"I will have him meet with you after I hand over the document tablet to him."
"Then I shall trouble you with that."
While I felt a sense of relief, I couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
This Rahman had caused such a scene right from the start. I had originally intended to squeeze a bit more money out of them, since everyone knows the Kingdom of Sand is incredibly wealthy.
Looking at the smiling Aisha on the screen, my mind raced, and I quickly pieced together the truth.
She knew full well that Rahman was arrogant and overbearing, yet she sent him anyway and put him in command of the army. Wasn't that an obvious attempt to stir up trouble?
If Brilliant City hadn't possessed enough power to suppress the Wyvern Knight Corps, she would have certainly adopted a superior attitude and acted like a common bandit.
Since the Wyvern Knight Corps was suppressed, she could completely shift the blame onto Rahman and then play the victim to me.
If... by some chance Rahman had been killed, it would be my side that would have to give up some interests as compensation.
In other words, no matter how things turned out, she wouldn't lose.
She truly calculated everything down to the bone.
She didn't even care whether her Guardian Knight lived or died.
In fact, she might have preferred for Rahman to die in Brilliant City.
That way, she could have used the opportunity to blackmail us and drive the purchase price down significantly.
"It is no trouble. I will do my best to treat Sir Rahman and ensure I return a Guardian Knight full of life and vigor to you."
"Rahman did indeed go a bit too far. I will certainly discipline him once they return. I am truly sorry for the trouble."
...
Recalling that final, fading smile in the communication room, I felt as if something was blocking my chest.
This Saintess of Sand, Aisha, was truly calculating to the core.
But no matter how she plotted, I still held the initiative for the time being.
"Nara, have someone bring that seriously injured Guardian Knight of Sand here."
"Does Your Highness intend to treat him personally?"
Nara curled her lip, clearly showing her disdain.
Although Nara had no right to voice her opinion on political matters, she had heard everything and knew exactly what kind of person Rahman was.
Anyone who dared to lead an army to charge Brilliant City should have been killed on the spot!
While Nara didn't have much of a political mind, she had learned her master's decisiveness perfectly.
"Yes. I know you're unhappy, but there's no other way. This concerns the relationship between the Kingdom of Sand and the Kingdom of the Moon. He cannot die, at least not in our Kingdom of the Moon. Now, go."
I patted Nara's backside, and the firm rebound was quite a surprise.
This Nara... she was certainly well-endowed in all the right places.
Sigh, if I were still a man, this curvaceous figure would never escape my clutches!
Unfortunately, I can only sigh at the sight of such abundance now.
Watching Nara sway her hips as she walked out, I flipped over and lay face down on the divine platform, sliding a pillow underneath me.
The torrential rain continued to pour, bringing an involuntary sense of peace as if my entire being was being washed clean.
The air was filled with a cool mist, and the only sound was the rhythmic pattering of the rain.
No sirens, no city noise. In a world where the technology tree had clearly branched in a strange direction, this kind of tranquility was something to yearn for.
Once the magic airships from the Kingdom of Sand arrived, it meant the supplies from the Holy See would arrive as well.
Those supplies would be enough to instantly restore life to Brilliant City and support the million refugees outside.
It was lucky they arrived when they did; any later, and we would have been left with nothing in a few days.
Nara moved quickly. Although she loathed Rahman, the Saintess's orders were absolute. She didn't know if others would follow them, but she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Several people carried Rahman onto a carriage and hurried to the central Temple.
As they entered the hall, many people were taken aback by Rahman's condition. Some nuns even turned away, unable to stomach the sight.
At this moment, Rahman looked like a pile of scorched mud.
The skin across his entire body was nearly destroyed. His hair and eyebrows had been turned to charcoal, sticking to his skin.
His clothes had been stripped, but there wasn't much left to remove. Most of the fabric had been burned and fused to his flesh.
In the places where it had been torn away, raw, pinkish-white meat was exposed.
Blisters had formed in many areas. Rahman no longer looked like a majestic Guardian Knight; he was merely a man clinging to his last breath.
If Aziz hadn't forced the life-saving medicine down his throat, Rahman would have died long ago from severe lung burns.
Even with the medicine, his current state was pitiful.
A heavy scent of charred flesh filled the room as he was brought in.
Seeing the blackened charcoal-like figure, Luo Li frowned and turned to Nara.
"This is... the Guardian Knight?"
Nara also felt a bit sick. She took a brief glance and nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness. This is Sir Rahman."
I looked the charred figure up and down.
"Tsk tsk... how pitiful."
Seeing her Saintess say this, Nara curled her lip in disdain.
"Why should Your Highness pity him? He brought this on himself. Who told him to charge Brilliant City with an army? I say he deserves it!"
"Enough, I know how you feel. Bring him closer."
I stepped down from the divine platform and approached the miserable Guardian Knight. After checking him over, I confirmed he was still breathing and wouldn't die in the immediate future.
However, he was extremely weak.
When I touched his skin, it felt like nothing more than a lump of charcoal.
"Heal."
My healing was different from ordinary magic. As the holy light flowed from my wrist into the charred mass, I was surprised by the state of his internal body.
Although his exterior was in terrible condition, his internal organs were actually protected by a layer of energy, leaving them almost completely intact.
That made things much easier for me.
Under the influence of the healing, the scabs on Rahman's body were quickly pushed apart by the regenerating skin and muscle. What was revealed was fresh, tender skin, like that of a newborn.
"Where... am I?"
As his hair and eyebrows grew back, Rahman slowly opened his eyes.
He looked around with a dazed expression.
"This is the Temple of Brilliant City. Before you is Her Highness, the Saintess of the Moon. If not for Her Highness's intervention, you wouldn't have seen tomorrow. Why haven't you knelt to show your gratitude?"
Nara stood by with a proud expression, perfectly playing the role of the haughty attendant.
"You are the Saintess of the Moon?"
Rahman's gaze shifted to me, a look of stunned admiration flashing in his eyes. He then sat up abruptly, causing charred flakes to scatter across the floor.
He looked down at his body and the debris on the ground, and a memory seemed to strike him.
"Those dragons... they were real."
He looked up at me in shock.
"How... how did you do it? Did the Dragon King not pressure you? You actually dare to keep dragons? Are you not afraid of the dragon race's retaliation?"
I smiled. I was not just a simple Saintess. Among the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, only the Kingdom of the Moon had no royalty.
Therefore, I was both the Saintess and the Queen.
"Guardian Knight, is this how you speak to me?"
Rahman froze, a flash of hesitation crossing his face. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head.
"This humble official... Rahman, Guardian Knight of the Kingdom of Sand, greets Your Highness the Saintess of the Moon. I wish you eternal peace."
"Rise."
Despite his arrogance, Rahman had some self-awareness. At least he knew to bow before a Saintess.
"Rahman, how I obtained those two thousand dragons is none of your concern, is it?"
Rahman's brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth as if to say something more. But when he looked up at the smiling Saintess before him, a thought struck him.
He suddenly remembered the face of his own Lady Aisha.
At this moment, the smile on Luo Li's face was identical to the one Aisha wore when she was angry.
Rahman knew all too well that Aisha only smiled like that when she was truly furious.
In an instant, cold sweat broke out on Rahman's forehead.
He had dared to be provocative before because he thought the Kingdom of the Moon was a paper tiger that would crumble at a touch.
But now, after seeing those two thousand skysoar dragons, his perspective had changed completely.
Arrogant as he was, Rahman understood the law of the jungle.
"Indeed. This official was impetuous."
"Good. As long as you understand."
It seemed Rahman was quite capable of reading the room.
I smiled and turned to walk back toward the divine platform, saying as I went:
"Rahman, for the sake of your Saintess, I will not pursue the matter of your charge against Brilliant City."
Rahman wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath.
"I thank Your Highness Luo Li for your great magnanimity."
"Nara, give him the items and take him to the communication room. Have him speak with his Lady Aisha to conclude the trade."
"Yes."
Soon, a small cart was pushed forward.
On the cart lay the replicated document tablet.
Rahman had not forgotten his purpose for coming here and quickly stepped forward to inspect it.
Once he confirmed there were no issues, he followed Nara's arrangements to the communication room.
As for how he would explain things to Aisha, that was no longer my concern.
Now, I had to consider how to handle the Wyvern Knight Corps.
Keeping them in Brilliant City was out of the question.
Not only were they a foreign military force, but keeping them near the city would only invite trouble.
On the other hand, leaving them here would be a waste of resources.
It would be better to hand them over to Kevin.
Others might not be able to control Rahman, but Kevin, as a Heavenly Punishment Knight, should have no problem keeping him in line.
And with this, I would feel much more at ease about Seaview City.
"Nara, pass on my orders. Kevin is to take command of the Wyvern Knight Corps effective immediately. Order the Wyvern Knight Corps to accompany the army to Seaview City."
"Yes!"
Now that they were in my hands, I had to utilize them to the fullest.
I would use Seaview City to test them and see just how much combat power this Wyvern Knight Corps actually possessed.
Just as I was thinking this, another report came from outside the hall.
"Reporting to Your Highness, Augus has returned."
"Oh? He's back? Let him in."
"That... I'm afraid he won't be able to come in for a while."
"What happened?"
Did that guy cause some trouble?
"Your Highness, he... he brought five hundred large carts of supplies. The entire Moon Square is filled with them, and they are currently being tallied."
Oh?
Such a pleasant surprise?
"Come, let's go see."
I stood up to head out, but Nara quickly followed and advised me:
"Your Highness, it is raining heavily outside. It would be better to wait in the hall. I am sure Augus will come to report soon."
Wait, if I rushed out now, would I seem too flighty?
As a ruler, that wouldn't be good.
"...Fine, let's wait then."
I returned to the divine platform and aimlessly flipped through my book.
However, I couldn't focus at all. Five hundred carts of supplies in the Moon Square? Could all of that be tools and raw materials?
Did that guy really have such capability?
After a while, a message came from the door.
"Your Highness, Minister Augus requests an audience."
Finally, he's here. I've been waiting so long I feel like I'm aging by the minute.
Before long, Augus entered. Although he still had that skeletal frame, the light in his eyes was so bright it was hard to look at directly.
His entire aura had become somewhat sharp.
However, the moment he reached the door, that sharp aura vanished like a sword being sheathed.
His posture became humble once again.
"Cabinet Minister Augus Di Clapham greets the Saintess. I wish you eternal peace."
"Rise and speak."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Augus stood up, a sickly flush on his face as he looked toward me.
"Your Highness, I have not failed your expectations. I have purchased a total of three million pounds of grain. The first batch of five hundred thousand pounds has already been sent to the refugee camps."
"There are five hundred carts of various tools. The first batch of one hundred thousand pounds of textile raw materials has also been sent to the refugee camps."
"Within the next three months, all other materials will be ready. The sales channels have also been arranged. We only need to begin implementation immediately, and within a month, the million refugees will be self-sufficient!"
"A total of two million gold coins were spent. The remaining three million gold coins have been set aside for emergencies."
You absolute legend, why don't you just ascend to the heavens already?
My good man, you are incredible.
With one move, he handled a massive business deal worth five million gold coins.
Regardless of how he did it, he managed to solve this massive problem with only twenty Temple knights and the empty title of a minister.
This alone was enough for me to put my full effort into cultivating his talent.
The remaining three million gold coins?
That could go straight into the national treasury.
However, since he was the one who obtained it, I would let him decide how to use it.
"Very well. I will leave those three million gold coins in your hands as well. For the coming period, the refugee camps will be under your command. I will have Guardian Knight Yuna assist you. You must stabilize the refugees."
"Your Highness, the subsequent matters only require normal procedures to be followed. There is no need for me to control these things. It would be better if Your Highness appointed someone else to manage them."
He spent the whole morning securing five million gold coins, and now he was just tossing it away?
This boy... to have such a temperament and vision?
His ambition is certainly not small.
Rate on N.U.
