Krafft's Notes on Anomalies

The captain Ryan met in the tavern was named William, known as Bearded William. He was a native of Wendeng Port and had a good family background. This should be a more modest statement.

This man has a big beard, but he is actually only in his early thirties. At this age, he can get a boat and become the captain, and it is a ketch capable of long voyages. This is a typical rich second generation, and the family savings are much richer than most small nobles.

The route William chose was to run back and forth between Wendeng Port and the ice field, bringing liquor, wheat and other supplies needed by the local tribes, in exchange for some local specialty animal skins, and some items to make up for when he was unlucky.

In the impression of those who have never seen the scenery on the other side of the sea, it is a terrifying wilderness, where savages who drink blood chase all living creatures on the ice sheet that does not melt all year round, whether it is a big white-furred bear or someone who strays into the sea. An outsider here.

William would explain repeatedly every time that some tribes living on the edge of the ice sheet had long been assimilated by the passing merchant ships, and even built small ports, learned the language of the North Kingdom, and exchanged furs and ores for stable food. Ninety percent of everyone present is fast.

At this time, his audience will say: "Ah, yes, yes, you said it very well. Can you talk about other tribes?"

Therefore, it was not easy for him to recruit sailors, let alone hitchhikers.

There are always exceptions to everything. In addition to the warriors who open up new business opportunities, there are also occasionally other people who go to the ice fields - missionaries of the church.

People who know a little bit about the church may know that in the logic of the church, recruiting people into the church is considered merit. It's not the kind of things that are recorded in a notebook in the church, but the kind of achievements that are recorded in heaven, which are directly related to whether the soul can return to the arms of the Heavenly Father after death, and how the soul will be treated after returning to the arms of the Heavenly Father.

Don’t look at churches in ghost places like Wendeng Port like salted fish. If you go and pray, they won’t even give out eggs. That’s because their main market is not the poor people. The proportion of sailors at sea who believe in religion is still very high, even on some big ships. A clergyman will also be invited to stay on the ship for a long time, which is very beneficial to stabilizing the mental state during long-term voyages.

You laugh at them for not being able to clean up the seagull droppings in the square. They laugh at you for not thinking about why they can buy enough land to create a square in the city. Behind this is the credit of a large number of people who make a living at sea.

As for the person who founded this diocese back then, he has long since been canonized. It is not clear how much gold this saint contains, but needless to say the honor in life. After death, he will naturally return to the arms of God with honor, go to the lush land flowing with milk and honey, listen to the sacred music surrounded by winged things, and have the honor to serve countless people. authority above. Decades ago, he came alone to this land that had no religious tradition since ancient times and spread the gospel to countless sailors. Such a legend serves as an example for many clergy from humble backgrounds in the church.

So, here’s a little question, where do these young missionaries go who want to emulate those who came before them? Although the North Kingdom is not small, every place is basically demarcated by large and small parishes. Even a relatively remote place like Wendeng Port became a diocese decades ago, which shows that it is not easy to open up a new diocese.

The rare passenger in front of Captain William has the answer: ice.

It was a missionary who looked quite young, holding a holy book with a cover made of dark leather and metal ornaments. The iconic double-winged ring holy emblem was outlined in gold foil in the center of the cover. The equally young entourage behind him had a sad look on his face and carried two people's luggage on his back.

"Yes, we are going to the ice field, and you don't have to take us back. If possible, please drop us off at a port without a church." The rather outrageous request came out calmly from the lips that were not yet surrounded by beards. The face of the attendant behind him became more sad, and he looked at William with a pleading look, hoping that he could refuse this business.

William did not want to accept such a passenger at first.

This kind of young cleric, with an entourage behind him, is probably the second son of a noble family who has no inheritance rights, and was sent to develop the church. If there are no surprises, such a person will probably climb to a high position based on his family status, and can at least manage a small church.

If you take him there and kill people on the ice sheet, whether it is his own request or not, it is likely to cause trouble in the future.

This kind of person has either lost his head after hearing too many legendary stories, or it is a spur-of-the-moment idea after a conflict with his family. In short, it is impossible for a normal person to wear such an inconvenient priest's robe and hold a hardcover version of the holy book to preach in the ice field. .

It can be seen that he has tried his best to make himself look as ordinary as possible. This calf-length priest's robe is probably a mass-produced product issued by the college, and it is completely unworthy of the holy book in his hand and the entourage behind him. This set of operations, which can be called human confusing behavior, opened William's eyes - is there really such a two-parter in this world?

In order to avoid trouble, coupled with William's remaining conscience, and the pressure brought by the entourage's pleading eyes, he wanted to dissuade this guy who probably only had the two-wing ring in his mind: "I admire your belief, But the people on the ice sheet all believe in their barbaric pagan false gods, and it’s really not a place suitable for people of your status.”

William felt that he had done a good job, not only taking care of the other party's face, but also explaining the basic situation there. You don't care what they believe, the competition is fierce anyway, and it's not suitable for someone like you who can't carry a big guy to open up new fields.

After saying this, he could already see the light of hope in his entourage's eyes, and even his back, which was bent by the luggage, straightened up a bit.

Unfortunately, apparently they still underestimated a man who was not in his right mind.

"God will point out the direction for the truly devout. I can't stand His people being deceived by false gods disguised as devils. My family also recognizes my choice. Even if I get the call on this path, it will be too early." Go to a land flowing with milk and honey, and you won’t have to worry about them blaming you.”

Perhaps thinking of the scenes in church stories where saints face trials, this hairless preacher raised his head firmly, his smooth hair shining in the sun, full of holy aura, and contrasting His entourage grew grayer.

"But..." William was dumbfounded. He himself can be considered a light believer. He usually goes to church to pray before going to sea and has met a lot of priests. However, this is the first time he has seen such a posture in his life. "You should think about it again. This is too..." "

He had seen those priests who believed in pagan gods on the ice fields. They usually had arms thicker than his thighs and could press live beasts to bleed out and perform blood sacrifices. It would be unconscionable for him to let this person compete with them without restrictions. Feel sorry for yourself.

"The most I'm willing to pay is eighteen gold coins, I mean castle gold coins."

Castle gold coins, formerly known as Westminster gold coins, are the gold coins officially issued by the kingdom and are generally cast by the king and several big nobles. On the obverse is the royal emblem of the Sword in the Stone, and on the reverse is the iconic wide beveled wall and twin towers of Westminster Fortress, from which the castle gold coin is named. It is a hard currency with a very high purity.

"Of course, if you are not willing, can you recommend another captain to me?" Looking at the stunned William, the young missionary was a little disappointed.

…

…

A few days later, on the deck of the Iceberg.

"Father Frank, isn't the scenery of the North Sea nice?" William, who asked for the other person's name, had already begun to call him Father. Anyway, we are going to build a church, so it’s okay to call it that in advance, as long as the sponsor is happy.

…

"No, eighteen gold coins, just to rush to the ice field and die?" Kraft's eyes widened when he heard this. Poverty limited his imagination.

"Don't interrupt me." Ryan was talking happily. He motioned for Kraft to ride slower so that he could continue. "This is not the point of the story."