Goddess Kaleidoscope

In comparison, the Medicine God Cult is smaller and easier to control, and it also has the ability to make money by producing medicine. The Duke thought to himself that if he could invite Lud to his territory, it would definitely be much more convenient to buy medicine from him in the future.

Led by Rudd, the group quickly arrived at the temple entrance.

The temple, which was just upgraded and renovated last month, is no longer the old, dilapidated, and shabby place it used to be. It has been completely renovated inside and out according to Lud's requirements. Although it is not luxurious, it is very beautiful.

The renovated temple's exterior was to some extent inspired by Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, creating a simplified, smaller version.

Although Luther had never actually visited France in his previous life, that didn't stop him from being very familiar with Notre Dame Cathedral. After all, he had climbed up and down it so many times that he knew it inside and out.

The Duke stood before the temple for a moment, admiring its exquisite appearance. Upon learning that the designer was none other than Rudd himself, he was even more astonished by Rudd's erudition.

It should be noted that over the past year, as Lud's reputation has grown, Duke Gamelin has privately sent people to investigate him quite a few times.

Through this compiled intelligence, the Duke was amazed by the breadth of Lud's knowledge, feeling that this person seemed to know everything, and not just a little bit.

In the Duke's extensive social circle, the last time he had met such a learned and wise man was during a visit to the capital, when he had a pleasant conversation with the renowned astrologer. The Duke had once considered hiring this man as a senior advisor in his territory, but unfortunately, a few years ago, this man had run into trouble in the capital. It was said that he had been beheaded by the Sun Knights of the Holy Light Church for engaging in the worship of an evil god in private, which the Duke privately regretted.

“Master, with your unparalleled talent, if you were in the capital, I believe His Majesty would be willing to hire you as the Imperial Advisor.”

"Haha! Your Grace, you flatter me."

While Lud was quite pleased with the Duke's flattery, he also vaguely guessed that the old man probably wanted to recruit him as well. Earl Ramley and Viscount Maup had both expressed similar intentions, but he had politely declined them all.

Just kidding! Aren't you happy being your own boss? Why be a wage earner?

The group entered the temple together. On the circular platform behind the lectern in the main hall, five exquisite statues of goddesses caught the Duke's attention. Compared to the traditional statues of other sects, the "god statues" made by Lud's own hands were unparalleled in their exquisite craftsmanship.

As a seasoned lecher, Duke Gamelin naturally understood the "wonder" of these statues at a glance.

"As expected of a goddess! How could any mortal woman possess such flawless beauty? I've heard that the master's good deeds in Oyster Harbor triggered miracles, causing many goddesses to descend to the mortal realm. Not only did they resurrect the master, but they also restored him to his youthful appearance. It's truly admirable and enviable!"

At this moment, Aina and Hydra, who had heard that Ludwig had returned, came to the hall. Duke Gamelin, who was chatting and laughing with Ludwig, was immediately attracted by the two young nuns who were youthful and beautiful but had hot figures.

Although Aina's appearance is affected by divine magic, preventing ordinary people from recognizing her identical resemblance to a goddess, she is still considered a beautiful young woman. As for Hydra, as the physical embodiment of Lord Lu's fantasies, she is equally irresistibly attractive to most men.

Noticing that the duke, whose reputation was always associated with indiscretion, was staring intently at his two female apprentices, Ludwig coughed lightly twice, somewhat annoyed, to remind him to watch his behavior.

"Your Grace, where were we just now?"

"Uh... Oh! Worldly desires, yes, desires!"

Realizing he had just begun to feel a stirring of desire, the Duke immediately gave an awkward yet polite smile, vaguely brushing it off. However, as a seasoned lecher who had once slept with a missing playboy in his youth, the Duke keenly sensed a slight displeasure from Lud's attitude towards him.

This made him subconsciously glance back and forth between Luther and the two young and beautiful nuns for a moment, as if he had discovered something.

End of this chapter

As a member of the highest nobility, Duke Gamelin was naturally well-informed and knew many inside stories that ordinary people were unaware of. He was well aware of the despicable nature that seemingly clean and holy religious figures might possess behind the scenes.

So even though he didn't think that Ludwig, who held the title of saint, would be as hypocritical as the other virtuous men he had encountered, he also didn't really believe that this guy was otherworldly and had no "worldly desires".

It's important to know that most religions in this world don't prohibit marriage, and it's not uncommon for monks and nuns to have children. He's even seen archbishops with harems, and they've exchanged tips on picking up women, so what kind of situation hasn't he seen?

Therefore, the Duke, "judging others by his own standards," thought that since Rudd had now regained the body of a young man, certain desires would surely rekindle. He wouldn't say he would completely return to the restless state of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old who would react to even the sight of a bare leg, but he certainly wouldn't be completely undisturbed.

According to the information the Duke possessed, Master Lud's close disciples all seemed to be beautiful young women, which was quite intriguing.

Since he was determined to win over Lud, he certainly couldn't do anything that would anger the other party. The Duke believed he had no shortage of women. With his handsome appearance, which was one-quarter elven, plus his status and wealth as a duke, he could easily have plenty of women throwing themselves at him with a snap of his fingers. There was no need to leave a bad impression on Lud over something like this.

On the other side, Lud was unaware of what the Duke was thinking. The Duke's staring expression at Aina and Hydra earlier had made him quite unhappy, but fortunately, he quickly composed himself.

The brief incident did not have a significant impact. Apart from saying "Master, you are blessed" to Rudd with a hint of deeper meaning, the Duke did not glance at the two nuns again. Instead, he focused on discussing theological topics with Rudd and even donated five hundred gold coins to the temple on the spot.

That night, Lady Srina hosted a banquet for Duke Gamelin and his son, and Ludwig was also invited to join them and ate a meal as well.

It is worth mentioning that the head chef for this banquet was a senior student from the culinary department who was temporarily transferred from the academy.

The baron's original cooks, all of whom were Maien's subordinates, had been dismissed by the old lady. The only ones left who could cook were the old lady herself and an elderly maid. The two of them were only good at some home-style dishes, which were obviously not up to par to entertain a duke.

So Lude once again came to the rescue at a crucial moment, recommending a "professional chef" trained by his school to serve the Duke and his son a table of hearty dishes with the "local characteristics" of Pine Town, which the two praised highly!

"The dishes were truly impressive, especially the boiled fish. I've never tasted anything so impactful yet so irresistible. I've heard that Pine Town has cultivated spices that can be grown in the north. I wonder if it's possible to introduce them to Hanler (the ducal capital) for cultivation?"

"Your Grace, you'll probably have to ask Master Lud for that. The improvement of spice crops is the result of his research, and they're currently being grown on land owned by the temple. I can't very well give someone else's stuff as a gift, can I?"

In front of the Duke, the old lady used Lud as a shield, saying that spice cultivation is now the mainstay of Pine Town's agriculture. In fact, it's not just Lud's land that's being cultivated; other farmers can also buy seeds from the temple, as well as the magical fertilizers necessary for cultivation.

It's important to understand that in this world, while spices weren't as valuable as their weight in gold in medieval Europe, they were undoubtedly a luxury item.

Especially when tropical spices are transported to the north, their prices can often increase several times over. So when the outside world learned that Lud had cultivated tropical spice crops in Pine Town that could adapt to the harsh northern climate, it immediately attracted covetous eyes from all sides.

Given the enormous profits of this industry, Lude knew very well that if he tried to monopolize it, the pack of hungry wolves outside would surely tear him apart. So, while fiercely defending the planting monopoly, Lude handed over the distribution rights for the spices, so that everyone could make money together, and naturally they would be good brothers again.

In light of this, Duke Gamelin's words were clearly a test, and the old lady knew that the baronial family she represented had no confidence to refuse a powerful northern family like Duke Gamelin, so she pulled Lud to help her take the blame, and invited him to come and keep her company for this reason.

It could be said that, without realizing it, the Baron's family had come to regard the kind-hearted Master Lu as their greatest support as an orphan and widow.

Without explicitly refusing the Duke's request, Ludwig ate his food while recounting the ins and outs of his crop cultivation journey and achievements. What appeared to be a demonstration was actually an attempt to show the Duke just how difficult it was to grow tropical crops in the frigid north.

Finally, he listed all his partners who were now getting a share of the spice business, including royal nobles like Earl Ramley and Viscount Maup, as well as major international religions like the Cult of War and the Church of Light. Of course, Duke Gamelin himself was among them, but now he wanted to take it a step further.

Having said all that, Duke Gamelin naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind Ludwig's words. What appeared to be a pleasant banquet had actually been the subject of a power struggle. The Duke, seemingly unperturbed, knew that Ludwig was unwilling to back down, and that forcing the issue would surely incur the wrath of the crowd. So, he changed the subject, bringing up another topic—the "love rumors" surrounding his son, Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who was drinking sweet soup, almost choked when his father brought it up without warning.

"Cough cough... Father... those rumors are not..."

"Oh! It's about your son and Miss Shaluo, isn't it? I do know about it. They were watching a play together here last year!"

"!!!"

Without giving Rodriguez any chance to defend himself, Ludd immediately delivered a highly misleading statement. The Duke's eyes lit up, and the old lady gave him an expression that said, "If you're going to talk about this, I'm not sleepy anymore."

Since the huge success of "Romeo and Juliet" last year, the play has not only achieved great success, but has also sparked a heated debate among many theatergoers about whether the plot itself has a real-life prototype.

Especially in the Duchy of Gamelin and the County of Ramli, the people of both places were very familiar with the feuds and grudges between their respective lords, so they subconsciously made connections and were pleasantly surprised to find that many things seemed to match up.

The young, handsome, and highly skilled Rodriguez naturally became the real-life Romeo, and was paired with Miss Sara, who, apart from not matching the actor's bust size, was otherwise acceptable.

End of this chapter

The feud between the Gammelin and Ramli families has a long history. As two of the most powerful noble families in the northern part of the kingdom, they have been embroiled in disputes for decades. Apart from the absence of large-scale lord wars, there have been frequent minor conflicts in private.

However, in reality, the two sides only have conflicts of interest, not any real blood feud. Therefore, what is lacking for mediation is only an opportunity and a mediator whose words can convince both sides.

Originally, the ideal candidate for this intermediary was King Durand. As the supreme leader of the kingdom and the overlord to whom all the feudal nobles were loyal, if he had really taken the initiative to step forward and say, "Stop fighting," the two lords would certainly have been willing to sit down and have a proper talk.

In reality, however, the past three kings chose to ignore this conflict between the two powerful northern clans. They would only intervene to give a warning if the two sides showed signs of a serious fight; otherwise, they would simply pretend to be bystanders. Without a suitable mediator, and with neither side willing to yield, the relationship naturally remained deadlocked.

However, things didn't go as planned. The huge success of the play "Romeo and Juliet" and the exposure of Rodriguez and Salo's "secret relationship" finally gave the two families an opportunity to reconcile.

An unexpected but feasible path was laid out before the two lords: a marriage alliance!

The Duke himself was positive about the matter and very happy to see it happen. Besides having already intended to go along with it, he also thought that if his son really married his old rival's daughter, although the impact wouldn't be huge, his family would definitely not lose out.

As for the mediator, Ludwig is just the right person!

After listening to the Duke's story, Ludwig pondered for a moment and then asked a question.

"Your Grace, I have always supported free love between young men and women, but... what will they say over there?"

Pointing south, Lude's meaning was clear: your two families are quietly planning a marriage alliance, what will the Duran royal family in the capital think?

The previous three kings turned a blind eye. Although they never explicitly stated their position, what they meant... those who know, know. Now, these two families suddenly want to reconcile and are even planning a marriage alliance. Is King Durand really happy to see this happen? And will he even give you a wedding gift?

In response to Ludwig's question, the Duke smiled and said...

"Master, you need not worry about that. Times have changed. The southwest has become increasingly unstable in recent years, and our old neighbor is stirring up trouble. Who knows what big moves they might make? It is precisely at times like these that His Majesty hopes that we nobles can unite sincerely. He will bless this marriage."

In what seemed like a casual remark, Duke Gamelin revealed a rather significant piece of news to Rudd.

To the southwest of the kingdom, there is only one entity that King Duran fears: the powerful Canary Empire.

In Ludd's view, this vast feudal empire, which had largely achieved centralized power, was superior to the Kingdom of Durand in every aspect, whether in politics, economy, military or culture.

However, what is criticized is that this world's most powerful nation has long practiced extreme forms of racism.

Domestically, the nation is divided into different classes, cruelly oppressing subhuman races and other non-Canary peoples. Any resistance is met with bloody slaughter, with no exceptions for genocide. Externally, the nation is constantly plundering and expanding, frequently finding pretexts to invade neighboring countries. Smaller ones are swallowed whole, while larger ones are gradually eroded, with no sign of satisfaction whatsoever.

It's important to understand that over a hundred years ago, the Empire and the Kingdom of Duran did not share an inch of territory. However, over the course of several generations, they became so close that only a few puppet states, which served as buffer zones, remained, existing only symbolically.

All signs now indicate that the Empire has set its greedy sights on the Kingdom of Duran. At this juncture, King Duran would much rather his nobles be united as one, and naturally, he would not interfere with the marriage alliance between the Gammelin and Ramli families.

Count Ramley is on his way, so it's not impossible for the two sides to sit down and have a good talk, which could lead to a wonderful story!

Two days later, the other team arrived as scheduled. Seeing his old rival's handsome, irritating face standing next to Lud and waving at him, Count Ramley couldn't help but curl his lip, then dismounted and walked forward with his daughter Sharo.

"Your Grace, how have you been?"

"Haha, thanks to Master Tolud, it's been hard all along."

"..."xN

Ludwig assumed the Duke's tasteless joke in public was an advertisement for his miracle drug and wisely pretended not to hear it, while Rodriguez turned his head away in obvious distress, his expression clearly embarrassed.

To be honest, the reason Rodriguez lived in the Tranquil Forest, where the elves lived, was because his great-grandmother, who was still alive, couldn't stand her grandson's philandering ways. So, to prevent her great-grandson from being led astray, she took Rodriguez away and raised him herself.

Thanks to her, Rodriguez did not become a playboy like his father, but instead became a model "Knight of Justice".

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the count and his entourage entered the town.

This was Earl Ramley's first visit to Pine Town. Previously, he had only learned about it from intelligence reports from his subordinates. Now, he was finally able to visit the town in person. Like the Duke who had visited a few days earlier, the Earl was amazed at how this once little-known village had risen to its current state in just a few years.

The Earl couldn't help but sigh. When King Durand conferred the title of Baron Cork, he probably had no idea about the actual situation in Pine Town. He probably thought it was just an ordinary border town with a population of a thousand or eight hundred and a thousand or two acres of newly reclaimed farmland, which was just right to be conferred as a baronship.

However, the reality is that the town's permanent population has exceeded 10,000, and the surrounding farmland, pastures, and orchards total more than 30,000 mu. Even many viscounts' or earls' fiefdoms within the kingdom are not as prosperous, and the area is still in a period of growth, growing at an astonishing rate.

In addition to hard indicators such as food and population, the local area also excels in soft power in religion, culture and economy, and is close to the fiefdom of the Steelwhip Clan, which allows it to hire a large number of dwarven craftsmen nearby.

If these conditions were applied to the Civilization series, it would be a super perfect settlement with all attributes, and it even comes with a "great man"!

The thought of missing out on such a wonderful place made the count, even if he wasn't a jealous person, feel a pang of envy.

End of this chapter

As the opening date of the food festival draws ever closer, the festive atmosphere in the town grows stronger, with people of all ages beaming with joy and happiness.