Watching the various warbands leave the square with their spoils, Todd dusted off the fruit scraps on his clothes and said to Evie, "Let's go."
The latter looked at him listlessly: "Where else are we going?"
“I went to visit the residential area; I was very interested in where the believers lived.”
Urged on by Todd, Evie rolled her eyes, stood up, and followed closely behind him.
The two found two horses and headed west along the road, where they saw bustling markets and crowds of people everywhere.
What caught Todd's attention was that in every residential area, there was an elaborately constructed temple in a prominent location.
Temples vary in size; in large residential areas, they might be as big as a basketball court, while in smaller residential areas, they might be about the size of a regular room.
Although they differ in size, they are structurally very similar. From the outside, the entire building features ancient Taro columns and triangular sloping roofs from the pantheon, with a protective umbrella-shaped stone sculpture standing atop it. From the inside, the walls are inscribed with mythological legends in runes and record important events from the surrounding area. In the very center stands a lifelike statue of a tyrant, holding scales in his right hand and raising his left hand above his head.
Todd led Evie into a temple, where they discovered that a ceremony seemed to be taking place.
Standing near the corner, Todd looked towards the center of the temple.
A novice shaman, carrying a staff and wearing a mask, stood before the tyrant's statue and addressed the kneeling crowd: "Fellow believers, reflect on yourselves before the true God!"
People immediately started talking all at once about recent events.
Some people say that they worked hard and completed more work than planned.
The shaman praised him and gave him a white stone.
Some say that they persuaded a pagan slave to convert to the Son of God.
The shaman praised him again and gave him a white stone.
Some people said that they accidentally hit a friend from the same village because they were drunk, but they apologized afterward.
The shaman comforted the man, first giving him a black stone: "Drunkenness and harming others is not a good thing. You need to quit drinking... or, you need to increase your alcohol tolerance."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd burst into laughter.
The shaman gave the man another white stone: "Although you committed evil, you were able to make amends in time, which can be considered a good deed. When your soul enters Asgard, the scales of fate will give you a fair judgment."
Looking at everyone's reactions, Todd shook his head incredulously.
This scene of self-reflection and self-discipline shows no trace of the barbarians' past wanton behavior.
“Belief in the gods influences the believer’s every action,” Ivy said, leaning against the wall. “It is that reverence that has brought about the order we have today.”
Todd nodded and turned to leave the temple.
Following Todd out the door, Evie asked, "Where else do you want to go?"
Todd glanced back at the tall, slender, and dashing Valkyrie and suddenly suggested, "How about we go somewhere you'd like to go?"
Evie asked in surprise, "Where do I want to go?"
"That's right. Since you're here to relax, you naturally have the right to choose."
Ivy frowned and began to think, when suddenly her eyes lit up.
"I want to go to the shallow harbor to the west."
"Shore Harbor?"
Having determined the location of their destination, Todd followed behind Evie, galloping towards the shallow harbor west of Froststone City.
Shoal Harbour was originally a natural shallow sandbar, which was only recently transformed into a port.
The landing sites chosen for all these events—the transport of supplies from Twilight City to Froststone Camp, Todd leading a fleet to attack Ancient Gu City, and the arrival of refugees from Holy Guard City on the northern continent—were this shallow harbor.
After more than an hour of fast travel, Todd and Evie finally arrived at the seaside.
Looking around, the once deserted beach has now become a bustling construction site.
Countless thatched huts and wooden sheds were erected around the beach, and lightly dressed slaves, under the command of overseers, moved stones, drove in wooden stakes, and built the wharf.
On the distant sea, several cargo ships, each bearing the sails of a different kingdom, came and went.
Ivy found a clean spot on the beach, put down her sword and shield, looked at the distant sea, and began to wait quietly.
Todd looked around and asked curiously, "Is this the place you wanted to come to?"
Evie looked up at the sun's position: "I'm waiting for a ship."
"A ship?"
Ivy stopped speaking and simply gazed silently into the distance.
Todd gave up on asking and sat down next to Evie, keeping her company as they waited.
More than an hour has passed.
Just as Todd was getting drowsy from the afternoon sun, Evie suddenly stood up.
Todd followed her gaze and saw a North Island-style warship appear at the edge of the horizon.
As the warship drew closer, Todd could see the person standing at the bow.
She was a young and beautiful woman, wearing a pure white feather crown, carrying a longbow and a short sword on her back, with flowing, smooth golden hair that danced lightly in the sea breeze.
Todd frowned at the other person's familiar attire: "I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..."
Evie took off her helmet, her eyes filled with uncontrollable sorrow: "That's Brunhilde, or rather... the new Brunhilde."
Todd was taken aback, then realized: "The new Brunhilde?"
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