After Dola's cold analysis, it wasn't just Pazu and the others who fell silent.
Even Mu En himself fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
He hadn't really thought about the chain reaction that his establishment in this world would trigger.
His mindset is still largely rooted in the sparsely populated valley of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
There, the obstacles he faced came more from the environment itself.
Deserts, Sea of Corruption, toxic air, and population restrictions, among other things.
Only now did Mu En truly realize that this was not the apocalyptic world that was almost in a state of anarchy.
Rather, it was the Victorian steampunk era, known for its cruelty and darkness, a time of great power rivalry!
Nobles, the church, the army, and financial groups—they wove together a network of power, controlling resources, public opinion, and violence.
Once I begin to expand in a real sense, touching the core interests of the old forces—
Dola could foresee the tumultuous waves that were bound to rage, and so could he, of course, and perhaps even see further than Dola.
Mu En felt a sense of relief.
If he were to follow the same pattern he used in the Valley of the Valley of the Wind —attracting followers with divine power and gradually expanding his territory—he would likely face a sudden and comprehensive annihilation.
Regardless of the final outcome, it will inevitably be accompanied by huge casualties and resource consumption, which runs counter to his original intention.
Fortunately, he had already decided to change his strategy.
The new plan envisions a special war that avoids large-scale bloodshed and spares ordinary people.
After clarifying her thoughts, Mu En broke the silence.
" Dola is right, I don't need a church or one or two apostles who proclaim miracles."
Upon hearing this, Dola straightened her back even more.
"However," Mu En changed the subject, warning, "Establishing a nation governed by the Golden Order doesn't necessarily require a bloody war. You're exaggerating."
This is not Lands Between; the Golden Order has an irreplaceable role, and he doesn't need to establish his position through war like Marika did.
These comforting words were also meant for Pazu and the others nearby.
Dola reacted quickly and immediately apologized. "I shouldn't have presumptuously guessed your plans, please forgive me, sir."
Mu En's voice softened as she turned to Duffi.
"The idea of curing the townspeople was proposed by Sheeta and Pazu, and Sheeta paid the price."
Duffi and Wilson were both taken aback and looked at Sheeta. The girl felt a little embarrassed by their stares and lowered her head.
"Instead of thanking me, you should take better care of these two children."
"As for the reward, all those who contributed this knowledge of steam and mechanical blueprints will be blessed; this is their deserved reward."
Upon hearing this, a hint of unease flashed across Duffi's face.
But remembering Dola's words, and the healing he and his coworkers had received, the tough man bowed awkwardly but earnestly to express his gratitude. "Thank you for your generosity, we—we don't know what to say."
"But we cannot accept this favor for nothing. For you and the future you spoke of, the workers of Valley Town are willing to follow any arrangement!"
Mu En pondered for a moment. It seemed that the townspeople wouldn't be at ease unless they were given something to do.
Looking at the residents of Valley Town who had gathered in the distance and were looking this way, he finally decided, "Alright, I do need your help."
"Gather the young people in the town who want to venture out or change their circumstances, and organize a speech."
"Let them understand my vision of the future and what benefits they can gain."
"They will become my most capable apostles when I need them."
"As for the instructors— Dola will take care of that; Pazu, you can help."
Dola immediately straightened her back, her golden eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes, ma'am! I will not fail you!"
She seemed to see herself as a pioneer in the new system.
Pazu nodded quickly, still somewhat bewildered, but a sense of mission made his chest burn. "Yes! I will do my best!"
"You don't need to worry about the rest for now; I have my own plans." Mu En finished giving the instructions.
Now is not the time to reveal the entire subversion plan; doing so would only cause unnecessary panic.
Soon, everyone obeyed and left.
Dola and Pazu huddled together and began to discuss the course content in hushed tones.
Even though he didn't like her, after that speech, Pazu's opinion of this air pirate auntie—or perhaps he should call her "big sister" now?—changed somewhat.
Duffi and Wilson rushed back to town to inform the mechanics and workers who had contributed their precious books, and to prepare to bring them to receive the blessing.
The members of the air pirate gang were sent by Mu En to patrol around Valley Town, while also using the equipment on their ship to continue monitoring Mouro's radio communications.
Everything is proceeding smoothly.
Soon, the town's young people responded to the call and participated in the miners' conference.
Unsurprisingly, Dola's highly infectious speech ignited the passion of all the young people.
These young people will become the most fanatical apostles whenever Mu En needs them.
But for now, there's no need for them to "perform on stage."
In addition to giving speeches to young people, Dola has taken on another important task.
That meant selecting suitable "spies" from among the captured soldiers.
The next day, in the abandoned factory where the prisoners were being held.
For these prisoners, the past two days have been relatively good.
Although their hands and feet were bound, restricting their freedom, they were fed two meals a day, and the injured had Reparo during the previous wave of treatments.
This "preferential treatment" confused many soldiers.
--
Having fought the Victoria Empire for many years, they were used to hearing about the Empire's cruel treatment of prisoners, or how Imperial prisoners were exploited and enslaved by their colleagues.
The attitude of the people in Valley Town now makes them feel uncertain.
Until this day, a strange "instructor" pushed open the rusty iron door and came into the warehouse.
In the soldiers' eyes, she was a tall, elegant woman.
She had two thick braids and her hair was a rare pink color. She was wearing a blue jumpsuit that allowed for easy movement.
What's most impressive are those golden eyes, which seem to glow in the dim warehouse.
Her mannerisms and speech were as rugged as her mannerisms, yet they carried an air of confidence born of extensive knowledge.
She was nothing like the women of a small town, much less like those aristocratic ladies.
No one recognized her as the infamous space pirate Dola.
Dola stood on a sloping platform at the edge of the warehouse, followed by her two sons dressed in iconic air pirate outfits.
Her gaze swept over the more than sixty prisoners, each with a different expression, and she said, "I know what you're thinking."
"We're wondering why we weren't killed, or beaten half to death; we're perplexed about what we want from you."
"Today, I come with the will of the gods, to give you a choice."