Goddess Kaleidoscope

End of this chapter

The young dragon, peeking out from under the robe, looked around before quickly climbing onto Lud's shoulder and stretching.

The appearance of this little creature stunned the goddesses present. Hume recognized it as a baby dragon, but couldn't determine its breed from its black and white fur. Aina tentatively reached out and touched it; the baby dragon sniffed her scent and immediately hopped over happily.

Because she discovered that this young lady, like Lude, also emitted a "delicious" smell, and it was even stronger than Lude's.

Aina was startled by the little guy who suddenly jumped onto her chest and rubbed against her, but she quickly became addicted to the incomparably delicate feel of his touch and couldn't stop stroking him.

"Master, what exactly is this little thing?"

"You might not believe it, but she's a young black dragon, the biological daughter of that big guy outside. Due to some special reasons, she'll be staying with us for a while. Oh, by the way! This little one has a name; her name is Kanna."

Ludwig recounted the entire birth of Connor to the goddesses present, and then asked Hume if she knew anything about the little one.

Hume shook his head, indicating that this was the first time he had ever seen a creature that needed to consume divine power to grow.

"It's certain that this little thing is different from my Fallen Leaf, because the Divine Messenger is a half-body directly separated from the God, but this one... counts as a divine beast?"

Several goddesses gathered together, petting little Kanna while trying to figure out what was going on with her. Seeing that the little one was getting along very well with the older women, Lude told them to keep a close eye on Kanna and not let any outsiders see her. Then he went back to his room and collapsed onto his long-unused bed.

"Finally, I can get a proper night's sleep..."

Exhausted, Lude slept soundly until noon the next day, finally recovering fully and feeling refreshed.

In fact, Lud had long discovered that ever since he became a priest, his physical fitness seemed to have improved considerably along with Aina's growth. As long as Aina's divine power did not run out, he could be full of energy and had a strong recovery ability.

This seems to confirm what Hume had told him before: gods also grow, and the characteristics of their own divine position will gradually become apparent. For example, Hume's divine position is "the god of thieves," and his silent walking and low presence are manifestations of the characteristics of his divine position. As the goddess of medicine, Aina's strong recovery ability is her characteristic, and this characteristic will also benefit Rud as a priest.

After getting up, Lud was about to get something to eat when he heard some noise in the backyard. So he put on his mask and went out. What he saw was quite astonishing: four giant wild boars were neatly arranged in the open space in the backyard of the temple.

Lud didn't need to ask to know who did it.

When was it delivered?

“This morning, the noise was quite loud, but you were sleeping so soundly that you didn’t wake up.”

Hume shrugged at Ludwig. Nidhogg had arrived early in the morning, dropped the pigs off in the temple's backyard, and left without a word. This scene was witnessed by many villagers, naturally attracting some gossip, though mostly praise; everyone thought it was a gift from the dragon.

Hume joked about this with Ludd.

“Many people in the village think that you will definitely be able to convert that dragon to the religion.”

"Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by 'deceiving'?"

Ludwig gave Hume a disapproving look and turned to look at the four large, fat pigs in the yard. Nidhogg knew his daughter wasn't interested in meat, and besides, given her current size, even if she could eat a lot, these four pigs weighed nearly two tons, which was really excessive.

So Ludwig thought that the four pigs must have been given to the refugees by Nidhogg. The guy had said before that he wanted to give some compensation to the innocent villagers if possible, and so much pork would just solve the immediate problem of food shortage.

Lude figured that with the cold winter weather, the pork shouldn't spoil anytime soon. Giving it all away to the refugees and villagers at once would likely cause trouble, so it was better for the temple to handle it and distribute it daily as relief food.

So Ludger called over the village chief Rom, and Hamilton and the others who were still in the village, and told them about his disaster relief plan.

Having been in this world for over a year, Lu De had long since figured out the nature of the unruly people at the bottom. Most of them were ignorant, suspicious, and cowardly. If you gave them benefits for free, they might not be grateful; only by using a combination of kindness and severity could you earn their heartfelt respect.

Therefore, Lud's relief food could not be given away for free, or at least it could not appear to be. He first had to count the number of refugees and the amount of food stored in the village, calculate the total amount needed for daily consumption, and then draft two contracts on the spot.

One contract was a labor contract between the refugees and the temple. Ludd promised to provide relief food to the refugees to help them get through the winter and the following planting season, but the refugees would have to work as tenants for the temple for three years. Ludd had the right to conscript them to participate in designated labor.

Another agreement was between the temple and the original inhabitants of Pine Village, in which they exchanged over a thousand kilograms of meat from two wild boars for four times the weight of grain and potatoes.

In addition, Knight Jegan promised Lud that he would try to get the Earl to send a batch of relief grain to the border. If the Earl refused, he would buy it himself and would definitely help these refugees get through their difficulties.

The news was quickly sent out, and when the refugees heard that the temple would provide them with relief food, but the price was to sign a contract to become tenants for three years, almost two thousand people signed without hesitation, except for a few whose families were not in too bad a situation. They sold themselves to the temple of Ludd.

Lud didn't hold back either, setting up a large pot right at the temple entrance to boil water and stew meat broth. Many people couldn't help but show expressions of great enjoyment just from the aroma of the meat, frequently swallowing their saliva.

For safety and hygiene reasons, Ludwig instructed Hume to cut the pork into small, thin pieces so that it could be cooked through. He even summoned Hamilton to use fire magic to heat the meat to achieve a high-temperature sterilization effect.

Hamilton, the Fire Saint, never imagined that someone would dare to order him to use magic to make soup, and what's more, he actually did it.

To be honest, this pot of soup wasn't very tasty due to the lack of seasoning, and the wild boar meat was tough with an overwhelming, unpleasant gamey smell. But even so, meat is still meat! The refugees who ate it were both incredibly grateful to Lud and practically wanted to devour the bowl!

End of this chapter

Thanks to the wild boar meat sent by Nidhogg, Ludwig quickly stabilized the situation in the village and calmed the previously restless people. The temple now suddenly had two thousand tenants, and with so many laborers at their disposal, many things that were previously impossible could be accomplished in an instant.

Lud first conducted a census, compiling and statistically analyzing information on the more than two thousand refugees. The final data showed that a total of 2314 refugees from 462 households were willing to stay. Half of them were adults with full working capacity, and more than 90% were farmers, but there were also a few skilled workers such as carpenters and bricklayers, and even three pharmacists.

The first job that Ludd assigned to these people was to build the houses they wanted to live in.

Thanks to the fact that the snow on the ground was not yet waist-deep, and that there was a large pine forest just a few hundred meters north of Pine Village, Lud first organized the refugees to clear the snow and open roads, and then directly cut down trees nearby to build houses.

In order not to affect the original villagers, the refugees' new village was located on the opposite bank of the river to the north of the temple. In other words, the old and new villages now sandwich the temple in the middle, making it the central building of the town.

Although Lud hadn't studied civil engineering, he was somewhat obsessive-compulsive, so he had the refugees build a batch of longhouses as dormitories, aiming to get everyone living in a roofed house as quickly as possible. It was only early winter, far from the coldest time of year, and many refugees were already sick.

In Lud's plan, Pine Village will soon be upgraded to a town, with the construction of a school, a hospital, and at least four public bathhouses, and the promotion of hygiene habits already established by the old villagers to the new residents.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, the only problem being with Nidhogg. On the very first day his daughter returned with Lud, the guy sent over four large wild boars. Lud thought that was all, but then four more came the next day, and then every day thereafter, until the temple's backyard was soon filled with dead pigs.

Finally, Ludwig couldn't take it anymore and stayed up all night to keep watch. One time when Nidhogg brought over wild boar, he ran out and stopped him, begging him not to bring it so frequently, because there was already so much wild boar meat that they couldn't possibly eat it all!

Looking at the pigs scattered all over the temple courtyard, Nidhogg realized that he had indeed given away too many. So he said that he would give them away every ten days from now on, and left Ludwig a piece of his black scale. He told Ludwig that if he needed to find him in the future, he could burn the dragon scale over a fire and Ludwig would come running.

In the days that followed, Nidhogg did not come, but Hamilton, who had been secretly observing for many days, found Ludwig and asked him if he had reached any agreement with the black dragon.

The old magician, adhering to the principle that "those who are not of our kind must have different intentions," worried that the black dragon might have ulterior motives, as he had witnessed similar situations elsewhere. Human villages and certain powerful monsters maintained a facade of peaceful coexistence; the monsters would even occasionally bring supplies to the villages or protect the villagers from attacks by bandits, but secretly they demanded that the villagers offer human sacrifices.

These monsters are generally referred to as "demons," and once they are discovered, righteous people and mainstream sects will take the initiative to go and exterminate them.

Faced with Hamilton's persistent questioning, Ludd thought for a moment and realized that some things would be hard to hide from the old man. Fortunately, Hamilton was just short-tempered, but not stupid at all. In fact, if they hadn't encountered Nidhogg, this anomaly among the dragons, their egg-stealing operation could have succeeded.

So, in front of Hamilton, Ludd called out "Kanna" into the inner room, and the black and white baby dragon immediately flew out. The old wizard was stunned when he saw the baby dragon.

"This, this is..."

“She’s Nidhogg’s daughter. The little one has some health problems, so she’s staying with me temporarily for treatment. The pigs in the backyard are actually the medical fees that her own father brought over.”

"Is this your direct transaction?"

"You could say that! Nidhogg is a dragon who was raised by humans, so he doesn't harbor any ill will towards them. I rescued his wife and daughter to strengthen neighborly relations. Dragons are so powerful; if we can be friends, why must we be enemies? Don't you think so?"

Ludd smiled at Hamilton, his meaning clear: he should think carefully about the pros and cons before considering his next move.

Keep in mind that behind the young dragon Kanna lies a fully-fledged dragon family, and barring unforeseen circumstances, this family will likely grow into a sizable black dragon clan. Therefore, anyone who harbors ill intentions towards Kanna is essentially stirring up trouble!

Hamilton understood what Ludd meant: the existence of the young dragon had to be kept strictly secret, and not even his nephew, who was the king, could be told.

Thinking of this, Hamilton sighed, then suddenly stared at the young dragon perched on Lud's head and asked.

"Can I see this little guy?"

"cannot!"

"No, I just..."

"Don't even think about it!"

Without giving Hamilton any chance, Ludd refused decisively and resolutely. He knew very well that the old man's desire to get close to Connor was definitely not as simple as just wanting to touch her furry body.

Because he had already decided in his heart that Ludwig was a master of the same level as himself, and because of his guilt and respect, Hamilton had no choice but to give up.

In the end, the old magician chose to believe Rudd. He had met many people in his life, good and bad, of all races, but he had never met such a kind-hearted person as Rudd. He seemed to come from another world, often unintentionally revealing an aura completely different from the ordinary people around him.

Sometimes Hamilton would even think that if all the priests in the world could be like Rudd, even if they could only reach half of his level, the world would never be such a cruel place as it is today.

"Forget it! Those fools should be able to live a decent life with you. Now that you're back safely, I can finally relax."

"Oh! It sounds like you're leaving?"

“If things have been messed up, why are you still hanging around here? Don’t worry, I’ll have a good talk with the Earl and the King. Those two youngsters aren’t stupid; they won’t do anything thoughtless. My only gain from this trip is probably that my old ailment was cured, and I made a friend in you.”

As the old magician spoke, he formed a hand seal and solemnly bowed to Rudd, who returned the gesture with a priest's salute.

"What are your plans next? Go back to the mage tower?"

"I need to head west first. My apprentice is still alive. I just received a distress message from his familiar, saying he's hiding in a ravine and can't get out. That idiot, he's useless at everything!"

Seeing that Hamilton was cursing but was still ready to rush to his apprentice's aid as soon as he received his plea for help, Ludd smiled and gave him some special ointment.

And so Hamilton left Pine Village that same day, along with Jegan and several other surviving Silver Knights.

Watching the group disappear into the snow, Lud turned back to his temple. He realized he'd been in Pine Village for less than a year; the dilapidated, drafty temple had been completely renovated, and the villagers had gone from initial suspicion and distrust to trust and reverence.

When winter ends, Lud and his sect will surely usher in a brand new beginning!

(End of Volume 2)

End of this chapter

The cold and snow will not last long; winter... will eventually come to an end!

For Songshu Village, this was their fourth winter since the village's more than 400 residents came to the border, and it was an extraordinary one. They experienced a lot, some of which were truly unforgettable.

Before we knew it, it was early March. It had been almost thirty days since the last heavy snowfall. The temperature outside was rising noticeably, the days were getting longer, and the snow was accumulating less and less.

In previous years, winter was always a season full of difficulties for the poor and working class. Adults had to bear the burden, and the elderly and children had to endure it. In a bad year, the population of an entire village might be halved in just one winter.

So the villagers are all grateful. Whether they are long-time residents or former refugees who were forced to come here, everyone is thanking the merciful goddess and her agents. All the hardships and toil they have experienced this winter now seem to have been worthwhile!

"Springtime! We've finally made it through!"

Inside the temple's study, Lud was organizing account books when he looked up at the window, which hadn't been fully opened for several months. The breeze blowing in was cool and damp, but far from being bone-chilling. The outdoor temperature was expected to rise completely above zero in another half month.

If we count from the first snowfall, the entire winter has lasted for nearly four months. Recalling everything that has happened during this period, Ludwig pondered for a long time and could only conclude with "It's really not easy."

Including the original residents before winter, the total population of Pine Tree Village has now exceeded three thousand. The vast majority of them are refugees who fled during the dragon attack, and later some more came here, which eventually led to the current size.

With Riverwood destroyed, this is now the most populous settlement on the Kingdom's northern border!

Before this, Ludwig had never tried to manage a village with thousands of people, but fortunately, “in the name of God” was always effective. No one dared to disobey his orders, whether they were new or old villagers. Nidhogg would also send meat to the village from time to time, which greatly relieved the food pressure. This allowed them to get through the winter in peace, with only a dozen or so people dying. Everyone thought it was an incredible miracle!

After a relatively slow period of construction over the winter, Pine Village has now expanded nearly five times in size. Lud did not intend for the new villagers to continue living in the rudimentary longhouses, so in the latter half of winter, he organized people to begin planning the site selection and land allocation for the new village.

Unlike the old village, which was built almost haphazardly, the new village had several main roads planned out from the beginning, and then divided into different functional areas by the roads, including residential areas, commercial areas and production areas. It was clear that the goal was to build a fully functional town.

Once everyone had moved into their own individual wooden houses, Ludger did not intend to waste the original longhouse and planned to convert it into a school, hospital, and warehouse.