Chapter 1317
Grandet Offers Apologies
At this time, Eivass, Sherlock, and Isabel were discussing the constitution of Wanning.
Hearing the unexpected arrival of a guest, Eivass raised his head in surprise.
“…Mr. Grandet?”
Eivass raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “At this time?”
He genuinely wanted to know why Grandet, whom he had only met once not long ago, would rush here at such a busy time for Wanning.
There’s a saying – don’t disturb someone when they’re swamped. At such times, people would wish they could shove your head down your neck.
Based on Eivass’s few interactions with Grandet, the goblin merchant was undoubtedly a person with high emotional intelligence.
He couldn’t possibly not know that at this moment, both Eivass and Isabel would be anxious and agitated by the sudden, immense workload. The Kingdom of Wanning had just been established, and its rules needed to be finalized before the public’s fervor died down. Furthermore, it would be best if these rules were not changed afterward… thus, it was best to get it right the first time. Even if they couldn’t achieve that perfectly, they should at least strive towards it.
After all, constantly changing decrees hurt people the most.
For Eivass, the Kingdom of Wanning was actually very valuable.
Eivass was not lacking in worldly authority. Whether it was Avalon in the past, Hrasal now, or the Eternal Holy Kingdom, his opinions directly influenced the highest levels.
Therefore, this wasn’t about the value brought by worldly glory and riches, but rather in terms of its “Great Deed.”
Only a select few Heavenly Envoys, such as the Butterfly Heavenly Envoy, Winter Envoy, and Bear Heavenly Envoy, could attain the position of Heavenly Envoy because they possessed a certain symbolic significance in themselves. Beyond that, to achieve the position of Heavenly Envoy or Pillar God, one always had to first change or transform the Material Realm. It wasn’t that miracles were needed only after becoming a god; rather, miracles were necessary to achieve godhood.
This was the only [Miracle] in ten thousand years of reincarnation cycle!
Only when Eivass walked this path could everything develop so smoothly.
Only Eivass could turn deserts into oases, and only Eivass could liberate people from the tragic cycle of inevitably becoming slaves, sacrifices, and perpetrators. A miracle achieved only once in ten lifetimes… as the Great Deed of the Pillar God of Miracles, it was indeed unquestionable.
And on a deeper level, the tragedy of Anxi was precisely because of the Void itself—
The Sin Thorns were proof of the Void devouring worlds, the Abyss Heavenly Envoy was the “forbidden” itself devoured by the Void, and the ancestors of the Good Lords—the mages of the Sky-Piercing Tower—were also stranded because of the Great Philosopher’s lightning strike on the tower, and the Great Philosopher did this because of the Void’s infection…
From these reasons, it could be said that if not for the Void, the current Anxi wouldn’t exist; or rather, if not for the Void’s influence, Anxi wouldn’t be what it is today.
Eivass’s transformation of Anxi and the creation of Wanning, from a symbolic perspective, also represented a challenge to the Void—much like how “Arthur” of the past led the Knights of the Round Table to the Isle of Avalon.
And at such a time, Grandet suddenly requested an audience…
Eivass narrowed his eyes slightly.
Could it be because the Sin Thorns had been completely eradicated by Eivass and the desert had turned into an oasis, and he had come specifically to confirm whether the underground drainage project was still needed?
Or perhaps he intended to undertake some of the infrastructure projects now that the Kingdom of Wanning was newly established? That would indeed be a great help to Eivass…
Or was it…?
The corners of Eivass’s mouth curved upwards slightly.
Seeing Eivass’s expression, Isabel understood his attitude.
She turned back and instructed, “Bring him in.”
Sherlock, on the other hand, frowned slightly, subconsciously suspicious of everything.
He tilted his head slightly, reminding Eivass, “I don’t think our old friend’s arrival is purely coincidental…”
His reasoning was simple: As a pure Avalonian, Sherlock actually disliked goblins quite intensely. In his view, the consumer culture brought about by these overly materialistic goblins was a significant root of moral decay.
However, from a rational perspective, goblins did provide a considerable amount of help to Avalon. After integrating resources, the goblins had managed to lower costs to a level that could crush all competitors.
If they tried to bypass them, not only would the costs be higher, but the quality might not be as good, and the efficiency would certainly be much slower. Therefore, from the perspective of the state, Sherlock felt it was inevitable to cooperate with these goblins.
Yet, Sherlock remained wary of goblins.
His mind told him that these innate merchants were not to be trusted…
As Sherlock was speaking, Grandet was brought in, and he fell silent—not out of fear, but to save face for Grandet. After all, with Grandet’s abilities, he could certainly hear all the conversations from outside the door.
Moreover, this was also a sign of respect for Eivass and Isabel.
There was a legitimate Sultana present, and a future god personally authorized by the Sultana… As merely a prime minister, he had no real say in front of guests and it was not his place to speak.
So, Sherlock leaned back slightly and quietly moved to a more peripheral position, no longer obstructing Eivass and Isabel’s view.
Isabel placed her right arm on the table, and as she turned sideways, her face wore the warm yet dignified smile of a queen. “Look, isn’t this our friend Grandet? Mr. Grandet, what made you think of coming at such a time…”
Saying this, she glanced at Eivass with a smile, indicating that the focus of the subsequent conversation was on Eivass, not her.
She then continued with the latter half of her sentence, “Is there something urgent that requires your friends’ help?”
—The implication was, if it’s not important, don’t waste our time.
However, Isabel did not expect what happened next.
Grandet suddenly knelt down with a thud, bowing deeply towards Eivass!
With a deep, hoarse voice, he recited in standard Avalon language with reverence, “In the name of the Morning Sun, the Blazing Fire, and the Vermilion Ink, thrice I worship the Sinless. I pay my respects to the Great Halo Visage, Child of the Candlemaster, Lord of Miracles…”
Hearing this, Eivass’s eyes widened in surprise.
These were words that Croxus and Autolycus had spoken to Eivass, a form of praise offered to the Child of the Candlemaster according to ancient Elven etiquette. If spoken in Elven, every line of this phrase would rhyme and have consistent syllable lengths, much like an ancient sacrificial ritual.
After the establishment of the Church, even modern elves no longer used this form of etiquette—at most, they would offer blessings in the name of the Pillar Gods. After the establishment of the Church, the Church of the Nine Pillars God had changed the old traditions and etiquette. From then on, the format of eulogies generally became “directly addressing the divine name, specifying the Sacred Number, and praising and extolling.”
Obtaining a eulogy of this caliber, Grandet had indeed put in considerable effort.
Without waiting for Eivass to ask, Grandet directly stated the purpose of his visit, without any embellishment or preface:
“—I am guilty. Because in the past, I indulged in greed and malice and committed many unforgivable Great Sins. My relatives and the Goblin Merchants’ Guild are all deeply sinful…”
Grandet recounted one by one the Great Sins he had committed, with utmost seriousness and piety.
This caused Isabel to frown deeply, while the corners of Eivass’s mouth curved upwards.
He now understood what Grandet had come to do.
(End of this chapter)
