Chapter 1009 - 557: Conflict Arises, Archbishop Byron

The two Giant City Level strongholds of the Calamity Raven Church are located in the northern part of the Continent.

One is the Cold Crow Valley where Shafuri is currently situated.

It lies on the boundary between the Northern Plateau and the center of the Continent.

The other is the Isle of Calamity, situated in the Gray Fjord along the northwest coast of the Continent.

The entire northern region of the Continent belongs to the Vigia Kingdom’s territory.

The reason the Calamity Raven Church can establish strongholds in the north is due to the tacit approval of the kingdom’s high officials.

Complicated political maneuvering factors into this tacit approval.

However, this tacit consent does not mean that the Vigia Kingdom will openly allow the Calamity Raven Church to preach within its jurisdiction.

In fact, there are hundreds of churches, large and small, across the Continent.

Within all these churches, the Calamity Raven Church ranks as a second-tier power.

Most churches with rather radical, paranoid doctrines are labeled as heretics by major kingdoms.

Only forces like the "Holy Country Temple," "Radiant Church," and "Star God Sanctuary," whose doctrines are relatively mild and neutral, can avoid being labeled as "heretics."

It is not as easy as imagined for most churches to spread their faith.

They can only establish churches and dispatch priests in remote villages.

Totally seeking development in the gaps.

Even under such circumstances, conflicts often erupt between churches over the acquisition of followers.

The Endless Continent is not a place where divine authority is supreme.

This is the true status of survival among churches on the Continent.

If the Calamity Raven Church can find a way to seize several Giant Cities amidst the chaos of the upcoming royal power struggle in the Avalon Kingdom, the church will have the opportunity to become a premier force on the Continent.

The quantity of followers and the power of the Apostle Corps would expand rapidly.

Enter into a virtuous cycle.

This is the true purpose of the Calamity Raven Church.

Raven Saintess Shafuri herself is of course aware of this.

This is both the development opportunity and a significant turning point for the Calamity Raven Church.

Precisely because of this, Shafuri feels the weight of her responsibilities is immense.

Of course, she is only a part of the church’s operations.

To ensure nothing goes wrong, the Calamity Raven Church has selected three targets at the same time.

In terms of difficulty, her part is indeed the easiest.

Cold Crow Valley is a Giant City Level settlement area.

It governs twelve Bang Cities and one hundred forty-six villages.

The total population within the territory also reaches tens of millions.

No city walls were built around the valley.

It is an open large settlement.

A large number of fortresses are built on the periphery, and there are neatly arranged farmlands surrounding it.

To ensure basic food supply, large areas of farmland have been cultivated, almost encircling all open land outside the valley.

Crops in the Northern Territory are quite monotonous; here, a crop known as highland barley is grown.

The overall yield is fairly good, and with the aid of the Natural Magic Array, it can basically meet the food needs of the population within the jurisdiction.

Within the jurisdiction of Cold Crow Valley, most are church followers, and every village and Bang City has built various tiers of [Tower of the Raven] and Prayer Churches.

These [Towers of the Raven] can summon wandering ravens from the surrounding area.

So ravens have become a peculiar kind of companion beast in Cold Crow Valley.

Deacons of the church can control ravens with special magic.

They can even utilize the ravens’ vision for reconnaissance or harassment.

Strictly speaking, this valley should be a large basin.

The overall terrain is fairly flat.

To the north is the Permafrost Cold Domain Forest.

To the south lies the Swadia Kingdom in central Continent.

From the position on the Continent, it’s an edge area belonging to the Vigia Kingdom.

Precisely because of this, the Calamity Raven Church is able to establish itself here.

In the center of Cold Crow Valley stands a towering grand cathedral.

This grand cathedral has soaring towers.

At the topmost point is a large stone statue of the God of Ravens.

Its wings are carved with lines, filled with secret silver, refined gold, gem powder, rune stones, and other materials, far from being merely a simple statue.

At this moment, Raven Saintess Shafuri is in one of the high towers of the grand cathedral.

This is already considered the highest point in Cold Crow Valley.

The biting cold wind blows from the Northern Plateau, from north to south, carrying the cold air of the Northern Lands toward the central Continent.

Shafuri leans on the stone parapet at the top of the tower, with a black giant crossbow beside her.

She is dressed in a fur coat, with a red fox fur scarf around her neck.

She also wears a velvet hat to cover her ears beneath her hair, with a clear gaze gazing into the distant, her eyes appearing unfocused, in a state of emptiness.

As Shafuri idles, an elder steps out from the door at the top of the tower behind her.

This elder looks considerably aged.

His facial hair and hair have turned white.

The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are layered, containing decades of depth.

He is cloaked in a red cape, embroidered with three black ravens.

Wearing a well-tailored church coat, made from fine Northern Violent Bear fur.

On his feet are leather boots made from Northern Plateau’s Gewier flower deer hide.

His expression is as calm as water, appearing kindly.

This is also the characteristic appearance of the church’s high-ranking members.

From bottom-level priests, church deacons, Apostle Corps elders, to church elders, all have the same appearance.

Regardless of whether their inner thoughts are extreme or vile, at least outwardly they always appear so kind.