67: The Last Night (Thank you for your recommendation and monthly tickets))

Inside the New Temple's reception hall, the atmosphere was solemn, with Evil Wolf Earl, Sheriff, Warden Robert, and Cardinal, among others, already present.

After Arthur took his seat, Cicinius spoke, "I always thought Mother Earth had abandoned this place."

As soon as he spoke, the Cardinal's face changed drastically.

Fortunately, Cicinius changed the subject, his tone softening, "But today's signs indicate that the goddess still favors us."

"Brother Gutierrez, there are many ways to serve the goddess, but a New Temple alone is not enough."

"Tell me, during your governance, how many priests capable of casting divine spells have emerged in the Evil Wolf Family's territory?"

Fine beads of sweat broke out on the regional Cardinal's forehead, and his voice trembled, "Only...only two."

Cicinius sighed softly, "Yes, in twenty-three years, only two have been able to cast divine spells themselves."

"Have you never felt any doubt?"

The Cardinal of Esputa, seeing this, quickly took over, "Great Shepherd, the gods' magic is incredibly profound, and mortals cannot easily master it."

"Those chosen by the earth mother, like Arthur, are even rarer."

"Brother Gutierrez's ability to build such a magnificent New Temple is already a great achievement."

Pope's expression was grave as he said, "But we are losing believers."

"Everyone, I must tell you the truth."

"As the merchants gained victory in the civil war, more and more people began to convert to the Golden Lady."

"We are not only losing status and land, but also the very foundation of our faith."

Evil Wolf Earl couldn't help but interject, "Pope, your sudden arrival this time..."

"Surely it's not to reiterate these well-known difficulties, is it?"

Pope's expression grew even more severe, "According to the latest intelligence received by the Mother Earth Church."

"The Falcon Family has converted to the Golden Lady."

This news was like a bombshell, instantly exploding in the reception hall, and everyone's faces showed shock.

Because this also meant that the Falcon Family had completely abandoned the Eastern Alliance and joined the merchant faction.

"We have lost a very important ally," Cicinius said, "Although the Falcon Family has not yet officially announced it,"

"But it's only a matter of time."

"My hurried visit this time is to understand the attitudes of the other major families."

"I have already visited the Bull Family, and they still steadfastly pledge allegiance to Mother Earth."

"Now, it's your turn, Evil Wolf Earl."

Evil Wolf Earl slowly rose, solemnly drawing a Mother Earth symbol on his chest.

Then, he declared, "The Evil Wolf Family will always be loyal to Mother Earth, there is no doubt about that."

"But I must point out that if the Falcon Family turns to the enemy, we will inevitably have a war with them in the future."

"At that time, how will the Mother Earth Church react? Will it still stand by and allow the Falcon Family to gain a council seat, as it did last time?"

"To be honest, the Mother Earth Church is not blameless for how things have developed to this point."

Cicinius did not refute the Earl's accusation,

Instead, he made a promise, "All families loyal to Mother Earth will receive the full support of the Mother Earth Church."

Then, Pope's tone suddenly shifted, saying, "I've heard about recent events."

"This must be related to the Falcon Family's change of faith."

"I also heard that even a follower of a mad god infiltrated the local Mother Earth Church?"

The regional Cardinal, seeing the topic turn back to him, hastily explained, "Great Shepherd, we really cannot be blamed for this."

"According to the investigation, this traitor was indeed a servant of the goddess initially."

"He must have been misled to do such a thing..."

"He was your assistant, did you not notice anything unusual?"

"Enough, say no more. I will have my deputy conduct a thorough review of the local clergy."

Gutierrez could only nod obediently.

He had been planning to work on this before it escalated to minimize the damage to himself.

He never expected Pope to come directly to him, leaving him no time to prepare.

"Furthermore, it's regrettable that a saint, who we finally managed to produce, must be sent to Qingfeng Valley."

Hearing Pope mention him, Arthur immediately became fully alert.

Cicinius continued, "Since Brother Arthur is going to Qingfeng Valley to follow the will of the goddess,"

"The Mother Earth Church naturally has to show its support. Otherwise, how can we explain it to other believers?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Cardinal brought a delicate box and handed it to Arthur.

"Inside is a blessed priest's robe," he said, "It should be of help to you."

"In addition, we sent people to collect donations at the banquet."

"A total of two thousand three hundred and twenty gold coins were raised, and they have been deposited into the Calimshan bank."

"The proof is in the box; you can use it when you need it."

Arthur was very excited, but he maintained a calm demeanor.

He expressed his gratitude to the Mother Earth Church and swore his eternal loyalty to Mother Earth.

Of course, Pope would not make a losing deal.

The request was simple: when Arthur departed tomorrow, Pope would personally bless the expedition team.

For Arthur, this was undoubtedly a very worthwhile transaction.

Evil Wolf Earl then spoke, "Pope."

"I think since Arthur is going to Qingfeng Valley for the goddess, why not sign a few agreements with him?"

"If Arthur can establish a foothold in Qingfeng Valley,"

"All of Amn will know about the wise decision of the Mother Earth Church."

Pope pondered for a moment, deeming the proposal very appropriate.

If this saint truly succeeded, the Mother Earth Church's reputation would surely soar.

The signed agreements would be strong proof.

Even if Arthur failed, the Mother Earth Church would not suffer any losses and would still gain a good reputation.

Thus, while receiving funding from the Mother Earth Church, Arthur also obtained several agreements signed with the Mother Earth Church.

In the power struggle between the two sides, he became the biggest winner of this secret meeting.

By the time the banquet ended, it was already late at night.

Arthur had his servants move the unopened wine onto the carriage, then went to the dock camp with Vanka.

Along the way, he was still processing the various matters from the secret meeting.

The division of the East might be coming faster than he had anticipated.

-----------------

His retainers gathered in the warehouse, discussing the various arrangements for the journey.

Arthur's arrival interrupted their conversation.

Seeing that their lord had brought them wine, everyone stepped forward, happily taking the wine and drinking it.

Arthur briefly explained tomorrow's arrangements to everyone.

When they heard that Pope would personally bless the expedition team, everyone was astonished.

Especially Bruce and others; yesterday, they were still a group of criminals on the wanted list.

Just one day later, they had become glorious members of the Qingfeng Valley expedition team.

Bruce could already imagine how excited the believers of Mother Earth in the team would be when this news was announced tomorrow.

As the Mother Earth Church's designated saint, this new lord seemed to have invisibly won the loyalty of most people in the team.

"My lord, there's something I must tell you."

Jessica suddenly spoke, breaking the lively atmosphere.

Everyone's gaze turned to him, and the warehouse gradually quieted down.

"I didn't intend to hide it," Jessica continued, "I am a Beast Shifter,"

"This is my family's curse."

Thanks to his understanding of DND, relevant information immediately popped into Arthur's mind.

Beast Shifters are sometimes also called "Beastfolk"; they are the descendants of humanoid creatures fully or partially infected with lycanthropy.

"Can you control it?" he asked Jessica seriously.

Due to the influence of lycanthropy, Beast Shifters, like werewolves, are often tormented by the beastly nature within them.

Many Beast Shifters will activate that primal beastly nature for various reasons, losing control and turning into beasts, wantonly slaughtering.

Jessica did not answer, but simply stood up silently and walked to an empty space in the warehouse.

Immediately after, a pained expression appeared on his face, and his body curled up accordingly.

Iron Shovel and Newt watched him with worried faces.

Bruce gulped down a large mouthful of wine, trying to ease his inner unease.

Although Airo's expression was calm, a hint of worry was also revealed in her eyes.

After a few low growls, Jessica slowly stood up.

At this moment, his figure had become taller and more robust, and many beast-like features appeared on his body: yellowish vertical pupils, sharp ears, protruding canines, and fur covering his skin.

But Arthur could see that Jessica had not lost his mind.

"I can control it," Jessica said firmly, "My family has fought this curse for generations."

"We have figured out how to use this power without losing ourselves."

After speaking, Jessica groaned in pain again, and the beastly features on his body gradually receded.

Not long after, he returned to his human form.

Arthur seized the opportunity to ask, "What exactly happened to the Longfeather Mercenary Group?"

"Why did the Falcon Family try to wipe you out? Is this related to you being a Beast Shifter?"

Iron Shovel interjected, "My lord, I think I'm the most qualified to answer your question."

"I was one of the first members to join the resistance army."

"Yes, initially there was no Longfeather Mercenary Group at all."

"We were just a group of oppressed demi-humans."

"My lord, you must have heard of Roiaf Gonsa's massacre against demi-humans, right?"

Arthur nodded.

Roiaf Gonsa, as the last emperor of Amn.

During his reign, he launched a brutal massacre against the demi-humans within Amn.

This atrocity not only exacerbated the internal division of Amn but also accelerated the outbreak of the civil war.

Old Dwarf continued, "We formed a resistance army under Yang's leadership to fight against Amn's army."

"Later, when the civil war broke out, we joined the merchant alliance."

"It was at that time that our leader, Yang, founded the Longfeather Mercenary Group."

Arthur had read about the deeds of the half-elf hero Yang in historical documents.

Yang led the demi-humans of Amn to resist tyranny, successfully repelling Amn's army many times.

However, after the civil war ended, many of this hero's deeds were deliberately erased.

And the hopeful demi-humans merely went from third-class citizens to second-class citizens.

"Those merchants are not good people either," Old Dwarf said coldly, "None of the promises they made back then were fulfilled."

"In desperation, we could only continue to live as mercenaries."

"Until Jessica's father helped us settle down. Unfortunately, it didn't last long..."

Just as the Old Dwarf sighed, Catherine interjected, "The Falcon Family claimed that a group of demi-humans attacked their territory."

"The specialists and their escorts sent to investigate were all brutally murdered by the demi-humans, which is why they launched the campaign against the demi-human villages."

"Bah!" The Old Dwarf was furious, "This is a blatant lie."

"We had just settled down with great difficulty, how could we do such foolish things."

"And leave so much evidence for the other side? Do you believe it, madam?"

Catherine shook her head, "That was also the question I raised at the hearing back then, but no one cared."

"Hearing?" Jessica's face showed doubt.

Catherine explained, "Yes, after you defeated the allied forces for the third time."

"The infuriated council held a public trial for the captured traitors."

"Those captives accused the Falcon Family during the trial."

"Some council members felt something was amiss, so they interrogated them overnight, and then organized a secret hearing against the Falcon Family."

"You were one of the initiators of the hearing?" Arthur asked.

Catherine nodded, "I was mainly responsible for organizing the interrogation and trial records."

"As an initiator, I had the right to question the Falcon Family, but the questions I could ask were very limited."

Arthur suddenly chuckled, "Then have you ever considered that this might be one of the reasons you were imprisoned?"

Catherine pondered for a moment, then replied, "If things are truly as Old Hutu said, it is indeed possible."

"I swear on my life," Jessica said to Catherine, "Ethelbald, the current Falcon Earl,"

"Launched a horrific massacre against us."

"I am willing to believe you," Catherine said, "But...but the immediate priority now is how to survive in Qingfeng Valley."

"We will definitely survive, because the Dark Lord has fallen into eternal slumber."

Airo's words attracted everyone's attention.

"What Dark Lord?" Godwin asked.

Airo took a deep breath, "He is the ruler of all dark creatures in Qingfeng Valley, and the actual controller of that land."

"Six months ago, my companions and I defeated him, but we couldn't kill him completely, only make him fall into slumber."

"As he slumbered, the evil power he brought was gradually weakening."

"Now, his former subordinates are fighting among themselves, which is an excellent opportunity for us to enter Qingfeng Valley."

Hearing this, Arthur understood.

The reason Mother Earth could once again sense Qingfeng Valley was likely related to the Dark Lord falling into slumber.

Godwin asked again, "If that's the case,"

"We must completely kill the Dark Lord to rule Qingfeng Valley."

"Otherwise, his evil power will continue to affect that land like a chronic poison, right?"

Airo nodded, "Don't worry, I know how to kill him."

"Last time, I was also transformed into a blood-sucking monster by him..."

"Vampire!" Old Hutu, who had been drowsy, screamed in terror, "Garlic, oh my goodness, we need garlic and stakes!"

Arthur spoke up to explain, "Don't worry, Old Hutu, she's a half-blood."

"And she can also control her bloodlust."

At this, Arthur looked at Jessica and continued, "I think this is thanks to you; you taught her how to control that desire."

Jessica nodded.

"After I was transformed, I fell into bloodlust," Airo said, "My companions could only risk their lives to make the Dark Lord fall into slumber."

"I failed, but not this time. I will kill him with my own hands! I hope you can help me."

A long silence.

Just as Arthur was about to speak, Philip said, "Isn't this good news?"

"The most dangerous enemy is already asleep, and we also know how to kill him."

"Yes, this is indeed good news!" Arthur echoed with a smile.

Everyone laughed, raising their glasses to Airo.