CHAPTER 623

【 THE SLACKING GODDESS 】

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The site of the bonfire celebration was not far from the Temple of Life.

In fact, since the Chosen Ones had selected the main plaza of Florence as the venue, one only needed to cross a portion of the plaza to quickly reach the temple on the other side.

As such, Tonglu found it rather puzzling that the Chosen Ones had chosen this nearby location for their party while also worrying about being caught eating roasted meat by the priests.

It was practically holding a barbecue right under the church’s watchful eye.

To him, this was no different from thieves brazenly stealing in front of the city guard.

When he quietly voiced this thought, the response he received left him with an odd expression.

“A-Ahem, it is simply a matter of habit.”

…Habit?

Tonglu had no idea how to even begin commenting on that answer.

Fortunately, Little Salty Cat, who was accompanying them, offered a clearer explanation.

“You see, we hold barbecues every day at the plaza back in Chosen City, so everyone is used to holding such events in places like this. Anyway, as long as we are not caught in the act, the priests will at most glare at us, but they won’t reduce favorability. I imagine even the priests have grown accustomed to it.”

Tonglu was left speechless.

He could only shake his head with a mix of amusement and helplessness. At that moment, he began to feel that the relationship between the Chosen Ones and the priests of Temple of Life was far more interesting and complex than he had initially imagined.

At the same time, his curiosity about this so-called Chosen City only grew. It was said to be a city far more magnificent and beautiful than Florence itself. Unfortunately, only the believers of the Goddess of Life were qualified to enter.

All of these exchanges took place quietly along the way to the temple.

Whilst being led by Samuel, Tonglu, together with the dwarven prince and their accompanying priests, soon arrived at Florence’s Temple of Life.

Unlike the temple in Sandstorm City, this was a genuine temple dedicated to the Goddess of Life. From its elven-style domed roofs and pointed arches to the carvings and decorations symbolizing nature and life, everything exuded elegance and solemnity.

The dwarves followed the elven priests through the main hall and into the council chamber at the rear of the temple.

The council hall was vast.

When the dwarves entered, several elves were already waiting inside. Among them, Tonglu even spotted an acquaintance, the elven noble Thranduil, who had once received him before.

The handsome elf gave him a gentle nod and a warm smile.

Besides Thranduil, Saintess Alice, who had presided over the opening ceremony earlier in the day, was also present. She still wore the same serene smile, radiating a sense of warmth and comfort.

There were also two male elves who appeared to be high-ranking priests. One looked somewhat older, with brown hair and brown eyes, likely from the famed Rocksand Clan. The other was younger, with dark hair and dark eyes, clearly a member of the Shadowshade Clan.

However, the most striking figure of all sat at the head of the council table: a young elven girl with dark-silver hair and violet-red eyes, her presence noble and mysterious.

She was Zero, the Elven Godwarden.

It was she who, at a decisive moment in the battle in the Sealed Lands, had invoked divine descent, thus enabling the Goddess of Life, to manifest upon the battlefield and destroy the evil dwarven god, Barolte.

After the war, Tonglu had even thought she had perished in battle, until he later heard from the elves that she had returned safely.

Only then did he feel relieved.

Although her actual strength was merely that of the Golden-rank, through her divine blessing she could unleash combat power at the Legendary-rank.

For this, Tonglu respected her deeply.

In many ways, she was the hero who had saved the dwarves.

He had long wished to personally thank her, but the opportunity never came. Even during the opening ceremony, she had appeared only for a fleeting moment before vanishing again.

Thranduil’s earlier words—that “Lady Zero’s whereabouts are unpredictable”—were vividly proven true.

Now, at last, the opportunity had arrived.

“Lady Zero, it is an honor to see you again. During the last occasion, you departed so quickly with the Chosen Ones that I had no chance to express my gratitude. Now that I have the privilege to meet you once more, I wish, on behalf of the dwarves, to extend my sincerest thanks to you and to our elven friends.”

Tonglu spoke earnestly.

Placing both hands over his chest, he drew the sign of the warhammer, then dropped to one knee in solemn salute.

This was the highest rite of the Dwarven Church.

The dwarven prince and accompanying priests followed suit.

At this, Zero gestured for Alice and the others to help them rise.

“Lord Tonglu, what we did was simply our duty. The eradication of evil is our shared purpose. Should the Kingdom of Dwarves again face the invasion of abyssal forces, we the Elves will not hesitate to offer aid once more.”

Hearing this, gratitude flickered across Tonglu’s face.

“Thank you. You are far too modest.”

Then, adopting a more solemn tone, he continued,

“Lady Zero, honored friends, this time I come not only to express gratitude on behalf of the Dwarven Kingdom, but also as the envoy of His Majesty the Dwarf King and His Holiness the High Pontiff. We wish to formally propose an alliance with your people, to become steadfast allies who stand together in the turbulent times that lie ahead for the world of Seigües.”

As he spoke, Tonglu drew a prepared document from within his garments…

༺⟐༻

Tonglu remained in the council chamber for nearly three hours, immersed in lengthy discussions and negotiations.

By the time he and his companions finally stepped out of the Temple of Life, the first light of dawn had already begun to touch the horizon.

Yet Florence had not fallen into silence or darkness. The city still blazed with lights, vibrant and lively as ever.

Even the bonfire feast in the plaza was still underway, the joyous voices of the Chosen Ones ringing out throughout the night.

Tonglu paused to gaze at the bustling square.

Stroking his long beard, he sighed with admiration.

“What a prosperous, beautiful, and vibrant city this is…”

“Indeed. And the Elves are truly a passionate and friendly people. I had thought that alliance negotiations would take at least a day or two, yet I did not expect them to agree so readily.”

One of the accompanying dwarven priests voiced his own amazement.

Hearing this, Tonglu smiled faintly.

“The Elves are indeed allies worth building friendship with. That being said, the finer details of our alliance must still be reported to His Majesty for further discussion, especially matters concerning trade and other forms of deeper cooperation.”

The dwarves’ alliance proposal had been arranged in advance.

Although it covered issues of trade and even cooperation in the realm of faith, plans were still only plans. Having now witnessed the splendor of the Elven Forest, many of the original planned agreements would need to be rectified.

This was especially true after seeing the Elves’ ingenious magical devices and the rich abundance of local resources.

Whether it was the marvelous hot air balloons, the intricate magical projection screens, the delicious variety of elven pastries, or the fragrant and enticing ale, Tonglu hoped to bring them back and establish long-term trade routes.

In addition, the Elves’ teleportation arrays greatly intrigued him as well.

The Dwarven Kingdom had no shortage of underground mineral veins, and though their number of mages was limited, the mines could easily provide enough mana stones to sustain the operation of such arrays.

These matters, of course, would come later.

Once the alliance was formally established, both the organization of trade caravans and the eventual construction of long-distance teleportation arrays linking the two factions could be advanced step by step.

His only regret was that the Elves had no authority to command the elemental fairies.

At first, Tonglu had hoped to request their aid in purifying the abyssal corruption, which directly concerned the Dwarven Kingdom’s future.

Yet in his conversation with Lady Zero, he had at least received her promise: she would pray before the Goddess of Life, conveying the dwarves’ request and seeking her oracle.

“What a noble spirit she has. Outwardly reserved, yet inwardly warm, righteous, and kind.”

Tonglu sighed in admiration.

༺⟐༻

The Harvest Festival was scheduled to last for an entire week.

The dwarven delegation planned to remain in the Elven Forest for two more days to observe its customs and traditions before departing. Naturally, they would be accompanied by elven guides throughout their stay.

Meanwhile, the goddess—sometimes appearing in the guise of Zero, sometimes under her player avatar Féng—immersed herself in the festivities, indulging in food and merriment to her heart’s content.

In a sense, it was a holiday for her as well.

Since bringing the Fairy King Feynir into existence, she had entrusted most of the system’s core operations to this demigod attendant and the several hundred high-ranking elemental fairies who served under her.

Perhaps this was the true joy of being a ruler.

Beyond the system itself, Evé also began to gradually delegate her responsibilities within the Elven Forest during the festival.

For instance, the position of High Priest of the Church of Life had not yet been officially inaugurated, but Taylor Rocksand had already begun handling the church’s daily affairs, preparing for his eventual formal assumption of office.

As for the reforms previously discussed with Alice regarding the church’s infrastructure, Evé had issued a task for proposals. Various plans from the players were submitted, and after refinement, the most suitable one was chosen and delivered to her—under her Zero persona.

Yet when Evé finished reading the final proposal, her expression grew subtly strange.

“Proposed Reformation of the Church of Life’s priesthood system… NPC clergy and player priests to operate under parallel hierarchies. Priest ranks to be refined into ‘nine levels, three ranks, and one supreme,’ consisting of Resident Priests, High Priests, Chief High Priests, and the Supreme High Priest.”

Her gaze lingered on the words, and she continued reading silently, her brow lifting slightly.

“Priesthood positions and priestly ranks are to run concurrently, with privileges tied directly to rank. Regular evaluations will be instituted to cultivate a devout, professional, and highly skilled priesthood…”

“NPC clergy and player priests will be managed separately. Player priests divided into two categories: ordained priests and freelance priests. Ordained priests to receive regular stipends, with positions further split into administrative and combat roles…”

“Administrative priests to participate in church management, following NPC protocols, required to complete assigned duties on schedule, and receiving equivalent benefits…”

“Combat priests to form a Tribunal, ranked not by priesthood level but by primary class level. They will not take part in administrative duties, and their benefits will be determined by their contributions…”

“Player priests must undergo regular assessments. Failure will result in contribution penalties, and two consecutive failures will lead to dismissal from office and reclassification as freelance priests…”

Evé: “…”

She could not help but mutter inwardly, “Why does this sound so oddly familiar? Almost as if someone slipped in the framework of some strange bureaucratic system…”

Still, after a long pause and more careful thought, she had to admit that the proposal was quite feasible.

Clearly defining the hierarchy and roles of priests would promote efficient operation and prevent confusion in management.

Of course, when advancing believers in rank, Evé herself would need to make selective adjustments based on need.

Separating the management of NPC clergy from that of player priests was also essential.

At the same time, the separation was not absolute. For players who simply enjoyed the lifestyle role of being a priest, they could follow the NPC model. For the majority who preferred wandering and adventure, they would be managed according to their style.

This way, both life-oriented and combat-oriented players could be accommodated, while also preventing disorder from players interfering arbitrarily in the church administration.

Finally, the introduction of evaluation and reward mechanisms would not only ensure accountability but also serve as encouragement.

Excellent.

“I’ll let Alice and Taylor handle these reforms. Especially Taylor—this will be a good chance for him to establish authority.”

“…And the summoning of new players must also be scheduled. This time, twenty thousand… no, two hundred thousand. With the existing three hundred sixty thousand, that will bring the total to five hundred sixty thousand. Based on the average playtime in Elven Kingdom, once the Demon Crusade begins, we should be able to maintain at least a force of four hundred thousand.”

“The drop rate for Silver-rank advancement slots will be further increased and I’ll expand it to ten thousand slots for now. With the current rate of mana expansion in Seigües, such numbers will no longer seem unusual.”

“My goal for now is to raise the Silver-rank player population to at least one hundred thousand before the Demon Crusade begins!”

“Also, the summoning statues capable of calling forth the Chosen Ones must continue to spread throughout the world. We can use the dwarves’ help, or discreetly release some through the black market…thus ensuring a steady flow of battlefield-ready forces.”

“We can extend goodwill within the Pantheon as well. Many true gods will likely take interest, especially after I aided the dwarves and His Highness, Dorft. Yes, I could even ask Dorft to introduce me some new ‘clients.’ As a senior deity, he surely must know several gods who are also troubled by abyssal corruption.”

“In short, every possible means must be taken to strengthen our faction.”

Evé set the proposal aside and thought quietly to herself.

At that moment, a sudden call stirred within her awareness.

Her form shimmered and dissolved into light.

The next instant, she reappeared in her divine kingdom, gazing at a cluster of radiance pulsating within her supreme temple.

“Oh, it’s a message from Dorft…”

Eve’s spirit lifted.

She paused in thought for a moment, then turned her consciousness and let it flew toward the Pantheon.

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