Chapter 149

The Hero of Gallo remained in Gallo for some time even after saving the village.

Though he had defeated the incarnation of the goddess that had visited the village, the demonic beasts that had become her attendants weren't completely eradicated.

While he was roaming every corner of the village to eliminate the remaining forces,

His companions also stayed in the village, caring for the injured or finding residential areas that hadn't burned and hastening repairs.

Collapsed buildings and flying ashes still remained.

If there was any fortunate aspect, perhaps it was the fact that there weren't that many surviving villagers.

The fire that had started in the northern outskirts and the central commercial district had completely burned down buildings and houses.

Still, there were intact houses where people could stay.

Many homes were vacant also because a considerable number of villagers had already turned into monsters.

Verde focused on treatment, complaining as patients suddenly poured in en masse.

Though Amelia assisted him, what she was truly focusing on was something else.

Namely, the public opinion battle and negotiations that would begin inside and outside the village.

"S-since a large-scale f-fire occurred in a r-royal direct territory, the r-representative stationed elsewhere will c-come soon. At that time, what's important is n-not only Sir Leandros's achievement but also h-how we came to be involved in th-this incident."

"We can't tell them that we came because Crown Prince Yurik set a condition. We'll have to talk around it. But it would be good if what we accomplished in Gallo goes up directly to the royal family through the representative. And incidentally, spread more rumors."

Amelia nodded to Duke Arenheit, who was lying down.

"I'll d-do my best."

"How are the villagers?"

"V-Verde is treating them. Th-they are all grateful, b-but."

"Of course, there must be some who aren't?"

"There are p-people who actively s-supported the elder. They're r-raising various questions."

"Please keep an eye on them. In cases like this, should we refute from our side?"

"R-rather than that. Wouldn't it be b-better to make fellow v-villagers defend us?"

"Please make sure it happens that way."

For now, there's nothing I can do to help.

Arenheit added as he looked down at his body.

Amelia's gaze inadvertently followed.

The body that had been lent to a deity for a while was returned in a terrible state.

Though Arenheit valued and maintained his body quite well,

The deity he served had rolled it around as if it were disposable, leaving Arenheit with no small number of internal injuries to bear.

"H-how are your r-ribs? Can they h-heal?"

"I'm told to just stay still, but not to move at all."

Blisters had formed on Arenheit's hands and face due to burns.

A handful of his blackened hair had been cut off, and his collarbone and ribs had fractures in several places.

Bruises were a given, and his entire body was in tatters, yet Arenheit was happy.

Because he had barely avoided the worst-case scenario.

"The injuries don't matter. I'm an ordinary person who's never learned martial arts. It's a gain just to have saved my life."

"E-even so."

"We need to rally the remaining residents of Gallo under Leandros's name, and use the reconstruction and stabilization of the village as a pretext to have them entrust themselves to the Hartmann ducal family. Then we could at least incorporate two villages into the ducal territory so far."

"The b-budget might be a p-problem. Whether it's s-sufficient."

"Ah."

Budget. Budget.

Muttering like that, Arenheit painfully turned his head to Amelia.

"How much money would it take to support a village of this size...?"

"I d-don't know for sure, but w-wouldn't it be enough to m-make Mr. Arndt scream when preparing the b-budget?"

"That won't do."

The youthful face immediately turned serious.

With territory expansion, castle management, and business all in his head, it must be quite complex.

Amelia was about to suggest that it might be time to stop leaving the castle empty.

However, Arenheit unexpectedly spoke first.

"Miss Amelia. I need to return to the ducal residence."

* * *

The moment he heard Amelia's words, he newly realized that money was needed here too.

Money, money, that damn money.

He couldn't believe that financial issues, which he had been sick of since Korea, were occurring here as well.

But Amelia's point was correct.

No matter how much he leased the Dikenter Mountains to the merchant group, the revenue was limited.

Compensation for employees, travel expenses for Leandros, Amelia, and Verde, and many cities and villages that would soon be incorporated under the Hartmann name.

In the long term, there were countless places where money would be spent.

If Leandros had to return to the castle because of lack of funds just when he was about to make his mark, nothing would be more face-losing than that.

"I want to check the situation at the ducal residence and prepare for the future."

"W-will you be alright? I c-could go instead."

"If it really becomes necessary, I'll send a letter then."

Amelia had an expression like she wanted to say something as she looked at his body plastered with herbs and bandages.

Though he understood her will to reduce his suffering as much as possible, it was still better for Amelia to stay with Leandros.

She needed to ease the wariness of strangers, win them over, and make them favorable toward the ducal residence.

That was a role he couldn't fulfill.

"If th-that's the case. I c-can't give my opinion, but. I'll g-go help Verde while surveying the s-situation among the residents."

"Thank you for coming all the way here."

Amelia left the room.

Only after the door closed did he pull back the blanket he was covering himself with.

"Amelia's gone."

"Human woman, gone? Is it okay now?"

"Regardless of whether it's okay or not, if you stay inside any longer, I'll get cold."

The snowman crawled out awkwardly from under the blanket.

When Aphoom-Zhah and he separated, and the deity returned to being an avatar in the form of a snowman, Leandros had tried to crush Aphoom-Zhah.

The reason was that he had arbitrarily damaged his body.

Of course, a bloodbath was avoided because he regained consciousness and desperately stopped it.

Instead, as this news was conveyed to Amelia, she also began maintaining a rather harsh attitude toward the snowman.

Perhaps it was because Amelia had been knowingly or unknowingly fond of the small snowman until now.

The snowman seemed quite disheartened.

"The great me. Made great contributions. Why do this? Dissatisfied with treatment. Human knight, hero? Why not me?"

"I know what you did. Stop feeling hurt. Won't Amelia's heart soften after a while?"

"No guarantee. Humans, fickle."

"Rather than that, let's continue our conversation. Starting with Shub-Niggurath."

After roughly consoling the snowman, he sat it on the blanket.

The snowman sat obediently and pointed to the red book, the grimoire Pnakotic, placed beside him.

"That book. Information about deities, attendants, legacies. Pnakotic, written by beings from another world. Humans, read? Go mad. But worshipper, received my protection. Acquired in Dreamland. Worshipper is owner."

"I understand that."

"Shub-Niggurath. Mother of All. Appears in Pnakotic. Her children also appear. Attendants, offspring. This village, filled with her children."

"So in the end, the deity came to see its attendants, right?"

"Deity, not special case? Sends incarnation because of attendants? Nonsense. Shub-Niggurath? Came to village. Avatar also came. This can happen. Incarnation also came. This strange. Dangerous."

"In what cases does a deity's incarnation come?"

"Comes when there's value."

Though the answer seemed ambiguous at first glance, its meaning could be guessed with a little thought.

These beings called deities had no interest in any existence other than the anthill that worshipped them.

So, the fact that a deity sent an incarnation to this village meant.

"She took interest. In something here."

A goddess who wouldn't even glance at her children, even if they increased exponentially.

But as soon as they arrived, she suddenly turned her attention and directly sent an incarnation here.

It was obvious who the entity that caught the goddess's interest was, without needing to speculate.

It was true that he felt somewhat proud and satisfied, but...

"Still, if this state continues, the fatigue will be too severe. I didn't bring Leandros to be tampered with recklessly by various entities."

As the protagonist, it was natural that even the foundations of this world took interest in him.

But an incarnation of a deity from the second village?

Wasn't that too much?

If things went wrong, would they actually face a deity?

"Worshipper, then what to do? Human knight. Received my blessing. Human who defeated incarnation. Angry deity. Interested deity. There are stubborn ones. They have interest."

"I suppose so."

"Deity's interest. Harmful to humans. Nothing good. Except the great Aphoom-Zhah. Aphoom-Zhah, generous."

"That's not something I can control. From now on, it's Leandros's journey alone. There's no stage for me, a supporting character, to step onto."

Leandros was reborn here as an apostle who upheld the will of the Lord of the Extreme Realm, Aphoom-Zhah.

Humans could not kill deities, but a representative expressing the will of the same deity could kill them.

It was a result that brilliantly circumvented the saying that there was no precedent for a human killing a deity.

So there shouldn't be any major issues going forward.

"I should head back to the territory soon."

It wasn't good to hover around the child too much either.

He should let him go at appropriate times and let him experience the rough winds of the world, yes.

He should support Leandros from behind in a reasonable way, and he should also create opportunities to survive by leveraging Leandros's prestige while avoiding Yurik in his own way.

A few hours after making that decision.

"Y-Your Grace!"

"What's the matter, barging in so urgently?"

Around the time he was waiting for dinner, Amelia entered the room urgently.

In her hand was a short letter.

In the already opened envelope was a message so brief it was embarrassing to even call it a letter.

As he received and read it, the paper crumpled with a crinkling sound in his hand.

"These... crazy bastards!"

[Dear Village Elder Marcus of Gallo,

First, I express my regret for the tragic events that occurred in the village.

It appears that a representative appointed with the authority of the Royal Direct Territory of Gallo, or someone with an equivalent position, should establish measures for the extent of damage, reconstruction, and support for Gallo.

Though you must be busy, I request that you visit the northeastern city of Valentine in person for urgent discussions.]