After Jeanne expressed her intentions to the Pope, the old gentleman began planning and scouting for suitable candidates to fulfill her vision.
It was important to understand that in this relatively free and open-minded country, the number of Sankta who wished to help others was by no means small. Even the Pope himself, back when he was still a young man, had entertained the idea of forming such a team. Unfortunately, those plans were eventually abandoned for various reasons.
The primary reason such groups never formed was financial. Whether it was the basic needs of the members or the cost of supplies, everything required money. Now that Jeanne's vision provided sufficient funding, the old man found it quite easy to gather a group of dreamers.
The Pope did not mistreat these individuals; they were essentially given the same benefits and salaries as personnel from the Notarial Hall, with the only caveat being that they would need to travel frequently. As for the stability of the funding? There was absolutely no need to worry about that—one might as well worry about what to have for dinner instead.
Based on the current popularity of Saintess-related merchandise, the demand in Laterano was growing at a terrifying speed. It was no longer a case of everyone owning one item; now, it was a situation where every household seemed to have several decorations bought from the shops.
Furthermore, the people of Laterano were generally well-off. There were no families in such dire straits that they couldn't afford a meal. Even those who were normally frugal would stop by a shop to buy a keychain or some other small trinket when passing by. This was no longer just about admiring the Saintess; it was because word had spread that Jeanne intended to use these funds to help those suffering in the outside world.
In truth, those living in Laterano possessed a sense of compassion for the suffering that was even stronger than that of outsiders. However, in the past, they lacked the ability to help. Even as residents of this paradise, they were still just ordinary people.
They didn't have the grand power or the means to abandon this paradise to deliver bread to those in need. Even if they had the courage to leave the city, they couldn't go very far. The areas surrounding Laterano were home to many Sarkaz who specifically targeted Sankta who ventured out.
But now? The Laterano authorities announced that all profits from the Saintess's products, minus costs and overhead, would be used entirely for humanitarian aid! To be able to help those in need by spending just a little pocket change—what a profound sense of satisfaction this brought to the many well-meaning people of Laterano!
This sense of participation brought fulfillment to many Sankta. Wasn't this far more meaningful than blowing up houses?
"So, do you think I should have a word with the Pope and ask him to encourage everyone to spend a bit more rationally? Or should I do it myself?"
In a corner of the street, a heavily disguised Jeanne watched the crowds buying products related to her, asking with a hint of worry. Mostly, the way these people were buying things made her uneasy. She was afraid they might get so caught up in the excitement that they'd spend their entire salaries.
While she appreciated their desire to help others, they still had their own lives to lead! She didn't want them spending all their money in a fit of excitement. A charitable act premised on harming one's own quality of life is never a good thing; over time, what started as a good deed would turn into something negative.
"Er... that is indeed a problem. Why don't you mention it to the old man in a bit? Aren't you planning to see him anyway?"
Beside her, Lemuen looked at the swamped shops and let out a small sigh. If she were just an ordinary Sankta recently discharged from the hospital, she probably wouldn't even understand what was going on. While the Sankta officers weren't crowding or shoving, the long queues extending far from the storefronts were quite the sight to behold.
Jeanne didn't linger there for long. If she stayed too long, it would be difficult to leave if someone recognized her. Fortunately, no one recognized her along the way. For the first time, Jeanne truly understood what it felt like to be a celebrity.
However, Jeanne was also a bit curious. The Emperor—that penguin—was a fairly famous star on the Terra continent. That fellow spent his days acting the fool in Lungmen, yet he never seemed to be bothered by such things.
Was it because he was a penguin? But wouldn't a talking penguin attract more attention than a living human? It seemed that if they had the chance to meet again, she should pay a visit to that penguin and see if he had some secret method.
"Welcome! I just held a meeting with the people I found and explained the situation. How about it? Are you interested in meeting them?"
Jeanne didn't have to wait long in the office before the Pope returned from outside to meet her. It was clear the old man had put a lot of effort into her affairs, even skipping his usual afternoon tea time.
"Meeting them can wait a moment. I wanted to bring something to your attention first. I noticed everyone is very interested in this initiative, perhaps even too much..."
With that, Jeanne described what she had seen at the storefronts to the old man, seeking his advice. This man had managed the city for many years; surely he would have a good way to resolve the issue without dampening everyone's spirits.
Sure enough, the Pope pondered for a moment after hearing Jeanne's account. He hadn't expected the people's drive to be quite this high.
"That's easy enough to solve. If all else fails, I'll have to ask you to record a video to persuade everyone. From what I can see, they listen to you quite well."
The Pope's answer was within Jeanne's expectations, but she still had some doubts about the power of her own words. She wasn't sure if these people would actually listen to her. Or would they just ignore everything once the excitement took hold?
Still, since the old gentleman said so, she would give it a try. At the very least, she needed to help those obviously over-excited Sankta calm down a little.
"Now that that's settled, let me guess why you've come... You're planning to leave, so you've come to personally say goodbye, haven't you?"
The Pope didn't even have to guess. He knew she had already planned to leave this place; announcing her identity had just delayed her for a while. Otherwise, Jeanne might have left some time ago. Of course, her staying was a good thing; otherwise, how would so many events have unfolded?
Seeing that the Pope had guessed her intentions, Jeanne nodded. Her visit today was indeed to bid farewell.
"Yes, I had intended to head back earlier, but after publicly announcing my identity as the Saintess, I got held up. Given the current situation, I should head back for a while."
What Jeanne didn't say was that staying here day after day was actually quite boring. She was practically growing mushrooms staying cooped up in her room. But if she went out for a stroll, she didn't quite dare given the circumstances. Even with a disguise, the chances of being recognized were quite high.
As they said, her presence on the street was quite obvious. Especially in this city, the population wasn't that large to begin with. Add to that the fact that her existence seemed to have a mysterious attraction for them—even if she covered herself in machine oil to look like a piece of coal, these people would probably still recognize her!
Hearing Jeanne's words, the Pope couldn't help but laugh. After a long while, he nodded and said slowly:
"Leaving at this time is actually quite good. Everyone is a bit... over-excited to see you right now. After some time passes and everyone calms down, it will be much better."
The Pope naturally knew about Jeanne's recent situation. Forcing someone like her to stay in her room all day was indeed a bit much. It was better to let her head back to avoid the spotlight for a while. Once everyone's spirits had settled, he could always find a reason to invite her back, couldn't he?
In Laterano, he was the Pope. He was the one who decided when it was time to celebrate a holiday!