When the plot-skips players into the game world-Chapter 957 - 322: Assign Three Bishops to Them

“Fear?”

Isabel was startled by the question.

“Mhm. Because they were all slaves of goblins, and slaves are not permitted to take others’ belongings without permission. For their masters, it is a disgrace, indicating that they have ‘shamed their impoverished master.’ A slave caught taking things without permission could even be sentenced to death.

“But at the same time, slaves do not have the right to refuse gifts from others. Since the Avalonians are free people, slaves have no right to reject their acts of giving.

“So their kneeling is actually out of fear, begging for mercy… ‘Please don’t kill me’—that’s probably what they meant.”

Alestair vividly explained the knowledge she recently acquired from the Holy Nation, proudly flaunting the new information to her girlfriend.

“—Can Transcendents really become slaves too?”

Isabel was quite surprised: “And after that…?”

Alestair shook her head: “Later, it should be the goblin manager in the construction team who granted permissions, allowing them to accept gifts. After all, in Avalon territory, it’s inconvenient for them to publicly execute slaves—it’s too barbaric and bloody for us.

“…And the tribute and blessings they offered after that were the expressions of gratitude that the trolls wanted to convey. If nothing unexpected happened, those trolls must have genuinely blessed those residents… because they do not understand the Avalonian culture of ‘merely asking for blessings verbally.’

“After all, trolls can indeed bestow blessings on others through rituals—but the blessing itself is considered an ability from the Path of Devotion, and replicating it through Transcendence or maintaining it for a long time is very difficult. If exercised at their low energy level, it’s very likely to shorten their lifespan.”

“It’s like that…”

Isabel became serious: “Then I need to order not to seek blessings from the trolls anymore. They come to build railroads for us for free, and we cannot trouble them… If news gets out, it would belittle us Avalonians. Thank you, Alai… The information you’ve provided is very important. Do you want a kiss?”

“It’s nothing.”

Alestair softly declined by turning her head away silently.

But speaking of the construction team, another thought occurred to her: “How about the railroad? How is the construction going? I remember Geront mentioned giving us ten locomotives… Has he delivered?”

“No, it’s said to be in procurement. But the railroad is almost half done…”

Isabel recalled.

“After all, the contract states that it should be operational by August.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

Alestair nodded with satisfaction, emphasizing: “But don’t rush to open it then, remember to have an expert check it first. While unlikely—they probably wouldn’t dare—based on my understanding of goblins, the managers and responsible parties executing the task might skimp on quality and embezzle a substantial amount of funds.”

“Alright, I will check rigorously.”

Isabel nodded, taking note: “Anything else?”

“Don’t naively let those goblins decide the direction of the railroad—according to the contract, ‘any city with more than three bishops must have a railroad.’ You go back to Minister Hermes, suggest a list of ‘cities in urgent need of railroad service,’ and then see if you can lay out three lines.

“As for cities that are interrupted, it’s an easy fix. Go to the church and find Bishop Mathers to publish an edict, reassigning bishops to the cities we need, three for each city—I mean, allocate three bishops for every important city.

“If the bishops wish to return to their previous locations… tell them to wait for half a year as a form of experience. Once the railroad is open, then ask if they want to go back.”

“…Is that okay?”

Isabel was worried: “Doesn’t it seem… a bit underhanded?”

“Of course not.”

Alestair chuckled, her eyes bright: “Don’t underestimate the cunning of goblins. Since goblins have proposed this condition, it means they’ve anticipated this scenario—just like a casino where one person wins money, two must lose. But the casino owner will never lose.

“Just like the buildings they’re constructing for us. Although the buildings are part of the contract and free of charge… the decoration will cost money. Whether it’s façade ornaments or the furniture and living necessities required inside, it would be too much hassle to transport from the inland.

“The best way is to set up factories in Summer County. Or alternatively, to import in bulk directly from the port—in either choice, it means boosting internal demand, and we still need to buy from the Goblin Commerce Association.”

Speaking of which, now that the war has stopped… it might also be possible to use the church’s relationships to reach out to Stibnite.

Alestair pondered.

If Avalon were to trade with Stibnite, Avalonians would get cheap and useful goods, and it could also alleviate the economic collapse of Stibnite… For some Stibnites, it might even be considered a “Savior-from-above” level miracle.

“In fact, goblins are happy to see this situation unfold. The greatest benefit of having bishops stationed in cities is that it is difficult for undead disasters to occur. The undead calamities in the hinterland—especially those in dense forests or swamplands—are even more devastating than droughts and floods.

“Because this means ordinary people’s commerce and travel carry great risks. Without the Wild Hunt’s regular sweeps, encountering a large number of undead on complex terrain could possibly result in becoming one of them.

“And when wandering undead congregate into a catastrophe, they will strike places rich in living beings—farmlands, pastures, and even rural towns are at risk.

“For most mortals, ‘dying’ turns out to be the simplest way for them to become stronger. Many ordinary people become undead with Transcendent powers after death, and such undead, once banded together, are impossible to combat by those who are alone or without weapons.

“Therefore, a fundamental requirement of ‘major cities’ is that the scale of the church can’t be too small, and at the very least, the clergies must be able to cover the local funerals and weddings.

“After all, at the bishop’s level, one is capable of teaching simple rituals and Divine Arts to ordinary people… so having bishops or not is a stark difference. With the presence of Third Level Contributors, even if high-profile individuals are suddenly injured or fall ill, they can receive effective treatment immediately.

“With these conditions, plus the functioning of the eastern railroad, it’s easy to become a city with a high population concentration. And when population density increases, naturally more merchants will emerge.”

“…That’s an interesting theory.”

Isabel nodded and quickly committed it to memory.

Respecting the principle of asking when in doubt, rather than feign understanding, she reflected and then asked carefully: “But what about after the bishops leave? Won’t these big cities suddenly become empty?”

Aleister laughed: “Not at all. Not to mention, we naturally need more bishops… and don’t forget, Isabel, these people can’t just appear out of thin air…”

“—Appear out of thin air?”

Isabel blinked: “Oh… I think I understand what you mean.”

“Right. They must have been relocated from other places, which means a decrease in population elsewhere and naturally a reduced need for clergy there.

“The church schools continuously dispatch intern graduates to rural towns to serve as clergy anyway. In reality, this is merely shifting more clergy from the less developed rural towns to the transportation hubs.

“It’s actually a win-win situation—they don’t want to live in too backward areas, and these hub cities get more clergy. When people are relaxed and volunteering for work, it’s even easier to advance to bishop. From this perspective, it could even be considered a triple win.”

Pausing, Aleister added thoughtfully: “Moreover, stepping back a bit… I might have a way to bring in a group of ready-made bishops. But that’s uncertain.”

She was referring to the population of Star Antimony.

Having accepted comfort and support from Aiwass, she had planned to organize a new force within Star Antimony.

The power dynamics in Star Antimony were already complex: the Path of Balance’s Royal Alchemy Association, the Taboo Fellowship of the Path of Transcendence, the Spirit Summoning Tower of the Path of Dusk, the Rose Cross Society of the Path of Love, as well as the Leipzig Faction…

Strictly speaking, the Royal Family should belong to the Royal Alchemy Association. But obviously, the Royal Family’s proficiency in alchemy was not enough to secure total allegiance from the Association. Thus, the Royal Family could be considered an independent fifth force.

But there is an issue—Star Antimony does, in fact, have the Nine Pillars Divine Church, and not a small number of clergy at that.

After all, the territory of Star Antimony is sufficiently large, and it has developed well.

Compared to Star Antimony, any city in Avalon outside of Glass Island would seem like the countryside.

With such population density, the number of clergy in Star Antimony far exceeds those in Avalon.

Because the political situation in Star Antimony is extremely complex, and regardless of who controls Star Antimony, eventually, they would all need the Nine Pillars Divine Church… Therefore, the Church has chosen to remain neutral.

—Then, what if someone were to gather and command these clergy, forming a new force?

Go save those people—that was what Aiwass said to her.

Aleister preferred to think of it as a mission, or even an order.

If everything went according to plan, she would rescue the Stibnite from the abyss of suffering with these people.

But if the plan failed, or if Star Antimony was utterly beyond help… Aleister couldn’t just abandon these clergy who were dragged into the political whirlpool and then nonchalantly walk away.

If it came to that, Aleister would, at the very least, find them a safe place—directly bringing them back to Avalon. In this way, they could avoid the turmoil triggered by the descent of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, and also prevent suspicion from the Rose Cross Society.

At this moment, Isabel suddenly yawned, her body gradually becoming transparent.

—This was a sign she was about to wake from the dream.

Thus, Aleister hurriedly added: “Oh yes, Isabel—remember to grant some benefits to the residents of Summer County, such as exceptionally low rent prices, or even temporarily free leases, to make good use of those empty high-rise buildings, also possibly renting them out at low prices to some companies as offices.

“Waiting for the population to slowly move there is too slow, and might cause the original residents of Summer County to become rich too quickly, developing resentment towards the newcomers… They might feel that these people are stealing the wealth that belonged to them.

“To avoid such a situation, it is better to move a batch of the population over there. Compared to coercion, providing welfare support is a better choice…”

“Alright, alright—I remember it all.”

Isabel abruptly interrupted Aleister’s words before she finished.

Just before disappearing, Isabel, slightly annoyed, tapped on Aleister’s head, which was focused on serious matters, then suddenly bit her ear, and like a bubble, she vanished.

Aleister, touching her ear bitten for no apparent reason, was baffled, yet her cheeks gradually reddened.

“…Why bite me.”

She touched her flushed earlobe, murmuring with a hint of grievance: “I was discussing important matters…”

Aleister tilted her head, looking around the now empty room, but her lips gradually curved upward, her gaze tranquil and clear.

Her hollow soul was healed, her anxious heart calmed, her fearful spirit now at peace.

…Perhaps, Isabel really could save me after all.

I came to save the world, and she saves me…

Thinking this, Aleister slowly rolled over, moving to where Isabel had been lying, imitating her earlier pose of embracing herself, hugging her own curled left arm, embedding her body in the soft bed, in the warm and fragrant depression that remained.

“Goodnight, Isabel.”

The doll-like girl whispered softly.

Aleister closed her eyes, falling asleep alone in a sweet dream.