Goddess Kaleidoscope

After being comforted by Ludwig, Hume couldn't help but smile. If it had been a few years ago, and an eighteen-year-old boy had patted his chest and said that he would definitely help her make a comeback and break the curse that the god of war had placed on her, Hume would probably have taken it as an amusing joke.

However, Rudd was different. He was indeed a mortal, but he possessed wisdom and inexhaustible clever ideas that would make even the gods envious.

In just six months, he created the new god Aina from scratch, and then let Hume witness how he nurtured this new god to the point of being able to break through to the second level in less than two years.

If his talent were exposed, the gods would either fight tooth and nail to recruit him into their own sect, or they would spare no effort to completely annihilate this mortal, who has the ability to change the status quo and alter the existing rules, from body to soul!

Hume knew she wouldn't become the latter. Having lost most of her divine power, she and Fallen Leaf had traveled among humans for three hundred years, witnessing both the best and the worst. Unconsciously, she had also become somewhat "human," and could no longer treat these mortals as lowly ants as a high and mighty god.

Although he was grateful for Ludwig's comfort, Hume showed no appreciation on his face, stubbornly and arrogantly retorting.

"You brat, you're not even a fraction of my age, yet you talk big! You think you can handle my matter? Who do you think you are to me?!"

"Of course we're good friends! Does the beautiful and noble goddess look down on me, a mere mortal cricket who overestimates his abilities?"

"...Hahaha!" x2

He exaggeratedly made a heartbroken face, clutching his chest, and the two of them burst into laughter, completely dispelling the slightly somber atmosphere from before.

"You looked disgusting just now!"

"I may be laughing, but I am serious. I have some ideas about this matter. Give me a few days to prepare, and then I will take action."

"Actually, there's no need to rush. The Black Hand Brotherhood has been around for decades, and I'm still alive and well, without any problems. It's not like I'll just disappear without warning."

"Hey! Don't jump on the bandwagon!"

Lude hadn't paid much attention to Hume before, and always used her as a tool to be used. It wasn't that he didn't want to "get something for free" from Hume, but the right time hadn't come yet. He needed to first complete the construction of the Pantheon and the Cult of Medicine God as his base before he would have enough strength and confidence to help Hume.

But now the situation has changed. The existence of that fake God of Thieves from the Brotherhood of the Black Hand has threatened Hume's life. This is completely different from the God of War curse, which only seals divine power. It is an urgent task that must be resolved with the highest priority.

Soon, the two returned to the temple. Luo Ye, the old man who was squatting at the door playing the night watchman, saw them from afar. The thief god's envoy had natural night vision and superb eyesight, so even in the dead of night, he could clearly see the expressions on the two people's faces.

Fallen Leaf, who knew her master intimately, judged from Hume's micro-expressions that she was in a good mood.

"Has something good happened?"

After returning to the temple, Lud washed up and went to the study. He had some questions to ask the immortal god Kumirad, who never slept.

Interestingly, before Lud could even ask a question after entering the room, Kumirad gave his "answer" first.

"With your current strength, you absolutely cannot win a head-on confrontation with the Black Hand Brotherhood. That imposter is already a third-tier god, and frankly, she's far smarter than that idiot Hume."

"You know the Black Hand Brotherhood?"

"There aren't many things I don't know."

Kumirard smiled and took a sip of the ever-flowing, never-getting-cold cup of black tea on the table, naturally exuding an air of profound mystery.

"Since you already know, why did you just stand by and watch?"

“Boy, you’d better get this straight. While I may be considered Hume’s mother in a sense, I’m not his real biological mother. And that imposter is only temporary. Once she replaces the Hume you know, she’ll no longer be an imposter. Why would I help one daughter fight against another?”

"I think all your explanations are just an excuse for your desire to see a good show."

"Think what you want, but at least in this matter, I can only provide you with limited intelligence support. The rest is up to you."

End of this chapter

Kumirard's meaning was clear: this tax-evading god just wanted to have fun. So even though she may have discovered long ago that the Black Hand Brotherhood had a fake tax evader, she still chose to pretend she didn't know and continue to be a "well-mannered audience member" who didn't interfere with the performance on stage.

Whether this guy counts as an evil god or not, Lude doesn't know, but he's definitely a scoundrel!

Fortunately, Kumirad did not refuse to answer Lud's questions, providing him with a lot of important information that would otherwise have required considerable effort to gather.

The first question Lude asked was about the thief god of the Black Hand Brotherhood. Kumirard had mentioned earlier that this guy had already broken through to the third level of godhood, and the Black Hand Brotherhood, as his group of followers, had been established for no more than a hundred years.

This rate of growth is astonishing to the point of defying "common sense" for traditional deities, which makes Ludl think of a possibility that makes him vaguely uneasy.

"I wonder if that fake Thief God also has a primordial fire in his hand?"

"Oh! I knew it!"

"..."

Seeing that Kumirad indirectly acknowledged this speculation, Lud's expression immediately darkened. However, Kumirad told him not to worry too much. The fake Thief God did indeed have a primordial fire in his possession, but it was not like the ball in Lud's chest, which was the "new fire" that the old astrologer had brought out from the Earth's core four years ago.

Most gods and mortals in this world are unaware of the existence of the Primal Fire. The Earth's core is a forbidden zone for gods, where the flames of the gods are born, but only those blasphemers who do not acknowledge the gods in their hearts can touch it, which sounds incredibly ironic.

However, gods and believers cannot enter the Earth's core, and pure "blasphemers" are extremely rare. But the main body of the primordial fire is like an active volcano, occasionally spewing out sparks that drift down to the surface world.

These sparks that fall to the earth generally cannot exist on the surface for long and will soon be extinguished, but there are occasional exceptions.

Because Mars often triggers "miracles" at its landing sites, or even induces the birth of new gods, a few informed individuals will actively seek out these miracles, attempting to collect them before Mars dies out.

The fake thief had such a special container that preserved Mars.

The primordial fire within Lude's body was directly extracted from the Earth's core by the old astrologer. In terms of both quality and quantity, it far surpasses the Mars, which only has a trace of residual heat. Its efficiency in enhancing faith collection and its radius of influence are significantly stronger.

But the Brotherhood of the Black Hand has been operating for decades, with members spread across dozens of towns and cities, and the total number of members is conservatively estimated to be over 100,000, not including those informal members who may be affected.

Their initial advantage was undeniable; it was like letting a twenty-year-old general like Pan Feng catch a three-year-old Lü Bu. Even if you, the most powerful warrior of the Three Kingdoms, had the highest potential for growth, you couldn't possibly defeat an adult while still in toddlerhood.

So if Lud wants to win, he either has to endure hardship and bide his time for another ten years until he is strong enough before making his move, or he has to find another way to outsmart Lud.

Another question Ludwig has is about this false god of thievery herself: what exactly is she? Why did she want to steal Hume's divine position and identity?

This question made Kumirard pause for a moment before he explained.

“That child… should actually be considered a substitute for Hume.”

"Alternatives? What exactly are these alternatives?"

"I think you should know that during the War of the Gods, Hume chose the wrong side and was captured after infiltrating the Temple of Ares. Phicomm cut off her hands and cursed her, sealing away almost all of Hume's divine power. After her fall from grace, Hume went into hiding and did not respond to her followers for a long time. Some of her followers converted to other gods out of disappointment, but some fanatics, in their extreme desire for a response, brought about the birth of another Hume."

"Doesn't this sound a bit like... a backup plan?"

According to Kumirard, the false god of thievery was a substitute that Hume's fanatics conjured up during his time in hiding. This substitute was recognized because it responded to the believers' calls.

This is like "establishing a separate central authority," where a group of believers took the fake God of Thieves for real and even founded the Brotherhood of the Black Hand, which worships the fake.

On one side is the real Hume, who has been hiding for three hundred years due to the curse, while on the other side is Mars, who is growing rapidly with the help of the primordial fire.

If this trend continues, Hume will sooner or later utter that famous line from Huang Silang!

To be fair, these believers do have a pitiful side, but Ludwig cannot condone the path they chose after setting up their own sect.

Although the god of thieves symbolizes the evil of stealing, Hume's heart still desires to consider the side of justice. This is evident from the fact that she often carries fallen leaves to rob the rich and help the poor. Hume wanted to be a good god.

Meanwhile, the fake God of Thieves is actively embracing darkness, clearly wanting to become an evil god; the Black Hand Brotherhood is utterly wicked.

"If you want to make contact with the Black Hand Brotherhood, I suggest you head south to Flamewood City in the Empire. That kid's stronghold is there, but that's all I can tell you. How to find it is up to you."

After Kumirard finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued reading her book, making it clear that the questioning was over and she would not answer any more questions.

The next morning, Lu De woke up early, had breakfast, and set off for school after a long absence. Having been away for so many days, and then encountering a whole host of other problems upon his return, he, the principal, hadn't taught a class or made a public appearance at his school for quite some time.

In addition, today was also the day that Earl Ramley had agreed to send students over. Besides the fifty medical students that had been agreed upon at the beginning, the Earl also asked Lud for a catalog of the school's main training majors, and sent ten people for each of them. In the end, he managed to put together a large team of one hundred and fifty people.

The large student group arrived safely in Pine Town around noon, escorted by the Earl's Commander Knights, and led by the old acquaintance, Sharo. Ever since Ludl "regained" his youth, this female knight's eyes would light up whenever she saw him, showing an eager and restless excitement.

An unsuspecting passerby might think that the priest's youthful appearance was so handsome and charming that it had captured the heart of the Green Pepper Knight, but Lud knew that the priest was still thinking about fencing with him!

Lude greeted the group at the town gate and even brought a group of students to organize a welcoming ceremony. They stood on both sides of the street holding bouquets and shouted loudly, "Welcome new students!" The ceremony had a very Chinese flavor!

End of this chapter

When Lude's school was first established, he tried his best to emulate the model of the Celestial Empire that he was most familiar with. However, after the first year of operation, some townspeople complained to Lude that the two semesters each year fell right at the time of spring planting and autumn harvest, the two busiest farming seasons when manpower was most needed.

In response to these issues, Ludwig adjusted the start date of the school year, changing the winter and summer vacations to spring and autumn breaks, with two semesters starting in May and October each year, each lasting four months.

Parents applauded Ludwig's adjustments, while the students were collectively bewildered. The promised holiday break had turned into farm work, and to make matters worse, they'd have to write essays about their experiences when school started.

Therefore, in late June, just over a month into the first semester, international students from the Earl's territory are not facing an extended holiday as soon as they arrive at school.

The delegation from the Earl's territory received a warm welcome at the town gate. Among the welcoming party were teachers and students led by Principal Lu, local townspeople who came to watch the excitement, and the Baron's family who also came to show their support.

With the evil spirits no longer haunting her dreams, the old lady was able to get out of bed and move around the day after the exorcism, which was a good opportunity to go out and breathe some fresh air – a decent form of rehabilitation exercise.

Meanwhile, the students from the Earl's territory were observing the town with great interest. Although the town wasn't as grand as Wolfhelm City in the Earl's territory, the clean and tidy streets and the warm and energetic townspeople gave them a very good first impression of Pine Town.

The average age of these young apprentices was less than thirteen years old. Some were recruited from the local people of the earldom, while others were the sons of servants in the earldom. All of them were "good kids" with clean backgrounds.

Before coming to Pine Town, they all signed labor contracts with the Earl that essentially amounted to servitude. The Earl promised to provide them with tuition and all living expenses for three years in Pine Town, and they would return to serve the lord after completing their studies for a period of thirty years.

From an Earthling's perspective, this is clearly an unfair contract, but in this world, it is a golden opportunity that many people at the bottom of society would fight tooth and nail for, enough to change their fate!

This was an opportunity to serve the lord, much like a local official in the Middle Ages. The Ramli family was renowned for its benevolence; for three generations, they had been powerful and influential families who treated their people like their own children and governed effectively. As a result, the recruitment target was exceeded the very next day after the recruitment notice was issued.

However, before arriving in Pine Town, these children knew very little about this new town located on the northern border of the kingdom. They only knew that there was a cult of medicine here, and that they had sent out a saint who could reverse aging named Lud, who ran an academy called "Brewster".

Unlike the "academies" familiar to people from other worlds, Brewster Academy neither teaches magic to train mages nor imparts martial arts skills to train knights, nor is it like some famous monasteries where one can become a priest upon graduation.

Brewster College is a place that trains artisans, doctors, and craftsmen, all of which are considered lowly professions by most people. Therefore, it is far less prestigious than those renowned universities that produce outstanding individuals.

But just months earlier, Saint Rudd, along with the physicians he had trained, had made a name for themselves in Oyster Harbor during the plague outbreak, successfully quelling the epidemic and saving Oyster Harbor from destruction.

During the same period, several ports on the mainland also experienced large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases, resulting in heavy casualties and crippling the cities. Compared to these counterparts, Oyster Harbor, which survived, stood out remarkably brightly!

Faced with the bloody reality, lords in various regions were forced to begin to consider a serious question.

What should they do if the plague breaks out on their own land?

Against this backdrop, the lords in the north of the kingdom, being in a prime position, all planned to send people to Pine Tree Town to learn, and the status of doctors rose accordingly, suddenly becoming highly respected and sought-after.

Surrounded by many people, the Earl's student group walked through the clean streets and arrived at the academy located on the east side of the town.

The entire academy occupies about a quarter of the town's area, completely surrounded by a continuous wall. The teaching buildings inside were designed and built by Lud himself, with red bricks and green tiles, and bright, clean windows. The auditorium even uses rather luxurious marble, all of which are "gifts" left to Lud by the Cult of War, which Lud has made good use of.

I believe that Narad, now in the afterlife, will smile and give him the middle finger while offering a heartfelt "Fuck you!"

Aside from the teachers and students on campus, ordinary townspeople are not allowed to enter or leave freely on weekdays. There are militiamen from the self-defense force standing guard and patrolling at the entrance, and there are even "No noise" signs every few meters along the wall, all in order to create the most ideal learning environment for the students.

It's worth mentioning that when Maine and his gang first arrived in town, they actually intended to seize the school as their lord's mansion. However, when they discovered that the school was church property, and Maine didn't want to confront the Medicine God Cult head-on, they had no choice but to settle for second best and take over the inn owned by Mayor Rom.

The students from the Earl's territory never expected the school to be such a magnificent place, far superior to any other house in the town. Lud, who led them into the school, pointed to several buildings, indicating that those were their future student dormitories. All boarding students, regardless of their origin, would receive fair and uniform treatment, and their living conditions would be guaranteed.

The thought that the place they would be staying in for at least three years was better than they had imagined made them feel less homesick. They nodded at the dormitory building with great satisfaction.

"That's great! Living on campus is really nice!"