Chapter 285

In this day and age, there are people operating pipeline water supply—families owning pipeline water supply companies?

Garrett, though surprised, didn’t lose his composure. After all, in a world where the tech tree has been skewed, nothing is impossible, only unimaginable. Can you believe a place without semiconductors has highly advanced artificial intelligence?

However, operating a pipeline water supply without agreeing to public health department supervision was, in Garrett’s view, intolerable.

"Sir—"

He leaned forward slightly, straightening his spine. The young noble across from him lifted his chin proudly:

"Viscount Calrend."

"...Alright, Viscount Calrend." Garrett sighed. Although you’re a viscount... indeed, a viscount is significant, back in Hartland City, the surrounding area for a hundred miles was the domain of the Hartland Viscount—but I don’t know, you don’t have a mage’s badge on your chest, what’s the point of being smug in front of a magician in the city of mages?

Even if I’m just a fourth-circle arcanist, I have the entire Magic Council standing behind me now!

He made an effort to keep his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing:

"As the first director of the Public Health Department, I must point out to you: ensuring the quality of residents’ water supply is a necessity for public health initiatives.

The council doesn’t interfere with your water supply business, but, given the possibility of contamination at the water source, pipeline corrosion or rust, water decay and deterioration in the water supply process, it’s the duty of the Public Health Department to conduct water quality testing."

"No, you can’t do that." Viscount Calrend leaned back, stretching his arms across the table. "According to the ’City Charter’ established at the founding of Nevis City by the Magic Council, nobility, and free citizens together, without my permission, you have no right to enter my land!"

What?

The city has a city charter?

Buried in medicine—or rather buried in magic for so long, I actually never bothered to look into these things... Garrett inwardly chided himself, adding another task for himself, and smiled:

"Viscount Calrend, I don’t need to enter your water source. Just by testing at the endpoint—that is, at the outlet of your water pipes, it’s possible to determine if your water quality meets the requirements."

"Sorry." The young noble raised his chin again. A smirk of half pride, half cunning appeared on his lean face:

"Those two blocks, twelve buildings, are also my family’s property. Without permission, you really can’t enter."

…………！！！！

Garrett suddenly saw him in a new light. He had seen with his own eyes during the city survey, the middle to high-income and middle to low-income areas, where pipeline water supply was most feasible, were mostly three to four-story, four to five-story buildings, with hundreds of units in a building. Owning two blocks, twelve buildings’ worth of property!

A true mogul!

My apologies!

At that moment, there was a rustle beside him. Garrett caught from the corner of his eye Emergency Management Department Director Johnny Colin quietly passing him a note:

【Viscount Calrend belongs to a noble family rooted in Nevis City before the establishment of the Magic Council. The family is deeply entrenched, currently including a level 15 grand magician and several mid to high-level magicians】

Ah... Oh... Alright then... Garrett lowered his eyes, thought quickly, and raised a smile:

"Your houses have already been rented out. As long as the tenants invite me in, I can legally conduct tests."

"I am the landlord. If I don’t agree, you can’t enter! — Sneaking in, whatever you find, won’t be admissible in court!"

The two quickly descended into argument. In the middle of the long table, the member from the transformation branch, after listening for a while, coughed:

"Let’s do this. — Viscount Calrend, your family can continue the water supply work, the council won’t disturb.

— However, if an epidemic breaks out among your tenants, and it’s proven afterwards that it was due to issues with the water supply facilities, you’ll have to bear all the responsibility. This includes the tenants’ medical and quarantine expenses, the cost of environmental disinfection, compensation for the tenants’ losses, and the expenses for water supply management reform.

Do you accept this outcome?"

Viscount Calrend’s face darkened slightly, nodding unhappily. Garrett frowned slightly but had to accept the adjudicator’s decision. He shifted his gaze away from the viscount and continued directly:

"The next focus is establishing a water quality monitoring system and setting up an infectious disease hospital. — The reason I’m mentioning these two things together is because accomplishing these tasks requires relevant professional personnel.

My plan is, for the infectious disease hospital, I

’ll provide the blueprints, the council will handle the construction, and if the medical branches of the various temples are willing to participate, that would be very welcome — there’s no need for the healers to be stationed there all the time, maintaining a minimal staff is sufficient, and we can mobilize more in the event of a major outbreak."

The clergy members frowned simultaneously. The bishop from the War God’s Temple whispered:

"Currently, it’s the training season, and we also have a heavy burden of healing tasks. To station in the infec...

He recalled the term:

"...infectious disease hospital, we could probably only send one or two low-level priests?"

The cleric from the Spring Goddess’s Temple nodded silently. Elder Wood also frowned slightly:

"At the turn of winter and spring, there are especially many patients. The Nature God’s Sect can do its utmost, but we can only spare three or four people at most."

I knew it wouldn’t be easy to recruit people from the temples. Garrett silently critiqued. Then, he calmly lifted his head, making eye contact with each clergy member:

"As for the detection of infectious disease germs, and how healers can protect themselves, prevent transmission, I will teach. — Oh, and my Mage Tower currently only has 12 apprentice rooms, and the laboratory isn’t very large..."

"We’ll take all 12 slots!"

Archmage Edgar immediately stood up. "Rest assured, you can use these apprentices however you wish, for as long as you wish! — Little Garrett, you promised before to train apprentices for the Black Crow Swamp, you can’t go back on your word!"

A slight stir went through the meeting room. Elder Wood coughed:

"Ah, that’s a bit too much... Why does the School of Necromancy need so many slots? You don’t even have healing spells! — How about this, the Nature God’s Sect will send four healers for training and station them at the infectious disease hospital, okay?"

Garrett smiled slightly. The bishop from the War God’s Temple frowned at the necromancer, then looked deeply at Elder Wood, and coughed lightly:

"During military campaigns, epidemics often harm the health of soldiers. The War God’s Temple hopes to secure eight training slots, so our priests can learn how to stop transmission and take care of our warriors."

"The Spring Goddess’s Temple..."

The three bigwigs glared at him simultaneously. With only 12 slots total, and the three factions already claiming 24 people, you still want to get involved?

Do you have a good relationship with Garrett?!

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