Chapter 324: It

"Good news! Marshal, I'm absolutely certain this is a good thing! And…" Gervas shifted his gaze to Brandon, the steward who had remained silent.

"Steward Brandon, what do you think of my Stormhold?"

"To be honest, my Stormhold boasts beautiful scenery and a population of over twelve thousand!"

"Every day, countless refugees come here to trade. I can proudly say that nowhere in this region is better suited for building a temple than Stormhold!"

"So, I beg you to seriously consider placing the temple here in Stormhold. I can take you right now to choose the perfect location!"

Damn! Marshal blurted out "Damn!"

Mil also blurted out "Damn!"

Ian also blurted out "Damn!"

Even Brandon couldn't hold it together—he too blurted out "Damn!"

He had seen many nobles resist the Church of Light, but never one who actively begged for the Church to come and build a temple on his land. He had never seen anything like it.

Could this man also be a latent believer of their Church?

"Lord Gervas, your warm welcome of our Church of Light shows far greater wisdom than many nobles I've met!"

"Your request will be given serious consideration. If Stormhold truly suits the temple's construction, I will not let this opportunity slip away!"

"Then I am deeply grateful, Steward Brandon! I'm certain Stormhold will not disappoint you! Steward Brandon, shall I lead you all to select the site right now?"

"Then I'm in your hands, Lord Gervas!" Brandon rarely held any noble in high regard—but Gervas had earned it.

Gervas, without further ceremony, eagerly led the group out of the castle.

"Steward Brandon, the temple must be built in a place of beautiful scenery and convenient transportation!"

"In Stormhold, the most convenient transportation is by sea. With the Church's strength, future supplies can easily be transported by ship!"

"So, why don't I first take you all to the coastline to take a look?"

Brandon was even more satisfied. "Lord Gervas, then we rely on you."

In this world, sea transport was indeed one of the most convenient means of travel.

Especially for a border region like Stormhold.

Watching this, even Marshal muttered to himself: no wonder Gervas's title had skyrocketed.

First promoted from second son to baron, then from baron to viscount.

His flattery skills were almost on par with mine.

But why was he so delighted about building a temple?

Didn't he know the downsides of a temple at all?

Amid the nobles' stunned glances, Gervas's party set off toward the coastline.

Along the way, Gervas had brought a cart of servants specifically to offer water or hand-washing to the guests.

In short, the emphasis was on attentive hospitality.

"Steward Brandon, this is the coastline of Stormhold. What do you think of the scenery?"

The carriage halted on a hillock one li from the shore. Gervas pointed toward the coastline: blue sky, white clouds, rolling waves, and golden sand.

The scenery surpassed even the most famous tourist beaches from his past life.

"The scenery is indeed excellent!" Brandon nodded. Stormhold's natural beauty certainly outshone the densely populated inland territories.

"Of course, Lord Gervas, the temple must be built on elevated ground—not just for convenience, but for safety as well!"

Gervas immediately nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Steward Brandon! I nearly overlooked the danger because of the Holy Knights!"

"Then let me take you further—the end of the beach leads to a sea cliff, with a drop of dozens of meters. From there, you can still enjoy a magnificent sea view."

"More importantly, it's perfectly safe!"

Soon, they reached a sea cliff with a drop of dozens of meters. Around them, grasses swayed gently in the breeze, and the sea stretched endlessly before them.

"Steward Brandon, to be honest, if this spot weren't for building a temple, I'd never give it to anyone else!"

"I'd already planned to build a seaside villa here—perfect for summer retreats. It would be incredibly comfortable!"

Brandon nodded. This location was indeed suitable.

Clearly, Gervas had put real thought into this.

The only drawback was its distance from Wheatfield Town—making it slightly inconvenient for spreading the Church's teachings.

But that wasn't a major issue. There was a village along the way they'd passed—they could start recruiting believers there first.

As the Church grew, those believers would naturally come to the temple on their own.

Even a little propaganda could make distant followers believe that enduring the long journey to pray proved their devotion.

"Mil, were you really just going to the latrine? Did you not warn Gervas about the Church's dangers?"

"Yes, Mil! We thought you'd already told him!"

Meanwhile, listening to Gervas's speech, the neighboring nobles' lips twitched uncontrollably.

Pretending to walk farther away, they immediately cornered Mil.

Because Mil had left earlier, they'd assumed he'd gone to inform Gervas about the Church of Light.

Mil's expression shifted repeatedly, his face filled with frustration. "You lot—I did go to find Gervas! But…"

"But Gervas wouldn't listen to me. What could I do?"

Then Mil recounted the entire scene from the corridor.

"This…" The nobles were stunned.

"Could Gervas really not know anything about the Church of Light?"

"I don't know—but it's the only possible explanation."

"What do we do now?"

"Wait! See if there's still a chance. If so, we'll find another opportunity to warn Gervas of the severity!"

"But if Steward Brandon chooses this spot, we'll be powerless…"

"Ah! Merfolk! My lord, it's bad! The merfolk are back!"

Before Mil and the others had finished speaking, a panicked cry rang out from nearby.

Following the voice, they saw several Stormhold soldiers stationed on the beach below the cliff, shouting in terror.

Of course, from their elevated position, they also spotted small dark dots on the sea.

"Ah! It really is the merfolk! Last month they attacked Seaside Village and killed over ten people—why are they back?!"

More panicked shouts from the soldiers followed.

Gervas's face instantly turned cold, then ashen. "Shut up! You fools, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Merfolk have never appeared here before—how could they be 'back'?!"

The soldiers fell silent under his rebuke, but their bodies still trembled uncontrollably.

Gervas paid no mind to the soldiers—he quickly turned to Marshal, Brandon, and the others, whose expressions had turned strange.

"Your Excellencies, these are merely a few merfolk. They pose no real threat."

"I'll have my men deal with them immediately!"

"Lei Meng!"

"My lord, your servant is here!" Lei Meng stepped forward at once.

"Take the soldiers and drive those merfolk away!"

"This…" Lei Meng froze.

"What? Do you have something to say?!" Gervas snapped, furious. The knight captain's sluggishness made him feel humiliated.

"My lord, these merfolk seem to be far more numerous. Our hundred soldiers may not be enough."

"More? How many could there possibly be? Can't you handle a couple hundred merfolk?"

"My lord… it's not just a couple hundred—it's over two thousand…"