I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 732

Chapter 114: The Layout

To Roy’s surprise, everyone quickly established a united front against the Church without much hassle.

Carl asked nonchalantly, “Since you’ve proposed to stand against the Church, you must have some odds in your favor, right?”

“Uniting the powers of the Western Continent to oppose the Holy Light Church is no small feat—it can’t be solved with sheer courage alone.”

As one of their own, Carl took on the role of the tough guy, essentially voicing what the two princes were curious about.

Stance aside, odds aside, no one would want to fight a losing battle.

As an old noble, Carl’s analysis was organized and to the point: “First, we need to consider the justification for opposing the Church. Currently, the Holy Light Church holds a significant advantage in public opinion. Even if the cult’s involvement is true, you lack the relevant evidence.”

“Second is the acquisition of intelligence and military strength. The former helps us take the initiative, while the latter is simply brute force advantage. The Inquisition’s eyes are everywhere in White Harbor, and the Church has brought at least a hundred Holy Knights and over a thousand regular soldiers, which is troublesome.”

“The most important factor is the three high-tier Extraordinary Beings.” At this point, Carl couldn’t help but frown, “In high-tier combat power, the Church has absolute superiority.”

No matter how well other aspects are handled, if they can’t deal with the three high-tier Extraordinary Beings, they can’t turn the tide.

Ten thousand soldiers might stand a chance against a mid-tier Extraordinary Being, but high-tier ones are terrifying powers that can’t just be taken down with sheer numbers. In addition, their available manpower is very limited in the short term.

Theresa and the two princes remained silent, casting scrutinizing glances towards Roy.

Roy’s answer would reveal a grin full of confidence and decide how much effort they were willing to invest.

In response, Roy remained calm and began addressing their concerns one by one.

“No need to dwell on legitimacy. We won’t engage in a full-scale conflict with the Church, and the Church thinks the same.”

With cultists and demon races still around, even the Pope would prefer not to have internal strife with the people of the Western Continent.

Similarly, for them, launching a full-scale war against the Church at this stage is unwisely impractical.

“Our goal is to reclaim Alice, not to completely dismantle the Church. Ultimately, whoever gets the Saint will naturally hold the righteous claim.”

“As for intelligence and military strength…”

“Ahem, leave that part to me!” The elf girl jumped in eagerly.

“The Inquisition may have many eyes, but they’re just a bunch of outsiders—how can they compete with Adventurers?”

Leanna casually added, “Well, I can also help out a bit with intelligence.”

The Adventurers’ Guild has always maintained a good relationship with the Verdant Council, providing the reclusive elf descendants with information from all over the world.

Leanna herself possesses skills like [Shadow Veil] and [Ebbing Echo of the Dark Serpent], which makes her great at reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. The two princes were well aware of her reliability.

“As for military strength, White Harbor can offer very limited assistance,” Theresa said with a bitter smile.

“The White Harbor Knights are definitely the Church’s main target. Any slight movement might alert them. Besides, our elite force has already suffered significant losses in earlier battles with the cultists.”

“So, we will need to rely on outside assistance for military strength,” Roy glanced at the princess next to him.

Charlotte patted her chest proudly, “I’ll write a letter tonight to summon the griffon knights from the East.”

“I’ll show these Eastern folks what real knights are all about!”

“I’ll take care of funding and resources,” Douglas chimed in, revealing his wealthy side.

Jason wasn’t going to be outdone either, making his presence felt: “I will send people to block the sea routes outside White Harbor—on one hand, cutting off reinforcements, and on the other, sealing off their retreat at sea.”

This put Xue Nuo in an awkward position.

The forces at the imperial border were too limited, and too far from White Harbor to have any significant impact.

Even so, the attendees, as top figures in their respective realms, quickly organized everything with just a few words, like efficient gears working together at high speed, pushing the layout against the Church forward.

Watching this scene, Carl felt a bit dazed.

Challenging the Holy Light Church was no small task, akin to facing the joint assassination from several cults back in the day.

But the young man, at the center of it all, was certainly not alone.

If only Roline had support like this eighteen years ago…

Carl’s lips curved into a faint smile for a moment, but he forced his expression back into seriousness, saying in a deep voice, “What about the final question?”

The discussion among the crowd was interrupted, and everyone’s expressions turned grave.

The three high-tier Extraordinary Beings, even if they didn’t go all out in a war, were still a challenge they had to face to reclaim Alice.

And that couldn’t be tackled merely with resources piled up.

Even if they had [Holy Nun] Theresa to hold down one of them, the other two still remained.

“Well, about that…”

Roy smiled mysteriously, and then projected the image of the academy’s headmaster.

Golden light shone, and fiery feathers swirled.

Accompanied by a vast and overwhelming presence, an old man with gray hair slowly descended.

“Don’t worry, I shall intervene!”

The one known as the [Sage] Buker, one of the Six Heroes who defeated the Demon King and saved humanity, also the headmaster of the Magic Academy, the uncrowned king of the magic kingdom, and the one closest to the divine.

Except for Theresa, everyone else was taken aback, even Carl couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows.

Such a heavyweight ally undoubtedly boosted their odds significantly.

Unlike last time, this time the dramatic entrance was fully in effect, and Buker seemed quite satisfied with it.

Seriously, did he need to add all these theatrics just to appear?

Roy suddenly realized that the old man wasn’t as composed and wise as he looked…

“However, I’m just a projection and my power is quite drained, so I’ll need your help for some auxiliary support.”

“It’s an honor to fight alongside you, senior,” Carl replied politely.

All the young ladies and both princes respectfully bowed in response, filled with admiration.

No one in Veszyra’s extraordinary circle wouldn’t revere the hero who saved the world.

However, Roy, knowing the truth, looked at the old man’s peaceful expression tinged with evident fatigue, showing an odd countenance.

So the [Sage] is really worn out by the Grim Reaper, huh? Not up to the job anymore, I guess?

Old age does come with its burdens…

But with the [Sage] backing them, along with several mid-tier Extraordinary Beings, they could at least manage to hold down one high-tier.

“I do have some experience dealing with the [Sword Saint].”

“Isn’t that right? I remember you never lost a match against him in your practice sessions,” Theresa teased with a hint of nostalgia. “Then I’ll take on the [Wisdom Angel].”

“Perfect, I’ve thought he was not… not very capable, and he could use a bit of guidance and instruction.”

Buker seriously suspected that the old nun, oppressed by the Church for years, just wanted to clobber some high-ranking bishop to vent her frustrations, but wisely chose not to point that out.

Funny enough, she was probably the most temperamental among the Six Heroes…

“With two seniors holding down those two, that leaves just the last one.”

Carl looked at Roy, somewhat hesitant.

Not just Carl, all eyes turned to Roy.

The last high-tier Being was the target of their operation—the angel corrupted by the Holy Light.

Meeting everyone’s gazes, Roy was calm yet determined, and in his dark eyes, a resolute flame quietly burned: “I will personally bring her back.”