Mysterious, but Naruto

"Sir, this is today's newspaper."

"Hmm, have you subscribed to all the major newspapers?"

"Yes, it's all booked."

"Alright, just leave it here. Oh, and have the carriage ready. I'm going to explore Backlund today, and I won't be back for lunch. Have Yates get it ready."

"Yes."

After arranging his schedule for the day, Louis began to eat his breakfast.

Oatmeal porridge slow-cooked in a copper pot, beef and ham pie, smoked herring roe, and a cup of coffee with double the milk.

Louis ate while reading the newspaper. He felt that he couldn't really live off smelting gold coins forever; he needed to have some businesses of his own.

Believe it or not, Louis did have some ideas, but he still planned to thoroughly investigate Backlund and confirm its feasibility before making an investment.

Just then, Louis suddenly noticed a message coming from his Gouchen Ring.

Louis remained expressionless, continuing to read the newspaper while checking the news item.

Good morning, Mr. Rokudo. I have prayed to Mr. Fool as requested, but there has been no response. — Zuo Fu

Louis was not surprised by this, since Audrey herself had not ingested any potions and therefore had no spirituality to use.

It was only after Louis analyzed the knowledge within the light gate that he confirmed that the spirituality and mental power were similar in nature, and should be some kind of variant of soul power escaping.

Now that we know the essence of spirituality, things become much easier. After all, besides being adept at manipulating space and time, Otsutsuki also has unique insights into the soul.

After many attempts, Louis figured out how to use his mental power to imitate spirituality in just half a night.

It was thanks to Louis's explanation that Audrey was able to successfully complete the magic ritual in the morning.

Louis replied that he already knew, and then continued eating his breakfast.

But at this moment, he began to ponder: since he could use mental power to imitate spirituality, could he directly use mental power to drive magical rituals?

Going a step further, can chakra infused with spiritual power be activated?

"Well, there's no rush. My understanding of this system isn't complete yet. We can try these things later."

Thinking about this potion system, Louis felt that the redeemable rewards in his faction didn't necessarily have to be limited to matters related to chakra.

Putting everything else aside, he still holds three complete paths to godhood in his hands.

At that time, we can put all three paths—Fool, Gate, and Error—on it. If someone wants to follow the potion system, there's no need to completely restrict them; we just need to restrict them from entering the upper echelons of the faction.

But then Louis remembered something else.

After finishing breakfast, he returned to his room to change clothes, and took the opportunity to leave behind a clone.

This clone doesn't have much power; its main function is to enter the spirit world and keep watch outside the gray fog, based on the coordinates found last time.

The reason for this was that Louis noticed something: after Audrey prayed, the other party did not respond immediately.

If this were a normal deity, it would be perfectly normal for them not to respond to their believers.

According to his analysis, the Fool was actually building his own group of believers from scratch, so this should not be ignored.

Besides, simply responding isn't a troublesome thing in itself.

Therefore, based on Louis's speculation, he suspected that the other party might not be able to respond to believers at any time, but had to rely on that gray fog, or rather, on that gate of light.

"But……"

Louis thought about this, but then realized something was wrong. This was why, although he had thought of it at breakfast, he hadn't acted on it immediately.

According to the knowledge he gained from the portal, starting from Sequence 2 and above, although they are now called angels, they were previously directly called God.

Although the word "from" was added before it, the word "god" after it also proves their identity.

At this level, although one cannot yet respond to prayers from any corner of the world as freely as a deity.

However, when Audrey and her group use such a targeted magical ritual for assistance, it is certain that they can target the other party.

On this basis, the other party is an angel who is good at using one of the three ways of the spirit world. So, using the spirit world to locate and respond will consume a lot of spiritual energy, but it is not difficult at all.

"Therefore, those who fit the current setup, can respond to believers, but are subject to great limitations, can only be saints, one level below angels!"

It was because of this speculation that Louis sent his clone to keep watch in the spirit world.

If only we could see them enter that gray fog with our own eyes before responding to Audrey and the others.

Louis felt that his deduction should be correct; the other party should have just reached the Saint level!

Although they possess the basic ability to respond to believers, they are limited by their spirituality and personal status, and can only communicate in short-distance, one-on-one situations.

That is why the other side must use this gray fog to break through its original constraints and respond to believers in a wider area!

Louis was very interested in this, though he didn't really have any bad intentions.

Well, if he discovers that the other party is truly just a saint, then he might actually take action and see if he can get his hands on that portal of light.

After all, the other party's level is really high. Don't be fooled by the fact that he seems like an ordinary person now. In fact, as the vessel for the resurrection of the Otsutsuki clan, he can be considered half an Otsutsuki to some extent.

Moreover, what awaits revival within Louis is not an ordinary Otsutsuki, but a god nurtured by the entire clan.

From a purely spiritual perspective, Louis was actually no weaker than even the weakest Otsutsuki.

Even so, just seeing that door of light would cause one to worm-like turn, and even one's spirit would collapse.

If it weren't for the sudden exertion of the "wedge" within him, he probably would have died there.

However, Louis did not come away empty-handed. In addition to the knowledge that was passively instilled into his brain, he was surprised to find that the speed at which the "wedge" in his body was unsealed was actually slowed down!

Despite this discovery, Louis did not immediately look directly at the light gate again.

The main reason was that the portal was too dangerous, and he was also afraid that the "wedge" in his body would not be treated in time.

Although he knew that Otsutsuki Shibaki would eventually use the "Karma" to help him for his own safety, there was still a question of timing.

If the other party had arrived any later, and I had already been overwhelmed by that information and become mentally impaired, even if the other party had restored me, there was a significant chance that I would still be suffering from dementia.

If that's really the case, living a muddled, ignorant life as an idiot for hundreds or thousands of years would be worse than dying.

Regardless, Louis remembered the effect of that portal; until he made any other discoveries, it was his only "life-extending elixir."

If given the opportunity, taking it into his own hands would naturally be the best outcome for him.

This is why Louis valued the Fool so much.

Otherwise, given his personality, this matter wouldn't concern him much, so there's no need to interfere too much. He could just occasionally find out some information and make sure the other party hasn't made a move against him.

With Reed's help and guidance, Louis changed into a dark three-piece suit, along with a top hat, tie, and walking stick.

"Alright, let's go explore Backlund properly, starting from the West End, following the route of Joewood, Hillston, Queens, North, East, Bridge, and South Bridge."

My main goal is to first find a suitable shop, and then buy a factory in the East District or the dock area.

Of course, I'm mainly just observing today; I won't make a decision yet. Let's go.

"Yes, sir, please get in the car."

Once again seated in the tall four-wheeled carriage, Louis began to recall some events.

The reason why this carriage is made with four wheels is because two wheels are unstable, so the carriage uses two shafts to make it stable.

The term "double shaft" refers to a sedan chair with two long poles extending out from the front.

Because the shafts of these carriages are now straight, the carriages must be raised high, otherwise they would press down on the horses' necks, which the horses cannot bear.

Furthermore, although four wheels are more stable than two wheels, they are now all fixed wheels, making them quite difficult to turn.

If you make a sharp turn, not only is it easy for the four-wheeled vehicle to tip over, but it is also very uncomfortable for the people sitting inside.

With these thoughts in mind, Louis felt he had a general direction for his investments.

He wanted to acquire a carriage factory, and the first step he needed to take was to replace the straight shafts with curved shafts. This would reduce the height of the carriages, and correspondingly, the size of the wheels could be further reduced.

Louis believed that it wasn't just him who felt the carriage was too high; the coachman even sat on the roof.

Of course, besides the issue of the curved shaft, we could also try to make the front and rear wheels of the carriage independent, so that the front wheels have steering ability.

However, Louis lacked knowledge in this area and could not use it directly.

Of course, if there is a real demand in the market, then he can fund people to conduct research, but that would just be another version of the carriage he will produce later.

Similarly, there are two-wheeled carriages, which could all be included as modifications. However, before that, he needs to check how many carriages are on the road and whether it is necessary to invest in building a factory.

Not long after the carriage left, a loud noise was heard.

"Waaah—"

Along with the sound, large air currents and water vapor rose from the ground.

Louis looked closely and realized that it was actually a subway, but then Louis thought of something.

"The subway uses metal railings to prevent people from falling, but what happens when it rains or snows?"

Reed's words were tinged with amusement: "Yes, sir, you have a keen eye. When it rains or snows, it's not as good as walking outside in the subway."

It's drizzling outside, moderate rain downstairs, heavy rain outside, and torrential rain inside.

I once took the subway on a rainy day. I was thinking of taking the subway on a rainy day to avoid getting my clothes wet.

As a result, the water inside was gushing down, and debris on the road was also washed away by the rainwater and puddles. It was impossible to even hold an umbrella.

Louis didn't say anything about it, since the subway at that time still used steam engines and relied on burning coal to run.

This means that underground subway passages cannot be made enclosed; otherwise, when a train passes by, it will leave behind a lot of smoke, and subway passengers may be choked to death or die from lack of oxygen or poisoning.

Thinking of this, Louis remembered a famous photo from before he traveled through time, the one of Marilyn Monroe covering her skirt. The reason her skirt flew up was because she was below a subway vent.

Louis was somewhat taken aback by this discovery.

"The subway is already out, and although the cars haven't arrived yet, they probably aren't for rescue purposes. As for the horse-drawn carriage..."

Louis hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was appropriate to start working in the carriage company now, lest he be ridiculed for joining the army in 49.

As they walked, Reed explained things to Louis, such as gentlemen's clubs, which were not only places to eat, drink, and read newspapers, but also strongholds for political intrigue, business negotiations, and literary exchanges.

There are also various sports clubs, including football, golf, archery, cricket, croquet, lawn tennis, shooting, and more.

Among these sports clubs, archery clubs are the most popular, because it is one of the few elegant social sports that allows men and women to participate together.

In addition, there are some arts clubs for actors, musicians, artists, writers, and so on to exchange ideas.

Of course, enthusiasts will also find ways to join in.

Oh, right, there are also officer clubs and soldier clubs specifically for military personnel, where active and retired soldiers can meet with friends.

In addition to the large number of clubs mentioned above, Louis also discovered a small number of women's clubs and workers' clubs, as introduced by Reed.

Louis became somewhat interested: "What do these women's clubs do? Isn't afternoon tea time usually reserved for women?"

Reed is indeed a professional, and he knows all about these things: "These women's clubs are quite diverse in composition, some of them are charitable clubs."

Ladies and young women who want to do charity work sometimes need an environment to exchange ideas or meet other people who share the same desire to do charity.

Some women's clubs are like half-hotels.

Take Backlund as an example. Sometimes, ladies and young women who live in the suburbs, some distance from the city, will come to visit their relatives and friends in the city for parties or exchanges.

After the initial visit, you might want to explore the city on your own.

If they don't want to trouble their relatives and friends, they can choose to live in these women's clubs.

Besides the basic functions of reading, tea drinking, and meeting friends, it also offers dining and even overnight stays. I heard that some people have stayed there for up to two weeks.

This provided great convenience for noblewomen who needed to travel between Backlund and the countryside.

However, these women's clubs are extremely expensive, with both the membership fee and annual fee being 5 gold pounds. Only wealthy noblewomen can afford them.