The sacred pilgrimage had ended.
The pilgrims left, still lingering in the afterglow.
Bishop Wilma hurried over, excitement written all over her face. “Saintess Aililan, your holy song was truly astonishing!”
Aililan returned the gesture gracefully. “Bishop Wilma, you flatter me. Pure faith and unwavering conviction—these are but duties for us who serve the Light God.”
Wilma said, “You’re absolutely right.”
Aililan replied, “So, regarding the matter of food I mentioned last time?”
Wilma patted her chest and promised immediately, “Saintess, rest assured. I will have twenty carts of grain prepared right away and delivered directly to you.”
“Then I’ll trouble you with this, Bishop Wilma.”
“No trouble at all, haha.”
Saintess Aililan had given her such great honor, so of course Wilma had to return the favor. As the saying goes, ‘You respect me a foot, I’ll give you ten!’
Aililan smiled faintly.
The Saintess was not only steadfast in faith.
She also needed to be well-versed in the ways of the world.
“If there’s nothing else…”
Aililan was about to take her leave.
A priest came rushing over and whispered a few words into Bishop Wilma’s ear.
After listening, Wilma frowned, and after a long pause, spoke with some difficulty, “Saintess, someone requests an audience with you. May I…?”
Aililan: ?
Seriously, man.
I’ve already done you a favor—don’t push your luck!
As Saintess, she had her pride and dignity. Not just anyone with a bit of status could request to see her at will.
Seeing her reaction, Wilma hurried to explain, “This person is different. She’s a noblewoman from the Kingdom of Yatelan and also one of the leaders of the Starlane Continent Chamber of Commerce. She plays a crucial role in Atester City’s business and economy.”
Aililan was taken aback.
A noblewoman from the Kingdom of Yatelan? One of the leaders of the Starlane Continent Chamber of Commerce?
Aililan’s eyes suddenly lit up as she thought of another blondie.
“Could it be her?”
That blonde rich lady with a thing for married women? Also the life-and-death nemesis of that Feng Aotian, whose only hobby this life seems to be picking up Feng Aotian’s cast-offs.
Thinking of this—
Aililan immediately said, “Since she’s so important to Atester, please take me to see her!”
Wilma was overjoyed. “Saintess, you are truly wise.”
The two of them headed to the reception room together.
As soon as the door opened, a figure radiating noble splendor caught Aililan’s eye.
The noblewoman was dressed in a lavish gown, pale gold and threaded with abundant golden silk. Her full figure was not plump, but lush and curvaceous.
A splendid red gem adorned her neck. Like Aililan, she had beautiful, long golden hair, braided and draped over one side of her chest. Her face was both elegant and refined.
She exuded the kind of charm that gave off a ‘wifely’ air. After all, who wouldn’t like a lady who could say, ‘You wouldn’t want to…’?
In her heart, Aililan was already admiring, “Oh, my Light God! That figure, that bearing! She isn’t even married yet, but already has such a wife’s allure. If the Prime Minister saw her, what would he think?”
Upon seeing Aililan enter, the noblewoman gracefully greeted her. “You must be Saintess Aililan! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Briana Tell.”
Aililan withdrew her appreciative gaze and nodded. “I heard you wanted to see me. May I ask what for?”
Briana smiled, then, feeling it might be improper, lifted a folding fan to gently shield her lips as she spoke. “My father is a devout believer. He’s spent huge sums many times, but was never able to invite any Saintess to visit. I never imagined I’d meet a Saintess on pilgrimage here in this humble Atester City. It’s an extraordinary stroke of luck, so I especially wished to meet you.”
“Ms. Briana, you’re too kind. Any Saintess is merely the Light God’s agent in this world. As long as you have true faith, the Light God is always by your side.”
“Saintess, you are so approachable!”
“Putting aside my identity as a Saintess, I’m just an ordinary girl.”
“……”
The two of them seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.
After all, in Aililan’s eyes, an enemy’s enemy is a friend. Besides, this blonde with a thing for married women only looked at her with admiration.
Judging from Briana’s preference, she shouldn’t be interested in someone as pure as Aililan.
A long while later.
Aililan was the first to suggest leaving. “I still have some matters to attend to, so let’s end our talk here for today.”
Briana quickly said, “No, no, I should apologize for disturbing you.”
Aililan smiled.
Just as she was about to turn and leave with her people—
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she smiled again and said, “I feel a strong kinship with you, Ms. Briana. If you have the chance, I hope you’ll visit my residence!”
Briana’s eyes brightened. “Of course, I’d be delighted.”
Aililan seemed to be pondering something as she said, “Then I’ll send you an invitation another day. I hope you won’t decline.”
“I certainly won’t.”
What Aililan was really pondering was—
Women like Vice-captain Pella, who were toyed with by Feng Aotian, did they count as ‘wives’?
Even if they didn’t, they were definitely cast-offs. Now that there’s a blonde with a penchant for married women and cast-offs, wouldn’t it be a waste not to give Feng Aotian a little trouble?
Aililan left Emile Cathedral.
She saw the twenty carts of grain that Bishop Wilma had prepared, all neatly arranged.
“Twenty carts.”
“Six hundred jin per cart.”
“I just hope this will help for a while longer.”
Aililan sighed.
Over ten thousand jin of grain— even if all of it were cooked into a watery gruel, for the tens of thousands in the slums, it was still just a drop in the bucket.
Returning to the slums once more, Aililan handed the grain to Knight Arkernard.
She knew, even if she were a fool, that in the slums, whoever controls the food controls the power.
At the same time.
“Knight Arkernard, I heard that when you went to the villages to purchase flax and cotton, you ran into quite a bit of trouble?”
“That’s right. At first, things went smoothly, but later—who knows why—the villagers started raising prices, some even boycotted our purchases.”
“Any specifics?”
“We’re still investigating.”
“Seems you don’t have any leads yet? Then don’t trouble yourselves further—just find out who those villagers used to supply, and to whom. I want this settled before I leave today.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
Aililan didn’t blame them. They were knights, made for battle, not for investigating schemes and intrigues—it really wasn’t fair to ask.
Aililan stood.
She once again walked the streets and alleys of the slums.
She always strove to live up to her Saintess’s virtues: treating the sick, easing the pain of the wounded, bringing hope to the despairing. This, too, was a kind of chastity.
Aililan cradled a baby with a faint breath of life, softly humming like a lullaby.
[La~]
[La la~~]
[La la——]
The holy light gently soothed wounds and illness.
The baby’s breath gradually became steadier.
Singing hymns for the nobles at Emile Cathedral—that was work.
But healing the weak and sick, living her virtues, and humming a gentle tune—
This was life.