Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 94 Agreement
Xiren didn't know what Renn was thinking, but even if he did, he would probably agree. The factory owners and the new nobles did play a very progressive role at this stage, forging a brilliant light of civilization from the bones and wails of countless people.

He watched as Schneider wrote down the points they had agreed upon, and added, "I will follow the rules, but so will you—don't cross the line when competing with other factories and farms."

Schneider said casually, "I understand. We are all the most law-abiding people. We don't engage in malicious competition. We operate fairly in the market."

“No, what I mean by crossing the line is not killing,” Xiren said.

Schneider hesitated for a moment, then wiped his sweat and said, "Of course..."

Xilun didn't believe they wouldn't engage in malicious competition at all, and completely ignored that nonsense. Setting the bottom line too high could easily lead to having no bottom line at all, so it was better to set the bottom line as low as possible and make it clear what their bottom line was.

You can compete maliciously, I'm not afraid at all, but if you dare to kill my people, then things won't be done according to your rules.

Raine remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, before suddenly saying, "I remember you have a divine spell that grants immunity to death?"

Xiren raised an eyebrow, surprised that Renn still remembered this: "Yes, [Divine Grace Compensation] can only be used once in a lifetime. It brings back a person from the brink of death at the cost of my serious injury, but in essence it is just a super-powerful holy healing that can turn a person's condition back a little in a positive direction and pull them away from the line of death. So it has no effect on those who die of old age. Even if I keep them alive, their organs will only continue to decline to the end."

For the first time, Raine's expression softened: "I hope that when my people are on the verge of death, you can help them, and when they are injured, you can ask the clergy to treat them."

Siren looked at him seriously: "Healing is our duty. I believe that no clergyman would refuse the plea of ​​a wounded person. It is our obligation and morality, and I would not exchange it for anything."

Raine was somewhat surprised, because this was the only place where Siren could make exorbitant demands. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't force the clergy to treat him, nor could he force Siren to save his subordinates.

But he actually gave up?
“But at my personal request,” Siron said, “I want to be put in charge of the hospital. You just need to bring the injured patients in, and there will be clergy on duty.”

Renn thought for a moment.

Frankly, this isn't a problem, because the hospital is currently operating at a complete loss. Doctors' and nurses' salaries, the huge amount of heating needed for the buildings, the constantly consumed medicines and equipment, plus ordinary people who simply can't afford medical bills—he has to put hundreds of pounds into the hospital every week.

Moreover, Speyside could barely manufacture substances such as chloroform, ether, morphine, and iron supplements, but due to various problems with management, the production scale was very small and the prices were getting more and more expensive.

Leaving the hospital to Xilun was like throwing away a burden, especially since he already owed Xilun a favor.

But Ryan still couldn't understand why Siren specifically asked for the hospital. Although his words implied that "since the functions of the church and the hospital overlap, it might as well be handed over to me," he was certain that the reason was not that.

However, his thinking could only go this far. After thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure out what Xilun was planning to do. He glanced at Schneider a few times, but the other party was expressionless, and he didn't know what to say.

So he nodded: "Okay, but you will be responsible for all the hospital's expenses."

“Of course,” Xiren smiled.

Schneider wrote down the final terms and placed them between the two men.

Xiren picked up a quill and signed his name in beautiful cursive, symbolizing the end of the most serious conflict in Speyer. At least in the face of the threat of the frost giants, they had reached a superficial agreement.

But he glanced at Schneider and sighed inwardly.

Raine still seemed oblivious to the actions of his superiors; his unwavering allegiance had blinded him—or rather, his subordinates were conspiring to deceive him.

The bloody power struggle was suspended with a written document, but the real war had already begun in secret.

As he was thinking this, there was a knock on the door, and the servant's voice came through the intercom: "Your Excellency, the Third Squad has returned, and the 1,800 refugees they brought are temporarily housed in Whiskey Square in the living quarters. The captain is outside." Raine looked at Siron: "Please let him in."

However, Siren did not have the self-awareness to politely leave and ignore the conversation. Instead, he continued to sit there, looking like he was listening attentively, which made it impossible for Renn to directly ask him to leave.

The captain of the Imperial Guard glanced at Siron, then looked at Raine with an inquiring look, before speaking after seeing the governor nod slightly.

"Report: We did not find the Newport refugees, but we encountered refugees from Kalenburg to the west. According to them, after the apocalypse, the Earl of Kalenburg gathered the nearby villagers and gave them shelter, but it got colder and colder afterward, and the wild beasts in the vicinity became demonized and attacked the castle, forcing them to leave."

"When we encountered them, we saw them fighting against a demonized beast. After we killed the beast, we temporarily abandoned the search for the Newport refugees and brought them back to ensure their safety."

Renn nodded: "Well done. What about Earl Kalenburg?"

"They are said to have died on the way out—they were attacked by a large group of demonic beasts, and according to them, those demonic beasts have formed a new ecosystem. They even found a den under the snow and survived on the meat of the beasts."

Xilun was a little curious. "Ecosystem" is not a commonly used term. Perhaps there is a biologist in their team?
Raine seemed to have thought of something as well, but unlike Siren, he set his sights on the meat of those wild beasts.

Since they reproduce on their own in the snow, primitive hunting might make up for some of the food shortage in Speyside.

"You all go and rest first," Ryan ordered, then turned on the megaphone, "call Thomas over here, wherever he is, get him here within ten minutes!"

The captain left, and it wasn't appropriate for Xilun to stay any longer, so he stood up, bowed his head, and made the sign of the cross: "Then I won't bother you any longer."

Ryan said coldly, "Forget about these refugees, I'll take care of them."

“That’s natural,” Xiren smiled. “May they find happiness and peace under your rule.”

“Of course they will,” Renn said.

Not far away, the captain of the guards, who had left the governor’s residence, crossed the elevator and arrived at Whiskey Square, where he met a middle-aged man wearing a Chesterfield coat.

"I have already reported the situation to the governor. Your accommodations will be arranged by someone later," he said earnestly.

"Thank you so much." The middle-aged man grasped his hand, smiling politely, his posture befitting a meeting between leaders.

"It's just our duty." The captain declined the thanks. "Our goal is to help refugees."

“No, that’s not what I’m actually thanking you for.” The middle-aged man smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Anyway, thank you for everything you’ve done.”

The captain left, completely bewildered, taking the strange words as the profound wisdom of a learned person.

He knew the refugees called him "Professor," and that he was a rare, practical scholar who had supposedly embarked on a world voyage from Newport News with a fleet of ships. After the death of the Count of Kallenberg, he became the refugees' temporary leader.

There are so many learned people here. He thought, how wonderful it would be if his son could become a "professor's" student. Even if he's not smart enough to learn much, he could at least learn that kind of demeanor.

He recalled the professor's meticulous, elegant, and noble demeanor, and a hint of envy appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)