Laine ultimately decided not to seek out the Lord; he happened to run into Oliver outside, so he stayed with Oliver for the night. Little did he know, Oliver’s trade caravan was actually quite large, with over a dozen carriages and dozens of people. The carriages were filled with goods, and the Imperial Merchant cleared out a clean room for him to stay the night.
Early the next morning, as agreed before, Laine and Teresa met at the inn’s entrance, and the two headed to the Justice Church first.
The wind and snow swept through the streets, bustling with people. Vendors’ cries and travelers’ bargaining could be heard intermittently. Every household had someone sweeping snow in front of their doors. Everyone wore fur hats and heavy burlap coats. The Nord people, accustomed to the cold, had developed certain resistance to it. However, some visiting merchants, dressed in bulky coats, still shivered, eliciting the locals’ ridicule, while the outsiders cursed the northern weather for being so cold.
The roads in Kaltenhaven weren’t specially constructed, generally remaining muddy paths. The snow on the ground was cleared, revealing black soil. The frozen soil was quite hard and comfortable to walk on. Since Laine was at the front, citizens and travelers alike made way for him.
In this era, nobles still held the ruling position in society. Even wealthy merchants were merely useful pawns in the eyes of the nobility. Once they were no longer needed, nobles controlling the military could easily decide whether to kill or replace them. Only in Marinburg did merchants have a higher status, but that was simply because the Duke of Marinburg was the greatest and wealthiest merchant.
Today, Teresa Trovik wore a fox fur coat again, with a white wool knitted sweater and tight pants inside, black suede boots, and long black hair shining with a faint light, styled into a ponytail hanging at the front. Compared to her usual arrogance, today the female sorceress’s attire appeared a bit more gentle. However, the bright light in her eyes still showed her unchanged nature and everlasting pride.
Laine also changed his clothes. Since he was in town, it was unnecessary to wear full chain armor. Today he wore loose-fitting blue Nord noble attire, a large silk tie at his chest, a long coat over a vest, a white shirt, and blue trousers. Unlike the tight trousers popular at the court, Laine’s trousers were relatively loose and tucked into boots.
However, since Ludwig’s coronation as the New Empire Emperor, tight narrow pants were no longer as fashionable, which was true. Ludwig preferred wearing hunting clothes or loose attire to attend banquets. Some Old Empire nobles felt Ludwig had brought country habits into the noble Imperial Court, yet the new nobility from military accomplishments eagerly followed suit. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel·fire.net
This young man was already handsome. He leaned on a golden warhammer, with a hammerhead shaped as a curved three-edged prism resembling a griffin’s claw holding the hammer, suggesting a soaring stance. Paired with his astounding aura and steady demeanor, he matched Teresa’s long-imagined image of a spirited young Kingdom hero.
Only his attitude wasn’t very good: "Good morning, Teresa."
After speaking, Laine directly walked towards the direction of the Justice Church.
The female sorceress hurriedly took a few steps to catch up: "Last night, you..."
"Slept in a doghouse, haha, I even formed a deep friendship with a big yellow dog... But this has nothing to do with you. Once I finish handling matters at the Justice Church, I’ll inform you when we need to set off." Laine said casually. With his Extraordinary Physique, he wasn’t afraid of the cold, so his clothing was just to maintain decorum and rules rather than focusing on warmth.
"..." There seemed to be a subtle estrangement between them. For Teresa, speaking up was already at her limit, and she wouldn’t inquire further. Thus they maintained silence all the way to the Justice Church.
With white paint and tall structures, the Justice Church had doors over two meters high, adorned with the Holy Emblem of the God of Justice—a shining scale placed on a warhammer on a large blue shield. At the entrance, two Paladins in full plate armor and helmets stood with swords vigilantly observing their surroundings. One of the Paladins was momentarily surprised upon seeing Laine: "Eh? Isn’t this ’Great Hammer’ Mr. Laine? Here to collect bounty again?"
"Is there really that much bounty to collect?" Laine quipped, indicating he was there to pick up something.
Seeing this, the two Paladins opened the church door: "Mr. Laine is truly a foe of evil and a longtime friend of our church. There’s no need for formalities, please come in."
Due to frequently collecting bounties at the Justice Church, Laine’s appearance was well-known there. Moreover, Paladins often traveled, so many knew him. Though Laine couldn’t recall the names of the two before him, their faces seemed familiar.
"Since I’m your longtime friend, do you have my Holy Communion ready?" Laine jested casually, leading the Paladins to burst into laughter: "If Mr. Laine wants a meal, that’s easy. Just say the word, and we’ll arrange it, though I reckon our fare might not meet Mr. Laine’s standards."