Chapter 1496: Chapter 266: I Believe in My Charm
"It really is them."
When Ian saw Radiant Nun, Glorious Sword, and Redemption Light arrive at his Lordâs Mansion, he thought to himself, âAs expected.â Indeed, it was the three old acquaintances.
To be honest, Ian thought these three would stay in Xiawei Territory from the beginning, serving as the eyes of Huai Guang to monitor him. He was even prepared, having reserved observer positions within the Supreme Spirit Sect for them. But as it turned out, the three went to the Holy Mountain Headquarters for further training and only returned two years later.
In fact, this was a rather normal pace. Generally, if an ordinary person took over a territory, it would take one or two years to establish authority before they could proceed with maintaining stability, management, and related expansion and development work... In other words, during this time, clerics are of no use and could even foster mutual dissatisfaction due to conflicts between ecclesiastical and lordly power.
Two years later, when Ian was firmly seated as the Lord, it appeared much more amicable to accept Huai Guangâs assistance and cooperation.
But who could have predicted Ianâs pace of progress? In just two years, the entire territory had transformed, almost like an entirely different city in an unbelievable way.
Judging by the lingering amazement on the three faces, they must have seen many unimaginable things in Xiahui City.
"From now on, we will be serving the people in your territory, my Lord Earl."
"Let us look out for each other."
Radiant Nun formally saluted Ian, and the two Holy Knights also bowed slightly. Ian accepted it calmly, then smiled and invited everyone to be seated.
The banquet for the Envoy Group of Huaiguang was very sumptuous, featuring meat cooked in various ways, heaps of vegetables and buttered bread, salads sprinkled with mustard and sweet sauce, and a basket nearby containing roasted chicken wrapped in long tree leaves with juices oozing from the cracks in its golden skin, emitting a rich aroma.
Though lavish, it wasnât extravagant. Ian disliked dishes that barely tasted better yet cost several times more; he appreciated the term âvalue for moneyâ.
At the dining table, he detailed various natural disasters that he might encounter to Huai Guang.
For instance, the âDuke of Solinâ underground and the possible âVoid Spawnâ.
For instance, the far-reaching Calamity of Light and its tenuous connection with âdemonsâ.
"My brother Mahdi once communicated with Dragon Island."
Ian lied without the slightest guilt, speaking very fluently and naturally, without even the slightest mental fluctuation: "The Dragon King gave a âpossibleâ answer, but there is currently no evidence. My prophetic intuition tells me that the Calamity of Light is definitely not a natural disaster; the catastrophe was caused by someoneâs destruction."
"...We will ascertain this aspect,"
The Grand Archbishop of the Vowed Oath took this matter very seriously. Her short stature required a booster chair, but it in no way diminished her authority: "The Holy Mountain already plans to communicate with the Duke of Solin, but the connection between demons and the Calamity of Light... this possibility indeed comes as a surprise to us."
"Thank you very much for your suggestion."
"As a Terra Person living on this land as well, it is my duty,"
Ian said modestly.
The banquet that followed was enjoyed by all, with Ian accurately gauging each personâs personality, continuously bringing up interesting topics, and keeping the atmosphere at a level where everyone was comfortable.
And amidst this pleasant interaction, Ian âinadvertentlyâ raised the topic of his prophecy regarding the âdisasterâ in Xiawei Territory.
"I donât think itâs a natural disaster but rather a man-made disaster. I have many enemies, each capable of destroying half a city."
He said straightforwardly: "Iâm not saying Huai Guang should break its principles to help meâI mainly want to know if the clerics stationed in my territory can protect the populace from the fallout of battle during those times?"
"If they could cooperate with my medical personnel to treat the wounded, that would be even better."
On the surface, it seemed Ian just wanted Radiant Nun and others to state their position, but in reality, the content of his inquiry was far more intricate.
Grand Archbishop of the Vowed Oath exchanged a glance with Skyflame, then the Archbishop of the Great Flame turned his head and said seriously: "Whether itâs man-made or a natural disaster needs verification. Regardless of the result, we will inform you. Thatâs an agreement between prophets."
"As for the protection of civilians unrelated to the combat, itâs something anyone with a conscience would do. But even so, our clerics will not act in the name of the âChurch of Haiguangâ, but rather in the capacity of local residents. Please understand this point."
"That will be sufficient."
Ian was very satisfied with this.
After all, he wasnât entirely sure if the attack was from the Pillar Party on the side of Fiery Flame Land or Elves, or perhaps just some super catastrophe... In Terra, anything could happen, one shouldnât always think it is caused by humans.
The fact that the professional disaster-monitoring group Huai Guang was willing to try to discern it for him would reduce a lot of calculation work for him... And the willingness of clerics to protect the âhealing teamâ was the best news.
If everything truly reached the worst-case scenario, where enemies inflict great damage to Xiahui City, then the clerics protecting the healing team would discover that this teamâs healing capabilities far exceeded everyoneâs expectations.
Only then would Ianâs opponents understand what it means to âeliminate the healers firstâ.