Chapter 513: Intelligence from Afar

"The guardian deity of Marienburg? Heh, I almost became that back in the day, if not for the three-point agreement I made with William at Duantiebao. It seems the purge was quite thorough; otherwise, they wouldn't have had time to curse me."

Sinuoli laughed heartily upon hearing this. Back then, he had interfered in the Empire by leveraging Marienburg's independence, and it was Boss Harvey and his cousin Tomi who had acted as the go-betweens. When Sinuoli was selecting his Apostles, Harvey had arrived upon hearing the news, and thanks to his capabilities and connections, one could say he had secured a spot in advance.

"Liulika, I am clear on your situation. Preaching in Norsca was merely a concept to begin with; to have achieved this much is already quite good."

"It is all thanks to the strong support of Prince Suojiade and the Venerable Sister; they were the first to place your divine statue beside those of the Ancestral Eight Gods."

As a Norscan Apostle, Liulika naturally dared not enter the Chaos Wastes alone. He used Dulongcheng as his base of operations, infiltrating the southern tribes living on both sides of the massive fjords through merchant caravans.

The Old World collectively refers to those living north of Kislev as Norscans, but in reality, this vast expanse of frozen earth is almost always in a state of strife—integrating and unifying it is the responsibility of the Everchosen.

Norsca is composed of a vast number of tribes, or rather, tribal confederations. They possess disparate cultures—different gods, traditions, heroes, and dialects. The further north one goes, the heavier the erosion by Chaos, while those in the south are slightly more moderate.

Beyond raiding, they also have concepts of trade and cooperation. When not at war, they exchange the specialties of the Wastes and their services as mercenaries for furs, metals, and the like with the forces of Order.

"Provide me with news from the Chaos Wastes to the best of your ability. Not just war—everything has value. Our understanding of that place is far, far too little. The brethren in Norsca seem more willing to explore underground."

Sinuoli loudly encouraged Liulika. Dealing with Chaos followers is fraught with danger; they cannot be judged by common sense. They might be chatting happily one second and at each other's throats the next, simply because they received a divine revelation or hallucinated that they had.

"My struggle with the followers of Ranald has been shared with everyone over these past days. I have nothing exceptional in terms of preaching; being able to sit in this fourth chair is entirely due to the grace of the Venerable God."

Duoluomao, the Apostle to Tilea, rose and cupped his hands in a salute to the room. He was an old hand and knew that requesting resources was not something to be done in public; after the meeting, Sinuoli would naturally give it due consideration.

"Estalia is currently stable within its secular powers, and the various cults maintain harmony under the mediation of the Knightly Orders under Myrmidia. Although they do not actively restrict newcomers, I can only infiltrate slowly."

"Hmm, that is a place of peaceful years, with abundant natural resources in its river valleys, plains, and harbors. At the far west of the Old World, away from strife, and close to Ulthuan, receiving the protection of the pointy-ears."

Sinuoli muttered to himself. Estalia had no large Dwarf fortresses, and his understanding of the place was limited, nor could he provide much support, so he would not be too harsh on the Apostle in charge of that region.

The happiness of the people there is famous in the Old World; many an old Bretonnian farmer wants to cross the mountains to escape there. To a certain extent, this means they are less reliant on the protection of the gods, and their faith is naturally not particularly devout.

"Venerable God, I traveled north all the way back to Middenheim. There lies the oldest Dwarf settlement in the human world, and the temperament of the people is most compatible with your kin, providing a great foundation for preaching, but it is, after all, the holy city of Ulric."

The fifth contributor was the Middenheim Apostle, Ximen. He was a burly, sturdy man, but his expression was slightly uneasy, for although he ranked fifth overall, he was already at the bottom among the three Apostles in the Empire.

"Admittedly, Middenheim itself ranks firmly in the top five of the Empire in terms of scale, but the connections between settlements within its territory are obstructed by forests and are not as tight as in other provinces. As I traveled between them..."

"You need not struggle to explain so much. Choosing Middenheim is a very good decision. In the future, it may be the stage for a grand drama, and what I need to do is prevent that drama from beginning."

Sinuoli sighed. The final battle of the End Times originally took place in Middenheim. Before that, there were a series of scenarios such as the war between the Elector Count and the Beastlord, and Teclis stealing the White Wolf Sacred Flame.

"By the way, regarding your presence, does the Ulric Cult have no reaction? He has been operating in Middenheim for nearly three thousand years; calling it a Divine Kingdom on land is no exaggeration."

"At first, no. They do not reject other faiths, only purge Chaos cults. But shortly before I received your summons, a message was passed on to me, saying that the Great Ulric wishes to meet with you."

"Old K's move startled quite a few old timers. But that is fine; good fortune follows disaster. With His endorsement, many things will be easier to develop. When you return, answer him that I will choose a time to visit."

Sinuoli muttered. The God of War, Ulric, could be said to be the most active and resolute in opposing Chaos during the End Times. After the Sacred Flame was stolen, He still did not give up, preferring to have His soul extinguished rather than not descend in His true form to fight Archaon. He is, without a doubt, a trustworthy ally.

As for the mysterious device under the city of Middenheim in his memories, the Dwarfs who built the city upon the undulating plateaus and cliffs—which legend says Ulric punched into existence—knew nothing of it. Sinuoli did not believe that in a mere few years, a mere mortal could spy anything out.

"North of Kislev, the influence of the Great Orthodoxy and the Tsar's court is not that strong, but a force hidden in the darkness, concealed deep within the dense forests, an indescribable power, is constantly interfering with it."

Tupolev ranked eighth, which was fifth from the bottom. Being able to achieve such results was partly because he had tirelessly gone to Er lun ge le to open a second front, and partly, perhaps, it could be attributed to the purity of the Kislevites' faith.

"Tzeentch's minions? Or rats?"

"Mother Ostankya and her Hedge Witch Secret Society. They draw magic from the woodlands, swamps, and provinces. The locals view them as heretics, yet also acknowledge them as the secret guardians of Kislev."

"Sounds like something derived from natural spirits, perhaps mixed with a bit of the unique Chaos erosion of the north. To be excluded from the mainstream of Kislev—which is hardly a mainstream itself—they are just small fry."

With his current strength and influence, not every "Legendary Lord" is worth his attention, especially those who cannot touch the peak of mortals or can only do so under specific conditions.

"Warn her to behave herself, or else go to Slayer Keep. Ager, no need to use him; Prince Gelagelimu is just lacking an opportunity to perform a meritorious service!"

"The Border Prince Territory is still in a state of division and reunification. I guarantee that if more resources are tilted this way, you will receive a matching return!"

Dadan'ang knew his Demigod had no patience for understanding town-level wars with scales of a thousand or eight hundred people. His concise and efficient style won Sinuoli's approval.