That which can be observed is unclean.
Aililan’s thoughts continued to spread.
Not only plagues, but even swords and blades—she classified them as energy-based and physical—all of which could be blocked by the Virtue of Chastity divine power.
Aililan mused, “If developed to a higher level, could it even block rule-based ones?”
But in reality, it was terrifyingly powerful.
It truly lived up to that saying: there are no useless abilities, only useless people.
She had even thought earlier that the Virtue of Chastity divine power was just a supportive ability.
Time flew by.
The weather gradually grew hotter.
This year could be considered favorable weather. In the farmlands under Atester’s rule, everywhere was a lush green—that was the thriving grain seedlings.
The old farmers’ faces were brimming with happiness, all praying that this year would be a bountiful harvest.
The taverns in the town were livelier than ever.
Caravans were everywhere.
Everywhere there was need for labor.
Under the grace of that great Saintess, more and more people realized that as long as they were willing to work hard, hunger would not befall them.
Many people even went to build houses.
The homeowner bowed reverently in the direction of Atester City, “Thank the Church, thank the great Saint of Chastity for her grace.”
The hired worker joked with a smile, “Congratulations, you’ll be able to live in a new house soon.”
The homeowner quickly waved his hand and said seriously, “No, no, we should thank the Saintess. Who would have thought that last year I was nearly starving, and this year I can build a house?”
“You’re right. When I have time, I’ll definitely buy an Indulgence Certificate.”
“What Indulgence Certificate? I heard the Saintess has issued a decree officially stopping the Church from selling Indulgence Certificates, and even recycling them at a certain ratio.”
“And me—I owed a bunch of debts last year, almost hanged myself. It was the Saintess who implemented a ‘Debt Restructuring’ decree, severely cracking down on usury and taking over the debts for the government. I only need to repay my debts in installments over ten years.”
“My two children fell ill, and I borrowed money from the treasury. The interest rate was so low I couldn’t believe it—just need to repay within three years.”
“Anyway, long live the Saintess.”
“Aililan is our forever best Saintess.”
Hearts are a scale.
Although many people remained ignorant, they knew clearly in their hearts who truly cared for them.
After all, it’s been less than two years. They’re not dead—everyone knows what it was like before. Do they want to go back to starving?
At Frazia Holy Maiden Manor, Aililan was relatively idle now.
She had handed over many complicated administrative tasks to the team she had trained below.
Otherwise, she would go crazy if she had to approve even the execution of a criminal.
Not far away, several maids pulled longbows.
A few arrows shot toward Aililan, but the arrows had no arrowheads—they were even wrapped in a layer of cotton cloth. Even if they hit, it would just hurt a little.
The arrows seemed to shoot into water, slowing down the closer they got to Aililan.
Finally, as if plunging into tar, they all came to a halt.
Aililan waved her hand casually.
The Virtue of Chastity divine power on her burst forth.
All the arrows were swept away.
“Still not good enough.”
Aililan sighed.
Compared to negative things like poisons and plagues, the Virtue of Chastity divine power was like a special attack.
But when it came to magic and blades, it struggled.
“It can slow them down to a certain extent.”
“But it can’t purify them like it does poisons.”
If she had to give a reason, Aililan thought that perhaps the level of magic and blades was above poisons and plagues, so she could only take it slow.
She took a sip of black tea.
Just as she was about to have the maids continue, Yarandale walked over quickly and said in a low voice, “Lady Saintess, the Princess of the Elves requests an audience.”
“Eleanorice? Hasn’t she been busy with trade between both sides recently?”
“Yes, she’s at the gate.”
“Let her in.”
After months of negotiation, mainly after experiencing the rebellion launched by War Pigs and the elves sending troops to “help,” the relationship between the two sides had entered a sort of honeymoon period.
The elves had therefore formally proposed trade.
The elves mainly sold exotic fruits, specialty wines, and precious medicinal herbs.
These were extremely profitable whether sold to other regions of the Church or exported to distant kingdoms.
Especially precious medicinal herbs—the Church itself didn’t have enough.
Meanwhile, Atester’s side sold large quantities of daily necessities, including but not limited to meat, grain, clothing, as well as art and jewelry.
This satisfied both the daily needs of the lower-class elves and the luxurious tastes of the pureblood elves.
It was no exaggeration to say the profits here were enormous.
This was also why Aililan dared to tackle the “debts” of her subjects and help them restructure.
And to stop selling Indulgence Certificates, even recycle them, and re-establish the credit of the certificates.
Aililan had a very bold idea.
She was trying to peg the Indulgence Certificates to gold coins.
In short, she wanted to find a way to make the Indulgence Certificates function like “paper money” in another world.
And then use this as the trade currency here in the borderlands between the orcs and elves, and even get the demons to use it.
Before long, Eleanorice walked over quickly.
“Saintess Aililan.”
Eleanorice’s eyes were bright, and her gaze at Aililan carried immense reverence and admiration.
Only by seeing with one’s own eyes the happy smiles on the faces of the lower classes under Atester’s rule could one know how great this Saintess truly was.
She had studied here for over half a year, always feeling she had learned a lot, but somehow the experience she gained here was useless when she returned to the elves.
“Welcome, Princess.”
“Saintess, you don’t need to be so polite. Here, you are the one most worthy of my respect and study.”
“So, what brings you here?”
“It’s like this. The trade between us is very important to the elves right now. I have seen with my own eyes the changes in the lives of the lower-class elves. However…”
Eleanorice sighed softly, then voiced some of her confusion.
It was simply that the profits from trade were too large, and the pureblood elves were increasingly intervening, pocketing the cake that should have been shared with the lower classes.
“Saintess, what should I do?”
“You shouldn’t ask me, but yourself.”
“I don’t know.”
“Then I can’t help you.”
“Please, Saintess, I beg you.”
Aililan sighed and after a while said, “You simply don’t have the courage or ability to take them down, so I can only give you one piece of advice.”
“Please tell me.”
“If you can’t beat them, join them.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you understand? I mean, you, as the royal family, should also cut a piece of the cake. Since you care about the lower classes, use the money from that cake to distribute to them.”
Eleanorice nodded, seeming to understand but not fully, and plunged headfirst into the path Aililan had designed for her.
Because she had no other choice.
Aililan, on the other hand, smiled without saying a word.
Because she had also had a hand in pushing this matter along.
She would be stupid to let the elves grow strong.
So the solution was simple.
That was to train those pureblood elves into compradors.
As for what compradors were like, surely no one doesn’t know?