Despite the sincere regard for the sage, Frederick still did not dare to place the fate of the entire church in the hands of this unexpected visitor. However, Lucio's plans did indeed align with the Church's hidden ambitions.

In the past, due to various concerns and the balance of power, they had never dared to act recklessly. But now, with the assistance of this legendary sage, their confidence had been greatly boosted!

"Then," Frederick stood and gestured toward the door, inviting Lucio, "Please rest here in the Church, Sage. We still need to deliberate on the details for the long term..."

...

Navago Mountains, Ondor Council

On the narrow mountain path of the towering Divine Peaks, Speaker John walked side by side with Eureka, from the Hyrule War Academy, followed by several elder members of the council.

Eureka detailed his experiences within the Crossbridge Empire, including the latest news of the Goldflow Empire's fall. He sighed heavily.

"Honorable Speaker, perhaps you still don't know, but within the Crossbridge Empire, any sizable force or faction has either been forced to submit and dissolve, or completely eradicated."

"If we do not unite and resist, once the Crossbridge Empire gathers enough strength and sweeps the surrounding forces away with thunderous might, the entire Eastern Region will fall under their rule."

"When that happens, no one will be able to escape!"

John fell into deep thought.

Since the fall of the four elders of the council, he had sensed that a storm was approaching. However, he never expected that the Crossbridge Empire would have more than 200,000 Stellar Rank troops, capable of so easily destroying an Overlord Rank merchant guild and an ancient empire.

When he heard this news, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

The council's strength was on par with the Stellar Merchants' Guild. Since the guild was doomed, how could the council remain unaffected?

This was undoubtedly an imminent threat.

"I believe Mr. Eureka understands as well," John spoke slowly.

"To possess over 200,000 Stellar Rank warriors must be accompanied by a considerable number of Sage Rank individuals, and there may even be some Divine Envoy Rank forces involved."

"Even if several factions unite, it will be difficult to turn the tide."

"Moreover, since the Crossbridge Empire dared to reveal such power, they have likely already prepared to counter any retaliation from other factions."

"While the council is aware of the enormous threat, we are also powerless."

John sighed, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

An elder spoke up at the right moment.

"Unless the entire strength of the Eastern Region is united, led by Skyborne Church and White Wing Abbey, only then can we hope to defeat the Crossbridge Empire."

"Moreover, to deploy over 200,000 Stellar Rank warriors, the Crossbridge Empire's true foundation might be far beyond this. If we cannot rally the full strength of the Eastern Region, any rash action would be tantamount to self-destruction."

This was no joke.

If the council were to exhaust its strength in battle, other factions would simply take advantage.

To fight, everyone must contribute.

The losses must also be shared by all.

As long as one faction preserves its strength, the plan cannot succeed.

After all, to truly eliminate over 200,000 Stellar Rank soldiers, immense sacrifices must be made.

This battle could even leave all the participating Overlord Rank forces severely weakened.

For example, if the council suffers heavy losses while its competitors remain intact, it would be a devastating blow.

Eureka spoke solemnly.

"I will quickly go to persuade the other factions, and many Overlord Rank forces have already agreed to form an alliance. I will also do my best to win over Skyborne Church and White Wing Abbey."

John nodded.

"The key lies in the attitudes of Skyborne Church and White Wing Abbey. Once they express their support, forming the alliance will not be difficult."

Eureka strongly agreed.

"I will do everything in my power to make this happen!"

However, John suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Eureka, you are so eager to facilitate the alliance. It makes me curious... What exactly is your motivation?"

Eureka's words sounded smooth, but as the old saying goes, "No good deed goes unpunished." Why would he go to such lengths if he didn't have his own agenda?

Eureka sighed bitterly.

"Speaker, you must have heard of the imperial decree issued by the Crossbridge Empire."

"Not only did they decree the execution of all students from the Fasior Plains War Academy, but they also threatened to flatten the entire academy."

"If the Eastern Region is controlled by the Veynar Royal Family, the council will be in grave danger, and the War Academy will be doomed."

At this point, a deep, barely contained anger flashed on Eureka's face.

John had indeed heard of this, but he felt there was more to the story. However, he chose not to probe deeper.

After all, Eureka probably wouldn't tell the truth.

As long as they shared a common enemy and common interests, that was enough.

Just as they were walking along the mountain path, a Grandmaster Rank senior officer arrived, breaking through the air.

John stopped and turned to look.

The officer landed on the mountain platform and bowed respectfully.

"Speaker! Urgent news from Skyborne Church, the situation in the Eastern Region has drastically changed. The council must send representatives to discuss immediately."

"Oh?" A spark of light flashed in John's eyes.

Eureka's face lit up with a smile, and he said, "It looks like we don't need to do much talking. Skyborne Church can no longer sit idly by. Speaker John, this just made things much easier."

John nodded.

"Destroying the Crossbridge Empire will benefit everyone!"

"Since the Speaker has already made his decision, I will not disturb you further."

Eureka bowed to everyone, then turned and left.

John watched Eureka's retreating figure.

"Although Eureka is a grand mentor at the War Academy, his motives are not pure. We must remain cautious."

An elder reminded him.

After all, it was difficult to fully trust someone based on surface-level rhetoric alone.

John sneered.

"He is merely cleverly exploiting everyone's fear of the Veynar threat to find an opportunity for himself. Otherwise, who would care about him?"

"The Crossbridge Empire is too powerful, powerful enough to make everyone uneasy."

"And when everyone feels uneasy, this threat must be eliminated."

...

After leaving the council headquarters, Eureka stepped into the void.

In the next moment, he appeared in a vast mountain range.

Several shadowy figures in black robes stood silently around him.

"Skyborne Church has already shown signs of leading the alliance. This war is not far off."

"Do not enter the Eastern Region for now. Focus on monitoring the movements of Godfall Gorge. Do not disrupt my plans."

"Also, continue to keep a close watch on the Crossbridge Empire. Aurek is an unpredictable variable; no one can see through him."

"This is a huge threat to our plans. We cannot relax until he is completely eliminated."

Eureka's voice was cold and sharp.

The shadowy figures nodded and quickly disappeared.

"The Council, Tassidy Temple, Land of Sighs, Land of the Holy Sword's Dominion... the next target, Pharmacists' Association!"

"Aurek! I've set this trap for you, and I hope you'll thank me properly..."

"Let's see if your 200,000 Stellar Rank soldiers will disappoint me."

A cold smile appeared on Eureka's face, one that was utterly unbefitting of a mentor.

The forces of the entire Eastern Region, colliding head-on with 200,000 Stellar Rank soldiers—just how much destruction would it cause?

He waited eagerly!

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