Chapter 19

    The Central Church’s Arrival

    Mr. Gray had officially been removed from his position as village chief. The new leader, who won by a landslide, was none other than Mr. Jonathan Lockwood… the husband of Aunt Mary. He was the pillar of one of the village’s founding farming families and was among the very few in the village who could read and write.

    The generosity of the Lockwood family, who had always provided support for many, was the main driving force behind the trust placed in him. Once the transition process was complete, the long-reigning Mr. Gray had no choice but to hand over the village’s official seal—an essential stamp for trade negotiations with outside merchants and communication with the noble overseeing the land.

    The old serpent’s face twisted into a bitterness beyond words.

    “I will conduct an inspection of the village’s communal assets tomorrow. I trust that everything is in order, Mr. Gray?”

    “O…Of course, I’ll make sure everything is ready.” His distorted expression struggled to respond, suppressing his rising anger. Many onlookers couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction at the scene. Meanwhile, Jason, who had now become his father’s temporary human shield, found himself feeling rather uneasy.

    After the prayer of gratitude to the gods was completed, the songs and chants sending off those who had perished in the winter resounded through the air. Tears flowed from the grieving families, but soon, they dried away. They had to endure and continue living, leaving their sorrow and disappointment behind. When the main ceremony of the day came to a close, the villagers gathered in small groups to chat for a while longer, admiring the neatly arranged sweet potato fields cultivated by the children.

    The two nuns continued to step forward on Kit’s behalf, redirecting the growing attention away from him. For now, the concept of integrated farming was credited to them—until the time was right. Meanwhile, several villagers had the chance to taste the freshly baked sweet potatoes, their fragrant and delicious flavor completely changing their perception of the crop.

    “I never thought wild tubers could taste this good. I assumed they were just as bad as how city folks always describe them...” Aunt Mary once again proved herself to be a fearless pioneer with an open mind. She was the first to bravely take a bite of the food that everyone considered low-class survival fare, paving the way for others to follow.

    For a long time, all edible root crops had been labeled as poverty food. During disasters and plagues, the destitute would venture into the forests to dig them up for survival. Because of this, root vegetables became associated with hardship and bad omens, making it difficult to change society’s perception of them.

    But Kit did not share this view.

    Wild sweet potatoes were fast-growing, high-yielding, and packed with essential nutrients. Even though they primarily consisted of carbohydrates, they also contained proteins, vitamins, and various beneficial minerals. Not to mention—the leaves and young shoots of the sweet potato plant were also edible and could be cooked into nutritious meals. For these reasons, cultivating tubers for food were not a terrible idea—despite what everyone else believed.

    Kit was certain that time itself… would prove their value.

    His mind wandered to thoughts of corn, different rice varieties, fresh vegetables, various tubers like taro and potatoes, and dozens of spices. Unfortunately, Redwood Pine Forest only provided a limited selection of resources. Even though the forest was said to be blessed by the gods, it still had its natural limits.

    These restrictions forced many of Kit’s aspirations to be temporarily put on hold. For now, as he honed his farming skills, he would also keep an eye out for new plant species to experiment with.

    Another important task was to persuade the villagers to start collecting and storing personal waste in a designated area. Surprisingly, the villagers listened intently to their clever young scholar. The reasons he presented were so logical that no one could refute them...

    Proper waste management brought many benefits to the community. Although the little boy couldn’t yet explain what bacteria were, he described the dangers of consuming food and drinking water contaminated with filth. Many villagers who had fallen ill from eating unclean food spoke up in agreement, serving as living proof for the rest to understand.

    Mr. Jonathan approved the proposal and decided to set aside land at the edge of the village, near the organic waste dump, to serve as a designated disposal site. The idle men, free from farming duties, now had a new task waiting for them. Several pits would be dug according to plan. Once the waste reached a certain level, the pits would be sealed to allow time for natural decomposition, eventually turning into compost for everyone’s use.

    With this, Kit’s dream town took one more step toward his vision. The young boy thus went all out, eagerly joining the village chief to inspect the area and offer suggestions on waste management.

    He beamed with happiness, seeing everyone working together—Until... The Great Cleanup Day of Redwood Village arrived.

    For someone with a sense of smell thousands of times stronger than normal, nothing was more horrifying than the stench of accumulated human waste, rotting and festering, all gathered at the foot of the mountain. Even though he had trained himself to filter scents, the psychological impact was still overwhelming.

    For the first time, he completely lost his appetite and had to excuse himself to vomit in the woods all day long. Luckily, everyone was too busy working to notice his strange behavior.

    The grueling task continued for two full days. Out of the ten pits dug, four were completely filled.

    By the next month, everyone would have exceptional fertilizer to use. The two nuns watched the changes unfold with excitement. They were now fully convinced that Kit’s divine visions were real and practical.

    The village roads looked noticeably cleaner. Every household began planting flowers, brought back by hunters from the forest. The village soon resembled a paradise.

    The first outsiders to witness this transformation were the convoy guards escorting supplies from the Church. When they first arrived, the group leader had to double-check the map—just to make sure they hadn’t taken a wrong turn.

    Priests from the White Wings Order, worshippers of the God of Light and Healing, the Landbruh Order, followers of the God of Agriculture, and the Foris Order, devotees of the God of the Forest, all paid a formal visit to the new village chief, as tradition dictated. Afterward, they engaged in light conversation, exchanging views.

    The Lockwood household welcomed them warmly. All three priests were familiar with this place, making introductions unnecessary…

    “Father Jackson, it’s been a while,” Jonathan greeted the White Wings’ high priest first before turning to Father Jacob and Father Matthew, greeting them in a friendly manner.

    “I was wondering why this place had changed so much. So, it’s because you became the village chief.”

    “Well... actually, the two Sisters from the church were the ones who guided the village’s development.” Jonathan replied as planned with the nuns. He, too, was deeply concerned for little David’s safety.

    “Oh... So, it was Anne and Lisa? That’s truly wonderful.” Jacob, who was well-acquainted with the two nuns, spoke in genuine surprise. However, his expression showed signs of concern, contradicting the cheerful words he had just spoken.

    “Is something wrong, Father? You don’t look well.”

    “Ah... To be honest, I am a little worried. You see...”

    “The important item he was supposed to bring was forgotten. Apparently, he was entrusted to deliver it, and now he’s dreading facing those two older sisters at the church...” Jackson cut in, revealing the truth before Jacob could finish, for fear that, as always, he would use roundabout wording.

    As he sipped warm roasted dandelion root tea, the ever-silent Matthew finally spoke up, inquiring about the village leadership change. Thus, the entire corruption case of Gray Chopper was laid bare. All three priests helped confirm various facts regarding taxation—revealing that such payments had never been mandated in any agreements between the Kingdom and the Church in the first place.

    What an audacious and corrupt village chief he had been. And even though he had already been punished—his seized assets returned to the village—both high-ranking officials from the Orders of Agriculture and the Great Forest had marked Mr. Gray and his family as enemies.

    “Calm down, you two… Don’t let the sins of the father become the sins of the child.” The leader of the Light Expedition gently reprimanded his two companions. That’s because he was quite familiar with the Chopper family and had considered Jason’s situation. “Let’s give the man some time to repent. If he fails to do so, we can discuss his punishment later…”

    The teachings of Lord White Wings always provided wrongdoers a chance to repent. Unlike the other gods, who were far more absolute in their judgments, Lord White Wings served as a bridge connecting all deities. So, the two hot-tempered companions eased their burning anger considerably.

    Once their morning discussions concluded, the church convoy separated from the merchants who had accompanied them. The traders set up tents for resting, and in front of these temporary stalls, wooden displays showcased foreign provisions, exotic foods, and unusual items for customers who wished to experience something new.

    The merchants would stay for two weeks, following their usual schedule, before departing with the church priests for the next settlement. During this time, villagers could exchange their stockpiled goods for coin, or purchase whatever they needed.

    As a result, Redwood’s local economy saw a slight improvement. Unfortunately, local goods had significantly dropped in value now that it was no longer winter. Even high-quality red pine had its price slashed by more than half.

    Meanwhile, a group of ten priests set out for the village church in the afternoon.

    Since this annual visit followed the same schedule every year, the rooms in the grand church had already been prepared.

    The beauty of the place left the priests relaxed and at peace.

    Only Father Jacob acted suspiciously, constantly lurking and avoiding the gazes of the two nuns at all costs.