第１５８３堀：教会のお金の項目は難しい (Part1)
"Welcome back, Lady Lilishe."
"I'm home~"
I returned to the Litaea Church in Weed, my current base of operations.
The sisters who had stayed behind and worked hard greeted me.
"Thank you for going to such trouble~. But you're in the middle of work~. You can go back now~."
" " "Yes." " "
As I said that, they seemed to understand and immediately returned to their own tasks.
"Mmm, mmm. Good children~."
"Indeed. I can't help but wonder why they follow you."
"Senal~. Don't say things like that. This is the result of Lady Lilishe's hard work. Jealousy is not allowed."
Hairen-chan admonished Senal-chan, who had voiced a complaint, or rather, her own inadequacy.
"...I see. Forgive me."
"It's alright~. That sort of thing happens often~. I understand how you feel, Senal-chan~. Now, let's hurry to the office~."
That's right, I too wondered why the common people were so grateful when the Litaea upper echelons were so corrupt~.
As I was thinking that, I returned to my office and found not a mountain, but about three small hills of accumulated documents.
"Ugh~. This much in just two weeks?"
"Normally, if the head of an institution is away for two weeks, it would be this much. Actually, it's quite little. And why are you so bad at paperwork, Hairen? You had more achievements than I did, didn't you?"
"Hairen-chan is more of a hands-on type~."
While saying that, we sat down and started sorting through the documents.
The content was mainly reports, with daily reports being the most numerous.
Since this church has a considerable number of people, there are nearly 30 daily reports, followed by reports on the use of funds and supplies.
Then there are reports on patients who came to the church and those who received counseling.
If it's serious, they are sent to the hospital~.
Six people in these two weeks~.
It's been decreasing recently, but there are still quite a few~.
It's not that the church can't provide treatment, but its role is strictly for minor faith-related consultations and treating small injuries.
Otherwise, the church would be overwhelmed~.
There are hospitals in Weed specifically for treatment, so please go there~.
Well, I suppose it's a good thing to think of it as them trusting Litaea that much~.
"Speaking of which, looking at the donation documents reminded me, what happened with the donations that you and Rurua were investigating?"
Hairen-chan suddenly asked, fluttering the documents.
Senal-chan also looked up, perhaps out of interest...
"You're right, you did make inquiries. Did you get any response?"
As she asked, I answered without hiding anything.
"Not yet~. Honestly, even though it was me and Rurua-chan who inquired, it's a very difficult matter. Offerings, or donations, those are things that happen constantly~. Even when we were running this church, people who came to pray would give offerings~. The amounts varied. Royal family members who know my true identity give tremendous amounts every time~."
"Ah, that's true."
"Hmph. You understand Lady Lilishe's greatness well."
Senal-chan was convinced, and Hairen-chan looked proud, nodding.
That's not a bad thing, per se.
Well, the intention of borrowing my authority, or rather, my power as a goddess, someday is subtly visible, but it's the same for those who come to the church without knowing my true identity and make offerings or simply pray, regardless of the scale.
It's not wrong to think of having something in reserve for emergencies.
To be honest, I think it's a good idea to try to make an impression by offering money or daily prayers.
The problem is...
"When the amount of money is large, people tend to get carried away~."
"...That's a difficult problem. Money itself holds considerable power, and most things can be bought with money. Wanting to make it your own... is natural for a human."
Senal-chan's face became stern at the end.
Money directly translates to power~.
That power can move villages, towns, and even countries.
In other words, an individual who obtains money also obtains that power.
Of course, there are many people who aren't interested in such things~.
Yuki-san is a prime example~.
He properly understands the responsibility that comes with that power.
Thoughtless actions bring misfortune to many, and even actions taken after much deliberation are criticized, or rather, lead to misfortune.
In other words, the kinder a person is, the more they worry about it.
So, he might not be suited for it, but on the other hand, people who cling only to this kind of power bring misfortune to many and can ruin a country.
Which is better, that's the question, but in that case, it's Yuki-san~.
He manages that balance well~.
But, enough about Yuki-san, let's talk about the flow of money.
"Naturally, one must control that~. Well, as for how much was embezzled and how much was used for the church, honestly, I have no idea~. Documents can be adjusted, and unless it's an enormous sum, it can be hidden~. That said, with donations from the country, it's probably not something they can do too openly~."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed, with donations from the country, records are kept~. It's not like personal donations, but they send official documents to Litaea, so if there's a discrepancy..."
"Well, yes~. It was the era when Litaea was at its most chaotic, so it's true that anything could have happened~. However, we can't just not investigate, and we can glare at the person who handled it~."
Alstaire-chan would likely not appoint such a person to an important position, and she would investigate thoroughly~.
But honestly, I'd prefer to believe that such people didn't exist~.
"So, it comes down to how much Alstaire can do~. Hmm, it seems like it will take time."
"Naturally. It's another country's affairs, and we can't dedicate ourselves solely to it~. Their finances and accounting aren't as meticulous as Weed's~."
"That's also true~. But it's not something that can be easily changed, so it will be a gradual process~."
Ever since Rurua-chan became the Saintess, Litaea has undergone significant reforms~.
Even after Rurua-chan was nearly assassinated and Alstaire-chan became the Saintess in her place, there have been many incidents~.
Although the change from Rurua-chan to Alstaire-chan as Saintess happened several years ago, there are still internal反発 (hanpatsu - backlash/resistance) due to the reforms~.
However, thanks to Weed's involvement, they were able to significantly cut off the opposing factions' financial resources, or so they said~.