Mystery: I, the Hermit, am too eager to improve

Chapter 180: Let's learn about the Church of the Earth?

"Do you think this is a smokescreen thrown by the other side?"

"Smoke grenade?"

Isengard pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's a good analogy, Sherlock. Yes, I think it's a smokescreen."

"I've thought about that before, but I really can't think of any goal that would make the other person do that."

Sherlock frowned.

in fact.

Klein had an idea—

Duke Negan.

A hidden entity might be able to persuade a pirate admiral, but it's not impossible for it to persuade an "Apostle of Desire."

of course.

The premise is that the organization possesses the "Abyss" blasphemous plaque.

Only such temptation could entice a Sequence 5 being to take the risk.

He thought for a moment, then said it in a joking tone.

"I heard that Ziringus orchestrated a series of assassinations in the East End in an attempt to kill Duke Negan. Could he have similar intentions?"

"The Duke of Negan? Impossible, he's the leader of the Conservative Party."

Isengard answered with a smile, then paused slightly, pursed his lips, and his expression gradually became serious.

On the contrary, Klein's expression remained smiling, as if he were genuinely joking.

"I don't think so. After all, Duke Negan would definitely be more cautious after being assassinated once..."

Klein chuckled and said, "We can't afford to have a similar assassination attempt happen a second time, can we? He must have been prepared, and who could afford to pay such a high price?"

Eisinger pondered for a few seconds.

Then, he looked in the direction of Queens.

"It's not impossible."

……

"Mr. Egger, this was delivered by that gentleman this morning."

"What is it?"

Roy looked over.

Jennifer took out a small package and shook her head slightly: "I don't know, it says it's your reward."

"Thanks."

Roy took it and opened it.

A bag of jasmine tea, with a book at the bottom.

The Geography of Backlund?

What the heck?

He opened it as he walked.

Good guy!

This is a map of Backlund, which contains detailed information on all kinds of road infrastructure, including even the sewers.

There was also a piece of paper tucked inside the book, on which was written—

Hopefully this will be helpful to you in Backlund.

Roy put it away.

This book is very important.

He had never seen such a detailed map on the market, which even contained records of some extraordinary creatures and materials.

Knowledge!

Roy sighed again.

Basic knowledge may be readily available, but this kind of specially collected knowledge is far more valuable than ordinary gold pounds.

Isengard did put his heart into it.

He sat by the window, studying the book intently. Halfway through, he looked up and saw the old man.

The old man has come again.

"Hello there."

"Mr. Egger, I'd like to have some paid consultations on a few issues. You can name your price."

"Please sit down."

Roy raised an eyebrow but did not immediately agree.

The other person sat down, paused for a moment, and said, "You may have guessed it, I am Moroz, the author of that book, but my last name is actually Negan."

Moroz Negan?

Roy raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, and said, "The Negan family?"

"Yes."

Moroz nodded.

"Your book offers some insights, but unfortunately, the current trend is industrialization, which is difficult to stop."

Roy said.

This gentleman has explained the benefits of small-scale farming, and is not simply talking about environmental protection.

But unfortunately.

Capital is driven by profit, and without oversight, it is difficult to change the current situation.

"I understand. What I'm asking is, how can we counter the current invasion of foreign food?"

The old man asked.

Roy looked up, examined the other person closely, and then said, "Of course, it's better food and technology."

"Food and technology?"

Moroz thought for a second, then said, "Could you explain in more detail?"

"That's quite expensive."

Roy smiled.

"Money is not a problem. Our Negan family has enough money, even the special materials that you extraordinary beings need."

The other party was also frank.

As a member of the Negan family, he knew of the existence of extraordinary individuals and extraordinary materials and wanted to use them as a reward.

Roy had no reason to refuse.

He thought for a moment and said, "Shall we talk in the quiet room upstairs?"

"it is good."

Moroz nodded.

The two went upstairs to a quiet room, and then Moroz said, "To be honest, I started paying attention to you when I learned that people from Remnburg were coming to exchange and study."

"Are you representing the Duke of Negan?"

"I represent the Negan family."

Moroz said.

The Negan family is very large, including not only the Duke of Negan, but also the Prime Minister, Lord Agushid Negan.

Together they have built the Negan family into what it is today.

but.

Within the family, it's clearly not just them.

There are also many clansmen who oversee business and land management.

Moroz likely represents this group of people within the family.

"For this problem, I need a crystallized sunflower, which is equivalent to 200 pounds."

"Can."

Moroz nodded without hesitation.

Roy nodded and said, "You studied agricultural structures thoroughly in your early years, so you should be able to understand what I'm about to say."

"Small-scale production struggles to compete with large-scale production in terms of cost, do you agree?"

He meant—

The traditional production structure of Ruen.

Moroz pondered for a second and nodded: "Yes, that's what I'm worried about too, and I also understand that it's impossible to really go back to the past."

"Yes, Mr. Moroz, times are progressing, and Rune cannot go against the times."

Roy laughed, "If you want to fight against foreign grain merchants, you have to do the same thing as them."

"Believe in the Church of the Earth?"

Moroz frowned, clearly not accepting of such a suggestion.

Roy shook his head: "Food and technology. Food includes superior grain varieties, while technology includes the machinery and advanced techniques related to cultivation."

"We have also been working on the selection of superior grain varieties."

Moroz said.

Roy chuckled and said, "Since you know about Extraordinary Ones, I'll be frank: within the pathways controlled by the Earth Church, they possess the ability to hybridize various types of food."

"I know a madman who was excommunicated from the church, and he came up with a plan to combine cows and wheat."

Roy introduced Frank's creation.

Moroz blinked, listened politely, and then exclaimed, "He's a madman! Thank goodness he was excommunicated!"

"No, sir, you need to note that although his invention was crazy, it was successful in a certain sense, otherwise he wouldn't have been expelled."

Roy corrected him, "I'm saying this so you understand their limits. Even animals and plants can hybridize, let alone plants with plants?"

Moroz paused for a second, then realized...

What the other party actually meant was—

Their seed selection is insignificant compared to extraordinary abilities.

This is an inherent difference.

He remained silent.

"Mechanical technology is easy to solve. You Rune have the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, which can be entrusted to create and invent better creations to assist in land reclamation, sowing, and so on."

"But the Earth Church also has many special techniques in planting. According to recent news from our church, the Earth Church has recently created some special scrolls."

Roy recounted information such as "weed rollers".

of course.

He deliberately obscured the message.

Moroz's face grew increasingly grim as he listened, but he wasn't trying to vent his anger; rather, he realized the true difference between Rune's agriculture and Fenneport's agriculture after hearing the whole story.

He took a deep breath.

"Mr. Egger, is the difference really that big?"

"It's not that you're weak, but that the Earth Church has been deeply involved in this field for hundreds of years. It's difficult for you to compete with them."

Roy said.

Moroz remained silent for a moment, then asked, "As you said, farming techniques and machinery are relatively easy to solve, but what about the seeds?"

"Try to buy from the Earth Church; there's no other way. Alternatively, you can train your own farmers."

"It's too difficult."

Moroz shook his head.

Low-ranking farmers are relatively easy to train, but once they reach the mid- or high-ranking levels, the key materials have already been taught and mastered, making further improvement very difficult.

To control a pathway is not to control the formula, but to control the key materials of that pathway.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I know there's a church of the Earth Church in the southern district. Can we get seeds from there?"

"I don't know. I'm a member of the Church of Knowledge, not the Church of the Earth, but I can try, provided that the church is recognized by Mother Earth and is not a fake."

Roy answered.

Moroz nodded: "I will investigate. Thank you, Mr. Egger. Your advice has been very helpful. I will send you the materials you need as soon as possible."

"Thanks."

Roy nodded with a smile.

Moroz suddenly asked, "Would you be interested in being an advisor to our Negan family?"

"I'm sorry, I came to Backlund mainly to study, and I will return to Remburg after a while."

Roy shook his head in refusal.

Moroz asked, "So, do you accept temporary employment?"

"If it doesn't affect my study plans and the compensation is sufficient, then of course it's fine."

Roy chuckled, his tall frame hunched over in the chair. "Life in Backlund is expensive; even living in the Joewood district requires a considerable amount of money."

"I've heard that your organization also has considerable investigative capabilities?"

Moroz asked.

Roy nodded: "Yes."

"Then I'd like to hire you to find out who wanted to kill him. You can name your price."

"I am not aware of the assassination of Duke Negan, and so much time has passed that many traces have disappeared, making it difficult to investigate."

Roy shook his head in refusal, then explained, "Even the extraordinary are not omnipotent; we can only infer past events based on existing clues."

"So that's how it is..."

Moroz sat back down regretfully, then said, "Are you free tonight? I'd like to take you to meet Duke Negan."

"At night?"

Duke Negan...

Roy didn't feel very safe, but—

This seems like a good deal.

The Duke of Negan is bound to be in trouble, and I happen to know this information.

He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll be free tonight."

"Okay, I'll have someone pick you up this afternoon."

……

In the afternoon, before it was time to leave work, the Negan family's car arrived at the library.

soon.

Roy received the news—

He can leave earlier.

The Negan family's power is extraordinary; leaving early or even taking a day off today wouldn't be a big problem for them.

Roy just wasn't willing.

If we go to the Negan family's place at noon, who knows what might happen.

Leaving early is still an option.

His connection to the Negan family and his status as a follower of the Church of Knowledge undoubtedly lend him considerable influence, proving that the identity information Liana obtained is absolutely genuine.

otherwise.

Given the power of the Negan family, how could they possibly make contact so easily and proactively?

"Mr. Moroz, I didn't expect you to come in person."

"I just happened to be passing by and was originally thinking of coming to read a book, but since you can leave now, let's go to Duke Negan's house together."

Moroz smiled, then looked at Roy, "I specially chose the largest carriage, I hope you enjoy the comfort."

"Thank you. I rarely ride in such a spacious carriage in Backlund. Sometimes I even worry that I have to pay twice the fare for a public carriage."

Roy was joking.

Iger White is very tall, but not to the point that he needs to pay for two tickets.

Moroz smiled without saying anything, not taking it seriously.

Although the other party was not a nobleman, as a mid-level extraordinary individual, he had quite a bit of money.

only……

The other party simply doesn't spend money in this area.

As an important member of the Negan family, money is not a major factor in his eyes; ability and influence are the most important things.

after all.

In terms of wealth, few families in Rune can rival the Nigan family.

They drove all the way to Queens.

"The Duke of Negan is having a ball tonight, and most of the attendees are Conservatives."

"At that time, we may consult you for some relevant information."

Moroz said.

He seemed to know what Roy was thinking and immediately added.

"The promised reward will be substantial. Regarding the Crystallized Sunflower you mentioned earlier, we can directly provide a Singer's Extraordinary trait or a Magical Item."

"Can."

Roy had no objection.

Any opinion is based on the premise that the provided materials are inadequate.

Now that the pay has doubled, there's nothing to worry about.

On the way to Queens, Roy was about to take out a book to read when he heard a faint voice.

"Great Fool, I would like to ask you to help convey my request."

"I want to acquire more scrolls, and I also want to meet 'The Hermit' at a tarot reading."

That's a woman's voice; it must be Miss Justice.

because……

Even with his wealth, he probably couldn't afford to buy his own scrolls.

Roy thought to himself.

but.

He is unable to respond at this time.

Roy opened the book and pretended to read until they arrived at a villa in Queens.

"arrive."

"Mr. Moroz, I'd like to go to the restroom first."

"No problem, I'll have a male servant take you there."

Moroz nodded.

A short while later, Roy, led by a male servant, arrived at the villa's bathroom and quietly responded to his earlier request.

Then, a deep red light enveloped them, and he and "Justice" arrived above the gray fog.

"Thank you for taking the time, Mr. Hermit, and thank you as well, Mr. Great Fool."

Justice expressed his gratitude very politely.

Roy smiled and said, "I was busy earlier and only just got free now. I don't have any scrolls on me right now, but I can give you some at the Tarot meeting the day after tomorrow."

"No problem, I'm not in a rush for the reel. I'm asking you for help with something else."

(End of this chapter)