Under the influence of the [Lie Detection] spell, Tetra the Snake Woman spoke confidently. A vivid picture of the Eagle God's Kingdom unfolded before Garrett and his companions:
The Eagle God's Kingdom was immensely vast. According to Tetra's description, "The Golden Eagle Warriors spread their god-given wings, yet even after flying for an entire day and night from the capital's center, they couldn't reach any border of the kingdom; even after two days and nights, they couldn't fly from one coast to the other."
At least Garrett now knew that the country had coasts on both sides, and the distance between them wasn't excessively far. The people of this country had the capability to explore both coasts.
However... Garrett quickly calculated in his mind:
With such a vast land, the population it could sustain must be enormous. Even accounting for large mountainous areas, the lowland plains and forests, and the rich tropical rainforests, it shouldn't be a problem to sustain a population several times larger than that of the Kent Kingdom.
At the very least, the enormous plateau basin, much larger than the Sichuan Basin, could easily support five million people. Adding the surrounding areas, it could potentially house tens of millions.
Such a population base could provide a significant number of warriors and deities...
"The Golden Eagle Warriors and the power of the Snake Women, you must already be aware of," Tetra the Snake Woman said softly. "It should be noted that only the Golden Eagle leaders and Chivacoatl can directly bear the power of the Eagle God and the Serpent God. Their strength far surpasses that of the other Golden Eagles and Snake Women."
"How strong? How many Golden Eagles can a single Golden Eagle leader fight?" Cirilla eagerly asked. Tetra the Snake Woman widened her eyes in surprise:
"How could they fight? The reason a Golden Eagle leader is powerful is because he can channel the power of the Eagle God. Consequently, he can also strip other Golden Eagle Warriors, White Eagle Warriors, and Black Eagle Warriors of their power—"
Ah, stripping powers... This must be a theocratic structure where the Golden Eagle leader is both a paladin and a pope, capable of depriving others of their power.
But this power is only effective within their own system, useless against outsiders, especially ineffective against the Radiant Church...
"Besides the Golden Eagles and the Snake Women, are there any other powers? What about your Tlahtoani, the 'Speaker'? How strong is he?"
"Ah... The power of the Tlahtoani isn't what's important..." Tetra's eyes widened, the deep green eyeshadow glistening with gold dust, naturally crossing her hands over her chest.
"He is a wise leader, a guide for the people, a creator of poetry, a recorder of history—"
"Is he a noble?" Garrett interrupted her. "Does he own a lot of land, many slaves, and is his family full of powerful warriors or spellcasters, or is he a powerful spellcaster himself?"
"Tlahtoani is Tlahtoani," Tetra the Snake Woman shook her head vigorously. "He is wise and esteemed. People believe in him, listen to him. Power isn't the most important thing—of course, to be well-known, he can't be a slave or a craftsman..."
Garrett silently noted "Tlahtoani" as "King."
"With such powerful forces, why do you need me to join you?" Garrett leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "The enemies of the Radiant Church you face, the 'White Ghosts' you mentioned, how powerful are they?"
"They are very powerful!" Tetra the Snake Woman's eyes widened in fear. "They can emit a bright white light, like a sun shining from the sky. Where the white light touches, the Serpent God's power is suppressed and unable to move, unable even to escape!"
That makes sense. The Serpent God's power, leaning towards darkness, the netherworld, and death, is naturally countered by the Radiant Church's power, especially in daylight.
"And their warriors? How many flying warriors do they have? Can the Golden Eagle Warriors hold their own against them?"
"Their warriors, those who can fly, need two or three Golden Eagle Warriors to counter one! Luckily, there are only three such powerful warriors... only three..."
Garrett let out a light breath. The Radiant Church's power system, with warriors only flying at the 15th level as Sky Knights unless they rely on special magical items—
And the Golden Eagle Warriors and Paladins are on par. Needing two or three to counter one means the Golden Eagle Warriors are about level 14, or just touching level 15, or early level 15 with relatively weak power. The Radiant Church doesn't have many such high-level warriors, and bringing three to attack a native kingdom is a significant commitment:
"What about your Eagle God? Won't he intervene?"
"The Eagle God descended with divine power!" Tetra the Snake Woman's eyes widened to the limit, shadows swirling in her pupils like giant black serpents: "But the strong among the White Ghosts summoned a mountain-sized phantom... The white light mountain, when it descended, even the great Eagle God could only break and drive it away!"
Divine Descent spell. Garrett bent a finger. Even a downgraded version of Divine Descent requires at least a level 15 archbishop, assisted by church-stored holy power and divine formations, along with numerous priests.
If done solo—
It would require a level 17 or higher bishop, or they would need to burn their life and soul. Given that the Radiant Church's mission to attack a native kingdom is likely for profit, sacrificing lives seems unlikely.
So, the leader of the attacking force must be level 17 or higher, possibly level 18 or 19, but not a legend?
No, wait... For totem gods, the power exerted depends heavily on their location...
Garrett quickly pondered and continued to ask:
"So where did the Eagle God fight them? Near the capital? At the border? Or outside the country?"
"The great Eagle God protects every one of his people!" The Snake Woman's voice trembled and rose high: "The White Ghosts sent an army of 200,000 to invade the Eagle God's Kingdom... The border people were captured, the brave generals were beheaded, and the great Eagle God led his warriors in a day and night's flight to the high cliffs to stop the White Ghosts..."
It sounded like within the country's borders but far from the capital. So, the Eagle God can exert level 17 or 18 power, potentially higher if near the capital.
Considering the Serpent God's presence and other accumulated forces, perhaps bringing a few level 18 or 19 people would be more secure?
Garrett nodded slightly and asked a few more questions. Suddenly, he said:
"Then why do you need me to join? Hasn't the Plague Maiden already been dealt with?"
"Honorable Son of the Dawn, you are the Plague Lord, holding the power of disease," Tetra the Snake Woman said sweetly. Garrett's cheek twitched, and next to him, Lynn started laughing loudly and softly:
Garrett wanted to rush over and shut his mouth or cast a Forget spell on him. But with outsiders present, he couldn't cause internal conflict. He kept his gaze steady, listening to Tetra the Snake Woman's half-flattering words:
"Since the Plague Maiden invaded the Eagle God's Kingdom, the people have fallen ill in large numbers, and the entire nation is shrouded in fear. The deities' power has also wavered, and the great deities have issued decrees to find a way to deal with the disease."
So, the power of totem gods is directly linked to the population and the people's faith. Fewer people or unfulfilled prayers shake their faith, weakening the gods' power...
Totem gods' power is truly intriguing. Garrett nodded slightly:
So they must drag him over, whether for treatment, isolation, or some other method, to ease the people's fear and solidify the gods' power.
"I understand," he said calmly. "How long can you hold out? Now that the Plague Maiden is dealt with, surely the great Eagle God can hold off the White Ghosts for half a year or a year?"
"Of course!" Tetra the Snake Woman reflexively blurted out. As soon as she finished, she trembled:
"Honorable Son of the Dawn, do you mean to come only after half a year?!"
"We need to discuss," Garrett said calmly. He waved his hand, the curtain lifting high, making a "leave" gesture. A breeze blew across, clearly signaling:
You may go.
Tetra the Snake Woman hesitated, looking sorrowful, but eventually left under Garrett's firm gaze. As soon as she left, the chieftains immediately dissuaded Garrett:
"Son of the Dawn, don't go recklessly!"
"Exactly! The people of the Eagle God's Kingdom are overbearing and unreasonable. If they turn against you, you'll be in great danger!"
"Or wait until the weather warms up, and we'll send some warriors to protect you?"
Garrett remained silent, his fingers tracing his pants. After several rounds, he suddenly looked up:
"Chiefs... if my friends travel across the continent with my token, will you treat them as friends? Provide lodging, supplies, and guidance?"
"Of course!"
"Your friends are our friends!"
"We'll create a token together, and all tribes along the way will know it's a friend!"
The chiefs answered eagerly. Garrett smiled and nodded to Lynn:
"Let them fund us, and we'll go home to gather more people!"
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