Blondies battling with magic.
The Saintess reaps the benefits as the fisherman.
Aililan didn’t want things to escalate; she just hoped the two blondes would fight it out behind the scenes.
After thinking for a while, Aililan said in a wistful tone, “In this matter, Grandmaster Fina Nisi truly bears no fault, but inevitably, there is still some negligence on her part. However, the Grandmaster is, after all, the victim here. This matter…”
Aililan fell into thoughtful silence.
Fina Nisi understood immediately.
The other captains also caught the underlying meaning in her words. In the end, someone had to take responsibility, right?
But it certainly wouldn’t be one of Aililan’s people—after all, she was already doing Fina Nisi a favor.
A moment later.
Fina Nisi strode over to Captain Yarvis, raised her hand, and slapped him hard across the face, rebuking him angrily, “I’ve always left the responsibility for my quarters to you. How do you manage things?”
Yarvis held his face, utterly incredulous, then his complexion turned deathly pale.
Even Fina Nisi was blaming him now—Yarvis knew he was finished.
He was struck by sudden regret.
He hated himself for ever following Fina Nisi.
As a captain of the Chastity Knights, the one he should have been loyal to was the Saintess!
But it was too late now.
Aililan, ever the mediator, made a decision on the matter: “Enough. Yarvis does bear responsibility for this. He is to be demoted to Deputy Leader and put under observation.”
“Grandmaster Fina Nisi, what do you think?”
“I have no objection. The fact that he’s not being expelled from the Chastity Knights is already an act of leniency beyond the law.”
“Very good.”
Aililan turned to another person, her tone earnest.
“Milisanel, you are an excellent knight. I want to put a bit more responsibility on your shoulders. For now, you’ll temporarily take on Captain Yarvis’s duties, and manage both knight divisions. May I ask if you have confidence in this?”
“It is my duty to serve the Saintess, and I would not dare decline.”
“Good, very good. Then that’s settled!” Aililan paused, then added, “Grandmaster Fina Nisi, you may select elite members from the knights to pursue the assassin. Once they are captured, I will personally clear your name.”
A stick, then a jujube.
Of course, she was also well aware that Fina Nisi never cared how many in the knights were her people; with her strength, she could take on the whole order alone.
But Aililan was different.
She needed to hold onto every shred of power.
“Very well.”
“Meeting adjourned.”
With a single command from Aililan, the captains all returned to their duties.
Aililan, meanwhile, wondered whether she should go and warn Briana Tell.
Battling for power was fine, but it mustn’t happen within the Chastity Knights, or it would put her in a difficult position.
She took a deep breath.
Aililan shook her head.
She hurried off to Emile Cathedral, primarily to handle some church activities.
After all, with church and state unified, every clerical position held undeniable influence.
For example, with any decision—whether at the local, street, town, or village level—all the priests and monks served as messengers of those decisions.
Put even more plainly, they were the “grassroots megaphones” of the church’s governing system, wielding a voice that could not be ignored.
After the morning prayers.
Wilma, Bishop of Emile Cathedral, came to her and said, “You’ve been in Atester City for some time now. In order to respond to the needs of the faithful—”
“Throughout history, in every region governed, the Saintesses have always performed miraculous deeds.”
“I wonder, Saintess Aililan, if you are available in the near future so I can arrange these matters for you.”
Miracles, was it?
Aililan recalled that, in practice, it was mostly healing the sick, helping the needy, acts of charity and kindness. The purpose wasn’t merely to display divine power, but to spread the Saintess’s reputation—so that the world would know she existed.
If the Saintess never left her chambers, who would ever know her name?
“That’s fine,” Aililan nodded.
“Wonderful! I’ll start making arrangements immediately. We’ll begin in Atester City. When the time comes, the entire city will be singing the praises of your noble name as the Chaste Saintess. Then, we’ll proceed to the villages and towns under the city’s jurisdiction, so that hundreds of thousands of people will come to know your name and radiance.”
Wilma was overjoyed, since this would count toward her own merit assessment in the future.
“If all goes well, we can start within a couple of days; if there are delays, at most a fortnight. I hope you won’t mind our efficiency—we have to be thorough with these arrangements, as it concerns both your safety and reputation.”
“How could I blame you? You’re doing all this for my sake. Your devotion is like the noonday sun in the sky, unforgettable to me. If anything, I’m the one troubling you!”
Upon hearing this, the gathered clergy responded with delight.
[To serve the Saintess is an honor for all clergy.]
[Saintess, you are far too humble.]
[Your character remains as modest as ever.]
[Our church has produced another extraordinary Saintess!]
[Surely Saintess Aililan will become as great as the other Seven Virtues Saints!]
[…]
Aililan responded with a gentle smile.
Maintaining humility and courtesy would always win her goodwill from others.
Wilma set about organizing matters, and though she longed to serve her Saintess personally, she still had more important things to attend to.
There was a critical reason for thrusting the Saintess before the public and having the world know of Aililan’s existence—it was to lay the groundwork for her future rule.
Later that morning.
Wilma led Aililan to a vast complex in Atester City, gothic in style and built of exquisite white stone.
Here, they would attend governmental hearings.
This was, one could say, the most crucial location in Atester City’s ruling bureaucracy.
[Rinzheng Tribunal]
That was its name.
Every day, a massive volume of confidential matters and decrees were decided here and then issued for execution.
Aililan sat at the highest seat… to one side. Wilma had brought her not to participate in the decisions, but as an “observer,” to witness and learn.
No one would ever entrust a city’s future to a clueless blonde Saintess. (Referring to Aililan’s golden hair—she really was blonde.)
Wilma, as always, quietly introduced, “Saintess Aililan, today the Rinzheng Tribunal has two main agenda items. One concerns military expenditures; the other pertains to civil livelihood. But the two are closely connected.”
Aililan nodded slightly, “I see.”
Today, she was merely an observer. Even if someone’s brains got bashed out on the tribunal floor, she would make no comments or decisions.
To intervene rashly would be seen as immature behavior from a Saintess!
Want to participate in decision-making?
She’d have to wait until she took power herself.