Chapter 375 - A Pleasant Conversation - Part 1

Mr. Gaven hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Grand Inquisitor, for your divine blessing. This gift is truly too precious..."Valon waved his hand and said, "Don’t thank me. I don’t have the power to casually grant people God-Given Powers. This is the sacred will of my Lord Tyr. I am merely a guide. If you have received a God-Given Power, it means that you have been acknowledged by the God of Justice. Use this power wisely, and you will receive even more blessings, becoming a true friend of the Holy Warrior."

This kind of inter-professional unlocking of Special Ability.

It was unclear to Gaven whether it was something Valon did for him using his professional experience,

or if it was truly the will of the God of Justice, Tyr.

Once the gods are involved, many things turn out to be complicated mysteries.

Because many things, clearly done by humans, are attributed to the gods.

Yet some matters indeed have the hidden hand of the gods stirring the pot.

Regardless of whether this was Valon’s doing or Tyr’s will, it didn’t matter.

What mattered most was that the benefits had already come to him.

Not only had he received benefits for no reason, but the Holy Warriors, including Darnell and his group, had also become more friendly towards him.

In their eyes, his ability to receive Tyr’s God-Given Skill was proof that he had withstood the test of the God of Justice and was a trustworthy partner.

With this as a premise, discussing matters naturally led to a joyful atmosphere, where many things were agreed upon with a simple pat on the back.

"Since the Ghost Grape Wine has been brought, shouldn’t we have a taste?" Valon, also a straightforward man, cut to the chase, "Whether it’s Darnell or August, they mentioned this name no less than ten times in their letters. The outside world is filled with songs about it, and yet no one thought to send a few bottles back here for us to broaden our horizons and see just how unique this Ghost Grape Wine truly is."

"This matter is actually not Mr. Darnell’s fault," Gaven immediately took the responsibility upon himself, "It is my responsibility. I promised to personally deliver the Ghost Grape Wine to the Monastery, but I didn’t anticipate being delayed by those vampires..."

"I see. It is understandable to be delayed for the sake of driving out evil," Valon truly believed that combating evil took precedence over all else, including times of casual conversation.

While they spoke, the Ghost Grape Wine was opened and served.

Gaven naturally joined in, taking a cup and sipping it lightly out of habit, immediately feeling that it was somewhat different from the last time he had drunk it.

The moment the Ghost Grape Wine entered his stomach, the Positive Energy inside his body started to stir, automatically expelling Negative Energy.

However, the Negative Energy in the Ghost Grape Wine wasn’t released instantaneously; instead, it blended with the wine, slowly releasing as the liquid was absorbed by the body, flowing through the bloodstream throughout the body.

The chasing Positive Energies followed like predators in pursuit, going wherever the Negative Energy flowed, over and over again.

The previously stationary Positive Energy within the body suddenly started to circulate.

It was a classic case of feeling both icy and fiery sensations.

The cold and heat circulated in the body in an alternating gentle cycle.

And the feeling of complete relaxation was simply indescribable.

As for him, a pseudo-Holy Warrior who had just been infused with Positive Energy, experiencing such a unique feeling – one could only imagine what the real Holy Warriors were feeling.

After a drink of Ghost Grape Wine, they couldn’t help but show expressions of enjoyment, as trails of dark mist rose from their bodies.

Especially Valon, the speed at which the dark mist rose was frightening, and his drinking speed was equally terrifying. In the end, he just scooped up the wine with his cup.

After several liters of Ghost Grape Wine, the spiritual languor that Valon had experienced from invoking the God-Given Skill vanished. His face glowed with health, and he was revitalized.

It wasn’t that the Ghost Grape Wine suddenly possessed magical healing properties, but rather, it stimulated, lead, and activated the Positive Energy that had settled within Valon’s body, allowing him to heal himself.

Valon repeatedly praised, "Good wine, good wine, good wine. I’ve never tasted such a miraculous brew. How much more of this wine do you have in your vineyard? Name your price, the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice will take it all."

Valon, like Darnell, was not a qualified businessman.

Who praises the goods they plan to buy, giving the seller the opportunity to quote an unreasonable price?

Luckily, Gaven, despite his merchant’s soul, did not target these admirable Knights for profit.

Therefore, he smiled and explained, "I have already negotiated this matter with Mr. Darnell. This is only the first batch of products. We plan to collaborate with Miss Regina to hype up the uniqueness of this batch to sell it at a high price at an auction at the Weizemay Manor on the first of next month, including a third belonging to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice."

"This is a long-term collaboration. As soon as the new grapes are harvested, we will attempt to produce new wines using completely new techniques. If all goes well, we might be able to brew an even more refined, a truly exceptional Ghost Grape Wine," he continued.

"An even more refined Ghost Grape Wine," Valon perked up, his eyes shining as he said, "Do you mean the alcohol content or the contained Negative Energy in the wine?"

The other party was also an expert in brewing.

Darnell had mentioned that the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice had its own brewery with a history of several hundred years.

"Both," Gaven couldn’t keep things hidden from someone who had given him such a generous gift, and he hinted, "This batch of Ghost Grape Wine was formed naturally, after all.

The Negative Energy infused in it hasn’t reached a saturated state.

Human intervention could possibly achieve an optimum state, whether in alcohol content or Negative Energy."

The specific ratios and handling conditions still need repeated experimentation, after all, the amount of negative energy that wine can carry is not limitless.

Regarding this capacity issue, it is also the main subject of our next phase of research.

Is it only wine that can carry it, or is water also possible?

Or can spirits also contain it?"

Valon immediately grasped the crux of the issue, his body involuntarily leaning forward as he stared at Gaven and said, "Can you manipulate negative energy?"

No wonder his reaction was intense; those who are adept at controlling and using negative energy are either the undead monsters like ghost spirits or priests of the evil gods.

They’re skilled at wreaking havoc but are not known for production.

"I cannot manipulate negative energy, but my subordinates can. The situation at the manor is very special. Estelle and her daughter have become friendly Earthbound Specters. The Earthbound Wraiths they convert can also retain consciousness, just like Ms. Sheren of Shadow Valley. Their souls have merged with the manor and cannot leave it by even half a step. Mr. Darnell has personally gone to verify this," Gaven explained a bit more than he intended.

After all, as Holy Warriors from the same Monastery, their attitudes toward undead creatures are different.

Even among Holy Warriors, no one is a flawless saint; their judgment is influenced by personal emotions. And many of them took this path out of hatred for the undead and dark creatures.

Darnell nodded in agreement from the sidelines and added, "Mr. Gaven speaks the truth. Their current condition is unprecedented. Not only do they retain a friendly disposition, but they also retain the ability to shift between material and spiritual forms.

I believe under Mr. Gaven’s guidance, this manor and the negative energy within it will be applied to righteous causes.

To ensure this, I want to request from the Grand Inquisitor permission to reside permanently in Mr. Gaven’s new village. I will be responsible for upholding security there and preventing any accidents."

Valon looked more composed than Gaven had expected, listening intently to their views.

It made sense, as he had crossed more bridges than these young people had ever walked on; he must have encountered all sorts of dark creatures, including benevolent ones.

After all, there are no absolutes in this world. Kindness and light can come even from darkness, and likewise, evil can lurk in the light.

Only the young warriors who have just embarked on the path of the Holy Warrior simplistically divide the world into black and white.

Seasoned Holy Warriors like Darnell, August, and Valon knew long ago that gray dominates the world much more than black or white does.

After hearing Darnell’s suggestion, Valon didn’t immediately express his opinion but said gravely, "You shouldn’t ask me about this; you should ask Mr. Gaven if he is willing to have you reside there permanently."

Gaven quickly responded, "Mr. Darnell has already discussed this with me in advance. Having him represent the Hammer of Justice in our village would be a great honor. I’m confident that with him overseeing our Three Rivers Region, the level of law enforcement will improve significantly. Also, I intend to entrust the judgmental duties of the Three Rivers Region to Mr. Darnell, to the Hammer of Justice."

"This too is our honor," Valon nodded his approval and said, "I have no objections to this. From now on, all matters concerning Mr. Gaven and his territory will be the responsibility of Judgment Chief Darnell. Just send me the final results for the record."

The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice is officially led by the Grand Inquisitor. All Judgment Chiefs and their subordinate Paladins report to him. In practice, however, Judges like Darnell have significant autonomy, especially when they are outside the Monastery, essentially representing the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice directly.

This is due to inconvenient transportation.

If they had to report everything, they would not be able to get any work done.

Only when it comes to diplomatic issues or matters that are not urgent do they involve the Grand Inquisitor.

"As commanded," Darnell said as he stood up to accept the order.

Valon waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit, and looked intently at Gaven with his bright eyes: "This kind of wine should not contain too much negative energy, especially for ordinary people and certain special groups, it might not be beneficial. Mr. Gaven, have you considered the consequence for a dying person who drinks a glass of Ghost Grape Wine?"

Without thinking, Gaven replied, "It would greatly increase the likelihood of them turning into an undead after death."

Valon said with a grave expression, "Correct. Even this purity of Ghost Grape Wine is like this, let alone wine with a higher concentration. If it exceeds the physical tolerance of ordinary people, it could not only directly kill them but even potentially transform them into ghosts."

Gaven paused for a moment before saying, "Grand Inquisitor Your Excellency’s concern is not unfounded, so from the beginning, we never intended to sell Ghost Grape Wine as ordinary wine to the general public. Instead, we plan to go for a high-end strategy, creating the image that this wine is rare and very expensive.

Not to mention ordinary people, even the wealthy can’t consume it at will.

More often, it’s seen as a kind of collectible, a special consumption item, like the clergy such as yourselves, for regulating one’s body.

When the new batch of Ghost Grape Wine begins production,

we will categorize it according to the customer group.

For instance, we will reduce the negative energy content for the general public,

and for clergy, we will enhance it further, clearly labeling the negative energy content for easy use as needed.

I believe for Your Excellency the Grand Inquisitor, the negative energy content in this Ghost Grape Wine might be a bit too low, and the quantity must be adjusted accordingly."

Gaven, observant of details, did not overlook the minor detail of Valon’s previous consumption of several liters.

After hearing Gaven’s arrangement, Valon’s expression softened considerably and he said, "Mr. Gaven’s planning is more meticulous than I had imagined. Your arrangement is very reasonable.

After all, Ghost Grape Wine is merely an item.

Whether it is used for righteous or evil purposes is entirely up to the person involved, not the item itself.

But no matter what, when dealing with potentially dangerous things, it’s wiser to be more cautious."

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