Goddess Kaleidoscope

"What's wrong now?"

"My lord, Your Excellency, it's terrible! Just now at the port, the Great Shark Eagle from Silver Bay was seized by the newly appointed tax officer, who said that slaves were found on board."

"The Great Sand Eagle? What does his detention have to do with me?"

Allen Ruth picked up a perfectly grilled duck breast and looked at his subordinate with a somewhat inexplicable expression.

He knew that the owner behind the Great Sand Eagle was someone he knew well, so Evan Ruth often commissioned them to purchase some good things that were not available in Oyster Harbor. The cooperation over the past few years had been very pleasant.

However, Evan Ruth knew in his heart that due to the impact of the epidemic in the first half of the year, he had not ordered any goods from them in the past few months, so even if the Great Shark was captured, it should not involve him.

But the monk's next words caused Evanrus, who was about to continue eating, to poke the roasted duck breast into his cheek.

"Your Excellency, the captain who was arrested has confessed that all the cargo on board belongs to you, and the cargo manifest even has your seal on it!"

"Bullshit! How is that possible!?"

Evanrus slammed his hand on the table, not bothering to wipe the grease off his face, and got up to leave. He needed to get to the lord's manor as soon as possible to explain the situation to Viscount Maup.

His intuition told him that someone was trying to frame him!

Evan Ruth himself had done this kind of thing many times before, and he was very familiar with many of the tricks, but this was the first time he had been framed by someone else.

By the time he rushed to the lord's manor and met the viscount, the young tax collector had already arrived. Evanrus had seen this man before; he was the viscount's distant nephew, a locally renowned young talent. But Evanrus didn't have a good impression of him, thinking him just an arrogant pretty boy with a cold face who seemed to look down on everyone.

As soon as Evanlus entered the room, the viscount, who was flipping through documents, didn't even look up, while the tax collector beside him already had a rather unfriendly look in his eyes.

“Your Excellency, you’ve come at the perfect time. I happen to have some things I need to confirm with you personally.”

"Viscount, please let me explain!"

"Oh! I haven't even asked anything yet, and Your Excellency already seems to have foreseen what I'm going to ask you? Your information network is quite impressive!"

"This……"

Sweating profusely after being rebuked by the Viscount's words, Evanrus lowered his head, displaying utter trepidation. The Kingdom of Durand was not a theocratic state; although religious forces enjoyed various privileges that placed them above the common people, they were still subject to the rule of the king and local lords.

The Viscount didn't say much, but simply pushed the document he had been reading in front of Evanrus, letting him take a look at it himself. Evanrus picked it up and looked at it for a short while before urgently offering his explanation.

"Your Excellency, this is a frame-up, a false accusation! I am the bishop of the Church of the Four Seasons in the northern diocese of the Kingdom of Duran. How could I possibly do such a thing? It's obvious that someone is trying to smear me and the Church of the Four Seasons!"

Faced with the numerous pieces of evidence listed against him in the documents, Evanrus vehemently denied them all, insisting they were framed. But the Viscount merely stared at him with a rather amused expression, making Evanrus very uncomfortable.

Viscount Mape was not entirely unaware of Evanrus's past actions. As a local feudal lord with a large retinue, he was bound to hear some rumors about what had happened within his territory, even if he didn't know the details.

In the past, the Viscount turned a blind eye to Evanrus's actions, mainly because of his relationship with the Church of the Four Seasons, and because many of the things he did actually fell into a gray area.

The slave trade and smuggling of contraband were not only done by Evanrus. No merchant guild in the city with any power was completely clean. Although the viscount himself did not participate, he had more or less benefited from it. So as long as the slave-catching ships did not come to his territory to arrest people, foreign slaves were not allowed to enter.

The problem is that the Viscount pretended not to know before because everything in Oyster Harbor used to be running normally, but these are extraordinary times.

You should know that the original source of this plague was a stranded slave ship. Now that the situation in the city has finally started to improve, you, Evanrus, have not done anything of substance and have been thinking about holding sacrificial ceremonies. Now you have gone against the grain and brought over a dozen slaves, and they are all young children. It is clear that you do not respect him as the lord.

This caused the Viscount, who already disliked Evanrus intensely, to feel even more disgusted with him.

Even though there were still some doubts about the evidence itself, the viscount didn't care much. He just wanted to use this as an excuse to make this increasingly annoying fat man disappear from his territory as quickly as possible.

“Bishop Evanrus, I think you should understand that although I have no right to punish you, I am not without other ways to deal with you. So I will give you two choices. First, you can claim illness and retire, and I will assume that you have nothing to do with that cargo ship, so that everyone can save face. Second… I will send a letter to your archbishop in the capital, asking him to replace you with a bishop of more upright character. Choose one of the two options.”

"My lord, I..."

"If you say one more word, I'll take it as you choosing number two!"

"I...I choose one."

Looking into the Viscount's eyes, Evanrus knew that the Viscount was now determined to expel him, and he had no choice at all. He couldn't help but feel an unprecedented sense of humiliation and resentment.

Three years ago, Evanrus lost a power struggle within the church in the capital and was forced to move to the northern parish. He had hoped to achieve something that would impress his superiors and be promoted back, but instead he ended up in this predicament.

Without wasting any more words with Evanrus, the Viscount waved his men to dismiss him, giving Evanrus two weeks to leave the Viscount's territory. He didn't care where he went, as long as he didn't show up on his land again.

Evanrus slunk out of the lord's manor, his resentment finding no outlet. Just then, he saw a familiar face approaching – it was Lud, who had ruined his plans time and time again.

The old priest, as usual, wore a mask, with only his eyes showing. When he saw Evanrus, he smiled and bowed to him, then greeted him.

"Your Excellency, have you had dinner?"

End of this chapter

Lude watched Evanrus leave with a beaming smile. He could tell that the bishop was in a bad mood. After all, being framed time and time again was bound to make a scene, and no one would be happy about that.

As the "mastermind" who planned and carried out all these actions, Lud felt no shame whatsoever for what he had done, and even felt a tiny bit of pride in his heart!

Thanks to his past life as an undercover police officer, Lud always started by gathering intelligence before doing anything. Therefore, long before the plague broke out in Oyster Harbor, he specifically commissioned Hume to collect information about the various sects in the northern region of the kingdom, so that he wouldn't be completely in the dark when contact occurred in the future.

This allowed Ludwig to learn about Oyster Harbor, the situation of the Northern Diocese of the Church of the Four Seasons, and to study Evanrus more carefully.

From the moment he took office in Oyster Harbor, his actions there consistently demonstrated that he was a treacherous and ruthless individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. To drive out the other religious sects in Oyster Harbor, he used methods including, but not limited to, framing, spreading rumors, and even assassination.

Even though he knew this guy wasn't a good person, Lude didn't immediately decide to fight Evanrus to the death. Instead, he prioritized the bigger picture and offered him an olive branch, but unfortunately, he didn't receive a positive response.

So Lud also gave up his illusions and prepared for battle!

Lu De didn't consider himself the kind of naive good guy portrayed in TV dramas who would completely relinquish control and wait for the bad guys to attack. He chose to strike first, using their methods before the bad guys could, leaving them with nowhere to run!

He first hired someone to poison himself, then manipulated local public opinion, putting Evanrus in the spotlight, thus tying Evanrus's hands and making it difficult for them to carry out any harmful actions against him.

After Hume returned, Ludd again used the goddess Luddite to infiltrate the temple of the Four Seasons' cult, steal Evanrus's black ledger from his study, and impersonate Sister Iria to order a batch of slaves from a familiar black market merchant, specifically instructing them to expedite their delivery to Oyster Harbor. Meanwhile, Luddite herself prepared an anonymous letter of denunciation and sent it to the young tax collector, who had recently taken office and was eager to prove himself.

So everything that followed fell into place naturally. The Great Shark was caught red-handed as soon as it entered port, and all the evidence pointed directly to Evan Ruth.

The Viscount's opinion of Evanrus had already plummeted, so when the matter came to light, his first thought wasn't whether the evidence was reliable or suspicious, but rather that he finally had a suitable excuse to legitimately expel this eyesore of a fat man from his territory—he was overjoyed!

The entire course of events unfolded exactly as Ludd planned, making him a veritable mastermind. However, in reality, Ludd's actions were less of a frame-up and more of an exposé!

Because all of these things—lying, cheating, and stealing—were indeed the evils that Evanrus had committed against other victims.

Although the local authorities did not release any information to the public, by the evening of the following day, the events on the Great Shark Eagle and the lord's decision to expel Evanrus had become common knowledge throughout the city.

Since this terrible plague originated from a slave ship, the news of "bishops buying slaves" particularly stirred people's nerves during this special period. It was like committing a crime against the wind, instantly attracting a lot of criticism. Many believers of the Four Seasons Goddess even went to the temple gate to fight the epidemic, demanding that Evanlus come out and apologize to the goddess and them, the believers, in public.

Faced with the overwhelming anger of the people, Evenus was truly afraid and hid in the temple, not daring to come out and see anyone. On the contrary, Rudd "accidentally" passed by the scene and kindly advised the angry crowd not to act so impulsively.

With the pandemic still ongoing, it's not the time to engage in group activities.

"At this rate, you've basically ruined Evanrus's reputation, and the prestige of the Cult of the Four Seasons has also plummeted. It won't be able to recover for at least three to five years. If we disregard the purpose and only look at the means, you're more like the bad guy than that fat man!"

Inside the isolation ward hospital office, Kumirad, who knew everything, was jokingly teasing Lud in front of him.

Lude remained noncommittal, sitting in his recliner like an old man who was too weak to feel the cold, and wrapped himself tightly in his blanket.

Hume, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.

"I'm telling you, there are no outsiders here, so you don't need to pretend anymore, right?"

"You don't understand! I'm building up my emotions. To act convincingly, I need to make it seem natural, and this is also preparation for the next step."

Ludwig made no secret of his ongoing plans to Hume and Kumirard. He not only wanted to eradicate the plague and save the hundreds of thousands of people in Oyster Harbor, but also to create an opportunity to artificially create a "miracle" in the local area.

Ludd had previously asked Hume whether the gods had performed few miracles on earth in the past three hundred years, and whether there were other reasons besides short-sighted stinginess. The answer he received surprised Ludd: it was because the input and output were not proportional.

The reasons for this situation are multifaceted. In addition to the lack of the primordial fire, which to some extent limits the space, most gods also lack creativity and their methods of performing miracles are too old-fashioned.

The most common miracles are nothing more than revealing one's true form during large-scale sacrificial ceremonies, and then showing off a few special skills in front of tens of thousands of believers, like a street performer, to let mortals see how awesome one is.

But they neither create a performance atmosphere nor stir the emotions of the audience. The believers have seen this so often that they have naturally become accustomed to it. Without strong emotional fluctuations, it is impossible to generate a large amount of faith.

So when the gods realized that they were putting in a lot of effort but were actually losing money, they simply stopped doing this thankless task and relied on their clergy to deceive people while they themselves collected faith without lifting a finger.

These clergy members may be able to come up with good ideas, but unfortunately they cannot communicate with their own gods face to face and obtain their cooperation, so in the end they still cannot create any eye-catching explosive effects.

Ultimately, it's because the gods themselves are too burdened by their own image. For hundreds of years, they haven't grasped a very simple truth: religious rituals in this world are essentially the same as theatrical performances—both aim for a "performance effect" and want to grab attention.

And the millions of believers are precisely the audience they need to please!

End of this chapter

Throughout history, every major religious sect has had its so-called "saints," generally referring to great figures who have made tremendous achievements, gained the recognition of a large number of believers, and received divine blessings. Some have also shouldered heavy responsibilities, endured countless hardships, and accomplished missions that ordinary people could not.

To put it simply, advanced workers in the religious community have a higher social status than those who are simply chosen by the gods and are favored by them. Some saints can even receive certification from more than one god.

In this world, any sect of any size has a saint as an indispensable symbol, especially large sects, which often have more than one saint who not only holds a high position and possesses great power, but also receives extraordinary power as a gift from the gods.

In terms of mere fame, the most well-known saint is undoubtedly the "signboard girl" of the Holy Light Cult—the Holy Maiden of Light. In a sense, she is a saint artificially created through a special mechanism.

The selection of a saintess is theoretically held every twelve years, with an extremely rigorous selection standard. All candidates are young girls who joined the church at the age of three. They are selected by each major diocese and sent to special monasteries for training until they are over twelve years old. Then, the most outstanding among them are selected as representatives of their respective dioceses to participate in the saintess trials at the "City of Sunrise" at the foot of the sacred mountain of the Holy Light Church. The final winner becomes the new Saintess of Light.

The losers are not without their gains. The Holy Lord of Light will give these girls two choices: one is to enter the Holy Mountain Divine Realm to cultivate, and return to the mortal world as chosen nuns twelve years later, becoming the top combat force of the Holy Church of Light; the other is to be conferred the title of Holy Seal Angel and assist the new Holy Maiden of Light.

It is important to know that one of the requirements for the selection of each Holy Maiden is to obtain the support of at least four of the twelve other candidates besides oneself.

The first thing the new Holy Maiden did upon assuming office was to assemble a team to travel the world over three years and complete twelve trials. These trials typically involved slaying powerful monsters, eradicating cults, exploring secret realms, or searching for lost artifacts and treasures.

The entire process resembled a talent show, with each selection of the Holy Maiden generating worldwide buzz and attracting countless believers to travel great distances to the City of the Sun for pilgrimage. Powerful warriors, including princes and noble knights from various countries, also flocked to serve the Holy Maiden.

Because all the candidates for sainthood are beautiful young women, and the Holy Church of Light does not prohibit clergy from marrying, and because sainthood is generally only for twelve years, many of them go on to become queens of some country as soon as they leave office.

In Lud's words, the pope who devised this system was clearly a "savvy" guy. He even suspected that the pope might be a transmigrator from Earth, just like himself!

Given the current size of the Medicine God Cult, the total number of baptized believers in Pine Town and Oyster Harbor has exceeded 20,000, while the number of general believers (mostly DDs) who can generate faith is at least three times that number.

With the immense prestige gained from resolving this plague crisis, Ludd believed it was time to "strike while the iron is hot" and launch another major operation!

Of course! Every action, while bringing benefits, is often accompanied by corresponding risks and drawbacks. While triggering a miracle in Oyster Harbor would certainly gain a large number of believers and rapidly increase the fame of the Medicine God Cult, it would also arouse the vigilance and even hostility of other sects.

They may not take immediate action, but they will begin to pay attention to the Medicine God Cult's every move, making it harder for them to make a fortune quietly in the future.

However, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Lu De and the Medicine God Cult could not hide in Pine Tree Town forever. If they wanted to grow and expand, they had to go out and explore.

Thanks to his control of the newspaper as a powerful propaganda tool, Lud now controls the public opinion in the entire city, and neither the leaders of the various sects nor the lord himself have yet realized the mystery behind this.

Under Lu De's subtle and pervasive influence, the city's residents not only developed hygiene awareness but also learned the names of many people. Some were priests from other places who had traveled thousands of miles to provide support, while others were local doctors who had been fighting on the front lines of the epidemic.

Ludd successfully exonerated the physicians, led by Nandin, through the newspapers, recognizing their pioneering role in the fight against the plague at its onset. Ludd also persuaded the Viscount to bestow honorary knighthoods upon these physicians in recognition of their courage and fearlessness.

It is worth mentioning that these doctors were also baptized and joined the Church of Medicine God. Ludwig later used them as the core members to form the Knights Hospitaller.

Every issue of the newspaper devotes a lot of space to praising and celebrating those outstanding individuals who have made tireless efforts in the fight against the epidemic. Readers did not find a single word of slander or criticism against any particular person in the newspaper; all they found was a barely perceptible "ignorance"!

Since its inception, the newspaper has published seven issues, including special supplements. Sales in Oyster Harbor have been increasing daily. The Golden Axe Merchant Guild, recognizing the potential for new business opportunities, has even put plans to open a branch of the newspaper in Wolfhelm City on the agenda, just waiting for the pandemic to end.