Chapter 361: Planning for Solutions (1)

"How did the negotiations go? Did you manage to pressure her?"

Outside the mansion, the protesters hurriedly approached Orwin and Kael as they stepped out.

Orwin glanced at Kael, and Kael immediately understood what he meant.

"The matter has been resolved. Her Highness Elina apologized to us," Kael explained calmly.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They still didn’t know much about their new leader, but if she had apologized, it would have meant she was open-minded and willing to admit her mistakes.

"Even though she apologized, the fact remains that our food supply has decreased by one percent. How are we going to solve this problem?" a young man asked weakly.

Everyone’s expressions darkened. This was what they feared most.

Winter was approaching, and they knew they wouldn’t be able to survive it easily.

Faced with this question, Kael and Orwin stayed calm, showing none of the anger or irritation they had before.

"Regarding that matter, I’ve already discussed it with Her Highness the Princess," Orwin said, folding his arms behind his back. "And this is also what I want to discuss with all of you."

Everyone immediately focused their attention on him. Orwin was the person they respected most in this town.

In the absence of an official leader, he was the one who took charge, and everyone followed his words.

Orwin looked at them one by one and asked, "Are you tired of living in poverty?"

The question caught everyone off guard, but no one spoke. They all shared the same answer—of course, they were tired.

They couldn’t even afford to eat three meals a day, and that made their suffering even worse.

"I know your answer, and I feel the same way," Orwin continued, taking a deep breath. "I’ve spoken with our new leader, and I can assure you she’s a trustworthy person."

The memory of Elina’s determined and confident gaze resurfaced in his mind. For some reason, it reminded him of his past.

He wasn’t originally from the town of Virella. He had once lived in the imperial capital, Solvaria.

But the brutal battle for the throne had forced him to leave. At that time, the conflict was nearing its end.

Only two contenders remained—the sixth prince, Ragan Lorian, and the first prince, Mikail Lorian.

He could still vividly remember Ragan’s gaze as he stood in the capital square—sharp, resolute, and filled with confidence.

In all his life, he had never seen another prince with such a gaze, except for Ragan.

And just now, Elina’s eyes had brought back that memory, reminding him that she was the daughter of the man who defeated his rivals and became emperor.

That was why he chose to trust her—to give her a chance to lead them to prosperity, just like the other towns.

Everyone fell silent, not expecting Orwin to say such words.

Even so, none of them doubted his judgment.

"If you say so, we’ll trust her!" the young man exclaimed.

The others quickly voiced their agreement. They were tired of suffering, and now a glimmer of hope had appeared—a chance to rise again. They would hold on to it tightly.

Orwin nodded in satisfaction. The town of Virella still stood strong thanks to the unity of its people.

Otherwise, it might have been destroyed long ago.

"Good! I like your spirit," Orwin said with a broad smile. "Don’t worry, Her Highness is currently preparing a development plan. Tomorrow, Kael and I will return to the mansion to request a draft copy. For now, all you need to do is wait for further instructions. Understood?"

Everyone smiled and raised their hands eagerly.

"Understood!"

***

The next morning...

As agreed, Orwin and Kael returned to the mansion where Elina lived.

They sat in the living room, facing Elina, who held a stack of documents in her hands.

"Thank you for coming," Elina greeted them softly. "As I promised, I’ve prepared the draft. But before that, I want to confirm one thing—can you both read?"

Orwin smiled and replied, "My son and I can read and write, Your Highness. You need not worry."

Elina let out a small sigh of relief and nodded. Her question wasn’t meant to mock them but simply to ensure there would be no misunderstandings later.

Illiteracy in the Empire was rare, but not unheard of. Considering how remote the town of Virella was, it wouldn’t be surprising if many of its residents couldn’t read.

Elina then handed the documents to Orwin.

He accepted them and split the stack in half with his son so they could finish reading more quickly.

While the two of them focused on the documents, Elina leaned back and closed her eyes.

I’m so tired,

she whispered softly.

Having written all the drafts herself, she hadn’t slept at all the night before. Her head felt dizzy, but she quickly straightened up and gulped down the black coffee on the table.

Fifteen minutes later, the two of them finally finished reading the entire draft.

"What do you think?" Elina asked casually.

Orwin and Kael exchanged glances, then nodded together.

"The content is truly remarkable, Your Highness," Orwin said with admiration. Placing the draft on the table, he continued, "Everything is written in great detail—the shortcomings of the town of Virella, the causes, and even possible solutions. Did you get all this information from that servant named Rick?"

"Rick?" Elina chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, Mr. Orwin. I gathered it myself. When I arrived in this town four days ago, I immediately inspected its condition, and I must say... it’s truly in a terrible state."

Orwin smiled wryly, but his expression soon turned to one of relief. Elina’s actions clearly showed how determined she was to solve the problems they faced.

"However, there are a few things I’d like to ask, Your Highness." Orwin pointed to one of the documents and studied it carefully. "It says here that you plan to buy food from the nearest town. I don’t mean to doubt you, but the prices there are extremely high—two to three times the usual rate. Can you really afford it?"

Their town had no cash flow at all. Only a few thousand Sharn remained—clearly not enough to buy food at such outrageous prices.

"You can rest assured about that. I can afford it," Elina said confidently.

She hadn’t come here unprepared. She had brought all her savings, along with the money her brother had given her.

She wasn’t sure of the exact amount, but as far as she remembered, it was more than twenty million Sharn.

That should have been more than enough.

However, what she didn’t know was that this amount was less than ten percent of what Nolan had actually given her...