Inside the Sixth Conference Room.
Two people sat around a charcoal fire, engaged in conversation.
Eileenland could only grasp the general direction of things. When it came to specific details, she had to consult someone like Grace, the Finance Chief, because the woman truly possessed years of professional experience.
Whether it was the current state-owned workshops or the matter of supporting merchant capital, Grace possessed more foresight and could provide better advice.
After a moment of contemplation, Grace continued, “Lady Saintess, whether it is state-owned workshops or supporting merchants, each has its own benefits, as well as its own drawbacks and foreseeable bottlenecks.”
Eileenland nodded in praise. “Mm, you put it well. Continue.”
Grace took a deep breath and said, “As you have seen, state-owned workshops prioritize stability. In just over six months, a rigid efficiency has already appeared. It is foreseeable that after many years, the effectiveness of these workshops will be difficult to sustain, and we might even have to pour money into them just to keep them afloat.”
Eileenland frowned and asked, “So, do you think state-owned workshops are not good?”
Grace hurriedly bowed her head. “No, please allow me to finish my analysis before you make a decision. I will now speak on the matter of supporting merchant capital.”
“The rich merchant Briana Tell and… cough, I mean, the matter regarding her battle with your Knight Commander is something you are surely aware of. Therefore, the development of private, independent merchants is not necessarily a good thing. Once they have money, they become restless and may even attempt to break free from the Church’s control.”
Eileenland’s frown deepened.
It was not hard to tell from Grace’s words that the Finance Chief leaned toward a more conservative approach—maintaining the status quo was best.
But this was understandable. As part of the ruling class, if things were on the verge of collapse, the more conservative the approach, the better.
Seeing Eileenland’s locked brows, Grace secretly wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
‘It seems that if I don’t show some real skill, the Lady Saintess likely won’t be satisfied.’
In political life, if one’s ideas did not align with those of the Saintess, they could easily be marginalized, effectively ending their career.
“Lady Saintess.”
“Perhaps you should listen to the benefits of both.”
Eileenland’s eyes flickered with a faint, knowing smile. “Oh? There are actually benefits? Go on.”
Grace thought for a while longer and said seriously, “The Sewing Workshop you manage has a powerful vitality that is obvious to all. In just over six months, it has not only provided for local needs, but the clothes it produces are even sold as far as the Orc tribes. That is an advantage.”
“Returning to the private merchants, if we can strictly limit their channels for acquiring military force, then even if a merchant becomes rich enough to rival a nation, they are nothing more than a sheep waiting to be slaughtered.”
Eileenland’s eyes brightened.
Grace’s vision was indeed impressive.
This reminded her of another world, where local billionaires with hundreds of billions in assets might seem powerful and influential, but in reality, a single official document could make them tremble with fear.
Eileenland sat up straight and said seriously, “Then I wonder, Finance Chief Grace, what is your suggestion for me?”
Grace pondered for a moment before saying with a firm tone, “My suggestion is to focus on the present. May I ask what our most urgent priority is right now, Saintess?”
Eileenland said without hesitation, “That would definitely be the Gnoll-kin.”
Grace clapped her hands together and said excitedly, “Exactly. It is the Gnoll-kin, and specifically the ones from the Red-Headed tribe. Therefore, dealing with the Gnoll-kin is the first priority. I know you are benevolent, but the proper time to focus on economic development should be after the crisis. Only then should we implement major development decrees.”
“So, my suggestion is this…”
“In the short term, we must concentrate our strength. Thus, we should focus on the state-owned workshops until we can secure at least twenty years of peace with the Orcs.”
“In the long term, we should attempt to guide and support merchants while establishing definitive methods to restrict their private military forces.”
Eileenland’s eyes lit up.
‘This is what a professional Finance Minister looks like.’
The two continued their deep discussion until evening, only then leaving the Sixth Conference Room.
The officials on the finance side of the Administrative Council had been waiting at the entrance and had not left. Once Eileenland departed, they swarmed Grace to ask questions.
The Deputy Finance Chief asked impatiently, “Finance Chief Grace, what did the Lady Saintess talk to you about?”
Grace gave them a sharp glance.
How could she not know what these people were thinking?
In the past, no matter what financial decisions were made, these people were always the first to profit.
But things were different now. A glimmer of ambition flashed in Grace’s eyes. If she did her job well and entered the Saintess’s inner circle, her future achievements would not be limited to Atester; they could very well extend to the entire Fifth Wing Region.
Perhaps she could even enter the Church Center.
“Silence.” Grace frowned slightly and said with a cold expression, “Do not ask what you should not ask. You only need to know how to serve the Lady Saintess well. And let me remind you all, you are now people who directly serve the Saintess—you are her close ministers. This is likely the greatest opportunity of your lives.”
Grace’s words were quite thought-provoking.
The clever ones already knew what to do. They would let Grace handle the task of catching Eileenland’s eye, while they focus on catching Grace’s eye.
—
Three days after the meeting.
In the name of better stabilizing grain prices, Finance Chief Grace began allocating funds to build a large number of granaries.
At the same time, many meat warehouses were established to store salted meat, cured meat, and jerky.
This was the decision the two had reached after their discussion. Since they had decided on an economy that served the war effort, they focused their construction on food and supplies.
At the same time, they introduced subsidies for artisans.
These were primarily targeted at leatherworkers and blacksmiths.
Eileenland even went a step further, delegating parts of the business from the Sewing Workshop and the Iron Box Workshop.
For instance, the processes for preparing leather were outsourced to smaller external workshops.
The smelting of iron chains, arrowheads, arrow shafts, and the non-iron parts of shields from the Iron Box Workshop were also entirely outsourced to small external workshops.
In the short term, the revenue of the two main workshops decreased, but their efficiency improved tremendously. Furthermore, it stimulated the development of the workshop economy throughout Atester.
However…
This also inevitably raised suspicions.
“Mass-producing weapons and armor, stockpiling grain… What exactly is this human Saintess trying to do?” An Orc Elder staying in the city looked on with a worried expression.
Weapons, food, supplies—anyone with sharp political instincts was guessing. It looked as if she was preparing for war, creating a sense of impending pressure.
The Orc Elder looked toward the plains. For the first time, he felt a sense of dread regarding the war the Orcs might initiate.
And Atester, a city that had already weathered the fires of war, had now been assigned a Saintess for the first time in history.
Could she hold the line?
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.