Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Rebuilding Rentilden
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* * *
Was it thanks to the fruits adorning the Epsilon tree, its sky-blue petals fluttering in the breeze?
From that day on, Pibiola's kin began treating Erin and her group with a slightly more friendly demeanor.
With their wariness eased, the women could finally relax a bit while staying in the cave.
And because of that.
They accepted the cola Erin had brought without refusal and drank it down.
Since there weren't that many left, everyone in the cave got at least a sip of the divine beverage.
It was truly fortunate that she'd packed over a box, just in case something happened.
Though she couldn't understand a word they said—since their language didn't match that of Pibiola's people, excluding Pibiola herself—
One thing was clear: the faces of those who drank the cola brightened noticeably.
Life was gradually returning to their gaunt expressions, clad in ragged clothes that were little more than rags.
Once the cola distribution ended.
The first thing Pibiola tried, after her speech in front of the tree, was to end their long cave life and lead everyone outside.
Now that all her kin had drunk the cola, there was no need to hesitate.
Pibiola quickly rallied everyone and prepared to leave the cave.
Fortunately or unfortunately, they hadn't stockpiled food beyond what they foraged day by day, and there were no luxuries to speak of in this situation except a few Epsilon fruits, so packing was no great hassle.
The problem—
Was the reaction of those who still hadn't shaken off their fundamental fear.
Those who had witnessed their kin's slaughter firsthand couldn't easily make up their minds, even with the spiritual experience granted by the Epsilon tree.
"××,×××……."
"×××!××××……!!!"
"It's fine. You don't need to worry. Now that you've all drunk Luca Cola, we're safe from Dtamuk Thinking Army."
Pibiola invested every moment not spent sleeping to meet and persuade her kin one by one.
Erin and her group didn't rush her, content to quietly wait for things to settle.
After all, this was all part of God's will, so a little time was nothing.
In the process, they didn't neglect what needed doing.
"Are you saying I should go to the Empire?"
"Yes. We'll need a lot to rebuild the village going forward. In the long term, this continent must be filled with Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts, so the sooner, the better. Leave this place to me, and Ophelia, please take Rabbit and head to the Empire for a bit."
"Understood, Saintess."
"Igogodon."
"Take care of Rabbit too!"
Erin lightly hugged the rabbit.
At that, Rabbit bounced around the floor excitedly, as if it had found a reason to live.
"Igogodon! Igogodon!"
"Come, Rabbit Lord. No rushing. Even at top speed, it'll take some time."
After Ophelia departed like that.
Perhaps because no outsiders interfered, or maybe because they felt something from the cola like Pibiola had.
They reached a consensus to leave the cave faster than Erin and Pibiola expected.
Considering how they'd survived, this was no small achievement.
And so, once they stepped out of the cave—
Basking in sunlight that felt a bit unfamiliar, they cautiously made their way back to their original home, Rentilden Village.
* * *
"×××!!!×××××!!!"
"××,×××…….×××××××……."
Upon arriving at the village, they each reacted differently.
Some women who saw the disaster for the first time burst into sobs, while men who had heard the stories but found the reality far more gruesome fell silent.
In truth, their survival had been pure luck.
More precisely, Dtamuk Thinking Army hadn't sponsored enough to exterminate them all, so they'd been randomly spared.
In other words—
The rotting corpses and scattered bones rolling around here... could have been them.
Thanks to Pibiola's detailed explanation as their shaman, everyone knew this, so the strangely uplifted mood from when they'd finally left the cave turned heavy in an instant.
"……."
Pibiola thought.
Should they abandon this horrifically changed ruin and build a village elsewhere on the continent?
Or step foot once more on this land steeped in their memories—their precious things?
Of course.
She had already decided the answer, which was why she had come here.
Rebuild the village.
Rentilden Village was a precious place holding their history.
She didn't want its end painted over with the name of that abhorrent false god, Dtamuk Thinking Army.
She couldn't accept that the last image of her hometown village, when she closed her eyes, was her mother writhing in agony amid the flames.
"Everyone... let's help our kin rest in peace, even now."
Pibiola and her kin gathered the bones and promptly built graves.
"May we help too?"
With Erin and her group's assistance in the cleanup, they surprisingly quickly gathered the countless scattered bones in one place.
Piling them up made it starkly clear.
Just how many of their kin Dtamuk Thinking Army had massacred with a single word.
Once the burials ended.
Erin cautiously knelt before the graves and offered a prayer.
"May Plain Fact be with them......"
—And then.
"……!!!"
"××, ×××!!!"
The moment Erin prayed.
Intense light descended from the sky, enveloping the graves.
The light flowed down over the graves, illuminating Erin's praying face and those of her kin watching from behind.
It was definitely not ordinary sunlight. Warm, tickling the heart like... a father's touch.
[ Igugwoden : ( Sponsorship / 1,000 won / You worked hard, so a little flair is in order ) ]
[ Igugwoden : Good job, Erin-chan~~~ ]
'Ah......!'
Erin felt a tingle in her lower belly.
I see.
Even now, in this moment... You were watching us.
And... praising us.
Cherishing us for acting as You desire!
'Thank you for helping us handle this safely, Lord Igugwoden...! We know we could persuade them only thanks to You.'
'I'll definitely drive out the false pretender god from this continent. Please watch until then...!'
Pibiola's kin all gazed at Erin's kneeling back.
The outsider, as if chosen by the heavens, praying to her god for their kin—
That sight was etched firmly into everyone's eyes.
Starting from that sip of cola, bit by bit—
The horrific scars Dtamuk Thinking Army had left, which seemed impossible to erase, were fading.
* * *
From that day on.
The Kanps regained their vitality faster than expected.
Pibiola had thought it wouldn't be easy for them to adapt back, having spent no small time essentially imprisoned in the cave—not to mention children born there—
"Already heading to the fields?"
"×××!×××,××××………×××××."
—But perhaps because they were originally an outdoor people.
They adapted to life outside far quicker than Pibiola anticipated.
However—
Building houses was another matter.
Felling trees and processing them into materials couldn't be rushed.
They could ask Karen to use 'Plain Fact,' but—
Erin knew God's Plain Facts weren't infinite, so she wanted to conserve them.
Still, tasks like paving roads or restoring wells were feasible with their current manpower.
And so, one day while slowly restoring the village bit by bit.
"We've arrived, Saintess!"
"Igogodon."
Ophelia, who had crossed back to the original continent at Erin's request, arrived in the New Continent laden with building materials from the old continent and various other necessities.
She hadn't brought just materials.
Rather—
"◆●▲◎◇▽□!«ᡣ(^⩊^)?»"
"◆▲▽▼△※▶▣(⸝⸝˃ ᵕ ˂⸝⸝)"
—Hearing the news from Ophelia, a large group of demons had boarded her ship to aid Erin's cause.
Erin hurried to the ship to greet them.
At that moment.
—Pebble, pebble, pebble, pebble.
From amid the burly demons, a tiny, cute girl emerged, each step producing an adorable sound.
"So this is the New Continent. Indeed, almost no demonic energy. To think a place unconnected to our dungeons truly exists......"
"Welcome, Demon King."
"Long time no see, Erin. Linea asked me to pass on her regards."
"Thank you. I worry I've burdened Linea too much......"
"No need to worry. She's doing splendidly, just like my aunt. Speaking of which, where's Eirene?"
"She's making food for the New Continent folks."
At Erin's words, the Demon King widened her eyes with an "Oh—"
"Her personally? I figured a high-status woman like her would be hopeless at that, but what a cute thing to do."
"Yeah. Seems she did free meal service before."
"Really?"
"Anyway, Demon King. Your new hairstyle is super cute!"
"Oh? You noticed right away? Hehe."
The Demon King proudly lifted one foot slightly, grabbed her skirt, and spun around.
Her pink long hair, tied into small side twin tails like apple stems, swayed prettily.
"It was a gift from a human girl I met following Ballus. Didn't want to ignore the gesture."
"It suits you perfectly! Her Majesty will love it too."
"Then I'm glad. I've been missing her lap pillow. I asked Ballus once personally, but it just wasn't the same."
Ending her light small talk with Erin, the Demon King turned serious and asked.
"I heard from Ophelia. The异種 living in the New Continent suffered terribly from their god?"
"Yes. So many lives lost horribly. Just because their god willed it... Not only that, the god deceived and tricked them. An evil being that can't be called a god."
"I see......"
The Demon King gave a bitter smile.
Killing and dying... Truthfully, had things been as they should, one of them—Erin or herself—wouldn't exist.
She, who had received a miracle directly from that god, knew as well as Erin that their fates had changed due to divine intervention.
"Past Demon Kings considered other gods might exist, but confirming the evidence like this stirs many emotions. A evil god desiring only the destruction of its creations... It even resembles the Demon King from your ancient texts."
"Sorry, Demon King. Back then, our knowledge of demons was limited—"
"I wasn't serious. Still, your Igugwoden is a very kind god."
"Yeah."
"You must have commanded to spread Plain Fact to them too?"
Nod, nod.
"On my name as Demon King, we'll mobilize all demon resources to aid their reconstruction. Without God's Plain Fact, we couldn't have emerged ourselves. Feels like camaraderie, holed up in a cave like that."
"Truly grateful. I thought you'd refuse such a sudden request......"
"How could I refuse you—or Lord Igugwoden's—request? Don't worry."
Pebble, pebble, pebble, pebble.
As the Demon King passed Erin with pebbling sounds, she turned her head with utmost confidence—
"Exactly one week."
"Yes......?"
—And flashed a toothy grin at Erin, her fangs sparkling in the sunlight.
"I'll show you that rebuilding one village in a week is child's play for us demons."
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