Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 93 Talks
The document was filled with various terms and conditions, but Ryan only glanced at it a few times before tossing it aside. Judging from his actions, it seemed that he wanted to tear it up, but he held back at the crucial moment.

“I need thirty tons of red mercury, and I want all the blueprints for red mercury weapons. The Differential Engine Control Zone cannot be given to you; it must be completely controlled by one faction. If there are disagreements on orders, the operation of the shelter will be chaotic,” Raine said casually.

"I'll give you a maximum of ten tons of red mercury. Forget about the weapon blueprints, but I'll sell you the weapons. I can't stop you from disassembling and analyzing them," Xilun said quickly. "In exchange, I need four agricultural zones and five livestock zones, as well as red mercury boilers number six and ten."

"Twenty tons. If we really fight the Frost Giants, we'll be the main force, and we'll consume a lot of ammunition. What if you cut off the supply? I won't put my hopes on others."

“If the supply really gets cut off, you’ll probably just come and rob us, right?” Siren chuckled. “You’re Speyside’s only legend; nobody wants to push you to the brink.”

“I’m glad you have that insight,” Ryan said. “So it doesn’t really matter where the red mercury is; if you refuse to provide it, I’ll just come and steal it.”

“In that case, ten tons,” Siren smiled, “and I’ll sell you an extra ten tons at twenty pounds per kilogram. I don’t think you need the money.”

Ryan narrowed his eyes. He certainly didn't lack the money. All of Speyer's reserves and transactions were under his control. Even if the money was given to Siron, it would still come back to him if he wanted to use it.

But why is this process necessary?

He glanced at Schneider, who was also thinking, but after sensing the governor's gaze, he immediately sharpened his eyes and asked, "Then you must guarantee that if Speyside encounters an invasion by frost giants, you must supply unlimited amounts of red mercury at this price."

Xiren immediately said, "Then I need to make sure that every gram of red mercury is used as a weapon to penetrate the frost giants' bodies, instead of being squandered by the nobles."

“I can guarantee that,” Raine said.

“No, you can’t.” Celen smiled and looked at Schneider. “He might be able to.”

Schneider felt a sudden chill run down his spine: "How could I possibly guarantee something like this!"

Renn frowned: "Your Excellency, this is my subordinate."

Xilun shrugged.

Schneider glared fiercely at Siron, a storm brewing in his deep-set eyes: "Then I need your assurance, Your Excellency, that you will not incite those rioters and destabilize Speyside."

Xilun burst out laughing: "If giving eggs to people who can't afford to eat is considered incitement, then your stability is truly on the verge of collapse."

Ryan glanced at the two of them, feeling like an outsider: "What eggs?"

Schneider sensed the danger and quickly explained, "My subordinates reported that the church is frequently contacting those who harbor resentment towards you, distributing gifts to win them over, seemingly trying to incite unrest." Raine's gaze immediately turned dangerous. He still remembered that day when a mere priest walked alone into the Kiria Forest and raised a large army. The foolish masses, fighting for God, were fearless—he had only ever seen two armies that could charge into battle with over 90% casualties: one was Her Majesty the Queen's personal guard, and the other was those unruly masses.

Those people had been enslaved by the old aristocracy for generations and brainwashed by the church. If someone said to kill their monarch, they would defend the king like madmen. Once the priest said that God commanded them to protect the king, they believed that God's glory was on them and that they were invulnerable to weapons—if they died, it would mean they were not pious.

“Sir Schneider,” Sirren said, emphasizing his words, “do you know that the villagers will be drained of their last penny on their way to the city? Do you know that even if they find work, they won’t have money to buy anything until they get paid? Do you know that they will even have to take out loans for the most basic necessities of life, becoming slaves to debt?”

“If I don’t care about them, I don’t know how many more people will die! If a few eggs can be considered incitement, it means they really can’t afford to eat normally.”

Ryan looked at Schneider, but the latter also adopted a serious posture: "I see. It seems the housing department has been somewhat lax."

Raine felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly: "I'll call the Minister of Civil Affairs over later."

Then he turned to look at Xilun: "This is a problem of my poor management, but I hope that after the problems are resolved, you will not maliciously incite the people in Speyer. You should know very well that once internal turmoil occurs, it will inevitably give the Frost Giants an opportunity."

“I don’t know how many surviving shelters there are in the world, but with each one less, our hope diminishes. I don’t want any problems to lead to the fall of this city—it is my duty as governor, and that’s why I’m willing to sit here and talk to you.”

His words were half sincere and half threatening, meaning that if Xilun wanted to cheat the rules and do something underhanded, then he would have no choice but to cheat the rules and go on a killing spree.

For him, the position of governor was more of a constraint than a source of power.

Siren gave an enigmatic smile: "Don't worry, my goal is the same as yours: to ensure the survival of Speyside and to improve people's lives."

“Then—” Ryan handed Schneider a piece of paper, gesturing for him to write down the terms, “If any factors arise that destabilize Speyside, the Church also has a responsibility to appease and guide the people.”

“Of course.” Siren smiled. “I was the one who resettled the refugees in Newport, I comforted them when they were most desperate, and the church always stepped in when they needed help. If it weren’t for me, the administrators might not have even noticed until they protested because they couldn’t survive.”

Ryan glanced at him, feeling that there was something fishy about those words, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he just assumed that Ryan was mocking his subordinates.

This is normal, though. The new nobles have broken the triple control of society by the church, the king, and the old nobles, symbolizing emerging power. It's normal for the old-fashioned church to be unhappy. Renn just took it as him venting his frustrations and impotent rage.

He didn't take the relief that Siron mentioned to heart. If relief were useful, the church would have turned the world into an earthly kingdom over the past thousands of years.

His most respected Queen once told him: "The Church's relief is merely a way to keep the poor perpetually poor and maintain basic social stability. They don't give the poor work; they just keep them from starving and turn them into lazy bums who can't work. Only the factory owners truly give the poor a stage, teach them skills, enable them to establish themselves, allow them to enjoy a new way of life, and unleash their greatest power to build Albion into the world's first empire. Our path is the path of justice, and it is the only path that can make this empire rich and powerful. In the face of the great power of the new era, everything outdated will be sent to the guillotine."

(End of this chapter)