Who Says all Saints Need to be Good?

‘Wicked human. I hate her so much!’ Kaina grumbled inwardly, her frustration growing.

“Okay, so now I have 800,000 magic coins, which means I have 80,000,000 platinum coins, 8,000,000,000 gold coins, and 800,000,000,000 silver coins!” Aurianna declared, a smug smile spreading across her face.

She paused, noticing the blank stares from Jugi, Boara, and Avriel. “What’s with the looks?”

“We get it, you’re rich, rich now,” Boara sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, chi, chi, chi! Alalalalalalala!” Aurianna burst into hysterical laughter. “I’m rich!”

“If we still had all our gold from back then, maybe we’d be rich too,” Jade muttered, his expression dejected.

“Wait, you don’t have it anymore?” Aurianna asked, turning toward him curiously.

“Well, what do you think? They stripped us of everything,” Jade scoffed, clearly annoyed.

“Damn, that’s rough,” Aurianna remarked with a flat tone, though her expression showed no sympathy.

“You say that, but you obviously don’t care!” Jugi snapped, his voice rising in anger.

“Aurianna, remember when you were seven and Jagon gave you 1,000 magic coins?” Eva whispered into her ear, jogging her memory.

“Oh, right! That means I actually have 801,000 magic coins,” Aurianna corrected herself with a satisfied nod.

‘Seems like that woman hasn’t been bothering me lately. That’s good. My soul is getting stronger—she’s losing her grip,’ Aurianna thought with relief.

“With that kind of money, you could help a lot of people,” Saem chimed in, standing behind them.

Aurianna turned, her gaze icy. She clearly didn’t like what he said.

“Just saying,” Saem added with a shrug, sensing her displeasure.

“When you steal gold from ships, do you just hand it out to people, or do you actually give them a way to sustain themselves?” Aurianna asked, her tone sharp.

“I teach them how to invest their money,” Saem replied confidently.

“And what percentage of them actually invest it instead of blowing it all?” she pressed.

“I don’t usually return to the same place twice,” Saem admitted, his voice wavering.

“How naive,” Aurianna scoffed. “If you don’t teach someone how to truly use money to improve their life, they’ll squander it. I’m not about to waste my hard-earned money on people who won’t change. I honestly don’t care about the poor.”

“You have no idea what it’s like for people who can’t afford to live,” Saem shot back, his expression as cold as hers.

“Oh, I know exactly what they go through. It’s the same story every time,” Aurianna said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Some want to change their fate, but when they come into wealth, they get greedy and blow it all, ending up right back where they started. Gambling, sex parties, fancy balls, expensive clothes—people waste their chances. And when you help them, they just want more. Greed always takes over.”

"Not everyone is like that!" Saem shouted, his frustration rising. "The majority are poor because of their leaders—heavy taxes, high cost of goods! It's people like you, the rich, who should help those in need!"

"Not my problem," Aurianna replied, her expression indifferent as she shrugged.

"Well, you are royalty, which makes it your problem," Saem countered, frowning at her.

"800,000 magic coins could sponsor an entire country—good food every day, stable lives, a decent environment for years!" he added, his voice firm.

"Saem, I don't think—" Echiya began, trying to calm him down, but he waved her off.

"Sponsor? You mean giving people free money for doing nothing?" Aurianna asked, her eyes narrowing. "Why don’t they just do their assigned jobs and get paid enough to live? Why should I sacrifice my hard-earned money for a bunch of low-lives?"

"Because there aren’t enough jobs that pay people a living wage!" Saem snapped. "People struggle just to feed their kids, and the nobles? They maintain this ridiculous social hierarchy, doing nothing to create opportunities. And hard-earned money? Don’t make me laugh! I bet most of that money comes from people's taxes."

Hadina, standing behind Aurianna, let her killing intent seep out, her eyes darkening as the air grew heavy. "Master, can I kill this brat?" she asked coldly, her aura oppressive to everyone but Aurianna and Jade causing the others to tremble.

“Hold on,” Aurianna said with a calm smile, clearly amused. “I want to hear more of his nonsense. Saem, do the poor decisions of commoners matter to me? If they’re poor, why do they keep having families they can’t afford? Why not control their situation instead of bringing children into misery? Some even sell their kids to slavers. They’re fools—pathetic fools. They have children hoping it'll ease their burden, but do nothing to change their own lives. And as for my money? Oh, trust me, I earned it.”

Saem’s confidence wavered, his voice uncertain. “They wouldn’t have to resort to that if they had money. And not all parents think that way.”

“They could get money if they became adventurers!” Aurianna shot back, her voice laced with venom. “Everyone knows that’s the one job that takes anyone, but at the cost of your life. At least the pay is good. But no, these families won’t risk their precious lives, won’t do what’s necessary for their families. Instead, they rot in the streets, whining about how unfair life is. They’d rather live in their pathetic bubble of misery than fight for a better life.”

She leaned forward slightly, her cold smile widening. “And I have no patience nor pity for such weaklings."

"If they die, the other family members—" Saem began, but his words faltered.

Aurianna leaned forward with a mocking smile. "Oh, but don’t you know? There’s adventurer family life insurance. If an adventurer dies, their family gets a payout."

"You won’t understand," Saem muttered, shaking his head.

Aurianna's expression hardened. "Oh, I clearly understand, but you’re dodging my answers. No matter where you go, there will always be poor people—war refugees, orphans, slaves. And yes, I know what happens to them. It’s brutal, ugly, and I couldn't care less. It’s not my problem, but you decided to lecture me about charity. With my money? I’m not here to be some savior for people who don’t even try to help themselves."

Saem’s jaw clenched. "Damn royalty. So if you had the power to change the world, you wouldn’t?"

"No. Why should I waste my time saving weak-minded people?" Aurianna said, casually inspecting her nails. "I have better things to do with my life."

"No wonder there are protests all over the world against dictatorships! It’s because of people who think like you!" Saem shouted, frustration and anger clear in his voice.

Aurianna laughed coldly. "Let them protest. As if those fools could run a country. It’s people like me who handle the real problems, while they complain from the sidelines."

"Better than living under the rule of corrupt nobles," Saem scoffed, though the tension on the deck caused his crewmates to grow uneasy, listening from below.

Jade, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a casual, knowing tone. "Here’s a bit of advice. Any country without strong leaders always falls apart."

"Obviously," Aurianna chuckled, crossing her arms smugly.

Saem raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"

Aurianna’s eyes glinted with a dangerous amusement. "Because, unlike you, I’ve seen it."