Chapter 212 Changing Plans, Heading to Laputa!
Compared to a month ago, Valley Town is much more lively.
The streets were filled with unfamiliar faces, and many temporary stalls had sprung up on both sides of the road. Some people put up signs for mechanical repair, some sold simple handicrafts, and many children were weaving in and out of the crowd, holding freshly baked flatbreads in their hands.
Mu En's enormous tree trunk, over 300 meters tall, was impossible to hide, so he simply had the townspeople actively promote to those who came to transport grain and purchase minerals that there was a Divine Tree here that could cure pneumoconiosis.
This has led many people from other mines and farms to come here, either to pay homage to the Divine Tree, to seek medical treatment, or simply out of curiosity.
As for attracting covetousness and prying eyes?
Mu En wasn't worried.
This world doesn't have the convenience of the internet. While big cities can communicate by telegram, in rural places like Railway Valley, you can hardly find a telegraph machine. Most people still rely on word of mouth and letters to pass on information.
By the time the news reaches the capital of the Northern Kingdom, Laputa will probably be there soon.
Moreover, with Muska, the intelligence chief, acting as a mole, any information that might cause trouble would be intercepted in advance.
At that moment, Mu En led Dola and Muska across the street toward the church, which had been converted into the town council hall. His appearance immediately caused a commotion.
"What is that?!"
A miner from out of town pointed at Mu En, not even noticing that the dry rations in his hand had fallen to the ground.
"Tree—a tree person is walking!"
" The Divine Tree! The Divine Tree has shown its power!"
"Really?!"
The murmurs grew louder, and the crowd began to gather, but dared not get too close. Even the residents of Valley Town were seeing Mu En like this for the first time.
At that moment, Dola stepped into the middle of the crowd, placed one foot on a box, and shouted in a booming voice, "That's right! This is the deity we worship in Valley Town, the incarnation of the Erdtree! Didn't you want to know if the Divine Tree can really cure diseases? Now pray sincerely, this is your chance!"
Seeing Dola's speech, Mu En did not stop walking. He simply stretched out one hand, letting the pale golden light envelop the entire street.
External injuries heal, diseases are cured, and toxins dissipate.
The cough of the elderly man with pneumoconiosis stopped abruptly; the young man whose legs had been broken by a boulder stood up; and the girl whose face had been half-corroded by phosphorus regained her beauty and fair skin.
"I... I'm cured?" Several cured patients trembled, tears welling in their eyes. "I'm really cured."
The crowd stood there stunned for a moment, then erupted into a frenzy.
Those outsiders who were initially observing immediately rushed forward. Some raised their arms and shouted, some knelt down, and others desperately pushed forward to get closer to Mu En.
Mu En did not stop; the golden barrier automatically parted the crowd, and he continued forward.
He could sense that the number of believers had increased significantly in that brief moment.
Mu En sighed inwardly, no wonder those gods and saints always liked to hold sacrifices and rituals; to put it bluntly, it was all to show off their divine power and harvest faith in front of people.
Showing this skill is more effective than a priest saying a thousand nice things.
Inside the council chamber.
The former church has been completely renovated. The place where the statues used to be enshrined is now empty, with only long tables and chairs large enough to seat the town's business owners.
The religious murals on the walls were repainted a simple white, Erdtree light from the windows bathed the entire room in a warm hue.
Soon, Pazu pulled Sheeta by the hand and jogged in through the side door.
The two children were running rather fast; beads of sweat still clung to Pazu's forehead, and a few blades of grass clung to Sheeta's skirt.
Upon seeing the towering figure composed of golden tree branches and crystalline energy seated at the head of the long table, the two stopped in their tracks, momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Previously, when they communicated with Mu En through a mental link, they were facing the enormous Erdtree itself. Although they also felt it was sacred and majestic, at least it still looked like a tree.
Now, suddenly seeing a tree-like avatar standing before them, the sense of oppression and strangeness made them instinctively tense.
"Come over."
A gentle male voice emanated from Conghua's body, carrying a reassuring warmth.
"God— Divine Tree." Pazu swallowed hard and pulled Sheeta forward.
Mu En raised his hand, and his palm, made of wood fiber, gently landed on Pazu's head.
Pazu felt a warm and soft touch, completely unlike the hardness one would expect from a tree branch.
"Don't be shy." He ruffled Pazu's hair and patted Sheeta's head. This was the first time he had truly "touched" these two children of the world.
If you're really nervous, you can call me " Mr. Tree," I like that nickname.
That's how Nausicaä usually calls her.
Pazu's tense shoulders relaxed. He was still a little nervous, but the nervousness was no longer fear, but a kind of restraint in front of an elder.
Mu En's voice and the warmth from the hand above his head reminded him of his deceased explorer father.
When he was a child, his father would pat his head like that and say, "Well done."
Sheeta also relaxed, raising her head to look at that face without features, yet one that exuded gentle gaze.
The two children knew that what they saw before them was still the Erdtree that had saved the entire town, only in a different form.
" Mr. Tree," Pazu called softly, then grinned, "You look—quite handsome."
Sheeta gently tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to be quiet.
Mu En withdrew her hand, a hint of a smile in her voice.
"I think so too. Being a tree is just too boring."
Pazu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Sheeta smiled too, completely easing the tension in the room.
When Duffi pushed open the door, he saw a completely different scene.
A tall figure wearing a crown sat in the main seat, his golden body automatically radiating a warm glow.
Despite not making any deliberate movements, simply sitting there, he instinctively evoked a feeling of wanting to believe in him and submit to him.
He strode to the long table and bowed respectfully.
"My Lord, you have summoned us."
Mu En nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.
A few seats nearby, Dola dropped her roguish expression, Muska adjusted her sunglasses, and Pazu and Sheeta quieted down, waiting for Mu En to speak.
"I have seen your efforts and I am very satisfied. Now, the plan can move on to the next step."
"The townspeople chosen to become missionaries will be blessed, and then divided into pre-arranged groups to travel to the eight major industrial cities centered around the capital."
" Muska will assign you suitable identities—you could be agents of the Intelligence Department, employees of a newly established small company, or even disguised church clergy."
"Remember, your purpose is to help as many people as possible, while also recruiting believers to become Blessed. I will provide you with assistance."
Mu En raised his hand and, using the energy transmitted from the tree clone, condensed another golden fruit.
"This is the Blessed Golden Apple. As long as you eat it, you will receive a blessing and become Blessed. From now on, you won't need to wait for my Divine Descent every time you preach. You just need to send someone back to collect the apple periodically."
"How long can this be stored?" Duffi asked, instinctively assuming it was real fruit.
"Permanent. As long as it's not damaged, the energy inside won't be lost."
Dola, standing nearby, gasped.
She didn't think much of it while eating, but after hearing Mu En's explanation, she realized how much of a stir these Blessed Fruit, which could be preserved for a long time and grant extraordinary powers at any time, would cause in this country.
After hearing Mu En's explanation, Muska's expression changed slightly.
The missionary plan has hardly changed, could it be that----
"My Lord, when you said the plan needed to be changed, what did you mean by that—"
Mu En nodded. "That's right, your plan does need to be changed. You can recruit new members or win over those willing to exchange loyalty for supernatural power, but you can't forcibly turn people into Blessed, and I won't help you control your subordinates in that way."
Muska panicked and couldn't even maintain his previous respectful attitude.
"But sir, this could easily lead to problems. Without effective control, the officials and nobles in the capital might change their minds at any time!"
Mu En shook her head, and the small golden crystal tree on her chest shimmered slightly with the movement.
"That depends on your personal abilities. Just do as I say."
"Furthermore, I will provide you with support in other areas, so don't worry about the plan failing; it will just be a bit slower in progress."
Since the two worlds cannot be connected for the time being, the significance of Mu En's control over this country is greatly reduced, and he is not in a hurry to bring the United Kingdom under his rule.
Muska lowered his head and said nothing more, but his heart was in turmoil.
Why did they threaten him back then, leaving him no choice, but now they're being so nice to those good-for-nothings in the capital?
He dared not ask aloud, and even his expression remained as calm as possible.
Seeing the other person's reaction, Mu En sighed softly to herself.
Using the blessing to forcibly control Muska and force him to pledge allegiance was indeed a terrible move.
That method of forcibly "giving" and then manipulating the other party actually doesn't align with his principles and values, yet he did it anyway, simply because it was "convenient" and "reasonable."
This is the change that occurs after he loses the awareness of being a "human being".
If it were my past self, or the self that now possesses this incarnation, I would absolutely not think or act that way.
Hopefully, it's not too late to salvage the situation.
Then Mu En stood up and looked out the window into the distance.
"Alright, get ready, let's set off to find the legendary Laputa."