I, the wizard, the foolish Buddha.

Judging from the city's construction, the Eastern Territory clearly had extremely detailed data before the war even began.

After all, the wizards seemed to have a premonition, having already set up certain factories—this required data and parameters to support it; without these parameters and data, the factories simply couldn't be built.

Eastern wizards are very meticulous when undertaking projects, especially those involving mystical matters.

If something goes wrong in this kind of thing, it could cause a huge problem.

Therefore, it is impossible for the Eastern Territory to have established such a large experimental base here in such a short time with only some clues.

Even if Roland strongly advocated for this, the Thousand-Eyed King would still say, "Take it easy, or you'll ruin the entire South!"
Moreover, current resources are very limited. Without sufficient data, it would be impossible to initiate a project so hastily.

Such data requires decades of in-depth research by a Merlin laboratory.

Merlin's research did not involve the River Angels.

It seems that no research has been conducted on this aspect along the entire riverbank in the last few centuries.

Therefore, this data can only come from four hundred years ago.

Or rather, it came from the Papacy.

Someone in the Vatican gave the wizards the detailed River Angels Project and all the data.

Roland thought to himself, "The Church destroyed everything that was on the riverbank four hundred years ago, and even the Dracula family couldn't preserve those achievements."

We couldn't have obtained this intelligence and data from the riverbank. It was given to us by the Vatican!

Judging from the buzzing discussions in the next carriage, even Richard and his men only believed that the Pope sent them here and had them build a city in the crater simply to defend the gateway.

Richard was the one who carried out the whole thing. He might know about Project Angel, but he couldn't possibly know its details and core secrets.

Even Roland only guessed that the Papacy might have such a plan after observing the Papacy's unusual actions and considering the situation on the riverbank.

Roland, Richard, Earl Bal, and mentor Merlin all lacked access to the core data and intelligence of Project Angel.

Only the Vatican possesses all the information.

Even within the Vatican, these things are top secret.

Only a very small number of people may have the right to access everything.

Roland slowly frowned.

Johnson and his associates do indeed hold a very high position and prestige within the Holy See, but they have only been in the Holy See for a short time. Even if they have the right to know some details about Project Angel, they certainly cannot join a project that has already been approved.

After all, the entire team structure is already set up, with everyone in their designated positions. If a senior member suddenly joins the team, the existing senior member has to give up their position.

It is difficult to obtain data without joining a team.

Moreover, there are many big shots on the Vatican's side, and Johnson and his associates are currently keeping a low profile and will not easily make any big moves.

Therefore, the probability of Professor Johnson successfully stealing the data is very small.

The only person who could reveal such secrets and data to the wizards in such detail is a resident of the Holy Court.

They are the kind of high-level executives who have been involved in or even led the 'Angel Project' from the very beginning.

Recalling the White Queen's numerous visits to the Papacy before her events in Mald, Roland always felt that there were some people within the Church who were both enemies and friends.

The train had no plans to stop in the city during this journey. It didn't stop at the train station either, but after passing it, it began circling the city along the railway.

Roland was initially a little confused about what was going on, and planned to ask Theresa and the others when they returned.

But then, when he noticed what was happening outside the train, he had a sudden realization.

Roland thought to himself, 'It seems we've gained more in Mald than we imagined. The many alchemical artifacts within the ruins have not only improved our technology but also broadened the alchemists' horizons.'

So they devised a more efficient method of alchemy and built a new-era alchemical industrial park here.

It turns out that Catherine and her classmates originally built the city in a ring-shaped structure. And the outermost ring at the edge of the city is actually an industrial park that surrounds the entire city.

This industrial park contains many factories, but most of them are not factory buildings, but rather towers.

These magic towers are often connected by strange 'arched sky bridges', which look like huge magnetic coils built of strange runic stone.

The train now travels through these massive stone rune arch bridges.

The runes on these massive stone arch bridges cascaded onto the train like a waterfall. Above the arch bridges and inside the towers, many wizards floated or stood.

These wizards appear to be watching a spectacle, but upon closer inspection, one will notice that they are all holding spellbooks or crystal balls.

They are all engineers at the factory, and they are using their 'control consoles' to perform processing operations.

And what was being processed was this train.

After the train had traveled more than halfway around the entire circular industrial park, the wizards completed the processing of this 'wonderful object'. Numerous runes and magical circuits were now engraved on the train.

Immediately, under the control of the train conductors, the train soared into the air like a magic carpet, leaving the tracks and heading into the sky in a very smooth manner.

The train continued to circle within the mountain crater, but it was spiraling upwards.

At this moment, many people in the Crusader Army who knew alchemy finally realized what had just happened.

In the past few tens of minutes, the wizards have transformed this enormous steel behemoth into an alchemical marvel that resembles a giant flying serpent!

As is well known, alchemy requires an extremely stable environment, but throughout the process, the train is not stationary like the raw materials on the alchemy table, but rather travels amidst bumps and jolts.

It didn't even slow down!
How did the wizards solve the problem of shaking?
The wizards did not use carving knives or other tools, and the Crusaders could not even tell what materials they used.

They speculated that the Eastern Wizards must have fused the materials with the runes flowing down from the arched bridge in a way that the Southern Alchemists couldn't comprehend, and then imprinted them onto the train as it passed.

It looks very simple, but alchemists know just how complicated it is.

Because those enchanting materials must be imprinted on the train in very precise proportions—the train is not traveling at a constant speed!
But those magical circuits were imprinted on the train in an extremely precise manner.

They even work outdoors—how do they solve problems like dust removal and interference from elements in the environment?
The alchemists in the Crusader were well aware that an alchemical process, especially one conducted in such an open and unstable environment, could involve hundreds or even thousands of complex issues.

If even one problem goes wrong, alchemy will be in trouble.

Therefore, alchemy requires an indoor experimental environment and alchemy masters with rich experience, high talent, and very steady hands.

But now, the wizards have solved all the problems using devices that no one can understand.

From then on, the alchemy masters of wizards no longer needed to be one in a million geniuses, or even to possess magic or divine power.

All they needed to do was send groups of illiterate, ignorant people to schools to complete their education. Then, these ignorant, lowly people could, like countless once-in-a-century alchemists, mass-produce trainloads of materials into magical armor and weapons. This one city, plus a large group of lowly people, could arm an army of hundreds of thousands in just a few days!

They can also create one monster after another, comparable to dragons, in a short period of time, and then continuously send them into the battlefield.

Amidst the incoherent explanations of the numerous alchemists, the high command of the Crusade finally understood the significance of those towers and strange arched bridges.

They also understood why the wizards had invited them to travel by train to the Papacy.

Roland, who was in carriage number 2, overheard the discussion next door. He shook his head inwardly.

'The train isn't passing through here to flex its muscles. If anyone could figure out what this city is really about, the train wouldn't be passing through.'

The mindset of those taught is still stuck in the era of cold weapons.

In their understanding, the reason the Eastern Territory built these alchemical towers was simply to produce millions of swords and armor.

Even when their imagination ran wild, all they thought was that wizards would be able to turn trains into giant dragons in the future.

This is like the East creating a port capable of producing aircraft carriers, but the Southern Church believing they have created a super blacksmith shop capable of producing a million swords and armor a day.

Why make so many swords and armor?

Who is it for?

Who still uses magical weapons to fight dragons these days?
This land-based port is clearly intended for the construction of 'aircraft carriers'.

Or, to put it another way, a 'starship' capable of turning the earth into glass.

The church's technology from four hundred years ago has also been given to us.
And we can indeed continue to move forward along the same technological path we've taken.

Roland watched the train carriage slowly float into the air and thought: 'Grey Falcon City was named Grey Falcon City because it can produce 'little angels'.'

So what should this city be called?

It doesn't seem to have a name yet, but it should be called Sun City!
Because this is where dazzling gods will be born in the future!

Roland knew that the sun god born here could not possibly compare to the sun god of heaven.

But it will definitely happen in the future.

The first prototype will definitely appear on the riverbank.

Its rate of upgrading and replacement will definitely be hundreds or thousands of times faster than the rate at which the King of a Thousand Eyes advances.

As Roland said, Sun City is still only in its infancy. Its facilities are not as complete as those in the current Wilmique.

Roland's 'vision' was almost omniscient, so he could see the whole picture from a small part.

Outsiders couldn't see the significance of its existence at all.

To the Crusaders, this place was nothing more than a future fortress of gods and demons.

Even the wizards here don't know what will be produced here in the future.

Currently, only a few high-ranking officials in the Eastern Territory and certain individuals within the Vatican who leaked information know about Project Angels by the River.

"No wonder Senior Catherine made us take the train, Senior, it seems we really can arrive at the Holy Court tomorrow!"

Helena appeared beside Roland at some point.

Roland nodded without responding. He was still thinking, but Helena, noticing Roland's dazed gaze, mistakenly assumed he was observing the 'prisoner camp' slowly receding below.

Helena said, "The negotiations didn't mention the prisoners. It seems the Vatican isn't in the mood for such matters right now. They'll be staying here for a while."

These words brought Roland back to his senses. He looked down at the ground and saw that near a certain camp, there were many prisoners doing morning exercises, and many more prisoners listening to a lesson in an open space.

Roland asked curiously, "So, all the deserters from the Holy Crusade have been gathered up in various cities by us?"

Helena said, "Pretty much. My senior said we should take this opportunity to give them a good ideological makeover before sending them back."

Roland knew that this mind transformation was not about using magic to change the believers' minds, but about enlightening them and letting them witness the truth.

The gods and the church have been deceiving the lower classes, and believers blindly follow all their commands like sheep.

This war between wizards and the church was enough to enlighten many people.

During their time by the river, the prisoners also witnessed too many truths.

A few months later, they will indeed be sent back to their hometowns, but a seed will remain in their hearts.

By this time, the train had already passed through the clouds, soaring over the mountains along the riverbank like a giant flying serpent.

After dinner, everyone will leave the riverbank. And tomorrow they will arrive at the Holy Court.

Roland asked, "Weren't you helping Theresa and the others in the kitchen? Why did you come back first?"

Helena said, "Well, there's been a little mishap. Olivia took Joan and Maria to the kitchen."

Roland was nearly scared to death when he heard this: "What's that guy doing in the kitchen?"

Helena thought for a moment and said, "I think you guessed right. Olivia overheard some of your conversations with Richard and Theresa through the Book of Rest. She knows about Maria's plan to drug her."

Roland felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.

Helena continued, "Fortunately, Olivia has taken Theresa and the others as her people, you know that woman is not mentally sound, and it seems that some of Theresa and the others share the same names as the priests."

Roland paused for a moment, then looked enlightened.

Speaking of which, among his six holy servants, there is indeed someone with the same name as the priests—for example, 'Maria' (as mentioned before, one of the six holy servants is also named Maria).

Furthermore, names such as Teresa are actually 'holy names' commonly used by nuns. They are very, very common in the church.

Therefore, among the people around Olivia, there were not only those named Maria, but also possibly Teresa and Sofia.

Olivia perceives the world differently than normal people; she doesn't judge others based on appearance. And the six Teresa's followers are, in fact, her own angels.

Given her own confused memories, it was quite unexpected, yet not surprising, that she confused Theresa and the others with her own entourage.

Roland asked, "And then? What happened?"

Helena said, "What else could it be? I guess Olivia originally thought that Maria and the others were planning to drug her, so she went to the kitchen specifically. After she went in, she must have used her divine sense or something to check the kitchen."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have stood at the door for so long, and then immediately picked up a spoon to taste the soup. (End of Chapter)