Chapter 363: The Queen’s Decision

The penguins’ actions surprised Wu Qingsong, but they were precisely the outcome he had hoped for.

Without delay, he instructed the three priests to make preparations. There was no temple yet, but under these circumstances, certain formalities and procedures could be simplified. They could even adapt some elements to fit the customs of the birdfolk.

So, at dawn the next morning, as the sun rose over the horizon, the priests conducted a simple yet solemn and dignified baptism ceremony for the penguins on the eastern shore. They bestowed upon them Xuanyuan holy icons to wear on their chests.

Since the penguins frequently entered the water, they chose especially durable cords and tied them more securely to ensure the icons wouldn’t be lost.

Hundreds of penguins and harpies observed the ceremony. Upon hearing Mia’s report, Queen Gale even sent representatives to witness the event, officially extending royal congratulations to the newly baptized penguins.

One of the priests loudly recited the obligations and responsibilities of the believers. The numerous rules almost made the penguins feel like they had boarded a pirate ship and couldn’t get off. Fortunately, the priest immediately followed with a recitation of the believers’ rights, as well as the church’s promises to protect their dignity, status, and interests. This quickly turned their anxiety into joy, even filling them with enthusiasm.

The harpies stood by in silence, listening to every word. Since Wu Qingsong’s arrival, Queen Gale had instructed them to learn the common tongue of the mainland. Unlike the eaglefolk and penguins, who still relied on translations and often misinterpreted meanings, the harpies had no such difficulties.

To them, much of what the priests were proclaiming was a direct challenge to Queen Gale’s authority. It stripped the harpies of their sacred priestly privileges—an outrage so severe that some were trembling in anger, their feathers standing on end.

Yet, when Queen Gale heard their reports, she simply remained silent, nodding repeatedly as if in deep thought.

“Your Majesty, we cannot allow this to continue!”

The queen lifted her gaze and asked, “Cannot? Then what should we do? Drive them away? Forbid them from spreading the teachings of this so-called Xuanyuan deity?”

The harpies froze.

Yes—what could they do?

They possessed powerful wind magic, far beyond what the eaglefolk and penguinfolk could ever hope to wield. But that power was meaningless against Wu Qingsong.

If he so desired, he could unleash the same destructive force he had used against the seafolk, wiping out every last one of them with ease. And now, the eagles and penguins might not even take their side.

If they openly opposed this, they might have to stand by helplessly as the penguins rose to power, becoming Wu Qingsong’s new representatives on Gale Island.

“So… so are we just supposed to sit back and let this happen?” one harpy protested. “Your Majesty, this land was built by our ancestors with blood and sweat—”

“Of course not!” Queen Gale interrupted. “The eaglefolk do not yet understand the common tongue. Only a few penguins have been wise enough to learn it. That is our advantage! Mia, Lindis, go to Tagraedi immediately and tell him we have made our decision. The harpies shall fully embrace Xuanyuan and become His faithful believers. We will construct a new temple by their rules, and I wish for him to personally baptize our entire race! I will have him conduct my own baptism.”

“Your Majesty?!” The harpies gasped in shock.

“This is the best course of action and the only course of action!” Queen Gale gritted her teeth. “If we cannot stop it from happening, then we must become the most important part of it. We must play the biggest role.

“You must be more passionate, more devoted, and more zealous than the penguins. You must entangle yourselves with those priests, learn everything there is to know about Xuanyuan. Discover all their schemes.

“There are 100,000 people on Gale Island, and Tagraedi has only brought four clergy members. They don’t speak our language, and our people don’t understand theirs. They cannot do anything without us.

“Tagraedi wants Gale Kingdom to embrace Xuanyuan? Then let us help him achieve that! If we succeed, he will have no reason to push us aside. My sisters, this is our battlefield! If we fail, we lose everything. But if we succeed, the priesthood of Gale Island will remain under our control, until the end of time.”

***

Queen Gale’s decision even caught Wu Qingsong off guard. Compared to her, the tribal leaders of the Icy Sea region were nothing but dung-covered rocks—stubborn, stupid, short-sighted, and utterly repulsive.

If they had Queen Gale’s level of awareness, his work would have been a hundred times easier.

A direct conversation was inevitable. The queen still spoke in her usual roundabout, ambiguous manner, but Wu Qingsong cut through her obfuscation, forcing her to reveal her true intentions.

After a full day of negotiations, they reached an agreement.

Wu Qingsong would not support any radical restructuring of Gale Kingdom. In other words, he would not encourage the penguins and eaglefolk to challenge the harpies’ rule. In fact, he would actively uphold the harpies’ governance.

However, the harpies must follow Xuanyuan Church’s guidelines: believers—penguinfolk and eaglefolk included—would receive their rightful privileges and protections. Their dignity and interests must be respected.

This was Wu Qingsong’s bottom line. It was the foundation of his alliance with the penguins, and it was non-negotiable.

Xuanyuan Church would become the sole faith of Gale Kingdom. Harpies who demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the doctrine and passed evaluations would be given priority to become priests. Queen Gale herself would not be tested, she would be appointed as the Archbishop of Gale Island.

Wu Qingsong’s clergy would not directly preach. Instead, their role would be to train and oversee the harpy priests, ensuring their faith and competence.

The harpies would not be allowed to obstruct qualified penguins and eagles from becoming priests. Nor could they prevent them from entering the Elder Council, where they would hold equal status and authority alongside harpy priests.

For now, this was the maximum Wu Qingsong could secure for the penguins.

He could not simply push the harpies aside—not when they had ruled for over a thousand years. He could not strip them of all their power overnight. Reaching this point was already a victory.

And, of course, Wu Qingsong’s clergy would oversee the collection of all soulstones. They would also be responsible for identifying, training, and preparing talented birdfolk girls for Xuanyuan’s awakening tests.

The progress was so rapid it even seemed surreal. Now, the only obstacle preventing Gale Island from becoming a fully integrated part of Xuanyuan’s system was the Sea Draconians.