Chapter 198 A professional god is one who dares to entrust things to believers.
Although the alliance has been formed, it's still a long way from being perfect, and there's a mountain of things to do next.
Pejite needs to be rebuilt, refugees need to be resettled, prisoners need to be dealt with, factories need to be reopened, and the ruins need to be excavated.
If we take a longer-term view, there are also issues such as establishing a unified command system, coordinating the allocation of resources among various countries, and retaking Pejite —none of which can be resolved simply by talking.
So Mu En dumped all these tasks on Nausicaä.
Of course, this was because he believed that the future queen and the Chosen One had the ability and the will to handle these matters, and certainly not because he was too lazy to deal with these troublesome things.
Besides, if he does everything himself, what's the point of having believers?
And Nausicaä certainly didn't disappoint Mu En.
As a large organization that is nominally an alliance but in reality has the characteristics of a nation, the most important thing is to form a management team.
Nausicaä is not a god and cannot do everything herself, so she naturally needs to find capable subordinates.
This is not only to assist herself, but also to build a healthy national system that provides opportunities for advancement for capable individuals.
So she immediately approached Haideng, the former president of the Commercial Federation, Minister of Commerce Pejite, and Asbel's teacher.
In terms of familiarity with administrative affairs, Haideng was far superior to her, and Nausicaä believed that the position he held was completely unsuitable for his abilities.
Pejite is a major commercial nation, and the Minister of Commerce sounds like an important position.
But everyone knows that it was actually a tough job. The major merchant guilds didn't listen to the royal orders at all, and his role as minister was just to deal with those troublesome merchants on behalf of the king.
Without noble blood, family background, or the support of a merchant guild, he naturally had no right to stand on equal footing with those hereditary families that had lasted for hundreds of years. The fact that he was able to hold onto this position was already due to the enlightened rule of King Asumo.
As for truly participating in national decision-making?
That was something he wouldn't even dare to dream of. It could be said that from the very first day he took this position, he had already been excluded from the center of power.
When he heard that Nausicaä was going to appoint him as governor to assist Asbel in managing Pejite, and also as the Minister of Talent in the Alliance, he could hardly believe what he was hearing.
This is tantamount to handing over the entire administrative power of Pejite, plus the power to appoint personnel for the future of the alliance, to him.
Haideng's first reaction was to refuse, because it did not conform to the principles of the relationship between ruler and subject that he believed in.
Only Asbel is the true master of Pejite.
Moreover, his years of political experience had led him to a state of self-doubt, questioning his own ability to advance further. That's why His Majesty Asumo relegated him to this sinecure.
However, Nausicaä changed his mind with just two sentences.
"Haven't you realized that you're the only one who can help Pejite now?"
"Furthermore, I believe you've never lacked ability, just an opportunity."
Haideng remained silent for a long time.
Some of the powerful officials who once held high positions died in the war, some abandoned their posts and fled, and some traitors are now carrying bricks with prisoners of war.
The one who truly stayed in this ruined city and genuinely cared about Pejite's future was actually this ordinary citizen with no connections.
Nausicaä is right; all he has ever lacked is opportunity.
Haideng slowly bent down, bowing sincerely for the first time to a girl decades younger than himself.
"Yes, Your Majesty, Nausicaä —Your Majesty."
Over the next few days, the temporary governor's office set up in the surviving city was bustling with people.
The first issue to address is the management team, which is relatively easy to resolve.
Pejite originally had a population of over 100,000, and now there are nearly 70,000 survivors. Without sufficient administrators, the country simply cannot function.
Haideng gathered all of Pejite's original officials, technicians, and engineers and began assigning tasks based on ability rather than background.
These individuals will no longer work for Pejite, but will instead become lower-level managers within the Golden Alliance.
They will be responsible for counting the number of refugees, planning and building temporary resettlement areas, taking inventory of remaining supplies, and contacting small factories that are still in good condition to resume production, among other things.
These tasks will be coordinated in real time via the Blessing Link – under Mu En's orders, only those Blessed can hold official positions, in order to facilitate communication and monitor task progress at any time.
As for the cost of receiving the blessing, it should naturally be deducted from these people's future contributions; even if the cost is low, there is no reason to take advantage of others for nothing.
The Erdtree Alliance, once an empty shell, is rapidly being transformed into a highly efficient and powerful organization in the hands of Nausicaä and Haideng.
Then, there are issues concerning consolidating the alliance order and coordinating communication among the countries.
Pejite and the Valley of the Wind alone cannot revive this number one industrial city. The first thing Nausicaä needs to do is send the leaders of various countries home.
What? You're asking why those nobles who can't wait to leave these ruins should have Nausicaä as their escort?
The answer is simple: this was no ordinary farewell.
City of Pejite, in the boat berth area.
The most eye-catching thing is still that behemoth that is over two hundred meters long.
The giant spaceship, which originally had no name and was temporarily referred to as the Endure Battleship, has now been officially named the " Silver Battleship ".
The silver-white Ceramic Steel hull resembles a mountain peak. To highlight its owner, a huge Erdtree Mark is added to the bow, with golden leaves and roots that gleam even in the sunlight.
Behind the Silver Battleship, three hundred-meter-long guardian warships have been repaired. Their hulls are also marked with the Erdtree Mark, which can be clearly seen from any corner of the north of the city.
This is the scene that world leaders saw when they were "invited" to the berth area.
King Pakashe stood there stunned for a long time. The old woman chieftain of Valley of Sand almost dropped her cane. The city lord of Melting Mountain City subconsciously took a half step back and was supported by his attendants to regain his balance.
"You have all traveled a long way to support Pejite, and now that the war is won, it is only right that you be sent home in triumph."
"We in the Valley of the Wind have no other airships, so we have to use the Silver Fleet to escort the leaders of various countries and ensure their safety along the way."
Nausicaä stood beneath the Silver Battleship, her blue dress billowing in the morning breeze, her expression serene and composed.
"Your Highness Nausicaä is too kind. This—this is so embarrassing."
"Your Highness is too kind; I am deeply grateful."
"Yes, yes, I'm extremely grateful, extremely grateful."
The world leaders outwardly smiled and complied, but inwardly they knew perfectly well that this was a demonstration.
What will the people on the ground see when these three guardian warships and the Silver Battleship fly over the various city-states?
They will see the enormous Erdtree Mark, the size of the fleet, and know whose power is flying overhead.
At that point, even if these leaders wanted to hide the alliance, they wouldn't be able to.
But what could they say? That they didn't need an escort? That they were in a hurry to get home and didn't need such a grand ceremony?
They could only swallow their bitter pill and obediently enjoy their journey around the nations of the Sea of Corruption. After all, they hadn't sent all their forces to seize that super warship back then.
Nausicaä nodded slightly.
"Then please board the ship."
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