75 Divine Favor

  The Governor's Palace of Sanofi is not far from the Exchange.

  The towns of this era are generally barren, and in fact, the bustling central area of a town is just that small.

  In the center of this small garden, on top of the villa, a small window on the balcony is open, and sunlight and some insect and bird calls float into the room from outside.

  In such an atmosphere, on the wall of the room was a huge map of the Eastern Wilderness Domain. The leisurely outside world seemed to be shocked by a heavy and oppressive force as soon as it came into contact with this place.

  Muelrstanthus Daramos enjoys a high reputation in Ser, this elder has shown loyalty to the country through thick and thin over the past few decades, and has taken a cautious attitude in the struggle between various factions. Although many people know that this old man is a supporter of Sasazstan, because of his cautious behavior and the strength behind him, few people are willing to take great efforts to deal with him - many officers scattered throughout Ser's various troops have good relations with him.

  Perhaps in the eyes of some Red Cloaks, this old man is not worth going all out to deal with - Old Dalamos is not a Red Cloak, so even if Sel's power is high, there are limits. His authority in Sazah Province is mostly a manifestation of Dalamos' operation in Sazah for hundreds of years.

  Some people think that this old man is already close to death and it's not worth putting in the effort, but many people change their minds after meeting him once.

  The old man wore a black robe with polished steel chainmail underneath - a habit he had developed since his military days, and like a standard soldier, he stood up straight, with a ruddy complexion, speaking in a full voice that made one involuntarily ignore the white hair and wrinkles on his head. He was now sitting on the tea seat under the map, receiving his most loyal assistant, the illusionist who managed the Sanofen Exchange: "Oh, you look very happy, dear Parad."

  "Not bad, sir, something interesting happened at the exchange today."

  "Anything interesting?" The old man's white eyebrows slightly raised, and the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth stretched out a bit - this showed that he was indeed getting older. He pointed to the chair in front of the hall: "Which boring guy broke the rules again?"

  "This is nothing." The Ringmaster sat down in his chair, a smile on his face: "It's just that the regional governor of Satoka was beaten up by his southern colleagues."

  "Huh? What's so strange about this?" The governor blew his mustache, and the interest he had just raised seemed to disperse again.

  This kind of thing is too common.

  In the Red Robes, using magic to fight was a good tradition brought from the Academy. If no one died, no Sells would take such things to heart. The worst outcome would be creating an enemy - as a Red Robe mage, having enemies within the organization was unthinkable.

  A family or power behind a red cloak would not go to war over such a trivial matter for the vanquished - because in Ser's philosophy, this approach is extremely ridiculous.

  Is it that the guy who failed in the struggle doesn't know how to redeem himself and still wants to throw himself into his family's arms to seek warmth? The Red Robe Master's family is not a warm bed for the weak, think about the environment of the Red Robe Master Academy.

  Victors are not criticized, losers are not sympathized with.

  That's Sel's style.

  So the Red Robes resolve their differences through a trial by combat, a very common practice especially when positions have already been made clear. It is also an unwritten rule in Thay that is widely accepted - although it may seem dangerous to practitioners of magic from other places in Faer?n.

  After all, this kind of struggle can easily lead to loss of life if one is not careful.

  "What's strange is not the little guy who got beaten up, but the new bureaucrats in the Shiren Mountains."

  "New bureaucrat? Hmm... I remember now." Muelstanthus closed his eyes, smacking his lips a few times: "Hmm... wasn't that the new law mage who was personally appointed by Saszasstan himself?"

  "Your Excellency?" Parad's heart skipped a beat, his face showing an even more astonished expression.

  "How's that? You don't know?" Muelstadt looked at Parady for a few moments, then suddenly slapped his forehead: "Oh, right, I haven't told you."

  "Ah, sir..." Sweat dripped down Parady's forehead. The name of Sazastan was too heavy for an ordinary red-robed mage: "Please forgive my rudeness, but is this mage and that sir...?"

  "Never mind, who knows what he's thinking, we don't need to guess." The old man opened his eyes and then closed them again: "Oh, how's that kid doing?"

  It seems this person has the qualifications of not being a chief of the dead spirits department.

  Parade thought to himself, wiping away the sweat on his head, he didn't dare ignore this fact.

  That little red robe who was no more than eighteen years old was personally appointed by the leader of the dead spirits.

  Is it the core of which family, or a disciple of Sazastan?

  Is it a wealthy woman's whim or does it represent the departed chief's further leaning towards some policy?

  But why put it in such a conflict-filled and potentially war-prone area?

  Parade Andesiga's mind was in a whirl of thoughts, but he still managed to respond to the Governor's words: "Oh, it's a very confident red robe... and also has the favor of Lady Wogin."

  "Huh?" The old man nodded: "Confidence? I hope it's not just a smooth talker, right, you're saying that the Sartoka mage was at a disadvantage in his hands? If I remember correctly, that mage is an advanced red robe... being taught by a beginner red robe?"

  The so-called advanced red robe refers to a red robe mage who has the ability to cast fourth-level spells, while a newly promoted red robe is an elementary one.

  "An adult, the gap of one layer of magic net is not as big as outsiders think." Parady said respectfully: "If the party with lower casting ability is proficient in combat, it's not difficult to gain an advantage in a duel."

  In actual combat with magic, the level of casting does not play a decisive role.

  Unless otherwise stated, no matter how strong a person's magical abilities are, their body is as fragile as that of an ordinary human - perhaps even more so due to daily contact with various hazardous magical substances; and spells of different levels have different uses. At times, the level of a spell does not equate to its practical value, and it is not uncommon for high-ranking mages to be defeated by lower-ranking ones in Ferren.

  Moreover, from the root, learning spells like Red Robes for purposes related to struggle is originally a practice that violates the spirit of Arcana. For most spellcasters in Faerun, delving into Arcana is about approaching truth, not fighting - although it's often used for such things.

  "Interesting! Sartoka is close to the coast, and there are also many pirates there. So, that little guy Hiren still has some skills." Muelstanthus chuckled: "But I don't know if his ability to govern the territory's affairs is equally unexpected, however... even with outstanding administrative abilities, being in that place would be a headache."

  "Yes, sir." Although Muirneith was not in the inner circle of power among the Red Robes, his lofty position still commanded enough respect that most of them did not dare to be rude to him.

  "I don't know what Sazastan is thinking either, let's just see the situation first." The old man said, and then closed his mouth again.

  "Sir, shouldn't we provide them with some assistance? The garrison officer of Hiren is still vacant, and by rights, this being a southern town, even if it's not a strategic location, should be assigned a garrison of at least thirty men." Parady hesitated for a moment before reporting: "Not only the bureaucrats personally appointed by Lord Sazastan, but also Fokal's Hughes are there..."

  "He actually got help from that family?" The old man finally showed some surprise.

  "It may not be... From what I've observed, it seems to be of Hughes' own volition." Parad frowned.

  "Mmm..." Muelstanthus finally lowered his head and fell into thought.

  For the province of Sazah, Shirin is indeed a hot potato. As governor, he was well aware of the thorny issues in that place and as time went on, the problems became more complicated.

  One of his ideas was to solve the problem in his lifetime, but it is clear that even his allies do not support his idea, and this time the bureaucrats sent are a kind of expression.

  So why don't we help that little red-cloaked girl who seems to be carrying a lot of willpower?

  Just quietly onlook, express his attitude towards Sazastan - he has the right to do so, anyway he was ready to step down long ago.

  As for his own power, the old general actually didn't take it seriously. He cared more about Dalamos' development and foundation in Ser, the southern border issue was too important.

  Moreover, he did not think that meaningless wars were beneficial to families and countries.

  Although he has a good network of interests in the military, the old man is a relatively conservative person at heart. As he gets older, his disgust for war also grows day by day.

  His fingers tapped lightly on the table, weighing his doubts in his mind.

  At this moment, a mysterious and invisible force was suddenly released from the entrance of the exchange, although it could not be felt in shape, but the law master sensed this shocking vibration.

  Although it was only a fleeting moment, not enough to attract the attention of ordinary people, and dissipated when transmitted to slightly farther places, but for some sensitive people, it is still worth noting.

  Parade Andesika quickly swung his old legs to the windowsill, as if he had also activated some kind of foot oil technique. His eyes were full of spirit and stared at the exchange, frowning for a long time, and even cast several spells. His expression became more and more shocked: "Divine Grace."

  The old general opened his eyes.

  ……

  "You... gave me another surprise... dear believer."

  In the not-so-large temple, at the moment when the deity emitted a fluctuation, everyone around was shocked. At that instant, Panni felt his senses go dark, as if his consciousness had been pulled into a deep ditch. When he came to again, all he perceived was two glowing orbs floating in a vast expanse of nothingness, one belonging to himself.

  He barely needed any analysis to know that the light mass was his own soul, and although the opposing light mass was only a tiny point, its internal light was vast to an astonishing degree.

  She... reincarnated in the form of a soul once again.

  "See you in the palace." Pan Ni sent a message with reverence and caution.

  "You've already paid your respects, no need to do it again. Your proposal is quite interesting." Wogin's consciousness transmitted excited information, apparently having ignored these formalities: "You suggest I turn the temple into... a 'bank', issuing banknotes? That's indeed a good idea."

  "It's not necessary for the pace to be that fast." Penny transmitted her thoughts calmly: "Just need to enable the function of exchanging gold and silver with coupons in each temple, so that light banknotes can easily replace heavy gold and silver - because your divine power itself represents business, so there won't be any credit problems.

  These people using banknotes with your logo on them will inevitably have faith in you - whoever their guardian deity may be.

  "And with your mark on them, your priests can easily identify the authenticity of the notes, no need to worry about counterfeiting. In fact, if counterfeit notes appear, it's actually a good thing for the church - when the notes circulate in areas where the church hasn't reached, the counterfeit notes will drive people to establish faith in the temple, although they may also stick to using gold coins, but this situation will eventually change - when most of Ferelden is circulating the temple's notes."

  Wogin listened to Panni's narrative, she listened carefully, and just the first measure was enough to greatly increase her faith in the main material realm, and listening to Panni's idea, it seemed like a magnificent route.

  "Of course, this is a relatively long-term task, as the currency systems in different parts of Ferran are not uniform. However, the church can issue different paper notes in different regions, which can minimize the inconvenience and further..."

  "It's just like how the gold coins circulating in various places of Ferren have a certain exchange rate, these different banknotes also necessarily have an exchange rate. And when this form of currency completely replaces gold and silver, the church can control this ratio, even control the issuance volume to achieve the goal of fully controlling Ferren's commercial economy. Your Excellency... my suggestion is just that."

  "Not bad, my follower, the plan you provided is very feasible and will be of great help to the development of the church." The incarnation of Wogin radiated warm light: "With just the first suggestion, my divinity will gain a huge boost. Granting you the status of an elect is not excessive for these merits."

  Penny felt a thrill of excitement at becoming an elector, no doubt it would bring great power. However, soon the goddess's somewhat troubling message cooled his enthusiasm slightly:

  "But you, my disciples, must also know that as a chosen one of the gods, he must faithfully carry out the will of the gods and steadfastly follow the precepts of the gods in his actions. Can you do it?"

  Penny's light cluster solidified instantly, and if she were in human form, her expression would likely be a bitter smile.

  "Look, you can't do it." A sigh came from Wogin's mind.

  "I'm sorry." Penny could only sigh helplessly.

  "No need to apologize, my dear follower. In fact, you have made a great contribution to my faith and the Church. However, from the current situation of the Toriel pantheon, you are not suitable to be my chosen one. You know that trade is neutral, but my current stance leans towards the Upper Realm gods, and the advice you provided would also make my divinity continue to lean towards order."

  Panni fell silent, the underlying implication being that Wogin could not possibly have a Red Robe mage as a follower - such behavior would have a negative impact on most of the benevolent deities, and his faith was clearly far from truly devout - he couldn't possibly sacrifice too much for his beliefs.

  This advice was of great help to Wogin, and it just happened to appear at the right time.

  In this sense, he indeed did not meet the conditions for being a voter.

  Moreover, he is not suitable to be an elector - because obtaining divine grace and becoming an elector are two different concepts. If he becomes an elector, it means that he will become a high-ranking person in the entire material world without sufficient preparation, and he does not have the mental preparation to face such a drastic change.

  Thinking of this, he didn't feel too regretful anymore. When making this suggestion, he also didn't expect to gain much.

  And to become a voter, one must also fully become the spokesperson of God in all walks of life. This kind of divine connection will make voters lose many freedoms, and it is said that some evil gods will lurk on voters after being injured on certain planes and revive.

  Bane, the once-dead God of Tyranny, was reborn in a similar manner.

  Thinking of this, Panni felt a bit fearful, although the neutral god Woguo Jin might not be so cruel, but for him, losing his freedom was something worth fearing, so he didn't feel sorry at all.

  "Don't be discouraged, my follower," Wogin said suddenly, sensing Panni's puzzlement. "I will certainly give you a suitable reward. In fact, you can become my special elect." She explained, "I couldn't leave too much of my divine power on you, but that doesn't mean I won't affirm your achievements in other ways."

  "Any other way?"

  "For example, I'll give you some power that has nothing to do with divine power." As he spoke, the light entered Penny's soul, and in an instant of dizziness, everything returned to normal.

  "Part of your soul and nerves have been altered by me, from now on you will have a higher sensitivity to arcane power, can intuitively decompose the composition and structure of arcane power, and greatly expand your thinking ability." Wogin's voice echoed in Penny's consciousness: "Hmm, based on my observation, your talent for learning arcana is limited, reaching the fifth circle is the limit, hope this will make you go further."

  "Thank you for your favor." Panni was secretly delighted, so he no longer had to worry about the complicated arcane research that drove him crazy.

  "You should be rewarded, I just said that, and my reward is not so shallow. It will always match your contribution." Wogin's voice continued to come: "This is only a small part of the reward, you have already received my deeper attention - because this time your contribution has affected my divinity. If you continue to make contributions for me, I will guide you on a more glorious path. Although it looks like... your road is a bit narrow now, but as your guardian, I will protect your soul."

  "Awe at your majesty." Pennie prayed solemnly.

  That golden light flashed and disappeared, Penny opened her eyes again, in front of her was still that simply decorated golden statue, Hughes beside her looked around with a puzzled gaze: "What just happened?"

  The exchange of thoughts was swift, from Penny's closing her eyes to opening them again, only a few breaths had passed, like an ordinary prayer, no one would have been clear what exactly happened.

  That Reverend Wegg, with a most decorous expression, was advancing to offer his congratulations - as a reverend gentleman he was sensitive to the divine influences, but when he caught Pinnie's eye, he immediately stopped short.

  "Hmm, nothing much, just made a routine prayer to the lady and got a response."

  "Get a divine response?" Hughes looked up and down at Penny, he didn't have that kind of sensitivity to think that this response was like an ordinary devout person, occasionally getting some inspiration: "You are deeply favored by the lady, Penny, it seems you also don't have as simple a background as I know."

  "It's just that my family has always had a tradition of believing in the lady," Penny said, suddenly remembering something and calling over the pastor to confer with him quietly for a moment. After getting the pastor's consent, he returned to Hughes' side: "Hmm, we should probably head back too."

  "Not bad." Though he had his doubts, Hughes was also well aware that he shouldn't pry too deeply, just as Penny hadn't pried into his secrets either.

  We need to respect each other mutually.

  He took out the teleportation scroll and prepared to return to Hiron.

  ……

  Governor's Mansion.

  The aged governor gazed at the exchange house for a long time before lightly tapping on the window frame.

  "Immediately select thirty elite soldiers and send them to Hiron Town."

  "Sir, we still need one more commander." The officer who was summoned asked.

  "Command?" Muelstanthus stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then waved his hand: "Let Lannie go."

  "Is Lannie suitable?" The old master frowned, recalling some of the deeds of this military officer from Sanofen City.

  "There's nothing wrong with it, I think it's fine." The boss said this and walked over to the chair by the wall, sat down, leaned back against the backrest and closed his eyes.

  The old master and the officer exchanged a glance and walked out of the room quietly.