Jorgen-23

When Jorgen arrived, there were two rows of guards stationed outside the building where the audience room was located, and even a few archers on the roof, although they hadn't drawn their bows.

"I want to see Prince Galin," Jorgen said to the officer standing at the forefront.

"You cannot bring so many people inside. Please have your attendants wait here," the officer replied.

"Is this Prince Galin's order?"

"No, we are simply fulfilling our duty to protect our leader. If you insist on bringing your attendants inside, please leave your weapons here."

"You should know how absurd your request is."

"It's just for safety."

"Tell him I'm waiting here for him."

The officer hesitated for a moment, then instructed a soldier to deliver the message. While waiting, Jorgen and his attendants stepped back slightly, creating some distance between them and Galin's soldiers. Five minutes later, Galin emerged from the building and walked to the open space, facing Jorgen.

"Prince Galin," Jorgen said, "You should know that this behavior is extremely disrespectful. Even if an envoy from an enemy nation came to request an audience, they shouldn't be treated like this."

"I'm very sorry, but there seems to be a misunderstanding," Galin said. "This was not done to guard against you, Mr. Jorgen. Upon receiving the guards' message, I came out immediately because I knew there would be an important conversation between us."

Jorgen felt that the Galin before him seemed to have changed slightly—or rather, reverted to the attitude he had when they first met, concealing all fragility and instability beneath a diplomatic facade. This was a far cry from the Galin who couldn't control his emotions when discussing what to do with Crecyda.

"Not to guard against me?" Jorgen said. "Is there any other reason why your men are in such a defensive position?"

"Just to confirm... all your attendants are here, right?"

"Thanks to you, two of them are injured and receiving treatment. Your tone seems to suggest that you suspect me of hiding something."

"I will compensate the injured, as this was just an accident. Furthermore, I am not suspecting you, but rather, worrying for you would be more accurate."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"It seems that Individual is not with you now, am I right?"

"No... Individual escaped?"

"Yes, I should have had more guards watching him."

Assuming Galin's claim was true, Jorgen couldn't predict where Renner might have escaped to. Perhaps he was just hiding temporarily. Although this showed he had a stronger sense of self-preservation than expected, in the current situation, allowing Renner to completely escape control was clearly not wise.

"So, you're also guarding against him like this. Are you afraid he might target you?" Jorgen asked.

Galin didn't directly answer. "I've sent some men to look for him. He's not familiar with the surrounding terrain, so I believe finding him won't be difficult."

"What if they find him? Can your men subdue him?"

"They will do their best. Anyway, since he's not with you, I'll take full responsibility for this matter."

Jorgen didn't hear confidence in Galin's words.

"Besides this, we have other important matters to discuss, otherwise you wouldn't have come here," Galin said.

"That's right. As I said earlier, you've broken your promise. You should explain that," Jorgen replied.

"It's simple. Our deal was too unfair for both me personally and the people of Stromgarde. Making such a promise was a mistake, and now I want to correct it."

"We discussed these issues in detail before. The plan won't be abandoned; we just need to interrogate Lawrence and discuss how to arrange a successor. During this period, all data will still be held by you. These are necessary measures to eliminate Lawrence's negative influence and get the plan back on track."

"I understand all of this. We did discuss it in detail. However, this doesn't change the fact that you took something important from me without providing any compensation or collateral."

"Compensation? I hope you remember that I killed a woman for you."

"Of course, of course. I am grateful for that. But... it's far from enough, Mr. Jorgen. What can be obtained in exchange for the life of an ordinary woman is too limited, and it cannot compare to the control over Lawrence and Renner. I don't intend to conflict with the Seventh, after all, this is a joint plan for both of us, so I have come up with a fairer solution."

"Go on."

"You can return to the Seventh first, make adequate preparations, and then bring your people to Stromgarde to interrogate Lawrence. I guarantee that during this time, I will take good care of him and eliminate any possible accidents. As for the selection of the successor, future research plans, and other related issues, they will be discussed and resolved within Stromgarde. In other words, as long as it's related to discussions and plans, the gates of Stromgarde will always be open to the Seventh. Once I do receive the reward promised by the Seventh - the first batch of satisfactory products, whether it's Lawrence or the research data, you can dispose of them as you wish."

A very straightforward intention. Galin wanted to monopolize all resources until he received something in return. Whatever prompted him to change his mind, Jorgen wasn't surprised by Galin's choice.

"You should know that this will be quite troublesome and will greatly delay the progress of the plan," Jorgen said.

"It's nothing, I can wait. I hope the Seventh can show some patience and sincerity. You should know that according to the original plan, I should have received the first batch of products by now, but now not only have I not achieved the expected success, but also a large amount of our funds and resources will continue to be invested for an unpredictable period of time. So, to put it crudely, I want to see where all my money has gone. This is not an unreasonable request."

"Prince Galin, if you had said this before Renner went missing, your words might have been somewhat convincing. Now I have to doubt whether you can really take care of these people and items crucial to the plan."

"I have to defend myself. Renner's disappearance was not entirely my fault, because he was obviously not a complete product, otherwise he wouldn't have escaped on his own. Moreover, you should still remember the embarrassing scene at the execution site. I am quite skeptical about what use it would be to bring him back to Stormwind for our research."

"There's one thing I have to say. I hope 'missing' isn't just an excuse for you to hide Renner away," Jorgen said.

"What reason do I have to do that? It doesn't benefit us in any negotiation, and it's even disadvantageous to me, as you just used it to express doubt about my ability to supervise," Galin replied.

"You seem reluctant to let me help find him."

"I appreciate your kindness, but I can't have your people searching all over Stromgarde. Besides, I know a Seventh messenger just urgently met with you, indicating you have important matters to attend to at the Seventh. I know how hardworking and busy you are, so I shouldn't trouble you too long on one matter."

"Prince Galin, are you urging me to leave Stromgarde?"

"If it doesn't interfere with official business, you can stay simply as a guest. Because, regarding this matter, we temporarily have nothing more to discuss. This is the final decision: all important research-related resources will stay with me, including Lawrence, Tusha, all data, and Renner. My men will find him."

Galin completely shut down negotiation, and verbal tactics were no longer effective. Jorgen wasn't completely helpless in finding another way to resolve this, but it required planning, more risk, and more time. The key was time - something he was currently lacking.

At the very least, aborting the research plan mission couldn't be considered a failure. And Galin's conditions left enough space to come back and resolve the matter later. Jorgen thought, perhaps the only choice left now was to leave.

Renner hadn't undergone much training on how to conceal himself, but so far, no one had found him. He hid in the shadows, watching the patrolling guards nearby, estimating whether he could sneak past without killing anyone. His goal wasn't to leave Stromgarde; on the contrary, he wanted to delve deeper into it, back to where he was familiar.

When Crecyda was in his arms, he could immerse himself and appreciate everything she brought him, but still felt a kind of stagnation in his heart. He knew Crecyda was giving herself to him without reservation, and he wanted to do the same, but couldn't. Some crucial things hindered Renner, and he didn't understand what they were. He understood what Crecyda was trying to convey to him, but couldn't reciprocate as freely as she did. Crecyda's sensitivity surprised him; she obviously realized his lack of emotional response but was unwilling to say it directly. Renner didn't understand why she wouldn't say it; he guessed maybe that's how women were.

She's my wife, Renner thought. Her eyes, her body, her scent. Her existence proved he had once been human and would help him be reborn as one. But something was still dragging them down, continuously tormenting this woman. When she cried, Renner felt he might be experiencing the familiar human emotion - pain.

I really want to kill them. All those who made you like this deserve to die. That's what Crecyda said back then. Although Renner understood it was more of a vent than a demand, those words gave him a direction. Perhaps the answer was that simple: those who held them back were the ones who originally turned him into this. To fully repay her as a human, he had to rid himself of the embarrassing past marks. Renner knew many people were involved in the whole thing, but the two who directly injected him with drugs and performed surgery were the ones he felt directly connected to his current situation - Lawrence and Tusha.