Those beastmen’s words.
Reminded Aililan of an unpleasant color.
As a Saintess, there was absolutely no way she would compromise. She glared angrily at the beastmen and said, “This is Atester City. Who do you think should be the ones to leave… huh?”
Milisanel and Renata strode forward, surrounding the beastmen.
Even the infamous villain Fina Nisi gripped her sword hilt in the face of such a grave matter.
The Wolf Tribe Beastmen began to panic.
They let out low growls.
Barred their fangs in threat.
Renata, enraged by their actions, raised her iron-clad fist and smashed it straight into the wolfman’s mouthful of sharp teeth, knocking out half of them with a single punch.
“I hate wolves the most.”
You thought Renata was gentle?
What a joke. Only Saintess Aililan had the privilege of seeing her gentle side. Renata defended her village from a pack of wolves alone at age fourteen, wiped out an entire bandit camp by herself at fifteen, and was even a dual-wielding sword master—she was a tough knight through and through.
The remaining beastmen were horrified and shouted fiercely, “Humans, are you trying to start a war?”
What nonsense about war.
The Chastity Knights moved as one.
They instantly chopped off the claws of the two loudest beastmen, and captured the remaining two on the spot.
As the Chastity Knights took decisive action, a thunderous cheer erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Aililan raised her hand once more, signaling them to quiet down. She declared, “I, Aililan, Saint of Chastity of the Church of the Seven Virtues, hereby swear to you all: as long as I am here, no outsiders will ever oppress us humans on our own Human Territory.”
Aililan took a deep breath and looked toward the injured middle-aged man’s family.
“Please be at ease. I will arrange for your house to be rebuilt, and I will personally seek justice for you as soon as possible.”
At the same time, she addressed everyone, “I ask all of you to witness this together.”
‘Roar——’
The people erupted in joy.
All that talk about tense relations with the beastmen, or grand narratives—none of that mattered to these commoners. They only knew that these outsiders were detestable.
A strong Saintess was exactly what they wanted to see, not some politician blabbering on, only to smooth things over in the end and force them to swallow their anger.
Bishop Wilma’s expression changed repeatedly. She lowered her head and reminded quietly, “Saintess, what about the rest of the schedule?”
Aililan shot her a glance, her tone icy, “With something like this happening, what schedule?”
“Then, those beastmen?”
“Lock them all up in prison.”
Wilma responded and hurried away.
Aililan then summoned Renata.
“Saintess, what are your orders?”
“Go get Betiliana from the Inspection Office… mm, and Yarikel from the City Guard. Bring them both to Frezeya Manor—I have questions for them.”
The grand Sacred Ritual had come to a halt. This matter required Aililan’s solemn attention; otherwise, as the Saintess, her authority would be completely undermined.
What she showed outsiders—
Was her anger over the incident.
A storm was brewing on the side of the Rinzheng Tribunal. Among those Governors, there were hawks, but also many dovish factions with vested interests who did not want this to spark conflict with the beastmen.
The first to arrive at Aililan’s manor were Betiliana and Yarikel.
At this moment, both were somewhat ill at ease and nervous.
Aililan turned her back to them so they couldn’t see her expression and said, “You’re both in charge of public order—speak!”
The two exchanged glances. Betiliana spoke softly, “Incidents like this are common. We let our guard down and didn’t expect those beastmen would disrupt your Sacred Ritual, Saintess.”
Aililan waved her hand. “Betiliana, you don’t need to say any more.”
Clearly, this was not the answer, nor the excuse, the Saintess wanted to hear.
Yarikel, a seasoned official, pondered for a moment before saying, “This matter isn’t really our fault. The laws of Atester have always favored outsiders.”
Aililan frowned. “Why favor outsiders?”
Yarikel sighed, “Because they fear the northern beastmen attacking, fear offending the elves, fear the demons hiding in the shadows causing trouble. So when it comes to outsiders, policies are usually preferential.”
Aililan almost laughed in exasperation. “Cowardly, indecisive, and completely irresponsible—these are our church’s Governors?”
“They really are…”
Aililan gritted her teeth, “Such shining examples, aren’t they! Hahaha.”
Both understood she was being sarcastic and clearly displeased with the Tribunal.
She took a deep breath.
Then dismissed them for now.
Aililan sat in her seat, waiting.
Sure enough, not long after they left, the head maid came to report, “Saintess, someone from the Tribunal wishes to see you.”
Aililan nodded, “Let him in.”
The visitor was Ibisos, the Foreign Affairs Governor of Atester City. After saluting, he said, “What happened was our failure. I ask your forgiveness, Saintess.”
Aililan asked with interest, “I appreciate your concern, but this doesn’t really have anything to do with you—or, I mean, with you as the Foreign Affairs Governor, does it?”
“Well… it’s somewhat related.”
“Oh? In what way?”
“I’d like to ask you a question first, Saintess—what do you intend to do with those beastmen?”
“Disrupting the Sacred Ritual is a capital offense. Oppressing our people is even more so. My suggestion is ‘execution.’ What do you think?”
Governor Ibisos’s face changed as he tried to stop her, “Saintess, you mustn’t!”
Aililan asked, “Why not?”
“Saintess, you must know relations with the beastmen are tense. If you rashly execute beastmen living in human cities, it could spark unnecessary conflict.”
“Ridiculous. If I don’t execute them, can you guarantee there won’t be conflict?”
“Saintess,” the Foreign Affairs Governor suddenly put on a look of deep sorrow, as if grieving for all mankind. “You are a benevolent Saintess, you mustn’t let anger cloud your mind. You should consider the masses, keep the innocent away from war—so I beg you—endure.”
“Absurd.” Aililan was so angry she laughed. She scolded, “Execute a beastman, and you use war as an excuse to make me endure. So in the future, will the beastmen also use war as an excuse to make me, the Saint of Chastity, serve them? Will you also ask me to endure for the sake of the people?”
“Saintess.”
“Get out. I don’t want to see you again.”
Governor Ibisos was expelled from Frezeya Manor in a less than dignified manner.
Moreover, the Saintess’s rebuke spread far and wide—she said: If this Foreign Affairs Governor still had faith and loyalty, he should feel anger over the Saintess’s humiliation, not demand that his Saintess endure for the sake of those vile beastmen.
These words—
Cut right to the heart.
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