ebookslot Chapter 154 Aftermath
Chapter 154 Aftermath
Chapter 154 Aftermath
The celebration continued until late at night, but it had nothing to do with Gebu and his group anymore.
The manticore threat has been resolved, and peace is on the horizon for the kingdom and the empire—why not celebrate? Late autumn is the perfect time for a celebration before the kingdom's harsh winter arrives.
The conflicts between the church, the lord, and the merchant guild were drowned out by the celebrations following the death of the manticore. For three days after the manticore hunt, Gebu shuttled between the church, the castle, and the merchant guild, ensuring that all previous agreements were implemented—a task no easier than fighting the manticore!
The information each party possesses, their own needs, and their outward pretenses are all different. Lies and truths are intertwined, forcing Gebu to be extremely careful, lest he let slip a secret and let the cooked duck escape.
On the church side, Father Usha praised the Rose Knight and its agent (Gebu, of course).
He seemed determined to support Gebu in spreading the Holy Religion throughout the empire's borders, and the elderly man, well past sixty, wished he could go with him. It took Gebu a great deal of effort to persuade him to stay.
Are all religious people this stubborn?! And the older they get, the more stubborn they become.
"If Usha knew he was a complete fraud, would he faint?" Gebu wondered to himself.
"This is my personal seal. Although I am just a diocesan priest, I have served in the Holy Church of the Kingdom for many years, with numerous students and colleagues. In the Old Kingdom, my name still carries some weight." Father Usha solemnly handed a brass ring bearing a holy emblem to Gebu. "May this token serve its purpose on your journey. God's protection."
"God bless you. Thank you very much, Father Usa."
Father Usha also wanted to lend Gebu some money in the name of the church, not much, just 500 gold coins.
Of course, following the tenets of the Holy Church, no interest is charged.
After thinking it over, Geb decided it was best to avoid any financial entanglements with the Church of Oubak. So he politely declined.
After receiving the church's blessing, with the help of Lady Stoneheart, Geb obtained the promised 2000 gold coins and a letter of recommendation from the acting lord Alphonse.
Actually, Gebu didn't know why Madam Stoneheart insisted on having a letter of recommendation—wasn't it just a matter of her saying a word to get him into the Chamber of Commerce?
Perhaps she also needs to leave evidence for her decision—there are higher-level members of the Chamber of Commerce above Shi Xin, and she needs to secure her own future.
Alphonse may seem amiable on the surface, but he always speaks with hidden meanings, subtly probing what happened during the hunt for the manticore.
"Sir Matthew said they found the corpse of a beastman outside the ruins. Do you know what that means?"
A corpse? Gebu thought to himself, did he not mention that one of the corpses was one they had created themselves?
"We tracked the manticore to the entrance of the ruins, and there the corpses were. I think perhaps they were just some bandits on the road who unfortunately became victims of the manticore."
Alphonse narrowed his small eyes and stared at Geb for a while. The halfling kept his face tense and remained expressionless.
"In conclusion, you have accomplished a great feat—my dear Rose Knight, where will your journey take you from here on out?"
"We will be traveling with the salt and iron caravan to Shanhaiguan, and then through the checkpoints into the Thousand Lakes Plain," Dove replied politely.
"You mean, go to the territory of the Golden Sun Red Earth Empire?" Alphonse asked meaningfully.
"I think the Patriarch and King Kane might disagree with you," Doffin said.
"Regardless of what they think, the Empire has occupied the Thousand Lakes Plain for twenty years. The schism between the Church of Obak and the Holy Church there predates even the Thirty Years' War. Long before you and I were born, the kingdom's nobles no longer considered the Thousand Lakes Plain as part of the Kingdom of Kane."
"Whether or not they are part of the kingdom, the people of the Thousand Lakes yearn for the glory of the Lord, and I believe they will welcome our arrival," Dove said under Geb's guidance.
"Then I wish you a safe journey." Alphonse neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying with a slight smile. "By the way, you mentioned before that your surname is Hawkwood?"
The woman with the sword paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes and did not deny it.
"If you go to Shanhaiguan, you should meet my father, Baron Roger, and my elder brother, Gomeni. If I remember correctly, my father fought alongside the elders of the Takagi family when he was young. I believe they will give you a warm welcome."
"Of course," the swordswoman replied softly.
The two bid Alphonse a polite farewell, and the woman with the sword hurriedly left the castle. Geb felt somewhat puzzled.
"Hey, swordswoman, what does your family do? Judging from what that fat guy said, the Takagi family seems pretty powerful."
"What's so great about it?!"
"You're not some noble lady, are you?" Gebu asked tentatively. This question had been swirling in Gebu's mind for a long time. From her manners and speech when dealing with nobles, to her knowledge of how to enjoy high-class ham—she couldn't be described as particularly noble, but her knowledge certainly surpassed that of the average rough-and-ready mercenary.
The swordswoman rolled her eyes at the halfling and said irritably, "Young lady my foot! A young lady wouldn't cooperate with a stinky goblin, would she? Why are you so talkative? What does it matter to you where I came from?"
Hey! Gebu was furious after being scolded. But then he thought about it and realized that the woman's outburst must have hit a nerve. This woman was used to using anger to mask her vulnerability, like a hedgehog using its quills to protect its delicate belly.
"Fine, if you won't tell me, I won't ask," Gebu said casually.
"You—" The swordswoman wanted to continue cursing, but seeing that Gebu didn't press the matter, she was somewhat surprised and couldn't speak for a moment.
"Tell me whenever you want. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine too," Gebu said. "I understand. Women always need some secrets."
"—This has nothing to do with men and women," the swordswoman murmured. "These are all trivial matters, no need to bring them up again—"
Gebu glanced at the tall woman, who had her hands in front of her chest, looking wary, and stared straight ahead.
It seems that the pain of the past is still troubling her—perhaps one day, when she trusts me enough, she will tell me about her past.
Hey, why should I care? Gebu quickly banished that thought from his mind. It's just a combat power boost and a GG card, don't take it so seriously.
In the past few days, through Dulin's connections, Gebu opened up a supply channel with the dwarven liquor merchants. He then purchased the necessary materials, tools, containers, wagons, and daily necessities for making cocktails in Chifang Town. He worked hard and finally set up his cocktail business on the fourth day, before the caravan officially set off.
On the night before departure, Gebu Company held its first shareholders' meeting.