Chapter 89
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: I Don't Think I Can Keep the Promise
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A few more days passed—or so it seems.
They must have passed. I'm sure of it.
"Hamaya, the boss isn't dead, right? Should we bury him?"
What the hell, you idiot.
"What's Steron doing over there?"
"Checking on the Captain's condition. Fred, son of Shobiding."
"I see. How is he?"
"He's healthy. In shielding training."
"Shielding training?"
"A form of closed-door cultivation. No need to physically lock yourself away—it's a technique to confine the mind and immerse in the mental realm."
"Handy, not being tied to a location."
"Not at all. It's a skill no one can imitate. Only some Holy Knights whose noble wisdom and ego have merged can do it. He won't open his eyes until he gains the insight he seeks."
I don't understand a word of that.
"Is that so...?"
Fred looks just as clueless.
"Wilhelm's son Yuderg and Yakel's son Requiya are here too. Got something to say to the Captain? Just tell me. He's rigid as a statue, but he'll hear everything."
Ah, so I'm stiff like a statue?
No wonder my joints feel stiff.
Man, they're so noisy.
"No, we won't disturb him."
Good. Go do your work.
A few more days passed, I think.
Ah, my legs are numb.
My body smells musty, and my back aches a bit. Maybe I should stop.
Damn. My eyes won't open.
— "He won't open his eyes until he gains the insight he seeks."
Tell me that stuff in advance!
"Boss, I'm bored. Hamaya, should I smash this thing? Wonder if it'll kill him if I do?"
Eek— This psycho!
Groooowl—.
Hamaya, can you take this guy somewhere far away?
A few more days went by.
'Oh? Aha...'
Finally, without much hardship, I figured out why the vessel of divinity was gradually expanding.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked down at the sanctuary.
The answer was there.
'The people were expanding my vessel of divinity for me.'
Let me recap my actions up to this point.
In the border city, in the bandit den.
I didn't kill those who didn't attack me.
Instead, I gave them food and clothes, and sent them off to safe places.
In that process, the vessel of divinity expanded on its own, without my intention.
Even without deliberate training, unconsciously, naturally.
'I didn't know then, but I get it now.'
Back then, the growth was so slow I didn't notice.
'It grows proportional to the population.'
The more people I save, the bigger the vessel of divinity gets.
So, in the end, turning the fortress into a city was just fulfilling my own selfish desires.
'Heh, fine by me. While I'm here, I should work harder to attract more residents.'
What? Feels like someone's glaring at me?
Why!
Can't I be selfish!
Can't I gather wanderers and build a city!
Can't I grow a little comfortably!
Aah, I'm getting worked up again.
Relax.
I don't know if it's from lack of sleep or the divine power and Toolsep making me irritable.
'I once thought that without the pain from the starlight, life would be fun.'
Right now, I'm more emotionless than when I existed as a speck of dying thought. For real.
What motivation is there in a life of sensing people by day and celestial bodies by night with eyes closed, just passing time? External stimuli are down, so the sense of being alive definitely fades.
'Desires dull, senses sharpen. This feels like some kind of trial.'
Trials are best when overcome.
Always prepare for the worst, they said. Someone I respect told me that.
Right on cue, Ibu whined.
"Boss, I'm bored. Ibu's so damn noble, gotta live actively. Lying like this feels like being trapped in a Rebeck stone."
Don't noble beings usually lounge elegantly at an angle?
Regardless of underwear showing, pillowing on a man's legs, legs spread wide— Ugh, no.
'That's just my prejudice.'
This guy's the one who grumbled that the underwear I saved him from the first merchant in the sanctuary wasn't steel panties, but hey, wearing underwear is something.
Since getting panties, Ibu's slowly turning civilized.
Yaaawn—.
The pig Hamaya let out a massive yawn.
Eating meat lately, his breath is no joke.
'Because of me, these guys are slacking too.'
Guess rest doesn't suit me.
When getting lazy and emotionless, pump in external stimuli for vitality.
Time to shake off the lethargy and transform into a Holy Knight.
"Ibu, Hamaya. Let's go to work."
"Fuck yeah— Oops. No fucking yeah. Where to? What job?"
"Help people."
The expansion of divinity must continue.
And it's growing without rest.
Today too, fluffy fluffy.
Round and round. Clap—.
Spinning around as we work—.
The two Holy Knights are bloodshot-eyed maintaining security.
Requiya's busy rooting out spies and gathering world news his way.
Fred and Yuderg are controlling mercenaries and soldiers, while Kruk and the bandits are doing what they can.
'Now... what should we do?'
Feels like new hires who partied hard then started work— not adjusting.
Ah, right.
Newbies start with odd jobs.
"Carry heavy stuff, push carts. Support the lame, take patients to Steron. Odd jobs."
"Ibu's great at odd jobs. Cleans well, chops wood fine. Fixes cart wheels too."
"Yeah, 'cause Ibu's so damn noble."
"Right you are."
Ibu and I headed to the plains to tend to the refugees heading to the sanctuary.
"Old man. I carried you, so pay up."
No free labor.
As a Holy Knight with middle school education, I refuse involuntary talent donation.
"Ibu pushed your cart. Pay up. Don't wanna? Taste the axe?"
Groooowl—!
Raw fish sashimi's enough for free eats. The raw beef I tasted before losing taste buds was good too. Mix with burst egg yolk, shredded pear, one chopstick— Ah, not that.
Anyway, don't try to get too much for free.
Because it's heresy?
No.
Because shit happens.
Even I think normally sometimes.
The old man who got help fidgeted nervously.
In his eyes, axe-wielding Ibu looked like the Grim Reaper, not a goddess.
Normal folks would find Hamaya scary too.
"Thanks for the help, but we got nothing. We didn't even ask."
"Pay later. Contribute to the city. Pick up trash, raise and protect kids. Tend livestock, farm. That's it."
"Aha. If that's the payment, we'll pay diligently."
They're people who came seeking new lives anyway.
Unless they're beggars thinking of freeloading, they'll move on their own.
No work, no contribution to community? Heresy.
Heretics taste Ibu's axe.
Rusty, won't taste good.
Bad luck, tetanus on the tongue.
"Ibu, Hamaya. Odd jobs for a while."
"Sweet. Doing odd jobs makes Ibu feel damn fulfilled."
Standing at the top of the central tower, I feel gazes from all directions.
At first, I looked down alone, but now it's mutual.
Every time I receive the sanctuary residents' gazes, does my vessel of divinity expand by an ant's piss worth? Am I imagining it?
'Divine power's basically exhibitionist power, huh.'
Gazes have temperatures.
The emotions in their eyes weren't hot cheers or warm pity—it was pure awe.
Like the temperature difference between a firefighter and a Holy Knight's gaze.
'Comparing them is nonsense. Their statuses are worlds apart. Bittersweet.'
Descending the tower, residents whose eyes meet mine bow in respect.
Grevare the blacksmith, hammering hot iron, bent at the waist till his beard touched the ground.
"Forgive my rudeness, Holy Knight sir!"
The middle-aged butcher woman flashed a huge grin.
"Holy Knight, Ibu. Caught some pigs from Fiore! Want some?"
"For real? Shit— No, damn. It's fine. Ibu's a damn noble lady, doesn't take freebies."
The seamstress cutting cloth with heavy shears smiled softly.
The barber setting a young man's broken finger smiled with his eyes, lips pressed tight.
Workers who finished the plain waterway project entered the city. They placed right hands on left chests and bowed to me.
"We received your grace."
I quietly placed my hand on my chest too.
To them, it was a reply.
Thump thump—.
I feel my heart.
Thump thump—.
As divine power improved, the guy was awakening.
In the end, Silver Star awakens through unity with the residents, huh.
'I've received all I can from you. Consider the grace repaid. When Silver Star awakens, I'll leave.'
Yeah, time to prepare to depart.
A few more days slipped by.
I sought out the bandits I'd shared life and death with, giving distant eye greetings one by one.
Erakins reviewing barn blueprints at the canal site, Eratkal pondering captured boar breeding, Sirgraf consoling watchtower guards, Edinson sorting seeds, Kruk and Sergey bossing clerks around, and who else, whoever.
'You ragtag bandit bastards, don't die as vagrants elsewhere—live long here.'
Bandits are tough.
Tough enough to survive the march of hardships.
They won't die easy.
'Why do my steps feel so heavy?'
I moved to see the rest.
Ibu, oblivious to my pace, fiddled with the steel horns protruding from Hamaya's helmet, giggling.
"Hamaya, give these horns to Ibu. Stick 'em on my head, I'll be pretty like a unicorn."
Pffft—!
Hamaya licked at Ibu's ploy, spraying spit. Gross.
'If you're gonna play, don't trail after me.'
As I sighed at Ibu.
Ibu, eyes meeting mine, hurriedly looked away.
This guy who always hogged my gaze no matter where I looked—why now?
'He's hiding something.'
Intuition's for times like this.
I glared at Ibu.
"Ibu, what's up? Not like you to sneak peeks."
"Boss, uh..."
Ibu twisted his short hair with fingers.
"What?"
"You're gonna go spy on Yuderg, Fred, Requiya next, right? Check if they're working hard?"
"You know it."
"Ah, shit— I wasn't supposed to say. Shouldn't have. Ibu's damn noble, keeps secrets good—."
"Who...?"
Aha. Son of a bitch.
I was too busy gawking at bustling residents to notice.
'No wonder something felt off.'
They're gone.
Thought they were busy or blending in, but no.
"Ibu. Where'd those guys go?"
"I-Ibu said 'You ain't got the skills, you fucks!' and stopped 'em. R-real. They went to catch the dark sorcerer—."
Panicked Ibu waved hands.
'They went after Esrellak.'
But why leave me out?
We were supposed to go together?
Could've given a heads-up?
'These beggar bastards...'
Peaceful all hibernation, but anger surged.
I don't think I can keep the promise with Silver Star.