Chapter 384 Lowell's Determination
Brother Lowell knew very well that those "old stubborn" people in the Prosperity Holy Land who were younger than him would not easily open their hearts and cooperate with the Undead regime. The purpose of the visiting group would certainly not be as pure as he expected. He reminded Ji Tang in the morning to pave the way with the undead cloth business, and the effect was indeed outstanding - Count Dimos, the godson of the Pope of Prosperity and whose relationship with the Holy Land was closer than that of him, a black-robed ascetic monk, could not help but sign an order for undead cloth!
Transactions are one of the most friendly interactions that people are willing to actively show. Both parties are motivated to reach a deal, and the atmosphere in the reception room suddenly becomes lively.
The trading value of the Cloth of the Dead is unquestionable, and the Principality of Shiga is not without equivalent trading items - the area in the south of the Principality of Shiga bordering the Sorenson Mountains is rich in mica, and the central and northern regions are rich in coal, high-quality iron ore and diamond mines.
Ji Tang had no interest in diamond mines, as artificially synthesized diamonds on Earth were sufficient for industrial and technological purposes. As for coal mines, the Rhine Kingdom and the Tarantan Wasteland themselves had relatively rich coal mines, and there was no need to transport them from thousands of miles away. However, he was very interested in mica mines and iron ore.
The Principality of Shiga originally relied on mica, diamonds, and iron ore to import cloth from the Kenyan Empire. The fact that the undead didn't like diamonds disappointed the Shiga nobles, but this disappointment could be completely offset by the reasonable price of the undead cloth...
The two sides discussed business enthusiastically and ended their first meeting in a friendly manner. Although normally, Ji Tang, the consul, should hold a banquet to entertain the guests and chat about business with them while enjoying a luxurious meal, considering that he is now an undead, no one would mind if he did not host such a feast.
Just a good chance to save some money... ahem.
After making a big deal, Count Dimos returned to the hotel arranged by the town hall, and only then did he realize what he had done.
"Hasn't this - directly given the undead an excuse to openly enter the border of the Shiga Principality?!"
Count Dimos was so annoyed that he almost died of anger at himself.
After beating his chest and stamping his feet for a long time, Count Dimos, who had already fallen into the trap, had to start making excuses for himself.
"We have sold the undead cloth to so many countries, and we haven't seen the undead army attack them one by one. It shouldn't be a big deal!"
"Since these undead are so good at doing business, I don't think they are that aggressive."
"That's right. Brother Lowell did not stop it. He knows more about the Tarantan Undead than I do."
Thinking of the hint given by His Holiness the Pope, his godfather, before he left, Count Dimos felt as if his head was twice as big as before.
His Holiness the Pope hopes that the military power of the Tarantino ghosts can be used by the Church.
In other words... His Holiness the Pope hopes to intervene in the territory conquered by the Tarantan Undead.
The territory that the Nightmare Butcher tore from the Rhine Kingdom is still occupied by the Gold Coin Church as a diocese. Unlike the Prosperity Church, the Gold Coin Church does not have a high-level ascetic who has close relations with the Undead regime. His Holiness the Pope believes that although this request is a bit shameless, it is not too excessive.
But Count Dimos also knew very well that the Prosperity Church simply did not have the spare energy to support the Nightmare Butcher and his undead to continue their conquest, let alone openly supporting the undead regime - in other words, it did not want to dirty its hands, but wanted to reap the benefits.
Count Dimos was unwilling to go back on the order for the cloth of the dead, but he could not ignore the hint from His Holiness the Pope.
After thinking for a long time, Count Dimos could only sigh inwardly.
The only option is to start with Brother Lowell as we had decided before coming here.
Having made up his mind, Count Dimos summoned Joyce Andre to protect his safety, and took the deacon to visit Brother Lowell's residence.
In the alley connecting Martin Street to the main avenue in the town, the big house where Brother Lowell had lived for almost two years welcomed a guest.
"Dimos!" Lowell, who came to open the door himself, saw the visitor and happily invited him inside. "I was just looking for you. Come in and sit down."
"Father, you don't have any servants?" Dimos looked at the slightly messy courtyard in surprise, then turned his gaze to Lowell, whose cuffs had some water stains.
"Originally, there were some, but now everyone is busy with work, and I don't like being disturbed by noisy people, so I simply didn't let Yang arrange anyone to come." Brother Lowell said with a casual smile, and took the lead to walk into the house. "On weekdays, I don't need anyone to watch over me all the time. Anyway, someone will deliver the food when it's time to eat."
Sitting in the living room filled with books and magazines and full of literary atmosphere, Brother Lowell took away the accidentally overturned cup and moved the books that were almost wet, and asked with concern: "How is the Grand Duke's health? Is he still healthy?"
Count Dimos said, "Brother is in good health, thank you for your concern," but his eyes could not help but glance at the books piled on the table.
The text on the cover was not a common language, nor was it any of the minority languages that Count Dimos had seen before...
Brother Lowell expressed his feelings for the past friendship with Grand Duke Shiga, and then asked, "Did His Holiness the Pope mention anything before the delegation left?"
Count Dimos' heart skipped a beat, but his face remained unchanged as he said respectfully, "His Holiness the Pope asked me to greet you and to convey a message, hoping that you can return to the Holy Land when you are free. His Holiness misses you very much."
Brother Lowell smiled, and while he placed his hand to signal Joyce Andre not to stand and to find a place to sit, he said casually, "This is an excuse you came up with yourself."
Dimos's face froze.
Andre, who was about to sit on the sofa next to him, also froze and looked over in surprise.
"I have been dealing with His Holiness the Pope for more than two hundred years. When I was still in the white robe, His Holiness and I always had conflicts of opinion." Lowell had no intention of making things difficult for Dimos, a descendant of the Shiga royal family, and said calmly, "I hope the church can send people to learn from the undead's experience in farming and refer to the policies implemented by the undead in rural towns. However, His Holiness and the Grand Duke only sent nobles who had connections with the priests of the Holy Land. It is obvious that they did not take my letter seriously."
Dimos's face turned pale at first, and then slowly turned red.
It was not until this moment that Count Dimos realized with horror that those who were qualified to read Brother Lowell's letter, including himself, were thinking about how to use the relationship between Brother Lowell and the Tarantan Undead, rather than the content of the letter itself!
"I'm not surprised by this result." Brother Lowell smiled calmly again and said, "Your Majesty always has different opinions from me, and this is also the case now. I think the experience of the undead in governing the territory and organizing people to build their homes is worth learning and referring to. If we can cooperate with the undead honestly, learn from their experience with an open mind, and accept their guidance and suggestions, I think the prosperity of the Principality of Shiga and the growth of the Prosperous Church will be fruitful after several or even dozens of years of hard work."
“All wealth is accumulated. Crops sown in spring need to be carefully tended before they can be harvested in autumn. The wasteland reclaimed this year also needs to be patiently maintained for two or three years before it can become fertile land .”
Beads of sweat appeared on Count Dimos's forehead, while Joyce Andre beside him nodded repeatedly.
The Goddess of Prosperity's teachings on wealth and contracts are meant to guide people to abide by agreements, be honest and trustworthy, and accumulate wealth in the right way. Brother Lowell's ideas are in perfect harmony with the teachings.
Brother Lowell changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty ignored my suggestion, but I can guess a little about your thoughts."
After a pause, Brother Lowell said quietly, "Since the Tarantan Undead are so good at conquering cities and governing territories, and they are not hostile to the Orthodox Church, it would be a waste to watch the Tarantan Undead hand over the conquered territories to the Gold Coin Church. It would be better to use my relationship with Yang to send missionaries from the church to the Rhine and build our own church in the Rhine Kingdom...right, Dimos?"
Count Dimos did not dare to wipe the cold sweat that was sliding down his temples. He just forced a smile and said, "Frak, this is also good for the church. You know, His Holiness the Pope has worked hard for many years to expand the diocese..."
"I can understand that," Brother Lowell took over the conversation, "but if you were just trying to expand the diocese, you wouldn't have to intentionally conceal the Pope's true intentions, and there would be no need to specifically include my descendants in the visiting group. The Lowell family is not qualified to participate in decision-making at this level."
Count Dimos' heart trembled and sweat poured down. The ascetic monk in front of him, who still maintained his youthful appearance but whose black hair had turned silver, made him feel a strong sense of suffocation at this moment.
Gentle, tolerant, kind, he never argues with anyone, and always quietly does his job in line with a holy priest's duties... but he is, after all, a high-level ascetic who has lived for three hundred years!
"The Goddess of Prosperity is the true god of the life pantheon. As a follower of the goddess, being too involved with the undead is the most convincing crime." Brother Lowell sighed, "They used my relationship with Yang to expand the parish, and they also got a handle to punish me. When the undead regime changes, or when they no longer need me, they can get rid of me neatly... Your godfather told you this, right?"
Joyce Andre stood up suddenly and looked at Count Dimos in shock and anger.
"It doesn't matter if I find out. My family and the church I have served all my life are my weaknesses." Brother Lowell sighed again and said, "I will swallow my anger and promote cooperation with the Undead Regime even though I know that some people in the Holy Land are hostile to me and reject me. This is because it is indeed beneficial to the prosperity of the church and the Principality of Shiga. Over the years... I have been doing this."
Count Dimos lowered his head in embarrassment. After a long time, he reluctantly raised it and trembled, "Fraktor..."
"I will indeed do so." Brother Lowell looked at the royal family member calmly. "The Tarantan Undead are a race of undead who abide by the contract. They are full of kindness and compassion for humans. They have knowledge and wisdom that are worthy of learning by the Principality of Shiga and the Prosperous Church. No matter what, I hope that my motherland and the church I believe in can form an alliance with the Tarantan Undead."
Count Dimos was so ashamed that he dared not look the ascetic in the eye and turned away in embarrassment.
"But I really don't intend to endure it any longer."
Brother Lowell calmly said something that shocked Count Dimos and Joyce Andre : "Yang and his undead will not need an ally that is internally divided and not sincere enough to fight alongside them. Before officially establishing diplomatic relations with the undead regime, the Prosperity Church itself must make changes."
Young Phoenix had the courage to propose to Yang to show his sincerity in the alliance and to openly tie the Odysseus family to the undead regime. Brother Lowell could not tolerate the Prosperity Church behaving worse than a little girl.
