Chapter 417 - 331: News of the Holy Order Army
Chapter 417: Chapter 331: News of the Holy Order Army
"Is that right?" The Holy Order Warrior thought for a moment, then said, "That’s fine, then. It’ll take them about ten days to get here anyway, so there’s definitely enough time."
"Are you planning to enter the Nightmare Forest?" Mary asked casually as she turned and took a few potions from the shelf. "It’s winter, so there are far fewer insects in the forest, but there are still some troublesome animals. I have some Insect-Repelling Potions and Awakening Potions here."
"I’ve heard the Adventurers at the Ear-Cleaning Master’s Bar mention them, but I don’t need any for now," the Holy Order Warrior said with a wave of his hand, declining Mary’s kind offer. "We can use Divine Spells, so we have no need for those potions."
"I see." Mary sighed softly, looking disappointed to have lost a sale. "How long will you be staying? If it’s for a while, you can come here for potion refills."
"Yes, we will indeed be here for some time." The Holy Order Warrior thought for a few seconds, then asked, "Those Adventurers speak very highly of you. They say that not only do you provide decent potions, but you can also give them useful information."
"That’s right," Mary nodded with a smile. "Every Adventurer comes here to buy something, and I’m very interested in their experiences. You see, I’m just a frail shopkeeper, completely unable to survive in the Nightmare Forest. So I ask them about their adventures, and one person’s story might just be useful to someone else."
"You’re a very clever lady. I have to say, you’re far better than any of the shopkeepers in the big cities," the Holy Order Warrior said with genuine admiration.
"It’s nothing, just a small hobby of mine." As she spoke, Mary deliberately brushed her hand across a book beside her. The title read, *A Ranking of the Vicious Monsters of Nightmare Forest*.
"It might be a hobby to others, but for Adventurers, it’s intelligence. I’ve heard from quite a few Adventurers that it was you who told them about the Undead Monsters causing trouble over at Torch City, and that they could go there to earn a nice sum." The Holy Order Warrior looked at the book on the counter and said with a smile, "A lady can be a powerful warrior, too. The Grand Commander of our Holy Order Army is a woman."
"Is that so?" Mary asked, her curiosity piqued. "She must be incredible, right? For such a powerful warrior, I wonder just how strong she is. She must be much, much stronger than those Adventurers."
"Er," the Holy Order Warrior’s tone faltered. "The Grand Commander is very powerful, much more so than those Adventurers. Within our Holy Order Army, even when many of us band together, we’re no match for her."
"How inspiring," Mary said, her eyes sparkling with admiration and an eager look on her face. "So, will she be coming this time? Will I get to meet this incredible woman?"
"She won’t be coming this time," the Holy Order Warrior smiled apologetically. "Our Vice Commander is leading us this time."
"Oh, that’s a real shame." Mary sighed, then turned and took a bottle of Magic Potion from the shelf. "Thank you for telling me such interesting things. This is a small token of my gratitude."
"No, I was just making small talk. There’s no need for this." The Holy Order Warrior quickly held up a hand to refuse.
"It’s alright, please take it. Of course, I have a small request as well," Mary said with a sly smile. "If you ever get the chance to meet your Grand Commander, you must introduce me."
Then she lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. "It’s just a small wish of mine. I’m simply curious about your female Commander."
The Holy Order Warrior glanced at the *A Ranking of the Vicious Monsters of Nightmare Forest* on the counter, then smiled and nodded. "No problem, if the opportunity arises."
"By the way," he said, changing the subject. After a two-second pause, he asked, "Since you’re so familiar with intelligence regarding the Nightmare Forest, have you perhaps heard that the goblin population has been dwindling?"
"Dwindling?" Mary blinked a few times. "I have indeed heard about that. Otherwise, those Adventurers wouldn’t be cursing Count Valentine under their breath."
"Oh?"
"It was because of that great purge before winter, wasn’t it? Count Valentine led his army and Knight Order and swept through nearly this entire area. I heard many goblins were killed." Mary sighed and patted the book. "After that, the Adventurers found fewer goblins along the forest’s edge. They used to be able to gather some herbs, do some hunting, and kill a few goblins to earn some coin. But then winter came, the herbs disappeared, and the animals and goblins were scared off by the army."
"Is that so?" The Holy Order Warrior frowned. Her account was consistent with some of the chatter he’d heard at the Ear-Cleaning Master’s Bar. But before he left the Argon Kingdom, the Vice Commander had spoken of an Evil God in the Nightmare Forest, and of goblins who served it.
"I understand," he said, picking up the Magic Potion from the counter and giving a polite bow. "Thank you for the information."
"No, it was nothing. Just some grumbling from the Adventurers," Mary said with a dismissive wave and a smile.
Then, seeing he was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. "Please wait a moment."
With that, she picked up a list from the side and handed it to him. "This is our Alchemy Workshop’s potion price list. It’s winter, and the Nightmare Forest is full of Magical Beasts. If you plan on going in, those beasts will be a lot of trouble. You can take this with you. If you need anything, you’ll know what potions you might need to restock."
"Oh, thank you." The Holy Order Warrior took the price list, glanced over the items, then folded it a few times and tucked it into his pouch. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. You’re a truly kind lady. But we probably won’t need other potions, because we’ll be traveling into the forest by boat."
"By boat?" Mary was taken aback. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard of someone entering the forest by boat, but it was an extremely rare occurrence. She only heard of such a thing once or twice a year at most.
"Well, that’s the Holy Order Army of the Four Great Churches for you," she said with a shrug and a slight shake of her head.
The Holy Order Warrior offered a polite smile, then left the Drink Undying Alchemy Workshop.
* * *
"The Holy Order Army?" Shire frowned as he looked at the intelligence report in his hand. ’Are those guys planning to come into the forest as well?’
Mary’s report was very detailed. The War God Church’s Holy Order Army was preparing to enter the Nightmare Forest by boat. It also specified the future time frame and noted that if there was any new information from the docks, she would report it immediately.
Previously, through the Yangjiao Town branch of the Commerce Bank, Mary had successfully secured a long-term lease on a fixed mooring spot at the Yangjiao Town docks. She had also hired some dock laborers to keep an eye on passing ships. If the ship hired by the Holy Order Army headed north, Mary would know the moment it happened.
’Is it like with Sofia all over again?’ Shire stared at the writing on the report, pursing his lips. ’Did getting the Blessing of the God of War and Glory for the clan just attract another group of people to come investigate?’
Thinking about what Sofia had said before, Shire couldn’t help but shake his head. Compared to the Druid Maiden, these tin cans from the Holy Order Army wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.
When they went into battle, they wore silvery-white full plate armor inlaid with gold trim, charging with Longswords or a Sword and Shield. Under the sun, they looked like glinting chunks of iron.
Moreover, those zealots always had oaths and glory on their lips and would shout "Praise the War God!" at the drop of a hat. Much of the time, it was impossible to reason with them.
He recalled his time as a Political Assistant in Plantagenet City, when the officials there most hated dealing with the Holy Order Army because those guys sometimes had no concept of flexibility.
’This is a bit tricky. Hopefully they won’t venture too deep. As long as they don’t come to Darren Lake, it should be fine.’ Shire folded the intelligence report and tucked it into his pouch.
Not far away, One-Eyed ran over. "Chief, we’ve dug through the collapsed stone tower."
"Oh? When will we be able to get into the cavern below?" Shire asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Probably in two or three days."