CHAPTER 319: 0317 I AM TOO

In the evening, the High Priest summoned his youngest son at home. He had many children, but he particularly favored this youngest one because they looked the most alike.

It’s somewhat strange to say; the previous children of the High Priest all bore some differences in appearance compared to him. Such things aren’t commonplace, but they aren’t that rare either.

He did not question whether these sons were his blood because the mothers of these children brought considerable wealth, power, and some intangible assets of indeterminate value when they married in.

When he competed with other brothers for the position of High Priest, they provided substantial help, so he pretended to be oblivious.

Only the youngest son resembled him the most. He couldn’t quite explain the feeling; at least he thought so himself, therefore showing preference for him.

The High Priest’s youngest son was only seventeen years old. If it weren’t for the girl, who committed suicide by drowning out of shame for being pregnant before marriage, this seventeen-year-old boy would have already been a father.

From the perspective of the Nagariel people, this young man was considered handsome. Unlike local nobility members who were often heavyset, he was slightly slender, giving a vigorous appearance.

"Father, you called for me."

Shedding the multicolored bird feathers, removing various decorations, and wiping off the body paints, the High Priest revealed his true face.

It was the face of an elderly man, somewhat aged. Tattoos covered his face and arms, and his skin sagged a bit, rendering the tattoos unable to convey what they intended when inked into his skin.

This made the High Priest appear somewhat frightening and somewhat repulsive.

"Do you know Lynch?" the High Priest looked at his youngest son and asked.

The young man nodded, "I know him; recently, everyone is talking about him."

The High Priest nodded noncommittally, "In a couple of days, he will take a ship from Nagariel back to the Bail Federal; you will go with him. You’re not going to Amelia anymore; you will go to the Bail Federal."

The High Priest originally intended to send his youngest son to Amelie Province as Gafura had won a 120-year ruling right over this area, it was time for major construction.

It was a great opportunity; the High Priest planned to have his youngest son bring money, attend school, and do business. Ideally, he could become friends with local politicians—having him as the High Priest father as a backdrop would make people willing to befriend a young man.

Regardless of whether the younger son could inherit his position and power later, at least it was a way out. He even thought if conditions allowed, he would also establish a religion in the Amelia Region.

The local people’s and the Gafura people’s oppositional consciousness made them need a "middleman" to mediate conflicts. This was a good opportunity, and his youngest son had prepared a lot for it.

Just unexpectedly, a single sentence from Lynch made him change his mind—religious freedom, freedom of faith.

Gafura is a country ruled by monarchs; preaching requires permission. Only when approved by the rulers, can preaching occur within limits; this differs from the Federation.

If the Federation is indeed so free, he could absolutely have his youngest son become a High Priest in the Federation; that would be the true way out.

Wealthy, advanced, developed, and safe, it’s certainly much better than being a local despot here.

"But I heard that Lynch turned down Mr. Preton’s goodwill..."

The High Priest frowned, his voice slightly stern, "Remember, you are a child of Nagariel, not a child of Preton; don’t speak for him, and don’t be afraid of him."

In fact, his attitude largely represents the current worries and grievances of the ruling class in Nagariel—the younger generation is becoming increasingly externalized under the influence of these outsiders.

Some of them can’t even speak Nagariel’s native language fluently, but speak the international lingua franca as smoothly as their mother tongue.

Their attitudes towards life, towards society... don’t quite seem like locals, which is concerning—worried that one day, their descendants will suddenly transform from Nagariel people to "foreigners."

The High Priest felt a sudden irritation for no particular reason, "Let’s end this matter here, you’re going to study this time and also observe the environment there. Lynch told me there’s a high degree of freedom of religion and belief there, if possible......"

The expressionless face of the youngest son turned into one of surprise, but soon showed joy.

Instead of business, he was more interested in religion.

Growing up in such a family, he knew well that sometimes money couldn’t do what the divine could!

The news that the High Priest let his youngest son leave with Lynch swiftly circulated through certain channels. When Mr. Preton heard about it, he merely laughed indifferently, not taking it to heart. At the same time, for the face of the High Priest, he instructed people not to trouble him at sea.

The children of the Provincial Governor’s family didn’t dare to say anything like not allowing someone to leave without paying; with the High Priest stepping in, unless their father stood his ground, no one dared to stop Lynch from leaving the country.

For the sake of a minor figure, triggering new conflicts between the ruling power and divine authority would be a loss for the entire society.

This matter seemed to calm down just like that. A few days later, Lynch, with a shipload of goods and a young man eager for the outside world leaving his father’s sight for the first time, embarked on his return journey to the Bail Federal.

...

"Why are there so many people?" A freshly disembarked Federation citizen looked at the cameramen at the harbor with surprise, inquiring if some foreign head of state or political dignitary was visiting again.

As the Federation began participating in more international affairs, state visits became more frequent and usual.

A new player joined the table, and old players were certainly curious about what this new friend might think and whether there were any collaborative projects.

In the past few years, state visits that happened infrequently had become a routine occurrence. The Gafura Prime Minister had just left, and the Foreign Minister of the Reins Federal Republic had arrived right after, along with a long list of diplomatic agendas.

This intrigued the Federation public, increasing national cohesion and confidence.

As the President put it in a televised speech, "We are participating in more international decision-making, becoming more critical, raising our status, the great revival of the Federation is foreseeable..." boosting morale in truth.

Though the current economic situation remained tough, it was not as bottomless as before. The emergence of some international orders allowed factories to resume operations, signaling positive changes and heightened awareness of the importance of integrating into the international community.

Certainly, all of this also further illustrated the fault in the "isolationist" route; the former president is now under investigation, with reports that the Bail Federal Security Committee plans to charge the former president with "dereliction of duty," "endangering national security," and other offenses.

Rapid and significant changes unroll one after another, to the point where people disembarking first think there’s a visit from a foreign dignitary.

Some people lingered at the port, hoping to feel the pulse of the era up close. However, they were doomed to be disappointed, though not necessarily at a loss—this sentence was quite intriguing.

As a rather unnoticed medium-sized cargo ship slowly approached the dock, the reporters suddenly became excited, and some curious people surged forward.

They first saw crates being unloaded from the ship; the photographers’ flashes went wild, and people exclaimed in constant awe and raised questions about what on earth it was.

"Is this a lion?" asked a stylish lady wearing a sun hat, a blue dress, and holding a handbag, somewhat uncertain, "Its fur is beautiful, shining under the sun!"

Her male companion seemed unsure, "Lions have a much denser mane, and look at the spots on its coat. I think it might be a leopard."

"I’ve seen leopards; they don’t have that kind of fur!" the stylish lady immediately disagreed.

The male companion was just about to argue, but seeing the determination in the lady’s eyes, and having just ended a month-long celibacy, he instantly conceded, "You’re right, dear!"

The lady smiled very elegantly, "I knew I was right!"

More items continued to be unloaded from the ship; these were rarely seen in the Federation, including furniture made from Red Blood Wood—didn’t a kid come along with Lynch? Cutting down a few worthless trees is just a matter of words, right?

People discussed among themselves, discussing where these items came from, who they belonged to, and why there were so many reporters.

Meanwhile, the owner of these goods was on the deck of the cargo ship.

"I feel it, Lynch..." The seventeen-year-old boy, after three days of getting along, had already formed a good relationship with Lynch. He was holding onto the rail and slightly tilting his head back, inhaling deeply.

The air quickly filled his lungs, causing his somewhat slender body to appear more robust, "This is the taste of freedom; I never thought the flavor here could be so sweet!"

He turned back, looking at Lynch with surprise. The air lacked the stench that couldn’t be dispersed without scent bags, maybe except for a salty sea breeze. But that alone was already a delightful surprise for a first-time traveler abroad.

"I told you, this is the best place in the world; you will fall in love with it!" Lynch’s smile had always been infectious, easily convincing the boy of his view since Lynch wasn’t much older than him.

"I believe that now too, Lynch!"