It took them a full half day to circle.
They finally rounded half of the island and arrived at the entrance, which was straight ahead.
At the entrance, a number of ships were waiting to enter.
After waiting for a moment, Alka and his companions began to slowly follow the other ships in.
On the right island, where Our Lady Island lay, they could see several structures resembling watchtowers.
The watchtowers were adorned with golden patterns and crowned with a massive crystal.
On the other side, on the left island, belonging to the Church of the Holy Machine, stood a massive fort-like structure. Its black muzzles pointed at all ships heading for the island's central harbor.
As Alka and his companions' ship passed through the entrance and headed inward,
An unknown seal imprinted itself on both sides of their bodies, sealing all the muzzle shields.
Fortunately, they had already encountered this situation once. It seemed that all forces would seal their guns when ships entered the harbor.
To prevent anyone from getting confused and firing their cannons at the harbor.
"That must be the Church of Our Lady."
Hearing Lucelia's words, Alka turned and looked. He saw a plain in the center of the crescent of the right island.
There was a large complex of buildings, with the cathedral in the center standing out.
The church had gray walls and slender spires nestled close together.
It was almost identical in style to the cathedral Alka and his friends had seen in the Home Sea, though the exterior was slightly different.
It was almost certain that this was the Church of Our Lady's church on this island.
After a few glances, Alka lost interest. After all, he had seen too many churches like it.
It's just a matter of size, not to mention that the scale and appearance of this church are far less impressive than the cathedral.
He turned his head and looked to the other side.
He was still very interested in the Church of the Holy Machine.
If the Church of Our Lady had a slender dome and a multitude of spires, the Church of the Holy Machine was somewhat similar to a dome, with the highest point in the center resembling a lighthouse.
The entire church building was unusually symmetrical and regular, giving it a sense of order and a simple beauty.
The rest of the buildings surrounded this lighthouse-like structure.
The overall building was gray-black, and a large amount of metal was used throughout, giving it a metallic sheen.
A huge gear stood in front of the lighthouse, forming the church's most conspicuous symbol.
The gear was still turning slowly, and it was unclear whether it served a purpose or was simply decorative.
If the Church of the Holy Mother Church more closely resembled Alka's idea of a solemn church, then the Church of the Holy Machine Church looked more like a piece of modern art.
Following the current, Alka and his crew, the Sound of Dawn, were guided directly to Youzi Island and docked at the berth.
A member of the Church, wearing the robes of the Church of the Holy Mother Church, approached.
Following him were two knights in light soft armor.
Looking at Alka and his crew's ship, they silently walked towards the next one.
"What's going on? No berthing fees?" Jason asked, somewhat surprised, observing the scene.
Charging berthing fees is perfectly normal for a port like this; it's a necessary means of maintaining its operations.
"How could that be? Look over there."
Hearing Alka's words, Jason turned his head.
He saw a ship not far away, seemingly negotiating with another priest. After paying some money, a stamp was placed on the boat.
Apparently, there was a fee for mooring.
But their boat didn't charge a fee, not even a stamp.
"Perhaps our ship has been classified as a church ship. Wasn't it built in the Cathedral's shipyard? Perhaps he saw the technology involved."
Sofia thought for a moment and said.
"That's possible."
After a few casual chats, Alka turned to the others and said, "Since we're already on this island, let's go our separate ways."
With saints from the Church of the Holy Machine and the Church of the Holy Mother on board, there was no need to worry about safety.
The entire island could be considered their own.
Alka, Sofia, and Jason disembarked and headed towards the Church of the Holy Mother in the center.
They passed through the densely populated port area, where goods were flowing. They arrived at the residential area surrounding the church.
Here, devotion to the Virgin Mary can be seen everywhere.
The religious atmosphere is unusually strong.
They continued on their way until they reached the base of the church.
Alka looked up at the church's floor space and size.
Aside from the church he had seen in the cathedral, this one was arguably the largest Alka had ever seen.
He was somewhat excited to see what the headquarters of the Virgin Mary Church in the Infinite Sea would be like.
If he had the chance, he would definitely go see it.
"It seems someone's waiting for us," Jason suddenly said, looking not far ahead.
Hearing this, Alka lowered his head and followed Jason's gaze.
He saw a middle-aged priest, dressed in the robes of the Virgin Mary Church, quietly observing Alka and the others.
He made no secret of his gaze.
Seeing the glances from Alka and the others, he nodded.
Alka walked over.
The priest, watching Alka and the others approach, crossed his arms and nodded. "Everyone, welcome to the Boundless Sea. May the Holy Mother bless you."
"May the Holy Mother bless you, you seem to recognize us?"
Alka asked, somewhat puzzled. It sounded as if they had been waiting for him and his companions for a long time.
"No, we just received news at the port about a bird-headed ship, built in the style of the Church."
"I didn't expect you to come directly here."
"If you have any questions, please come in."
Clearly, their message had already reached here a long time ago.
From what he had said, it seemed likely that most of the Boundless Sea, and therefore the area where the Church existed, knew about them.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
They were probably the only members of the Church to have left their home sea in recent years.
If nothing unexpected happened, a parish would surely encounter them.
Not to mention that they had saints like Alka and former candidate saints like Sofia on board.
Hearing this, Alka and the others, who were about to ask something, nodded and walked toward the side of the church.
Even at night, many believers were praying and worshipping in the front.
They reached the side, opened a small door, and walked in.
As soon as they entered, they could feel the rich energy of holy light.
In the vast hall at the center of the church, a statue of the Virgin Mary stood tall.
Many church members were milling about.
The moment they entered, many of them glanced in their direction.
"Please follow me. The bishop is waiting for you."
With this, he led Alka and the others around until they reached a door and knocked gently. "Come in," a voice called from inside.
The priest opened the door and remained outside.
Several people walked in.
They could see it was a reception room, simply decorated but respectable.
They walked through and sat down on the sofa.
Alka glanced around the room casually, slightly startled.
She unintentionally looked away.
An elderly man, who looked to be over 50, with half-white hair, sat nearby, smiling at the group.
He must be the bishop of this place.
"You three are from the Home Sea, right? You must be Sofia."
Sofia was slightly surprised to hear the bishop's words. She hadn't expected the man to know her name.
"You know me?"
"Haha, of course, but you've changed quite a bit since you were little.
If I hadn't heard about a girl named Sofia in the news, I wouldn't have believed you'd grown so much.
Time flies."
Hearing this, not only Sofia but also Alka and the others were puzzled.
From the tone of his words, it was clear that the bishop not only knew Sofia, but was perhaps quite familiar with her.
But looking at Sofia's expression, it was clear that she probably didn't know her.
"It's normal not to know her. I just didn't expect you to look so ladylike when you grew up. I really was wrong."
Sofia's cheeks flushed slightly at this. It was obvious that the bishop before him had definitely seen her when she was young.
At least when she was ten years old or younger.
Had seen her then, it was almost impossible to imagine that Sofia would grow up to be such a lady.
Of course, at least on the surface.
"When you were about this young, I taught you, and of course, all the other children in your group."
The bishop gestured with a smile.
Seeing the height of his gesture, Sofia nodded in understanding.
That must have been around a year or two after she entered the church.
Back then, there were always all sorts of people teaching them.
But these teachers often disappeared after a short while.
But Sofia clearly still couldn't remember who he was.
She only had a rough idea of when she'd first met him.
The bishop didn't pay much attention. After a few words and getting to know everyone, he turned to Alka and Jason.
"You must be Alka. The Virgin Mary is very fond of you."
Alka nodded.
He then looked at Jason again, frowning, a bit puzzled.
"There's something off about your aura. Did you sign a pact with some being? The ancient... world.
Hmm... no need to explain, it's not a bad thing."
With just a quick glance, he understood the pact between Jason and the Crystal Dragon.
The more he learned, the more he realized the Crystal Dragon's extraordinary power.
Alka still remembered what Jason had discussed with him.
According to Alka's instructor, the dragonborn, the Crystal Dragon seemed to be called the Prismatic Dragon.
Also, the Dragon of Savior.
"I'm sure His Excellency the Archbishop will be pleased to see you arrive safely at the Infinite Sea."
"Archbishop?" Alka was puzzled by the title.
For a moment, he couldn't tell if he was referring to the Archbishop of the Home Sea or the Infinite Sea.
"Haha, it's normal to have some doubts," the bishop said.
"The Church of Our Lady has only one archbishop."
As expected, it was just as Alka and the others had suspected.
The Four Gods Churches must have some means to bypass the obstacles blocking their path forward.
Allowing their members to travel freely between the two worlds.
"Alright, that's it. Rest well in the church for the time being. If you want to learn anything, you're qualified.
The church members will make it easy for you. While this isn't a particularly important place, it can still receive some important news from the Boundless Sea."
"You're still young, and you have plenty of time. Give yourself some time."
The bishop said strangely, then folded his arms over his chest and said, "May the Mother bless you on your journey."
The three of them immediately stood up, returned the greeting, and left the room.
When they emerged, the priest was still waiting for them at the door. Upon seeing the three people emerge, he said, "Please follow me. I'll arrange a place for you to rest and introduce you to the Twin Cathedrals."
The three nodded, not refusing.
After all, their main reason for coming here was to learn more about the entire Infinite Sea.
Looking at the slowly closing door.
The bishop stood in the middle of the living room, his hands behind his back, lost in thought.
"After all these years, a new member has finally emerged from the Home Sea. That's something to be happy about, isn't it?"
A voice suddenly came from the corner.
A figure had been standing there, seemingly unnoticed.
Hearing the voice, the bishop, previously lost in thought, turned and looked at him.
"So you were standing in that corner peeking. Did you see anything?"
"What do you mean by peeking? I was just standing there openly, but no one noticed."
"Fine, whatever you want. But your disguise wasn't enough. You got discovered, haha." The bishop couldn't help but gloat.
"It's quite surprising that that young man named Alka actually spotted me. What a remarkable young man."
"Of course, he's a natural believer in the Virgin Mary, a devotee of her."
At this point, the bishop sighed.
"I just don't know why, but there's an ancient, heavy aura lingering around these three people, exuding sorrow and foreboding. This clearly isn't a good thing."
"You've probably seen a lot of this, haven't you? This place is full of passionate young people like this. We should be happy," said the man hiding in the corner.
"Of course, but they're too young. They're capable and talented. Knowing the truth of the world too early always leads these children to extremes."
The bishop sighed.
"They haven't abandoned the Virgin Mary. They're still rational, so there's no need to worry too much. Your old habit has struck again."
"Really? Perhaps. I've seen too many children go to extremes after learning.
They're burdened with too much, too much for them at this stage. Sigh..."
"...Yes, but being a Favored One always has its unique qualities. Don't worry.
Don't you still believe in the Virgin Mary's judgment?"
...
Alka and the other two followed the priest throughout the church.
Until finally, he led them to the lounge and arranged rooms for them.
"Rest here for tonight."
"Thank you."
The three thanked him and returned to their rooms.
This was a suite, with a central living room surrounded by four rooms.
The three of them sat up on the living room sofa.
Xuan moved from Alka's shoulder and jumped down, wandering around the living room.
"Did you guys just... while you were chatting, notice there was someone standing in the corner of the room?"
"?"
Sofia and Jason looked at Alka with puzzled eyes.
"Are you telling another... horror story?" Jason asked doubtfully.
Alka glanced at him helplessly.
He explained, "There was a man in the corner of that room just now. He used some unknown method of concealment, but I could still see him clearly.
He was probably in his thirties or forties, with an ordinary appearance, but he was wearing a church robe, so I didn't say much."
"If that's the case, what was his purpose in hiding there?"
Alka shook his head. "I don't know, but he was standing against the wall, as if listening to a story."
He observed our gazes, but didn't sense any ill intent, otherwise Jason would have noticed it long ago."
Alka only made a brief comment and didn't speculate with the others.
After all, this was someone else's place, and we didn't know anything. Making wild guesses would only hurt ourselves.
As long as there was no ill intent, it was fine. Who cared about the rest?
"I didn't expect the Church actually had a way to quickly cross the border. Sofiai, are you really oblivious to this?"
Jason said, leaning back on the sofa, then turned to Sofia for some answers.
Sofia shook his head: "I was too young back then, and my mind wasn't focused on studying at all.
A new teacher would come in every so often. How could anyone remember?
Only someone like Jamie, a consistent student from childhood, could remember all these teachers who came and went."
The two nodded in agreement, not asking further questions.
Alka leaned back on the sofa, thinking.
If the Church only had one Archbishop, then the Cathedral's Archbishop's apparent weakness made sense.
He simply appeared weak in that area of the sea.
For example, the Archbishop they had just seen, though their exact strength was unknown.
When Alka guaranteed that he was at least at the fifth stage, perhaps even higher, the likelihood was not small.
In the dream world, Alka's strength was almost at the level of a perfect fourth stage.
He had already confirmed his own strength in the dream world.
And he could clearly sense from the bishop just now that his strength was at least greater than that in his own dream world.
And the person hiding in the corner was no less powerful.
In fact, it felt even more deadly.
But for some reason, he had easily seen through that hidden method.
Perhaps it was because his spirit was too strong.
If it weren't for the fact that Sofia and the others seemed unaware of this person's existence, Alka would have been exposed on the spot.
Hmm... maybe he had already been exposed.
"So, do you think it's possible for us to return through the church's passage?" Sofia said from the side.
"That should be possible," Alka said uncertainly.
Logically, given their qualifications, it shouldn't be a problem, but I don't know how this thing works.
I'll have to ask later.
After a few casual conversations, Alka nodded and asked Xuan to send a message to the people on the boat.
Tell them they won't be returning tonight and will stay in the church to rest.
We'll meet again on the boat tomorrow night.
After Xuan sent the message, they each found a suitable room and went in to rest.