Chapter 109: Sky Garden! [Request for Recommendation Vote]
2016-08-30
Author: Floating Tower
The Agricultural Goddess is a very unique presence among the gods.
Firstly, she is the daughter of Mother Earth, and her status within the Nature Deity is special. Furthermore, since the powerful deities of the Nature Deity system have mostly fallen or detached, the entire Nature Deity system is currently dominated by the Forest Goddess and the Agricultural Goddess. The Forest Goddess is the daughter of Father Oak, while the Goddess of Spring and Peace is her sister (but serves the Agricultural Goddess). The aforementioned Unicorn Goddess serves as her mount during battles. The status of the Nature Deity is currently maintained by the Goddess of Forest and Rangers, and even though she is only a deity of medium divine power, no powerful enemy would dare to overlook her.
This is because a portion of Father Oak’s power has been inherited by his daughter, the Forest Goddess Merike.
Another part of the Nature Deity system is composed of the Agricultural Goddess, who represents the aspect of nature where intelligent beings coexist peacefully, primarily focusing on the relationship between humans and nature. Agriculture balances human plunder and destruction of the natural world, and the doctrine of the Agricultural Goddess is not completely biased towards humans; she is beloved by Druids because she hopes to reduce humanity’s demands on nature through agricultural development. If farming can meet most basic needs, then human destruction of nature and forests will be greatly reduced. This point is currently validated, as in areas where the Agricultural Goddess has considerable influence, agriculture is more developed, and people demand less from forests and nature, creating wealth from the land instead.
The Agricultural Goddess belongs partly to the Nature Deity system and partly to the human deity system.
Her existence is somewhat special because of her relationship with Mother Earth and the Lord of Radiance. While her combat power is currently unclear, she is a deity that no one dares to provoke easily.
Soren needs to gain her support.
This is because both Mother Earth and the Lord of Radiance are powerful divine beings. Currently, Mother Earth is still in slumber, but beings of such ancient power could awaken at any time, and their strength should not be underestimated.
Southern Duchy.
This is a fertile land near the Southern Coast, possessing land even more fertile than Amber City and White Horse City.
The Southern Duchy is traversed by two rivers, with the Agricultural Goddess as the dominant deity of this land, and her sub-deities include the Goddess of Spring and Peace, the River Goddess, the Goddess of New Sprouts, among others. These deities originally served Mother Earth and later followed the newly ascended Agricultural Goddess after her retirement.
In the domain of the Agricultural Goddess, many large granaries can be seen.
This is the largest grain-producing area in the entire Material Plane, with almost seventy percent of the southern grain trade coming from here. The followers and priests of the Agricultural Goddess have constructed numerous granaries to store food, with reserves surpassing those of any kingdom on the road. However, despite being a deity of the good faction, the Agricultural Goddess also has her limitations; she does not have much ability to mobilize the food here. She can control the resources within the church, but the wealth held by her followers is not managed by her, hence, even with constant migration from various places, the Agricultural Goddess has no strength left to assist. This is the exact opposite of Soren’s control over Modo; in the Southern Duchy, worldly powers dominate, comprising landowners, nobles, and merchant guilds who are willing to serve and believe in the Agricultural Goddess, yet if asked to use their accumulated wealth to help others, they might turn their backs in an instant.
However.
Even so, the number of migrants in the Southern Duchy is at least minimal; the nobles have formed armies to guard against evil creatures and to prevent those migrants from entering this fertile land.
The entire agricultural practice in the Southern Duchy follows a two-season cycle, which is unmatched by the Overseas Islands. In this place, almost every town and village has an altar and temple dedicated to the Agricultural Goddess, and after each harvest, grand harvest festivals are held.
Soren’s destination is the City of Harvest.
A city protected by the Agricultural Goddess, and undoubtedly, it should be the most beautiful city in the Material Plane.
This is a city resembling a garden. Before Soren even approaches, he can see many beautiful estates, almost all of which are planted with numerous flowers and plants, appearing like a retro-futuristic urban greening, but much more harmonious and beautiful. Here resides the true followers of the Agricultural Goddess, known to the outside world as “Shepherds,” mostly consisting of gardeners, farmers, and Druids who seek balance between nature and agriculture; although they serve agriculture, they still cherish nature. The biggest difference in this city is that not all fertile land is converted into farmland; along the way, Soren sees many lands that are obviously very fertile but have been transformed into beautiful gardens.
It cannot be said enough.
The Agricultural Goddess has indeed created a dreamlike garden city in the Material Plane.
Soren strolls along the wide, smooth boulevard.
He observes the entire City of Harvest and reflects through these observations on the Agricultural Goddess’s true thoughts, much like the order, rules, and commitments within Modo, which represent Soren’s genuine ideas, extending into the very core of Modo. In Modo, those who ignore order find it hard to survive; this is the impact of deities on the mundane.
This city reflects the Agricultural Goddess’s ideals.
As deities each possess their intrinsic thoughts, these thoughts first manifest in the church’s core territory.
“It seems that the Agricultural Goddess greatly values the balance of nature and agriculture,”
Soren silently observes everything, sensing the tranquility and harmony of the Agricultural Goddess; she does not wish to abandon nature but also is reluctant to oppose humanity, thus striving to act as a balanced force.
This land preserves the beauty of nature.
Unlike other areas in the Southern Duchy, where the vast majority of fertile land is transformed into farmland, here exist dense and beautiful forests as well as small, exquisite gardens, with rows of granaries standing beside villages, and in the distance, rivers and streams meander.
This is a beautiful land.
In some ways, even more beautiful than Modo, but Soren feels it is somewhat unreal, especially in the shadow of the Saint’s Cataclysm, having seen the destruction of Amber City and the desolation of White Horse City, he increasingly perceives all of this as an illusion.
Ahead, the village is gathered with many people.
Soren draws closer like a traveler, wanting to observe the spectacle.
They are holding a wedding.
A wedding is taking place on freshly plowed land, an ancient tradition that has been maintained since the time of Mother Earth.
Some devout followers hold their weddings on the newly plowed land, and then that night, the newlyweds spend their first night there, a practice that has been passed down for thousands of years, as it is believed to gain the blessings of Mother Earth for their offspring to multiply.
The church of the Agricultural Goddess continues to uphold this ancient tradition.
The wedding of the couple is officiated by a priest, with a feast held beside the field, and when night falls, the newlywed couple lays down a bed on the freshly plowed land, intending to spend their first night there to receive the blessings of Mother Earth.
Nature and humanity.
This is a difficult issue to reconcile. The initial conflict between Mother Earth and Father Oak arose because Mother Earth began to focus on humanity and protect agriculture, leading to the cooling of the relationship between the two powerful deities. Eventually, a group of followers serving Mother Earth, known as the “True Shapers,” who upheld the wilderness and nature, began to shift their allegiance to other deities of the Nature Deity system.
Currently.
These “True Shapers” serve the Forest Goddess.
Soren’s arrival does not escape the notice of the Agricultural Goddess, so when he enters the City of Harvest, a large number of priests are immediately dispatched from the main temple located at the city’s center, as the Agricultural Goddess’s church possesses many maternal, abundant, and feminine characteristics. Thus, most priests are female members who form groups to welcome Soren, scattering fragrant petals along the paths lined with flowers, honoring him as he proceeds to the temple.
In any case.
The visit of a True God holds great significance, and these priests perform the most grand welcoming ceremony.
The temple of the Agricultural Goddess resembles a beautiful sky garden, and even as a True God, Soren is momentarily taken aback by its appearance, for everything before him truly resembles the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The entire temple is enveloped in the beauty of both humanity and nature, with each mutually balancing and complementing each other, lending a dreamy quality to the scene. There are numerous followers, each with expressions of happiness and reverence on their faces, clearly indicating that their lives are splendid, for the residents of Modo only wear proud smiles, and do not possess such calm and blissful expressions.
Soren is invited to the innermost depths of the temple.
There, a graceful and beautiful priest waits for him, who then leads Soren into a private realm.
This is a half-plane.
A beautiful half-plane attached to the temple, appearing as a massive garden, where countless exotic flowers bloom, and at the front sits the Agricultural Goddess in a delicate vine armchair, wearing a white gown, her expression serene as she gazes at Soren’s arrival.
“Welcome to my realm.”
The Agricultural Goddess stands up gracefully, walking towards Soren, gently lifting the hem of her gown, then slightly bowing her head in greeting, smiling, “How do you feel about what you have seen on this journey, Lord Soren?”
She had already sensed Soren’s visit.
Soren slightly bows in return, then takes the Agricultural Goddess’s hand in his palm, bending down to gently kiss the back of her hand; however, it remains mere gesture without truly touching her. Since the Agricultural Goddess employed ancient lady etiquette, he naturally reciprocates with the ancient knight’s courtesy; this act of kissing the hand is only a symbol, the most orthodox ceremony involves not touching the lady’s skin, as it would be quite disrespectful.
Of course.
Such etiquette has evolved to the point of genuinely kissing now.
Soren raises his head to meet the gaze of the Agricultural Goddess, calmly stating, “It is beautiful. It is natural. But it also feels unreal.”
Upon hearing Soren’s words, the Agricultural Goddess’s expression instantly changes.
………………(To be continued ~^~)
