aircannonsinc Chapter 539 [Revised] The Contenders
Chapter 539 [Revised] The Contenders
Chapter 539 [Revised] The Contenders
Sea of mist.
Luze continued flying towards Aroca Island. Along the way, he encountered several Intis warships. These ships, like the one he had first seen, were encased in a transparent membrane, and carried clergy who seemed to be observing something.
These clergy members, dressed in white priestly robes, appear to be members of the Eternal Sun Church.
The worship of the seven gods in the Northern Continent is not evenly distributed; each of the major powers has its own representative church. In Rune, the Church of the Goddess of Night, the Church of Storms, and the Church of Steam are the main religions; while in Fusak to the north, only the God of War is worshipped.
In addition, there were countries such as Feneport, which worshipped the Earth Mother Goddess, and Lenburg, Massey, and Segal, which worshipped the God of Wisdom.
As for the Republic of Intis, it has two main religions: one is also a god of steam, and the other is the eternal sun.
The Church of the Eternal Sun was an extremely radical and exclusive organization that ruled the religious world of Intis for a long time. It had an Inquisition that brutally attacked what it considered heresy and proclaimed the absolute orthodoxy of the "Eternal Sun".
Perhaps due to the unique nature of the "Sun" pathway, most church members appear fanatical and pure, with unwavering faith and extreme methods. Their enemies include heretics, cultists, wild extraordinary beings, and rural witch doctors. This even included the rejection of the Steam Church, only becoming more restrained and relaxing restrictions on it after the Industrial Revolution led by Roselle flourished.
From this perspective, Rosell Gustav was an enemy of the Church of the Eternal Sun. This is probably why they supported other factions in Rosell's later years to rebel against the emperor and eliminate his remaining influence throughout the country.
"Therefore, the Church of the Eternal Sun has officially partnered with Intis..."
Lu Ze guessed to himself.
After flying for some time, he gradually approached Arouca Island, where he spotted a fleet of ships. At the center of the fleet were various sizes of vessels—passenger ships, cargo ships, fishing boats, steamships, sailing ships… These ships were being guarded, or rather hijacked, by the surrounding Intis warships, and were being forcibly driven towards Arouca Island.
These ships were likely sailing normally in this area, but they were forcibly intercepted by the Intis military and eventually driven together.
Lu Ze cautiously used "psychological invisibility" to erase his presence and gradually caught up with the fleet.
He landed with the fleet at the dock on Arouca Island and watched as the passengers were forced to disembark and assemble under the siege of the army.
An officer stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, we are from the Misty Sea Fleet of the Intis Navy. Due to a special military operation, the waters you are currently navigating have become a military restricted area and are temporarily impassable."
"Please remain on Arouca Island for a period of time until the military operation concludes, at which point you will be free to leave. We will provide further notice regarding the exact end date. However, during this period, please do not attempt to communicate with the outside world in any way; otherwise, we will have no choice but to take coercive measures against you."
What he conveyed was less an explanation and more a notification, cruelly informing the passengers present of this unfortunate news.
People clearly cannot accept this.
"I strongly protest!"
A man who appeared to be the captain shouted, waving his fist and looking fierce, "We are a vessel officially registered in your country and have the legal right to navigate these waters!"
"You should give advance notice before launching military operations..."
"Yes, I was supposed to go to Bulman Island today!"
"I want to go back to Farin, you can't stop me..."
"Please, my ship is full of fresh goods. Every day of delay will reduce their value by 20%..."
The others also showed great dissatisfaction, protesting alongside him, either angrily complaining or pleading. But the officer paid no attention, simply waving his hand, and soldiers with guns swarmed forward, forcibly escorting these people away from the dock.
Lu Ze stood to the side, secretly watching everything.
He saw numerous warships anchored in the harbor, some undergoing repairs, others just returning. These warships were all steam-powered ironclads with astonishingly large cannons.
Numerous warships surrounded a uniquely shaped vessel. It was also covered in iron armor, but unlike ordinary warships, its shape was fluid, its surface engraved with countless patterns, and two thick funnels stood tall, seemingly capable of providing powerful propulsion.
Lu Ze squinted at him.
The ship was a bit strange; it looked like it had undergone special modifications and was capable of initiating some kind of ritual.
Could it be for the "Black Throne"...?
Now, Luze had completely abandoned any illusions, concluding that the Intis Navy shared the same goal as him: to find the flagship left behind by Roselle. This wasn't just because of the strange warship, but also because a pure and powerful aura emanated from the depths of Aroca Island.
His spiritual instincts reacted violently, warning him that there was a dangerous extraordinary being there, whose own sequence level was higher than his!
The Intis government, the Eternal Sun Church, and even a demigod of at least Sequence 3... such a massive undertaking is definitely not the so-called "military operation" mentioned by the officer, but rather something more important.
This is a very simple question: who is the one who can unite all the forces in Intis to fight against this enemy?
Of course, it was Roselle who once ruled them!
After figuring this out, Lu Ze's expression gradually turned cold.
After glancing at the warships again, he turned and walked towards the streets of Aroca Island. To minimize the chance of being discovered, he deliberately chose a direction away from that powerful being.
After walking for a while, he entered a local inn.
A group of travelers were gathered around the front desk, arguing and fighting over rooms.
"A standard room costs 150 Felkins, and a double room costs 200 Felkins."
"That's what the receptionist said."
The Fairkin is the currency unit of the Intis, and its exchange rate with the Gold Standard is 24 to 1.
"150 fenkin...that's equivalent to 6 pounds 5 soles..."
Upon hearing the price, a passenger dressed as a lady of the Rue clan shouted angrily, "Even the best inns in Backlund cost around this much! How dare you charge such a high price for such a shabby inn!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, this is the price now."
The receptionist, however, seemed confident in the other party's abilities and replied with a smile. So many people were stranded on the island, not just tourists, but also Intis's navy; the hotels were completely full.
Lu Ze walked over casually and said, "I want a room on the second floor."
Everyone accepted his presence as normal, and the receptionist took out the key without registering him.
Lu Ze took the key and went upstairs. As soon as he entered the room, he felt a sudden gust of cold wind.