This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

Dick thought to himself that there was some truth to the saying "poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people." When people are struggling to survive, you can't expect everyone to uphold morality. These despicable customs, in the end, are caused by the poverty of the people.

However, Dick's question to Shizuka Marikawa caused a misunderstanding among the wealthy family.

When they saw Dick asking whose symptoms were more severe, they assumed that Dick could only save one person, so they should save the one with the most severe condition first. But that despicable Earthling doctor said that the commoner girl was more serious. Wasn't that just abandoning their child?

The wealthy merchant had only one child, so he immediately knelt down and launched an emotional offensive, begging the governor to save his child with tears streaming down his face. He said he was willing to give money, no matter how much the governor asked for.

His wife, on the other hand, had a bit of a shrewish side. She started yelling and shouting, saying that she was the daughter of so-and-so and knew so-and-so's family.

Dick frowned, too lazy to listen carefully, and shouted angrily.

"Enough! Did I say I would only save one? Did I say I could only save one? My father, Duke Rune Best, and my mentor, Archmage Grandmaster Grandor, were you just looking down on me?"

Upon hearing that Dick was angry, the wealthy businessman quickly shook his head, repeatedly apologizing with a smile, saying that he didn't mean it that way, and even glared back at his outspoken and wasteful wife.

The second young lady of the baron's family knows a few viscounts. Where does she get the confidence to threaten the duke's son? Even if he is an illegitimate son, he is not someone they can mess with.

Dick ignored the two men and went straight to the two children, taking their hands in his own and starting to help them absorb the chaotic ice elements within their bodies.

Thanks to the gift of the Winter God, Dick is still a high-level mage, but the spiritual veins in his body have been expanded to the extreme, allowing him to directly reach a level of control over magic power that surpasses that of a Saint.

Guiding, extracting, controlling, and soothing—all done in one smooth motion!

Seeing the two children's complexions gradually calm down and become rosy, the wealthy merchant family breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time became even more apprehensive about their loss of composure in front of the governor.

Dick glanced at them, continuing to control his magic as he spoke softly.

"I understand your love for your son, but you can't only think about your own child. By the way, I have some good news for you two: your son has a spiritual vein in his body and the potential to become a magician. He will suffer from coldness syndrome mainly because he is still young and his potential has not yet awakened. But after this ordeal, he may turn misfortune into blessing and awaken his spiritual vein ahead of time. He can try to specialize in ice magic in the future."

As Dick spoke, he stopped sucking the boy's breath, but to reassure his parents, he didn't let go of his hand. The girl's situation was indeed more serious.

Already physically weak, and abandoned by his family in the snow, if the liaison officer hadn't found him in time and brought him back, the weather in Laguge alone would have been enough to kill him, let alone cause him to suffer from cold-induced illness.

With that thought in mind, Dick gave the order to Rita without turning his head.

“Reward the liaison officer who brought the man back, and award him a medal for loyalty and dedication.”

“I’ve got it, Master.”

Soon, Dick finished the treatment and, when he released the two children's hands, his palms were covered in frost and ice shards.

Dick shook his hand; although he was more efficient now, the pain was still there.

Seeing that the wealthy couple wanted to express their gratitude, Dick quickly raised his hand and said so.

"Let me clarify first, I can only help alleviate the symptoms. To cure the cold-related illness, you still need the doctors at the clinic. This Dr. Shizuka Marikawa, she's one of my people, understand? Show her some respect!"

Dick was well aware of the awkward contempt the Hessians held for Earthlings, much like the attitude of the Onsa gang towards Black people during the triangular trade period on Earth.

The problem is that Earth is not a backward civilization. Their disadvantage lies in the lack of magic resistance. Moreover, the number of people stolen from the Sun Continent is negligible compared to the number of missing persons on Earth every year. Therefore, it is very likely that Earth did not notice, or that the relevant departments noticed but found it difficult to investigate the cause.

If the dimensional gate were to open, allowing the two worlds to engage in a total war of all-out effort, the Sun Continent, with its Saint-level and Demigod-level powerhouses, would not be completely powerless, but at best, it would only be a matter of how many days it could hold out.

Dick is a protective person. He warned the wealthy couple to show more respect to Ms. Shizuka, but his statement "She is mine" really made people wonder.

Even Shizuka Marikawa was slightly startled. After the wealthy family was asked by Dick to leave the intensive care unit where no outsiders were allowed, Shizuka smiled and approached Dick, extending a finger to gently poke Dick's cheek, and said with a grin.

"Oh my! Teacher, when did I become your person, Governor's brother? If this gets out, it will cause all sorts of misunderstandings!"

"That's the effect I wanted. Now if anyone disrespects you, I'll have a reason to lash out."

"Oh, is that really all?"

Shizuka Marikawa was still teasing Dick with a smile when, unexpectedly, Dick suddenly turned his head, reached out and grabbed her neck, pulled her in front of him, and kissed her unsuspecting red lips.

Shizuka Marikawa, who was "ambushed," widened her eyes immediately. Her already adorable expression turned red, making her even cuter than before.

Dick, who had gotten the better deal, deliberately grinned wickedly and said...

"If you really think I'm a herbivore, you'd better watch out or you'll get eaten up completely, my Shizuka-sensei."

The author says:

Author's note: A whisper from the devil: The holiday is over!

Chapter 028: Medicine is Available

Taking advantage of Shizuka Marikawa's slow reaction time, Dick took the advantage and ran away.

Ms. Shizuka was indeed stunned for more than a minute before she realized that she had been forcibly kissed by a boy much younger than herself, and that he had even threatened her to be careful not to be taken advantage of.

Even though she's been single since birth, 27-year-old Shizuka Marikawa knows exactly what "taking advantage of someone" means. Her face immediately turned as red as if it were on fire. It's hard to know what strange images are playing in the mind of this naturally naive female doctor.

Meanwhile, Dick, having left the intensive care unit, found Dr. Natasha busy in the clinic's laboratory and asked if there was any progress on the treatment plan and if she needed any help.

At the current clinic, Natasha and Shizuka Marikawa have a clear division of labor. Natasha is responsible for specializing in the treatment of cold-related illnesses, while Shizuka Marikawa is responsible for using her modern medical knowledge brought from Earth to train and manage the nurses and caregivers that Dick has transferred, so as to formalize the clinic as soon as possible.

Despite her seemingly dull personality, Shizuka Marikawa is never ambiguous when it comes to work.

The maids who were transferred to work as nurses admired Shizuka's extensive professional knowledge and also respected her as "the Governor's person," so they were all very obedient and well-behaved in front of her.

Meanwhile, on Natasha's side, Dick found the most senior apothecary in the area and asked her to assist Natasha's work, while also giving her lessons in herbal medicine.

After all, the flora and fauna of the Sunrise Continent and the Yalilo VI are very different. Although Natasha has extensive experience in treating frostbite and hypothermia, she has to source her medicines locally.

"Good afternoon, Granny Meredith, Dr. Natasha. How is the research progressing? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The old woman, named Meredith, was fifty-seven years old, which was considered long-lived for a commoner. However, she was in excellent spirits, had a sharp mind, showed no signs of memory decline, and knew all kinds of herbs like the back of her hand.

It is worth mentioning that when she was young, the old lady had thought about curing the cold disease that had plagued the Laguge region for many years, but her knowledge of traditional herbal medicine was not enough to solve the problem. The noble elites in the central empire did not care about the lives of some commoners in remote areas.

So even though the nobles in the capital had long heard that many people died every year from cold-related illnesses in the frigid lands beyond the northern mountain passes—ranging from several hundred to two or three thousand—no one cared. They simply treated it as a scary story to scare children and noble ladies during their leisure time.

Therefore, the incurable cold syndrome, which has become a terminal illness for the people of Lagug, is not primarily the responsibility of powerless apothecaries like Meredith, but rather the imperial bureaucrats who disregard the people's plight.

Meanwhile, Dick and Hughie, who were far away in the capital, wanted to overcome the challenge of treating the cold-induced illness. One wanted to prepare for the spring reclaiming of the land, ensure human resources, and win over the hearts of the people. The other wanted to advance his thesis. Neither of them had the simple purpose of curing the disease and saving lives.

But as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words; no one is a saint without flawed morals.

Now the situation is different. As the governor of Lagog and the highest-ranking local official, Dick has the determination to solve the problem, good friends who provide theoretical information and financial support, experienced local pharmacists, and doctors from other parts of the world who possess advanced medical technology.

He believed that his people were absolutely capable of overcoming the cold-related illness!

"Based on Professor Meredith's advice, I have analyzed several herbal extracts that can suppress cold-related symptoms, extracted and purified their active ingredients, and have already produced the first antidote, but..."

"But what?"

"Are we really going to skip the clinical trial phase and use it directly on patients?"

"Does this antidote have any serious side effects?"

"No, but that's against the rules."

Natasha's hesitation stemmed from her deceased adoptive brother, Vah, from her original world. Vah had been obsessed with developing a drug to immunize against snowstorms in his younger days. In his desperation to survive, he tested the drug on civilians in the lower city, resulting in severe side effects for some and harming many people.

This incident made Natasha very cautious about the use of medication, making her afraid to use drugs that had not undergone clinical trials directly on patients, even though the extracts used in such drugs were relatively mild herbs. She was still afraid of accidents.

But Dick patted her on the shoulder and said, "Go ahead and do it! If someone dies, I'll pay to have a high-ranking priest come and resurrect them."

"This is a world with resurrection magic, what are you afraid of? Try it on the toughest one first!"

Natasha was speechless after being choked by Dick's words, and it took her a while to react.

That's right! This planet has magic and divine arts; it can even resurrect people.

Suddenly enlightened, Natasha quickly prepared a bottle of medicine, the volume of which indicated it would be administered via intravenous drip. She then summoned Shizuka Marikawa.

The nurses in the clinic are still in training and their needle-giving skills are at a very low level. We don't dare to let them use their skills on people yet. Therefore, the most skilled nurse is Ms. Shizuka Jukawa, who is the deputy director and head nurse.

When Ms. Shizuka was called over, she immediately saw Dick there, and her pretty face flushed red. She intentionally kept a certain distance from him. Seeing the strange atmosphere between the two, which was both ambiguous and complicated, Natasha couldn't help but frown.

What's wrong with you two?

"N-nothing!"

"???"

Natasha was completely bewildered, while Meredith wore a knowing smile.

Soon, the first test subject was selected: a woodcutter from Kevin Village. He was among the first patients to be discovered. Because he was strong and healthy, his initial symptoms were not obvious. However, after being sent to the clinic for many days, he was no longer as energetic as before and was now curled up on the hospital bed, shivering.

The most torturous aspect of cold-related illness is the coldness that comes from the inside out, and it can damage the internal organs first.

Dick approached him first and explained the situation. The first antidote had been developed, and now it needed to be tested on patients, so he, being strong and healthy, was chosen.

Dick promised that all treatment costs would be covered, and if he unfortunately suffered an accident during the trial, he would have a priest come and resurrect him. If the patient didn't trust him, they could sign a written agreement first.

After listening, the woodcutter said there was absolutely no problem, and then he lay down like a fish that had willingly climbed onto the chopping board, looking like he was saying, "Do whatever you want with me!"

"It's just an IV drip, it's not that serious."

The woodcutter had large veins, and Shizuka Marikawa inserted the needle in less than three seconds. The glass bottle contained an indigo-blue medicine, which was slowly administered into his body through a semi-transparent rubber tube.

This magical and ingenious treatment device attracted the attention of all the patients in the ward. Having lived in the remote Laguge area for so long, this was the first time in their lives they had ever seen someone receiving an IV drip, and they were filled with curiosity about this medical import from Earth.

"This kind of thing has been around in the capital for thirty or forty years. It was something that the first generation of transmigrators created. Many people living in Laguge are seeing it for the first time."

Seeing the curiosity in the eyes of the people around him, Dick quietly explained to Shizuka and Natasha.

Several people brought chairs and sat down in front of the woodcutter's bed to observe his facial expressions, while Dick chatted amiably with those around him.

At first, everyone was quite reserved, but they soon discovered that the governor was a very kind person. Although he looked young, his speech and manners were both elegant and approachable. As a result, they relaxed as they chatted. Dick chatted with these commoners living in Lagug, asked them about topics related to spring plowing and farming, and even took out his notebook to take notes.

The people in the ward were also curious. It was the first time they had seen a governor who was interested in this, whereas the other officials were only concerned with whether they could collect taxes.

When it came to collecting taxes, some elderly farmers wanted to ask the governor about it, but were too embarrassed to ask.

The empire's tax system was actually quite chaotic because it was a feudal system where the percentage of taxes collected from fiefdoms depended entirely on the lord's mood. The royal family, on the other hand, collected annual tributes from nobles based on their titles.

Because the nobles of the territories have great autonomy, they usually levy very high taxes.

Generally speaking, it is common for the lord and the subjects to split the spoils 30/70, with the subjects receiving only 30% and the lord taking 70%.

A 20/80 split is not uncommon.

A 40/60 split can be considered merciful.

A 50/50 split would simply be a pipe dream.

And this is just the regular tax. Sometimes, when the lord or governor is in a good mood, he will come up with some ingenious excuses to impose additional taxes.

Dick had investigated and found that during David's reign, this grandson imposed as many as thirteen additional taxes on top of the regular 30/70 tax. For example, to celebrate the Duke of Best's birthday, he demanded three copper coins per person, which amounted to several hundred gold coins from tens of thousands of people, most of which ended up in his own pocket.

When Dick saw that the old farmers seemed hesitant to speak, he already guessed what they wanted to ask.

He couldn't actually decide the tax rate; the 70% rate was set by the Duke, and as the governor acting on behalf of the governor, he had no power to interfere.

But he disdained to engage in such practices as imposing exorbitant taxes under various pretexts. Rather than trying to extract oil from stones and exploit the poor, he preferred to increase productivity and generate revenue. Moreover, he had already formulated a spring planting plan for next year, intending to make good use of the labor force released from the mines, as well as the bandit villages and dens of thieves that he had marked in red on the map.

If all goes well, it will be available next Monday.

During the first week after its release, it remained the same as the seven-day National Day holiday: more content but no extra chapters, one chapter a day with 5000+ words each.

I also asked my editor, and Kang Loli wasn't lying to me; after it's published, it can be written to be more open.

But I still want to emphasize that I personally do enjoy writing risqué plots, but it's like a strawberry on a cream cake.

You want me to put in a little more? No problem.

But the main part must be the cake, which is the story.

Even if this is a young person's dream, we can't put the cart before the horse, can we?

Chapter 029: Dick, who has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds

Dr. Natasha's medicine worked. After an hour of IV drip, Dick used his mental power to examine the woodcutter's body and found that the total amount of ice element in his body had decreased significantly compared to before.

But most importantly, the activity of the ice element has decreased, which means that the magical vortex that is the lesion is disintegrating.

This means the convergence effect of magical elements has been broken, and the ice element in his body will no longer increase. As long as the remaining elements are expelled, he will fully recover.

When Dick announced that the medicine was effective, both patients and medical staff present were very excited. Some patients were so happy that they cried. Soon after, their tears and snot froze and they were carried by two burly female caregivers to the warm water pool to thaw.

The people of Laguge are known for their fierce and tough nature. Because the harsh climate of the region weeds out the weak, the middle-aged women there are strong laborers who can carry logs on their shoulders and help their husbands reinforce their wooden houses.