Ursus, this country, is actually quite peculiar.
Xing Chen could never understand a certain logic: Ursus people are warlike and support the military — Ursus is an Empire extremely keen on expansion and war — war leads to a significant increase in infected soldiers — the Ursus government severely persecutes the Infected.
Could it be seen as Ursus persecuting its own soldiers?
It's hard to imagine how these points could coexist. Even militaristic countries know to treat their own military well.
The Ursus shieldguard listened to Xing Chen's question and fell into a state of confusion himself.
This shieldguard's story wasn't complicated. He was originally a regular shieldguard on the Ursus-Kazimierz front, occasionally clashing with the Knights of Kazimierz, which was a very normal life.
However, a few days ago, as he and his teammates were patrolling the border as usual, a roadside bomb exploded at his feet, and active Originium shards pierced his armor.
He was brought back to the outpost by his teammates and received treatment. The medic helped him remove most of the Originium shards, but he still faced a high risk of infection.
They were all people who had faced life and death on the same battlefield. His comrades might not care, but the noble lords and officers were different, especially those who were suddenly parachuted in.
So, his teammates secretly let him go and allowed him to keep his shieldguard armor.
Escaping to any country in the core region would be better than the Ursus Empire.
"Xing Chen, could there be some detail you're missing? How could a country whose will is completely opposite to its own people exist for long, especially a powerful one?"
Theresa, during most of her time as the Demon King, was deeply concerned for the people of Kazdel. She found it hard to imagine a country's ruling class completely failing to stand with its own people.
Perhaps that's an extreme way to put it, but many policies of the Ursus Empire were indeed pushing its own people into a pit of fire.
War always leads to deaths; one can't simply assume they'll be fine.
"This is quite normal. Where I'm from, there were even stories of compradors forcing their own people to fight their kin — though another faction stood behind that country."
The only reasonable explanation he could give himself was that they only saw the thief eating meat, not getting beaten; their eyes were only on the spoils of war.
After listening to Xing Chen's description, Theresa fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, as if something clicked, she proposed an explanation that seemed utterly preposterous.
"Is it possible they just have a screw loose in their heads?"
Theresa expressed that sometimes she also found it hard to understand the thought processes of the royal court members.
For example, some Blood Demons constantly exuded an air of pedantry, while others were so progressive they were heretical.
If this could be explained by cultural differences and upbringing, then what would you do when a Child of Stone and Earth told you her 'friend' said hello?
Alright, the Sarkaz have richer biodiversity, and Theresa was well-traveled, so Xing Chen had nothing to say.
"Isn't that normal? Different races are just different in some aspects."
Okay, okay, okay.
Racial inferiority, is it?
Theresa probably didn't think that deeply; after all, with so many intelligent races on Terra, what she described might genuinely be the truth.
"Then you still want to bring all the races on this land into the same organization."
"Uh, well, actually, I've sent people to do the screening..."
On the other side, the injured shieldguard's mind probably truly couldn't process it.
However, his current state of confusion significantly reduced his resistance to Xing Chen and Theresa.
Out of humanitarian spirit, Theresa offered to help him treat his wound.
Xing Chen couldn't see the shieldguard's expression through his helmet, but given the mental state of Ursus people, it was probably that indifferent look of 'death is fine, life is fine too.'
Seeing that the other party didn't object, Theresa directly took action, forcibly dismantling the armor on his leg.
It seemed she had indeed held back in the administrative area; otherwise, at full strength, a human body absolutely couldn't withstand it.
As expected, the opponent's leg was severely infected, with large, black crystals covering entire sections of his thigh and calf.
"Does it hurt?"
"No feeling."
Theresa shook her head. This meant the infection had gone deep inside, numbing the pain.
"Xing Chen, go get the medical kit."
"Okay, I'll start a fire for you two. Don't move from here."
Medical equipment was not cheap in that world. Xing Chen had originally planned to exchange the money and space for the medical kit for more valuable things, such as Gold, Synthetic Originium, Pure Originium, or Caster Units.
But Theresa strongly insisted, so he had no choice but to respect her wishes.
"Give me the inhibitors."
"Which company's?"
"John Mom or Beach Umbrella, I think. Never mind, give me all of them. Some of them must have stolen parts of the Doctor's research."
After several injections of the inhibitor, the shieldguard showed no reaction.
"You've wasted several inhibitors on me," the shieldguard's words were like the cold wind of Ursus, "Why?"
"Life is precious. Saving one is saving one," Theresa wiped her sweat and used Originium Arts to stitch the leg armor back together.
"I've treated the new wound. If those inhibitors aren't fake, it shouldn't get infected," she said, her gaze shifting to the other leg, "As for the other leg, it's already completely Originium-crystallized. Amputation is meaningless and would hinder your movement. Regular inhibitor injections will prevent it from causing too much trouble."
Originium disease lesions are generally not removed; even if they are, re-infection will occur. But if there's extensive infection in the limbs, amputation is indeed a way to prevent further infection.
After all, Originium disease inhibitors are quite expensive. If you can't afford them or can't buy them, then amputation is the only option.
"Thank you."
This Ursus man was truly a man of few words.
"So, where are you planning to go next?" Ursus is equally cruel to deserters, and even more so to infected individuals who have stolen important military assets.
"I was originally going to Columbia. I heard they're quite good to the Infected there," the Ursus shieldguard said. The Ursus Empire isn't a closed country; they have some understanding of what the outside world is like.
As for how accurate that understanding is, that's hard to say.
"Originally?" Theresa noticed that word in his speech.
"But now I plan to go find Patriot, sir."
"Bozdcasti?" Two hundred years ago, a scene surfaced in Theresa's eyes.
"Please do not call him by his given name." The shieldguard seemed to greatly respect Patriot, but out of consideration for Theresa being of his same race, he didn't stop her.
"It sounds like he and his people are living quite well here." Theresa is over two hundred years old, and Bozdcasti is also over two hundred years old. For Sarkaz, they should be considered peers.
The shieldguard did not answer.
Everyone knows the living conditions of the Wendigos.
"Then why do you want to join the Guerrillas? Life there will be much worse than in Columbia. If you want to leave, Xing Chen and I can offer you some help."
"No, I want to stay. The Ursus Empire is my homeland."
Through the thick helmet, Xing Chen seemed to see his resolute gaze.
"If my homeland is weak, I will build her; if my homeland goes astray, I have a duty to correct her."
"Even if it costs your life?"
"Exactly."