Goddess Kaleidoscope

These seven issues of the newspaper, much like a "praise group," lauded all the forces involved in the fight against the epidemic, creating an atmosphere of unity and fervor. However, some observant people noticed that the Four Seasons Goddess Church, which was originally the largest local church, seemed to have done nothing.

The newspapers were even quite restrained in not reporting some of the recent negative news, choosing instead to ignore it and give it a "cold shoulder."

However, the fact that the newspapers didn't report it didn't mean the news wouldn't spread rapidly among the local residents' social circles. It's no exaggeration to say that nine out of ten people in the city now know that Bishop Evanlus of the Church of the Four Seasons was buying slaves, and the most despicable of them all were child slaves.

Some people privately cursed him as a pervert, saying that a dignified clergyman would prey on young children, both boys and girls. Others went so far as to concoct terrifying conspiracy theories, suggesting that the bishop might be a blasphemous traitor who had turned his back on his faith and was buying these children to sacrifice to an evil god.

Thanks to these rumors, Evanrus is now like a rat in the street, hated by everyone. What annoys him even more is that one of his subordinates has betrayed him. Someone has gone over his head and reported Evanrus's misdeeds to the royal capital, clearly trying to get rid of him and take his place.

If it weren't for the letter from the main hall ordering him to immediately return to the capital to report on his duties, Evanlus would have really wanted to investigate which bastard was so audacious.

Unfortunately, the letter from the head of the palace was very urgent, and the stipulated return date only allowed him to stay in Oyster Harbour for two more days. In such a short time, let alone investigating the traitor, it wouldn't even be enough to transfer his assets locally.

During his three years as bishop of Oyster Harbor, Evanrus amassed a considerable amount of gold, silver, and rare treasures. Taking all of these by land would require at least twenty or thirty large wagons, which would be rather ostentatious.

Therefore, the best way is to get a ship and sail back to the capital. The advantage is that it is fast, and it can be reached in five days by heading south along the coastline. Moreover, the risk is slightly less than that of traveling by land.

Although the kingdom was generally peaceful these days, with no large-scale foreign wars and the lords in various places getting along well (except for Duke Gamelin), bandits and outlaws still existed. They were like cockroaches, impossible to eradicate!

There are pirates who kill and plunder on the sea, but Evanrus has an advantage: he knows some merchants with less-than-clean backgrounds who have dealings with pirates in secret. Through them, Evanrus can obtain pirate tokens, so even if they encounter them, a fight is unlikely.

The only thing to worry about is large sea creatures.

It is currently springtime, and the hibernating sea monsters have awakened. These hungry beasts are extremely aggressive.

However, compared to the perilous open ocean, the coastal areas are relatively shallow, so there are rarely any particularly dangerous large sea monsters. Evanlus himself is a high-ranking clergyman of the bishop level, and he also supports a group of knights who only obey his orders.

With their current strength, as long as they don't run into a monster lord, ordinary sea monsters or ignorant pirates are no match for them!

End of this chapter

In late April, temperatures in Oyster Harbour were steadily rising. Although maritime trade activities had not yet resumed, local fishermen had already resumed operations, bringing a touch of vitality back to the port that had been quiet for several months.

At the northeast corner of the dock, the three-masted sailing ship "Nestbot" was moored beside the seawall, and groups of laborers were unloading crates of goods piled up on the dock onto the ship. The high-flying flag of the Four Seasons Goddess Cult indicated to onlookers that this sailing ship belonged to the cult. This large sailing ship was an openly owned property of the Four Seasons Goddess Cult, and it usually only conducted legitimate business.

Evanrus stood at the bow of the ship, silently gazing at the Oyster Harbor city, a complex expression in his eyes.

Three years ago, he was driven from the capital to Oyster Harbor, and now he's been driven from Oyster Harbor back to the capital. These successive defeats will not only disappoint his family, but also give his old enemies ammunition to kick him while he's down.

Thinking of this, Evanlus couldn't help but let out a sigh.

This humiliating return trip will inevitably require a significant financial sacrifice just to protect myself. I'm afraid I'll have to give away more than half of the savings I've accumulated in Oyster Harbor over the past three years. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.

As Evanrus was sighing, a large group of people walked over from one side of the dock. When Evanrus looked closely, his already gloomy expression became even more unpleasant.

"Bishop Evanrus, we've come to see you off on your journey!"

From a great distance, Bishop Ural of the Church of Ares was waving loudly towards the sailboat. To an uninformed person, his expression might lead them to believe that he and Evanrus were very close friends.

Behind Ural, representatives from all the sects that had joined the Health Bureau were present. Even Lud, who was unwell, braved the biting sea wind and came specially to see Evanrus off, supported by his disciples. At first glance, the scene was quite grand!

However, Evanrus knew that none of these people had good intentions. He had been framed in Oyster Harbor, and the mastermind behind it was almost certainly among these people.

Soon, a group of people arrived at the sailboat. Evanrus deliberately did not disembark to greet them, but instead stood on the high deck, looking down at them with a cold expression. Although this did not help his current situation, at least he did not lose face.

Evan Ruth, his face tense, spoke in a cold tone.

"Gentlemen, I am on my way back to the capital to report on my duties. I appreciate your kindness, but it is windy by the sea, so please return."

"Haha, you're being too polite! We've all fought side by side before, and if your followers don't send us off, we can't refuse!"

"..."

It must be said that Urals is indeed adept at being sarcastic and unpredictable. Even Russ, a bishop, left his diocese and not a single one of the tens of thousands of believers came to see him off. This shows just how bad his reputation is in Oyster Harbor!

"Damn it! I'll remember you all, you bunch of bastards! Just you wait! I'll come back one day to take my revenge on you!"

Silently memorizing everyone present, Evanrus swore an oath in his heart. Then he saw Ludwig coughing incessantly in the crowd, and his previously gloomy mood improved slightly.

Although he lost this battle, he was still young, and as long as he could overcome this difficulty, he would have a chance to make a comeback in the future. On the other hand, Ludwig, who seemed to have won a great victory, also paid a very heavy price.

Evanrus knew that the old man's health was probably worse than outsiders suspected; it was said that even divine magic was ineffective. This meant his problem wasn't due to overwork, but rather that his time was running out. Unless a god intervened personally, no one could save him!

Thinking of this, a dark sense of pleasure welled up in Evanrus's heart.

"Just wait! When I return to slaughter you, I may not be able to take revenge on you personally, but I can certainly seek out your beautiful female disciples..."

After taking one last look at the crowd on the shore, Evanrus turned and returned to his cabin. His departure was extremely quiet. Apart from his rivals and colleagues who came specifically to see him make a fool of himself, there were only hired laborers to move things on the dock. Not only were the local believers absent, but even the lord did not show up.

For a bishop to have fallen to this state is a complete failure!

Soon, the cargo on the sailboat was loaded, and after consulting with Evanrus, the captain raised the sails and slowly sailed away from the port.

Most of the people on the shore wore smiles, making no attempt to hide their joy.

"Finally, we're out of here! The air in the city suddenly smells sweeter. Gentlemen, how about having dinner at my place tonight? I've had the cook prepare a whole miniature pig; let's have roast meat together!"

The priests from various sects chatted and laughed in small groups. Because of their common enemy, Evanrus, they had cooperated well for the past month and a half, and the honeymoon period was not yet over, so they naturally got along well.

Just then, a violent coughing fit interrupted the conversation. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ludwig hunched over, coughing so hard he could barely stand.

Seeing this, everyone rushed to surround him, offering words of comfort and concern. Several even used their precious divine arts to alleviate Lud's symptoms. Regardless of their true feelings, everyone present showed genuine care and concern.

"Master, it's windy at the beach, you should go back and rest!"

"It's alright, it's alright... cough cough..."

With the help of his disciple Aina, Lud was put into a carriage and returned to his lodgings to rest.

However, his previous sickly demeanor vanished the moment the car door closed. Kumirard, sitting opposite him, observed his rather amusing reaction with great interest.

"Honestly, it's a shame that someone with your talent isn't acting."

"It's different. I'm actually very shy. If I were to go on stage and perform in public, I would definitely get stage fright."

"...Alright! I can roughly guess what you're planning to do next. But what I'm more curious about is, are you really going to let Evanrus go like this? He was defeated by you this time, and he'll definitely hold a grudge. When he comes back in the future, he'll bring more of the Four Seasons Cult's power to take revenge on you. How do you plan to deal with that then?"

“I’ll correct you on two points, Miss Kumirard. First, Evanlus was not defeated by me, don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of terrible mastermind. Second… I have no intention of letting that damned fat bastard get away with it.”

End of this chapter

Having been in Oyster Harbor for almost two months, Lude has gathered a great deal of information about Evanrus from various sources and has gained a fairly complete understanding of what this man has done over the past three years.

It's no exaggeration to say that this guy is a complete charlatan, a scoundrel who has done absolutely nothing but evil. There's practically no clean spot on him from head to toe. If this were on Earth, the judge would take five minutes just to state the charges, and execution would require borrowing a 155mm gun from the military!

Therefore, Ludwig felt no qualms about eliminating such a villain disguised as a bishop.

Meanwhile, the Nesbott, after leaving Oyster Harbor, headed south along the coastline. Because it was sailing against the wind and had to take a zigzag route, its speed was not very fast.

The first two days after leaving port went smoothly, with calm seas and the sailboat sailing in shallow waters no more than 30 kilometers from the shore. This area was relatively safe, with nothing noteworthy except for the occasional small boat suspected of being pirates lurking nearby.

Evanrus had been rather bored these past few days. Although he didn't get seasick, he suffered from claustrophobia and vehemently disliked cramped cabins. So, aside from "educating" his disciple Iria in the cabin, he spent his days idly strolling on the deck.

On the morning of the third day of their voyage, the Nesbert encountered a thick fog. The dense fog was so thick that visibility was almost zero. The sailors, standing in the middle of the deck, could not even see the entire sailboat below.

With visibility so low and the ship navigating in shallow near-shore waters, the captain was worried about the risk of running aground, so he urgently woke up all the resting sailors and passengers. Evanlus was also teased and came to the deck in a huff.

"Captain, what happened?"

"Your Excellency, I apologize for disturbing your rest, but it's foggy. In this kind of weather, it's easy to run into the rocks, so I'm directing the ships to move into deeper water. I'm calling everyone up just in case."

"in case?"

"Yes, it's always better to be cautious than to be careless..."

The captain was patiently trying to explain to Evanlus when a bell suddenly rang from the bow, indicating that the sailors on guard in that direction had discovered something unusual and alerting the crew.

"There are rocks directly ahead, but to the left... wait! That thing moved!"

The sailors at the bow gasped in alarm. The captain and Evanlus were astonished to see many twisted, thick, dark shadows rapidly approaching them through the thick white fog. Some sailors shouted "Kraken," a general term for giant octopus-like sea monsters.

But the experienced captain quickly realized something was wrong. He had spent most of his life at sea, had seen many sea monsters, and had even fought with them, so he had relatively rich experience in dealing with them.

Krakens generally inhabit deep seas; shallow waters less than twenty meters deep are unsuitable for them. Only dead Krakens have their bodies washed ashore by ocean currents.

Even realizing something was wrong, the captain didn't have time to identify the sea monster. The creature in the fog rammed head-on into the sailboat and then coiled around its hull. The violent impact made it difficult for everyone on deck to stand, and some people near the gunwale were thrown out, screaming as they fell into the water.

Seeing several enormous tentacles flailing around him, Evanrus was terrified and forgot that he was a high-ranking priest of bishop rank. He didn't care about his image and tried to scramble back to the cabin on all fours. At this moment, fear made him overcome his resistance to the claustrophobic environment. He instinctively wanted to hide in a place where the monsters couldn't see him and he didn't have to face them directly.

Unfortunately, before Evanrus could climb to the cabin entrance, a huge tentacle fell from the sky and slammed heavily onto the deck, blocking Evanrus's path.

Upon closer inspection, Evanrus realized that the enormous tentacle before him, which even two people might not be able to encircle, was covered with bluish-black scales and seemed more like the torso of a snake, but it was larger than any snake Evanrus had ever known.

It was only then that Evanlus came to his senses; he was a priest capable of using divine magic.

"Holy Light Iron Wall!"

In order to survive, Evanrus immediately used a high-level divine spell, "Holy Light Iron Wall," which is an advanced version of the regular divine spell Holy Light Barrier. It has stronger defensive capabilities and a larger protective area, almost covering the entire sailboat, and can also inflict burning damage on targets that the user wishes to repel.

The moment the divine magic was unleashed, the enormous tentacles that had been binding the sailboat were all repelled, and a mournful wail echoed from within the thick fog.

Evanrus's move immediately saved the Nesbott from its predicament, boosting the morale of the sailors and knights. However, Evanrus himself was sweating profusely, because he could clearly sense that his actions had attracted the attention of the monsters. In the thick fog, more than one pair of eyes filled with murderous intent were staring intently at him.

This feeling of being the center of attention made a bizarre thought flash through Evanrus's mind—this monster came specifically to kill him!

"What are you waiting for! Run!"

While the Holy Light Iron Wall boasts formidable defensive power and a damage reflection effect, its duration is limited, lasting only a few hundred seconds, or one minute and forty seconds. As a bishop, Evanrus only has ten divine spell slots available daily, seven of which are low-to-mid-tier, and three are high-tier.

So, taking advantage of the monster's inability to get close, the sailors on the Nesbott adjusted the sails and rudder, quickly turned and fled, while untying the waterproof cloths from the heavy ballistae on both sides, preparing to fight back against the monster.

As a large sailing ship that Avenrus had paid a hefty price for, the Nesbott was equipped with eight heavy naval ballistae: three on each side, and one each at the bow and stern. In addition to regular two-inch-thick crossbow bolts, it also used incredibly powerful enchanted crossbow bolts, a trump card specifically prepared to deal with large sea monsters.

However, the price of this crossbow was as astonishing as its power, so the Nesbot only carried ten enchanted crossbow bolts and dared not use them easily.

To the sailors' surprise, after being repelled by the Holy Light Iron Wall, the monster was not enraged like an ordinary beast and rushed at them again without hesitation. Instead, it first created distance and then hid back in the thick fog, seemingly circling around them.

This caution and cunning demonstrate that it possesses considerable intelligence.

End of this chapter

In the thick fog, a tense standoff unfolded between humans and monsters. Although the sailors operating the ballistae couldn't see, the strange noises coming from the fog and the unusual ripples on the surrounding sea made it easy for them to guess that the monstrous thing was circling around them.

Since the number of powerful enchanted crossbow bolts was limited, the first round of loading for the eight crossbows on the deck consisted of ordinary steel-tipped arrows. They were testing the monster's defense with regular ammunition first.

The sailors surrounding the ballista were completely focused, watching intently for any movement in the thick fog.