Accumulation

After listening to the reports from the Holy Light Clerics below, Ria spoke calmly:

"Everyone has made excellent progress, but we cannot let our guard down. According to the Holy Light's guidance, the wars between the nations will end in roughly two years! Once the wars end, we may find ourselves in an all-out conflict with the Daimyo of the Land of Rain and Amegakure!

"So next, we must focus on improving people's livelihoods and gathering intelligence to strengthen our power!"

"Bishop Ria, shouldn't we strengthen our warriors to improve our fighting power? Why focus on livelihoods and intelligence?" a young Holy Light Cleric asked in confusion.

Ria glanced at the young cleric. Rather than criticize him, she nodded and said, "The fact that you asked this question shows that you still don't understand where our fighting power comes from!

"We must improve people's livelihoods because our Holy Light Clerics come from the common people. Only by improving their lives can we earn their trust and show them that the ideals of the Holy Light are not empty words or lies. Only then can they experience the goodness of the Holy Light, and more people will devote themselves to its great cause!"

When Ria finished, the young Holy Light Cleric seemed to realize something. He lowered his head in embarrassment. "Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Bishop Ria!"

Ria smiled faintly and nodded, gesturing for him to sit down before continuing:

"In the past, we were so busy developing our own ranks that we paid little attention to building an intelligence network. Apart from the news brought back by caravans, we had no other sources of intelligence. This left us reacting to events and knowing little about the wider world. So I intend to establish a department dedicated to intelligence operations. Does anyone have any thoughts?"

"Bishop Ria, it's a good proposal, but I'm afraid we don't seem to have anyone with the right skills!" Mina said with a frown.

"There is someone suited to this work!" Meli said unhurriedly.

"Oh? High Priest Meli, who is it?" Mina looked at Meli in surprise.

Meli smiled slightly. "The merchant Reilly from Huayu Town!"

"Reilly? Is he a Holy Light Cleric? Intelligence is extremely important!" Ria asked, somewhat surprised.

"Bishop Ria, you may not know this, but the prominent merchant Reilly embraced the Holy Light recently and became a priest. His level is still quite low, though. He's probably only level five or six right now!" Meli answered.

"So Reilly has become one of our companions too!" Ria said with feeling. She had thought that merchants, who put profit first, could never believe in something as aligned with goodness as the Holy Light. It turned out she had harbored a prejudice of her own!

"Very well! Since Reilly has become a Holy Light Cleric, he is worthy of our trust. We'll leave this matter to him. I expect the leaders of each class to give him all the help he needs! Does anyone have any other thoughts?" Ria asked calmly.

The Holy Light Clerics present all nodded in agreement.

Seeing no objections, Ria continued, "As for people's livelihoods, that will be our main focus for the immediate future. In the territory we now control, especially Corona City and its surrounding villages and towns, every village and town must at least have a school and a priest providing medical care. We must also speed up the construction of waterworks and roads, connecting them with Corona City and Huayu Town as soon as possible!"

"But then we won't have enough people!" Iron Mountain said with a frown.

"I know we may be short-handed, so we'll slow down construction of the Level Three Holy Church for now!"

"Is that wise? If the level-three church can be completed quickly, the number of our class holders will surely see another explosive surge!" Iron Mountain said uncertainly.

"There's nothing wrong with it. We still have at least two years to prepare. We cannot arrive here and immediately demand that the people devote huge amounts of time to building a church while completely ignoring their lives. How would that make us any different from those nobles?"

"Yes, Bishop Ria is right! The people's livelihoods cannot wait any longer. Perhaps you haven't noticed because you haven't been here long, but most of the city's people are already on the verge of being unable to survive. If we hadn't opened the Lord's Mansion and distributed grain as soon as we arrived, who knows how many more would have starved to death? And winter will come after one more harvest season. We must do everything we can to restore production, or we will surely have failed the people this winter!" Axel declared loudly.

After hearing Axel's appeal, everyone began discussing it in hushed voices.

"That's right. Captain Axel is not exaggerating. Our companions working at the administrative office should know perfectly well how many homeless children we've taken in lately, and how many people still have nowhere to live! If things are this bad in a large city, who knows what the other villages and towns are like?" Mina said, her voice trembling.

"Yes, we absolutely cannot put this off any longer!"

"We must take responsibility. I don't even know how those people who can barely find their next meal are supposed to survive this winter."

For a time, the other Holy Light Clerics who worked at the administrative office all voiced their agreement.

Ria's brows drew together slightly, and she said gravely, "Since the situation has reached this point, all Holy Light Clerics are to mobilize tomorrow. Take sufficient supplies and head out to the villages and towns to provide relief. Strictly regulate the city's grain supplies. If you encounter unscrupulous merchants driving up prices, waste no words and suppress them immediately. Leave enough personnel to maintain security. Every other Holy Light Cleric is to participate in construction!"

"Yes!"

All the Holy Light Clerics immediately rose to their feet and answered.

The next day, people saw Holy Light Clerics gathering in groups of four or five, hauling supplies out of the city, one group after another.

At first, everyone panicked a little, thinking that the Daimyo had attacked and that the newly arrived faction was preparing to abandon them and evacuate the city.

But when they heard the many recruitment announcements broadcast from the Magic Tower, the frightened people forgot their worries and hurried to the recruitment stations.

As the Holy Light Clerics led the people in large-scale construction work, the city became a hive of activity. Everyone rushed about, throwing themselves into the work.

Yahiko frowned slightly as he watched the white-robed Holy Light Clerics all over the streets, directing the residents as they repaired roads or tore down dilapidated slums.

Nagato and Konan beside him were equally puzzled. "Yahiko, what are they doing? Why are they tearing down people's homes?" True to her habit of asking whenever she didn't understand, Konan looked at Yahiko with open curiosity.

"I don't really understand either. Why don't we ask someone?"

With that, the three walked over to an elderly man ahead.

"Sir, what are you doing here?"

The old man put down his hammer. Seeing that they were only children, he answered without hesitation, "The Holy Light Clerics have arranged to rebuild this slum. This place was falling apart anyway, filthy and stinking, and lots of people had no work. The new folks in charge took pity on us. Today, they gathered us together and told us to renovate this area. They even feed us!

"But aren't you afraid that once you tear them down, these houses won't belong to you anymore?" Yahiko asked, still confused.

The old man quickly waved his hand. "That's impossible. You probably haven't heard! We're actually getting started late here. Two days ago, a large group of vagrants began building houses on an empty lot on the West Side of the City. The Holy Church covered all their food and lodging. Not only that, they were just helping out-the church's warriors did most of the actual building. In less than two days, they put up a row of beautiful new houses and gave them all to those homeless refugees! They do have to pay for them, but I heard those refugees say that if they work in the church's new factories for a few years and pay it back little by little, they can cover the whole cost and still have money left over!"

Yahiko was deeply shaken. He couldn't help saying, "But those are powerful warriors on par with ninja! They actually went to help refugees build houses!"

"Yes! At first, lots of people didn't believe it either. But when they saw those refugees joyfully moving in, they all found it incredible! These youngsters are willing to do things for miserable commoners like us." At that, the old man's eyes reddened slightly.

"And that's not all. Their priests have now taken up posts in many clinics. Not only are their fees low, they're friendly too. It's nothing like before, when treating an illness could ruin an entire family!"

"R-really?" Konan's lips parted slightly in astonishment.

"Yes, yes! Just as they say, they treat us like human beings! But don't think you can push these youngsters around just because they're kind. A little while ago, some grain merchants saw that the city was short of grain and started raising prices like mad. Do you know what happened to them?" The old man looked at the three curious children and teased them.

"What happened? Tell us, sir!" Konan urged eagerly. Beside her, Nagato also watched the old man without blinking.

"Ha ha! It was truly satisfying! A group of Holy Knights charged straight in, accused them of deliberately disrupting grain prices and opposing the New Government, and ordered them to go to the Judgment Hall to stand trial. If they'd surrendered, they would only have been locked up for a few months before being released.

"But the moment they heard 'Judgment Hall,' they panicked! They actually tried to resist with their hired thugs, and the Holy Knights took care of them in no time. Well, that turned a few months into a few years!" The old man couldn't help laughing again as he finished.

Yahiko and the other two laughed along with him.

"Children, if you can't find anything to eat, go register at the administrative office! I hear the Holy Church has taken in lots of homeless children. They not only feed them, but teach them too!" the old man said, looking at the three with concern.

Yahiko suddenly looked embarrassed. "Sir, we aren't homeless children!"

"Then what are you? I don't see your parents with you!" the old man asked in confusion.

"Sir, we're ninja!" Nagato said calmly, seeing that Yahiko didn't know how to answer.

"What? You're ninja!" The old man's expression changed at once. He stopped paying attention to them, silently picked up his hammer, and went back to work.

Seeing his reaction, the three could only leave awkwardly.

As they walked down the street, Yahiko wore a conflicted expression. "Nagato, are ninja really hated that much?"

"I think so. If we hadn't met Master Jiraiya, I think we'd feel the same way!" Nagato said quietly.

"Yes. Thinking back, if Master Jiraiya hadn't saved us, his companions probably would have killed us!" Konan said expressionlessly.

As they recalled the past, the three gradually fell silent and walked back toward the Rented House without another word.

"Yahiko! Yahiko!"

The three suddenly heard someone calling out to Yahiko and turned to look. A figure in Silver-White Armor approached them, wearing an enclosed Triangular Helmet that left only his eyes visible, with a golden cross emblazoned on his chest. He was pulling a cart more than twice his own size, loaded with rubble.

"Yahiko, long time no see!" Axel opened his helmet's faceplate and smiled.

"Ah... Axel! What are you doing?" Yahiko asked in surprise.

"Oh, we're renovating the main road, aren't we? I'm helping haul stone. If ordinary people did it, they'd have to make several trips. That would take too much manpower!" Axel replied with a faint smile.

"Axel, you... thanks for all your hard work!" Yahiko had wanted to ask why he bothered, but after thinking it over, he held his tongue.

"Ha ha, what's so hard about this? I'm strong, so I can do a little extra. Life isn't easy for the people either!"

"Commander, you're walking too fast!" Shishu hurried after him, panting as he pulled another cart of stone. "It's Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato!" He quickly opened his faceplate, revealing his flushed face, and greeted them happily.

"I keep telling you to train more, but all you ever think about is eating. Now you're struggling to haul barely more than two tons of stone!" Axel scolded him disdainfully.

"Hey, hey, Commander, how can you say that? I do train hard! Besides, I have to eat more so I won't go hungry! I'm still growing. I went hungry so much before that I'm going to make up for all of it!" Shishu protested.

"Hmph, little glutton!" Axel teased, pretending to look scornful.

"Tch! I hardly get enough to eat these days anyway," Shishu muttered.

"All right, all right, I shouldn't have said that. Grain is scarce right now, so bear with it. There are still so many people who need to eat." Axel put an arm around Shishu.

"By the way, Yahiko, where are you headed? Want to come over to my house tonight?"

"No, thanks! We're going back to pack up, then we're heading to Amegakure," Yahiko said, shaking his head.

"So soon?" Axel asked in confusion.

"Yes! We've already spent quite a while in this city."

"All right, then! Yahiko, may we meet again!" Axel didn't press him. He took hold of his cart and prepared to return to work.

"Goodbye, Axel!" Yahiko waved as he watched the two hauling their enormous loads of stone.

"Goodbye!"

Watching Axel and Shishu recede into the distance, Yahiko couldn't help thinking, Is this the path you intend to take? Axel, I won't lose to you!