, they set up catapults to hurl stones. The day after, they sent squads of soldiers, laden with various defensive and blessing spells, to try attacking the city...
And Ostend retaliated without hesitation. Alchemical arrows and cannons took at least a few lives with each shot—
They even filled iron cans with explosives, throwing or burying them underground. With a boom, shrapnel flew, causing bloody injuries, blinding an eye, or even blowing off half a foot...
It didn't imdiately kill, especially with sufficient holy power for treatnt. But with eyes blinded and feet blown off, should you heal them or not?
Not healing ans a soldier or knight is crippled; healing requires high-level divine spells, not comparable to third-circle Remove Disease.
The slow yet not unbloody siege dragged from early sumr to midsumr, from midsumr to autumn. The Holy See's efforts to soothe local sentints finally showed initial results with the autumn harvest and the end of the plague.
"Thank the Lord’s grace, today fewer than ten believers with typhoid ca to the cathedral for treatnt." In the Comfort Cathedral, a black-clad low-level acolyte closed the record book and sighed:
"We can’t heal them, only give them a bowl of holy water, hoping they pull through... To fully cure them requires either the bishop’s personal intervention or the use of the cathedral’s altar..."
A bishop couldn’t treat many people in a day. The altar's light, when overused, dims at an alarming rate in his eyes.
A hundred patients a day, fifty patients, thirty patients... Every day and night, the altar's light retracts a circle!
Thanks to the Radiant Lord, with the autumn harvest and thanksgiving festival of believers, the holy power accumulation in the cathedral could finally start to rise!
"After the autumn harvest, the holy power reserves of Six Cities should begin to recover." In Nevis, eight evaluators, each with dark circles under their eyes, pored over a sea of docunts and finally reached a conclusion:
"To end the war, or rather, to dismantle the divine chain of the other side, now is the best ti."
"The opposing leader is only one legend... The highest level Divine Descent Spell, at most two uses."
"Considering the worst-case scenario, we should prepare for three uses. For three uses, we need... eight to nine legends? We don't have enough legends at ho, do we? Should we recall a few?"
"That’s not our concern. We just need to draft the plan and report it. Whether to act and how to act, the decision lies with their Excellencies."
"Absolutely. Ultimately, we are
just working for the legends and must keep our position clear, never get carried away..."
The evaluators looked at each other and collectively smiled wryly. Outsiders might think they hold the highest power in the council—at least in daily operations;
But internally, including the 15th-level grand mages, they all knew they were just workers. Or rather, precisely because they couldn’t reach the 15th level or advance to legendary status, they were assigned to work...
Ah, in this world, power still cos from strength!
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