Chapter 549: Funds and the Holy Flame

Actually, this was not a meeting that conformed very well to the rules of propriety.

The side from Stormwind City arrived very urgently, not matching the "visit in a few days" written in the letter.

Therefore, the welcome specifications on the Quartz Town side had barely just begun.

Fortunately, having Argyle Manor, such a good place for banquets and receiving guests, made the Quartz Town side appear less shabby.

However.

The side from Stormwind City wouldn't necessarily care, anyway.

Baroness Lam was a widow who had lost her husband; ever since seeing Rod, she seemed to have lost her soul.

Clearly nearly forty years old, she was still there looking at Rod like a young girl, holding her face and giggling in a delicate voice.

And Cliff.

As Baroness Lam's most favored guest and the city lord's assistant, he could only say he was used to it.

Being able to become the city lord's assistant naturally relied on more than just skills in bed.

He began to brag and chat casually.

Amidst the pleasantries, he pulled all topics onto Rod; during this meeting, the guests among them undoubtedly pushed the status onto Rod.

This assistant Cliff likely used to be a bard.

He even composed a ballad on the spot to praise Rod's merits.

This thought of ingratiating himself was far too obvious.

If he kept talking like this, he would probably help build a temple.

Rod had to interrupt this fellow.

Just as he was about to speak, the banshee Chris beside him opened her mouth.

This fellow always liked scenes like this; she didn't know where she heard that nobles from Stormwind City were coming to visit him.

Immediately, she made a fuss and demanded to come along.

Rod didn't mind.

After all, Chris had played a role in the previous two banquets and hadn't caused trouble, so he let her do as she pleased.

"It is not as optimistic as you say, Mr. Cliff."

The banshee, having taken physical form and wearing smoky eye makeup, said with a worried expression.

A dark purple satin long dress, fingers painted with obsidian nail polish, lips as red as fresh blood, plus skin as pale as a drowned corpse.

The dark style was maxed out.

Cliff was not an ignorant person.

During the brief introduction and handshake earlier, he had already known that this otherworldly beauty with a cold body surface was a banshee who had taken physical form.

Moreover, a banshee associated with death!

The favored guest felt fear in his heart but dared not show it.

This was a banshee lady who followed behind Rod and was somewhat unrestrained; it was hard to say if she had any connection with this forest ranger.

Furthermore, he had heard that some people dislike their women talking to other men.

So, he secretly poked Baroness Lam beside him, wanting to conduct a lady-to-lady response.

However, there was no response.

Turning his head to look, he almost went blind from the shock.

Lady Lam was gazing at Rod with seductive eyes, biting her finger, and winking vigorously.

Cliff could only grit his teeth and ask:

"Lady Chris, what do you mean by this?"

"Mr. Cliff, the damage to Coral Bay is far greater than you imagine; although the dark elves there were cleaned up by my lord, the civilians and infrastructure there were basically slaughtered and destroyed completely. For a port city, this is how devastating a damage."

"Oh heavens! Damn and cruel dark elves and hell demons!"

Chris placed her slender hand on Rod's sturdy arm, expressing intimacy and heartache.

"Look, my lord Rod, although he is full of martial power, is not good at earning money; Quartz Town is also in a period of expansion, with no strength to support. Alas—if this continues, I'm afraid we will all have to go out and beg for a living."

Eh? Stormwind City is not far; you big cities are just great, rich enough, not trapped by money~~"

How could Cliff not hear the threat and manipulation in this banshee's words.

Just as he was about to speak.

Lady Lam on the side said anxiously: "I will pay."

Then she looked at Rod ingratiatingly.

"Coral Bay has not been recovered for a long time; we also bear responsibility. I will apply for a sum of restoration funds and privately sponsor a team of mage engineers for civil engineering to assist in reconstruction."

Rod knew it was time for him to speak.

Putting on a look of gratitude, he lightly held Lady Lam's hand: "The dead people of Coral Bay will remember you."

Of course, mainly to remember that you abandoned them.

One's mouth is soft after eating others' food; one's hand is short after taking others' money.

Although Stormwind City's previous decisions were quite disgusting.

However, business is business; since money and resources are given, forgiving them temporarily is not impossible.

Lady Lam felt the heat in her hand.

She gasped, excitedly fainted backward.

Cliff hurriedly supported her, sweating as he said bitterly: "Lady Lam is weak and sickly; I suppose she is just tired from traveling overnight to come here."

The old gentleman Humbert raised his hand, summoning several maids to support Baroness Lam and send her to rest.

Since the decision-maker from Stormwind City had withdrawn.

So there wasn't really anything serious to discuss.

The conversation in the reception hall then became a good deal less solemn.

Cliff went even further, saying he knew they had just been through a battle, and had specially brought along a group of specialists skilled in healing to assist.

They could also control and handle plagues and the like.

As for what was so special about them?

This group could achieve magic-level healing without using mana or spirituality.

Now that was a little interesting.

It sounded a bit like a circus.

Especially the witch Dimia, who had been listening in on the side — the only mage present — declared she absolutely did not believe it.

Very soon.

Everyone kept up their decorum, chatting and laughing as they moved outside.

During this, Chris came over and bumped Rod's arm.

Her dark smoky-eye makeup face was full of smugness: "Just a few casual words and I landed you a big sponsor — how about that?"

Rod smiled.

Tempest City was already scared stiff of him; even the acting city lord, Baron Ram, had rushed over in the middle of the night — a few words more or less didn't matter.

But then again.

A girl still needed coaxing; thanks to her, naturally, it wasn't a problem.

"I'll reward you by coming to my little cabin tonight."

Chris's face fell: "Pick something else. I don't want mugwort. Besides, I couldn't handle you on my own."

The undead young lady, a regular at the artillery room, had actually never faced Rod one-on-one.

Mainly because someone in the artillery room was far too brutal fighting six at once, and she didn't dare face him head-on in the slightest.

"Then what do you want?"

"After Coral Bay is rebuilt, give me ten storefronts! I want to open an insurance company! First go knock on doors at night to scare people, then go door-to-door peddling undead insurance! I'll make an absolute killing!"

Classic Chris.

Always scheming crooked schemes.

"No. I can give you one storefront, and no breaking the law."

"Ah — how do you make money without breaking the law?"

"."

While they were talking.

The group had stepped out into the front courtyard outside the reception hall.

There, beside the neatly trimmed lawns on either side of the bluestone path, in front of the rose bushes on both sides, stood a group of people wearing long robes of stiff yellow fabric, their faces impossible to make out.

On their robes was a distinct, simple torch emblem.

That in itself was nothing — a little mysterious, and looking somewhat religious in flavor.

On the present continent, that was still fairly normal.

What made Rod frown was —

Every single one of these fellows was holding aloft a torch at least three meters tall.

"Holy Fire Brigade?"

(End of chapter)