Chapter 243: Social Obligations and Reciprocity

The Professor and the Priest spent a good part of the morning removing the parts that shouldn't have been there from the physical evidence.

In fact, the two held somewhat different views on grinding off the sword emblem on the armor. But Green insisted on doing so and even suggested expanding the scope of destruction to ensure that those heraldry experts would not be able to discern anything from it.

Before the grinding, they cleaned off some of the rust, traced the patterns, and discovered that this thing might be far more intricate than imagined.

Besides the central sword shape, it also included floral and vine motifs, some pictographic symbols, and geometric patterns serving as the background texture; it should be a coat of arms derived from the main sword shape.

The specific shape was severely damaged, yet some remnants resembling flower leaves, wings, and scales could still be found, providing quite rich information.

According to Green's barely usable knowledge of heraldry, these added symbols were included by collateral branches to distinguish themselves from the direct heirs.

Therefore, the extra content indicates that the armor's owner belonged to a collateral branch of a collateral branch, perhaps even further removed.

Considering that the distant era was not too far from the kingdom's founding and people still largely observed the rules, making the heraldry highly credible, Green felt this guess was quite plausible. If it were a multiple-choice question, at least two answers could be eliminated.

But even being a collateral branch of a collateral branch back then meant being far closer to the royal family than most people nowadays who claim noble bloodlines.

We should be able to check the Church's records; after all, the Church once had a cooperative honeymoon period with the royal family. Perhaps we can deduce the armor owner's general identity, which would give us a chance to find his motive for appearing here.

Of course, this chance is extremely slim, so slim that a completionist could write an entire research paper based on it as the main content, successfully transition into the promising profession of a heraldry official, and gain entry into the noble social circle.

Researching documents was already a headache, and these were paper documents from a hundred years ago. Sensing keenly that this would be difficult, Kraft decisively handed the matter over to Green and left with his spoils.

While Father Green tried to scare his superiors and emphasized the severity of the matter, the Professor had to go and contact some people.

People from the Turquoise family.

Obviously, not everyone would accept a guest who rudely left the banquet midway, reimbursed a fine horse, performed surgery in their own home, and stored a corpse there.

But the Xiguo family made an exception, providing the best conditions within their means and asking no questions. Now, the patient undergoing the trepanation surgery, who was unfit to be moved, still lay in the manor, helplessly enduring the doctors' gawking and suffering from headaches both physiologically and psychologically.

This provided great convenience for Kraft, but the price was that he owed many favors.

Even if the other party cleverly did not mention any related matters, it did not mean one could take it for granted. These things must be repaid.

Therefore, it would be difficult to refuse their invitation for cooperation on supplying instruments, both emotionally and logically. Moreover, the plan originally required a partner with sufficient productivity to help mass-produce the instruments; it was merely a matter of choosing who.

It now seemed that the Xiguo family occupying this position was a matter of going with the flow.

When Kraft returned to the clinic, a slightly chubby gentleman with two neat little mustaches was already waiting there, chatting happily with Doctor Dai Wei.

Whether it was an illusion or not, amidst their laughter, the crisp clinking of coins could be heard.

Before the little-mustached gentleman could introduce himself, Dai Wei stood up first and introduced this guest to Kraft: "Professor, this is Mr. Barber, the financial officer of the Xiguo family, who wishes to cooperate with us."

"What are you discussing?"

"Hello, respected Professor Kraft, it is an honor to meet you." The man displayed a warm smile, took a box from the servant standing behind him, and presented it, "I have just discovered some very promising potions from Doctor Dai Wei; perhaps they will be well-received by the right people."

"As for these, they are some of the instruments you used yesterday. Hearing that they felt good, we brought them over. If you have any special needs, we would be happy to undertake the manufacturing work."

Kraft noticed several small bottles on the table, exactly the ones previously placed on the shelves with exquisite packaging. Having stayed there for so long, he had never heard Dai Wei mention them proactively.

Regarding the pharmacy of this era, he knew very little. Out of curiosity and holding to the most basic protection of the user's rights, he asked casually, "What kind of medicines are these?"

"Medicines that help patients who are growing older and lack strength; they are effective for symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, mental weakness, and some unspeakable ailments."

"Hmm... ah?" It felt somewhat strange to hear; the list of main symptoms was extensive, and there was a suspicion of adding popular functions on top, the kind that would effectively diminish Kraft's interest upon hearing it.

"Alright, I have no say in internal medicine, so I won't say much." Having run a clinic for so long, Dai Wei must have his own judgment; as long as safety could be guaranteed, or at least if something went wrong, he wouldn't be dragged into it.

"Through our channels, Doctor Dai Wei's potions will surely benefit more patients." Barber looked at Kraft eagerly, his eyes full of expectation and implication.

"If you have anything that needs to be done on your behalf, you can also entrust it to us."

Last night's banquet was a failed banquet, yet it successfully achieved, and even exceeded, its original goals.

The trepanation surgery was a shock to the cultivators, but for the organizers, it was a pleasant surprise; the demonstration effect was unexpectedly good, and it made people even more aware of the value of this newly promoted Professor.

This was a breakthrough to enter the industry and far surpass competitors.

"Yes, I indeed need an exceptionally capable partner to complete certain things that ordinary workshops cannot provide." Finally, he heard the words he most wanted to hear from Kraft's mouth.

"Including surgical instruments requiring minor structural modifications, puncture needles and skin tubes for artificial pneumothorax treatment of tuberculosis, and... glass instruments matched for anesthesia."

With every item spoken, the smile at the corner of Barber's mouth became more obvious and sincere, but this was not yet the end.

"As long as the quality meets the requirements, I will recommend your products to the medical schools of Dunling and Westmin."

The Xiguo family's financial officer covered his left chest, took a few breaths, and agreed as quickly as possible: "A wise choice; our workshops will not disappoint you."

"In the future, I will visit regularly once a week to consult for opinions; I hope this will not bore you. Additionally, normally you can also send someone to find Financial Officer Barber at the manor at any time; even if I cannot decide, I will promptly inform Miss Frances."

"Very well, then I will trouble you. I will provide detailed references later."

"We have prepared a profit-sharing arrangement that will satisfy you; the contract is already drafted. Do you wish to have it notarized by the Church or by a reputable authoritative figure?" Such work efficiency clearly indicated a pre-prepared plan, ensuring the entire one-stop process could be completed in time and eliminating variables.

This way of handling matters was not particularly annoying; or rather, such efficiency was rare and precious in the current times, perfectly suitable for someone lacking time.

"There is no rush on this; I trust the reputation of the Xiguo family." Kraft yawned; fatigue, long absent, attacked again. Even though his spirit could still hold up, his body could not withstand the seamless connection of a rainy night assault, emergency surgery, and long-distance travel.

"Let me rest for a while first. Unless it is a matter of life and death, no one is to knock on the door before dinner—even advancing the dinner time is not allowed."