Aililan was very busy.
She had at least four or five meetings every day and had to inspect the living conditions of the grassroots people from time to time.
There were technical upgrades and industrial adjustments for the blacksmith workshops and sewing workshops, the supervision and arrangement of spring plowing and sowing, secret transactions with demons that required her personal attention, and the preparations for the orcs’ nation-building.
She was so busy that her head was spinning.
Just then, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an urgent letter from the elves, strongly condemning human interference in their internal affairs.
Aililan’s eyes widened, her face full of confusion. “The elves? This has nothing to do with us. Why are they cursing us? Are they crazy?”
The diplomat hesitated for a moment and whispered a reminder, “Lady Saintess, have you forgotten? Before the end of the year, you sent the Knight Order Captain as an envoy to the elves…”
Aililan: “…”
The Knight Order Captain?
Damn, that blonde-haired Fina Nisi!
After listening to the diplomat’s report and combining it with the memories of the original plot, Aililan quickly sorted out the sequence of events.
To put it simply, the mess within the elven race had been stirred up by her own Captain.
Dismissing the diplomat, Aililan gently tapped her forehead and whispered, ‘If I’m not mistaken, the elves are currently in a crisis because the World Tree is no longer—or at least rarely—birthing Pureblood Elves.’
According to the original “plot,” to reactivate the World Tree, it required the elven royalty to nourish it with their Heart’s Blood.
The point of contention was—
Aililan supported the elves solving it internally, specifically by using Heart’s Blood to nourish the World Tree.
However, Fina Nisi opposed it, claiming that such a practice was inhumane.
But the deeper reason was that she had her sights set on the Elven Princess and wanted to use the opportunity to get close and grind for Favor.
In the original ending—
Aililan was accused of being cold and heartless, bearing the brunt of the infamy.
Fina Nisi, on the other hand, took a “righteous” stance and, through diplomatic pressure, forced the Church to invest a massive amount of resources to help the elves restore the World Tree.
Ultimately—
The infamy was borne by Aililan, while Fina Nisi became the benefactor of the elven race and even won the Favor of the princess.
Aililan tapped her finger on the desk and let out a cold laugh. ‘I want to see how she’ll wrap this up this time without my involvement.’
‘Moreover, life is so peaceful without her.’
‘It would be best if the elves tied her down for a while…’
‘Maybe even stay there forever.’
The current Atester was no longer the chaotic mess it once was.
Under Aililan’s governance for one year, the economy was booming, and the threat of the orcs had significantly decreased.
She had no need to go out of her way to please the elves.
From a political perspective—
If the elven race weakened, it would actually be more beneficial.
‘To put it bluntly—what does the life or death of the elves have to do with me?’
Aililan summoned an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Compile a detailed dossier on the elves, especially regarding this current crisis.”
She paused, a cold smirk playing on her lips as she added, “Additionally, issue an order to Captain Fina Nisi in the name of diplomacy—”
“Her behavior has severely impacted the relationship between our two races. She must strictly adhere to her duties and stop creating further complications.”
Once the order was given, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved quickly.
Within half a day, a detailed report was placed before her.
Aililan flipped through it, her eyebrows arching slightly. “High Elves, Middle Elves, Low Elves… and Pureblood Elves, Gestation Elves, and Half-Elves?”
Compared to the simple descriptions in the “plot,” this data provided a much more intuitive look at the current state of the elves.
To put it nicely, it was class conflict.
To put it bluntly, it was bordering on a caste system.
From a biological perspective, it looked more like a form of “self-suppression.”
When the environment was unsuitable, the population would automatically reduce reproduction.
Pureblood Elves were born noble, while Gestation Elves were like the bottom-tier laborers.
The former lived in luxury and waste, while the latter worked themselves to the bone to provide for them.
The result was—
Over-extraction from the World Tree eventually caused the tree to “stop birthing.”
Fina Nisi’s “solution,” in essence, was—
To have humans provide a massive amount of resources to alleviate the internal conflicts of the elves.
Thinking of this, Aililan couldn’t help but shudder.
‘Humans supplying elves?’
‘Our own people are still working hard; why should we support them?’
‘This kind of thing—it will never happen again.’
Now, she neither feared the orcs nor relied on the elves.
Naturally, there was no need to bow her head.
She immediately ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to keep monitoring the situation and sent out an official reply:
[1. Captain Fina Nisi’s actions represent only her individual self and have nothing to do with the Church or Saintess Aililan.]
[2. The Church expresses its concern and regret regarding the current plight of the elven race.]
[3. May all be well with the elves. Saintess Aililan offers her sincere blessings to you from Atester. May the gods protect you.]
Translated, it meant—
I sympathize with you, but I won’t help you.
You want resources? We have none.
As for what Fina Nisi promised—go talk to her.
—
Soon, this “polite yet useless” letter arrived at the elven territory.
After the high-ranking officials read it, their expressions turned peculiar.
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and the etiquette was perfect.
But—nothing was given.
Naturally, the spearhead of their frustration turned toward Fina Nisi.
Inside the elven council chamber.
Fina Nisi’s face was grim as she said coldly, “I have already said that using Heart’s Blood to give back to the World Tree is nothing more than drinking poison to quench thirst.”
An Elven Elder barked back, “Enough! This is an internal affair of our race. It is not your place to interfere!”
Fina Nisi snorted. “Ignorant! I am doing this for your own good!”
The Elder exploded in rage. “Bullshit! You are just lusting after our princess!”
“Have some dignity!”
Fina Nisi’s face turned from green to red.
Not only had she been seen through, but she had also been exposed in public.
The elves, clearly, were not giving her any face at all.
Someone even said coldly, “If not for the sake of the Saint of Chastity, we would have kicked you out long ago.”
*Pfft—*
Fina Nisi was so angry she nearly coughed up blood.
How did it turn out like this?