Fyodor didn't mind Jeanne's request in the slightest. For him, as long as the nobles' transit station could be destroyed—and perhaps even one person brought back alive—it would be a massive success. As for whatever those fellows were hiding in that place, he had no interest in whether it was taken by Jeanne or confiscated by Lungmen; his only concern was their intelligence.
Regarding the items Jeanne mentioned, as long as she could catch the people, giving the goods to them was no big deal—provided they had the ability to transport those things out of Lungmen.
"That is naturally no problem. Those items are your spoils of war; you may decide how they are handled in the end. Once you arrive in Lungmen, someone will be there to meet you."
Saying this, a hint of relaxation finally appeared on the Emperor's face. He couldn't help but cover his eyes and let out a sigh, reflecting on how the hardships of these past few years were finally coming to an end.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered that the ransom he had promised Reunion to redeem his family's Emperor's Blades had not yet been delivered. He had been so busy with a mountain of trouble these past few days that he had forgotten about it entirely. Perhaps he could simply take advantage of Jeanne's trip to Lungmen and let her purchase the necessary supplies herself.
This way, he wouldn't have to worry about the process being discovered by others, and they could get exactly what they wanted. Fyodor expressed this idea somewhat subtly to Jeanne and the others. Regardless of the circumstances, the fact that his own Emperor's Blades had been captured alive by others was still a blow to his reputation.
As for who this subtle expression managed to deceive... it seemed that among everyone present, only Councilor Witte had no idea what was happening and listened with a look of complete confusion. Even the Pope had received reports about the incident from Lemuen and Executor, but poor Witte remained in the dark, listening in a daze.
However, Witte had no desire to know the specifics. He knew very well that as the Emperor's most trusted official, it was better to know fewer secret details. For a man who relied on imperial power, the greatest taboo was having too much curiosity. Thus, when he heard the Emperor speaking with a slight veil of secrecy, he sat there silently like background scenery, imagining himself as nothing more than a billboard.
Jeanne and Talulah didn't think much of it and promptly agreed to the Emperor's method. This way, the Emperor only had to pay the bill, saving everyone from the risk of their cooperation being discovered.
"Then, I would like to ask, Your Majesty: what is your vision for the future of the Infected? Regarding the atrocities currently committed against the Infected in Ursus, what is it that you wish to do?"
Seeing the discussion on cooperation gradually drawing to a close, Talulah looked seriously toward the dark communicator and asked the question she most wanted to put to the Emperor. Although rumors said the Emperor of Ursus had plans to improve the current situation of the Infected, it seemed that no plan could change the national environment at this stage.
Otherwise, Kashchey's plan wouldn't have been to use the Infected to capture a city and then use the fall of Chernobog to utterly destroy the Infected Legislation that the Emperor had been trying to forcibly enact for so many years. To be honest, given the current internal situation in Ursus, forcibly enacting such a law would cause severe national instability—it might even cause the fragile building of Ursus to collapse instantly.
When Jeanne heard Kashchey speak of these things personally, she couldn't help but complain internally: Have he and the Emperor wandered onto the wrong set?
Where did this melodramatic plot between a "Saintly Ruler" and his "Grand Chancellor" advisor come from? The two of them acting out this scene felt incredibly out of place. However, this Emperor wasn't a "Mary Sue" who couldn't accomplish anything like a typical saintly ruler; he was just a "golden carp" who hadn't yet met the wind and clouds. What he lacked was simply an opportunity.
"You ask what I want to do... In truth, I also hope that the Infected of my country can live in harmony with the non-Infected. But that is simply not realistic, Lady Talulah. The Infected possess a certain level of inherent danger."
Talulah fell into silence after hearing this. He was right; as long as the infectivity of the Infected existed, it would trigger panic in others. After all, no one wanted to be infected themselves.
"But the current attitude and handling of the Infected in Ursus are indeed far too extreme; I admit this. This is also what I am currently working on: eliminating those demonized rumors surrounding the Infected."
At this point, Fyodor paused for a long time, as if the next words were very difficult to say. Finally, he spoke:
"Regrettably, the results have been worse than unsatisfactory. It would be more accurate to say that because of my actions, the Infected have suffered even more persecution from the nobles. They have transferred all the anger they dared not vent at me onto the Infected instead."
In this moment, he negated the efforts he had made over the many years. He admitted that regarding the problem of the Infected, he could only maintain an attitude of "laissez-faire." Within his words lay his own sense of powerlessness. He struck the table in frustration, making the objects atop it tremble. Truly, if he didn't care about these things, his life might be much easier than it was now.
"However, please believe that I am willing to grant the Infected higher status and treatment, provided it does not cause too much national instability. But to give them the same treatment as non-Infected citizens... there is still a very long road ahead."
To Talulah, the Emperor's words didn't ring false; they proved that there truly was a place for the Infected in his heart's vision for the country, even if that ideal could not yet become reality.
"That is understandable, Your Majesty. We will also do our best to change the image of the Infected in the hearts of the non-Infected. We will use our actions to show them that as long as protective measures are taken, the Infected are not nearly as dangerous as they imagine."
The meeting ended amidst this heart-to-heart conversation. Both sides had obtained what they wanted without any unpleasantness; it was a win-win scenario. However, the upcoming talks between Ursus and Laterano would now include a new item: the purchase of Holy Water. The Pope also expressed that he would do business with Ursus at a relatively preferential price, partly to ensure Ursus kept the Saint's identity a secret.
As everyone stood up, intending to leave, the voice of Emperor Fyodor came from the communicator once more, startling Witte, who had just been about to turn it off.
"Lady Jeanne, please wait a moment. I have some personal questions I wish to ask you in private; it won't take much of your time. I wonder if you could spare a moment?"