Upon hearing that the Emperor actually intended to hand over Ursus's heavy industrial city modules, Talulah was quite shocked by his audacity.
Heavy industrial city modules were no simple matter; they were worlds apart from light industrial modules. To put it bluntly, these were things you couldn't necessarily buy no matter how much money you had. Furthermore, the Emperor was offering a full-system heavy industrial suite! If the engineers under Talulah had the capability, they could even study the underlying technology and eventually manufacture the city modules they needed themselves.
But most importantly, it would allow them to trade with other cities. This would not only increase the city's income but also provide enough jobs to give ordinary people the ability to support themselves.
"How about that? Quite a surprise, isn't it? If there's nothing else, I'll head back over there. Fyodor's expression as he looks at Twenty-Nine right now is quite interesting—and Twenty-Nine is the same; he looks like he wants to find a crack in the floor to crawl into and never come out. I have to go watch the show."
Even though Talulah couldn't see Kashchey's face, she could imagine his "enjoying the chaos" expression. Had this guy's wicked sense of humor worsened lately?
Talulah immediately whispered this development to Jeanne. Upon hearing the compensation offered by the Emperor, Jeanne grew more alert regarding the remainder of the meeting. Something felt off. The rewards the Emperor was giving them were simply too generous. Even with a figure like the "Living Ancestor" Jeanne present, it felt as though he was constantly retreating and making concessions in pursuit of a much greater interest.
"She agreed. I didn't expect Your Majesty to have such boldness. If you give them a complete set of heavy industry, it means you've lost that particular lever of industrial leverage over them."
Although Kashchey admired the resolve Fyodor showed in making this decision, he still believed this approach did not favor Ursus's interests; it felt a bit like "killing the chicken to get the eggs." If it were up to Kashchey, he would have given them a large number of light industrial blocks to provide the Infected with enough money to survive within the city. Then, he would trade with them using heavy industrial necessities, using geographic advantages to tie them and Ursus together.
The only variable was that group of irrational Sankta. However, they wouldn't support Chernobog at any cost indefinitely. After all, Jeanne was only one of them, not their leader; it wouldn't reach the point where the believers would shake their own national economy to support her.
"Since I've chosen to cooperate with them, I might as well help them to the end. I understand your reasoning, but that approach has far too many variables."
Fyodor shook his head. In the Reunion movement opposite him, the only one who truly required his attention was the Saint named Jeanne. As long as she existed, infinite variables would arise. He knew one thing for certain: never think there is a way to restrain Jeanne. This woman definitely had a way to break any deadlock. No matter how impossible her actions seemed, she could always seize that sliver of possibility.
Thinking of this, Fyodor suddenly remembered the transit station the nobles had hidden in Lungmen, which his investigators had failed to find even after many days. What's more, those he sent out had mysteriously disappeared. The last person to return alive said their bodies were found in the slums—a clear warning.
But after all, that was Lungmen. He couldn't send Emperor's Blades to search for clues as he could in Chernobog. If Emperor's Blades arrived in Lungmen, they would likely be surrounded by the former Imperial Guard immediately.
"Lady Jeanne, I wonder if you would be interested in a trip to Lungmen? I have a very important matter that requires your assistance."
Fyodor shifted the topic abruptly, showing none of the blatant time-wasting behavior he had exhibited while chatting with Talulah. This left the Pope and Lemuen quite confused. They didn't know the secret of the Black Snake yet, so they couldn't imagine that Talulah possessed such encrypted communication technology. They only felt that Fyodor's stiff transition must hide something. But he wasn't finished; Fyodor continued:
"One more thing. I wish to purchase the 'Holy Water' you once used on my subordinates back in the tundra."
Fyodor had coveted the power of that Holy Water for a long time. Something that acted as a natural counter to the "Demons" was a strategic necessity for an Ursus that constantly battled them. The reason he had paid such a high price was all to obtain the Holy Water in Jeanne's hands. Previously, he had tested Holy Water produced by Laterano, but the results were mediocre at best.
Thus, to gain the opportunity to obtain her Holy Water, he had expressed his goodwill even before the meeting began. It was purely because Holy Water held a vital position in his future plans. If he could obtain it—even just a single bottle's worth—he could recall five Emperor's Blades who were completely loyal to him but were currently forced to guard the borders due to their duties!
If he could get enough Holy Water, he could recall a portion of his legions. Those soldiers loyal to him were the key to his chess match against the War Party nobles! If even a quarter of two army groups returned, those nobles wouldn't dare be as arrogant as they were now. If ten veteran Emperor's Blades returned, the new generation of Blades would also pull back their claws.
Ultimately, his ascension had been too rushed. Just when everyone thought his father was in his prime, he had died mysteriously like a falling star. This had caused instability in Ursus; he hadn't even been able to retain the Patriot when he left with the Shieldguards. He had to take back his power. Although he had backup plans, they involved a degree of gambling compared to this strategy. He preferred a more stable way to achieve his goals.
On the other side, when Jeanne heard Fyodor's words, a "just as I thought" expression appeared on her face. It seemed the Emperor had been eyeing her Holy Water for a long time.
However, the Pope sitting beside her immediately perked up and listened intently when the Holy Water trade was mentioned. This time, his eyes carried a hint of concern. For the first time in a long while, Councilor Witte, sitting opposite him, saw the old man show a different expression. It seemed this elder hadn't just come to see the Saint, but also deeply wished to understand the details of certain important matters within the deal between Jeanne and the Emperor.