Goddess Kaleidoscope

Seeing that no one believed him, and some of the guys who didn't get along with him even took the opportunity to make sarcastic and obnoxious remarks, Jed sneered and stopped talking, thinking to himself, "Do whatever you want."

At this moment, Shirley patted the table and said.

"Alright, everyone, quiet down. We can put aside the matter of the surge in faith for now. Although we don't know the reason, an increase is never a bad thing. Lord Thief God also promised in the oracle that he would bestow blessings upon us. Next, I have something else to say. As you all have seen, the Brotherhood is currently going through a very difficult period. The old president has stepped down, and Elder Vernon passed away not long ago. This means that not only will we have to choose a new president from among the five of us, but we will also have to choose two new elders to fill the vacancies. So I have a suggestion. I wonder if everyone is willing to accept it?"

What suggestion?

"Since the president instructed us to elect a new president to succeed her when she stepped down, and said that Lord Thief God wouldn't object, how about we do this? First, we'll elect two new elders to fill the vacancies, and then, together with the five of us, a total of seven elders will vote to elect the new president, how about that?"

Shirley's suggestion immediately sparked a heated discussion. While voting was indeed a suggestion that most people could accept, it was clear to everyone that the elders who were eyeing the position of chairman were not to be trifled with, making a peaceful resolution virtually impossible.

At this point, Jed made a supplementary suggestion: since a vote is to be taken, it is not enough to just have a few elders. The entire Brotherhood currently has a total of thirty-three senior council members. Since these people are qualified to attend the regular meetings, they should also be qualified to vote. However, their votes will definitely account for a smaller percentage than those of the elders. Therefore, he suggested that when counting the votes, each elder should be counted as five votes and each council member as one vote, so as to be fairer and more just.

Jade's proposal was immediately approved by most of the directors present.

After further discussion and refinement, the group decided to first elect two new elders, and then convene all elders and senior council members to vote for a new president. Each current elder could recommend one candidate for each new elder.

"I recommend Juan."

Previously silent, Trinn directly nominated his uncle as a candidate for the new elder. Everyone knew what he was thinking, but it had to be admitted that Juan, with his senior council title, was indeed qualified in terms of experience and ability.

Subsequently, Massey and Leopold each recommended senior council members with whom they had close ties. Sherry even recommended her own daughter and captain of the guard, Gagran, a female warrior with one-quarter ogre blood.

Of the five elders, only Jade remained silent. After a moment of contemplation, he uttered a name that surprised everyone.

"I recommend the necromancer Dick as a candidate."

"Dick? Isn't that Elder Vernon, whom he killed?"

"What a joke! How could you recommend a traitor?"

When Jade recommended the necromancer, the room erupted in an uproar. Dick wasn't a particularly prominent board member in the Brotherhood, and he had even suffered from being ostracized for his alignment with certain factions. But in the last six months or so, he had suddenly risen to prominence because of two things.

One incident occurred six months ago when a conflict broke out between the treasure-hunting team from the northern part of the kingdom and the Navarro family. One of the parties involved is currently sitting in the position of elder. The other incident happened recently when he personally killed Vernon.

The impact of the two events was comparable, and coupled with the rumor that he possessed the legendary "artifact of the Thief God," the necromancer suddenly became a hot commodity, with many people searching for him... dead or alive.

Therefore, most people present could not understand why Jed would recommend such a controversial person.

"Elder Jade, you're really not joking, are you?"

"No! I am serious, and I believe I have given this matter considerable thought. We cannot assume that a necromancer is a traitor simply because he has a conflict with one of our own."

"It's laughable. Elder Jade, you call this a conflict? He ambushed the Navarro family's treasure hunting team and assassinated Elder Vernon. If this isn't treason, then everyone in the world is a loyal subject!"

Jade glanced at the person who had refuted him to his face. The other party was originally a staunch supporter of Vernon's faction, so naturally he was extremely displeased with Dick for killing the boss. Moreover, it wasn't just him; there were quite a few senior council members who held opposing views, but none of them were bold enough to directly jump out and argue with the elders.

Jade had anticipated this situation, so he continued.

“I know many of you dislike Dick, but I must say something fair. In the conflict six months ago, both Navarro’s treasure-hunting team and the necromancer Dick bought their information from the great diviner Merritt. So they had the same goal and the same route. It’s hard to say which side was at fault when the conflict broke out between them. It can only be said that both sides were responsible. Elder Trin, as a party involved in that incident, don’t you have anything to say?”

"No, I admit that we also bear some responsibility."

"That's good."

"What about Elder Vernon's death?"

"Vernon's death was a consequence of his own actions."

"What did you say!?"

Faced with the menacing "former confidant," Jade remained calm and composed, even managing a mocking smirk beneath his mask.

“I have ample evidence to prove that Vernon struck first. Dick had contacted our informant in Unos Town in the north, wanting to pass a message to Elder Leopold, informing him that he had found the artifact of the Thief God and would return once the roads were clear. However, Vernon intercepted this message and harbored malicious intentions of murder and robbery. He was killed because of his arrogance and underestimation of Dick’s abilities.”

"Then how can you prove he didn't betray the Brotherhood?"

"Heh! How do you prove it? He only needs to hand over the God of Thieves' artifact. Then he will not only be innocent, but he will also have rendered great service to the Brotherhood. Since he has rendered great service, has strength, and is loyal to the God of Thieves and the Brotherhood, why can't I recommend him as an elder?"

End of this chapter

While Jade was still vying to nominate the necromancer Dick as a candidate for the new elder at the meeting inside the cave, Lude had already safely evacuated the manor.

Although the Navarro family guards had suspected that the thieves might be disguised as guests, there were simply too many people, and they were all wealthy and powerful, none of them the kind of small fry they could easily bully. In order to protect the family's reputation, they had no choice but to conceal the truth about the invasion of the main castle and then let all the guests leave after the gathering ceremony.

After leaving the manor, Lud and his party found a relatively secluded spot in the forest, dug a pit and buried the carriage on the spot, then released the two white horses that were tilting their heads and not understanding what was happening. After taking care of everything, they returned to the city at dawn.

The "Old Huon" who had been rescued earlier had already moved to Hume's tavern. As soon as Lude arrived, he saw Trin, whose soul was inside the necromancer's body, and Old Huon, whose body was still unknown, staring at each other. Judging from their expressions, there was probably no "joy of reunion" between them.

"who are you?"

"That's my question too. And who are you?"

Seeing the two staring at each other like fighting cocks, Lude quickly stepped forward to separate them. However, the immediate priority was to find out who this person residing in Hu En's body was.

"Friend, please introduce yourself, and also tell us how you ended up looking like this."

"Master, it's me, it's Dick! The necromancer Dick."

In front of Ludwig, Huen's "inner person" did not hide anything and uttered a name that was both unexpected and reasonable.

"What? You're Dick!"

“Hmm.” Dick nodded.

"Master, do you know him?"

When Dick saw that the soul occupying his father's body was none other than Dick, the necromancer he hated, and that the other party even knew Lud, who had always helped him, Dick was completely bewildered and felt that something was not quite right.

Fortunately, Lud was quick-witted and took the initiative to be "limited" honest, saying that he had indeed been in contact with both sides in Pine Town and provided intelligence, and that he had even intentionally guided the conflict between the two sides behind the scenes.

But the reason he did all this was not out of hostility, nor to want them to fight to the death so he could reap the benefits. Rather, it was because he discovered during divination that the destinies of the two would become intertwined, and that this battle was actually a trial deliberately orchestrated by the God of Thieves, who descended upon the divine realm.

In short, after being swayed by Ludd's rambling and nonsensical rhetoric, the two, who were already living under someone else's roof and needed Ludd's help, wisely chose to accept this explanation on this issue.

Hume, who was silently following behind Ludwig, secretly pursed his lips and thought to himself that this guy was using him as a scapegoat again.

Under Ludd's persistent questioning, these trivial "minor matters" were temporarily set aside. Ludd now only wanted to know what the necromancer Dick had experienced in the past six months, and whether he knew the real old Huen's background.

All the clues at present indicate that the situation of Trin, who suddenly woke up a few days ago, is most likely that of Hu En.

The fact that Lao Tzu so cruelly took over his own son's body truly shows how heavy a father's love is!

Dick told Lud that six months ago in the labyrinth, he was preparing to separate Trin's soul when he was ambushed by the old comrade Sargin. At the crucial moment of the ritual, he was stabbed in the heart, and the god was on the verge of death like a candle in the wind.

Fortunately, Dick was not only physically deformed, but his internal organs were also misaligned. So the old butler's attack did not actually pierce Dick's heart, but missed. This prevented Dick from dying on the spot like an ordinary person, but the injury was still fatal.

At this critical moment, Dick had a flash of inspiration. He forcibly injected the flexible soul that had been separated from Trin's body into his own body, and then, by taking advantage of the rejection reaction caused by the "one body, two souls" phenomenon, he forced his own soul out and transferred it to Trin's intact body, thus completing a "soul swapping tactic" under extreme conditions.

However, the forced transfer came at a price. Dick's soul was severely damaged in the process, leaving him weakened. He was unable to merge with Trin's body, which is why, when the Navarro family guards brought Trin's body back to Pine Town for Ludd to examine, he couldn't detect the presence of a soul—simply because Dick's soul was so weak at that time that it was barely clinging to life.

For the next few months, Dick's soul hid in Trin's body and slept peacefully. By the time he had almost recovered, the guards had already taken him back to the Navarro family's castle. By then, it was too late for Dick to escape. What was even more terrifying was that he discovered that Trin's father, Huon, the former patriarch of the Navarro family, was actually a very skilled necromancer, whose level far surpassed his own.

Dick, who came from humble beginnings and mastered necromancy through self-study, was naturally no match for this old monster who had lived for who knows how long. He was quickly exposed and then locked up in that terrifying underground laboratory.

For necromancers, a profession already considered forbidden, the spell of soul transfer is an absolute taboo. Not only is it against human ethics, but its use is also extremely risky. This is because there is a fundamental difference in compatibility between the soul and the physical body; if the original body is not used, a rejection reaction is highly likely.

Dick had no choice in the maze. His physical body was severely damaged, and he would die if he didn't transfer. So, with the idea of ​​"taking a gamble," he forced his way into the transfer, thinking that he could use Trin's body to keep his soul alive for now, and then find a more suitable replacement later.

Hu En, on the other hand, was clearly a master of this forbidden art. After locking Dick in the underground laboratory, he used a skillful method that Hu En himself could not match to exchange his soul with Dick's.

It was only then that Dick finally realized that old Huen had probably planned all along to take over his son's body.

The necromancy book once said that direct blood relatives have a very high compatibility with each other's bodies due to the influence of blood ties. And among Huen's sons, Trin happened to have the best compatibility with Huen's body, which is the real reason why he was made the eldest son.

As for Dick's soul, Hu En didn't waste it either, transferring it first into his own old, aging body.

Because a soulless body will quickly wither and die, Hu En asked Dick to look after it for him as a precaution, so that if the young new body had a rejection reaction, there would be a backup that could be switched back at any time.

In a sense, Hu En truly took the saying "raising children to provide for old age" to the extreme.

End of this chapter

From Dick, Trilling learned a cruel truth: his father's excessive "doting" on him wasn't out of affection for him as a son, but rather a desire to possess his young body.

Before Trilling could process and accept this terrible fact, Dick dropped another bombshell on him.

"Your mother's spirit is in your father's hands."

"W-what!?"

Trilling looked incredulous, while Dick continued recounting his experiences during his imprisonment.

Perhaps feeling that Dick Teaspoon was also doomed, or perhaps finding it rare to have a junior necromancer to talk to, Hu En was surprisingly talkative in front of Dick, chatting with him about many old stories.

For example, Trin's birth mother once stumbled into this laboratory and peeked at Huen's research notes, discovering that her husband was plotting something terrible. Upon learning that his wife had discovered the truth, Huen ruthlessly murdered her to prevent his identity and plans from being exposed. He then used a secret technique that even Dick didn't know to forcibly transform his deceased wife into an undead and make her a death slave, all to prevent her from becoming a ghost and spreading rumors.

The Soul Bead of Terlin's birth mother is still in that laboratory.

After hearing Dick's story, Trilling was completely stunned. The truths that were presented to him one after another gave him a sense of despair as if the world was collapsing, but it quickly turned into a deep-seated hatred for his father, Hu En.

Trilling secretly vowed that even if it meant his soul would be scattered, he would make that heartless, ruthless, and unworthy-of-human bastard pay the price! To achieve this goal, he had to rely on the power of Lud and the Pantheon behind him.

However, just as Trillin was plotting revenge against his own father, Dick suddenly crept up to him furtively, instantly putting Trillin on alert.

"What are you going to do!?"

"I just want to... switch my body back."

Pointing to the "suit" that Trilling was currently using, Dick's meaning was quite straightforward. Huen's old body was old and worn out, and its compatibility with Dick's soul wasn't very good, so he wanted to switch with Trilling again and use his own "original".

But Trilling immediately refused. What a joke! If Dick were still using his own body, then exchanging it back would be fine. But the problem was, Dick's current body was inside that old coffin of Huen, and Trilling refused to accept that loss. Seeing that Trilling was holding onto his body and wouldn't return it, Dick became somewhat anxious.

“I’m saying, we’re on the same side now, so if you give me back my body, I can immediately regain my original strength and improve our team’s combat power. Besides, this body belongs to your biological father, so your soul is definitely more compatible with it. This is the most reasonable allocation!”

"Screw your reasonable allocation! Master Lude has countless elite soldiers under his command, any one of them is better than you. Why would he need a disgrace like you to improve his combat strength? Just go and rest quietly on the side!"

"Alas! But this is my body!"

"Do you think I care about your broken body?! Your face is so ugly you don't even look human, and you're even shorter than the other side and have a limp. Tell me yourself, what good is your body?"

"Whether I'm long or not, you know perfectly well. The little green worms on your body are so slow they'd be too slow even to piss on!"

"Ouch, I'm gonna fight you to the death!"

Feeling that he had suffered the most unbearable "ultimate humiliation" for a man, Dick, who was in the body of a necromancer, immediately started fighting with Dick, who was in the body of his own father, causing Lud, who was busy checking the spoils of the previous night, to frown.

"Hey you two! If you want to fight, find somewhere else. You're not much help, fine, but can't you at least behave yourselves?"

Hearing Lud's reprimand, Trilling and Dick stopped their low-level, shrewish fight and obediently stepped aside.