Carl was gone, and it might be decades before they could meet again.
Carl had the makings of a fine priest.
Just by uttering those words, he had managed to make Norton recall the terror of being dominated by Father Mia.
Although he hadn't actually been dominated, he had still been the gatekeeper.
This terrible memory was so potent that it gave Norton a rare nightmare that night.
In the dream, Norton became his childhood self again, being frantically chased by Father Mia. Extreme fear gripped his heart, yet his entire body felt utterly powerless—no matter how hard he ran, he couldn't run fast enough, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake him off.
If people knew that the Progenitor of the new-style vampires harbored such fears deep inside, Norton would surely be utterly disgraced.
Ever since Carl left, the weather had grown increasingly colder.
The scene of Carl bidding farewell to Norton before his departure had been witnessed by others. Combined with Carl's final instructions, this ensured that Old Norton's life was considerably better than that of an ordinary beggar.
At the very least, no one dared to snatch his cotton-padded coat, and no one dared to covet the silver ring on his finger.In this world, a cotton-padded coat was a high-end item, so luxurious that only those of middle-class status and above could afford one. It could even be sold for a not-insignificant sum of money.
It was possible that part of the travel funds Carl used when leaving home had been spent on this very coat.
Of course, based on Norton's teachings, it was more likely that Carl had stolen it from his home.
The weather grew even colder, and compounded by this year's crops being ruined by rain, large-scale famine finally began to emerge as a serious problem in Rino City.
The slums of Rino City had truly become a living hell. Every day, people died from the cold or from starvation.
And these poor souls who froze or starved to death would then be taken away by the Church to be made into meat soup, which was distributed among the poor of Rino City, all in an effort to minimize the damage caused by the famine.
It could be considered a long-standing tradition.
Carl's departure cost Norton his primary source of information. He could only rely on his ring and go to the tavern Carl had mentioned. He wouldn't eat or drink, just sit there as if warming himself, listening to the conversations of the people inside to gather news about the Papal States.
As for making contact with Priest Abraham?
He didn't want to make contact so early. If this group was accidentally discovered by the Church and captured for interrogation, they would undoubtedly sell out Norton's information without any bottom line.
It was better to wait until Priest Abraham had successfully taken control of Rino City before making an appearance. What was the harm in playing the fall guy once? After all, it was genuinely satisfying.
In any case, everything needed to be steady and cautious.
The tavern, with its charcoal fire, was exceptionally warm in this severe cold, making it a regular haunt for those who still had a bit of money to spare.
Thanks to the kindness and open-mindedness of Bishop Doxia, Rino City had merchants. Its internal social structure wasn't as simplistic and severely oppressive as in Holy Lord City. Instead, it was divided into various distinct class strata.
The powerful and noble, the merchants, the wealthy households with some land and surplus grain, the serfs who farmed for the nobility in exchange for food and shelter, and then the poor who had no land or money and could only survive by working odd jobs, and finally, the beggars.
So, even though the slums had become a living hell, inside this small tavern, people still enjoyed themselves carefreely—it was like two completely different worlds layered atop each other.
The fire in the charcoal-burning hearth flickered and danced. The tavern was bustling with noise and voices. Norton, wearing his cotton-padded coat, crouched in the corner closest to the door. He didn't obstruct people coming and going, nor did he occupy the crowded, warm spots. He just stayed crouched there, not eating, not drinking, not moving, silently listening to the conversations of the crowd inside.
During his first few visits, the other patrons had disliked his presence, but now that he came often, everyone had grown accustomed to him.
Some people, when in high spirits, would even toss him a couple of peanuts, showing off their superiority in front of a beggar.
But Norton didn't eat them.
"Thud!" Someone slammed their mug heavily onto the wooden table, the sound drawing the attention of others.
"Hey, everyone, you might not know this, right? When I went to the Rhine Main City to buy cotton recently, I heard people saying that the Boar Empire in the east has been getting restless lately. They've signed some kind of offensive and defensive alliances with several countries. Damn it, these pieces of shit aren't thinking of using this winter to launch an invasion against our Papal States, are they?"
His words almost immediately stirred the spirits of everyone in the tavern.
The people who could afford to be in the tavern now all had at least a little money. Having money meant broader horizons, and as beneficiaries of the current system, their perception of the Papal States was much more favorable than that of Norton or the severely oppressed bottom poor. Quite a few of them even had patriotic sentiments. Hearing news concerning the national level instantly got them all excited.
"Hehehe, your news is already outdated! I heard the latest just the day before yesterday. The damned royal family of the Boar Empire claims that the Papal States' rule is inhuman, spouting nonsense about how human rights should be guaranteed. It's nothing but an excuse for them to wage war!
They even say that the Ancient Divine Noah Empire was the pinnacle of human empires and development. I think they just want to restore the rule of the Ancient Divine Noah Empire, that's all!"
"Absolutely right! Our Papal States, blessed by the holiness of God, are the true beacon of hope for humanity. The feudal lord system perpetuated by the Ancient Divine Noah Empire and continued by the Boar Empire is a complete pile of dog shit! Except for the lords, everyone else is classified as a slave. Now that's true inhumanity!
Our Papal States' system is so advanced, our ideals so sacred! If the 'human rights' shouted by the Boar Empire are considered a crime, then the Boar Empire should surrender immediately, repent for the sins of its system, praise the holiness of God, and bathe in the radiance of the Papal States!"
The tavern buzzed with fervent agreement, the conversations filled with extreme praise for the Papal States and utter contempt for the Boar Empire and the Ancient Divine Noah Empire.
Everyone shared similar views, and the more they chatted, the more enthusiastic they became. The tavern was filled with a cheerful and lively atmosphere.
It was only thanks to the fact that Bishop Doxia was currently here, combined with the fact that many Missionaries had died, putting the Church in a semi-paralyzed state, that everyone in this tavern wasn't arrested and locked up for a couple of days.
After all, the Church was not to be discussed recklessly—not even to praise it!