Wizard: I am a goblin

Chapter 115 Missionary Saint Gueb

The water simmered gently in the kettle. Inside the enormous tent, only Gebu's voice echoed.

He recounted his encounter with the beastmen to Lady Stoneheart, omitting, of course, the information about the golems.

"So, that's how the herbalist Gebu became Father Gebu?" Lady Stoneheart asked slowly.

"...This is just a temporary measure. I'm just speculating from what the beastmen said, but Father Usha has some kind of deal with them—in exchange of gold coins to stop others from hunting manticores."

"Usha, that despicable human..." Lady Stoneheart said with displeasure. Gebu was somewhat surprised; it was the first time he had seen emotion beyond the calm on the dwarf's face. "The caravan that went to hunt manticores must have fallen at their hands. I didn't expect Usha to use such extreme methods to stop the caravan from moving forward."

"He's old and stubborn; he won't even give face to the lord's son," Gebu added fuel to the fire. "I think now that Dulin is in the hands of the Ansar, we can't stand idly by. Could the caravan send me some guards? I'll take some men and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"If the caravan had enough manpower, we wouldn't have to fear the manticores," Lady Stoneheart sighed. "The caravan's license strictly limits the number of guards we can hire. The kingdom doesn't want a wealthy and well-manned force roaming their lands. Some guards perished in the previous lion hunts and haven't been replaced—we're currently short-handed."

"But what if we encounter bandits, robbers, or wild beasts like scorpion lions?" Gebu asked.

"The local lord should have offered assistance."

"But the lord of Chifang Town led his troops to Shanhaiguan to participate in the peace talks?" the halfling interjected. "And the acting lord who remained behind doesn't have the authority to use the remaining soldiers; he needs the dual permission of the sheriff and the church."

"It seems you've become very familiar with this town in just a few days. Gebu, I knew you well." Madam Stoneheart nodded.

"Seeing a problem doesn't mean you can solve it," Geb said. This was the truth; his mind was a complete mess, and he hadn't come up with a foolproof solution...

"Your initial suggestion is fine. The salt and iron caravan needs to deal with these beastmen, and also that scorpion lion. Now, we also need to do our best to ensure Dulin's safety..."

"How do you know Dulin is still alive? I saw him fall into the water just a few hours ago, and his fate was unknown."

Madam Stoneheart took out a simple package from the side of the table, opened it, and Gebu glanced at it, then gasped.

It's a bloody dwarf ear!

"Magnu...Obak above!"

"He's still alive, which is luckier than many others." Madam Stoneheart put the package away. "You have many ideas, Geb. What do you think is the best way to resolve this matter?"

What do you mean? You don't want to find a solution yourself, so you expect me to?

Gebu fell silent. He'd figure out a way, after all, he was the one joining the caravan and needed their help.

Your brilliant mind can't let me down now!

Observe, analyze, act.

To save the dwarves, we must fight against the beastmen—if force is insufficient, no amount of money can satisfy their appetites.

The biggest problem right now is that we don't have anyone on our hands.

Without manpower, they can't defeat the beastmen, let alone the scorpion lions.

Who has connections? The lord's fat son has connections. But we need to persuade the priest.

So, the key to the problem is this Father Usa.

This old man... all the trouble started with him.

Is it possible to find evidence to blackmail him?

These beastmen don't seem like the type to sign contracts. Their agreement with the priest was probably verbal, and even if there was written evidence, the priest likely destroyed it. Without evidence, there's no way to extort money.

Moreover, Father Usain is a stubborn and unyielding fellow. If you try to force him, he might not listen and might even escalate his behavior, in which case there would be no chance at all.

Kill him? Find someone easier to talk to? That's even less reliable, the risk is too great. If the priest is murdered, it will attract witch hunters, making things even more troublesome.

Gebu couldn't sit still any longer; he stood up and paced back and forth inside the tent. The dwarf woman sipped her tea leisurely, watching Gebu with obvious anxiety.

Why was Father Usa able to persuade everyone to oppose the caravan?

It relies on narrative. Empire = evil, and caravans doing business with the empire = aiding evil.

Could we look at it from another angle...? The church's narrative comes from the scriptures, and the scriptures can be debated.

Caravans can carry not only goods, but also faith.

Empire = Evil; when an empire makes peace with a kingdom, it means to repent and reform; when a caravan goes to an empire, it means to preach to the evil empire.

That sounds much better.

"Lady Stoneheart... I have an idea. I know dwarves are very particular about tradition, but could you consider setting up a missionary organization within the caravan?"

Just as Madam Shi Xin raised her teacup to drink, she stopped abruptly upon hearing Gebu's words and put the teacup down.

"Go on."

"You've been trading in the kingdom for many years, so you must know that there are definitely more than just Father Usha. Even if we get past Chifang Town, who knows which town ahead will produce another Father Ansha, Father Basha... It's incredibly annoying. I think if we packaged the caravan and turned it into a vehicle for a 'holy religion,' claiming that we would spread the Obak faith to the other empire—wouldn't that be a very sacred thing?"

"Whether the Empire will allow missionaries into their territory depends on the outcome of the peace talks. Such a significant decision is beyond our control," Lady Stoneheart frowned. "I don't want to drag the Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild into this mess."

"Once we reach the border and the Empire forbids missionary work, we can unpack this mess—we're doing this propaganda to make it easier to travel within the kingdom. Once we're inside the Empire, who cares about these things, right?"

"Religion and politics are not child's play, Gebu," the dwarf woman said seriously. "I disagree."

"...In that case, it would be inappropriate for the Salt and Iron Merchants Association to take the initiative to do this. However, if a third party, such as a missionary organization that is recognized by the Holy Church and receives sponsorship from the Salt and Iron Merchants Association, and travels with the Salt and Iron Merchants Association, that would be more appropriate. If they encounter obstacles at the border, the missionary organization can be disbanded on the spot, and the caravan will remain the same caravan without being affected."

The dwarf woman pondered these words for a long time, until her tea had gone cold.

Geb looked at Lady Stoneheart with some nervousness—the dwarf's expression was solemn, and after a long while, he finally spoke:

"That's not impossible, but where can we find an officially recognized missionary organization? You know, the last time the kingdom conducted large-scale missionary work was two hundred years ago when we entered the Angsal Immortal Forest—it was more of a religious persecution of those mountain tribes than a missionary effort."

"If there's no story, just make one up—all faiths begin with stories. If the story is compelling enough and enough people believe in it, it becomes true," Geb said, revealing his canine teeth.

"That's a very dangerous idea, Geb. I hope you'll think carefully about what you're doing," Lady Stoneheart said, narrowing her eyes. "If it's too outrageous, I won't support it. I can't risk the reputation of the Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild."

"Don't worry, give me a day," Geb said confidently, already having a preliminary plan in mind. "No, actually, give me two days, and I'll come to you with the blessings of the lord and the priest—then you can just make a public statement."

"So confident?" Mrs. Stone looked at him with some surprise.

"Hey, all I have left is confidence," Geb laughed. "As for the weasel, let me tell her—she still thinks I'm a priest, so don't expose me."

Mrs. Stoneheart put her finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture.

You have earned my silence.

"Okay!" Gebu turned to leave, but just as he was about to go out, he turned back and quickly asked:

"Now that I've taken care of all that, can we call off the three recommendation letters and the 5000 gold coin deposit issue?"

The dwarf smiled:

"The Salt and Iron Caravan always keeps its promises, including the agreed-upon conditions. However, if you can fulfill all your promises, I believe obtaining letters of recommendation from the priest, the lord, and Dulin will be a natural progression. As for the security deposit, I recall that the total bounty for the lord and the caravan's hunt of the manticore was exactly 5000 gold coins, wasn't it?"

Hey! That dwarf old man! Gebu was furious.

Dwarfs all have solid heads! They can't even bend over backwards!