Chapter 437: I will be watching

Kalian, standing at the entrance of the tower, was still in the attire she had worn when standing on the castle's high platform earlier.

The nine o'clock sunlight sprinkled on that face with soft lines; even the conservative nun's robe couldn't completely hide the plumpness and health belonging to a country girl.

Traditional Shengxisi nuns were mostly tall and cold, mainly because the girls in the Empire were mostly tall and advocated restraint, just like grapes hanging on a high trellis.

The girls in the Luo De Kingdom were just the opposite, more like ripe tomatoes pressed on green vines.

Just right, she was wearing a crown of emerald olive branches on her head.

Luo Yan thought with interest that this might become the standard for nuns of the "New Shengxisi Sect."

"What do the girls in Hell look like?" Hearing You You, who heard Luo Yan's inner voice, asked curiously.

That was purely out of curiosity.

Luo Yan thought for a while and replied in his heart.

"Probably ripe tomatoes hanging on grape vines."

That was actually a bit unscientific, but does it make much sense to talk about science outside the Academy?

Especially in a place like Hell.

Hearing You You: "Pfft......"

"...... I knew it, you must be here."

Kalian walked forward, her clear eyes carrying a trace of closeness, just like a child who had just learned to walk and was proudly looking back, happening to see their parents looking at them with approving eyes.

That surpassed all rewards in the world.

Although Luo Yan was not her father, he was indeed looking at her with approving eyes at this moment.

Just now, he had once again witnessed a new legend.

"How did you guess?"

"Saintess's intuition."

Kalian blinked her eyes lightly, the corners of her mouth curling up proudly, her serene face full of unprecedented confidence.

She was no longer confused about her mission, and Luo Yan was very happy that she could find a new meaning in life.

"This crown suits you very well."

"Really?" Kalian opened her eyes in surprise, a trace of joy flashing in those bright pupils.

"Of course."

Luo Yan smiled and continued, "This idea is good, how did you think of it?"

"Actually, there's no reason...... I hope you won't laugh at me after hearing it."

A blush appeared on Kalian's cheeks, and she said shyly.

"I heard Bulunnan wanted to get me an iron crown, but I was worried it was too heavy, if I had to wear it often...... with my strength, I'm afraid I couldn't bear it."

Luo Yan didn't laugh, but Tafu on the side laughed out loud in a very unrefined way.

Hearing that pfft-pfft-pfft sound, Kalian's face turned even redder, standing there not knowing what to do, her index fingers twisted together behind her back.

"Did...... did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just that this little guy is used to being free and loose, and doesn't understand what boundary sense is...... I will educate her later."

Luo Yan kicked Tafu's tail lightly, and the latter restrained herself, although she still bared her teeth in dissatisfaction.

At this time, Sara, who was standing in the shade like a shadow, walked out. She didn't say a word, just like a big cat carrying a kitten, picked up Tafu from the ground and held her in her arms.

Tafu had something to say, but because of the familiar contract, she bared her teeth for a long time and only managed to squeeze out a "humiliating" woo-roo.

"Alright, be quiet......" Sara patted Tafu's back and muttered in a low voice, just like an unskilled mother cat coaxing her cub.

And a cow cat at that.

Watching this warm scene, Kalian couldn't help but "pfft" and covered her mouth to laugh. That laughter was as crisp as a wind chime, diluting the holy aura on the tower.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing "Lord God" looking at her, Kalian immediately realized she had been somewhat uncomposed.

Two blushes instantly flew onto her cheeks, and she hurriedly waved her hands, explaining incoherently.

"I, I'm sorry, Mr. Kelin! I just didn't expect that you would also have such...... uh, human-like side?"

In her heart, whether it was "Mr. Kelin" or "Flame King," they were all high and mighty images that didn't eat the fireworks of the world.

But at this moment, she felt a rare mortal-like intimacy from this man who was playing with his "pet."

However, her vocabulary was limited, and her expression was so strange that the little mother dragon without boundary sense pfft-pfft-pfft-ed again.

This guy had an exceptionally strong self-esteem, was full of G-spots, but her strength was insufficient and she was ridden on the head by a hairless monkey, unable to win or argue...... she could only win back with inexplicable performance art.

Luo Yan didn't care about Tafu's face-saving behavior; making this guy break her defense was simply too easy, just let Sara add an egg when she was cooking.

Looking at Kalian, who was gesturing with her index finger and explaining incoherently, he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"What you said, I am a human being, what do you mean by human-like?"

He hadn't tried playing a non-human creature yet, so he didn't know why this guy would have the illusion that he wasn't human.

However, Kalian was taken aback after hearing this sentence, opening her mouth slightly, as if her brain had crashed.

Originally...... a human? Then the divine power that conjured bread out of thin air, and the divine light that dispelled the dark clouds...... is this really something a human can do?! It took her a while to come back to her senses and ask stutteringly.

"Then, what about the Flame King?"

Luo Yan replied nonchalantly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"That's just my title."

A title...... just?

Kalian looked at him blankly, and it took a long time before she said in a low voice.

"Then...... is the rumor about the 'God-child' also a lie?"

This straightforward and simple girl pondered for a long time, really couldn't think of how to phrase it, so she cautiously used the word "lie."

She didn't mean to complain, she just found it hard to believe.

She had always thought she was saved by God, and the meaning of God saving her was that she hoped she would redeem the people in Hell.

Including the legend of the God-child that people talked about later, she also believed it deeply.

However, this Lord God told her that he was not a special existence, but a genuine human being.

Then what am I? Hearing this interesting question, Luo Yan laughed out loud. Afterward, he looked at those clear eyes and said.

"In my impression, there was no 'God-child' saying at first, the people in Lei Ming City were still too conservative, their imagination wasn't rich enough. They only said the Flame King was the 'Holy Child,' born by the magma, and fortunately protected by Shengxisi to survive the disaster. The people in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng had much richer imaginations, I was a bit surprised, it's only been a few days and I've become Shengxisi's son."

He had never said he was a God-child; almost all the stories surrounding this title were fabricated by people themselves.

There were drunks.

There were bards.

There were also adventurers.

Over time, the legend of the Flame King took root in Lei Ming County, even the Princess of Campbell believed it deeply.

After all, the Flame King's porridge shop did help many refugees outside Lei Ming City.

"...... So, everything is just a misunderstanding by people?" Kalian said blankly.

Luo Yan shook his head.

"Not entirely, to be precise, it should be a misunderstanding under deliberate guidance, I don't deny that I did it on purpose."

"But...... why did you do this?" Kalian asked in confusion.

"Very simple, because the people here need a god without secular interests to hear their voices and give affirmation, and I just happen to be able to satisfy them."

Looking at Kalian, who still couldn't let go, Luo Yan said with a smile.

"Actually, this isn't a bad thing. You might as well change your perspective, if it were Thomas, the boss of the caravan, who asked you to do those 'things I asked you to do,' are you sure you could find the courage to do it to the end? The premise of miracles is that everyone believes in them."

Kalian tried to imagine it, couldn't imagine the scene at all, so she shook her head with a red face, and then nodded again.

"Thank you for telling me this...... you could actually not tell me, right?"

Luo Yan nodded.

"If I had secular interests here, I really wouldn't need to tell you, but I don't have that requirement for you who have nothing, I'm just curious how far you will go."

For ordinary "God-chosen ones," he would only teach half of the secret manual, because half was enough; if the God-chosen one had too many ideas, it would only trouble himself.

However, the situation in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng was special, and an incomplete secret manual was probably not enough to beat the various forces entangled here.

He needed to let this Saintess know why it was so, so he inevitably had to teach her some real things that neither Chaos nor Shengxisi taught.

Including when they were on the road, besides explaining the Holy Word Book he had modified, he would also tell her why he modified it that way.

She had to give piety to the fanatical people, so that she could lead them away from the Hell beneath their feet. At the same time, she also had to keep herself sober, otherwise they would head to another Hell.

Looking at Kalian, who hadn't spoken for a long time, Luo Yan said with a smile.

"Disappointed?"

"No."

Kalian shook her head lightly, that shy and innocent smile appeared on her face again, and she opened her mouth embarrassedly.

"Actually...... when I heard you were a human, besides surprise, many confusions in my heart were suddenly solved. Honestly, being able to hear you tell me these secrets, my heart is actually a little...... happy."

Luo Yan could understand surprise and realization, the only thing that surprised him a little was happiness.

He thought she might be disappointed because of "falling off the altar," might be confused because of losing the "correct direction," but didn't expect this girl from the fields to be so optimistic, actually able to taste happiness from this realistic monologue.

"Happy is?"

"That, that...... is a secret."

Kalian suddenly shifted her gaze away, those hands that didn't know where to put had secretly moved from behind her back to the front, although those tightly clasped fingers were still nervously entangled together.

Looking at the nun lady who suddenly became embarrassed, Luo Yan thought for a while and decided not to continue asking.

He was a god with boundary sense, not like some dragon god who liked to look around and be curious everywhere.

Kalian didn't seem to want to continue on this topic either, coughed lightly, and showed a reliable side other than piety.

When she was in the carriage earlier, what she got from Lord God wasn't just "oracles," but also things outside of mysticism.

And now——

It was time for Lord God to inspect her "learning results"! "...... That, regarding the follow-up work of the Salvation Army, I have already made some preliminary arrangements, can you help me advise?"

Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"Of course, happy to help."

He suddenly had a feeling of returning to the Academy, Ilana's figure seemed to overlap with Kalian...... well, they couldn't overlap at all.

The two were completely different types in terms of personality, temperament, and appearance.

Having received Lord God's affirmation, Kalian's mouth curled up with a trace of joy, but soon she put on a serious and solemn expression again——

Just like a real Saintess.

"First is spring plowing. There is too much wasteland in Quemuling, I plan to send a part of the Salvation Army soldiers to the Wheat Tian Ye Village area to assist the returning residents in reclaiming wasteland and farming. For one, most of our soldiers are from peasant backgrounds and know how to farm; for two, many of their villages have been destroyed, I want to take this opportunity to let some of them settle down in Wheat Tian Ye Village...... I think, with a home, they can truly find a sense of belonging."

Luo Yan nodded.

"This idea is good, but you must pay more attention to the distribution of land."

Although he hadn't farmed, he roughly knew that the value of different land was different, some land could grow anything, some could only support the most ordinary crops, and the distance to water sources and the difficulty of reclamation were all problems.

If all the fertile land was in the hands of the Salvation Army soldiers, it might not be a problem in the short term, but it would definitely brew new problems over time.

"I have already considered this," Kalian's mouth curled up with a trace of pride, and she said as if counting family treasures, "We decided to implement different tax rates for different land, and evaluate the output status of the land on an annual basis, and publicize it on a village basis, and the soldiers' land is also included. Although it's not realistic to guarantee absolute fairness, we will try our best to guarantee relative fairness in principle, and satisfy the majority of people as much as possible."

Luo Yan nodded.

For a country still in the feudal era, just this promise of "satisfying the majority of people as much as possible" was not easy.

They were not Campbell people sitting on steam engines, the wealth of one Lei Ming City was enough to surpass the output of the entire principality's farmland.

Even with the help of gods, these people who had just turned from serfs to free people would have to grope forward in the dark for a long time.

Looking at Lord God who nodded slightly, Kalian felt encouraged in her heart, her voice became much more natural, no longer as tense as before.

"Secondly, it's about the land along the Torrent River. That is the most fertile land in Quemuling, and there are ready-made irrigation canals and waterwheels, but it was abandoned because Earl Selong neglected management. According to Earl Selong's steward, he had proposed to Earl Selong to repair water conservancy facilities and roads, but the Earl, out of concern for the turmoil in the territory, had been unwilling to spend this money, preferring to move the tax money to Twilight City to buy real estate."

"I have discussed with General Bulunnan, why not take this opportunity to bring these water conservancy facilities and the mills belonging to the lord under the Salvation Army, and then we organize manpower to repair these facilities, and provide services to those in need in exchange for appropriate fees."

"This is probably not a good idea."

Kalian was stunned, and asked subconsciously.

"Why?"

Luo Yan said without thinking.

"Because the peasants in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng used these facilities for free before, if you suddenly charge them money now, they will only feel that you are not as good as Earl Selong."

Kalian couldn't understand, and wanted to try to argue with her mentor.

"But those water conservancy facilities haven't been used for a long time, and the land belonged to the lord before, now the land is their own, they should be able to understand......"

"That's another matter," Luo Yan interrupted her fantasy unceremoniously, and said concisely, "Don't expect everyone to be rational, and their thinking to be consistent, even the residents of the Holy City don't have this awareness for the time being, and most importantly, they have no money, and neither do you."

Grain couldn't turn into money just by being planted, a group of serfs who had just become free people might only have a few copper coins in their pockets.

Taking away those few copper coins was meaningless, it would only make them not use the water channels and stubbornly carry water buckets to the river.

Kalian was an open-minded "student" after all, immediately realized the problem, and said after a moment of silence.

"Then what do you think we should do."

Looking at Kalian, who was open-minded, Luo Yan nodded with a smile and said.

"I won't make the decision for you directly. But if it were me, I would let them use it for free, and then find this money from other places, so that they can't find fault, even feel they took advantage, and can maintain this facility."

This involved the art of governance.

He knew that Kalian wouldn't understand just by saying this, so he continued patiently.

"I heard that the timber of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng is famous on the Aos Continent, it's just that the business of timber export shifted to the northern border of the Luo De Kingdom because of war and famine. You know what the situation is there, the climate is cold, transportation is inconvenient, but your Torrent River can go straight to the Campbell Principality in the south, and flow into the estuary in the northeast of the Whirlpool Sea."

"If it were me, I would consider improving the existing water conservancy facilities and use part of the power for timber processing. If you can utilize the forest resources of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng and cooperate with the unique advantages of the Torrent River for export, I think the extra income can not only fill the deficit of water conservancy facilities, but even have a surplus to subsidize other areas."

"Of course, now that there is a war, exporting to the Campbell Principality is not very realistic, but the dwarves of the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain range can still be considered. The tools they produce are not as sophisticated as the Campbell people, but they are just as durable and cheap, especially steam engines."

Kalian's eyes shone with hope, as if she saw hope, but soon dimmed because of reality.

"But...... I heard that the dwarves are in the east of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, near Brass Pass, too far from us."

Luo Yan guessed she would say this, but didn't think it was a problem at all.

After all, there weren't only dwarves with braids in this world, there was also a group of bald dwarves in Calamity Castle.

"There are also dwarves in Shattered Rock Peak, I saw on the map that it's not too far from you, there is a tributary of the Torrent River that can connect there."

"Shattered Rock Peak? I heard from the locals that there are dwarves without hair there......" Kalian said in a low voice, "Are those Hell dwarves?"

"That's a fallacy," Luo Yan said without blushing or panting, "How many dwarves have the locals seen? What do they know!"

What's wrong with having no hair? At worst, let them go to the Graveyard to buy a wig to wear!

Nowadays, under the corruption of players, the Hell dwarves of Calamity Castle are all like they've drilled into the eyes of money, they won't miss any business that can make money! There is a railway network from Calamity Castle to the Graveyard, as long as the timber can be transported there, it's equivalent to being transported to the Campbell Principality.

And once transported to the Campbell Principality, it's equivalent to being transported to the Empire's trade network. As long as money flows in, merchants like Thomas will naturally come in.

Kalian nodded after being blank, and wrote down this important clue. After expressing gratitude to the generous Lord God, she continued to report her work.

The subsequent arrangements had no problems, including personnel appointments and position settings, which were of course too sloppy by modern standards, but too advanced for Quemuling, which had been ruined by Earl Selong.

This girl with a simple mind and fanatical traits clearly listened to everything she was taught.

Luo Yan was very satisfied.

Everything was fine so far, rather than modifying it for them himself, it was better to let them grope for rules that suited them.

"...... Finally, it's the identity numbering and household registration work. We plan to establish a specialized file management department on the basis of the original registration department. The priests in the castle are willing to cooperate with our work, they have rich experience in copying and file organization."

"Currently our biggest difficulty is the lack of seeds, but Thomas said he would try his best to help us find a way, Twilight City should be able to buy some, and the castle's granary also has some reserve seeds left."

After the report, she clasped her hands in front of her, looking at her Lord God cautiously, with expectation for affirmation in her clear eyes.

Just like a student waiting for exam results.

Luo Yan certainly wouldn't be stingy with affirmation, in fact, she did a good job, and an approving smile appeared on his face.

"You did a good job, although there are some flaws in the details, I can see that your future is bright. Just as I said last night, you need to let your people see hope, so that they can use their own strength to create miracles."

After a pause, he said again.

"I can help you with the seeds, including catching up with the progress of spring plowing, and repairing water conservancy facilities...... I happen to have some people here who are very good at doing these things."

"Really? That's great!"

Kalian's face instantly showed uncontrollable joy, but she soon realized she was discussing work, so she hurriedly coughed lightly, and her expression changed back to that solemn Saintess, "I...... I represent the people of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, thank you for your help."

Luo Yan looked at her trying to maintain majesty, and said with a smile.

"No need for this with me."

Accidentally seen through her thoughts again, Kalian quietly stuck out her tongue, revealing a side that ordinary people couldn't see.

"I'm just worried that you think I'm unreliable."

"Whether I think so is not important," Luo Yan smiled and said in a gentle voice, "It's enough that the people who follow you think you are reliable."

The business was finished, and the roof of the tower returned to that relaxed and happy atmosphere.

The sun had almost risen to the top of the head, shining the cold stone slabs and rock walls white, and cooking smoke had risen from the camp in the distance, as if the war was very far away from everyone......

Kalian enjoyed this feeling, not only because of the warm sunshine, but also because of the smile that was as gentle as sunshine in front of her.

Only in front of Mr. Kelin could she truly take off that heavy "Saintess" mask and return to the relaxed and free country fields in her memory.

As for the reason, perhaps it was because he had seen all her sides, whether it was disheveled, confused, or pious and holy......

Kalian's voice suddenly carried a trace of emotion and curiosity, "I really didn't expect that Mr. Kelin actually had the identity of 'Flame King.' Honestly, when I first heard it from people, I thought it was a rumor......"

Luo Yan smiled without saying a word.

He neither admitted nor denied, as stable as ever.

Seeing him in this "indulgent" appearance, Kalian's courage grew.

She suddenly blinked playfully, revealing a side completely different from her holy appearance at the ceremony: "'Kelin' shouldn't be your real name either, right?"

Luo Yan looked at her in surprise.

This time it wasn't just him, even Sara standing in the shade and Tafu, who was pinched by Sara, widened their eyes in surprise.

Especially Tafu, who was so excited she wanted to scream.

Exposed! Pfft-pfft-pfft, this century-old swindler was finally exposed!

She was looking forward to seeing that face that was always at ease show an expression of breaking defense, but unfortunately, there wasn't, Luo Yan just looked at Kalian curiously and asked.

"How did you guess?"

"This time it's 'Kalian's intuition'," Kalian dragged her tail long proudly, with a cunning smile on her face, "Thanks to the things you taught me, maybe I really awakened some 'special abilities'."

"Knowing too much is not a good thing," Luo Yan reminded her with a smile.

But this time, Kalian didn't retreat as usual, nor did she start apologizing inexplicably, instead she bravely met his gaze.

She stared at that handsome and gentle face, gathered her courage, and asked the question that had been hidden in her heart for a long time.

"Can I...... know your real name?"

The believer made the fourth wish.

However, this time, the god probably couldn't satisfy the desire in her heart.

But Luo Yan didn't refuse, that wasn't his style. As a substitute, he gave an ambiguous but hopeful answer.

"'Kelin' is also my name, just like I was indeed born by the magma, rumors are not all lies made up by people."

"As for my real name...... if your performance satisfies me, when the time is ripe, I will naturally tell you."

Kalian, who heard this answer, was not discouraged, at least her god didn't refuse, and even gave her a promise.

A comfortable smile appeared on her face. That was the optimism inherent in Luo De people, just like her pure smile, coming from the same field.

"Then I can rest assured, I will try my best to prove myself!"

Luo Yan nodded.

This time he didn't say anything like "no need to prove to me, proving to the people who follow you is enough," but gave a definite answer.

"Hmm, I will be watching." ===== CHAPTER 438 =====