There's still some time before the pirates head south, so we must make thorough preparations before then.
The primary task is to strengthen relations with the church.
Sitting in the carriage filled with fine wine and food, Todd chuckled softly as he recalled the scene from earlier.
Having agreed to his insane plan, Huggins unhesitatingly handed over all the savings from the silver refinery. When Edgar and Karin learned that part of the money was intended to purchase goods to be sent to the church camp, they immediately expressed strong opposition.
The former was given a sharp rap on the head by Huggins, while the latter required a considerable amount of Todd's persuasion. After much coaxing and persuasion, Karin finally accepted the idea of "paralyzing the enemy."
Now, recalling the girl's face, with that familiar reluctance, Todd closed his eyes, and unforgettable scenes from his past life flashed before his eyes.
Having just graduated with a master's degree, he stayed at his alma mater as a lecturer at the urging of his advisor. Young people back then were arrogant and ignorant, resenting injustice and despising authority. They always felt that with their excellent academic performance and abundant research achievements, they didn't need to flatter any leaders.
Soon, reality slapped him hard in the face, and setbacks smoothed out every rough edge he had. He gradually learned to be worldly-wise and insightful. Through hard work and perseverance, relying on his solid academic foundation and sophisticated philosophy of life, he became the youngest associate professor in the school's history.
Has this meant I've grown up, or have I fallen into depravity?
The camp gradually coming into view in the distance brought Todd back to his senses.
The guards at the camp gate already recognized the generous monk, moved the barricades aside, and waved to the people in the carriage.
Driving up to the guard, Todd took out a small wooden tube filled with ale from his pocket, tossed it to the guard, and put his finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.
The monk received a chest-thumping salute from the guard, and with a smile, he continued on his way.
"Lord Todd."
"Mr. Todd."
"Todd!"
...
While greeting the various people in the camp familiarly, the monk parked the car in the middle of the camp.
A person emerged from the house. The monk, upon seeing the familiar face, paused for a moment, then broke into a warm smile and went to greet him.
"Father Paul! It's been a long time!"
The man, his face icy, glanced at the monk opposite him and snorted, "What's wrong with you? Why haven't you carried out my plan yet? Hurry up and find those ignorant people, go to the monastery, and ask the monks for help!"
Other priests emerged from the room one after another. Some of them saw the fully loaded carriage, smiled at Todd, and then advised, "Brother Paul, please don't make things difficult for Brother Todd. Things are not that simple."
Father Paul turned around angrily, pointed at the carriage with one finger, and said to the crowd, "Don't let comfort and desire blind you! The Father has already given us a mission, but you are like a bunch of servants, only concerned with these gluttonous desires!"
This "map-wide attack" immediately angered most people.
Someone retorted loudly, "You've gone too far to slander our sincere devotion to the holy! It's outrageous!"
Todd seized the opportunity and interjected, "Father above! I only wish that you brothers would rid yourselves of mundane tasks and trivial matters. Is it wrong for the Most High to drive his flock to the lush pastures when he shepherds them?"
Paul raised his chin and slowly said to the monk, "The Father knows the sheep and teaches; you mean you have already grasped us all?!"
Todd was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself that this guy's reaction speed and analytical ability were truly astonishing; he had managed to catch him red-handed with just a simple sentence.
Knowing that a standoff was not a good option at this point, Todd took the initiative to back down: "Father Paul, as you wish, I will restrain my words and actions and will no longer make such gifts."
Upon hearing this, many people around him showed anger, but due to the bishop's last-minute authorization before his departure, they dared not speak out against Paul.
Todd, who had come laden with spoils and returned laden with spoils, glanced at the deathly silent camp behind him, tightened his grip on the reins, and thought to himself: It's still a little bit short of perfection.
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The glassmaking process at the smelting plant is going very smoothly.
Karin and Hudgens worked together and mastered the tricks of blowing and shaping, which increased the production speed several times over.
The styles of the glassware are not complicated, consisting of pots and vases, bowls and plates, with a simple and elegant appearance. Without exception, all the finished products are decorated with ancient Tarot text or patterns.
What Todd did next was completely incomprehensible to the two of them.
The monks first used natural corundum, the same material used for polishing optical glass, to scratch the surface of the glass artifacts.
Seeing her masterpiece, which she had worked so hard to create, being treated so roughly by Todd, Karin was furious. The girl immediately started fighting with the boy, trying to snatch the tool back from his hands.
Fortunately, Huggins eventually stopped Karin's resistance and assured her that Todd had his reasons for doing what he was doing.
Next, place the frosted glass into wet mud, sprinkle it with dust, and leave it for more than twelve hours. Then, gently peel off the outer layer of mud covering the surface.
Huggins and Karin looked at the dirty, scratched glassware in front of them, then turned to Todd, waiting for his explanation.
What happened next was even more astonishing.
The boy actually picked up a rock and smashed several intact glass objects into pieces.
"Are you crazy?!" Karin shook Todd's arm violently, her voice trembling with tears.
Huggins didn't show much expression, but simply asked, "Is this all there is to these antiques?"
Karin heard a strange word and turned her head to ask, "Antiques?!"
Todd placed the shards into the wooden box, dusted off his hands, and began to explain to the girl, "My goal is to make these glasswares look like antiques from the Taro Empire."
Huggins asked, "Won't someone realize that these aren't antiques?"
Todd shook his head: "My approach actually exploited a psychological loophole. Apart from the three of us, no one had ever seen glass before. Its value is high because of its perfection, and people always assume that the purpose of each processing of such a new thing is to make it more perfect, so as to increase its value. No one would think of increasing its value by destroying its perfection."
The monk turned to Huggins and said, "Now it's your turn."
The man nodded.
A few days later, a strange rumor began to circulate in villages and towns along the western coast.
On one of the islands in the Northern Archipelago, a large number of treasures from the ancient Talo Empire are buried.
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