Young Lady, Mind Your Bearing!

Francis might have talked a good game about managing an enterprise, but when it came down to actually doing it, he was completely in the dark. After all, he was just a thief in his past life, never having learned the first thing about business. Thankfully, the Saint Sigurd Cain family possessed numerous assets and a wealth of managerial talent. As the eldest son, Steve leveraged his position to find Francis several experienced merchants who deftly handled all the preliminary preparations for him.

As for the nature of the enterprise, Francis knew nothing of the Aethelgard Continent's trade landscape, so he simply became a hands-off manager, delegating everything to the merchants he hired. This venture, after all, carried the imprimatur of His Majesty Bargnar and even had shares owned by the Imperial Prime Minister. Even if someone dared to profit illicitly from it, they would never dare to usurp its position.

For the same reasons, the government of the Imperial Capital, Saint John City, gave Francis's enterprise the green light every step of the way—approving land, granting tax exemptions, even suppressing competitors… In short, Francis's Charitable Foundation was up and running in just ten days.

Fallen Gods Era, October 6th, 1277, Southern District of Saint John City. A vast multitude of beggars and vagrants, some seven to eight thousand strong, had gathered in a plaza. Each was gaunt and clad in rags, their eyes fixed with desperate hope on Francis, who stood on a hastily erected platform in the center of the square, and on the immense cooking pots and bread baskets arrayed below.

"Greetings, everyone! I am Francis!" Francis declared from the high platform, raising his arms and greeting the throng of vagrants and beggars with a cheerful smile.

"Virtue! Virtue!" the crowd roared.

Francis chuckled sheepishly. It had been over a month since his transmigration, and in that time, he had desperately performed good deeds, aiding many impoverished people in the Southern District. While his Precious Lotus Scripture had advanced rapidly, he had also unexpectedly gained an excellent reputation.

He swore to himself, his good deeds were solely for the sake of his butt blossoming.

"My dear brothers and sisters," Francis announced, "I am merely an ordinary man, undeserving of the title 'the Virtue of Saint John City.' Today, I am simply here to help all of you live better lives, to have warm clothes to wear and bread to eat!" Francis quickly cut short his lengthy speech, glancing at the people whose mouths were watering at the sight of the bread.

"No more pointless chatter! I believe a hundred flowery, empty words are worth less than a single piece of steaming hot bread!"

The crowd burst into laughter. The Virtue of Saint John City was indeed amusing, but his words were truly heartfelt. Perhaps among all the nobles in Saint John City, only Young Master Francis truly understood what the impoverished needed. If he were to become Prime Minister, life might be much better!

Of course, this was merely an absurd thought, quickly forgotten by the common folk after a moment's consideration.

Francis raised a large banner aloft on the platform. Its surface was a vibrant red, embroidered with a golden lotus on one side, and on the other, the name of His Majesty Bargnar, King of Lanning. "Everyone, please look! From now on, whenever you see a shop bearing this symbol, the elderly, children, and disabled individuals can eat their fill for free. If it's winter, there will even be warm cotton clothes. Furthermore, able-bodied individuals can find opportunities to work and earn money! However, my shops are still few, so for now, only a limited amount of bread and clothes can be distributed daily. But as long as those who come to work labor diligently, the number of shops will grow, and more people will receive help. So, I urge those who come here to work hard! You are striving to help even more people!"

Francis planted the banner firmly on the platform, smiling, "Alright, please collect your bread in an orderly fashion!"

"Praise Lord Francis!" the people clamored, swarming forward, their voices loud with adoration, but their hands already reaching for the bread.

A tingling sensation began in Francis's rear. The Precious Lotus Scripture, as if it had consumed an aphrodisiac, advanced wildly, a surge of numb-itchy pleasure nearly causing Francis to collapse from sheer intensity.

*Sigh*, why hadn't he thought of this method in his previous life? How much good could one person achieve relying solely on their own efforts? Look now, he'd helped seven to eight thousand people in one go! And as long as his Charitable Foundation existed, it would continually aid the poor. Wouldn't that mean he could lie in bed all day and still have the Precious Lotus Scripture advance?

He had already made up his mind: this venture wasn't about making money; it was solely about cultivating the Precious Lotus Scripture.

As more and more impoverished people received help, the second lotus on Francis's rear rapidly bloomed, unfurling in an instant.

Francis's mind buzzed with a resonant *thrum*, as if struck by a dull hammer. He realized the second lotus had blossomed, a clear sign that more benefits awaited him.

*Must find a place to check my butt, quick!*

Francis instructed the merchants to oversee the crowd, then offered his apologies, leaped from the platform, and darted into a narrow alleyway.

*Where's a latrine?* Francis frantically searched, when suddenly, a soft voice spoke from behind him: "Francis, it's been a while!"

Francis turned to see a young woman standing at the alley's entrance, clad in a sky-blue gown. Her fiery red hair framed a delicate, lovely countenance. Head bowed, her shy and demure manner was both cute and alluring.

It was Avril! Francis froze in place. *This meddlesome girl, what is she doing here?* he thought.

"I… I just saw so many people praising you," Avril stammered, fiddling with her skirt sash, her head bowed as she spoke disjointedly. "You've helped so many." She felt incredibly shy. As a noble young lady, to disregard propriety and meet a young master from another family—if word got out, it would be utterly mortifying.

*Yet, that day, after Francis saved me, he didn't even ask my name. He was such a gentleman, far more upright than those young masters whose eyes would glaze over the moment they saw me. And just now, so many people genuinely praised him; even Grandfather doesn't command such prestige! Such a good person, why can't he cultivate battle qi? I heard Grandfather even went to threaten him, sigh, if only he could become a Battle God, then Grandfather wouldn't…*

While Avril's thoughts wandered, Francis grew impatient. "Do you need something?"

Avril lowered her head. Yes, she didn't have anything urgent to discuss with him. She simply… wanted to see him.

"I… I want to…" She hesitated for a long time, unable to conjure up a suitable excuse. Francis grew impatient, about to take his leave. Avril, secretly anxious, quickly blurted, "I, I just wanted to see you!"

*This girl hasn't actually fallen for me, has she?* Francis's heart sank, and he secretly cursed the Precious Lotus Scripture. But the words "living eunuch" felt like a guillotine blade pressed against his neck. He gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and said, "Young Lady, mind your bearing! I promised Prime Minister Antoine I would no longer see you!"

Avril abruptly lifted her head, asking unwillingly, "Then why did you only smile at me during the banquet on the eve of Divine Peace Day?"

"I smiled at Princess Yuna too! It was merely politeness; it held no other meaning!"

Francis explained, but at this moment, not only was his butt numb and itchy, he was also dizzy and disoriented, his whole body covered in a clammy, greasy sensation. He felt utterly miserable.

He couldn't get entangled with this girl any longer. Francis's face grew cold, and he said in a frosty tone, "Miss Avril, I have something very important to attend to; I must leave at once!"

With that, he turned and ran.

"Am I truly so repulsive to you?" In the desolate alley, only Avril remained, standing stunned, her heart filled with overwhelming bitterness.