Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 360 Strange

"Confuse?"

Xia Nan naturally wouldn't ignore the old pastor's words.

Although it sounded somewhat mystical and carried the religious connotations typical of clergy, he still sensed the friendliness in the other person's words.

Combined with what he had just learned from the two peasant women about Pastor Moen's high reputation in Giesecke & Sorrow and his past deeds, he had a very good impression of the sprightly old man with white hair in front of him.

Stepping forward two steps, he nodded in acknowledgment and introduced himself:

"Hello, I am Xia Nan, an adventurer passing by."

He didn't reveal much information, only giving his name and a vague background. Of course, anyone with a little experience in judging people could tell from his clothes and appearance.

But to his surprise, Pastor Moen seemed to actually recognize him. His cloudy brown eyes darted around, his gaze lingering briefly on Xia Nan's armor and sword hilt.

"Mr. Horako's caravan, is that it?"

"You know him?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, feeling surprised.

"of course."

The pastor's face, etched with deep wrinkles, still wore that friendly and gentle smile as he patiently explained to Xia Nan.

"Formal members of the Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce are very rare and distinguished guests in a remote and dilapidated town like Giethoorn."

"If we are fortunate enough to cooperate with Mr. Horako's caravan, it would be a great thing for the ordinary residents of the town."

Moen's words were sincere and earnest. He did not consider himself superior because of his position as a pastor. On the contrary, it was very much in line with his character and style, putting the needs of the townspeople first.

This is not a compliment.

As a powerful chamber of commerce with considerable influence in several nearby provinces, especially in Panyun Province, the resources and power that the Jinmai Chamber of Commerce can mobilize are terrifying.

Holak is a formal member of the Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce. Even though he is not a high-ranking figure who can decide the direction of the Chamber's resources, his membership status is a testament to his economic strength, making him one of the top businessmen in the local area.

If Girth of Sheeps can indeed reach a long-term cooperation agreement with the other party, it could indeed improve the lives of the town's residents, just as Pastor Moen said.

"Yesterday was my first meeting with Horako. He was a generous and kind gentleman. Unfortunately, time was short, as I had to go back to church for prayers and worship. Mr. Horako also seemed to be busy looking for something, so we were unable to have an in-depth discussion about cooperation."

"Fortunately, I heard that the other party will stay in our town for a while, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to communicate with this gentleman again later."

Moen's smile was like a carefully cultivated field, warm and orderly.

But the next second, as if sensing something during Xia Nan's brief silence, he subconsciously leaned forward, adopting a posture of attentive listening, his tone sincere:

"What's wrong, Mr. Xia Nan?"

"Didn't Horak tell you?" Xia Nan shook his head slightly. "We're only taking a short break in Giethoorn. We'll be leaving in a few days."

"If you have something you want to discuss with him, I suggest you find an opportunity to visit him at the hotel."

Before Xia Nan came into contact with the pastel gem and removed Horaco's bewitching effect, Horaco actually planned to stay in Giraffe Town for a long time to investigate the gem-related situation.

But now, after absorbing the energy from the gem into the [Dream Corridor] last night, the merchant from Newm was no longer under the gem's mental control, so he immediately changed his plans and intended to finish processing the caravan's goods as quickly as possible and leave immediately.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Nan keenly noticed that the kindness in the dark brown eyes of the white-haired old man in the simple priest's robe froze for a very brief moment, like the dappled sunlight swaying and dancing under the shade of a tree.

His large, calloused hand barely touched the ash wood staff; the strange sensation was fleeting, so quick that one might doubt their own imagination.

"Ah, a wise decision." Without showing any sign of surprise, Moen smiled warmly, his words carrying a perfectly timed sigh, "The world is vast, and we really shouldn't linger too long in such a corner."

"But..." he changed the subject, as naturally as a farmer casually parting the soil to check his crops.

"Mr. Horac mentioned to me yesterday that he really liked the atmosphere of Giethoorn. He said the warm-hearted townspeople and abundant produce made him linger. I thought he would stay longer."

Moen's choice of words was careful and not offensive at all, as if he were simply curious about why Horak had changed his plans.

Xia Nan certainly couldn't tell the other party that Horak decided not to linger because his [Dream Corridor] absorbed the gem's energy and lifted the charm effect.

His face remained impassive; he simply echoed the other person's words in a flat, indistinct tone, replying vaguely:

"Plans can never keep up with changes, and Mr. Horako may have more important things to deal with."

Xia Nan could sense that as he spoke, Pastor Moen's seemingly casual gaze was meticulously tracing every change in his expression, as if trying to find something in his face.

Strangely, whether it was the peasant woman's praise that made him have such a good impression of the priest in front of him, or the special aura of Moen himself as a priest under the goddess of agriculture, Chantia, he did not feel offended at all by the other party's gaze. Instead, he felt as if an elder was looking at him with concern.

Fortunately, as a professional, he had excellent muscle control, and his face remained calm and expressionless. Unless the other party had some kind of mind-reading ability, it would be impossible to see anything unusual from his appearance.

"Hehe, child, you're right."

Moen remained as calm as ever.

"But it is precisely because change is constant that plans are so precious."

"Like a good gardener, he never stops working because of sudden wind and rain. He learns to observe the celestial phenomena and follow the natural order."

So cultured...

Xia Nan couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Although he could roughly understand what the other person meant, he really didn't know how to respond to such words that were rich in religious philosophy and life philosophy without appearing awkward.

Considering the somewhat delicate atmosphere and thinking that "the more you say, the more mistakes you make," he kept his mouth shut, only responding with a polite and dignified smile.

The air above the square fell into a deathly silence.

Just then, Xia Nan's gaze swept over the church with its doors tightly closed by the square. As thoughts raced through his mind, a tentative question slipped out of his mouth.

"Is the church...close today?"

Pastor Moen's facial muscles stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. His gaze followed Xia Nan's pointing finger, sweeping over the heavy wooden door engraved with the Holy Symbol of the Virgin Mary. The kindness and gentleness in his eyes were like ripples on water, subtly concealing a deeper emotion within them.

Du—

It was the crisp sound of the ash wood staff tapping against the plaza tiles. "Yes..." Moen sighed naturally, his tone full of regret, "With the passage of time, it's inevitable that it will need repairs sometime."

“Just as the Mother of All Things taught, ‘True protection lies in daily nurturing and timely repair, not in lamenting afterward,’ I am putting the Goddess’s teachings into practice and trying to repair some of the dilapidated parts of the church.”

"Although it has been under renovation for some time, all prayer and worship services have been cancelled until the church is restored to a sufficiently good condition."

"In order to avoid unnecessary danger or cause any heart that should be devout to waver because of this temporary imperfection, the believers are forbidden from entering."

"I'm sorry, but if you want to go inside for a visit, you'll probably have to wait a while."

As he spoke, Moen shrugged dramatically and made a little joke at Xia Nan:

"But to be honest, it's not worth waiting for months in Giethoorn just for this church."

"While the faith in the goddess is certainly noble, the church in Giethoorn alone is far from enough to warrant such a significant impact on your life as to make a special trip to see it."

“In other towns, you can find countless buildings that are more magnificent and splendid than the church in front of you.”

The old pastor's words were witty and philosophical. While providing a complete and comprehensive explanation of why the church was closed, he also sincerely introduced the doctrines of the goddess that he practiced. His honesty and sense of responsibility throughout the process could dispel the concerns of almost all skeptics.

Of course, this does not include Xia Nan.

Closures for maintenance are common, but when they happen in a remote town where rumors of strange gems with bewitching effects are circulating, or when townspeople show similar resistance to the gems when the church is mentioned as they do when the gems are discussed, it is a different story.

Doubts, like weeds, quietly grew in my heart outside the tightly closed wooden doors of the Church of the Goddess of Santia at the edge of the square.

Before he had actually seen the things inside the church with his own eyes and searched to confirm them, he could never be sure about the church itself, or even Moen's role in this incident.

But since they've already said that, forcing them to enter the church for a visit now would be somewhat disrespectful to this beloved old pastor in the town.

After thinking it over, Xia Nan decided to wait for another opportunity to come and find out more.

But for now, I'll take my leave.

May your journey be like a carefully preserved green seed, always finding the fertile soil you need to take root and sprout.

Moen continued speaking in his words, which were full of agricultural wisdom and allegorical flavor.

He smiled and said goodbye to Xia Nan, his expression warm and sincere.

It was early morning.

As summer transitions into autumn, the bright and beautiful sunshine shines down from the sky, illuminating the entire square.

A young man with black hair and black eyes, dressed in dark silver iron armor and carrying two swords on his back, was bathed in sunlight as his figure disappeared at the end of the street in the distance.

Swallowed by the dark shadow cast by the towering church, the elderly pastor stood quietly in place, his pale hair seemingly dyed a different color by the darkness surrounding him. Reflected in the depths of the murky eyes of the young figure in the distance, gentleness and kindness were quietly replaced by something profound.

……

……

Strange, so strange.

Walking down the street, Xia Nan's expression revealed a thoughtful look.

A remote town on the edge of a province, a special gemstone with a mind-control effect never seen before, a tightly closed church door, and a kind and wise old pastor who is deeply loved by the townspeople.

The clues collected seem to be connecting.

But the more crucial part remains unsolved.

Despite being a goddess of agriculture, Chantia is in the universally benevolent camp and constantly urges her followers to adhere to her doctrines, act kindly, and help others with enthusiasm and generosity.

But in Goat's Horn, within His sphere of influence, such a change has occurred, and the time span has been nearly half a year, so why has the other party, or rather the priests in the town, not reacted at all?

Out of caution, Xia Nan did not mention anything about pastel gems when he spoke with Moen earlier, but the priest's attitude, to some extent, reflected this.

What made him even more wary was the subtle change in Pastor Moen's expression when Xia Nan mentioned that Horak's caravan was only making a brief stop in the town and would soon be returning.

He couldn't tell whether it was good or bad.

However, based on the information obtained from their conversation, it can be confirmed that Horac had contacted Pastor Moen earlier yesterday, before he broke free from the mind control of the gem.

The other party's idea that their caravan would stay in town for an extended period of time stemmed from this.

Such a huge change in just one night, wouldn't it make the other party suspicious?
Xia Nan was unsure.

He needs to obtain further information from Horak and others.

……

"Yes, that old pastor who looked very energetic, I ran into him yesterday when I went out with Afu."

In a secluded, deserted corner of the lobby of the Cashmere Rusty Nail Hotel, Horak sat across the table and explained to Xia Nan on the other side.

"He's a really nice person. Compared to those pastors in big cities, he's not at all pretentious and just like an ordinary citizen."

"I was originally planning to stay in town and do some business with them, but now it's impossible to continue, which is a pity."

"Let's talk about it after I get back to Newme. We'll see if there's any opportunity for cooperation. I'll send some people over then to help with a detailed survey."

"Leak information?"

“If you really mean it that way, I did mention to that pastor that we might have to stay in town for a while, but that was, after all, the influence of mind control.”

"I haven't seen him since he was released from the charm last night, and he obviously hasn't mentioned anything about changing the plans."

"In that case, it's only natural that he was kept in the dark."

Just as Xia Nan was frowning and about to say something, two figures gradually appeared on the stairs beside him, accompanied by a series of footsteps of varying sizes.

Margaret and the dwarf Soldin had already come down.

(End of this chapter)