Chapter 317: Me Too

That evening, the High Priest returned home and summoned his youngest son. He had many children, but this one was his favorite—because he looked the most like him.

It was somewhat strange. None of the older children resembled him much. While not entirely uncommon, it was still unusual. He never questioned whether they were truly his. Their mothers had brought immense wealth, influence, and intangible assets when they married into the family. These resources had been critical when he competed against his brothers for the position of High Priest, so he chose to turn a blind eye.

But the youngest son looked just like him. He couldn’t explain the feeling—he simply believed it. And so, he favored him.

This son was only seventeen. If not for the girl who had taken her own life out of shame after getting pregnant out of wedlock, the boy would already be a father.

By Nagaryll standards, he was considered handsome. Unlike the overweight heirs of the local aristocracy, he was lean and energetic.

“Father, you called for me?”

The High Priest, now stripped of his colorful feathers, ornaments, and body paint, revealed his true appearance. He was an aging man with sagging skin and tattoos covering his face and arms. Time had distorted the symbols etched into his skin, making them hard to decipher. He looked both intimidating and repulsive.

“Do you know Lynch?” the High Priest asked, gazing at his son.

The young man nodded. “I know him. Everyone’s been talking about him lately.”

The High Priest gave a noncommittal nod. “In a few days, he’ll board a ship back to the Baylor Federation. You’re going with him—not to Amellia, but to the Federation.”

Originally, the High Priest had planned to send his son to the Amellian province. Gephra had secured a 120-year rule over the region and was investing heavily in its development. It was the perfect opportunity for his son to study and start a business, ideally becoming close with local officials. With the High Priest as a powerful backer, someone would surely befriend the boy.

Even if his son never returned to inherit his position and power, it was still a promising path. The High Priest had even considered establishing a religion there, using his son as the leader. The locals and the Gephrans needed a mediator to ease tensions—a perfect opportunity. His son had prepared extensively for it.

But Lynch’s words had changed everything: religious freedom, freedom of belief.

Gephra was a monarchy. Missionary work required state approval. Unlike the Federation, where such freedom seemed real. If it truly was, then his son could become a High Priest in the Federation. That was a real future.

Wealthy, advanced, developed, and safe—better than being a petty king in this backwater.

“But I heard Lynch rejected Mr. Preyton’s goodwill…”

The High Priest frowned, voice stern. “Remember, you are a child of Nagaryll, not of Preyton. Do not speak for him, and do not fear him.”

His attitude reflected the ruling class’s growing concern: their youth, influenced by foreigners, were becoming increasingly alienated. Some could barely speak the local language, but spoke the international one fluently. Their attitudes toward life and society no longer aligned with their homeland. There was a real fear that one day, their descendants might cease to be Nagarylls, becoming foreigners in spirit.

A wave of irritation passed through the High Priest. “That’s settled. You’re going there to study and observe. Lynch told me religion is truly free over there. If it’s possible…”

The young man’s face, once expressionless, now showed surprise—then delight.

He had always been more interested in religion than business. Growing up in such a household, he had learned that what money couldn’t achieve, gods sometimes could.

Word spread quickly that the High Priest’s son would be leaving with Lynch. When Mr. Preyton heard, he merely smiled indifferently. He didn’t take it to heart, and as a favor to the High Priest, instructed others not to trouble them at sea.

Even the governor’s children, who might have demanded bribes to let someone leave, kept silent. With the High Priest backing him, no one dared stop Lynch from leaving—unless their father openly opposed the High Priest, which was unlikely.

It wasn’t worth triggering another clash between political and religious powers over one man.

So the matter quietly settled.

A few days later, Lynch boarded a ship loaded with goods—and with him, a young man full of hope, leaving his father’s shadow for the first time, bound for the Baylor Federation.

“Why are there so many people?” a Federal citizen asked in surprise after disembarking, staring at the reporters crowding the port with cameras and video gear. Passengers exchanged guesses—was another foreign dignitary visiting?

As the Federation became increasingly involved in international affairs, state visits had become common.

With a new player at the global table, older powers naturally wanted to understand them, and explore possible partnerships.

What was once a rare sight had become routine. The Prime Minister of Gephra had just left, and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Reins arrived right after, with a full diplomatic agenda.

This spectacle fascinated the public, boosting national unity and pride.

As the President said in a televised speech: “We are becoming key players in shaping global decisions. Our importance is growing. The great revival of the Federation is within reach.” It stirred the people’s spirit.

Despite ongoing economic struggles, things were improving. International orders were reviving factories, reminding people of how vital it was to integrate into the global community.

It also highlighted the failure of the previous administration’s isolationist policies. The former president now faced investigations, potentially for dereliction of duty and endangering national security.

Things were changing rapidly. So when people saw reporters, their first thought was another foreign dignitary.

Some stayed behind, hoping to witness history in the making. They would be disappointed—but not necessarily let down.

As an unremarkable mid-sized freighter approached the dock, the crowd of reporters suddenly erupted. Curious onlookers surged forward.

They first saw large cages being unloaded from the ship. Cameras flashed wildly. Gasps filled the air, followed by confusion.

“What the hell is that?”

“Is that a lion?” asked a stylish woman in a blue dress and sunhat, carrying a handbag. “Its coat is beautiful—sparkling in the sunlight!”

Her companion frowned. “Lions usually have much thicker manes. And look at those markings—I think it might be a leopard.”

“I’ve seen leopards before—they don’t have fur like that!” the stylish woman quickly disagreed.

Her companion was about to argue, but seeing the determined look in her eyes—and remembering he’d just ended a month-long dry spell—he immediately backed down. “You’re right, darling!”

The woman smiled gracefully. “I knew I was.”

More cargo was being unloaded from the ship—items rarely seen in the Federation, including furniture made from blood-red hardwood. Even the children had come with Lynch; cutting down a few worthless trees was no big deal for them.

People around the port were buzzing—where had all this come from? Who did it belong to? Why were there so many reporters?

Meanwhile, the owner of all these items stood on the deck of the freighter.

“I can feel it, Lynch…” The seventeen-year-old boy, after three days of travel, had already built a good rapport with Lynch. Leaning against the railing, he tilted his head back and took a deep breath.

The air rushed into his lungs, making his slender frame puff up slightly. “This is the smell of freedom. I never imagined the air here would be so sweet!”

He turned back to Lynch, eyes lit with surprise. There was none of the ever-present stench back home, the kind that required scented pouches just to tolerate. Apart from the salty tang of the sea, the air was clean. For a boy leaving his country for the first time, that alone was astonishing.

“I told you—this is the best place in the world. You’re going to love it,” Lynch said, his smile as persuasive as ever. Being only a few years older, it was easy for the boy to believe him.

“I think so too now, Lynch!”