Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 1276: Chapter 697: Dungeon Phobia (Part 2)

Otherwise, if they can’t spend the money, it will quickly lead to inflation and increase local prices. Money needs to circulate to be valuable; otherwise, it’s just scrap metal.

Moreover, Hamlet’s resources need to circulate to stimulate expanded production; basic consumption like food and drink is the main aspect.

And as the Lord who monopolizes the grain, by manipulating food prices to retrieve the distributed money from the residents, then reinvesting it into construction and development, creating a virtuous cycle.

If a regime wants to maintain stable development, its income must surpass expenditures, or at least be equal; otherwise, no amount of deficit can be filled.

Thus, Lance has begun to tighten the welfare policy, although nominally unchanged, various requirements will restrict access, or cancel those benefits by setting examples.

Only the army and the research institute have been left untouched by Lance; they still enjoy luxurious benefits, although the selection criteria have become stricter.

One represents the fundamental base, the other represents technology.

Together they signify stability and development, essentially the future of Hamlet.

Of course, those high-level talents, such as technical craftsmen, teachers, and doctors, also receive excellent treatment and have become the object of ordinary people’s aspirations.

Issuing bonds is unreliable in this era, unlike protagonists in some novels who start doing such things; in reality, it’s immensely challenging, involving numerous complex issues, far from being a simple matter.

Running such a system requires immense manpower and resources, along with the design of an entire institutional framework, and now the Lord is not short of money, so there’s no need to force this initiative.

But this has nothing to do with the man, who took the money and left the construction site at sunset.

The purchasing power of copper coins remains strong; after getting his wages, he found a place to stay and secured stable food supplies.

No longer needing to endure the cold winds of autumn nights nor eat inedible tree bark and roots, he could even save some money, albeit not much.

He needed to save money for certain things, so after eating some basic food, he arrived at a certain place.

He didn’t indulge in leisurely places but came near the hospital, a three-story brick structure with a conspicuous red heart emblem on the signboard at the entrance.

Lance didn’t use the Association of Healers’ staff of Asclepius symbol to sever ties with those groups; as for the red cross, it was distasteful, so he chose the red heart to represent the hospital.

The red heart symbol hadn’t been twisted into a notion of love yet; it originally signified a blood-pumping heart, representing the heart, blood, and extending to the concept of courage.

On many Barbarian Tribes’ weapons, there’s a heart symbol, painted red, to signify their courage.

Whether it’s the heart, blood, or courage, all these elements align perfectly with the hospital concept: the beating heart represents life, flowing blood signifies wounds and injuries, while courage reflects the medical staff.

After all, without courage, one couldn’t possibly face the bloodied wounds, the dangerous infected, and the peculiar patients...

The phrase "seeing the vicissitudes of life in a hospital" isn’t an exaggeration; without courage, one couldn’t bear the pain of life withering away before their eyes, those moments of parting.

Lance directly adopted and promoted this notion, wrapping the hospital and medical staff in a sacred aura, seizing the reputation first, leaving other matters for later.

The man had inquired during this time and naturally heard these sayings, understanding the meaning of the red heart, and heard about another ward in the suburbs dealing with the most troublesome contagious diseases.

Rumors about leprosy subsided and remained unconfirmed, but the story of the Lord rescuing those prostitutes spread, with the benevolent and kind Lord being praised by all.

One or two might be fake, but when a whole group responds this way, the situation can be basically confirmed.

Moreover, it matters more that among the mercenaries, some were infected and received treatment at Hamlet Hospital; those with enough money completed recovery, while those insufficiently funded could use medication to control their condition, or even improve.

The man knew that such illnesses were almost incurable, but receiving treatment in Hamlet was enough to prove the advanced medical technology here.

The man looked at the doorplate and couldn’t help but imagine: what if, perhaps, his condition might be treatable?

However, he merely stood outside without going in, because he had no money, and was worried about his condition being exposed, attracting the Church.

Wherever humans gather, as the population grows, various maladies inevitably increase, not to mention some injuries.

But from the doorway, the hospital appeared more serene than he imagined, because only a few among these patients would choose to visit the hospital, as the treatment costs were seldom affordable.

For minor illnesses, people would rather endure them or seek some herbs—a mindset requiring time to change.

Moreover, the Lord didn’t establish the hospital for charity; unless your condition held research value, the high treatment costs were hard to bear.

Inside, medical staff are distinctly different from patients, all wearing white coats, prominently visible; some also wore masks and gloves, probably handling some infectious patients...

At the entrance and around certain posts were personnel dressed in police-like uniforms but without badges; they’re the hospital’s security, reportedly soldiers in civilian clothes.

The reason why the Lord valued hospital security was unknown; according to some, it was because the medications stored were expensive, with some constantly probing to acquire the drugs.

Due to current high demand, some infected adventurers without money resorted to small tricks, making it not surprising the hospital employed so many guards.

Alas, this isn’t like the worm-ridden warehouses in Bastia—all medications need registration, and two keys are required to withdraw them, with traceable records making insider theft impossible.

He had heard before that Hamlet’s Army had better healing potions, but unfortunately, they wouldn’t share them.

Some tried to procure them from off-duty soldiers, but those soldiers completely ignored them; if things escalated, the police would intervene.

Oddly enough, in other places, military members might resort to violence, but Hamlet’s soldiers remarkably called the police instead of handling matters themselves, which was strange.

The man merely glanced and turned away, as lingering too long at the hospital entrance would draw attention; he didn’t want trouble, nor was he there for these matters.

He turned towards the notice board at the hospital entrance, seeing many articles written on it.

"Resident Health Report," "Pathways and Prevention of Contagious Diseases," "Epidemic Traits"...

He was here to see if there were any new postings and to browse the old ones; the distinctive medical philosophies surprised him.

He was literate, and quite well at that; ordinary people would simply listen to results of the reports and follow the Lord’s instructions, but he could contemplate the content and discern the logic.

Not just here, during these days he’d wandered through almost all notice boards in the city, where ordinary adventurers would rely on stories, he gleaned more information from official announcements.

A peculiar place, entirely distinct from the imperial noble system, and outside the Church, revealing a staunchly authoritarian aura.

Yet, bizarrely, everything here was managed orderly; in all the days he’d been here, he hadn’t witnessed any fighting or petty theft, with people living in peace and thriving with vitality present vividly before his eyes.

The man hadn’t considered something before: what a society devoid of nobles and religion might look like, now he seemed to find the answer.

More importantly, he didn’t need to worry about the Church’s pressure here, as there were no Church members to be seen.

Now, it’s about finding a way to save money, perhaps here he might find hope...

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