Goddess Kaleidoscope

"To be honest, I was surprised myself. Lately, I feel awkward whenever I look in the mirror."

"...Too powerful!"

As the number one fan of "Blood Hand Soul Breaker", Miss Sara was extremely excited. If her parents weren't present, the thing she wanted to do most right now was to spar with the young Blood Hand Master.

Sharo has always been one of the best among her peers, and apart from Rodriguez, who once defeated her, she has always longed for a worthy opponent!

If Lu De knew that this steel-plate young lady was itching to fight him, he would definitely pull out his Fire Kirin immediately and teach her what it means that "times have changed"!

The group stayed in the Earl's territory for a week. In addition to leading the work of local medical staff, Ludès also held two sermons.

Although it was called a sermon, Ludd deliberately organized public lectures, using religion as a pretext to openly promote scientific theories. People say it's a case of false advertising, but Ludd did the exact opposite.

Judging from the feedback, the evangelistic meetings were very effective. Everyone enjoyed listening to Ludd speak, finding it both interesting and novel. He encouraged people to actively seek knowledge and explore, because God loves humanity, just as parents love their children and hope they will be intelligent and clever, not ignorant fools or illiterate.

It sounded reasonable and high-sounding, making some of the heretics present want to refute it, but they couldn't find a suitable point of attack.

In short, during his week in Wolfhelm City, Rudd once again won over countless fans with his outstanding personal charm and profound knowledge. Without establishing a temple, he successfully infiltrated the heart of the Medicine God Cult's influence into the Earl's territory.

Some who were eager to visit even made up their minds to go to Pine Tree Town, where the Medicine God Cult was located!

The group set off again, returning to their hometown by land, with the count dispatching elites from his Silverwing Knights to escort them along the way.

The journey was neither too slow nor too slow, unlike the initial urgency when we were rushing to Oyster Harbor, so it took us two more days than when we set off.

Since some of the accompanying people came from Oyster Harbour, and most of them were there to study, Lud spent some time introducing the newcomers to the situation in Pine Town and the precautions to take, so that they could be mentally prepared and avoid any misunderstandings or troubles.

With reverence for the "Saint's birthplace," everyone followed Lud to the north and finally entered the territory of Pine Tree Town, where they saw the familiar mountains and rivers again.

However, before everyone could get excited for long, the team encountered an unexpected checkpoint at a mountain pass two or three kilometers away from the town.

The outpost was built against the mountain and located at the narrowest point of the mountain pass. It was clear that it had not been built for long and was quite crude, consisting of just two wooden fences at the front and back, guarded by seven or eight armed men who did not even have uniforms.

Upon seeing the large group of people approaching, the burly man leading the group jumped onto the wooden platform and shouted arrogantly at Lud.

"Halt! This is Baron Cork's territory. The entry tax is three copper coins per person. Who is the leader? Come out and pay!"

"Baron Kirk? Who's that?"

Hearing the big man's shouts, the group couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Some of the dwarf brothers, seeing that the people opposite them didn't seem like good people, pulled out their weapons.

Lud's reaction to these people was quite calm. He had heard the Earl mention the fact that Pine Town had been granted a fiefdom when he was a guest in the Earl's territory.

The new lord, Baron Cork, was not a long-established nobleman, but a newly risen one through military merit. Through his access to the Earl's intelligence network, Ludwig obtained a considerable amount of crucial information about this baron.

Like many newly risen nobles in the Kingdom of Duran, Baron Cork rose to prominence through border conflicts with the southern Canary Empire. While the two countries have never engaged in a major war over the years, minor skirmishes have been frequent.

In the southern part of the border region between the two countries, there lies the Principality of Norton, nestled in a narrow passage. Its terrain is mostly mountainous, and its land is barren and lacks mineral resources. This unfavorable geographical environment has led to a diverse and chaotic society, weakening the principality's control and resulting in a large number of bandits entrenched in the area.

Baron Kirk was originally a sergeant in the Kingdom's army, stationed with his troops on the border line adjacent to the Duchy of Norton.

One day, the Nortons from the other side of the border suddenly came to the Kingdom's army camp seeking help, saying that a group of bandits was trying to plunder their village. The Duchy's army was far away, while the Kingdom's army was much closer. The villagers had little sense of national identity, so they begged them for help.

But Baron Cork's troops didn't want to get involved, coldly refusing the other side's pleas for help. Of all the officers, only Cork couldn't bear to stand idly by, and moreover, the Kingdom of Durand and the Duchy of Norton had a mutual aid treaty; as knights of the kingdom, they couldn't stand by and watch someone die, whether out of morality or duty.

Norton's suggestion was immediately ridiculed by his superior, who said that since Norton wanted to interfere, he should go and protect the villagers himself. Kirk was only allowed to take ten soldiers to face a band of bandits who might number in the hundreds.

As it turned out, Kirk really went, taking only ten soldiers to protect Norton Village. With his wisdom and tenacity, he successfully defended the village from the siege of hundreds of bandits and even killed the bandit leader.

However, victory comes at a price. Although Kirk won the battle against the bandits with fewer troops, he also paid for it with his life. Seven of his ten soldiers were killed in action, three of whom were his own sons.

Knight Kirk's heroic act quickly spread throughout the border region and reached the ears of the king, who was inspecting the border at the time.

King Durand punished his incompetent superior and posthumously granted Knight Cork the title of hereditary baron, which was inherited by his last surviving son. The fiefdom he was given happened to be the area around Pinetown.

End of this chapter

Therefore, the current Baron Kirk is not the fierce man who fought against hundreds of bandits to protect the weak, but rather the last son of this fierce man in the world—a three-year-old child.

A child this young certainly can't manage a territory on his own; he'll definitely need an adult to assist him. Lud originally intended to wait until he got home to see how things were going, but he never expected to encounter such a scene at his doorstep.

Collecting transit taxes isn't inherently problematic; it's one of the most basic taxes in all feudal territories and falls under the category of "legitimate income." The problem is that these guys setting up the checkpoints to collect the money don't look like respectable people at all. They all look like thugs, like a bunch of street thugs collecting protection money outside an elementary school.

There's an old saying in this world that goes something like this: to understand a lord, you don't need to meet him in person; just observe the quality of his private army soldiers. And judging from the few noble families Lud has met so far, there's definitely some truth to that.

Earl Ramley and Duke Gamelin are both top-tier powerful families in the north of the kingdom. Their armies are not only well-equipped and well-trained, but also disciplined. Although Viscount Mape's territory is not as large as theirs, he has a large, professional army of over a thousand men, thanks to his wealth.

Lud glanced at the thugs who called themselves "the lord's private army," then gestured to his dwarf brothers not to make any rash moves before getting out of the carriage and walking forward.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen soldiers. I am Lud, a high priest of the Church of Medicine God. Since you claim to be soldiers under Baron Cork, you must have seen the temple in town, which is under my jurisdiction. According to the laws of the kingdom, my entourage and I are not required to pay transit tax when returning to our parish."

In front of a group of bandits, Ludwig invoked his privileges as a religious figure. The private soldiers exchanged glances, clearly aware of this rule, and then focused their attention on their leader, "Black Dog" Dickas, as if to say, "See what our leader has to say?"

Dickas, who was leading the group, was actually putting on a brave face, appearing calm and unmoved on the surface, but he was actually panicking inside. They had seen the caravan coming from afar and assumed it was a wealthy out-of-town merchant caravan, but when they stopped them, they realized it wasn't.

There were only eight of them on their side, while the other side had several hundred, many of whom were dwarf brothers who looked like they could fight. If a conflict broke out, they would be the ones who would be taken down in no time.

But at that moment, Dicas suddenly noticed a detail that made him feel something was off.

The young man across from me, dressed in a white robe and looking to be under twenty, just said that he was a priest of the Medicine God Cult in Pine Tree Town, and his name was Lu De.

Dickas had only been in Pine Town with the patriarch for half a month. When they first arrived, they were amazed that the town was more prosperous than they had imagined. They also quickly learned from the local townspeople that before the lord's arrival, the town had been under the control of a small sect called the Medicine God Cult.

This sect was somewhat well-known in the northern part of the kingdom, but Baron Cork and Dickas were both from the south and hadn't been there long, so they only had a vague idea of ​​the Medicine God Cult. Some of the rumors seemed exaggerated to them, clearly the work of bards trying to attract attention.

What is certain, however, is that this priest Lud of the Medicine God Cult must be a very shrewd and wealthy man. He owns nearly half of the land in Pine Town, and two-thirds of the villagers are tenants who have signed contracts with him. This seriously affects the Baron's tax revenue in his own fiefdom, so our side is not very fond of this "great philanthropist" mentioned by the villagers, and even somewhat hostile.

It's worth mentioning that this priest, Lord Lud, had led a large group of people to Oyster Harbor in the west more than two months ago, claiming that a plague had broken out there and a large number of priests were urgently needed for rescue. When the Baron's party arrived in Pine Town, this old man had not yet returned.

What made Dicas feel something was wrong was that the rumored priest Rudd was a white-bearded old man who was nearly seventy years old, and he was clearly not the same person as the one in front of him!

"Damn it! Could it be an imposter?"

Due to the lag in information dissemination, Decath and his henchmen were clearly unaware of the miracle that had occurred in Oyster Harbor two weeks prior. In fact, even if the news had reached them, it wouldn't necessarily be believed immediately, as there were simply too many wild and unfounded rumors. If everyone believed them, then a large portion of the charlatans in the entire Kingdom of Duran would be of royal blood.

However, despite his doubts, the huge numerical disparity between the two sides was a stark reality for Dickas, and the thug could only grit his teeth and try to reason with them!

"You say you're Rude? But I heard from the townspeople that Priest Rude was an old man... an old man, you don't look like him!"

“My child, I am indeed Lud. For some complicated reasons, I have been rejuvenated and look like this. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. I expected this to happen, so I have letters of proof from Earl Ramley and Viscount Maup.”

As Lud thought to himself, just as he had predicted, one of the prices for becoming younger was being able to prove he was himself. So, on his way back, he obtained a letter of proof from two lords he knew. The letter was signed by the lords themselves and bore a seal with magical runes. This special seal involved a very advanced enchanting technique, making it very difficult to forge.

Dickas and his men looked at each other, realizing that with their limited intelligence and experience, it would be difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the object. After much thought, Dickas realized that he, a minor figure, could not make the decision on this matter and that he should go back and let Lord Maine, who was in charge, decide.

“Well… sir, I can’t make that decision, but you can come with me to see Grand Aide-de-Camp Myne. Whether I believe him or not is irrelevant, as long as he believes you are Rudd… Oh right! The people behind you must stay where they are. Just come with me.”

"No problem. Can I bring a few people with me? Don't worry, just a few. They're all old acquaintances from town. My face may have changed, but theirs hasn't. They can be my witnesses, right?"

"Yes, but don't exceed five."

Seeing that the gang leader in front of him was someone he could talk to, Lude smiled and didn't make things difficult for him. He called over Romian, Hume, the dwarf Charlotte, and two medical students from the town. With the five of them as witnesses, that would be enough. As for whether a conflict would break out, Lude thought the possibility was very low. Besides, if a fight really broke out, it was not certain who would be afraid of whom!

End of this chapter

With only five attendants, Ludger followed Dickas back to Pine Town, which they had left several months ago.

When they left, the snow in the town had not yet melted, but now when they returned, it was lush and green, and farmers could be seen working everywhere in the fields surrounding the town.

The group rode along the main road. At first, the farmers working in the fields only bowed symbolically when they saw Dicas leading the way. But soon some of them noticed that the people following behind were familiar faces, so they put down their farm work and ran up to him.

"Isn't this Sister Hugh and Romian? And Charlotte too! Why are you back first? Where's Master Luther?"

The villagers who gathered around warmly welcomed the returning group, and then asked about the situation of the others. After all, Lude had taken a full five hundred people out, and now only a few had returned, which was clearly far from enough.

Some people noticed Lude and couldn't help but wonder why this young man was wearing the master's robe.

As the villagers gathered around, Lude was about to speak when Dicas, who was walking in front, suddenly roared fiercely and brandished his riding whip, as if to lash out at the townspeople.

Seeing this, Lude raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air without saying a word. Dicas suddenly felt his arm firmly fixed in mid-air, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not fall down even a little bit. He was immediately horrified.

"Soldier, a riding whip is not for hitting people."

"you……"

Just then, a group of about twenty or thirty people suddenly rushed over from the nearby town. Some were on horseback, and some were on foot, but everyone was carrying gleaming swords. The knight at the head of the group was a burly man and the only one wearing full plate armor; he was clearly the leader.

"Halt! Who are you?"

A group of people quickly rushed forward. Lud released Dicas, whose face was filled with fear as he looked at him. Lud's display of power seemed insignificant, but such extraordinary strength was effortless; even if he wasn't a bishop, he was still a first-rate mage.

Dickas had been a mercenary in his younger days and had the privilege of witnessing these gods fight on the battlefield. Therefore, he understood the meaning of power far better than those ignorant lackeys. So he quickly stood between the two sides and hurriedly spoke to the approaching knights.

"Master Monk! Please calm down. This is Priest Lud of the Medicine God Cult in town. They just returned from out of town. I didn't recognize them, so I had the rest of the men wait outside. I was just about to take them to see Master Maine!"

Dicas deliberately emphasized the words "a large force" to remind the knight named Monk.

The other person glanced at him, then at the rather "diverse" group of Lud and his companions, and subconsciously scratched his helmet.

"Who did you just say this kid was?"

The unexpected incident caused quite a commotion, and Lud and his group finally returned to their base. The situation in the town was generally stable, but he noticed that the self-defense force that was originally responsible for maintaining order was gone, replaced by unfamiliar faces.

Although the pragmatic Dicas offered an explanation, the knight Monk remained skeptical. He and his men, in a semi-encircling manner, "escorted" Lud and the others to the Pine Nut Tavern in the town center.

This place originally belonged to the village chief Rom's family, but it seems to have been temporarily requisitioned by the new lord. There are now guards standing at the entrance, and a large banner embroidered with a "galloping horse" pattern is hung up, which should be the coat of arms of Baron Cork.

On the way back, Lud had already gleaned some information from Dickas. Just as he had previously speculated, the current Baron Cork was too young to manage his fiefdom, so the Baron's distant cousin, Maine, was acting as regent, and Monk was Maine's son. Dickas and the others were his men, whom the father and son had brought from their homeland.

When a young ruler ascends the throne, it is common practice among nobles to have a blood relative manage the territory on his behalf. In this world, where fourteen is considered adulthood, Lord Maine could manage the territory for at least eleven years.

The group dismounted at the entrance of the inn. They had already encountered many acquaintances on their way into the town, but Monk's men had viciously driven away all the townspeople who tried to approach.

Ludwig saw all of this and signaled Charlotte, who was gripping his warhammer tightly, not to make any rash moves.

At this moment, Monk also dismounted and walked over. This burly man, dressed in full plate armor, was nearly two meters tall. He deliberately stood in front of Ludwig, looking down arrogantly at Ludwig, who was a head shorter than him. At the same time, he glanced at the other entourage out of the corner of his eye, his gaze lingering on Hume and Romian.

"You're saying you're Lude? How come you're different from the rumors?"

"I'll explain this to everyone once we're all here. If I have to explain it to each and every one of them, I probably won't be able to do anything else today."

"Hmph! You'd better come up with a more interesting story."

After saying that, Monk strode into the house with an air of indifference, leaving Lud and the others at the muddy entrance.

Lude glanced down at the road. He had overseen the construction of the town's roads, which were paved with gravel and had drainage ditches on both sides, but now they were in a terrible state, clearly caused by someone riding horses recklessly through the town.

After waiting for a while, Monk came out of the house again, this time with a rather wealthy middle-aged man by his side. The man's clothes were obviously made of expensive fabrics, and although he didn't have a gleaming gold chain around his neck, his right hand, which he was deliberately resting his chin on, was covered with colorful gemstone rings, giving him the classic nouveau riche look.

After the middle-aged man came out, he stood on the clean steps, first looked Lude and the others over, and then spoke slowly and deliberately.