Chapter 542: Information about the Sea Prayer Ceremony Santa Port, in a room with a card table. Lumian and Lugano, who had changed their appearance and clothes, met the black market merchant who claimed to be a descendant of the Dariege people. He was wearing a white shirt and a black vest, sitting at the head of the card table with a glass of light malt white wine in front of him and a slow-burning cigar between his fingers. He did seem to have Darriege ancestry, with slightly sunken eye sockets, slightly curly black hair, and blue eyes like the mountain sky without any clouds. He had thin cheeks and dense stubble, and looked to be in his thirties. "Good afternoon, Mr. Valerio," Lugano greeted in plateau dialect. Valerio looked back at the bodyguards with guns, smiled and said in Intis with a Darriege accent: "I haven't been back to my hometown for a long time, and it's very kind to see you." "Yes, Mr. Valerio." Lumienne responded in Intis with the same Darriege accent, pretending to be timid. Although shepherds are skilled at fighting the dangers of the wild, they instinctively fear the authority figures in human settlements. Valerio nodded slightly and said: “Are you coming from Larnaca?”
"Yes, I just attended the trade conference there." Lumian answered fluently. He had heard about Larnaca from the shepherds in the village of Koldu, where a trade fair was held every month, forming a bustling suburban market. Shepherds from far and near would go there seeking opportunities to buy and sell lambs, wool, cheese and other commodities. Valerio then talked about the transfer and the folk customs of the Dariege region, all of which Lumian knew in detail, and answered from the perspective and point of view of a shepherd. During this process, he was vaguely dazed and remembered the words his sister would occasionally say when she was angry: "If you don't study hard, I'll send you to be a shepherd!" Now, he is indeed playing a shepherd. After a while, Valerio nodded with satisfaction, took a puff of his cigar and said: "You are quite wise. You don't need an ID card when you are grazing in the suburbs, but you must have one when you settle in the city. I will help you get two sets as soon as possible. After that, you can come to me if you encounter any difficulties. I may not be able to help you, but one more person always means more ideas. We are all Darriege people, so of course we should help each other." Lumian was not at all surprised by the enthusiasm of this black market merchant: "Uniting" the people from my hometown will form a force that can be utilized and cannot be ignored! This is just like the Savoyard Party, which was originally composed of Savoyard people who worked as coolies and waiters. They made countless contributions to the big bosses of the Savoyard Chamber of Commerce in developing their businesses, expanding their operations and protecting their property. As for how many Savoyard people here will never be able to walk on the right path and die on the street at any time, the rich businessmen don't care. Relying on the acting skills he learned from Janna and the advice from Anthony Reid, Lumian praised Valerio for his noble character. Valerio smiled and said: "If you want to survive here, you'd better convert to the 'Mother Earth' as soon as possible, find a good girl to marry, and have a few children. Only in this way will you not encounter some hidden troubles." Is it a tradition of Feynaporte to urge marriage and childbearing? Lumian muttered inwardly and smiled bitterly: "Without coppers, there are no good girls." This is also a proverb in the Dariege region, which means that it is difficult for poor people to find a good girl, and it is even more difficult for shepherds to start a family. "This is Feynaporte, not Darriege." Valerio picked up the glass of white wine and took a sip. "The good girls here value a strong body and a brave temperament. Money can be earned after marriage." "Why?" Lumian did not hide his confusion. "Men like that are more suitable for reproducing offspring and are more capable of making good girls pregnant." Valerio smiled, "This place is different from Darriege. The core of many things is fertility and reproduction. Only when you understand this, you can truly understand Fenapotte and praise the mother of all things!" The black marketeer stood up, his feet slightly apart, his hands raised high.
No wonder Feynaporte is the most populous country in the Northern Continent. If they were not good at improving the land and growing food, they would not be able to feed so many people... Lumian's thoughts raced, and he said tentatively: "Mr. Valerio, I heard there will be some kind of sea-praying ceremony next month. Will there be any chance to make money?" "Yes." Valerio sat down. "It's still quite hot in Santa Puerto in November. When my grandfather first arrived here, he rented a wooden box for popsicles, went to the ice factory to get a bunch of ice cubes, piled them around the popsicles, covered them with a towel, and then squeezed into the crowd to sell them popsicles and ice cubes. He made his first pot of gold. Now, this business can still be done, but the competition is much more intense. We even have to rent an extra bicycle so that we can carry a larger insulated wooden box to go to more ceremony sites." “Are there many ritual sites?” Lumian asked. Valerio smiled and replied: "This is a grand event for the entire Santa Port. There are many processes that need to be held in different places, such as the sea dance in the port, the flower boat parade throughout the city, the boat racing competition on the sea, the vigil ceremony in Milo Village, and, the core, the sea festival." "What is the Sea Festival?" Lumian asked curiously. Valerio shook his head slowly: "I don't know the details, but I know that the 'Governor of the Sea' and the 'Maidens of the Sea' boarded a specially made ship, carrying the offerings from the fishermen and merchants, and headed to a certain sea area outside the port to hold a unique ceremony. People who haven't been there will never know the details of the process." “‘Governor of the Sea’, ‘Maid of the Sea’?” Lumian kept picking out key words. This perfectly fits the situation of a Dariege shepherd who has just arrived in Puerto Santa. Valerio laughed: "The most important part of the 'Sea Prayer Ceremony' is to select a man as the 'Governor of the Sea' and four girls as the 'Maids of the Sea'. They will first take a flower boat to parade around the city, then go to the port to board the special fishing boat, go out to sea during the 'Dance of the Sea' performance, lead the race, then circle the port and stay overnight in the oldest local fishing village, Milo. "At seven o'clock the next morning, they will board the ship again, bring the offerings, and head to the sea sacrifice site." The selected "Governor of the Sea" and "Maid of the Sea"... a multi-step sea-praying ceremony... Lumian repeated the key parts in his mind. He was suddenly startled and had an association: This is very similar to the Lenten celebrations in the Dariege Mountains and the "Spring Spirits"! Although the real Lenten celebration did not involve the horrific incident of Ava's head being chopped off and blood splattering, the scene in the dream left a very deep impression on Lumian, causing him to instinctively equate the Lenten celebration with the evil and terrifying. Is the sea prayer ceremony here similar to the Lenten celebration? On second thought, Lumian felt that such similarity did not explain the problem. Because this is a very common treatment in mysticism - erecting a specific symbol to represent the object of worship in order to achieve the desired effect. This can be seen in many folk rituals. "How are the 'Governor of the Sea' and the 'Maid of the Sea' chosen?" Lumian looked curious. Wouldn’t it be like the “Spring Elf”, where it is elected by all the residents of Santa Port by voting? After the ceremony, you can gain a high reputation and enjoy hidden benefits? Valerio took another puff of his cigar: "They were selected by the members of the Fisheries Guild, the oldest guild in Santa Port. The specific criteria and whether or not a vote is required are kept secret from the public. Even the official members of the Fisheries Guild don't know." As he said this, the black market merchant smiled: "I also want to be chosen as the 'Governor of the Sea'. It is said that there will be many benefits, but no one involved is willing to reveal what they are." "How are those 'Governors of the Sea' doing now?" Lumian was more concerned about this question.
Valerio was stunned for a moment, recalled for a moment, and shook his head: "I am not sure. "Each 'Governor of the Sea' serves only one year. After leaving office, they seem to be sent to other places. Anyway, they cannot stay in Santa Port, so as not to conflict with the new 'Governor of the Sea'. Haha, they must have been given a high compensation, and they will also be allowed to bring their families with them." Sent to another place? Was he really sent to another place, rather than encountering something else? With his previous experience, Lumian would instinctively think of this kind of folk ritual as something evil and terrifying. And the subsequent experience of the "Governor of the Sea" in the "Sea Prayer Ceremony" does sound strange. Lumian thought for a moment, then asked in a manner consistent with his current status: "What about the 'maidens of the sea'?" "She is very popular among sea merchants, shareholders of fishing companies, fishermen and sailors. Every one of them wants to marry a 'Maid of the Sea', which represents the favor of the sea. If you go to various fishing villages, fishing guilds, and the homes of sea merchants, you will find that many powerful grandmothers have been 'Maids of the Sea'." Valerio had an envious look on his face, and it seemed that he also wanted to marry a "Maid of the Sea" and become a real sea merchant. This is the same hidden benefit of being a "Spring Elf"... Lumian suppressed the urge to raise his right hand and touch his chin. He knew enough and stopped asking any more questions. After paying a deposit of 50 gold risos, he and Lugano left Valerio's underground casino. Ludwig did not come with them and was left in a nearby family restaurant that had children's entertainment facilities, special caregivers, and a meal. ——In Feynaport, there are many industries that make it easier for parents to raise children and help them relieve stress. This is something that countries like Intis do not have. Even if they do, they are only provided to the upper class. ………… Trier, Catacombs. Franka and Janna returned to the third floor with lit white candles. "What is the name of the tomb we are looking for?" Franca asked, feeling no longer so depressed. Janna didn't need to think back and said directly: "The Thorn and Shield Wall Chamber." (End of this chapter)