Goddess Kaleidoscope

"Silly girl, it's because seawater is salty."

The little nun explained to the bewildered Aina why they couldn't bathe in seawater. She seemed to understand, but not quite. After all, Pine Village was located at the confluence of two rivers, and the area was not short of water at all, so she found it hard to believe the fishermen's predicament.

Lude thought about it and felt that this was a good teaching opportunity, so he brought over all the medical students who had been brought on the ship to teach them. Using the current situation of the fishing village that they could see as an example, he explained the hygiene knowledge they needed to know, which would be very helpful for the problems they would face next.

The fleet sailed along the coast for another half day, and finally, at dusk, they saw a harbor city in the distance. The captain, who was leading the fleet, told Ludwig that it was their destination—Oyster Harbor.

As the largest natural harbor on the northern coast of the kingdom, this was once the wealthiest territory in the kingdom before the outbreak of the pandemic. Although the entire fiefdom was not large in area and had a population of only around 100,000, it accumulated a great deal of wealth due to the existence of the port.

But this once bustling and vibrant city now exhibits a morbid sense of oppression, having completely lost its former vitality and hustle and bustle.

"I feel like I can smell death..."

Limited by the world's backward communication methods, when Lud and his companions arrived at Oyster Harbor, almost three months had passed since the outbreak of the epidemic, and the local poor epidemic prevention measures failed to stop the spread of the epidemic in the area.

However, to Ludwig's surprise, the vast harbor was filled with about a hundred ships, none of which seemed to have left.

It wasn't until a small boat approached and urged them to stop that Lu De learned from the other boat that a string of sailboats had been submerged beneath the surface of the water at the harbor's exit, forming an artificial reef. Only on the side near the south bank was there an opening about forty meters wide for ships to enter and exit.

Although Viscount Maup made some blunders in the early stages of the pandemic and failed to contain its spread in time due to the riots caused by rumors, this old sailor who had faced storms and waves at sea was not entirely incompetent and still had his own sense of responsibility.

To prevent the infection from spreading further, the viscount, realizing that his territory was out of control, decisively ordered the port to be sealed off, prohibiting any ships from leaving, and even went so far as to block up alleyways and set up ballistae on the shore.

Under his forceful blockade, hundreds of ships were forced to remain in the area. No matter how much the ship owners pleaded or even threatened, Viscount Maup remained adamant in his stance, forbidding anyone from leaving his territory.

As the fleet approached the shore, Lud directed everyone to put on the protective gear they had brought, including gloves, masks, beige jumpsuits, and upgraded dwarf goggles. When everyone disembarked in this attire, the locals who came to greet them clearly looked bewildered.

"You...you are from the Medicine God Cult?"

Because the Earl had sent a message in advance, and all ten ferries were flying the Earl's flag, the locals, though surprised, did not at least regard them as monsters or demons.

At this point, Sharo stepped forward to identify himself, showed the leader of the group his family crest and waist badge, and then respectfully introduced Lud to the person standing to the side, explaining that they had brought many things for healing and saving lives.

"Is it really a miracle cure for the plague? How much is available? How many people can it save?"

Upon hearing that there was medicine on the ship that could cure the disease, the locals present were all intrigued. In the past two months, more than 5,000 people had died from the plague in Oyster Harbor, and the total number of infected people was hard to estimate, but it was definitely no less than 30,000. Hundreds of corpses were being dragged out of the city every day for cremation.

The dead cannot rest in peace, and the living are filled with fear.

As Lud was trying to gather information from the locals, hoping to meet Viscount Maup, a group of masked men suddenly rushed over from a distance. Based on their clothing, Lud identified them as priests and monks of the Cult of War. Although only their eyes were visible, Lud recognized the leader.

"The Bishop of the Urals?"

"Master Lude, we've been waiting for you!"

Ural slightly pulled back the white cloth covering his face, revealing his true appearance, before quickly covering himself completely with the cloth again.

Wearing masks and reducing skin exposure are preventative measures that Ural learned from Lud during his visit to Songshu Town last year, and he is now using them in Oyster Harbor.

After the two sides met, Ural looked at the ten ferries behind Lud and the dwarf volunteers who were constantly disembarking, and was filled with emotion.

The priests of their God of War cult are not skilled in healing magic, and they even have to endure a certain degree of debuff because their god has a fondness for scars.

With the epidemic in Oyster Harbor so severe, they were forced to come and provide assistance, feeling quite uncertain about their situation. However, Lu De's arrival brought them, who were skilled in the Medicine God Cult, a genuine and indescribable sense of security, as if they had found their pillar of support.

“Master, the situation here is completely out of control! Before you arrived, including our War God Cult, there were a total of seven sects and twenty-eight priests here. I thought that with so many priests, they could cast more than a hundred divine spells a day, but the spread is happening even faster. Moreover, because of the mess we had before, the local civilians have completely lost faith in their lord. Those who are infected are not only hiding, but they are even attacking us!”

When talking about those "ungrateful" troublemakers in the area, Ural's face was full of helplessness.

As a religious figure, and a mid-to-high-level official at that, Ural was certainly aware of the simple yet profound truth that "the ignorant masses are friends of religion." But when these easily swayed and manipulated masses stood on the opposite side, the feeling was entirely different!

During the days of supporting Oyster Harbor, Ural had repeatedly lashed out at his disciples, cursing these "brainless idiots." He had come to rescue them, but they were running around the city like frightened rats, and some of the lunatics had even pulled out knives to stab him. It was impossible to have a normal conversation with them.

What left Urals speechless was that, despite the severity of the crisis and the potential for widespread devastation in the northern part of the kingdom if it were to spread, with none of their churches able to remain unscathed, the priests of the major religious sects who came to provide support were still openly and secretly scheming against each other, as if it were an instinct.

For a fleeting moment, Urals felt a profound despair, a weariness that overwhelmed him. He felt that humans like these were utterly worthless!

Led by Ural, Lud and his party soon arrived at the city hall.

Along the way, Lude observed the surrounding streets. Most of the houses were closed, some were completely dark, while others still had lights and shadows of people. Fully armed city guards passed by from time to time, and occasionally he would encounter residents hurrying out to buy daily necessities.

What made Lud frown was that, apart from himself and his group from Urals, none of the locals were wearing masks; their faces weren't covered at all.

“Ural Bishop, you’ve been here for a while now, haven’t you reminded the lord to order the residents to wear masks?”

"How could I not have said it?! But it wouldn't have mattered anyway! This is the headquarters of the Northern Diocese of the Kingdom of the Four Seasons Goddess, with a bishop in charge. That guy was specifically targeting me, saying that wearing a mask was useless, and that I, a member of the War God Cult, shouldn't offer useless opinions in areas I'm not good at. I couldn't even argue back, damn it!"

When the local cult of the Four Seasons was mentioned, Ural's tone was clearly filled with resentment. The bishop there was a cunning old fox with squinty eyes, named Evanrus. Ural acknowledged that the bishop had treated a large number of infected people during the pandemic, but it was also this same guy who deliberately acted sarcastically on many issues, openly contradicting Ural when he offered his opinions.

Bound by the preconceived notion that the Cult of War is not good at healing-type divine magic, Lord Map clearly trusted Evanlus more than Urar.

In order to resolve this severe plague crisis, Evanrus has suggested to the lord that a grand sacrificial ceremony be held in the area, requiring all residents of the city to collectively swear an oath of conversion through torture. At the same time, Viscount Maup should offer up his youngest son and daughter in exchange for the mercy of the goddess of the seasons. He has repeatedly stated that only in this way can everyone in the city be saved!

End of this chapter

The once bustling scene inside the lavishly decorated city hall fell silent the moment Lud and his group arrived. All eyes were fixed on their rather "strange" attire, their astonished looks as if someone had wandered onto the wrong movie set.

At this moment, a knight wearing a full set of metal plate armor walked over, pointed at Lud and the others, and asked Ural, who had led them in.

"Bishop of the Ural Mountains, who...who are these people?"

"Let me introduce them. These are the Medicine God Cult followers who have come to provide support from Pine Town in the North. I think there should be someone here who hasn't heard of Master Lud, right?"

When Ural spoke, it seemed like a slight compliment to Lud, but it wasn't actually an exaggeration. Given Lud and the Medicine God Cult's current reputation in the northern region of the kingdom, saying they were known to everyone might be an exaggeration, but they were no longer unknown nobodys.

Especially in Oyster Harbor, this can be said to be the place where the Medicine God Cult first made its name outside of Pine Tree Village.

The merchants who had done business with Lud brought the miraculous potion "Evelina's Tears" to the annual Sea God Auction in the area. The potion caused a sensation upon its unveiling. After all, the public had never before seen a super potion with effects comparable to divine magic.

These bottles of potions became incredibly popular at the auction. The highest bid for one bottle, driven up to 500 gold coins, was driven up by two wealthy individuals vying for attention. When the news reached Pine Tree Village, even Lu De was astonished, lamenting how foolishly rich people were.

In light of this, when Ural announced Lud's name, the gazes of everyone present changed slightly from before.

Some were overjoyed, while others frowned, seemingly not so happy about Ludd and his companions' arrival. And almost without exception, the source of these gazes was religious figures.

When Lud and his party arrived, apart from a few local officials and nobles who took the initiative to greet them and express their welcome, the priests of other sects simply nodded from afar or ignored them with arrogant expressions.

In their view, although the Medicine God Cult had gained some minor fame in the North with its unique potions, it was ultimately just a third-rate sect with a parish of only one town and a mere one or two thousand followers. This insignificant character not only didn't take the initiative to pay homage to their "mountain," but also acted arrogantly by not even removing his mask after entering the house—he really thought too highly of himself.

After Lud entered the house, he waited for a short while before an old man dressed as a butler appeared in the hall and loudly announced the arrival of the lord. Then Lud saw a somewhat haggard and melancholy middle-aged man walk out, surrounded by several knights.

Upon seeing this, everyone present rose to their feet and bowed. Only one fat man in a green robe stepped forward. Unlike the others, he did not bow to the Viscount. Instead, he extended his right hand, allowing the Viscount to lower his head and kiss the four-colored gemstone ring on his middle finger.

Lude recognized the other party as Bishop Evanrus of the Northern Diocese of the Kingdom of the Four Seasons Goddess. This giant, who was probably over two meters tall, looked like a mountain of flesh when he stood there. His face was full of fat, and he was so fat that he could hardly open his eyes.

Regarding Evanrus, based solely on the information Lude currently possesses, he is a bishop with considerable business acumen, but also a ruthless charlatan embroiled in scandals. Five years ago, he was appointed bishop of the Northern Diocese of the Kingdom of Duran, and indeed, he has been remarkably effective since taking office. The number of baptized believers has doubled compared to before his appointment, and fundraising has more than tripled.

However, after he took office, rumors continued to emerge that Evanrus had used many dirty tricks in the dark to compete with other sects for believers, including but not limited to framing, hiring assassins, and so on.

However, most of these rumors were unfounded and there was basically no evidence to support them. On the contrary, a few cases of false accusations against Evan Ruth were reported and exposed, which indirectly enhanced Evan Ruth's reputation.

However, judging from his suggestion that Viscount Mauper engage in collective penance and sacrifice young boys and girls, Ludwig is not on the same side as him. In short, he is a guy who should be very difficult to deal with.

When the Viscount arrived, he plopped down in the main seat of the hall, exuding a strong sense of dejection from head to toe, with dark circles under his eyes as thick as a panda's.

At Ural's introduction, Lud and his party stepped forward to greet the Viscount. He gave a weary smile, thanked the Medicine God Cult for their assistance, and then turned to instruct his steward to arrange accommodations for Lud and his party.

“Your Excellency, if possible, I would like to live closer to the quarantine zone, which would make it easier to treat and save lives.”

As soon as Ludwig spoke, a murmur rippled through the room. Some people, like chameleons, immediately put on a mocking face, and even deliberately spoke in a voice that others could hear, implying that Ludwig was trying to gain fame and fortune.

At present, the Viscount has ordered a complete lockdown of Oyster Harbour, and all infected persons are required to voluntarily go to the quarantine area for control. Otherwise, if they are discovered, not only will they be executed on the spot, but their protectors and relatives will also be punished.

Under the threat of such harsh laws, although the entire territory was filled with fear, it did have a certain restraining effect. About two thousand infected people voluntarily went to the quarantine area, mainly the poor people at the bottom of society.

Many people actually know that the so-called "quarantine zone" is just a designated area where infected civilians are left to fend for themselves. Those well-dressed priests and officials will not use their precious divine powers on these lowly people.

In contrast, the wealthy class in the city were much more secure. These rich people were not afraid of being infected at all. As long as the plague did not kill instantly, they did not have to worry about dying before the poor.

The number of these ordinary people who voluntarily accepted quarantine has now exceeded two thousand and is still increasing. They themselves have already given up hope, but now Lud says he will take care of them!

At this moment, a priest dressed in a green robe and a green hat stepped forward from the crowd, asking with a mocking smile.

"May I ask, Master Lu De, how many priests have come from your sect this time?"

"Including myself, there are two of us."

"Only two?"

"Yes, it's me and my disciple."

"Hahaha...Did you all hear that? The Medicine God Cult has sent two priests, wanting to save two thousand people!"

Deliberately letting out an extremely exaggerated laugh, the green-hatted priest made no attempt to conceal his malice. Lude glanced at the emblem on the other's robe; it belonged to the Lake God Cult, a third-tier sect. Lake God Bai Rong had survived the divine war by clinging to powerful figures, and because he had recognized many other gods as his elder brothers and sisters, he was nicknamed "Brother God" among the gods.

Such an unremarkable god naturally had a sect that was not exactly respectable either.

End of this chapter

Ignoring the "priest of the cult" who had jumped out so eagerly to be beaten, Ludwig went straight to Viscount Maup, the lord, removed his mask and hood, and asked him in an extremely sincere tone.

“My lord, my disciple and I cannot save two thousand people at once with divine magic, but there are other ways to save lives besides divine magic. Our goddess, Evelina, is revered for her medicine, and we, her followers, practice our faith by healing and saving lives. I know you may not trust me, and I cannot guarantee 100% success right now, but please give us a chance to save more people!”

After Lud finished speaking, he took half a step back and bowed deeply to the lord. The scene fell silent for a moment. The priest who had been deliberately provoking them was now stunned, his expression quite awkward.

He had originally intended to provoke Ludwig into an argument, drawing him into his area of ​​expertise so he could then defeat him with his extensive experience. However, Ludwig completely ignored his provocation, and his words and actions were impeccable, making him appear more like a clown.

Viscount Maup, seated at the head of the table, stared at Lud for a moment, then turned to his old butler and gave him instructions.

“Mabo, please arrange a suitable place for Master Ludger to stay near East Street. Do your best to meet any needs the Master may have.”

"Yes, sir."

Smiling and nodding to Lud, the butler Marbo then stepped forward, gesturing for Lud to follow him. Before leaving the hall, Lud bowed again to Lord Viscount Maup, then nodded to Bishop Evanrus beside him. As for the friar, he didn't even glance at him once.

The group left the city hall and took a carriage arranged by the butler, Marco, to East Street in the city. This area was the backup storage area of ​​Oyster Harbor, far from the main residential areas, and was therefore chosen as the isolation area for guarding the infected.

On the way to their lodgings, Luo Aina, who had been following Lu De, asked with some resentment.

“Master, those guys are too arrogant! They don’t take us seriously at all. I remember you said on the ship that these charlatans don’t know anything about epidemic prevention, so why didn’t you tell that lord?”

"Silly girl, we're new here. You're interfering in other people's affairs and belittling them right away. If you were the lord, would you believe that?"

"I……"

"I didn't say anything just now because I knew it would be useless! The entire Oyster Harbor is now filled with a bunch of sects. They all seem to be saving people, but they're not of one mind at all. Given the situation in the city hall just now, if I were to offer any suggestions to the lord, someone would immediately jump out and contradict me, and I would only end up in an endless war of words. So it's better to take action first and produce irrefutable results. That's the only way to shut others up."

Before long, the carriage arrived at its destination. The steward, Ma Bo, had found a two-story house with a courtyard. The conditions were only average, but the steward said apologetically that it was already the best house near East Street.

Fortunately, Lude knew he wasn't there for tourism. Seeing that the house was fairly clean inside and out, and the yard was quite large, he didn't complain.