<h4>Chapter 28: Foolish Saintess 3</h4>


    "Have you guys been preparing?" I asked as I gathered my group.


    "Yes, boss," they replied in unison.


    I nodded in satisfaction. "Good, good. Now, you guys know what to do, right?" I handed each of them a few gold coins, and their faces immediately lit up. If only they had tails, I could probably see them wagging like a bunch of dogs.


    "Yes," they affirmed eagerly.


    "Well, then, go on," I gestured for them to carry out their tasks. It seemed I would have to visit this ce again tomorrow.


    I nced at my watch and realized I was veryte for ss. Darn, I hadpletely forgotten about that. Well, I did expect to bete or even absent, so it was a bit toote to go now. I decided it would be better to recruit a few more people for the grand y tomorrow.


    …..


    "I''m not wrong," I whispered to myself


    "Trash"


    Recalling the words of the young man from yesterday my fist hardened. Just thinking about it made my hands and feet tremble, not out of anger but because we had fundamentally different viewpoints on the subject.


    For me, helping people was a natural and positive thing to do. While many members of the church had chosen to turn their backs on the people in the slums, I believed that deep down, if they had the resources, they would undoubtedly agree to help as well.


    Yesterday, I had offered the people of the slums a job and asked them to contribute to finishing a new housing project that I had personally sponsored. I even sweetened the deal by paying them a few silver coins for every hour they worked. When the topic of pay and money came up, almost all of them had eagerly applied for the job.


    It was proof that with a little support, even theziest individuals could change. As I looked ahead, I saw the people working diligently and enthusiastically, and it filled me with a sense of hope.


    "Good morning, sister," a familiar voice greeted me. It was the young man I had met yesterday, and it appeared he had arrived early.


    "Oh, you''re here, brother. Quite early for you," I replied, a bit surprised by his punctuality.


    "It seems you''ve given them a job, sister," hemented, his tone neutral.


    "Yes, that''s right. It just so happened that one of my housing projects here wasn''t finished yet, so instead of hiring the usual workers, I decided to involve the people from the slums in the job," I exined, hoping he would understand my perspective.


    "Hmm, but won''t this take away jobs from the regr workers? Aren''t you showing a bit of bias toward the people here, sister?" he asked with a sly smile, and I couldn''t help but clench my fists. His words were undeniably true, and I felt a pang of guilt.


    "No, the regr workers will still handle the actual design and nning of the house. The people from the slums are providing an additional workforce," I replied, trying to justify my decision.


    "Is their job dangerous, sister?" he inquired, his expression serious.


    "No, it''s just simplebor, like moving rocks and wood. It may be challenging during the noon because of the sun, but I''m certain that every drop of sweat they shed today will be worth it. Actually, watching them work so diligently since early this morning has only strengthened my desire to help them" I said with sincerity, my heart filled with empathy for the people I was trying to support.


    "By the way, yesterday you said that if they wouldst working for a day, you would give your full support to the people of the slums, right?" I asked, wanting to ensure he wasmitted to his promise.


    "Yes, I did," he confirmed, his tone resolute.


    "No backing out, okay?" I pressed further.


    "Of course, I already made my promise," he replied, crossing his heart to emphasize hismitment.


    I returned my attention to watching the people from the slums as they continued their work. However, his words from yesterday lingered in my mind, and I couldn''t help but bring up the topic again.


    "Hey, what did you mean by ''I made them that way''?" I asked, my voice tinged with curiosity.


    "By ''that way,'' do you mean ''failures''?" he rified, his words quite mocking in tone.


    "Don''t speak it aloud, brother; you know that''s rude," I reprimanded him, feeling slightly embarrassed by the bluntness of his statement, even though I wasn''t entirely sure why.


    "It''s exactly as I said yesterday, sister. It''s not that they can''t work; it''s more of a ''they won''t work'' situation, especially with you being there to save them from extreme hunger and sickness," he exined.


    His words stung a bit, but I remained steadfast in my belief that helping those in need was the right path.


    "But you can see them working now, right, brother?" I said, a hint of pride in my voice.


    "Yes, I can see that, but..." he began, trailing off.


    "But?" I prodded.


    "Sister, did you know that jobs like this aren''t umon outside the slum district? In fact, just a few blocks away from the slums, a road is being developed, and in the northwestern and eastern sides of the academy, simplebor jobs like this are needed and quite rampant due to the ever-rapid growth of the academy" he exined, wearing a sly smile.


    My heart sank as I began to understand the implications of his words.


    "Yesterday, you probably talked them into doing this job, offering the aspect of free healthcare from you, as well as free food. Combined with the fact that you pay them for such a simple job like this, a bunch of them probably thought it was time to show their benefactor who didn''t give up on them that they changed for the best," he continued to exin.


    I was at a loss for words, not entirely sure how to respond to his observations.


    "But trust me, sister, human nature doesn''t change that easily," he added. "That''s why they''re so cooperative right now. They''re just enthusiastic because of the bonus money you''re about to give them. But it probably won''tst long. Give it a day or two under the blistering hot sun, and they''ll likely go back to relying on your freebies, sister," he concluded with a chuckle.


    His words grated on my beliefs, and I responded with conviction, "I understand what you mean, brother, but you don''t know that, and you don''t know these people. Humans are more than capable of change, and I can see it; these people are truly changing for the better."


    "We shall see, sister," he replied, maintaining a confident grin. "And the thing about you turning them into failures is still a given fact, okay?"


    As much as I wanted to maintain myposure and understanding, I felt a surge of frustration towards this young man. Deep within, I wished for the strength to forgive him if I ever found myself tempted to resort to violence.


    …..


    As I observed the saintess''s reaction to our conversation, I couldn''t help but feel a pang of guilt. It seemed that I had pushed her too hard with my blunt words. Her hands trembled, and she bit down hard on her lip, appearing on the verge of tears. I had certainly gone too far in my critique, and I realized that her reaction now was only a glimpse of what she might experienceter.


    "What if he''s right?" I imagined her doubting herself, wrestling with my words long after our conversation had ended.


    But she remained resolute, defending her belief in the people of the slums. "It''s not going to go the way you think," she dered with unwavering conviction.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle softly at her pouting expression and trembling hands. Despite our differences, I found her reactions endearing, especially when I could only see half of her face through her veil. Her beautiful sky-blue eyes conveyed her emotions clearly.


    Before parting ways, I offered her some parting advice, though it was tinged with my skepticism. "Sister, did you know that just because you are born poor doesn''t necessarily mean that you are born kind?"


    She sought rification, but I ignored her, choosing instead to leave her with a final warning. "Don''t let your guard down, sister. The moment you even show a hint of weakness to these people, they will ravage you like wolves."


    With those parting words, I turned and walked away, leaving the saintess to her noble but challenging task.


    …..


    As I watched the people in the slums working together, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of warmth in my heart. The camaraderie among them was evident as they coborated to aplish their tasks.


    "Hey! Cedric, we can''t move this," one person called out.


    "Huh? I told you to push it under the drain just a while ago," another responded.


    "Then let''s push it together; it''s too heavy, man."


    "Hey, Gabby, help us out here."


    "Coming."


    Their willingness to support one another and work as a team was heartening to witness. It reaffirmed my belief that these people were capable of change and that my efforts to help them were worthwhile.


    I pushed aside the doubts that had been raised by the young man''s words earlier. What did he mean? I chose to focus on the positivity and unity I saw before me, knowing that my actions were making a difference, no matter how small it might be.


    …..


    I turned to Meralda, my spiritpanion, and gave her a firmmand, knowing that our n was about to unfold.


    "Meralda, you know what to do," I said, my tone resolute.


    Meralda hesitated for a moment, her green eyes reflecting uncertainty. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.


    "Of course. Are you backing out now?" I responded, my determination unwavering.


    "No, of course not," Meralda replied, her loyalty shining through. With a determined nod, she proceeded to carry out the task I had assigned her.


    Meralda''s magical energy shifted, and soon, flowers began to bloom in her palms. Momentster, a golden powder spread out from the blossoms, drifting into the air and eventually reaching the workersboring a few blocks away.


    "Is it done?" I inquired.


    Meralda nodded in confirmation.


    A subtle smile crept onto my face, but Meralda immediately frowned in response. is my face really that ugly when smiling?


    The spell she had cast was rtively simple, consisting of debuffs like increased fatigue, hot-headedness, and various other negative effects that would undoubtedly impact the workers'' ability to perform their tasks.


    "Haa, how fun," I muttered under my breath, a hint of amusement mixing with my lingering guilt. Watching the situation unfold, I couldn''t help but acknowledge the necessity of our n, even as I grappled with the moral implications.


    The saintess, with her unwavering dedication to helping these people, needed to confront the harsh realities they faced. It was only through firsthand experience that she could truly understand their plight.


    While it might seem harsh, our actions were intended to open her eyes to theplex web of issues at y in the slums.