Goddess Kaleidoscope

"Uh... it wasn't that they invited us; we just happened to be passing through Pine Tree Village."

"On the way?"

Lud, who was quite familiar with the surrounding area, had no idea that anyone other than adventurers and pioneers heading into the Virtual Forest would "conveniently" pass through Pine Village, located at the northernmost edge of the kingdom's border.

Seemingly sensing the wariness and doubt in Lud's eyes, the beautiful woman took the initiative to explain why she needed to pass through Pine Tree Village.

The woman, who called herself Servis, was the leader of the Rainbow Circus. They had been touring the Duchy of Gamelin and were planning to head west to the neighboring Earl of Ramli. However, when they passed through the town of Unos, they were forced to take a long detour because they could not afford the expensive town tax.

Lud learned from Servis that the town of Unos, which he had visited once, now had its entrance tax doubled from five copper coins per person, and that it had to be paid both upon entering and leaving the town.

According to this standard, the Rainbow Circus's thirty-seven members would have to pay seven and a half silver coins just for their round trip from Unos.

If it were just the entrance fee to the city, the circus wouldn't be able to afford even a few silver coins. The key was that Servis was cautious and didn't rush into the city. Instead, she asked around among local acquaintances beforehand, and that's when she learned that there were even bigger "traps" waiting for these unsuspecting outsiders in the town.

Left with no other option, the Rainbow Circus was forced to detour north, passing through Pine Village only as a stop along the way. They planned to stay overnight, buy some provisions, and then continue westward to Wolfhelm, the capital of Earl Ramli's territory.

It's worth mentioning that, in addition to the Rainbow Circus members, there were also some locals who had fled Unos Town because they couldn't stand the mayor's extortion and came with the Rainbow Circus. All of them together numbered over a hundred, which made it look quite noisy.

Having roughly understood the situation, Lu De looked at the crowd not far away. It was indeed a mix of men, women, and children, and did not resemble bandits or horse bandits. So he took the initiative to reveal his identity and offered to lead them to Pine Tree Village.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he introduced himself, Servis on the other side couldn't help but let out a gasp.

"Are you Lord Lu De, the high priest of the Medicine God Sect?"

"Uh...you've heard of me?"

"That's for sure. In Danlin (the capital of Count Ganmerin), your name has already spread throughout high society. Many wealthy people and nobles are trying to get their hands on a bottle of your mysterious oil."

"..."

Faced with Servis's praise, Ludwig's lips twitched, and he could only offer an awkward yet polite smile. He never expected that he would become famous in Duke Gamelin's eyes in such a bizarre way, and was therefore quite speechless for a moment.

And so, the two groups joined together and followed Lude back to Pine Village.

Along the way, Servis fawned over Lud, smiling broadly as she offered him several bottles of her prized wines. She also expressed her interest in the doctrines of the Medicine God Cult, hinting that she was interested in being baptized and becoming a believer.

Lude could tell that this woman was trying to build a relationship with him. As a circus ringmaster, she dealt with all sorts of people from all walks of life, and had to cultivate relationships with people from both the legitimate and criminal worlds. Anyone who could rise to the top was definitely a shrewd and worldly-wise person.

Lude knew the other party had ulterior motives, but he couldn't deny that having such a flirtatious and mature older sister actively trying to please him would definitely give him a secret thrill, as long as his sexual orientation wasn't a problem.

However, Lude's contact with Servis was not because she was flattering him and made him feel vain, but because he wanted to take the opportunity to inquire about the situation in Unos Town.

Lud had once visited Unos Town, one of the wealthiest places in the northern border region of the kingdom. Nominally, it belonged to the Earl of Ramli, and the appointment of the town's mayor required the Earl's approval. However, given the feudal system of the Kingdom of Duran, which Lud had repeatedly criticized, the Earl only nominally owned Unos Town and had no actual governing power.

The prosperity of Unos Town was entirely due to the effective leadership of the previous mayor. Unfortunately, he failed to cultivate a suitable successor. After his death, his daughter and son-in-law took over the town and quickly abandoned their duties, indulging in pleasure.

What problems arose in the first two years? The old mayor left his daughter and son-in-law a mature management team, and the family fortune they had accumulated was indeed substantial, so the town continued to maintain its prosperity as before.

But even with mountains of gold and silver, extravagant spending will eventually lead to ruin. The old mayor's team tried to persuade his son-in-law, the new mayor, to focus more on government affairs instead of indulging in a life of debauchery, but their advice failed to change the couple's ways and instead aroused their disgust.

So, using their power, the mayor and his wife dismissed a large number of "former government officials" and replaced them with a group of sycophants.

These sycophants have no other skills, but they're masters at flattering superiors and bullying subordinates. Once they're in power, they abandon all serious work and use their authority to line their own pockets. The once peaceful town of Unos has been turned into a chaotic mess by these people!

In order to maintain the extravagant lifestyle of the mayor and his wife, and to enrich themselves, these people began to create various pretexts to levy all sorts of strange and miscellaneous taxes on the townspeople. Passing caravans were treated as fat sheep and were ripped off before they were allowed to leave.

Thanks to these scoundrels, Unos Town's once good reputation is almost completely ruined. Townspeople are constantly fleeing, and many merchants have decided to avoid this pit and do business elsewhere.

Upon learning of this situation, Lu De thought to himself that it had only been less than nine months since his last visit to Unos Town, and the local situation had deteriorated to this extent. The couple's ability to squander money was truly beyond his previous imagination!

End of this chapter

With a group of over a hundred people, Lud returned to Pine Village.

The villagers initially didn't know the details and thought that these were refugees that the priest had "picked up" from outside out of kindness. But when they asked, they found out that most of them were just passing through and that there were probably very few immigrants who wanted to stay and settle down.

Meanwhile, the outsiders were also curiously observing the village before them, which was somewhat different from what they had imagined.

Before this, most outsiders imagined Songshu Village as a dirty and chaotic traditional village with low, simple houses, haphazard street layouts, and muddy roads overflowing with excrement and urine, making it a place that people would avoid. However, these scenes, which are commonplace in the eyes of ordinary people, did not appear in this little-known Songshu Village.

In fact, if you had come to Songshu Village at this time last year, the local situation would have been exactly as they had imagined, and there would have been no substantial difference between it and other pioneer villages in the surrounding area.

Outsiders who were unaware of the truth found it all very strange, but the locals who had experienced it firsthand knew very well that it was Lord Lud who brought about these changes for them, and that the kind and loving Goddess of Medicine, Evelina, and the Goddess of Love, Shabulcohn, would also protect the devout Pine Village.

"This village... seems quite wealthy!"

Looking at the clean and tidy village and the energetic villagers, a glint flashed in Servis's eyes.

As the owner of a circus, Servis knew very well how to survive in their line of work. Most circuses and dance troupes chose to travel around the continent by "touring".

For most people, variety shows and song and dance performances are entertainment they only watch during holidays when they have a little spare money. Ordinary people are considered to be relatively well-off if they can afford to watch one or two times a year. Many poor people will turn around and leave without hesitation as soon as they hear that there is a ticket fee.

A few large cities with a large enough population may be able to support one or two song and dance troupes to reside there permanently, but basically only top-tier troupes with a well-known reputation and big financial backers are qualified to enjoy this treatment.

Smaller, family-run groups like Rainbow Circus don't even have the right to compete on the same stage.

However, while not the best, he was better off than most. Servis was the kind of circus owner who was quite shrewd. Unlike his peers who wandered around aimlessly, he planned his tour routes in advance, connecting relatively wealthy places without large orchestras.

This way, both efficiency and maximum benefit can be ensured.

In Servis's original plan, Unos Town was a stop between the Duchy of Gamelin and the Earl of Ramley. They were supposed to stop there for a while, put on a few shows, and then leave. But due to the situation there, the circus was forced to take a detour and ended up discovering Pine Village by chance.

Since childhood, Servis had traveled all over the country with her parents, so her experience was naturally much broader than that of the average person. She only made a rough estimate and deduced that the local population should be around three thousand, which was already the size of a small to medium-sized town. Moreover, judging from the locals' clothing, physical condition and mental state, they did not look like they were suffering from hunger at all.

Based on this positive first impression, Servis labeled Pine Village as "wealthy"... the kind that has potential.

With this in mind, Servis secretly planned to give a trial performance in the area. Although it wasn't the most suitable autumn harvest season, she could consider it a test run. If the response and profits met her expectations, Servis wouldn't mind including Pine Village in her tour itinerary, especially since it was the parish of the Medicine God Cult.

When Servis performed at the Duke of Gamelin, she heard from some gossipy noblewomen that the philandering duke had recently obtained a "miracle drug" that had miraculously restored the vigor of a twenty-year-old man to his nearly sixty years old!

These juicy stories have spread far and wide in the area, not only among the elite and upper class, but also among many ordinary people who use them as gossip during their leisure time. After all, everyone has a penchant for gossip, and the Duke himself seems eager for more people to know... that he's doing well again!

In light of these rumors, Servis remembered Lud and the Cult of Medicine, but her first impression was not very good. She felt that the priests who would develop and sell such drugs were probably not decent people.

But Servis didn't care whether Lud was a decent person or not. She only knew that Lud, who possessed this potion, must be extremely wealthy, and many nobles would actively seek to curry favor with him for the sake of the potion. If she could establish a connection with him, even if she was forced to use her body, it would be worth it.

This explains why Servis was so attentive when she first met Lud, even to the point of almost trying to win him over.

However, as they spent more time together, Servis found that this old priest with white hair and beard was, at least at first glance, a rather upright person.

Faced with her offer of "favors," he didn't reveal any lewd or lecherous behavior, nor did he chat and laugh with her like a seasoned veteran of the pleasure quarters. Instead, he displayed the awkwardness typical of a young virgin. Even though he tried to hide it well, certain unconscious gestures still gave him away.

"Could he be a virgin in his sixties? Really?"

Unaware that Servis had secretly made such an "insulting" judgment of him, Lud had already returned to the temple with Aina, who was still sulking.

Luo Mi'an, who was squatting at the door waiting to welcome them back, noticed the unusual atmosphere between the two as soon as she came up.

"Master, what's wrong with Senior Sister Aina?"

"Ignore her, she's just a child throwing a tantrum."

Hearing Ludwig call her a "little kid," Aina huffed angrily, deliberately walked past Ludwig with her head held high, and went back to her room with an air of indifference. Romian looked at Ludwig with an embarrassed expression.

"Master, how about... I go and talk to my senior sister?"

"We can talk about it tomorrow. You must be tired. Go back to your room and get some rest."

Looking at the well-behaved and sensible little Romian, Lude couldn't help but smile like a loving father. He felt that his current situation was like his eldest daughter had just entered her troublesome rebellious phase, while his well-behaved little daughter was still a heartwarming little angel who could still offer solace to his weary body and mind.

End of this chapter

Dragging his somewhat tired body, Lude returned to his room and collapsed onto the soft bed, becoming a contented couch potato.

Thanks to the revenue from selling medicine, the temple's living environment and standard of living have improved significantly. The days of hardship last year, when people ate coarse food, are gone forever, and the temple has quickly entered a moderately prosperous society.

Having a large sum of spare money, Lud did not squander it like a nouveau riche. He even used the materials given to him by the Ural Bishop of the Church of War to build a school. However, he did not insist on being frugal to the point of not spending a penny on himself.

So Rud didn't skimp on the necessary expenses, hiring villagers to renovate the entire temple, inside and out. Damaged walls and roofs were repaired, the previously bare front yard was landscaped, and a batch of new furniture and daily necessities were purchased. The newly renovated temple may not look magnificent, but its overall first impression is very comfortable.

It's worth mentioning that the abandoned sewers beneath the temple underwent a major and thorough renovation. Lud only said that he wanted to use the space as a storage room, and the hired villagers didn't suspect anything and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

The comfortable bed made Lud drowsy, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

However, as has been proven time and again, people who go to bed early without eating dinner are more likely to wake up hungry in the middle of the night. So when Lude was woken up by his stomach, it was still pitch black outside the window, and there was still quite a long time before sunrise.

Left with no other choice, Lud, whose stomach was growling with hunger, had to get up. Ever since Romian arrived at the temple, the kitchen had gradually been taken over by this sensible Argonian girl. She could learn any dish Lud had ever made just by watching him watch it once, and after making it three times, she would definitely be able to make it better than Lud.

The other person's talent in cooking truly amazed Lud.

Clutching his rumbling stomach, Lude went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He quickly found a pot with a lid on in the cupboard, with a small note on it that read "For Master" in delicate handwriting. Lude knew at a glance that this was a "midnight snack" that Romian had specially saved for him to eat when he woke up at night.

There were six plump, onion-filled buns in the pot. Too lazy to put a steamer on top, Lu De simply placed the buns on the still-burning stove rack to bake. Just then, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew by, and Lu De turned around to see a real female ghost standing in the kitchen doorway.

If this had happened three months ago, Lu De would have been terrified, like a cat that had been secretly given a cucumber by a human, and would have been terrified into taking flight on the spot. But now, he remained calm and even had the leisure to greet the female ghost in front of him.

Good evening, Miss Elijah.

"Good evening, High Priest. I heard you just got up, so I'd like to discuss some work-related matters with you. Is now a convenient time?"

"Of course, no problem."

Looking at his most diligent "top ten employees," Lu De couldn't help but reveal a capitalist-like, sly smile.

Since acquiring Elijah, who is skilled in secretarial work, Lude has truly achieved a state of "freedom from the toil of paperwork." The ghost secretary doesn't need to be paid and can work overtime for 24 hours straight without rest, making her extremely useful!

After placing the heated buns on a plate, Lude followed Elaine to the basement. About two-thirds of the space had been converted into storage, while a section further inwards was partitioned with wooden walls to create a hidden room. This room was used to store items that couldn't be publicly displayed and also served as Elaine's office.

The human and the ghost entered the secret room. Several stacks of documents were neatly arranged on the desk, categorized by type, for Lud to easily access. Lud carefully flipped through the documents, occasionally asking Elijah some questions.

In a sense, Songshu Village has now basically achieved "theocracy," and Lu De has the final say on everything, big or small, in the village.

The village's original leadership was dissolved. The previously established council of elders was purged immediately after the War God Cult withdrew because it betrayed the War God Cult and sided with the Medicine God Cult. The entire family was expelled from the village.

However, the punishment of these guys was not ordered by Lud, but by the village chief Rom. The old man is now a staunch supporter of the Medicine God faction and deeply despises these ungrateful traitors.

Therefore, with the external threats temporarily gone but not gone, and the internal environment becoming more stable, Lud, who has completely gained control of the discourse, believes that a rare opportunity for development is right in front of him!

Under the leadership of the religious leader Lud, Pine Village began to concentrate its efforts on major projects, preparing for "industrial upgrading".

Prior to this, over 90% of the villagers in Songshu Village were engaged in farming. Although there were skilled trades such as blacksmithing and carpentry, they were all small-scale family workshops, far from being industrialized.

Therefore, based on practical considerations, Lu De first operated the school he had established as a technical school, using lower and intermediate classes to teach young children to read and write, while the advanced classes allowed them to choose a professional course for further study.

In order to get enough teachers for the school, Ludwig sincerely invited a group of craftsmen, including blacksmith Bank, to teach at the school as professional course instructors and train the students in the advanced classes.

At first, the craftsmen were not very willing, but they reluctantly agreed because of Lud's unparalleled prestige in the area. Only the blacksmith Bank agreed without hesitation because Lud had saved his daughter.

Lude understood what these craftsmen were worried about. Most traditional crafts had very strict rules. Besides their own flesh and blood, any outsiders had to sign an apprenticeship contract that was practically a servitude agreement. Apprentices had to work for free in their master's workshop for at least ten years, and even then, they weren't guaranteed to learn much.