Contrary to her conservative clothing, the woman's words and actions were more like those of a boorish mercenary.
She walked to the front of the chairs and first gave the interviewers an awkward, perfunctory greeting. Then, she casually sat down, leaning forward to face the king directly: "I guess we can skip the self-introduction part?"
Brother Joe spoke first: "Barbarossa's daughter, a heretic of the Abbasid Empire, a pirate who roams the Golden Seas—any one of these could send you to the stake!"
This level of threat did not shake Aisha's will in the slightest. She retorted, "Then what about the Kingdom of Muxi? Atheists, pirates from the North Island, demonic beings—if we were to sentence all of these people to burning at the stake, we probably wouldn't be able to gather enough wood even if we cut down all the forests of the Moon Creek Plain."
Todd looked at the heterochromatic eyes and suddenly asked, "You could have used a pseudonym to take this exam, why did you use your real name?"
“There’s a proverb in the South: ‘The closer a sinner is to the devil, the more conspicuous his soul becomes.’” Aisha held up a scale with her hands: “Your Majesty, if I were merely an ordinary woman, would you allow me to become an official of the kingdom?”
Todd thought to himself, why not? Age and gender have never been used as standards for judging ability.
Just as he was about to say that, he saw Emerson and Joe beside him shaking their heads slightly in unison when faced with Aisha's question.
Todd immediately realized that this was the Middle Ages, and the values he held in his previous life had no place here.
“Youth represents recklessness and ignorance, and womanhood signifies weakness and submission. People are all like this, and no one can escape it.” Aisha raised her right hand and pressed it to her heart, and slowly said, “But the name Barbarossa can attract the king’s attention, give me the opportunity to enter this room, and obtain a chance to show myself.”
Todd rubbed his temples: "Miss Hayreddin..."
The woman frowned: "King of Muxi, you may call me Aisha."
Seeing Todd's puzzled expression, Aisha added, "Just because I use my father's name doesn't mean I like that name."
Todd nodded and said, "Alright, Aisha, let's talk about the exam. I've seen your paper; your arithmetic skills are excellent, and your market data is detailed. The only thing I don't quite understand is your answer regarding the expansion of Muxi Harbor: creating reefs and narrowing the estuary. Can you explain that?"
The midday sun shone through the wooden window frame onto Aisha's face, making her light blue and amber pupils appear in completely different colors.
"That was done to protect the port."
Looking at the interviewers, Aisha explained, “The population of Muxi City exceeds 30,000. A significant portion of the kingdom’s daily supplies, including food, cloth, and spices, rely on sea transport. However, there are two major problems: first, Muxi City’s coastline is over three kilometers long, making it difficult to defend; second, the kingdom’s navy is virtually nonexistent and incapable of defending against enemies. Under these circumstances, if I were the commander of the enemy fleet, I would only need to cut off Muxi City’s sea supply lines and then use oil bombs to attack coastal buildings to achieve the strategic objective of besieging the city.”
For the first time, a serious expression appeared on Emerson's face.
This 22-year-old female pirate surprisingly shared his view on the strategic significance of sea routes.
Aisha continued, "This area of water in Muxi Harbor used to go unnoticed because there were few ships sailing here and no suitable resupply points. But now, the situation has changed."
"Those fools from Beidao who don't know how to make money discreetly obtained seafood preservation technology from Muxi City, allowing those rotten fish and shrimp that were originally worthless to be sold at exorbitant prices in the south. The nobles in the palace and the wealthy merchants in the market have been envious for a long time, and they have already offered a high reward among the pirates for capturing a Beidao cargo ship."
Todd frowned, pondering countermeasures for the attack on the North Island trade route.
Emerson said to Aisha, "You didn't take this exam for a position as a kingdom official, did you?"
The latter nodded and said, "That's right, official positions are nothing to me."
Emerson stroked his mustache: "Your goal is to obtain funding from the Kingdom of Muxi so that you can recruit sailors and build a fleet."
Aisha glanced at the unassuming old man, but remained silent, which was tantamount to acknowledging Emerson's statement.
"Why should we believe a pirate?" Brother Joe didn't seem to like the woman.
"Your Majesty," Aisha said, "your knights have plundered many lords of the Silver Ring Kingdom and seized the North Stone Silver Mine, not to mention 'Night-Blooming Jasmine,' colored glass, and other high-priced trade goods sold to the south. It's no exaggeration to say that you are perhaps the wealthiest king in the Northern Diocese." Aisha seemed like a seasoned negotiator. "Now all you have to do is toss a copper coin through your fingers to support a promising ally. If you succeed, you will gain a loyal and humble friend; if you fail, you will only lose some wealth."
Looking at the expressionless Emerson, the skeptical Joe, and Todd who hadn't said a word from beginning to end, Aisha lowered her head slightly and said respectfully, "Of course, anyone can talk, but getting things done is the best proof of ability. I will soon ambush a group of pirates who plan to plunder the North Island caravan. Their blood and heads will prove to you that the investment in me has been worthwhile!"
Todd looked at the woman with heterochromatic eyes and gently closed the roster in his hand: "Aisha, if you can prove your worth to me, I can also assure you that I am by no means a stingy person."
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