CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 181: TALENT_2

Although some "scientific" thinking has begun to emerge, the Church and the Imperial Nobles, still the dominant forces, have become very feudal and conservative to maintain the stability of their rule. This was true even in Totnes, a place with a relatively open social environment, where one could glimpse this struggle within the academy.

You must understand that the Church holds a true monopoly over death. They conduct the ceremonies and bury the deceased in their own graveyards. According to their sacred laws, even after death, one must go to their god’s domain.

For ordinary people, the only way to achieve eternal rest was through the Church. This is why some lower-class believers, despite their sorry state, still tolerated it, believing they would experience incredible joy after death.

This is the foundation of their rule, so the Church is very sensitive to these matters. If they discovered she dared to steal a corpse—whether for research or anything else—she would undoubtedly be sentenced to death, absolutely ending up on the Church’s barbeque.

Under the Church’s long reign, the common people also developed a strong taboo against such acts, believing that if a body were desecrated, it would be difficult to reach God’s side.

But Lance was not one of those fools bound by religious thought; he was a proponent of "science."

"Let her go."

An unexpected command from him took everyone else at the scene by surprise.

The woman couldn’t grasp Lance’s intention, her expression perplexed.

Not just her, even Tiffany didn’t understand.

Seeing they didn’t react, Lance had to do it himself. He bent down and untied her restraints.

Tiffany saw this action and wanted to say something, but she merely raised her hand slightly, then let it fall in frustration, remaining silent. She realized this man never needed her to say much. He always had his reasons for his actions.

The woman did not understand why this man had suddenly freed her and stood frozen, unsure whether she should get up or do something else.

"Work for me, and I can support your research," Lance offered directly, extending an olive branch.

The woman took a moment to process his words. She had imagined being tortured, toyed with, sold, or sent to the Church’s Judiciary for judgment, but she had never imagined this man would actually recruit her.

To be honest, she herself could not comprehend it. Logically, this shouldn’t be happening... Am I the one who’s crazy, or is this guy?

"I have money and resources to support your research. You can study to your heart’s content without worrying about anything else. Unless you want to spend your life digging up corpses like a stray dog, I’m the only one in this world who can accept you," Lance invited generously, his posture impeccable.

But this sudden recruitment was truly disconcerting. A strong sense of dissonance crowded her mind, almost to the point of overflowing.

Seeing her like this, Lance did not insist. He picked up her things and handed them to her.

"It’s fine if you don’t agree. I can let you go, but you must treat the person you injured and make amends."

"Alright... but I don’t have any money," the woman said, finding it somehow difficult to refuse. She took the belt and, more importantly, picked up and put on the mask. Only then did she feel a hint of security.

"I’ll lend you the money."

Lance walked out of the tent with the woman, heading to the medical camp. Moments ago she was bound, yet now she walked freely through the camp. The situation felt somewhat surreal to her.

Tiffany stood aside with furrowed brows, her expression one of incomprehension. She could not fathom why Lance would trust a blasphemous troublemaker so easily. After all, she had seen him quell uprisings; this man showed no mercy to his enemies.

Why the sudden interest in that person? Could it just be because she’s a woman?

Thinking of the women he had brought back earlier, Tiffany couldn’t help feeling a tinge of resentment. Is he so easily swayed by women?

However, after a slight hesitation, she followed along, curious to see what was so formidable about this woman.

When the strangely dressed woman entered the tent for the wounded, led by Lance, the people inside were visibly confused.

"It’s all a misunderstanding," Lance said. "She is the doctor I hired to treat our injured. I just forgot to tell you, and she wasn’t aware of the situation, which led to her accidentally injuring you. But rest assured, it wasn’t your fault. You did well, and the rewards you deserve won’t be shortchanged."

Tiffany had just walked in when she heard Lance’s explanation. It pacified the guards, whose thoughts quickly turned to something else.

When has the lord ever hired a doctor for mud-legs like us? The lord is truly a good man!

In no time, the somewhat tense atmosphere eased completely. Even the grudges of the two recently injured guards vanished, replaced by gratitude.

The wounded, to be honest, had never seen a doctor in such peculiar attire, but out of trust for their lord, they let her tend to them.

Lance was not truly reassured and observed from the sidelines, watching as their wounds were cleaned, stitched, medicated, and then re-bandaged.

It was undeniable that her professional work was far superior to his amateur efforts. Her skilled technique markedly eased the patients’ pain.

Judging by their reactions, he estimated that by tomorrow, stories would circulate in the camp about how the lord had brought in a doctor overnight to treat them.

Watching this, Tiffany couldn’t help but acknowledge the woman’s abilities. Were these what he had noticed from the very beginning?

She had seen Lance’s eagerness when seeking talent, so she could understand his actions to some extent.

After this, Lance was very satisfied; the more he observed the doctor, the more he appreciated her skills.

But he did not break his promise and personally escorted her out of the camp.

"We leave tomorrow. If you want to come along, pack your things."

The woman might or might not have heard him. Lance only saw her figure disappear into the gloom.

Turning back, he saw Tiffany’s slightly displeased expression.

"You couldn’t tell me about this either?" Tiffany asked.

Lance spread his hands and shrugged. "You saw it yourself, we need a professional doctor. If she could join us, it would be a tremendous help."

"But she’s a blasphemer! If anything goes wrong, it will implicate us all. We can’t resist the Church," Tiffany voiced her true fear and reluctance. Everyone knew how the Church’s Judiciary dealt with heretics.

It was precisely because she saw herself as part of the team that she was so worried. Otherwise, she could have simply distanced herself from the situation and avoided any trouble.

Lance truly understood Tiffany’s emotions when he heard this. The oppression of the Church was indeed too strong.

The iron grip of these feudal powers, the Church included, stifled social progress. As beneficiaries of the existing social order, they naturally cared little for the backwardness of their environment.

But Lance’s rebellious spirit wasn’t just skin-deep; it was embedded in his very soul. His ancestors couldn’t crush him, and neither could the Church!

"I know, but there are some things that must be done even if they scare us."

"Just for a few injured serfs?" Tiffany found it hard to believe.

"Is that the extent of your vision?" Lance glanced at her, undisguised disdain appearing in his eyes for the first time.

Tiffany felt this, a twinge in her heart. It was the first time he had spoken to her this way. What did I do wrong? Is it wrong to be concerned for his safety?

Noticing her reaction, Lance suddenly recalled the era they lived in. People lacked his kind of logical reasoning and thus couldn’t naturally understand his perspective; this had nothing to do with intelligence or foresight.

"Sigh... I don’t blame you," Lance said with a soft sigh, his tone mollifying as he explained. "You saw what happened today. Why are so many guards afraid to fight? What are the families of the injured worried about? Individual fear is certainly a factor, but the fundamental reason is that for them, an injury means either death or permanent disability. They carry the weight of a family on their shoulders. If they get injured or die in battle, it’s an unbearable cost for their families. How can they dare to fight?"