Goddess Kaleidoscope

"Greetings! Travelers from afar. I am Lord's agent, Myrn. Welcome to our land."

“Mr. Maine, let me correct you on one point. We are not tourists; we are locals. My name is Rudd, and I am a priest of the Medicine God Cult in town. I was invited to Oyster Harbor to help the locals fight the plague. I know that my current appearance does not match the Rudd of legend, so on my way back, I specifically asked Viscount Maup and Earl Ramley for two letters of proof. The letters are here; you can take a closer look.”

As Lude spoke, he took out the letter and handed it to Dickas, who was standing to the side. The black dog quickly took it with both hands and then delivered it to Maine.

Maine took the letter, first checking the seal at the end to confirm it was genuine, before turning back to read the text. His initially arrogant expression grew increasingly serious as he read, his brows almost furrowing together.

"saint!?"

End of this chapter

Maine knew what a "saint" was, but precisely because he knew, when Ludd pulled out two hard-to-forge certificates and said he was one too, Maine suddenly felt his mind go blank.

His small eyes were filled with great confusion.

Anyone in this world who isn't a three-year-old or an idiot with congenital intellectual disabilities knows what "saint" means—it's a super honorary title that only a very few people who can make great achievements can obtain.

In Maien's memory, he had heard of no more than ten saints. He still remembered that more than ten years ago, he had the honor of attending the inauguration ceremony of the Holy Maiden of the Church of Light. Standing on the outermost edge of Sun Plaza, nearly a kilometer away, he paid homage to the previous generation of saints.

That was the closest he had ever come to a saint, given his status.

But I never imagined that more than ten years later, I would have the honor of meeting another saint face to face. We were less than five meters apart, and I was even standing three steps higher than him.

The two letters from the lords were most likely genuine, and based on the intelligence he had gathered, the Medicine God Cult did indeed have very good relations with the two powerful families in the neighboring north.

But Maien never expected that the legendary priest Rudd would actually rejuvenate and become a saint recognized by many. The fact that such an extraordinary figure would come to reside permanently in a remote northern town like Pine Town seriously violated his basic common sense, so his mind was in a state of confusion, and even his previously planned countermeasures became difficult to implement.

Maine and his party arrived in Pine Town only half a month ago. Of the more than one hundred people they brought with them, probably less than ten were truly loyal to the lord himself; the rest were all Maine's henchmen.

Therefore, this territory only nominally belonged to his three-year-old distant nephew, while he, as the governor authorized by the lord, held great power and no one could restrain him; everything was up to him.

Upon arriving in Pine Town, Maine was initially surprised by the town's prosperity. He had initially thought it was a desolate, impoverished backwater, but the reality was far better than he had anticipated. It boasted thousands of permanent residents, vast tracts of fertile land, and a well-established town situated at a crucial transportation hub. Maine knew with a grain of salt how much money could be made here!

The only problem is the local Medicine God Cult, which makes up over 90% of the local population. The cult also owns a large amount of farmland and real estate in the area, none of which belong to the lord.

Myne was very unhappy that such a big "parasite" was lurking in his territory, but the other party was, after all, a religious person, a privileged class that was fully capable of sitting on equal footing with nobles. Moreover, according to the intelligence he had gathered, this priest Lud had a wide network of connections and knew many big shots in the area. As a newcomer, he might not be able to defeat this guy.

So, Myne's initial thought was whether he could "befriend" this Master Lud and they could join forces to make money. It's not uncommon for local priests and rulers to collude and exploit the common people. And since Lud controlled so many businesses and was supposedly selling potions, he was certainly not a celibate individual.

Upon arriving in town, Myne first seized the tavern run by the former mayor's family in the name of the lord, using it as their lodging. Then, he sent his men to investigate house by house, first figuring out which properties in town belonged to the Church, leaving those untouched as a gesture of goodwill towards the Church of Medicine. He then issued a series of tax decrees, eager to start making money.

However, just three days after the order was issued, Ludwig returned with his men, now bearing the aura of a "saint," catching them completely off guard.

Although he was inwardly uneasy, Maine maintained the pride and composure of a nobleman. Although he didn't hold the title, as the baron's uncle, he was naturally connected to it.

"I have read the letter. I am very sorry, Master Lude. My subordinate was too dull to recognize you. Please allow me to apologize."

"Haha! It's nothing. Now that you've confirmed it, can my companions who are still waiting outside the town come in? Some of them are locals, and some of the dwarf brothers are from the Steelwhip Clan who came to support them. They've all been away from home for months and are eager to get back!"

"Uh... of course, that's no problem."

"Charlotte, send the signal."

"Alright, Master."

Upon hearing Ludwig call his name, Charlotte, who was already prepared, immediately pulled out a half-foot-long stick from her pocket and raised it above her head. Everyone present heard a "bang" and saw the stick shoot out a dazzling red light into the air, hovering high in mid-air.

Lude looked up at the color of the signal flare, then turned to look at Charlotte beside him.

Why did you fire a red one?

"I...I took the wrong one..."

A few minutes after the signal flare was launched, a cacophony of shouts and battle cries came from the south of the town, growing louder as it approached. Lude gestured for Charlotte to quickly stop his hot-tempered brethren, while he looked at the bewildered Maine with an awkward, impolite smile.

"Um... that kid made a mistake. He should have fired a green flare to signal that he was safe, but he accidentally fired a red one indicating an attack. Don't worry, Charlotte has already stopped him. It's alright, it's alright."

"..."xN

As soon as Lud finished speaking, the shouts of battle behind him subsided, and soon Charlotte led a large, dark mass of dwarves over. Maine stared at his beloved soldiers, armed to the teeth, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

It's important to know that dwarves are recognized as the strongest heavy infantry in the world. Adult dwarves are several times stronger than humans and can move with incredible speed while wearing a full set of heavy armor weighing over 100 kilograms and wielding a warhammer.

There were at least two hundred dwarves in front of them. Although none of them wore armor, each of them carried a huge warhammer. If this were to really start a fight, Maine's gang of thugs would be smashed into mincemeat in no time.

What does Lud mean? Is he trying to provoke me?

Myne's expression shifted between light and shadow for a moment; he was somewhat skeptical of Ludd's earlier claim of a "mistake." It seemed deliberately orchestrated, a display of force by the local bully.

It's amazing that he can still put on an innocent look. His shrewdness is really not like that of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy. The person inside that skin is definitely a shrewd and ruthless old fox!

End of this chapter

In Maine's eyes, Lud must be secretly chuckling to himself, feeling smug about his successful use of force to intimidate Lud.

In reality, although Luther did have a bad impression of him, what happened just now was indeed a slip of the hand caused by Charlotte, and it was not a premeditated act.

However, it was too late for explanations at this point. After exchanging a few polite words, Rudd took his leave and returned to the temple, promising to visit again in a few days. Charlotte, on the other hand, stayed in town with the dwarves for the night and set off home early the next morning.

Returning to the temple after many days' absence, Lud immediately gave "Aina" a wink, without even taking a break, signaling her to fetch Mayor Rom. The snake girl understood instantly, turning and heading to the basement to meet Aina, who had returned earlier, and complete the handover of identities.

Soon, the real Aina summoned old Rom. Upon meeting, Rom was surprised by Lud's rejuvenation, while Lud noticed that the other looked very depressed when he came in, as if he had encountered a lot of troubles.

"Master, you're finally back!"

"What's the situation in town now? What did Maine and his gang do? I need to know the details."

Seeing that Lud was asking him about the situation, old Rom poured out his grievances with a wronged expression, accusing Maine and his gang of atrocities.

This group of people arrived in Pine Town half a month ago. They gathered the townspeople and read out the king's decree of investiture to them, declaring themselves lords and taking over everything.

Myne first removed Rom from his position as mayor, seized his family's inn as their residence, then disbanded the militia, confiscated their weapons, and only a small number of members were absorbed into the lord's guard.

Although these measures were unacceptable to some villagers, the authority of the nobles was deeply ingrained in their hearts, and the villagers dared not speak out against the rulers.

After the police force was disbanded, the lord took over the town's security with his own men, but the villagers soon discovered that these so-called "lord's soldiers" were themselves the most serious disruptors of public order.

The self-defense force is composed of local militia selected from able-bodied young men. Regardless of their combat effectiveness, at least they won't harm the villagers.

But these outsiders were different. They were as arrogant and unreasonable as thugs, stealing, robbing, drinking, fighting, and harassing women. They had no military discipline whatsoever, and the townspeople had a very bad impression of them.

Especially Monk, who called himself the captain of the guard. This huge man, as big as a cannibal, ran rampant in the town without any scruples. He rode his horse wildly through the streets and beat up the townspeople who dared to disobey him.

Seemingly to establish his authority, this guy deliberately caused trouble for Ron, the former leader of the self-defense force. He gathered a group of henchmen and beat Ron and several other former self-defense force members in the street, almost resulting in a death.

If it weren't for Shanis, who stayed behind, arriving at the scene in time and saving the seriously injured villager with a miracle drug, several new tombstones would have been added to the cemetery outside the town!

Just three days ago, Consul Myne suddenly issued a tax decree, levying seventeen different taxes in one go, with a deadline of one month for payment. Some people who were good at math roughly calculated that, on average, each household would have to pay thirty silver coins, and those who couldn't pay would have to use their land as compensation.

For ordinary people, this is no small amount.

Myne's true purpose was clearly to take away the land that these settlers had cultivated over the past five years, turning them from independent farmers into tenants employed by the lord.

After listening to Rom's account, Lud thought to himself that it was indeed "amazing" that this group of people had wreaked havoc on the town in just half a month.

Because the inn run by old Rom's family was forcibly requisitioned, his wife and daughter-in-law were also forced to stay and cook and do laundry. As a result, the old man was able to learn some things about the lord himself, which Lud just wanted to know.

Have you met the lord in person?

"I've seen him. He's a three-year-old kid, not even as tall as a table! He only showed up once on the first day. After that, it was that Myne who was in charge."

"What about the lord's family? Surely it's not just that Maine?"

"No, the lord has an older sister, and the old lady is still alive, but she seems to have suffered a great shock and is not in good mental condition. She has been resting in bed."

"Besides that, are there any servants loyal to the lord?"

"Uh...yes! But there are only a few, and they are all disabled people missing limbs."

"Disabled person?"

Upon hearing Rom mention the disabled, Lud suddenly recalled the story he had heard about the old Knight Kirk. Of the ten soldiers he led, three survived, but all were wounded in battle.

If nothing unexpected happens, these disabled people should be Old Kirk's surviving subordinates, who also came to Pine Town.

We have a pretty good understanding of the situation. The current Baron Cork is young, and his distant relative, Myne, has taken advantage of his vulnerability, using the pretense of taking care of him to usurp his place and lead a group of his men to bully the orphan and widow.

King Durand was quite careless; he merely bestowed a title without mentioning sending anyone to oversee the process, fully demonstrating the unreliability of feudal society!

Of course, despite the complaints, Lude couldn't just sit idly by and watch Maine and his gang do whatever they wanted in his "lone wolf" spot.

“Old buddy, could you please spread the word in town tomorrow that I, Lu De, am back and will be holding a sermon the day after tomorrow? Let’s calm the villagers down first, and I’ll take care of it.”

"Okay! I'm relieved to hear that."

After returning and resting briefly, Ludwig announced his return to the townspeople with a long-awaited sermon, while also showcasing his new image.

Since the temple has never been expanded and cannot accommodate several thousand townspeople, the sermon is still held in the town square. Thanks to the word-of-mouth efforts of the old Rom family, almost the entire town came on the day of the sermon, and even farm work was put aside.

Such a large-scale operation naturally alarmed Maine and his group.

Maine naturally assumed that this was also Ludd's demonstration, intended to show his control over Pine Town. Although he was seething with hatred, he still took his son and a bunch of henchmen to support Master Ludd.

"Dad, this guy is way too arrogant!"

"Shh~ Keep your voice down! These charlatans are no easy opponents. You idiot, stop thinking about fighting and killing. Learn from your father, use your brain first!"

He glared at his son and thought to himself that besides being big, the kid's brain seemed to be full of muscle. He always thought he could solve all problems with brute force and only made things more complicated for him.

As the father and son were whispering to each other, Lud walked up to the high platform. When the townspeople saw the young priest, they cheered like a landslide and a tsunami, as if it were a large-scale star-chasing event.

"My fellow villagers of Songshu Town, I've missed you all so much..."

End of this chapter

Although it was called a sermon, Lude organized it more like a work report, mainly summarizing the nearly three months of anti-epidemic operations in Oyster Harbor.

Although the plague outbreak mainly occurred in Oyster Harbor, it has had a significant impact on the lords throughout the northern parts of the kingdom.

Ludwig then extended an invitation, stating that his Brewster College would offer a specialized course in epidemic prevention and control, welcoming doctors from all over to study there.

Viscount Maup of Oyster Harbor was the first lord to join, followed by Earl Ramley, who planned to select fifty young medical apprentices from his territory to study in Pine Town. Without Lud even mentioning tuition, the Earl generously gifted them a thousand gold coins.

With these two taking the lead, it is believed that as the news spreads, other lords will also choose to send people over to learn, which will help to quickly enhance the school's reputation.

At the sermon, thousands of people listened attentively and with great interest. This was because Luther was not just giving a dry report, but rather telling a wonderful and interesting story. His words were quite witty and humorous, and the content was full of practical information, which made him very attractive.