Ximengsi Continent’s southern region, Adrian Empire’s capital, Samuel City, palace area
Looking around, Clyde realized that after the two saintesses symbolically ate a few small mouthfuls, they were busy chatting with other priestesses.
Clyde was affected by this formal environment and didn’t feel like eating; thus, he had a secret discussion with Bishop Nichols. Although Bishop Nichols was quite tasteless and greedy, a typical villain in Clyde’s view, it was better to deal with such people. As long as money could be used to resolve matters, it would save a lot of troubles.
“Your Excellency Clyde, your eyes are pretty good. Here is the price list. Look at it, and return it after. Don’t let other people see this.”
“Okay, Bishop Nichols. I will look. Eh… this is…”
Clyde took a mysterious, black-covered notebook from Bishop Nichols. After taking a discrete look, his three views were destroyed. He nearly spat out the fine wine he had casually sipped beforehand. It seemed that this bishop beside him had truly chosen the wrong profession; he was clearly a veteran pimp disguised as a bishop.
Neatly marked, the book recorded the prices of all of Light Church’s female believers. From saintesses, priestesses, clergywomen to ordinary nuns, their prices were clearly marked as if they were commodities. Unconsciously, he thought of a night inn’s roster. The data recorded was very detailed. Not limited to hobbies and personalities, even the heights, weights and three measurements were recorded. When the said female believer joined the church, those higher-ups with ulterior motives recorded them by taking advantage of their medical examinations.
However, the prices of female believers were quite high. According to Clyde’s understanding of the general market’s prices, it was far more expensive than most of a night inns’ prostitute women. The greater part of them were virgins, so selling them at such high prices was understandable. An ordinary nun started at several thousand gold coins while the starting costs of a saintess were several million gold coins, some even reaching over ten million gold coins. Naturally, precious treasures of equivalent value could also be used as payment; there was no need to pay so much in gold coins.
Clyde’s eyes were finally opened before he hadn’t truly understood the world of the rich. In the past, he had thought that Princess Saras’s price of 100,000 gold coins was extremely high, but compared to this booklet’s prices, Princess Saras’s price was similar to a high-leveled priestess, nothing more. What made Clyde nearly spit blood was that the list was not limited to female believers. There were also male believers, but their prices were a lot lower compared to female believers of the same level. Because male believers could be traded over a long period of time, but female believers were traded only once, there was a big difference.
Other than the Pope, archbishops, and bishops, those old men who held real power in Light Church, all others could be traded, regardless of whether they were men or women. The openness degree of this different world’s Human Race far exceeded Clyde’s imagination. Even the conservative Light Church was like this… Only the Heavens knew how insane the other countries were in private.
“Bishop Nichols, how come even men…”
“Your Excellency Clyde, you also swing that way? Romandinov Empire’s Prince Elvis is one of our frequent guests!”
“Sorry, I was just asking casually. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Ai, that business has not been doing well recently. The aristocrats of Victor Alliance’s nations wish to assume an appearance of morality and righteousness. As for Clark Alliance, they have their own slaves and are unwilling to spend money. Truly, one is stingier than the other.”
Bishop Nichols had an expression of regret as if he were vexed about not being able to do the business. Clyde also couldn’t enter this trade: a saintess cost roughly ten million gold coins. Wasn’t this daylight robbery? With this much money, he could go and purchase over a hundred princesses like Princess Saras. Even a nouveau riche wouldn’t be so wasteful and buy a saintess.
When Light Church specified this price, they didn’t actually expect someone to trade in gold coins but rather wanted to use a saintess to exchange for rare treasures. Divine artifacts or valuable materials of equal value could be used to exchange for a saintess. However, the people who could obtain divine artifacts and valuable materials generally didn’t lack for women around them. What kind of beauties existed that they hadn’t seen? Other than out of true love, only a fool would trade for a saintess.
“Bishop Nichols, the contents of this notebook… do they know?”
“Of course, they don’t. If they knew, how could we still do business? Rest assured, only bishop and higher-level personnel know of this. In addition, the Pope has authorized this. You don’t need to worry about the Inquisition looking for trouble. Recently, the Inquisition has been complaining that our business here is too small and that they haven’t received their share of profit.”
“Then, how do you trade?”
“That is a trade secret. In any case, there will be no mishaps. How about it? Do you want to think it over?”
Bishop Nichols had a sinister gaze. With a soul of a crafty, cunning businessman, he recommended quite a few nuns worth several thousand gold coins. All of them had explosive-type figures. Looking at how he was talking non-stop, it seemed that he was truly used to peddling these goods. In order to avoid this old rogue bishop’s continuous wicked recommendations and show consideration for the other party’s bishop face, Clyde had to think of a way to escape from the frenzied sales promotion.
“Bishop Nichols, can I reserve a saintess?”
“Yes, you can. To reserve one, you just need to pay a deposit of ten thousand gold coins once a year. That’s all. Like that, you will have the priority trading right of a saintess.”
“Then, help me reserve two.”
Clyde secretly paid Bishop Nichols with a magic card containing 20,000 gold coins. After receiving the deposits for Maria and Tiffany, Bishop Nichols finally quieted. The face of Bishop Nichols who had obtained 20,000 gold coins glowed red, just like he had drunk. These days, the business was not good, so generous buyers like Clyde who didn’t bargain were scarce resources. Other aristocrats, suzerains, and even dukes were stingy, and it was difficult to make a profit of even a copper coin out of them.
All the gold coins on Clyde were anyway unexpected income obtained from the basement of Needham Plain’s suzerain residence, so it was not painful to spend them. Although he was cheated out of 20,000 gold coins, exchanging them for a period of peacefulness was worth every dime. Clyde still didn’t know that Bishop Nichols had already placed his name in Light Church’s VIP business customer list in secret. Hereafter, he, this “nouveau riche,” would have a priority when seeking a large number of trades.
The banquet was ongoing in the hall, but Clyde noticed many lurkers hiding in the corners of this banquet hall via his Evil God’s peculiar intuition. They were secretly monitoring the distinguished guests in the banquet hall. It seemed that this gentry banquet held by Prince Joseph wouldn’t be so peaceful.
