“Of course, I have some friends who are also favored by the goddess. Some of them have the skill of making food musical. When diners taste his bread, they can hear the sound of raindrops hitting wheat. When they taste his sausages, they can hear the sound of pigs grunting…” Before Marcus could finish speaking, Patrick burst into laughter, finding it hilarious.
"The skills of our church followers can be roughly divided into two categories. One category is related to the goddess's authority over harvests, which is generally about making crops harvest better and grow faster. This is similar to some of the skills of the Church of Life, since the goddess is a follower of the god of life."
One category is related to food, which can be further divided into two types. One type is the ability to generate directly, such as our current Pope, whose ability is to use divine power to conjure up delicious food, such as tender fish, sweet fruits, and various cheeses and breads.
His ability is very popular because few followers can directly generate various types of food; usually, they can only generate one type of food, and the quality of each type is very high.
Another type is the ability to alter food, like the friend I mentioned earlier who makes food sound musical, and my skill—basically, anything that can make food more fragrant, tender, sweet, or change its color and shape. These skills allow people to enjoy different culinary experiences.” Marcus went on and on, his eyebrows dancing with excitement, until he caught a whiff of something burning. “Oh, I can’t say any more…”
“This guy is probably too lonely. He’s stationed on this plantation by the church. There aren’t any nobles on this island. His prices are too high, so nobody usually comes to eat here,” Eli explained with a smile.
"It's expensive! You get what you pay for!" came a protesting voice from the kitchen.
Phil Gray subtly wrote a few words on the table. Although he had just omitted a lot of key information, he still talked a lot about himself. He didn't expect that the chef was eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Don’t worry, they’ll only hear compliments on their cooking; they won’t be interested in or pay attention to anything else,” Eli said softly.
"That's good." Phil Gray reflected on himself, realizing he should find a secluded place to talk next time.
They began to talk about rumors they had heard from various churches and legends left behind by the gods.
During this time, Marcus continuously served delicious food, including creamy fish, fruit soup, lobster salad, roasted quail, and so on. Each dish was served in special tableware, with crystal and silver accents highlighting the unique characteristics of each dish.
“These are specially made for those favored by the gods. Consuming them can promote the recovery of divine power and strengthen the soul and physical qualities,” Marcus explained. He then took out several cups, small and exquisite, with beautiful colors and textures. Their shapes were strange, but they were so beautiful that they were like works of art. Phil Gray was attracted to them, but he couldn’t tell what they were made of for the moment.
“Come on, you can’t enjoy fine wine without this glass,” Marcus said.
“What kind of cup is this?” Phil Gray asked.
"Nautilus cup. Nautilus shells have intricate and beautiful patterns and designs. They can change color with light and temperature. And because of their unique structure, refilling is exceptionally convenient. Here, you can use it tonight."
Then, he placed several bottles of wine on the table. His careful handling made them realize how precious these bottles of wine were.
“Alright, thank you, Marcus. Why don’t you join us for a meal? Enjoy the delicious food you’ve prepared yourself?” Eli invited.
"Don't think that just because I ate some myself, you'll pay me less for the ingredients." Marcus pursed his lips, but still sat down opposite them.
"Of course, do you think I'm a pauper?" Eli asked helplessly.
They drank and chatted together until the early hours of the morning before finally resting on the second floor, arranged by Marcus.
Just as the first rays of dawn pierced through the blurry glass, a burst of laughter woke Phil Gray.
He rolled out of bed and saw a group of girls in green dresses walking by, carrying baskets filled with freshly picked strawberries and grapes.
After a quick wash, he opened the door and, together with Eli, said goodbye to Marcus and the owner of the estate.
“Yesterday’s meal cost three hundred gold coins, my goodness!” Patrick exclaimed upon hearing their conversation, and he also saw that Eli had actually produced enough gold coins.
"This is the income I've earned from planting flowers at the plantation these past few days. Boss, look how good I am at making money, but I only ask you for such a small wage for working for you."
As they left the plantation, Eli smiled and led Snowflake to him, stroking the horse's soft coat.
“Alright, once my cousin returns to the Vatican, we’ll make you an archbishop. That means more than just meaningless money; it also grants you power that transcends worldly concerns.” Patrick pouted.
"Meaningless? I don't think you really think that way, you poor wretch?" Eli teased.
“Shut up! My net worth is already far greater than yours…” Patrick snorted.
Phil Gray watched them playfully bickering, smiled slightly, and felt that time had become much more pleasant.
...
Back at Jonas Plantation, Eli was initially picky, but then enthusiastically helped Patrick and Edith plan the crops to be planted and even provided some seeds.
Eli seemed quite pleased with Edith and didn't mock Patrick in front of her. Instead, he spoke well of the "fool" Patrick had mentioned.
“Boss, Second Brother, didn’t you tell us to keep an eye on the Church of Dawn on this island? We made some inquiries, and there is indeed a Church of Dawn on the west coast. A group of unidentified people killed several priests and burned the church down. I really admire those people; they have more guts than us pirates! But what’s strange is that so much time has passed, and the Church of Dawn hasn’t sent anyone to investigate or hold them accountable. Does such a large church not care about others humiliating them?” Colin walked over and reported to the group who were discussing the plantation plan.
"Huh? Didn't Caroline go?" Eli asked, puzzled.
“Yes, Gold Coin Three should have arrived at the island before us. I wonder if Caroline was swallowed by that strange church, just like in the scene seen by the Eye of Fate. Now that we know the location, let’s go there as soon as possible to find out what’s going on.” Phil Gray frowned.
"Okay, let's set off now."
Everyone nodded, and Edith even wanted to come along. She instructed, "Colin, you stay here and handle the plantation matters. I'll go with them to take a look."
“Yes, boss!” Colin patted his chest. “When you come back, you’ll see a brand new Jonas Plantation, or rather, Edith Plantation!”
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