Alia found the wait agonizing. She feared her request would be refused, and only when an attendant came to notify her did she feel somewhat better.
Chris might not have realized it, but his prestige in Bagnia had now reached unprecedented heights.
He had won the civil war, repeatedly defeated powerful, arrogant foreign invaders, used precious grain to aid refugees, and introduced reforms to improve people's lives. These measures had all but elevated Chris to godhood in the public's eyes.
This was also one of the main reasons his crackdown on the Earth Mother Goddess Church in Votradnoi had provoked so little backlash.
Had Chris not then ordered Street-Sweeper and the other players to launch targeted purges against those in the country who had once been involved with the great nobles, his prestige would have risen even higher.
Even so, Chris's current standing still made the Earth Mother Goddess Church and the Goddess of Agriculture Church wary, even afraid.
Mercy could not make others obey, but fear could accomplish that with ease.
Now that she had this opportunity to meet Prince Chris alone, Alia felt it had been well worth taking a punch to the face and spending a night in a freezing cell.
Although unexpected developments had made her plan somewhat more complicated, as long as the outcome was good, things had not gone badly.
Once Alia's emotions settled, she realized how disheveled she looked. She hurriedly asked the attendant in chain mail in the reception room for a basin of clean water and a towel.
Before long, the attendant brought her a basin of warm water and a clean towel. Alia was so grateful that she even offered him a silver dollar as a tip, but he kept his face stern and refused it.
With the hot water