Chapter 27
Screams and chaos erupted from all directions.
I immediately closed the door leading to the shadow realm, but it seemed it would take time for the confusion to settle.
I'd done it again.
How could I make the same mistake when not even a day had passed since the last one?
Sometimes I wonder how I ever managed to get into the Magic Tower with this level of intelligence.
"...I hope you don't think badly of us," one of the guild masters said.
"No, no! Of course not!"
"O-Of course not! It was our fault!"
The two guild masters had suddenly learned proper etiquette for addressing nobles, unlike earlier, but it didn't please me at all.
This situation, where everything was going smoothly, was proof that showing force was far more effective than words.
I'm afraid that if I get used to this, I'll become the type of person who resorts to violence whenever things get difficult.
...That's something the Hero would do.
At some point, the word "Hero" had been redefined in my mind as a thug who swings his fists around recklessly.
I still hate him.
If I had to live like the Hero from now on, I'd rather choose suicide. That's how much I despise him.
Noticing my personal discomfort, Ivanna, who had been waiting outside, approached me.
"Your desire for peace will eventually reach everyone, my lord. Right now, they're just afraid of the unfamiliar. It won't be long before they open their hearts. Don't worry about it."
"...I hope you're right."
Although the process was terrible, the result was as perfect as it could be.
The guild master promised to dispatch 150 young carpenters and 30 skilled artisans to guide them.
We heard a similar answer from the blacksmith's side, and they said it wouldn't be just this once, but they would continue to send artisans in the future.
And although it wasn't my intention, the commotion of that day brought an unexpected gain.
"The Panvelt Company wants to meet with us?"
About three days after staying in Bart.
A request for a meeting came from a huge company whose name even I, economically ignorant as I am, knew.
Originally, such matters were delegated to Ivanna and Viscount Hamkin, who were familiar with market prices due to their experience with purchasing provisions for the castle. However, this was an issue too difficult for them to handle on their own.
It was clear that dealing with a major company would greatly impact our future migration plans, so I had to be present regardless of how the conversation went.
That night.
The owner of the Panvelt Company came in person.
The company head was younger than I had imagined, probably in his mid-30s, with neatly parted hair and an extremely clean appearance.
Everything he wore was of such high quality that even most local lords would have trouble obtaining them. In comparison, the attire of myself and the viscount seemed shabby.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said.
"......"
I greeted him first, but the company head stared at me intently for a while, as if he had seen a ghost, unable to continue speaking.
His reaction was closer to fear or creepiness, as if he had seen something that shouldn't exist, rather than disrespect.
While everyone was puzzled, the company head collected himself and said with a deep sigh:
"...I should say 'It's a pleasure to meet you,' but unfortunately, I can't."
"What do you mean...?"
"Actually, I've seen you once before, Lord Elang. From afar... It wasn't exactly a pleasant occasion."
He knows my name.
There was no point in hiding my identity now.
"If I may ask, what kind of occasion was it?"
"It was at the party the Hero threw in the royal annex before departing for the Demon Realm. It was supposed to be a departure ceremony, but in reality, it was just a party to entertain the Hero."
I remember that wretched party too.
It was called a departure ceremony, but it was just the usual vulgar party held in the royal palace.
Honestly, I didn't want to attend either, but I remember going because it was the departure ceremony for the Hero's party.
"Indeed, it wasn't a pleasant occasion."
"...Lord Elang. No, Count. Does your presence here mean the Hero has returned?"
"That could be both true and false."
"If I were to support your lordship's migration, would that answer become a bit clearer?"
"If the company head doesn't play games with the Hero Coin, my answer might become a bit clearer."
"...You haven't changed."
It was as good as revealing everything, but it didn't matter even if he knew.
When a country falls, the royal family and nobility suffer the most, but the next in line are the major companies that play a significant role in the market economy.
As far as I know, the Panvelt Company is a major company based in the kingdom. If the royal palace falls, the Panvelt Company won't escape unscathed either.
It would be good if it ended with just the company's collapse, but when the lords and people who have nothing left to lose start looting, even their lives will be in danger.
"...Your Excellency."
"Yes?"
"Our company will fully support your migration project. We'll handle the movement of goods, and if there's anything you need, please just say the word."
"What do you want from me in return?"
"Save us."
"......"
"Please save as many of my family members and our company employees as you can."
I wanted supplies, and the company head wanted lives.
On that day, we all got what we wanted without anyone losing out.
After I explained the detailed circumstances to the company head, he closed his eyes tightly and said:
"The real god is truly a despicable being."
It was indeed the truth.
*****
With the support of the Panvelt Company, the kingdom's largest trading company, Elang and his group advanced relentlessly towards the El Berg Mountains, absorbing refugees along the way.
By the time the number of accepted refugees exceeded 3,000 and reached 5,000, news of the El Berg Mountains being pioneered spread throughout the entire kingdom.
Of course, it reached the ears of the refugees as well. Some laughed it off as tantamount to suicide, but others headed towards the El Berg Mountains in search of hope in the new land.
There were no conditions for joining the pioneer group, so for the refugees, it was a unique opportunity to find a new home.
Naturally, this news spread beyond the kingdom to other countries, driving King Germis to the brink of madness.
How dare they use the support funds they provided for such a reckless endeavor that could hardly be called a gamble?
Everyone was afraid of the Hero who might return someday, so they didn't say it directly, but several protest letters with such nuances arrived for him.
'Elang, you madman...!!!'
He thought it would have been the best outcome if Elang could have spread his notoriety by killing bandits.
Even if that was too much, he had planned to make Elang known as an evil person who neglected the bandits.
But who would have thought he would accept not just dozens or hundreds, but thousands of refugees?
Of course, King Germis knew Elang's personality well enough to have considered the possibility.
However, regardless of his personality, he thought Elang would leave for the El Berg Mountains without helping the refugees, as he didn't have enough food to feed them all.
Despite considering both the worst and best scenarios, what came back was beyond the worst he had imagined.
*'He fed the refugees with magic?'*
No, he knew that man was the kingdom's best magician, but how could a magic that no one had ever succeeded in suddenly appear?
The ignorant commoners are now worshipping Elang, calling him the "Saint of Bread."
It was a ridiculous nickname, but with food being scarce everywhere these days, there was no higher honorific. Elang's popularity among the people was beyond imagination.
This situation felt almost malicious.
Adding to that, hearing the title of saint reminded King Germis of a name.
Bel Zuma.
The evil goddess that everyone in the Hero's party spoke of, though he had never seen it himself.
The story was so unrealistic that King Germis still half-doubted its existence.
But now he had no choice but to believe.
The fact that somewhere in the heavens, beyond human reach, a divine being was watching over him.
When news arrived that the Panvelt Company fully supported the pioneer group, this belief transcended mere faith and reached the realm of fanaticism.
A different kind of fear, unlike when facing demons or great nations, dominated his heart—as if an assassin was aiming for the back of his neck.
King Germis grew thinner day by day, gripped by the fear that he might lose his life at any moment, anywhere.
Amidst all this, when he heard that the number of refugees led by Elang had exceeded 30,000, King Germis wanted to give up everything.
Of course, it wasn't just refugees.
Knights who had lost their territories or masters flocked to Elang in search of a new lord.
Even before reaching the El Berg Mountains, Elang had already gained a force that would make any ordinary territory seem laughable.
What would the evil goddess do next to torment him using Elang?
Just imagining it was unbearable, so King Germis began to hate them, as if to avoid his own fears.
Especially that maid.
He vowed to kill the maid who had left that impertinent letter on his bed.
Come to think of it, there was a knight who had assigned that maid to Elang. He glanced at him, and the knight tilted his head and asked:
"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"
"...No, it's nothing."
No, surely not, even if things were that bad.
If even Reidus, the current strongest power in the royal palace, had betrayed him, it would mean there was no hope left.
There was no hope even with him around, but King Germis didn't want to let go of the last remaining hope.
Gathering his thoughts, he looked back at the Hero and his former lovers.
The real purpose of gathering them wasn't to hear their opinions.
"The kingdom is now in an unprecedented crisis.... So, if the worst-case scenario comes, you'll need to speak well on our behalf."
What that worst-case scenario meant.
What words they needed to say—everyone inwardly guessed.
"Can you do that?"
No one shook their heads or refused, saying it was absolutely impossible.
Because they had no choice?
No, that wasn't all.
Everyone sensed that lying for their own reasons would make things easier for themselves.
"...Good."
Although no one affirmed or nodded, King Germis nodded, assuming everyone agreed based on the atmosphere in the room.
He felt good for the first time in a while.
Recently, even the front lines had been quiet, so there was less need to conscript additional soldiers or send extra provisions.
He didn't hope for peace or anything, but he wished this situation would continue as it was.
Just as he was thinking that.
"Your Majesty!!"
Along with the sound of the door being flung open without permission, a messenger arrived.
For a moment, he was taken aback by this behavior that disregarded all etiquette, but he didn't feel like scolding the messenger.
The face of the messenger who came to deliver the news was so gaunt, like a harbinger of death.
"...What is it?"
In truth, he wanted to tell him to get lost, but such news is scarier when heard later.
Suppressing the urge to shout, he asked the messenger, who exhaled roughly and said:
"Re-reinforcements have arrived from the Demon Realm mainland! The enemy is... Demon reinforcements have landed in the human world!"
"......"
This can't be happening.
That evil goddess he had only heard of once again tightened its grip on King Germis's heart.
"I didn't do anything like that. Why do humans always blame the gods when something happens?"
"Isn't it all your fault if we trace the cause?"
"Who was the loli that sent the Demon King to the human world?"
"Shut up."