I find it very sacred to pick someone up and make them a saint.

the next day.

It was already morning when Lucia yawned widely from her bed.

I opened my eyes to see the bright sunshine outside the window and hear the laughter of passing students; it was peaceful and warm.

She turned over, hugged the blanket tightly, and closed her eyes again.

With no early classes or study assignments, Lucia slept until she naturally woke up, and even wanted to stay a little longer.

It seems like this is the first time I've gotten up this late since I entered the Academy more than three months ago.

And without any guilt, I closed my eyes, smiled, and enjoyed the relaxation all over my body.

When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs benefit from it; Shanara, too, felt perfectly justified in sleeping in late.

I feel that Lucia's promotion has been exhausting, and I need to relax.

It was already too late for breakfast at the cafeteria, so Shana got out of bed, sat down, and took out her stored bread rations.

No matter how big the world is, you can't go hungry.

Just as I was about to open the paper bag, a very formal and respectful knock came at the door.

Shanara looked up and exchanged a glance with Lucia. Not knowing who was coming, she curiously got up to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Shanara froze on the spot, the bread bag in her hand falling to the ground with a thud.

"What's wrong?" Lucia peeked out to ask, but couldn't see what was happening outside the door.

Four men in gorgeous butler uniforms stood straight in the doorway, all the same height, with the same buzz cut, the same serious and expressionless faces, and even looked very similar, exuding the air of 'professionals'.

The person at the front asked, "Excuse me, does Miss Lucia live here?"

Shanara stared blankly, thinking:

What is Lucia doing? Is she about to be killed by assassins? Was it sent by Funila?

The question is, am I going to get killed too?

Lucia, receiving no response, sat up in bed, turned her head to look, and saw four people outside the door. She immediately shouted:

"Who are you?!"

The four men saw Lucia inside, nodded in unison to Miss Shanara with a gentlemanly bow, and ignored her stunned expression before stepping into the dormitory together.

Without saying a word, they started moving things.

Lucia instantly threw off the covers, preparing to jump down barefoot in her pajamas. Shanara also reacted, pulling out her staff to prepare for battle.

"Luya, Shanara." A gentle and familiar voice came from outside the door, interrupting the two of them.

Mien arrived just then and stepped inside.

"Teacher, what is this...?" Shanara asked, bewildered.

"Oh, I forgot to tell August to inform you in advance that these people will be helping you move today."

"Moving?!" the two exclaimed in unison, asking, "Why are you moving? Where are you moving to?"

Mien looked up at Lucia, whose hair was a mess, and said:

"It's only a matter of time before you officially become a saintess. Of course, you'll be different from other students. How can you still live in the student dormitory? You'll need to move to the residence specially set up for saintesses in the administrative district."

Shanara began, "But I..."

"Oh." Mien looked at Shanara:

"You'll be moving there too, because you'll be responsible for tutoring Lucia on theoretical knowledge, and you'll get a salary of thirty gold coins every month."

"Take away the young master?!"

"What kind of job could there be?!" Shanara thought she was hallucinating from being poor for so long: "Even if there were, how could I possibly move in with the saintess?"

"But……"

Mien, too lazy to listen anymore, simply raised her hand to stop her:

"No need to say anything more. It's a three-story building on its own. Lucia would be lonely living alone. You might as well go and keep her company."

If you really can't stand it, help her with some tasks; if you still can't stand it, do some cleaning. But the pay is fixed.

"Three floors?!" Shanara exclaimed in surprise.

"How many saintesses does the Empire need in total?"

Mien glanced at her as if she were an idiot and ignored her.

He thought to himself: The empire has plenty of budget, why bother with such trivial matters?

One more job opening means one more salary, so what's the big deal?

As they spoke, the four "professionals" gradually moved all the clutter and other furniture out of the room, leaving it mostly empty except for two bunk beds with tables underneath.

Mien said to Lucia, "Lucia, get ready first, we'll go try on the saintess's clothes right away."

"Trying on clothes? Isn't it enough to just try on the size? Did Mien really have to take me all this way?" Lucia thought to herself.

But his words came out unconsciously in agreement with the teacher: "Okay."

After saying that, Mien put his hands behind his back and prepared to leave.

"Oh, right, Shanara." She turned back and said:

"Don't eat the bread yet. There will be a luncheon at noon. If you don't have any other work, you should attend."

The four men had already used their magic to move all the clutter out, and Mien followed them away, leaving space for the two girls to change their clothes.

Completely bewildered, Lucia suddenly realized that she hadn't washed up yet. Covered in the blanket with messy hair, she hadn't cared about her image in front of Mien at all, and subconsciously pulled the blanket up to cover her face.

"Lunch? What lunch?... " Shanara stood there, stunned, and murmured in confusion.

However, she obediently stuffed the bread back into the drawer.

…………

Feeling embarrassed about Mien possibly being outside the door, Lucia took off her pajamas one by one in bed, reached for her school uniform, and put it on naked.

My heart was pounding as I combed through the barrage of information from Mien.

It's going to be a very 'unpredictable' day...

Actually, she didn't want to make such a big fuss.

Ideally, no one would know, and she could quietly become a saintess, then simply do whatever she was supposed to do.

But thinking about it, I know it's impossible.

August told himself yesterday, "Be prepared to adapt to your new identity."

This is also part of the responsibility that needs to be taken on.

After taking a deep breath, her gaze hardened, and she regained her girlish enthusiasm, speeding up her dressing.

"It'll probably be hard to get used to in a short time..."

After changing her clothes, Lucia quickly washed up and ran out the door, where Mien was waiting.

"Let's go." He led Lucia out of the dormitory, where a luxurious steam car, just like the one they had arrived in, was already parked at the gate.

Surrounded by onlookers, the two got into the car and slowly drove towards the magic experiment area.

They quickly stopped in front of a spacious exhibition hall, where four or five people were already waiting at the entrance, all dressed in "strange" outfits.

Like flamingos, they are colorful, and their hair is also bizarre and varied, as if it were a sculpture on their heads.

The man at the head of the group wore red glasses, which he adjusted with his delicate, orchid-like fingers. He was slender and exuded an air of refined artistry. He bowed gracefully.

"Your Excellency Chief and Your Excellency Saintess."

Lucia waved her hands repeatedly: "Prepared Saintess, prepared, not officially yet."

The group arrived on the second floor, and Lucia was dumbfounded. Forty or fifty white and gold-colored papal robes and gowns filled the entire floor.

Along the walls on both sides, one side displays various jewelry and accessories, while the other side displays various shoes.

"Am I...am I supposed to choose one from these?"

"Choose one?" Mien said. "Choose one of what?"

Try each one on; immediately modify anything that's unsatisfactory or unsuitable.

"what?"

Lucia was incredulous. Was this a selection of a saint or a beauty pageant? What were they going to do with so many clothes?

Mien glanced at Lucia:

"What do you think? Should we limit ourselves to no more than eight sets of everyday clothes for all four seasons?"

Different occasions, ceremonies, seasons, and times require appropriate papal attire.

These are all church rituals recorded in ancient texts and must be strictly observed.

The reality is, of course, not that exaggerated, but Mien did it on purpose.

Overcorrection can lead to extremes, and great efforts can produce miracles.

Children who come from impoverished neighborhoods must adapt to their current identity as soon as possible.

The imperial high command is different from the common people; people don't value friendliness, but rather strength and confidence.

They're all a bunch of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, who despise the poor and love the rich. If you think you're not good enough for them, they'll look down on you even more.

"Luya, I ask you, if you were still on Iron Can Street, would there be other people coming to your place as saints to perform prayer ceremonies?"

Would you prefer her dressed in something glamorous and sacred, or something simple and plain?

Lucia was momentarily speechless; what the teacher said did indeed make sense.

"Go try it."

Lucia picked up a set of clothes and followed the red-eyed man into the separately built fitting room.

She came out shortly afterward, and Mien's pupils widened slightly as she exclaimed inwardly: So beautiful.

Lucia wore a summer saint's outfit, revealing her fair and slender calves and forearms.

The pure white petticoat, trimmed with gold embellishments, fell from her shoulders, appearing even more pristine and sacred against her jet-black hair and pupils.

The robe was wide but not bulky, revealing her delicate collarbones, and a small cross emblem was placed on her flat chest.

Silver pendants adorned her wrists and ankles, and she wore light, openwork shoes with ribbons, subtly revealing her delicate and slender feet.

Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head shyly, revealing her new look with embarrassment.

I feel very out of place in this outfit. I think academic gowns suit me better. I don't even look like myself in this...

"This is the true saintess!"

Lucia's appearance perfectly matched all of Mien's fantasies about saintesses from his previous life.

Holy, beautiful, pure, and with the innocence of a young girl.

Everyone around them stared wide-eyed, as if they had seen an angel.

The man with the red glasses exclaimed, "This is simply art!"

Mien scrutinized it for a long time.

Lucia felt a little ticklish from Mien's gaze and couldn't help but speak up, "Teacher Mien..."

"Oh." Mien finally snapped out of her daze and asked, "What do you think?"

Lucia thought for a moment, then said, "Very well..."

"Well, these gold pendants are a bit too flashy..."

Mien looked at the red glasses.

The man with the red glasses stroked his chin and thought, "Hmm, that's true, a bit."

He then waved his hand:

"You, quickly go and bring over the sea ice crystal and the white topaz pearl!"

That's not what I meant!

The others produced four luxurious large chests from somewhere, and opened them one by one. Inside were precious gems and crystals collected from all over the empire.

He gestured, "Please, Your Majesty, try on another outfit. We'll alter this one immediately."

As they spoke, the group began to conjure magic, preparing to use arcane tailoring and sewing.

Lucia wanted to say something more, but when she saw Mien nod to herself, she had no choice but to try on the next set of clothes.

…………

"Luya, how are you feeling?"

"Everything's great! It's just that the crystal around her neck is way too big..."

"Immediately shatter it with magic! Grind it into stardust and spread it around the collar."

"I'm not!..."

…………

"This is great in every way! It would be even better if it were simpler."

"Immediately unify all other fabrics and patterns to the most luxurious frost silk fabric! Use the same shimmering purple-silver for all accessories as well."

"I……"

…………

"This is much more common."

"Indeed, the saint's clothes shouldn't be so plain; embellish them immediately!"

"..."

…………

After trying on clothes all morning, Lucia gradually became desensitized through repeated changes of outfits.

She also began to compare the differences between each item and found that the red glasses' suggestions for modification were the finishing touches, making the items much brighter. She even offered some suggestions on her own initiative.

Mien nodded in satisfaction: "This kind of life will be the norm from now on. It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, there's nothing you can't adapt to."

After trying on the clothes, Mien tried on the shoes one by one, carefully observing them.

He still thinks that dress shoes or ankle boots that are close to bare feet look the best, and that tall boots and high heels are really not good...

After finishing everything, it was almost noon. The red-glasses group was so tired they could barely stand up straight. Mien led Luya to the next location.

—A separate residence.

The magnificent three-story villa stands out somewhat out of place on the edge of the solemn administrative district.

Beside her stood several knight statues in the garden, some kneeling in reverence, some holding swords in guard, and some bowing deeply, as if they were speaking to her together:

"Greetings, Holy Maiden!"

Upon entering the main gate, one is greeted by a spacious hall, where three servants bow to him.

Lucia wondered if this was really a place where two people lived?

Mien led her through the rooms, which were fully equipped and had all the necessary amenities and space.

"If you need anything else in the future, just tell the servants and someone will do it immediately. If they can't make it, let Hein build it."

Lucia already knew that her refusal was futile, so she closed her eyes and accepted it instead of resisting. She nodded and said, "I understand, teacher."

After leaving their residence, it was lunchtime, so the two headed to the largest reception and banquet hall in the administrative district.

"Teacher..." Lucia suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Mien asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Lucia's face betrayed her thoughts: "I still feel..."

Mien waited for her to continue.

Lucia hesitated for a long time before saying, "I lived in Tin Can Street for over ten years, and life there wasn't like that, like Grandma Marissa, so I've always felt that..."

"The feeling of betrayal?" Mien understood what she meant.

Lucia lowered her head, and after a moment nodded.

Mien, seemingly unsurprised, said:

"You don't need to worry about that."

Lucia looked up at Mien.

"No rush, soon everyone there will be able to afford delicious food and warm housing."

Lucia blinked and asked, "Why? Could it be that the Academy...?"

Mien shook his head: "It's not the Academy of Scholars funding it; I reckon it'll mainly be Princess Rachel. Do you remember her?"

"Princess Rachel? Why?"

"Do you remember her saying she'd give you Tin Can Street as your fiefdom?"

"Ah! I remember now." Lucia recalled that Rachel had even offered her a knighthood, and asked doubtfully, "Did the teacher suggest I accept?"

The saintess becoming a viscount? It just feels a bit strange.

Mien shook his head: "Of course not. There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you accept it, you'll have to pay for it elsewhere."

"If she wasn't going to accept the land grant, why would she still be giving money to help Tin Can Street?"

"She'll still pay even if you don't accept it."

It's not just her; there are people eager to make life there better.

Even the stray dogs in the neighborhood get to eat premium dog food.

Although her heart was filled with doubts, Lucia's heart was soon enveloped in a feeling of happiness.

This is a sense of happiness that no amount of clothing or mansion can buy.

And peace of mind, erasing the shadow of guilt in my heart.

"But this is so much money..."

Mien said calmly, "So you have to be careful about these things. It's okay to know, but don't mention it or talk about it. That way, everything will feel more natural."

He added, "Don't overthink it. It's all the nobles' money. Why feel bad? You can only regret that there isn't enough."

Mien's words brought a smile to Lucia's face, and her steps became much lighter.

As I walked, I started to daydream while gazing at the dappled shade of the trees overhead, and gradually began to feel guilty.

Mien quickly saw through her thoughts and said:

Are you worried that this might constitute "bribery"?

Lucia nodded.

Mien calmly said, "Luya, we live in a feudal society now, so our actions must naturally conform to the limitations of the times, understand?"

"What is feudal society?" Lucia had no idea.

"In these kinds of situations, it's necessary to accept some of the money; only then can many things be done more easily and better results be achieved."

They also know how to maintain boundaries and won't go too far, so the impact is limited.

This is also for the sake of the empire. Being in this position, one no longer has to consider right and wrong, but whether or not one can make the empire better.

You are about to become the Holy Maiden of the Empire, fulfilling many duties, and will no longer be a student.

Once outside the academy, those students' tempers are absolutely unacceptable.

Lucia understood half of what Mien said.

However, since it was Teacher Mien who said it, Lucia immediately stopped worrying about it, because she absolutely believed in her teacher's character, as if it were the truth.

Naturally, my admiration and respect for Mien grew even stronger.

Because she discovered that under this higher sky, the reason why Mien, who had struggled for decades, was able to handle things with ease was not because of the knowledge in the book.

Compared to my teacher, I know far too little.

As long as you follow Mien's guidance, there will be no problem on the road.

As she pondered, Lucia recalled her childhood fantasies about her parents, whom she had never met. Perhaps it was just like that…

Her thoughts turned into those of a seven or eight-year-old girl, wanting to hold Mien's big hand and go anywhere carefree.

But she didn't dare to actually hold his hand; Mien was her respected teacher and the chief of the Academy of Scholars.

Even amidst happiness, there are some children's wildly imaginative worries. She secretly pouted, watching the various birds flying by in the trees:

I still feel a deep-seated disgust for those nobles and high-ranking officials.

She understands the reasons and is happy and content, but does this mean she has become a member of the nobility?

The dragon slayer becomes the dragon himself.

Naively thinking this, a vast banquet hall stretching as far as the eye could see appeared ahead, with many people dressed in finery walking by.

Mien suddenly grabbed her hand and led her forward.

In an instant, Lucia felt her heart stop, her head start to heat up, and the hand being held seemed to lose all feeling.

"Shanara has probably arrived ahead of schedule," Mien said casually.

"Hmm..." Lucia kept her head down, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"I reckon a lot of people will come. After all, starting yesterday, everyone in the empire will know that you are the Holy Maiden."

"Um……"

Mien looked at Lucia and asked疑惑地问道, "Are you nervous again?"

Lucia shook her head.

"It's alright," Mien said with a smile. "You still need to be more confident. In front of them, you are only truly a saint when you also regard yourself as a saint."

"Um……"

Lucia kept her head down, her face already flushed, and then nodded.