Chapter 40

Chapter 40

When Saintess Monaya of the Temple of Light received the message from Leo, passed through several hands, she didn’t pay much attention to it.

Although there were many saintesses in the Temple of Light, their status was still several hundred steps above that of an ordinary cleric.

The sons and daughters of the temple are the most talented individuals of the church, serving as its face. They must not only be attractive and have a warm, approachable demeanor, but more importantly, possess exceptional talent.

Merely calling them “talented” would be an insult.

The threshold for entering the Saintess Institute is to reach level 50 by the age of sixteen.

What others see as a lofty professional ranking is just the basic foundation here.

They are not much different from the higher magical races like the mermaids!

Although mermaids are born with a racial talent of over 50, as a long-lived species, their growth rate is quite slow.

Reaching level 50 by sixteen, 80 by one hundred, 90 by three hundred, and breaking into the realm of legends by five hundred seems quite feasible.

But for mermaids, it's the opposite; five hundred years is just adulthood for them. Level 80 is average, 85 is decent, 90 is considered talented, and anything over 100 is exceedingly rare.

Monaya, fifteen years old, is at the respectable level of 62, which sounds talented, but the gap between geniuses is even larger than between humans and dogs! The most prestigious Son of the Temple, Joseph, also fifteen, is already a level 75 Light Priest.

Advancing from level 49 to level 50 was an immense hurdle, but only after crossing it did one realize that every level beyond 50 was just as challenging!

Monaia, unwilling to settle for just being above average, decided that if talent wasn't enough, hard work would make up for it! She was determined to seclude herself in preparation for the upcoming charity clinic.

"My lord..." The maid hesitated before speaking, "Leo seems to have sent a similar letter to Lila, along with gifts."

Lila was Monaia's archrival. Of similar age, talent, and level, only their family backgrounds differed.

Lila was a genuine descendant of the divine, a true 'God n Generation'. Unlike some temples, the Temple of Light had no prohibitions against marriage and childbirth. On the contrary, they encouraged 'internal cultivation' to increase the number of followers with light attributes.

Sadly, the more powerful beings, whether elves, dragons, mermaids, or high-level humans, had greater difficulty bearing children.

Fortunately, the Temple of Light has a vast number of followers, each yearning for their children to possess the gift of light attributes.

The church undertakes the unified cultivation, with the highest talent and best treatment naturally reserved for the Institutes of Saint Sons and Daughters.

Monaya is the chosen girl, selected from among the children of the congregation.

However, this didn't mean much in the Saintess Institute, where survival of the fittest was the rule. There were 9 Saintesses and even more Saints, 11 in total, of Monaia's age.

There are those older than her with higher levels, and even some younger ones too!

“The girl chosen by God” means nothing here; whether it's resources enjoyed daily or teachers' attitudes, she, lacking backing, always faces neglect.

Monaia thought she had grown accustomed to such disparity, but the thought of even the priests daring to treat her this way brought feelings of injustice.

Monaya, initially startled, then grew angry: “What does he mean by this? Am I just a backup option?!”

Saint Daughters start fieldwork at thirteen, but Monaya is still a child. She immediately had her maid inquire: “What was Lila’s reaction? What did she say?”

The living conditions for Saint Daughters are good, each with their own house, but by coincidence or design, Lila lives right across from Monaya.

The maid observed the activity in the house opposite and reported her findings to Monaia.

Lila was a proud little princess; the mere thought of her being sent to some remote minor territory and not giving Leo a hard time was a surprise!

The excellent soundproofing was a bit of a shame for Monaia, as she couldn't hear the commotion, but the thought of both Leo and Lila being displeased brought her some joy.

"Where’s that letter? Note down the spatial coordinates, we're going there tomorrow!"

What’s a nemesis? Someone who does everything the other refuses to!

*

“Weekends off, nine to five, five insurances and one housing fund, double pay for overtime, triple for the first six hours on holidays and five times after that. Base salary consists of 30 bottles of syrup for level 30 and above and 300 gold coins. A three-month probation period, after which performance reviews and bonuses will be added. This means no bonuses during the probation period, any objections?”

The Stellar Fairies, dizzy from the details, nodded and then shook their heads, appearing somewhat dim-witted.

In fact, they indeed weren't very bright.

“Wuwuwu, Lord Philos, you are such a good person wuwuwu... We don't want money, just being by your side is enough for us to do anything.”

These Stellar Fairies, in human years, were only a few months old, but in terms of magical race age, they were already over a hundred and a few months old!

But this was of little consequence, as for that entire century, they were being nurtured within the star flowers. Conscious, yet their days were spent simply basking in the wind and sky.

The total population of 301 Stellar Fairies didn’t know whether to consider themselves lucky or unlucky.

As soon as they matured, they were blown into the most savage of beastman tribes. To the beastmen, these Fairies, worth millions each, were like a windfall. Desperate and crazed, the beastmen's pursuit almost wiped them out, with internal conflicts breaking out among the overwhelming numbers of beastmen.

But the Stellar Fairies’ luck wasn't much better. Since “maturing,” the only full meal they had was yesterday, as extras for Philos!

“Splash…” Remembering yesterday's sugary treats and hotpot, tears uncontrollably streamed down from the corners of their eyes.

"It's so fragrant, the best scent they have ever smelled in their lives! And of course, the taste is just as wonderful!"

"Don't be fooled by the tiny size of the Starry Celestials, these little creatures no bigger than a thumb. Yesterday, they were nibbling on shrimp cakes, cleaning plates one after another, leaving them spotless!"

"Though they were only brought in as extras yesterday, Phelos' intention was to have them stay."

"Some treat them as luxurious art pieces, a waste of their true value, but to Phelos, they are the key to the students' ascent!"

"Magic is not conserved."

"Unlike in science, an increase here doesn't mean a decrease there."

"The ecosystem of magic either flourishes or deteriorates."

"There's no 'moderate' stability."

"Dayak has been thrown into chaos, with the magic across its entire territory in utter disarray."

"Although Phelos can solve this issue, he's just one person, and currently, Lansville operates solely on his multifaceted efforts."

"The chaos in magic is significant but not overwhelming. It only slows down meditation a bit, without making it impossible or dangerous."

"Phelos' original plan was to have students sort out the chaotic magic during meditation. But despite their numbers, their low levels and Lansville's vastness make this seem like a century-long project."

"But then, the Starry Celestials appeared!"

"These Flower Fairies, with maxed-out magic affinity but no attack power, excel in their innate skill of Magic Resonance."

"With thousands of students in the magic elementary and kindergarten, and tens of thousands more in the upcoming literacy school, even beginners below level 10 can unleash a tremendous force under Magic Resonance."

"If there's no problem, let's sign the contract."

"The tiny paper, just the size of Phelos' fingertip, was perfect for the Starry Celestial, who sealed the contract with their magical imprint."

"'Lord, you are so kind, sob sob sob.'"

"The Starry Celestials have little material desire, not accustomed to spending money, truly subsisting on air and dew."

"But they can't resist the deliciousness of hot pot, the aroma of barbecue, soda, milk tea, beef pies, and half-cooked cheese!"

"This morning, they even heard the dessert shop announcing a new sweet potato crisp. They longed to try it so much, sobbing with desire..."

"Salary can be settled daily or monthly, and part-time work is acceptable as long as it doesn't interfere with your primary job," Phelos said gently, finally revealing his true intentions.

"Where would you like your social security contributions to go?" Phelos asked. "Given your long-lived species, we offer two options: one is to contribute for 650 years and start receiving a pension after 1000 years, but you can only receive it until the 1501st year."

"The other option is to work for 65 years and then receive a pension for 35 years. It's like working for 65 years and then enjoying 35 years of retirement with a pension."

The Starry Celestials gasped in unison, seemingly astonished by such good fortune befalling them!

"Isn't this just like giving away free money?!!!"

"Pay! I'll definitely pay, no matter the cost. I'll even sell my blood now—elf blood is valuable!"

It was clear from their reaction that they hadn't paid attention to the salary and benefits Phelos had mentioned earlier.

"No need to sell your blood; this is already included in your salary. The pension contribution is split between the employer and you at a 3:1 ratio when you are employed. If you're unemployed and don't want to interrupt payments, you'll need to cover the employer's portion as well."

Phelos forcefully steered the conversation back: "So, do you want to settle in Lansville?"

For the Starry Celestials, the answer to such a question was naturally—

"Oh my! Can I drink happy water and eat hot pot for fifteen hundred years here? I must be the happiest creature in the world!"

The Starry Celestials' joy enlivened the magic in the space around them.

The author's note:

Phelos: I need to find a way to keep them here, even if it means deceiving them.

Starry Celestial: I need to find a way to shamelessly stay here! I'll even sell my blood or myself if necessary!