At the Alchemy Commission, Stelle skipped past Screwlloyd and Adrian, who were plotting something, and found the ostracized Nannan.
"Don't ask me... I'm just a [Mineral Water Person], I have nothing to do with the food chain of those three Release Masters."
Nannan distanced himself, so Stelle went to Tonya.
"If you can pass this trial, it will be enough to prove your extraordinary potential." As long as the idea of releasing wasn't outrageous, Tonya was still quite lenient.
"What is the releasing standard for the [Beast Faction]?"
"You asked the right person. In my opinion, the entire [Release Guild] should release those powerful wild beasts, letting them escape human control! No hunting falcons or fighting dogs; let them show their vitality in nature!"
"After all, letting life hunt freely in hunting grounds suitable for them conforms to the laws of nature, and also conforms to the Xianzhou's Path of [The Hunt], doesn't it?"
Stelle then ran to ask Benna to understand the releasing standard of the [Conservation Faction].
"The proposition of our Conservation Faction is very simple. We use releasing as a way to save and protect endangered species like those little sheep that are over-hunted and whose numbers are too small to continue the population."
"Sigh... originally, releasing the Faunus Red-Haired Sheep had this intention too. Who would have thought this kind of sheep would go extinct in Scalegorge Waterscape! The hateful [Beast Faction]."
Before Stelle could say anything, Heathmann walked towards her enthusiastically: "The releasing standard of our [Greenery Faction] is the simplest. Photosynthesis, easy to keep alive, no excrement... that is the perfect object for release!"
"Stelle, let's summarize... see if we can find common ground from the requirements of these people..."
"First is Tonya; she wants powerful beasts to break free from human control. Next... Benna; she hopes to save endangered species that cannot reproduce."
"Finally is Heathmann; his standard is the simplest yet most troublesome. He is only interested in plants."
"In other words, we need to find an endangered and ferocious... uh, plant? This is really a difficult problem~ Do you have any clues?"
Todd chose to empty her brain temporarily and handed the choice to Stelle.
"Powerful, ferocious, endangered in number... and a plant. Isn't that the [Ambrosial Arbor]!"
Stelle realized belatedly. She was right; these guys were indeed [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] hiding among the people!
She understood! This group of people from the [Release Guild] was also ostracized by the orthodox [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] because their ideas were too paranoid and abstract!
Could it be... they want to revive the dead Abundance Ebon Deer?
"Hey, stop stop stop, you can't say that carelessly~ Change to another one."
Stelle's idea was bold. If the [Release Guild] really wanted to revive the [Ambrosial Arbor], Todd wouldn't get involved.
She was afraid of ending up like Sampo, failing to find amusement and becoming the amusement instead.
"Man-eating flower?"
"You mean carnivorous plants? That is indeed a [Ferocious Animal], but most of them aren't very endangered! If you've been to Vonwacq, you'd know that carnivorous Crown flowers are everywhere there."
"As for the Xianzhou, recently there have indeed appeared some ferocious and terrifying vegetable people covered in leaves!"
Obviously, the [Vegetable People] Todd referred to were the Cloud Knight soldiers who had fallen to Mara.
"But it's hard to say whether those things are people or plants, and no one would want to control them..."
"Then, inorganic life?" Stelle looked at Screwlloyd not far away.
"Mechanical creatures? Like cycranes and Diting? Let me think... Hey! Now that you mention it, although this idea sounds ridiculous at first, thinking carefully... it's even more ridiculous!"
"There's an Intellitron right there! And what's ferocious about Xianzhou ingeniums? What's endangered about cycranes flying all over the streets!"
"Of course, if there are inorganic lives in a certain place that are difficult to continue producing and repairing for some reason, maybe that could meet the conditions, but I haven't heard of such a place..."
While Todd was speaking, Stelle's surprised gaze suddenly silenced her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she reacted belatedly.
"Eh? I thought I didn't mention who was an Intellitron?"
Stelle had already taken out the mimicked baseball bat. "Confess honestly, and I might grant you a quick end."
...
Aurum Alley, a mocking voice reached the ears of Freesna and March 7th.
"Hey, where did this wild girl pop out from? What business is it of yours?"
"As a Cloud Knight, when a conflict occurs on the dock, how can I sit idly by? Also, I'm not called Hey, nor am I a wild girl. I'm Sushang!"
"Is there any difference?"
Seeing this scene of argument, Freesna, who liked joining the fun, ran directly to the dock with March 7th to watch the drama live.
"Miss, leave this matter to our Aurum Alley Merchant Guild to handle," said someone who looked like the Merchant Guild secretary, persuading them to stop fighting, obviously hoping to avoid a dispute.
"Ha! You handle it? Don't make me laugh!" The representative salesman dressed in IPC attire said mercilessly and sarcastically.
"Everyone watching here, who doesn't know that the Aurum Alley Merchant Guild is poorly managed and incompetent in business? Now that the dock rent is overdue, who do you think is to blame?"
"This is all the fault of your Aurum Alley Merchant Guild!"
"This... I don't deny this."
In this dispute, even with a Cloud Knight standing up for the Merchant Guild, they still didn't have the upper hand.
"Then say it louder. Say [The Aurum Alley Merchant Guild has failed the shops here and messed up the dock matters. Everyone in the Aurum Alley Merchant Guild is useless!]"
"Then kowtow loudly to me for the number of days the rent is overdue, and apologize to me, Skott, who represents the IPC!"
"Hey, that's too harsh!"
March 7th, bursting with a sense of justice, couldn't stand it anymore. Having spent a long time with Stelle, she had been assimilated, rolling up her sleeves and preparing to fight.
"My Lord once said: When encountering quarrels with unrelated personnel, just watch the changes quietly... The holy judgment of [Eternity] will not descend until the exciting part." Freesna stopped March 7th; she actually admired Skott quite a bit.
Sushang put her hands on her hips: "Your attitude is too arrogant. Regarding the overdue rent, can't we discuss it properly?"
"I'm not bullying anyone. Aren't I giving a friendly reminder? Can the IPC recover the rent?"
"...Not right now."
As soon as the words fell, Skott showed a satisfied expression: "The IPC subleased the operation rights of this dock to your Merchant Guild, hoping Aurum Alley would flourish from then on... Look, such a good cargo dock is all wasted!"
"Who said the Merchant Guild definitely can't pay it back? What if... what if we can pay it back?" Sushang retorted.
"Oh my~ I don't dare to imagine~ How about this? Let's make a bet. If the Merchant Guild can pay back the rent to the IPC, I will bow and apologize in front of the elders and folks of Aurum Alley..."
"I will also say loudly [I am a stupid fool with no eyes! Not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, only knowing how to bark madly!] Then I can only bark like a dog in front of you, how about it?"
Freesna, who was about to take out milk tea to drink, stopped her movements and immediately changed her look.
"I have always believed in gender equality, so if you lose... then you also apologize to me like this in front of the elders and folks, and bark like a dog in front of me!"
"The Merchant Guild is unable to pay the rent. You should voluntarily give up the dock operation rights and pay extra compensation!"
Bang!
A piece of parchment with clear handwriting suddenly appeared in front of Skott.
"Hmm?"
[Church Notice: Regarding Aurum Alley Dock Rent]
[Starting today, the Church of Eternity will fully fund the restoration and revitalization of Aurum Alley! Everything for [Eternity]!]
[Signatory: Blake Hall]
[Subsidized Funds...]
"Ha? Church of Eternity?"