Chapter 592: Cardinals and Inspection

"Rod?"

The old man in the splendid cassock muttered a single line.

His expression was dim.

"Yugo died at this man's hands."

Not far off, Grand Commander Carter stopped swirling the wine cup in his hand.

He cast a glance at the inspector dispatched from above by Aetheron.

—One of the six Cardinals of the Yige Sect, David Elliot.

Yugo, then.

If I remember correctly, this must be the Bishop Yugo who was killed in Shi Ying Town a year later, yes?

The Argyle family at the time had made an enormous fuss over the matter.

But in the end, the one at the very top of Aetheron brushed it all aside with a single casual word.

Who was that Yugo to David Elliot?

"My lord, please accept my condolences, but do consider the bigger picture — we promised the Half-Deer folk we would spare this man's life."

Grand Commander Carter, bold and unrestrained, tipped the entire cup of wine into his mouth in one go.

He smacked his lips for a moment, a look of surprise on his face.

He looked curiously at the wine cup in his hand.

Huh?

Such a backwater place actually has wine this strong?

"That's what happens when you get old — you can't help but recall some of the outstanding young students you've had."

Cardinal David let out the helpless, melancholy sigh of an old man.

He raised his cup and took a faint sip.

Then added: "I care nothing for the Half-Deer folk's words — what culprit, what prophecy, it's all just the flailing of the desperate. The Half-Deer folk cannot stop the collapse of Silver Hoof Valley."

"Indeed, but I likewise have to mind Mistress's divine prohibition — that has drawn too many eyes to the Dusk Hills. If others learn our sect has ties to the Campbell family, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

The Grand Commander recalled the bards who had surrounded them during the day.

His heart felt irritated.

He poured himself another large cup of this fine backcountry wine.

"Which is precisely why we must do more of what the world already expects a 'levy corps' to do, to draw everyone's attention away."

"My lord, you mean apply maximum pressure on Shi Ying Town, accelerate the wealth-grabbing?"

"Correct — and not only Shi Ying Town. That forest warden Rod as well. I heard your men tested him during the day?"

"Yes. That Rod's strength is indeed terrifying, but he also knuckled under — he handed over a precious weapon to smooth over our displeasure."

As he spoke,

the Grand Commander let out a contemptuous snort.

He seemed to look down on Rod quite a bit.

He added: "This man single-handedly crushed Coral Bay, yet chose to develop it jointly as a backer — I figure he's just the type to settle for a corner of the world, a spineless sort. He surely doesn't have the guts to resist—"

"Besides, I've also learned that this fellow spends every day wandering about like some old moneybags, carousing night after night.

Since Coral Bay was taken, he hasn't done any training or practice at all — his essence will sooner or later be drained dry by women."

Cardinal David chuckled softly a few times.

He seemed to take a certain pleasure in it.

His eyes distant, he took another sip of wine.

"How did today's handover with the Campbell family go?"

Grand Commander Carter shook his head:

"Not smoothly. A greedy lot — they seem to have guessed something, claiming an accident came up. They've now delayed the direct handover, and say they want to meet with you and me in person."

"Heh, as expected — nothing more than wanting a ticket to the New World. Let them stew a few days."

"Mm, the pressure tactics will need some time anyway."

The night was pitch-black, the clouds thick.

They veiled the bright moonlight.

Cardinal David glanced up.

"Whether it's Shi Ying Town or that forest warden Rod, none of it matters to us. What we want is—"

"—the beginning of the New World."

Grand Commander Carter added.

The two riddlers turned their heads, exchanged a distant look across the room, and raised their cups in mutual salute.

"For the New World." x2

A silent storm began to gather over Shi Ying Town.

The following morning.

Rod came to the planting zone of Windwall Forest to nourish the newly planted trees.

That was the "Sprouting Form" of 【Child of Nature】.

【Accelerates the iterative evolution of plants within a ten-kilometer radius, hastening the birth of sentient species.】

Combined with Tree Spirit Vivian's 【Spring of Life】.

The little saplings grew sturdier every day.

The skill that had evolved from 【Gift of the Trees】 into 【Child of Nature】 was extraordinarily powerful.

In fact, Rod didn't really need to do much.

As long as he switched this natural phase out, it would operate automatically.

Wandering aimlessly while watching three beauties of completely different types—Vivian, the half-deer girl Little Ke, and Tally—planting trees, he felt thoroughly refreshed.

The little horse girl Little Little Bangde would also come by in the afternoon to help out for a while.

Right now she was at the elf Lady Kali's place, taking a magic tutoring class with the banshee Chris and the mushroom-person Scarlett.

The mushroom-person Scarlett was indeed a Ghoul Pan Ni girl.

But she was completely hard-countered by a stern, cold-faced teacher like Lady Kali.

Ever since the Young Lady elf caught her picking fights with people every day, she had been in a mandatory remedial teaching phase.

In class she shrank down like a quail, not even daring to make a sound when drinking water.

"Master~~ I'm tired, I need to replenish my energy~~~"

Tally walked over with light, unsteady steps, threw her arms around Rod's waist, buried herself against his chest, and took deep breaths.

"You've only planted two trees."

Facing her master's stern gaze, Tally guiltily let out a couple of sheepish chuckles.

"Master's scent energy replenishment complete!"

Rod, however, paid her no mind.

He turned his head to look at the witch Dimia, who was walking over from a distance.

She waved a greeting with a troubled expression, accompanied by the dog-person Sharon, who had both hands stuffed in her pockets.

Just looking at her.

One didn't need to think to know it was about the conscription corps.

Very soon.

Everyone arrived at the rest shelter in the planting area.

So-called rest shelter.

It was actually just the tables and chairs in front of the temporary shed where the saplings were stored.

Tally brewed tea on one side.

Little Ke and Vivian, the two young ladies, sat on a carpet at the edge enjoying the breeze.

The little deer girl's maternal instincts kicked in; she wiped the sweat off Vivian—who was blinking blankly at Rod in a daze—while also fanning her and the like.

"Two million Jin Along in back taxes?"

After hearing Dimia's words.

Rod couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The conscription corps' surprise audit hadn't ended, but they had announced the current progress on the tax shortfall to the city hall.

And they were making a big show of it.

They had directly sealed off the city hall, only allowing their own conscription corps personnel in and out.

With cordon lines pulled up, soldiers standing guard, and all that.

Even the sheriffs had been temporarily suspended from duty by them.

The residents of Shi Ying town were in a panic.

"And it's the 'current progress.'"

The dog-person Sharon added with a sour expression, deliberately putting extra weight on those four words.

She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed one leg over the other.

Brown long leather boots tightly wrapped around half of her sleekly lined calves, and the form-fitting gray hunting trousers made her legs look very long.

They perfectly showcased her full, lifted peach-shaped bottom.

"In other words, this amount is only temporary! It might even be far more than that!"

"That's right. Not only that, they also said they'd levy a war tax, a temporary protection tax, and a repair and maintenance tax—even the reconstruction costs for Coral Bay would have a tenth deducted from it every month."

Dimia smiled bitterly.

Heh.

Rod shook his head:

"I understand the temporary protection tax—since the sheriffs have all been forced to rest—but what's this repair and maintenance tax?"

"They plan to repair the Yige Sect church in Shi Ying town, and all the costs will be collected from the residents' taxes."

"Since that's the case, if they won't give us face, there's nothing more to say. Tally, tonight disguise yourself as an escaped prisoner with me, and let's kill all those tax auditors."

Sharon's eyes lit up: "I'll go too!"

Dimia hurriedly said: "You can't kill them all, just kill two as a warning."

"No, I want to kill them all."

(End of chapter)