Chapter 20: The Corner Abandoned by the Light

Matthew sensed Henry's disdain but merely rubbed his nose awkwardly. To break the tension, he said, "Lord Sean, there's a dwarf joke in Vernis. Care to hear it?"Sean wasn't interested in jokes; he wanted to talk about the Holy Light Church for EXP. But to save Matthew's face, he replied, "A dwarf joke? Go ahead."Matthew relaxed. "It's quite popular in Vernis. You might not have heard it since you lived in the capital. Here it is: A dwarf enters a tavern with a parrot. The bartender asks, 'Where'd you find that thing?' Before the dwarf can answer, the parrot on his shoulder says, 'The Dwarven Plateau! They're everywhere there!'"Sean laughed. "You've been to Vernis?""Certainly! I've traveled far and wide, from the 'Sand Sculpture Kingdom' in the north to Lane Duchy in the south." Matthew's eyes grew distant, reminiscing."Wait, the 'Sand Sculpture Kingdom'? What's that?" Sean asked eagerly.Matthew explained, "It's the Sunflower Duchy, northwest of Anjou Kingdom (Lane is southwest of Anjou, and the two duchies don't border each other). The Sunflower Duchy has poor soil, with half its land covered in desert. Due to the climate, there's ample dew at night in the capital, making the sand damp. The locals started making sculptures with the damp sand, and the trend spread across the duchy. That's why Anjouans call it the 'Sand Sculpture Kingdom'."Sean chuckled. Matthew was puzzled by his laughter, as he wasn't telling a joke. Shaking his head, he continued sharing anecdotes from his travels.…Matthew was a skilled storyteller, and Sean listened intently. Time flew by. After a dozen minutes, the carriage jolted violently.Sean peeked out the window. The road was full of potholes and debris. Henry explained, "We're in the south slums, Lord Sean. The roads here haven't been repaired for years, so the bumps are normal.""Is this the slums?" Sean began observing this otherworldly slum.…Compared to the commoner district, the slum houses were more dilapidated and densely packed. The streets were chaotic, and the people's eyes held no hope for the future, only the pain of struggling to survive. On the sewage-filled streets, thin, dirty faces stared longingly at the bakery. In the cold alleys, there were screams of women and moans of the sick. If the noble district in the west was heaven, this was surely hell.…For about five minutes as the convoy passed through the slums, Sean didn't speak to Matthew or Henry, focusing on the outside. Matthew and Henry wisely remained silent, and the carriage grew quiet.When the convoy left the slums and reached Yorn's south gate, Sean said, "Matthew, you mentioned earlier that after the Black Death, the Church's power weakened, but people's faith unexpectedly grew stronger, with churches rising everywhere and the Light's radiance shining like a warm sun over the people. Is that really true?"Matthew understood Sean's implication and said with a hint of disappointment, "This is a corner abandoned by the Light, just like what you see. After the Black Death, people realized that the gods weren't omnipotent. They began to recognize their own value instead of seeing themselves as mere appendages of the gods. That's when mages who cultivate elemental power started to rise and have now become a force comparable to the Holy Light Church.""Mages? Are you familiar with them, Matthew?" Sean's eyes lit up."I know a bit about mages. They play a crucial role in war. I remember a thousand-strong mage legion, accompanied by a thousand shield guards, could easily wipe out a cavalry of five thousand with casualties of less than two hundred."Just then, the carriage stopped, and Matthew paused. John's voice came from the front, "Lord Sean, we've arrived at the destination."Sean looked out the window. The rows of tents indicated they were indeed at the refugee camp."Alright, let's attend to business first. We can talk more on the way back." Sean got out of the carriage, and Henry followed closely.Matthew wanted to say something but held his tongue, sighed, and got out of the carriage after Sean