Lord's estate, beside the pool.
The afternoon sun was bright enough. Xina, in a swimsuit, reclined on a lounge chair with a glass of juice on the table beside her. After risking her life alongside others, she liked resting quietly like this and feeling that she was still alive.
Bare-chested and wearing oversized shorts, the Little Giant Modo braced both hands on the poolside, lowered his head, and drank from the pool like a horse.
"Don't drink the pool water."
"Woof."
Water dripped from the Little Giant Modo's chin as he scratched his head. He was not very bright, but he generally listened to Xina. He went to the fountain, stuck his head into the water, and visibly lowered its level. Xina sighed helplessly and said nothing more. After all, the fountain water was much cleaner than the pool water, and the water they had once drunk had contained mild poison.
Just then, the successive barks made Xina furrow her brows. When all the dogs fell silent, she knew that the Lord had returned.
She had just sat up when she saw the Lord approaching with One-Eyed Snake and Governor Mel Torre. Mel Torre was chattering away about something, apparently the amount of steel the water-supply system would need, along with the corresponding factories, equipment, and workers. The equipment could be traded for food in the great city, Molten Iron City. In this world, food was a universal resource and more useful than miscellaneous currencies.
As he passed the pool, Su Xiao stopped. This made Xina somewhat nervous, though she did not know why.
"Are you injured?"
Su Xiao looked at Xina's bandaged right forearm, prompting her to explain immediately:
"My lord, it's only a minor injury. The operation went smoothly."
Xina did not want a superficial wound like this