Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 389 The Governor's Mansion, the Shrew, and the Gulf Chamber of Commerce

As one of the main roads in the saltwater area of ​​Suyu Bay, Rope Street is relatively wide.

Even though the streets were bustling with people, and horse-drawn carriages occasionally passed by with their neighing sounds.

Xia Nan and his group still maintained a certain amount of space within the crowd, allowing them to move freely.

Like a pebble in a small stream, the crowded flow of people parted on both sides, forming a small, somewhat abrupt but not uncommon, narrow blank area around them.

Even if they were squeezed together with passersby, shoulder to shoulder, and even glaring and cursing at each other because of physical collisions, very few people would take the initiative to step into the small space formed by the bodies of Xia Nan, Colin and Paddy.

It's certainly not because the locals at Suyu Bay are particularly polite, or because they receive special treatment from outsiders like themselves.

It was purely because Xia Nan deliberately didn't completely conceal his aura, but released it slightly to increase his presence in the crowd.

Although Barracuda Bay has long since moved beyond its original wild and untamed development period under the bloody suppression of the kingdom and the church, it does not mean that it is any more orderly or safe.

Its natural geographical location as an important port of the kingdom, along with the location of the Adventurers' Guild branch, makes this bay city even more chaotic than River Valley Town.

At least the "corpse collectors" here... never lack work, and being busy from morning till night is perfectly normal.

This is especially true in areas like the saltwater district, where the urban area is too large and the security forces are relatively weak.

Chaos and bloodshed, like weeds, grow rampant in the alleys and shadows between densely packed buildings.

Unless they are relatives of the victim, no one would care about a slowly decomposing body in the corner of an alley.

In this context, a well-equipped, aloof adventurer exudes an aura of unapproachability.

Who would be foolish enough to provoke them?

As for those clueless greenhorns who can't see the situation clearly and lack foresight... frankly, Xia Nan wouldn't even have the chance to encounter them.

From the very first second it stepped into the city, it was spotted by the "predators" lurking in the darkness, who would find out its secrets, devour it completely, and leave it without even seeing the sun the next morning, its body sinking into the deep, dark seabed of the bay.

Of course, Xia Nan is not a particularly high-profile person.

He carefully controlled the intensity of his presence, making himself noticeable to those around him without being too conspicuous.

This is not uncommon in Suyu Bay, especially in the saltwater area.

Right now, he has seen at least a dozen adventurers, either traveling alone or in small groups, forming vacuum zones in the crowd.

In fact, I'm already being quite low-key.

The noisy, humid air was filled with a mixture of sweat, spices, and fishy smells.

Thanks to Xia Nan's presence behind him, Paddy, who had been operating in Suyu Bay for many years and could almost be considered a local, was like a slippery eel, finding gaps in the crowd and weaving through the streets to guide the two behind him.

Suddenly, an unusual noise came from the side front.

It was accompanied by the sound of metal rubbing together, a series of heavy footsteps that seemed to run in one continuous line.

The crowded people did not complain at all, as if flesh and blood were being roughly torn apart by a sharp blade.

They revealed the "sharp blade"—a six-person patrol and guard team.

They wore neat and uniform dark blue leather armor, with conspicuous badges bearing silver barracuda patterns on their chests.

The well-maintained standard armor, slightly reflective in the sunlight, and the personal weapons hanging at the waist with dangerous curves, stood in stark contrast to the simple and plain clothing of the surrounding sailors and civilians.

The guards had indifferent expressions, their gazes sweeping over the crowd with icy indifference, as if they were looking at a group of pigs.

They paid no attention to a skinny man with shifty eyes and a suspiciously bulging pocket at his waist; they ignored two fierce adventurers who emerged from a side alley, their sleeves stained with blood.

The squad leader, who appeared to be the leader of the patrol team, simply kicked a small vendor nearby. The vendor immediately smiled obsequiously, bowed and scraped, and quickly packed up his stall without daring to utter a single complaint.

They also very discreetly slipped something into the squad leader's hand, making him look relaxed, and he waved and led the guards behind him past.

Standing not far to the side, Xia Nan, who witnessed the entire process, frowned slightly.

As if noticing his confusion, Paddy leaned closer, lowered his voice, and whispered the explanation in a volume only the three of them could hear:
"See that? 'Blue Crab,' the lackeys of those lords in the governor's mansion." His tone was full of sarcasm. "They wear a thick shell and run rampant on the streets."

"In the White Cliff District, they might just be lowly watchdogs; but in the Saltwater District..."

"Try not to provoke them. They don't care whether you are right or wrong. They only care whether you have broken the rules above or blocked some master's path to wealth."

As he spoke, Paddy pointed very vividly in the direction of the Governor's Mansion to the north.

"The rules of Sucker Bay are written on parchment and stamped, but the right to interpret them... hehe, depends on the scimitars in their hands."

"However, precisely because of this, if Mr. Xia Nan has any issues that you cannot resolve on your own and require assistance through formal channels..."

"You can bring a few bags of gold coins; these 'blue-shelled crabs' might come in handy."

Listening to Paddy's introduction, Xia Nan nodded slightly, her expression showing little change.

Coming from modern society with ordinary and normal values, he naturally couldn't stand the brutal behavior of the law enforcement officers in Suoyu Bay.

If he were the kingdom's governor stationed in Barracuda Bay, he might be able to take some action, but right now he was just an ordinary adventurer who had just arrived and hadn't even figured out all the roads here yet.

He is not the kind of extreme, intolerant, and righteous person who is fiercely independent.

If one cannot change the environment with their own strength, they can only try to adapt.

Xia Nan withdrew her gaze from the patrol team disappearing at the end of the street, glanced at Colin beside her whose expression seemed somewhat strange, and said nothing more, turning her gaze to Paddy:

"continue."

……

After making two more turns, we arrived at the end of Cable Street, where a small square was surrounded by dense buildings.

It was still crowded, but the area near the center of the square was noticeably quieter compared to the surrounding noise.

In the center of the crowd, several priests dressed in fitted blue robes were standing on a makeshift wooden platform, distributing black bread and thin soup with vegetable leaves floating on top to the people in line.

The emblem hanging on his chest is a curling wave that splits to the left and right.

—"Amborie". The [Queen of the Deep Sea] who controls the divine authority over the "Ocean", "Waves", "Sea Breeze" and "Water Currents".

With just one glance, Xia Nan recognized the deity that these priests served.

A subtle feeling crept into my heart.

Although gods truly exist on the continent of Aifara, any act of disrespect towards them may be detected by these great beings in their divine kingdoms, and divine punishment may be brought down.

This makes it so that most people, even those who don't care about certain sects or deities, rarely dare to offend them.

On the other hand, it is precisely because of the distinct personalities of the gods that many interesting stories, both true and false, have been passed down over the years.

It could be a conflict arising from overlapping domains, a beautiful story left behind when an incarnation descended to the mortal world, or a miracle following a devout prayer like that of the Orangerie Pastor...

It must be admitted that what mortals find most fascinating are the complex and courtly secrets among these great beings.

These deities, whose power and status transcend the mortal world, are not as otherworldly as their followers describe them.

For the sake of faith, religious duty, or even just out of jealousy or disapproval of each other's behavior, there are quite a few very interesting and sordid things between them.

Strangely, these exaggerated and complex stories of gods, which make one wonder if they are fabrications by heretics, are not prohibited from circulating on the continent of Aifara.

Instead, it is hidden in a relatively inconspicuous way in a corner that can definitely be found if you look for it deliberately.

It might be on the last shelf of a bookstore, or it might be a few scraps of paper mixed in with a combat manual sold by weight at a general store...

While Xia Nan was studying about deities in Hegu Town, he also flipped through a few miscellaneous books to improve his interest in learning and to relax. As a result, he gained some understanding of the personalities and "glorious" deeds of some of the deities.

As for the "Ocean Goddess" "Ambori" being worshipped by these pastors...

It can only be said that He has another name in the mortal world:
——【The Queen of Shrewish Women】.

To some extent, this does fit the "unpredictable" nature of the sea that it symbolizes.

In the square, you can see many ragged homeless people and poor civilians gathered together, queuing up to receive food distributed by the pastor.

But their faces showed little piety, but rather fear and caution.

The followers of the "Deep Sea Queen" also lacked the compassionate expression one would expect from a pastor.

Instead, she used the opportunity of distributing bread and soup to indoctrinate the common people with her own doctrines, proclaiming the greatness and veneration of the goddess.

“A servant of the sea goddess.” Beside him, Paddy introduced the priest to Xia Nan at the right moment, “but these breads and hot soups are not free.”

“You ate their food, so naturally you'll owe them money. When something happens at the docks and the church comes out to ‘mediate’…”

Since it concerned the gods in heaven, this small businessman, whose business wasn't very successful, didn't dare to speak too clearly, and his words were somewhat ambiguous.

But Xia Nan already understood what the other party wanted to express.

“In Suyu Bay, you may not believe in God, but you must never neglect the church.”

“Oh, of course, Barracuda Bay is so big that it’s impossible for it to be controlled by just the goddess Ambori’s family,” Paddy added.

"In the Cormorant District, White Cliff District, and other streets of the Saltwater District, there are churches of varying sizes, such as those dedicated to [Goddess of Wealth] Woking and [Storm Overlord] Talos..."

"If Mr. Xia Nan is interested in this, I can take you around in the next couple of days."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan considered it briefly and politely declined the other party's offer.

Since his transmigration, although his strength is not high, he has already been involved with many sects.

While there were interesting believers among them, such as the halfling Alton, who even brought himself the "Coin of Fate," the experiences of Calanfor and Goat's Horn also existed.

He didn't want to get involved with these eccentric people unless absolutely necessary.

……

The group continued forward, and not long after leaving the square, a building that stood out prominently from its surroundings came into view.

It was a huge five-story stone and wood shop. The walls were coated with a special reddish-brown tar that was moisture-proof and insect-proof. The door frames and window sills were painted with eye-catching gold patterns, and the large shop windows were polished to a shine.

Two burly men, dressed in clean short-sleeved shirts, stood at the door, arms crossed, curved knives hanging from their waists, their eyes wary.

The goods there certainly wouldn't be the scattered and eclectic items found in Paddy's "Salmon Roe" general store; instead, they would be stacks of brightly colored, smooth, high-quality fabrics, exquisite porcelain, and jewel-encrusted daggers...

The heavy oak sign at the entrance is carved with a gold coin being lifted up by ocean currents.

"The Gulf Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the entire Barracuda Bay, with influence in all three districts."

Paddy gazed at the glittering gold inside the shop, her face practically overflowing with envy.

"They buy every copper coin and every gem they salvage from the sea; they lend money to adventurers and merchants outside the organization."

"See those largest cargo ships at the dock? Six out of ten have the Chamber of Commerce flag flying on their masts."

“In the Gulf, you can offend an official or refuse to go to church to pray, but if you are blacklisted by the Gulf Chamber of Commerce… you will find that even buying a ticket to go out to sea is extremely difficult.”

Xia Nan's face showed a thoughtful expression.

From this perspective, the so-called "Gulf Chamber of Commerce" should be similar in organizational form to the "Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce" to which Horako belongs, which is a business alliance established by many big businessmen, except that their spheres of influence are different.

No wonder Paddy looked so envious. For small merchants like him in Barracuda Bay, becoming a member of this chamber of commerce was probably their biggest goal in life.

"But in the saltwater area, can anyone really afford these things in the store?"

Faced with Xia Nan's question, Paddy just chuckled.

"Although the environment in the saltwater area is a bit worse than that in the cormorant area and the white cliff area above, it is not a slum after all. It is close to the port and dock, and there are quite a few wealthy people coming and going."

"not to mention……"

At this point, the thin, middle-aged man couldn't help but look away from the shop and glance at Xia Nan beside him.

"Adventurers like you, especially right after a mission, are not stingy with their gold coins."

(End of this chapter)