Karl is gone, and it may be decades before we see each other again.
Karl is a good candidate to become a priest.
His mere words reminded Norton of the fear he had felt when he was dominated by Father Mia.
Although he wasn't actually taken inside, he was still a gatekeeper.
This terrible memory unusually gave Norton a nightmare that night.
In his dream, Norton was transformed into his childhood self, being frantically chased by Father Mia. Extreme fear gripped his heart, yet Norton felt utterly powerless, unable to run fast or shake off her no matter how hard he tried.
If people knew that the Vampire Progenitor harbored such fears, Norton would likely lose all face.
The weather has grown increasingly cold since Karl left.
Karl's farewell to Norton was witnessed, and his parting words made Old Norton's life much better than that of an ordinary beggar.
At least no one dared to steal his cotton-padded coat, and no one dared to take the silver ring from his hand.
Cotton-padded clothes are a high-end item in this world, so high-end that only the middle class can afford to wear them, and they can even be sold for a considerable sum of money.
It's possible that Karl used some of the money he had for his journey home to buy this cotton-padded coat.
Of course, based on Norton's teachings, it's more likely that he stole the coat from his home.
As the weather grew colder, coupled with the destruction of this year's crops by rain, a large-scale famine finally began to emerge in Lino City.
The slums of Lino City have become a living hell. People freeze to death and starve to death every day.
The poor who froze and starved to death would be taken back by the Church, made into soup, and distributed to the poor of Lino City, in order to minimize the damage caused by the famine.
This can be considered an old tradition.
Karl's departure deprived Norton of a primary source of information. He could only rely on the ring on his hand to go to the tavern Karl had mentioned. He neither ate nor drank, but simply sat there as if to keep warm, listening to the conversations of the people inside in order to obtain information about the Papal State.
As for contacting Father Abraham?
He didn't want to get involved so early. If these people were accidentally discovered by the Church and arrested and targeted, they would definitely betray his Norton information without any scruples.
It wouldn't be too late for Father Abraham to appear after he has taken the Lino City.
What's wrong with being a Yuan Shikai silver dollar holder for once? It's really fun, after all.
In short, everything must be stable.
The tavern with its charcoal fire was especially warm in the frigid weather, making it a regular haunt for those who still had some spare cash.
Thanks to the benevolence and enlightenment of Archbishop Duoxia, Lino City has merchants, and its internal class system is not as simple and oppressive as that of the Holy Lord City, but is divided into various different class levels.
The powerful and wealthy, merchants, rich households with some land and surplus grain, serfs who farmed for the powerful but were provided with food and lodging, as well as the poor who had no land, no money, and could only survive by working odd jobs, and finally, beggars.
So even though the slums have become a living hell, people in this little tavern are still carefree and at ease, representing two completely different worlds.
The fireplace, glowing with charcoal, flickered in the breeze. Inside the tavern, a cacophony of voices filled the air. Norton, dressed in a cotton coat, squatted in the corner closest to the door, neither disturbing others nor taking up the warmest or most crowded spot. He simply sat there, neither eating nor drinking, silently listening to the conversations of the people inside.
He was disliked by the guests the first few times he came, but now that he's come more often, everyone has gotten used to it.
Some people, when they get carried away, might even throw him a couple of peanuts, trying to show off their power in front of the beggar.
Norton, however, doesn't eat it.
"Thump!" Someone slammed their wine glass heavily on the table, the sound attracting the attention of others.
"Hey everyone, you didn't know, did you? When I went to the Rhine Main City to buy cotton recently, I heard that the Boya Empire in the east has been making moves lately, signing some kind of defensive alliance with several countries. Damn it, are these bastards planning to launch an invasion against our Papal State this winter?"
His words almost immediately stirred the spirits of the crowd in the tavern.
The people who can afford to come to the tavern now all have some money. With money comes more knowledge, and as beneficiaries, their view of the Papal State is much better than that of Norton and the severely oppressed poor. Many of them even have patriotic sentiments. When they hear news about the national level, they immediately become excited.
"Hehehe, your news is already outdated! I just heard the latest news the day before yesterday. That damned Boya Empire royal family believes that the rule of the Papal State is inhumane, saying that human rights should be protected. This is just an excuse for them to start a war!"
They even claim the Ancient Holy Noah Empire was the pinnacle of Imperium of Man and development; I think they just want to restore the rule of the Ancient Holy Noah Empire!
"You're absolutely right. My Papal State, blessed by the holiness of God, is the true beacon of hope for humanity. The feudal system that has been maintained by the Ancient Holy Noah Empire and the Boya Empire to this day is utter garbage. Apart from the lords, everyone else is classified as a slave. This is true inhumanity!"
Our Papal State's system is so advanced, its ideals so sacred. If the Boya Empire's proclaimed human rights are a sin, then the Boya Empire should immediately surrender, repent for the evils of its system, sing praises to God's holiness, and bask in the glory of our Papal State!
The tavern was bustling with noise, with people praising the Papal State and scoffing at the Boya Empire and the Ancient Holy Noah Empire.
Everyone shared similar ideas, and the more they talked, the more excited they became, filling the tavern with a joyful and lively atmosphere.
Fortunately, due to Archbishop Duoxia's presence here and the deaths of many missionaries, the Church was in a semi-shutdown state; otherwise, everyone in this tavern would have been arrested and imprisoned for two days.
After all, one should not speak carelessly about the Church, not even praising Church!