Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: The Departed and the Returned (8)
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Before leaving, Lady Corin quietly summoned me.
‘I thought we’d covered everything worth discussing.’
What could it be? I headed back to the lord’s office. Lloyd had stayed behind with Elle to talk more with Lewis, and although Callisto insisted it was fine, he kept insisting on following me, so he ended up coming to the office with me.
“I said I can go alone.”
“We don’t know what might happen yet, Lord Theodor.”
Callisto’s voice was serious. He seemed to think there might still be some danger lurking around Lady Corin.
“Fine, I get it. Then wait outside.”
“But…”
“There’s a reason Lady Corin called only me. I don’t want to be rude, Cal.”
“…Understood.”
Callisto didn’t look pleased, but he followed my instructions anyway. He only agreed to wait quietly outside while I spoke with Lady Corin after I gave him permission to burst in if I seemed to be in even the slightest danger.
Leaving Callisto outside, I entered the office and saw Lady Corin buried in a mountain of documents, handling her work. It looked like she’d started right after sending us out with Lewis. She noticed me as the door opened and rose from her seat.
“You called for me.”
“Oh, Theodor. Sorry about this. There’s still some unfinished business.”
“Unfinished business?”
Hmm, we’d already talked about pretty much everything, hadn’t we? I looked at Lady Corin with a slightly puzzled expression. She gave a troubled smile and nodded.
“I thought you’d bring it up first…”
“What do you mean…?”
“…I mean, your ‘compensation.’ Compensation.”
“Ah.”
Compensation. Come to think of it, we really hadn’t discussed that. I scratched the back of my head. Ah, asking for rewards now would feel a bit awkward…
‘Especially since Corin isn’t in great shape financially right now…’
Considering the massive budget Dawood had squandered and the compensations we’d need to provide to the victims… Corin wasn’t in a position to be generous. It meant I couldn’t just demand whatever I wanted.
I fell into thought for a moment. Lady Corin, who knew full well what I’d accomplished, watched me tensely, awaiting my response.
‘In times like this, it’s better to ask for something other than money.’
Something good for me and good for Corin too.
“Aha.”
Fortunately, there was just the perfect thing. Something great for me and great for her!
“There is something I want…”
As I broached the subject, I could feel Lady Corin focusing intently on me. Her face was tense, as if she had no idea what request I might make.
“…Go ahead.”
“What I want is…”
I paused for a moment.
“…to build a Riadel temple in Corin.”
That’s right.
A Riadel temple.
Corin was a massive city, but it didn’t have a Riadel temple. Like most cities, it only had thriving temples to gods like Arjan, Donar, Kerayon, Rausian, and so on. Oh, and there was a Belek temple too, since so many mercenaries passed through.
But no Riadel temple. Even though the enormous Sequoia Forest was right nearby. Of course, this was partly because Corin’s people avoided the Sequoia Forest due to the orc sightings. To them, the forest wasn’t a place of abundance but one of fear.
“The size doesn’t matter. Even a temple tended by a single priest would be fine. Just permit its construction.”
“That’s…”
“I’ll cover the costs. If you allow it, I’ll procure the materials from the Sequoia Forest myself.”
“…”
“To keep the forest from being seen as a place of fear, people need faith. If Riadel begins watching over the forest, tragedies will decrease.”
[The Goddess of Forest and Earth, Riadel, listens to your words.]
[The Goddess of Forest and Earth, Riadel, gazes upon Corin’s Sequoia Forest.]
Yes!
Once a temple is built, people traveling to and from the forest will naturally pray to Riadel for their safety. Her faith will deepen organically, solidifying her standing in Corin. And a stronger foothold for Riadel would benefit me in return. A win-win for the goddess and me.
“There’s no need to build it inside the city walls, so land and cost issues will be minimal.”
“Ah…”
“The border between Corin and the Sequoia Forest—that’s the spot.”
“…There’s just the perfect place for it.”
“Excellent.”
“But won’t it be dangerous?”
“Exactly. It will be dangerous. So, please form a special guard unit for the Riadel temple. I’d like to ask Lewis directly for this. A guard unit trained by such an outstanding knight would be reassuring.”
“That’s a great idea.”
If Corin learns through the Riadel temple how to live in harmony with the Sequoia Forest, many things will change. For Corin and the forest alike.
‘And it’s a huge gain for me too.’
By spreading Riadel’s name once more, her attention, affection, and blessings toward me will intensify. In other words, my chances of living comfortably in this damn pseudo-medieval land just got even better.
“I’ll push it through as quickly as possible, Theodor.”
“Thank you.”
With a brief bow, I left the office. Outside, as promised, Callisto was waiting, but his expression was strange.
“Cal?”
“…”
Callisto didn’t respond to my call. What’s with this guy? Did he get upset because I took too long? No, I never even asked him to wait in the first place…
“Lord Theodor!”
Callisto called out to me in a voice brimming with emotion.
“W-whoa, you startled me…”
“You’re truly, truly magnificent.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“To give all the glory to the gods… How noble a choice. As expected, there must be profound reason Her Majesty the Queen chose you, Lord Theodor. A very profound reason!”
Callisto, utterly moved, gazed at me with sparkling eyes and gripped both my hands tightly. Wait, hold on! Even as I tried to explain, he wasn’t listening. In Callisto’s eyes, I was already…
“Indeed, a hero worthy of Lyset.”
…a ‘hero of Lyset.’ How do I deal with this thickening shell? I forced an awkward smile and pulled my hands free from his grasp.
“No, it wasn’t some grand noble intention.”
“Ahh, even your noble deeds come as naturally as breathing.”
“…”
He’s gone. This guy’s fully in fanatic mode. Not taking in a word.
“…Anyway, let’s go. The others are waiting.”
“Well, those two can wait plenty…”
“Cal.”
“…Understood. Let’s go.”
Callisto and I headed to the drawing room where Lloyd and Elle were waiting. Lloyd, who had been talking with Lewis, spotted me first and waved. Elle, who had been stuffing snacks into her mouth haphazardly, noticed me late and jumped to her feet.
“Did the talk go well?”
“Of course. Lord Theodor and Lady Corin…”
“Cal. That’s enough. I’ll explain.”
“Yes, Lord Theodor…”
Leaving the dejected Callisto behind, I explained to Lloyd what Lady Corin and I had discussed. He listened carefully, then nodded with a faint smile.
“A fine choice.”
“A choice too noble to call merely fine…”
“Cal.”
“Yes, Lord Theodor…”
I calmed Callisto down and shrugged. Lloyd chuckled softly at the sight, while Elle giggled mischievously.
“Corin will provide the land, architects, and laborers. I got permission to use wood from the Sequoia Forest too. Starting tomorrow, I plan to hold a gratitude ritual in the Sequoia Forest and harvest materials by felling trees.”
“I’ll help.”
“Me too!”
“I’ll help as well, Lord Theodor.”
Having companions sure is reassuring! Lewis, who had been listening, nodded too, looking quite moved as he regarded me.
“I feel bad for thinking you were just a money-grubbing druid.”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
“That’s all in the past. Now, your compassion makes me bow my head naturally.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Hahaha!”
Lewis and I laughed together. He seemed to have fully opened his heart to me now. And I felt the same.
“I’ll personally train the guards for the Riadel temple.”
“That’s appreciated. But recovery comes first.”
“I’ll recover in no time. Thanks to you all.”
“Don’t overpraise me. It’ll give me hives.”
After some brief chatter, we bid Lewis farewell and parted ways. As we left the castle, Claudia, whom Lewis had handed over, was with us. At the inn, after Lloyd and Elle went inside first, I called out to Callisto.
“Callisto.”
“Yes, Lord Theodor.”
“From now on, take care of Claudia.”
“Yes. I’ll protect her without a single hair out of place.”
“No, no… That’s not what I meant.”
I shook my head for a moment. Callisto looked at me curiously. Ah, what to do with this guy?
“What I mean is, Claudia is your horse now.”
“…Pardon?”
“We couldn’t have pulled this off without you. You’ve been an outstanding asset. I’m truly grateful for your help, Cal.”
“…!”
“I know you don’t like being around humans. But you trusted me and followed.”
“It was only natural.”
“No, nothing in this world is truly natural. I want to repay your trust.”
“…”
“You know it too—Claudia’s an excellent horse. She’ll be a great match for you.”
“…Thank you, Lord Theodor.”
“And… I want to give you proper compensation. If you have an amount in mind…”
Before I could finish, Callisto grabbed my hand and looked at me with desperate eyes, as if voicing his lifelong wish.
“Please let me become your companion, Lord Theodor!”
…Huh?