Goddess Kaleidoscope

End of this chapter

At the beginning of December, a heavy snow quietly arrived at night, announcing the official start of the annual winter closure season.

When Olivia woke up in the morning and pushed open the main door of her dormitory, she was stunned by the nearly one-meter-deep snow piled up before her. Coming from the south of the kingdom, this was the first time in her life she had ever seen such a vast expanse of white snow.

"This snow is so thick."

Good morning, Olivia! Let's build a snowman together!

Outside the door, Aina, who was playing in the snow, waved excitedly at Olivia. Lude, along with the others who had gotten up earlier, had cleared several passageways in the yard.

After shoveling the snow, everyone was in a playful mood and decided to build a large snowman from the pile of snow they had cleared. Lu De stood to the side, smiling as he watched his four beautiful female disciples frolic and play happily in the snow. The scene was much more pleasing to the eye than the snowy landscape itself.

Seeing Olivia's surprised expression, Ludwig smiled and said.

"You probably don't see this much snow in the south, do you?"

"I've never seen anything like it! All the snow in my hometown over the whole winter wouldn't even be half this thick, but... it doesn't feel bad."

"It's good that it's not bad. By the way, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Good news or bad news? Let's hear the bad news first!"

"The bad news is that due to the heavy snow last night, all classes will be suspended for the day."

"Really! This is definitely good... Wait, what's the good news?"

"The good news is that after careful consideration, in order to make up for the disappointment of the teachers and students who cannot attend classes, and to cultivate everyone's good character of being willing to contribute, it has been decided to organize all students aged eight and above to participate in voluntary snow removal. Olivia, you are included too. After breakfast, don't forget to bring a shovel when you go to school."

"..."

Having been in town for over a month, Olivia had long since come to realize that this teacher, who didn't look much older than her, didn't treat her like a noble lady at all, and sometimes didn't even treat her like a girl. So no matter how much the townspeople praised Lud for his great kindness, in Olivia's eyes, he was a devil incarnate! If it weren't for the delicious food here, Olivia would have already packed her bags and run away!

Fortunately, after more than a month, Olivia has adapted to her new life here and is surprisingly not feeling so bad.

Although Ludwig was despicable, he was at least more interesting than those old nuns in the monastery who always had a stern face, and the school was quite fun too.

She still remembered teaching archery to the younger students in PE class last month. She showed off her skills, which drew envious exclamations from nearly a hundred elementary school students present, greatly satisfying Olivia's self-esteem, which had been severely damaged by failing math.

However, sometimes when she calms down, Olivia can't help but miss home. The monasteries she had visited before were all within half a day's journey from her home castle, so she could go home every ten days or so.

But Pine Town is different. It is located at the northernmost tip of the kingdom, and it is two-thirds of the kingdom away from her hometown. A round trip is not as easy as it used to be.

Thinking of this, Olivia timidly asked Lude.

"Teacher, may I go home next spring?"

"What's wrong, missing home?"

"Hmph! How could that be? I... I was just worried my mother would be lonely."

"Actually, if you want to go home, you don't have to wait until next spring. I'll have Amy deliver goods south and give you a ride back too. Dragon Airlines, you can trust us!"

Two weeks ago, under Lude's persuasion, Amy signed a formal labor contract with the town. After completing three months of volunteer work, she will not leave but will settle down in the town.

Most of the town's residents neither supported nor opposed the dragon's arrival. On one hand, they still harbored fear of the dragon, but on the other hand, they had absolute faith in Master Lu's strength, so in the end, they were indifferent.

Merchants with local businesses were overjoyed. The dragon's superior carrying capacity and flying speed far surpassed those of carriages and ships, and it was unaffected by weather or geographical conditions. Although the freight was high, the speed was also much faster, giving it a significant advantage in transporting high-profit goods, such as the various divine medicines produced by the Temple of Medicine.

So ever since Dragon Airlines started operating, business has been booming. Especially now that the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, Amy is the only transportation unit that is not affected, and its order volume has even increased slightly compared to before.

It's worth mentioning that Nidhogg, who rushed off to find his wife more than two months ago, finally returned last week with Tawawa. The black dragon couple has returned to their usual affectionate relationship, and they are even visibly more inseparable than before.

And as soon as these two returned, they announced some big news: thanks to Nidhogg's tireless efforts, Tawawa is pregnant again!

They were completely out of touch for two whole months, and it turned out they were doing this. Luckily, Amy was out running errands at the time and didn't see the two of them fly back to show off their affection, otherwise she would have burst into tears on the spot.

Ludwig then extended an invitation to the couple, saying he wanted to hire them to work for Dragon Airlines with an annual salary of three thousand gold coins, and that meals, medical care, and free childcare would be provided. Nidhogg said they needed to think about it.

Ludlar recruited the Nidhoggs not only to develop the local logistics industry, but also to leverage their fighting prowess as external support in dealing with the Black Hand Brotherhood and the fake Thief God.

After all, this was their first time preparing to confront other gods head-on, so Lud had no choice but to be cautious. The more available combat power around him, the better, and it would be even better if he could create an overwhelming advantage.

Despite the current balance of power, Ludwig's side seems to have a certain advantage due to the superior number of gods. However, the Brotherhood of the Black Hand is not alone. Some of the letters found from Dorn mention their "allies," which are underground cults that worship other evil gods and seem to have been in contact with each other.

This added to Lud's worries, fearing that if they really fought the Black Hand Brotherhood, they would be the ones who ended up getting ganged up on.

Therefore, during this period, Lude was also preparing on two fronts simultaneously. On the one hand, he continued to temper Aina's will through dreams, while actively raising the faith of other goddesses. On the other hand, he also conducted "special training" on Trin, who had been turned against him, intending to have him return to the Black Hand Brotherhood as an undercover agent as a "necromancer" to dismantle the organization's power from within.

End of this chapter

Because of Lud's actions, Trin, the former eldest son of the Navarro family, has broken with his family and is determined to take revenge on his father for his own sake and for the sake of his deceased mother.

The other party is currently residing in the underground palace of the temple, receiving personal instruction from Lud on undercover skills and how to play the role of a necromancer.

As a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood of the Black Hand, the necromancer Dick enjoys considerable fame and prestige within the organization, and even has a group of fans. However, he usually acts very arrogantly and keeps a high profile, so naturally he has no friends he can talk to.

This kind of reclusive character, completely lacking in social circles, was the easiest to imitate in Ludd's eyes, posing virtually no challenge. Coincidentally, Dick's artifact mask was also in Ludd's possession, which would come in handy.

Dick mistakenly believed that Lud was an old necromancer, and in order to become his apprentice, he spared no expense and offered this artifact as a gift to become his apprentice.

This mask had been worn on the necromancer's face for over a decade; it was practically his trademark. Whenever Terin put it on, even just standing there without saying a word, he could intimidate many people.

To make Trin's fake necromancer act more convincing, Lude even called in Elaine and Lacey to play supporting roles and give Trin more screen time.

When the two undead ladies made their first appearance before Trin, the rich young master was taken aback. Although he had long felt that the priest Rude was not very serious, he never expected him to be this serious. The fact that the temple actually housed undead was a complete shock to him.

Lud didn't explain much, but deliberately maintained an air of mystery and enigma in front of the other party. The now-smart Trilling wisely played along, daring not to say or ask anything.

After more than a month of intensive training, Terlin made remarkable progress, and his demeanor, mannerisms, and voice were all imitated quite well.

Next, Ludwig planned to arrange a practical exercise for him, and asked Conna to take him to the nearby town of Unos.

That area has now degenerated into a smaller, sinful city, and the Black Hand Brotherhood also has a stronghold there. So Ludger sent Trinn, posing as a necromancer, to contact the members at the stronghold and spread the news that "the necromancer has found the artifact of the god of thieves."

On the day of the operation, Lud asked Shanis to accompany Trin to Unos Town to support him on his first mission.

Rudd hadn't been to this place for over two years. At that time, although the town of Unos was already showing some signs of decline, it was still outwardly bustling and prosperous. It was here that Rudd first met Hume and even helped her save Fallen Leaf from being hanged.

Two years later, Ludwig revisited the place and found it visibly desolate. The deserted streets were nearly empty, and many shops were closed, seemingly deserted.

The decline of Unos Town was caused by the spendthrift city lord couple and the rise of the neighboring Pine Town, but the decline should not have been so rapid, collapsing into this state in just over two years.

This is mainly because the city lord and his wife died more than half a year ago. Although these two spendthrift sons were troublemakers, their deaths caused a power vacuum in Unos Town, allowing the former captain of the guards to seize real power. As a result, this person became even more despicable and accelerated the collapse of order.

In the town of Unos, most of those who could leave have already left. The newly appointed captain of the guard only cares about lining his own pockets and doesn't care about the lives of the ordinary people below. The "new immigrants" who flooded in afterward were mostly ditch rats and insects drawn by the smell of decay, making the town even more filthy and chaotic.

Not long after the group arrived in town, they found the Black Hand Brotherhood's sign on a street corner, and Trin left a mark next to it to arrange a meeting.

Since the meeting was usually scheduled for the following afternoon, the group had to stay overnight. So, Lud went to the hotel they had stayed at before. The hotel was still there, but the owner was a different person. Behind the counter stood a burly man with a menacing face, eyeing Lud and his companions with ill intent.

"Boss, do you have a large room that can accommodate three people?"

"Oh! Three people? You're playing pretty big. A large suite is ten silver coins a night, no bargaining here. Take it or leave it!"

Hearing the other man's words, Lu De frowned. This big man not only had a foul mouth, but he also didn't seem like a legitimate businessman. Lu De wanted to go somewhere else, but after thinking for a moment, he slammed a gold coin on the table and then said in a feignedly generous manner.

"Then bring us a large suite, and get us some food, including wine and meat, and send us some decent stuff."

The moment the gleaming gold coins appeared, the previously nonchalant burly man's eyes widened instantly, revealing undisguised greed.

He glanced at Lud. Although his face was covered by a scarf, judging from the exposed parts, he was probably not very old. Behind him were two attendants who seemed to be his followers. One wore a mask so his face could not be seen, while the other was clearly a woman, whose alluring figure could not be hidden even in thick winter clothes.

Realizing that a fat sheep had come to his door, the big man immediately put on a fawning face and howled at the top of his lungs.

"Oh, distinguished guests! Please come upstairs, I'll have someone prepare food and drinks right away, and they'll be delivered to your suites shortly!"

Looking at the obsequious man, Lu De couldn't help but sneer inwardly, but his face remained unmoved. He led Shanis and Trin to follow the man upstairs and into the so-called "large suite".

Looking at the unusually simple furnishings in the room and the fact that it looked like it had never been cleaned, Lud was now certain that he had entered a den of thieves.

"Master, that guy doesn't seem like a good person!"

"It's written all over their faces, who wouldn't see it? But it's a good opportunity to ask them a few questions. Shanis, remember to go easy on them later."

"Yes, Master."

After giving Shanis a few words of advice, Lud had barely finished speaking when a series of hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the door. It sounded like there were seven or eight people who barged straight into Lud's room.

The leader was a burly man who watched over the counter, carrying a gleaming machete. Behind him, a group of menacing-looking henchmen were also carrying various weapons, each with a malicious smile on their face.

"You little brat, if you know what's good for you, hand over the money and the girl... *plop*!"

Before the burly man could finish his threats, the impatient Shanis had already launched a flying kick, slamming it into his face and sending him flying. She then sent three of her underlings tumbling over, before crashing through the doorway in an exaggerated manner. The remaining underlings stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

End of this chapter

"You lot, be careful while you work. If there's still dust on the floor later, I'll make you lick it clean!"

In the hotel's large suite, Trillin was directing a group of bruised and battered thugs to clean, while Ludd was in the next room, questioning the mob boss who stood respectfully before him.

The gang leader was filled with regret. He had thought they were easy prey, but once he started fighting, he realized they were the pigs!

The dark-haired woman looked beautiful, but she was incredibly strong; one kick nearly killed him. His henchmen were all useless cowards; seeing themselves defeated, they immediately surrendered and were now obediently working as cleaners next door.

As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. In order to save his life, the mob boss had no choice but to cooperate and answer all of Lu De's questions.

Through questioning, Lude learned that Unos Town is now controlled by three forces. The largest of these forces is the guard led by the acting mayor, while the other two are slightly less powerful: smuggler Harrison and the local Lake God Cult.

These three forces colluded. The guards were nominally the town's legitimate administrators, but they did virtually nothing. Captain Brant spent his days in the lord's mansion, indulging in drinking and revelry. Meanwhile, smuggler Harrison was a complete drug dealer who made Unos Town his stronghold, establishing a drug lab there.

As for the Lake God Cult, they were the only sect that did not leave the town of Unos after the collapse of order. They made full use of their sect's characteristics and actively colluded with various evil forces, unexpectedly thriving in the area.

They're supposed to be decent people, but they've turned this into something unbearable to look at.

Besides finding the Black Hand Brotherhood's local liaison office, Lude had another purpose in coming here: to understand the actual situation in Unos Town and see if he could intervene.

The area is now in such a state of disrepair, and the pus flowing from here is also harming the town of Pine Trees, which is not too far away.

Over the past year, drug-related cases in Pine Town have surged significantly, all of which trace back to Unos Town. The situation has become so serious that Lud can no longer ignore it.

To deal with these drug traffickers who are causing so much harm, Lud must strike hard!

After spending the night in the thieves' den, the group braved the swirling snowflakes the following afternoon to reach a marked alleyway corner. Trinn, disguised as a necromancer, was in the open, while Lud and Shanis remained hidden.

Trilling carries a red conch shell for eavesdropping. If he successfully meets with his contact, he will perform according to a pre-arranged script.