Chapter 38: Secret Weapon
Ocean Temple.
When Soren walked to the entrance, he paused momentarily because he saw a special carriage. It wasn’t that the carriage was particularly unique, but it bore a crest resembling a tuna. If he remembered correctly, according to the world’s knowledge of [nobility], this should belong to a noble family. Noble crests are distinctive and meaningful; the use of a crest resembling a tuna indicates the family belongs to a coastal noble house.
This is Taro Port.
Taro Port belongs to a chaotic region; although there are administrators, they are definitely not nobility, and the behind-the-scenes power shifts are frequent. This means the noble in question cannot be local, but only a noble from coastal areas. But why would a coastal noble come to this place, especially to the Ocean Temple, which leans toward the Evil Faction? Do they worship the Ocean Goddess?
Soren frowned and walked inside.
He indeed saw a woman praying. From behind, she looked tall and graceful, wearing a veil on her head and possessing an incredibly slender waist. Kneeling in front of the statue of the Ocean Goddess, her curvaceous hips appeared very prominent as she bent forward. From any angle, this woman exuded a strong allure.
Soren’s footsteps startled her.
As she heard the sound, she stood up. Her pair of bright blue eyes looked at Soren, then she smiled and removed her veil. She had an extremely captivating face, with a slightly high nose—a characteristic of the western nobility—exhibiting very fair skin and long eyelashes that made her appear as if she had false lashes, but in fact, she was naturally so. Another distinctive feature was a small, inconspicuous black mole at the corner of her mouth that added an extra layer of allure to her charming face.
This woman was tall, even about five centimeters taller than Soren. It wouldn’t be easy for someone of her height to find a husband.
After all, Soren’s height, due to his half-elf bloodline, was also considerable!
She was estimated to be over 1.8 meters tall.
A woman of such height appeared very elegantly proportioned. She seemed to be in her twenties, likely not older than twenty-four. Due to the nearby nobility’s trend of wearing corseted long skirts, her chest revealed a fair expanse of skin, with full breasts and a slender waist. This curved into an attractive silhouette emphasized by her snow-white long skirt. This attire seemed to be typically worn at noble banquets, perfectly showcasing a woman’s curves and enticing features; such clothing wouldn’t be comfortable for everyday wear.
This was primarily due to the high corset affecting breathing; for those who are not accustomed to it, wearing it could feel stifling!
Soren was slightly dazed.
He couldn’t help but steal a few more glances, not just because of her captivating face, but more importantly, the woman’s appearance felt somewhat familiar to him. Naturally, Soren had never seen this woman before. After looking at her a bit more closely, he finally understood why she looked so familiar—because this woman bore some resemblance to Adele Isabella in certain facial features, with about fifty percent similarity in facial contours.
Faced with Soren’s gaze, the noblewoman’s face flushed slightly, and she gently bowed. Her white hands lifted the skirt’s hem as she performed a lady’s curtsy. As she slightly bent her knee, her ample bosom became even more astonishing, seemingly intentionally showcasing a deep, alluring valley before Soren. The lace-trimmed long skirt blossomed like a flower. The noblewoman gently bowed and, as she lifted her head, revealed a bright smile. It seemed that her cheeks flushed slightly due to Soren’s handsome looks, before she turned and took small steps into the back of the temple.
“Her name is Monica Isabella.”
The Naga Priestess emerged, seemingly pleased with Soren’s initial reaction, with a mysterious smile she said: “She is the daughter of Count Kaled, and his only heir. She is a bloodline descendant of Queen Isabella, possessing the purest noble blood. Many extraordinarily talented sorcerers have been born from this bloodline. Although she is just an ordinary person, she possesses a very substantial dowry. As her father is growing old, she holds power and wealth over the entire count’s territory. She even commands a knight order devoted to her.”
“Throughout the entire Southern Coast, she is the dream wife of countless noble scions, not only because of her beauty but also due to her wealth.”
“By the way.”
The Naga Priestess watched Soren’s increasingly astonished expression, seemingly with some indescribable emotion, teasingly remarked: “She is also a chaste virgin!…”
What’s going on here?
Even with Soren’s steady temperament, he was a bit shocked at that moment.
After a while, Soren finally regained his composure, taking a deep breath, he asked: “Did Your Excellency summon me here just for this matter?”
It seemed he had indeed underestimated the influence of the Ocean Temple.
If that noblewoman truly held the right of succession to the count’s territory, she would certainly count as part of a top-tier noble family on the Southern Coast. Even if their lineage has dwindled, the foundation accumulated over hundreds of years still has some weight. However, the Naga Priestess was treating her as a commodity for transaction, as if Soren could marry her if he so wished. Women in this world also possess rights to titles, and the dowry does not count towards the husband’s family; it remains her personal property.
Thus, noblewomen hold a significant status as well; many noble families’ criteria for marrying are based on bloodlines, dowries, status, etc.
Beauty is just a small part of it.
From this perspective, that noblewoman truly fit the highest standards; when the Naga Priestess said she was the target of many noble pursuits on the Southern Coast, it was hardly an exaggeration.
But how could the Ocean Temple possibly influence such a noblewoman?
While it was just the manipulation of her marriage, it still represented a powerful influence. The Ocean Church’s grasp on coastal regions was stronger than Soren imagined. That noblewoman must have had some transaction with the Ocean Temple, or perhaps had once entered into a contract; what agreement was reached, Soren could not know, but he could be certain that the Naga Priestess was serious about courting him this time.
The Naga Priestess frowned slightly.
Soren’s words evidently indicated that the killer weapon just presented hadn’t fully moved him, inadvertently causing her to feel a trace of annoyance, subtly perceiving Soren as somewhat unappreciative. However, she restrained herself from showing it because what was just given was merely a sweet date; there were still heavier measures prepared for Soren.
She gave a strange smile and slowly said, “I truly didn’t expect you to possess such abilities! You quelled the nearby pirates in just a few days.”
“However,”
The Naga Priestess paused here, speaking in a low voice: “You seem to have completely become the target of the Swamp King; it seems he intends to kill you to solidify his own position. He is a powerful Pirate King, with followers who are entirely different from the humans you’ve encountered; many of them are even non-human monsters.”
“If you cannot defeat him, I fear all your efforts over this time will swiftly vanish into thin air!”
“That group of pirates has little loyalty; the moment you fail, they will betray you without hesitation. So I want to know how you plan to deal with the Swamp King?”
The Naga Priestess revealed a faint smile, almost gloating.
If Vivian hadn’t awakened, Soren would indeed have to seek assistance from the Ocean Temple. However, now, uniting his and Vivian’s powers to defeat one of the Pirate Kings, the ‘Swamp King,’ was not impossible. After all, Soren clearly understood the powers of the Demon Son of Fear. They inherently stand on the brink of a legendary domain, and now that Vivian had fused the powers of two other Demon Sons of Fear, her strength absolutely exceeded Soren not by a little, but she lacked the rich experience to wield this power.
Refusing the Naga Priestess?
He would still need the power of the Ocean Church in the future, so Soren could not make their relationship too rigid.
Agreeing to her courtings?
If there was no coercive divine contract involved, it would be fine to agree; after all, Soren currently held no particular faith, so attaching himself to a vague faith was not out of the question; the Ocean Goddess is certainly a golden thigh to cling to.
In the end.
He contemplated in his heart, that is, to partake in the sugar-coated pill and return the cannonball.
……………(To be continued ~^~)
