Chapter 263: Hidden Currents! The Slo Family!

"Such a major matter must be reported, but not now."

Bishop Baoman paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing with calculations.

As the bishop of the Eastern Region, Bishop Baoman was already a major figure by standard, part of the Church's upper-middle class, but far from its core.

He had long dreamed of entering the Church's core, becoming a true top-tier figure, even catching the attention of the gods.

The sudden appearance of potatoes and sweet potatoes had given him hope.

Having served as bishop for decades—from neighborhood bishop, to city district bishop, then to regional bishop—Bishop Baoman understood better than anyone the power of potatoes.

If the Church gained control of them and monopolized their cultivation, its influence would grow further, and the people's faith in the gods would rise even higher.

Bishop Baoman himself would soar to greatness—perhaps even earn divine favor and become one of the Church's top two figures!

But the appearance of the Divine Power Mark shattered all his hopes.

Yet Bishop Baoman was not so easily deterred.

As a bishop of the Human Kingdom, Bishop Baoman viewed the beastmen as uncivilized barbarians, relying only on their naturally strong bodies to gain slight advantages on the battlefield.

This was also the general perception of beastmen among most people in the Hellin Kingdom.

Thus, when people of the Hellin Kingdom spoke of the beastman nation east of the Mist Mountains, their attitude was generally this:

Those beastmen should be grateful for the Mist Mountains—otherwise, they would have been conquered long ago!

Even though the Divine Power Mark had blocked the Church's ability to breed potatoes again, Bishop Baoman still could not let go.

That was his chance to rise to the top!

But even their god had no good solution for the Divine Power Mark, let alone him.

Yet Bishop Baoman refused to give up!

This stubborn refusal drove him to desperately want to do something.

"If I could obtain detailed intelligence on the Flame Kingdom, that alone would be a great achievement!"

Bishop Baoman thought.

The Hellin Kingdom had long harbored designs on the beastman nation.

After all, with two nations of equal strength surrounding it, the Hellin Kingdom had no choice but to expand eastward.

But decades ago, an entire army vanished in the Mist Mountains, with only a few strong individuals escaping—this had kept the Hellin Kingdom from launching a second campaign for decades.

Yet the High Officials of the Kingdom's desire for the beastman nation had never faded!

Bishop Baoman pondered, then asked his temple knight: "Is the rice supply for the eastern cities controlled by the Slo family?"