Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Stamina is Divine Power (1)
The success of this port city refugee relief project went beyond just gaining new followers.
It included the lands on the outskirts of the port city, reduced to ruins by the hurricane.
We were able to buy up all that land from the corporations that owned it for a song.
From the real estate companies' perspective, the destroyed outskirts had become a troublesome hot potato.
The sites where they'd been collecting rent on buildings and infrastructure had been completely swept away by the typhoon.
If it had just turned into empty lots, that might have been one thing, but it had also left behind massive piles of debris and waste.
The ruins were now too difficult to clear, transformed into malignant inventory that no one knew where to even start with.
If it had been in the city proper, they might have hoped for municipal reconstruction aid, but since it was outskirts land, it was solely the owner's responsibility. So the real estate firms dumped it at rock-bottom prices, and we snapped it up for peanuts.
The plan after that was straightforward.
We used the profits from this investment to push forward a redevelopment project on the port city's outskirts through the construction company we acquired.
A massive reconstruction effort that would repair the storm damage while providing jobs for the refugees.
It required a hefty investment, but once redevelopment was complete, property values in the area would rebound to their original levels.
The profit margin was expected to exceed the investment costs.
Then why hadn't the previous owners tried redevelopment themselves and instead rushed to sell?
The answer was simple.
'They probably thought the refugees, having lost homes and jobs, would all leave for other cities.'
Normalizing port functions and restoring the city would take years.
They figured that with residents jobless during that time and fleeing, property demand would dry up, so they cut their losses.
No point building new structures if there'd be no one left to live in them—not even recovering principal.
But our investment had a different goal.
The redevelopment itself was about giving directionless refugees their lives back, so we planned to hire them on-site for jobs and rent the completed housing at affordable rates.
That would give them every reason not to leave for other cities.
That was why we predicted property values in the restored outskirts would recover substantially.
Plus, announcing the redevelopment brought an unexpected bonus.
The city government welcomed our investment and pledged additional support. Port cities already reeling from massive damage desperately needed a way to revive the economy, and this large-scale construction project was perfect for boosting the local economy, so they promised to provide every convenience.
Thanks to the city's drive to cut recovery costs through economies of scale, the construction firm we acquired also landed several downtown reconstruction contracts.
With performance soaring, the stock value of our acquired construction company naturally skyrocketed.
A virtuous cycle, full circle. What goes around comes around.
Our investment in the outskirts refugees yielded gains like these.
Maybe that's why it no longer felt like a one-way handout.
I never could have imagined witnessing something like this....
=====
Woooong—
The aerial hovercraft, after a long flight, quietly descended.
We'd arrived at the refugee shelter camp built for them.
Given the substantial investment, I'd come to check on things in person at least once.
The moment the vehicle door opened, I was met with an unexpected sight.
A sea of people.
Crowds filling every inch of the visible area.
The roar of voices alone shook my eardrums with its dizzying intensity....
Mingled with countless applause, it crashed over us like a massive wave.
"Waaaaah!!!!"
Inside the aerial hovercraft, noise-canceling had blocked it all out.
Caught completely off guard, I stared around in bewilderment.
But the more I did, the louder the cheers erupted from every direction, leaving me flustered.
Waaaaah—!!!
Tens of thousands—no, hundreds of thousands wouldn't be an exaggeration—crowding together, shouting something at us.
Too many voices overlapping to make out most of it, but a few words rang clear amid the din.
"Thank you!!!"
"Saintess!!"
"Hooray!"
"Thank you!!!"
Amid the ecstatic cries, everyone waved with smiling faces.
Still dazed, I asked the approaching priest who was there to guide me.
"What... is all this?"
The priest, who'd been managing the camp, smiled as he replied.
"As you can see, they're all outskirts residents here to welcome you, Saintess. They heard you were coming and have been waiting for hours. No one rallied them on purpose. They just all wanted to catch even a glimpse of you from afar...."
"This many people...?"
The priest nodded silently.
So I looked around once more. The crowd responded with even greater cheers.
Waaaaah—
"......."
The cheers rolled on like a tidal wave. It was staggering.
Of course, a crowd this size gathered in one place wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
In a precognition of the future, to avert a city civil war, I'd once stood before an angry mob of protesters.
The numbers filling the streets back then were comparable.
But those people's eyes had burned only with pent-up rage.
Emotions exploding only after being backed to the brink—it was heartbreaking and terrifying just to meet their gazes.
But... now was different. The faces here sparkled with hope.
Honestly, I hadn't expected the refugee camp's atmosphere to be this vibrant.
No matter how much we'd started helping, they'd lost so much to an unavoidable natural disaster.
I'd thought they'd be more somber, mired in despair.
But were people far stronger than I'd given them credit for?
Just give them hope for the future, and they'd rise again and again....
They cheered with scorching fervor, as if to prove they could shine brilliantly.
Even if they had nothing right now.
The pounding passion of rebuilding with their own hands the hometown they'd lived in and would continue to live in.
And boundless gratitude for that opportunity...
It all came through crystal clear in their cheers.
"Thank you, Saintess!!!!"
Their vitality had my own heart racing in response.
It was all like—
"A miracle, isn't it?"
I turned instinctively at the voice beside me.
To my still-stunned expression, the priest smiled gently once more and said,
"Yes, all miracles created by you, Saintess."
=======
And so, my unannounced visit to the refugee camp—which I'd approached without much expectation—turned into a truly rewarding experience.
Everywhere I went, sincere gratitude rang out.
It was astonishing to be loved this much by people I'd never even met face-to-face.
A bit burdensome, but more than that, it brought a profound sense of accomplishment.
The fact that I could guide someone's life in a better direction.
Experiencing that firsthand was always gratifying.
However... good results didn't mean there were no lessons to reflect on.
Of course, I had zero regrets about the spending on port city refugee aid.
Our investments had yielded even greater returns, so no financial burden.
But going all-in on a single event—the hurricane—without proper risk management?
That was what I reflected on most deeply.
'It was reckless, after all.'
No matter how much it stemmed from my obsession to change the future, it was a clear mistake.
Even the civil war from my precognition was years away.
We didn't need to rush so much.
So future investments would be planned more long-term and stably.
Our managed capital had grown to a scale incomparable to a butterfly's wingbeat.
Pumping money into specific assets alone could alter the future.
From now on, instead of all-in on isolated events, we'd diversify appropriately.
For example, acquiring minority stakes—without influencing management—in promising ventures whose market caps would grow over 100x in the next three years.
And after thorough discussions with Celestina, we dispersed funds across products tied to major events years ahead.
Even if our investments changed the future, just one success out of ten would yield massive profits.
With all setups complete for exponential growth as planned,
all that remained for us was waiting.
"......."
Maybe that's why.
Lately, I'd grown idle.
Understandable, since to avoid provoking Alpha Circle conglomerates, we'd restrained radical church expansion within Omega Detroit.
That alone halved my direct workload.
Having experienced managing a massively grown church in precognition,
even routine tasks felt easier now.
Work that used to take all-nighters was now handled leisurely before dinner.
The grand plan to change the future was already complete.
Capital for near-immortality had been shifted mostly to stable long-term investments by Celestina, and we'd set up surveillance to monitor and counter internal risks.
Nothing more seemed needed.
Thus, I'd gained free time lately.
Even after church duties, hours remained.
And they say idle hands find mischief.
Not wrong, apparently.
Judging by what I was doing now.
"......."
Staring at my reflection, even I was speechless for a moment.
Black leggings clinging tightly to thighs and hips.
A loose long-sleeved cover-up hid it somewhat, but underneath, a subtly peeking crop top.
Athleisure look, they called it.
The sporty activewear style known as yoga pants or Pilates gear.
I'd deliberately chosen achromatic colors, max length top and bottom.
Hardly any skin exposed, yet why did it feel so embarrassing?
Probably because the stretchy fabric outlined my feminine curves so starkly.
The generous cover-up over the crop top covered the embarrassing bits somewhat, but not perfectly.
So thin and flowy, the shifting silhouette with every movement was even more provocative.
Just looking at my figure in the mirror made my face burn.
I desperately wanted to strip it off and change into comfy shorts and a tee.
"...Haa."
So why was I dressed like this?
The reason was....