Chapter 614: The "Cost" of "Goodwill"
"Good!"
Receiving Matthew's promise, Anthony's face immediately broke into a wide smile.
As for this legendary Grand Druid with such expressive emotions, Matthew couldn't help but marvel inwardly:
"Indeed, the stronger a Professional is, the more distinct their personality tends to be, without any effort to hide it."
The reason is simple: those who cannot clear their thoughts often cannot truly master their own mind, soul, or body.
Only those who understand their path clearly can have such firm beliefs and intentions.
They can be insidious, cunning, greedy, or cruel, but they usually don't change their minds.
Because they know what they want.
And it is precisely this determination and clarity of thought that allows them to walk further down the path of a Professional.
Of course, for most ordinary Professionals.
They are often bound by power and do not have such a deep understanding, nor can they reach such heights.
Only a portion of the Extraordinary Professionals, and even stronger Legends or Demi-Gods, can truly master their soul and will.
That is why they are so rare.
Even for deities, such followers and subordinates are incredibly rare and hard to come by.
Hence, they always hope for more followers under their command, increasing the chances of such talents emerging.
And the Grand Druid before him was one of those legendary peak-level powerhouses highly regarded by Mother Earth.
Anthony was currently one of the strongest among the many Druids in the Northern Continent.
When the first Mana Tide arrives, Anthony will become one of the strongest Druids in the entire Material Plane.
Matthew clearly remembered that Anthony would break through the barrier of Demi-God, successfully ignite his divine fire, ascend to the divine throne, and become one of Mother Earth's generals.
For this reason, the moment Matthew saw Anthony arrive, he had already decided on "cooperation."
Matthew knew very well that Mother Earth and her church do not casually owe favors.
Therefore, Matthew and Bay Territory couldn't rely on favors to demand too much; otherwise, it would be courting death.
So he straightforwardly approached it as a business deal.
Doing business with others was one thing.
Doing business with a deity was also not to be missed.
Anthony valued the fertilizer greatly, and upon seeing another batch being transported by the Golem Trains, he straightforwardly asked Matthew to land.
Under everyone's curious gaze, Anthony began chanting quietly, scooping up a pile of fertilizer and burying it in the soil.
Matthew noticed Anthony respectfully bowing to the small mound, finally placing a sigil with a flower wrapped in harvested grains on top.
To everyone else, nothing seemed to happen after Anthony's ritual.
But in Matthew's eyes, he saw a surge of golden light emerge from the ground.
Soon after, a middle-aged woman with white hair appeared silently atop the mound.
Her face carried a trace of joy and a smile. Holding the seemingly ordinary fertilizer in her hands, her eyes gleamed with a brilliant golden light.
The unspeakable mystery and majesty she carried pressed down on Matthew with incredible intensity.
That sense of overwhelming reverence and kindness made Matthew feel it was no less than the mental corruption of a twisted aura.
It was hard to say how many of Mother Earth's believers were actually 'bewitched.'
Matthew instinctively lowered his head, but a gentle voice came to his ears:
"I am very pleased with this gift, and very pleased with the development of Bay Territory."
Before Matthew could respond or even think, the immense pressure had already vanished without a trace.
When Matthew raised his head, Mother Earth's avatar had already disappeared.
But beside him, Anthony was winking and smiling at him.
Matthew couldn't be bothered with his teasing, climbed back onto the Wyvern, and signaled for departure.
With his mind now at ease, Anthony cheerfully surveyed Bay Territory's agricultural outposts, his eyes gleaming with even more excitement, constantly bombarding Matthew with questions.
Matthew did not hold back. Instead, he fully explained the entire operation process of the agricultural outposts, especially the complementary production methods of several types of crops.
Upon hearing these simple yet novel ideas that no one had thought of before, Anthony's eyes showed traces of astonishment and admiration. Looking at Matthew's black eyes and hair, he remarked:
"As expected, Eastern wisdom is deep and ancient, yet it continues to innovate."
"Even though you've lived in the Northern Continent all your life, the talent in your bloodline is unmistakable."
While Anthony spoke, Matthew pondered the deeper meaning behind his words.
Clearly, Anthony knew many Easterners and had a very deep impression of them.
Given his status and position, he had no reason to lie.
And that made Matthew quite interested.
There were many Easterners in the Northern Continent, mostly located along the eastern coastal areas.
According to the information Matthew had gathered, there were still many interactions between the Eastern Continent and the Northern Continent twenty years ago, but in recent years, news had become almost nonexistent.
The only news that emerged was that the Eastern Continent had suffered some major upheavals, severing the passage between the two continents. The only route left from the Eastern Continent led through territories occupied by the Barbarians.
However, that path was dangerous and terrifying, stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, enough to extinguish any thought of passage.
Even in Matthew's memory, there was little news about the Eastern Continent, only that toward the later stages of his recollection, he learned it had been unified into a powerful and complete empire.
That indeed matched Matthew's impression of the place.
After all, unification was a tradition and a beautiful aspiration of the Eastern Continent.
Matthew did not follow up on Anthony's words.
He understood clearly the differences and distinctions between his own actions and those of the Eastern Continent.
Even Old Li thought the same, and Matthew naturally didn't want to argue further. He would just treat it as a pleasant misunderstanding!
As Anthony reflected on the methods Matthew had shared, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this way of thinking contained immense wisdom.
Logically speaking, such an important thing should not have been shared by Matthew.
Yet he did, and with complete transparency.
Anthony could clearly sense that Matthew seemed eager for him to know and had an inexplicable confidence in his heart.
Why was that?
When in doubt, just ask.
Anthony was never one to hold back.
Matthew's response was just as straightforward: "Ha, these methods have always existed; it's just that no one was willing to make the investment."
Hearing this, Anthony instinctively widened his eyes, glanced down at the agricultural outposts below, his eyes flickering before he suddenly understood.
Indeed, as Matthew had said, even if others knew this method, they wouldn't implement or promote it.
The reason was simple: the initial investment was massive, so high that ordinary lords and nobles couldn't afford it.
And the return on investment was slow. Without the numerous Druids and production Golems of Bay Territory, it would take at least twenty to thirty years to break even following normal production and development trajectories.
With that kind of money, most lords and nobles would rather spend it on luxury and entertainment or invest in easier ways to make money.
For other territories, if they wanted something, they would simply collect it from their citizens—there was no need to go through all the trouble like Bay Territory.
Moreover, for the many lords and nobles of the Northern Continent,
The military strength and achievements of their territories were far more important than the resources developed within them.
Even if lords and nobles learned about Bay Territory's methods, they would just hoard them.
At most, they would produce on a small scale, naturally unable to generate greater value.
Seeing Bay Territory implement such large-scale operations and distribute so many benefits to its people would only make other lords laugh.
Thinking this, Anthony's impression of Matthew and Bay Territory deepened even further.
When they arrived at Bay City, Anthony and the others barely had time to take in the grand and brand-new cityscape.
A grand welcoming ceremony immediately stunned them.
Thousands of children dressed in white and blue uniforms waved red ribbons, shouting loudly at the somewhat astonished Anthony and his disciples:
"Welcome Grand Druid Anthony to Bay Territory!"
"Welcome Harvest Organization to Bay Territory!"
Facing those pairs of clear and transparent eyes, seeing each of them smiling, brimming with energy, and standing neatly in formation, even Anthony and all the other Druids couldn't help but blink in surprise.
It was no wonder—anyone who saw such clean, cute, and well-behaved children couldn't help but feel joy.
Even the well-traveled, widely respected Grand Druid Anthony, who was revered by countless Druids and many Harvest Church followers, felt utterly flattered at that moment.
From those smiling faces, he saw genuine hope and longing for a better future.
If it were just one or two children, Anthony would have thought of them as gifted and would have been happy to nurture and bless them, hoping they would grow strong.
But when that number expanded to thousands, or perhaps even more,
Anthony felt goosebumps all over his body—he was even happier than when he was praised and embraced by Mother Earth—because what he saw was a vast sea of hope.
For a Druid, nothing was more captivating than nurturing and cultivating growth.
As they walked through the lines of children, everyone had faces of confusion and joy, unable to hold back their smiles, looking genuinely happy.
When they saw the children waving and happily boarding the Golem Train in neat rows, each of their faces carried expressions of longing for more.
Seeing so much hope was truly heartwarming.
Matthew did not take them on a tour of Bay City. There would be plenty of time for that in the future.
Instead, he led them to a gigantic tree.
Around the massive tree, a circle of simple wooden houses had been constructed.
Lush flowers and young trees thrived exuberantly, spreading a wild charm all around.
Anthony's students were very pleased with the environment, and the sight of the numerous steel Golems, which had previously soured their moods, was now largely forgotten.
Only Anthony stood in shock, staring at the towering tree, noticing the sprites darting back and forth among the branches. He couldn't help but blink and ask excitedly:
"Is this... the Tree of Life?"
In fact, the moment Anthony saw Quan Quan's figure, he had already identified her.
However, he still wanted confirmation from Matthew's mouth to ensure he wasn't dreaming.
"Yes, it is indeed the Tree of Life, a young sapling we nurtured here in Bay Territory."
Hearing Matthew's words and sensing the friendly aura of the Druids, Quan Quan happily nodded and said:
"Mm-hmm! Bay Territory is my home. Welcome, everyone! I hope you enjoy your stay here."
Feeling the faint life essence permeating the surroundings, all the Druids, including Anthony, nodded somewhat dazedly.
They could never have imagined that Bay Territory would possess the ability to nurture the Tree of Life.
Not only that, but it was openly planted in a bustling city.
This gave them an indescribable sense of strangeness and discomfort.
In their minds, the duty of nurturing and caring for the Tree of Life should have fallen to them—the Druids.
Moreover, the Tree of Life was meant to be well-protected, not casually placed within a city.
Yet, they found themselves at a loss for words, simply staring at Quan Quan as she walked over, feeling a very peculiar sensation.
Quan Quan was quite familiar with the Druids.
If there were any issues, she would directly communicate with Old Li and the other Druids.
She generally held a good opinion of Druids, but she didn't pay too much attention to them.
Quan Quan had always been studying at the Professional Training Academy, learning about controlling power, understanding the world, and recognizing intelligent beings.
Indeed, growing freely in a vast forest seemed carefree.
But it was inevitably lonely; Quan Quan very much agreed with the viewpoints taught in the territory.
True learning wasn't just about mastering various methods; it was about learning how to guide and restrain one's thoughts.
Absolute freedom leads to absolute chaos.
After witnessing the beauty and stability of order, Quan Quan's mindset and thoughts had already transformed.
She didn't want future saplings to end up like she once did.
Wandering in loneliness and confusion, spending countless years in endless darkness.
Relying on the mountain and it falls, relying on people and they leave!
The growth of the Tree of Life would be decided by Quan Quan herself!
The Druids, with their eyes shining, grew immensely curious about Quan Quan's condition and Bay Territory, and naturally decided to stay.
Anthony, on the other hand, became quite busy, using various methods to contact many in the Harvest Church, requesting they send over massive quantities of minerals.
That's right—minerals!
Not rare metallic ores that Bay Territory lacked, but minerals specifically used for fertilizer production.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals required for various crops were not abundantly produced in Bay Territory.
The fertilizer produced on those guano islands in the sea, though renewable, was limited in quantity.
Bay Territory had a severe shortage of these minerals, but the Harvest Church, backed by Mother Earth, did not.
Even if they hadn't previously known the value or use of these minerals, they could quickly find and extract them once the need was known.
With the aid of the Thorns Merchant Guild's transport network, the first batch of minerals arrived at Bay Territory's fertilizer plant in just three days.
This allowed Matthew and Bay Territory to witness firsthand the sheer power and efficiency of a church organization when it moved at full strength.
It was no exaggeration to say that in this age of divine resurgence and manifest miracles,
The orders of a deity were far more effective than those of kings and lords.
The reason was simple: few dared to disobey under the watchful gaze of a god.
Bay Territory had also adopted similar supervisory measures to ensure that corruption would be kept to a minimum.
The goal was to eliminate this problem as much as possible within Bay Territory.
Even if there were occasionally those who defied it, they could be easily dealt with without much impact.
Matthew never believed that the territory would fail to function without these parasites, nor would the people starve without these vampires.