The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

In the center of the square, where the outer city area used to be, the soil was turned over and the stones were neatly stacked.

Each stone seemed to carry people's respect and memories. The craftsmen, chisels in hand, had hands covered in dust, but their eyes shone with piety.

Surrounding the construction site were volunteers from all over the place, most of whom were older skilled workers such as carpenters, bricklayers, and stonemasons.

Of course, many reporters also rushed over after hearing the news.

The inner and outer city walls have long been demolished, and there is no longer any distinction between the inner and outer cities. Even if there is, due to the expansion of the imperial city, people who were originally in the outer city can now be considered to be in the "inner city".

While I wouldn't call myself financially independent, I can now live comfortably in this area that was originally outside the city center, with enough to eat and wear, and plenty of free time to do things I enjoy every day.

Through spontaneous organization by the people in this area, a huge statue of a female pope was gradually erected.

The wind blew from afar, ruffling people's hair and clothes, but everyone was absorbed in their work, as if the statue was the most important thing in their lives.

The statue was originally intended to be a life-size sculpture, but as more and more people volunteered to join, the statue grew larger and larger, eventually becoming a landmark.

Linde was both amused and exasperated upon learning of this. He originally wanted to intervene directly in the construction of the statue, but Lilith stopped him. Lilith proudly stated that the people of the outer city erected a statue for her, which was her achievement and had nothing to do with the Empire.

Lilith didn't want to be simply written into history as the first female pope of the empire. It's clear that she was quite satisfied with her work during her time as queen, after all, that was the period when she worked the hardest.

Left with no other choice, Linde agreed to his sister's request. Although he would not interfere with the construction of the statue, the area would have to be re-planned.

However, most of the original residents of the outer city agreed to Linde's new plan, even though it was troublesome and might cause problems for those who had found new jobs.

People fully utilized their initiative and helped each other solve problems, and they actually managed to overcome all the difficulties encountered in the new plan. It seems that Lilith really put a lot of effort into the development of the Cape capital, especially the outer city.

Even now, some people in the capital still remember Lilith's kindness.

In addition to replanning the area, the materials for building the statue were also provided by Linde. After all, although the craftsmen in the outer city were highly skilled, even comparable to some professionals, the safety and maintenance of the landmark would be a major problem if they used the same materials.

Therefore, even without intervening in the construction, the Public Security Bureau and the Engineering Department were involved in the supply of materials and safety measurements.

The Pope is dressed in a holy robe, holding aloft a scepter symbolizing faith and wisdom, and looking down at the crowd with gentle yet firm eyes. On the statue of the Pope, there are also some marks of the queen, such as an old-fashioned crown on her head.

This crown is particularly special because it was made by melting together various materials donated by the people who built the statue, and then processing them together with composite materials. Among them were many small pieces of jewelry donated by women.

"Let it be incorporated into the statue, so that the Pope's glory may endure forever."

This is people's wish, and it can be considered proof and recognition.

As the final chisel struck the crown, thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the hall. The setting sun cast its golden light upon the statue, gilding the Pope's face.

The statue was finally completed before the New Year. Pope Lilith visited the site after its completion, but she was so embarrassed by the overwhelming enthusiasm of the crowd that she fled back as if in a panic.

After all, times have changed. In the past, Lilith had to maintain a good image in front of the public, but now she doesn't need to. After get off work, this pope often lets loose and goes to the palace to eat skewers and hot pot with her brother and sister-in-law, and tease her nephew.

Yes, Lilith even set a precedent by allowing the Pope to leave work, turning the position into an ordinary one. There was no deeper meaning to it; she simply wanted to slack off.

After arriving at the palace today, Lilith proudly waved a news report in front of Lind, even repeatedly flipping through it in various poses, almost throwing it in Lind's face.

Lind, who had set the documents aside, looked at Lilith and sighed, "Your Holiness, you don't read this report about your statue several times every night before bed, and then secretly laugh to yourself under the covers, do you?"

"You, how do you know?"

"I overheard it when I was working late into the night on course materials and passed by your room on my way to get water."

"Ugh, bro, you're disgusting."

"It's because you were laughing too loudly!"

Linde rolled his eyes at Lilith, but ultimately took the report from her. He had originally intended to encourage her, but upon seeing the photograph in the report, he couldn't help but ask, "Is that you in the photo?"

"Why not? Look how exquisitely it's carved!"

Lilith proudly puffed out her chest, looked at the pictures in the report, and commented, "Not bad, not bad, it has some of the charm I had during my queenly days."

To be honest, it was at this moment that Linde understood what it meant to have hidden talents among ordinary people. If he could, Linde would even like to gather all the craftsmen who were in charge of the Lilith statue to polish his palace.

To sculpt Lilith, who is so small, into such a majestic and imposing figure, is truly a testament to talent.

After finally showing off the statue to Lind, Lilith said, "Brother, the Coca-Cola factory is yours."

"I understand, I will send someone to receive it."

The brother and sister are very much in sync on this point. The soda factory has now expanded to a extent that Lilith had never imagined. Lilith originally just wanted to make a little money from the soda factory, but she did not expect that because of Linde's endorsement, the soda factory is now extremely popular.

Although Lilith wasn't incapable of handling the situation, she didn't want to add to her own burdens. She just habitually passed the buck to Lind. Besides, cola was, in a sense, military supplies, and even if Lilith hadn't passed it on to Lind, Lind would have controlled it anyway.

Lilith wasn't just slacking off or being irresponsible all day. Like Linde, Lilith spent time in the coolant every day, but not to help download fusion data. Instead, she and 550C were figuring out how to redesign and simplify the helmets used to enter the public dream, turning them into new personal terminals.

Of course, Lilith's ultimate goal is to be able to read novels, watch videos, and play games on her personal device, and she is working hard towards this goal—yes, working hard for the entertainment life of the general public.