Jorgen-4

From the beginning, Jorgen knew that Prince Galin was not welcoming to his arrival.

As a ruler of a nation, Galin could, of course, express the appropriate etiquette when welcoming important figures from the Seventh. However, it was merely procedural. He couldn't even maintain a natural, confident smile. While walking, he tried to puff out his chest, but his hands moved too quickly. The armor he wore in the living room was overly self-important, forcefully impressing inappropriate dignity on everyone around him, including the servants delivering tea. As someone with extremely limited diplomatic experience, a prince who had long shared his home with ogres and thieves, Galin ruled like an isolated despot, projecting inappropriate dignity extravagantly.

His lack of welcome for Jorgen had more specific reasons. The person who had passionately requested the old man to come and inspect the results of the research was Lawrence. Galin merely expressed agreement in a letter. According to the old man's information, Galin hoped to be the first to enjoy the results—possessing his "fearless knight." Lawrence, on the other hand, preferred that Mardias be the first to use the perfect creation. Galin viewed the arrival of the Seventh as an indication that things might move in a different direction. He didn't hide this point in his conversation with Jorgen.

In the living room, Galin clearly had no intention of touching the tea cup in front of him. He even leaned back, avoiding the heat of the tea, as if this bit of refreshing material life would compromise his determination to sacrifice for the country.

"I had guessed that Lord Shawl would not personally make the distant journey," he said. "But why didn't Master Mardias come with you?"

"Mardias is handling a large number of critical and arduous tasks and is not accustomed to leaving Stormwind at this moment."

"I understand, I understand. It's right for a heir who must take on responsibilities. However, since the purpose of this trip is to let Mardias see what should belong to him—"

"I will provide an initial assessment on his behalf."

"So, the Seventh hasn't decided to take the creation with you this time?"

"No. As a plan that has consumed a great deal of effort, we naturally need to handle it with caution."

Jorgen subtly hinted that "not taking the creation this time does not mean leaving it to you," but Galin did not perceive this or simply did not care. "I understand," he said, smiling and patting his fist, revealing genuine joy from within for the first time, even if this joy was not a clear thing that would dispel others' suspicions.

"By the way, Mr. Jorgen, you mentioned that your position in the Seventh is..."

"A direct investigator."

"This sounds like it's not a very high position... I mean, you represent the Shawl family, and accompanying you is only a servant. To have independent decision-making power on this trip, you must have made remarkable contributions to the Seventh."

Jorgen ignored Galin's probing. "When can I see Lawrence?"

"It may sound a bit rude, but Lawrence is resting. I think it's better not to disturb him too early. He has been working continuously for two days and nights, returning to his room only three hours ago. In any case, he is the most crucial person assisting us in approaching the goal. Ensuring his precise mind can function healthily is extremely important, so please understand."

"Nothing. We all know Lawrence's sincerity and respect for the Seventh."

"Just when he knows that members of the Shawl family did not come in person, there may be some dissatisfaction. At that time, please..."

"I will handle it appropriately."

In Jorgen's view, Galin's attitude of wanting Lawrence to rest for a while was sincere, but this did not mean that he genuinely cared about Lawrence on a personal level. At most, he was a seemingly soft-hearted slave owner, providing them with the bare minimum of food and sleep on the surface, but nothing more. The early judgment that Galin would be a significant obstacle in this mission was correct—even if you bought a slave at a high price, the slave owner would still harbor dissatisfaction. They might even try to torture the slave half to death before delivering him.

"I would like to understand a question, Prince Galin. In the research of these years, Lawrence has consumed a large number of corpses—corpses, not original bodies, mostly from the Plaguelands, Refuge Valley, and the battlegrounds of Stromgarde. In fact, the convenient access to corpses is one of the significant reasons why this place is suitable for the Seventh to conduct research on burial practices. So, how does Lawrence primarily utilize them?"

"Lawrence can provide you with a more accurate answer to that question."

"I would like to hear your opinion."

"For example... testing drugs, organ transplants, and the like. I don't know much about it."

"I heard that you also use them as food for ogres and beasts. Those ogres and beasts raised to test the combat effectiveness of experimental subjects."

Jorgen had known about the application of corpses, he just wanted to observe Galin's reaction. He continued, "I know they are corpses. But they were once Alliance warriors in their lifetime. And those bodies on the Stromgarde battlefield were once your warriors..."

Galin interrupted him. "I didn't expect this matter to displease the Seventh. But I want to point out two things: first, most of them are actually the corpses of enemies, such as the sinful members of the Syndicate. For them, being buried in the belly of a beast is suitable, even a merciful punishment. Second, true warriors are eager to contribute to the country even after death. Letting their bodies peacefully decompose in the earth does not fulfill their wishes. In my opinion, the purpose and results are more important than the process, so even if the act of being consumed by beasts sounds unpleasant, it is still necessary, a sublime sacrifice. On this point of view, I believe I can reach a consensus with all of you from the Seventh."

This answer was unexpectedly smooth, contrary to Galin's previous clumsy expression. It seemed to be well-prepared. Nevertheless, it was still a grandiose but absurd and powerless perspective choice, as the first point essentially acknowledged the cruel and punitive nature of "feeding," and the second point was completely contradictory. It was like saying that the death penalty could give a person a new life while ending their current one.

"The disappearance of corpses has already caused some impact externally," Jorgen said. "I heard about the protest incident in the Western Plaguelands. A small group of people united to look for the whereabouts of their loved ones..."

"Mr. Jorgen, may I ask what your intention is, to morally condemn me? I'm afraid you don't have that right. In any case, this is a cooperative project between us. If you don't set your position right, communication between us may be difficult."

"... No, please let me finish. I mainly want to ask if you have taken corresponding measures in response to this matter. As far as I know, the leader of this small protest group—a woman—has come to Refuge Valley. It is said that she intends to investigate Stromgarde."

When Jorgen was still in Stormwind, he had heard rumors of the protest incident in the Plaguelands. After arriving in Arathi Highlands, he confirmed that the woman leading that protest was Crecyda. He remembered her; the woman who dared to directly ask him about the whereabouts of her husband, Renner. It was not surprising that she had come this far. Although he had coldly rejected her at the time, it was the only choice because he really couldn't explain what had happened to Renner. How could he say, "A Death Knight knocked him off a cliff"? Or perhaps, "He neglected the presence of the enemy in search of his wedding ring"?

The only thing certain was that Jorgen was less willing to see her now than a few years ago. It was not only a matter of having nothing to say to her.

"Measures?" Galin said. "No, direct measures have not been taken yet, but I am still considering. Her protest is not unreasonable—of course, it cannot be allowed to continue like this."

"So you still think she should be punished."

"Depending on the harm she causes. Honestly, I am a bit concerned about her behavior in Refuge Valley now. I heard she has developed too close relationships with certain officers. Her protests against the overall situation have shaken the military's morale in the Plaguelands, and I don't want the heroes of Arathor to be affected by rumors. As for punishment... if I have to choose, I would sentence her to hanging. It may sound cruel, but for the greater good, to prevent the harm she might cause, it is worth doing."

Jorgen realized he had chosen the wrong topic. Lawrence, who possessed information about Renner, should know who Crecyda was. Jorgen mainly wanted to investigate if Galin also knew about her. However, it seemed that this matter drew too much attention from Galin. He seemed to be prepared for this question, as if he had long prepared the gallows he would need to implement the punishment.

At that moment, a guard entered and whispered something to Galin. Standing up, Galin said, "I apologize, Mr. Jorgen. Although it is impolite to interrupt our friendly conversation like this, I now need to meet a guest who has just arrived at Stromgarde. There is no particularly important business between this person and me, so I'll be back soon."

"The time is yours, Prince Galin. I'll wait here then."

"While you can't meet Lawrence yet, when I return, I will immediately take you to meet our troll collaborator. I'm quite surprised that you haven't asked about him until now."

After Galin left, Jorgen noticed a large oil painting on the wall depicting Prince Galin in the center of the composition, fighting against ogres and Syndicate members, clearly having the upper hand. He recalled the expression Galin showed when the guard whispered to him—a mix of anxiety and excitement. Jorgen also noticed that Galin briefly glanced at him at that moment.