Chapter 417: A Good Place to Live (2)

“Oh, I told you not to gather those, but why are you gathering them again? Gosh.”

I spoke a little bluntly, but I wasn’t particularly upset.

As I sat on a chair made of the finest leather, I watched the people praying eagerly.

The endless crowd could be said to be similar to or more than that of Laios.

If only the conditions were provided, it would be more than enough to fill the entirety of Lindel.

It wasn’t just Lindel in the first place.

It would be more than enough to fill a lot more than that, considering the unimaginable crowds of elves and dwarves in Castle Rock, Dawan, Celia, and Eberia. Even in the unrelated United Kingdom, a similar situation was being produced.

Even though I hadn’t swayed the public opinion, it already had that much of an effect just because they had seen me suffer from a life-threatening danger like at Laios.

That meant that their impression of me was good. It certainly didn’t make me uncomfortable.

‘It was definitely a good one.’

The climax of the war was still being broadcast in the Goddess’s Mirror.

It was a miracle that tens of thousands of undeads were put to rest simultaneously when a person embraced by the light simply swung his arm. No, he was a miracle in himself.

Since then, the image of Goddess Benignore, who had given the message to go forward as one, was said to be so divine that humans dared not judge it.

The image was enough to make me worry that even I would be blinded.

Of course, there was no need to say how the State’s people, full of faith in God, would accept this certain phenomenon.

If a human who saw that labeled it as fraud, I wouldn’t have anything to say to them even if they would get stoned to death in the streets.

‘Absolutely.’

That became even more likely upon recalling what I had gained through that miracle.

The war had left a huge scar on the continent. Many died and suffered, and due to the Demon Summoner’s evil tricks, some people were unable to close their eyes peacefully even after death.

The mental shock that the cursed undead gave to the entire continent proved to be beyond words.

There was a lot of human and material damage. Some areas were considered impossible to recover.

The power of the State and the Republic had been reduced severely. There were places where the production facilities had been totally damaged, or where the terrain itself had completely changed.

Prestigious restoration wizards and renowned experts judged that even on that magic continent, it could take several decades to return to the pre-war era. Above all else, the number of human casualties was also hard to ignore.

Of course, because of a couple of turn of events, the continent had begun to move toward one goal.

They had brought their power together, and had agreed to throw away all their history of war and conflict to prepare for the incoming threats.

issues to be discussed, the official announcement or declaration was postponed, but it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the continent’s leaders gathered in one place.

The miracle that happened in that war turned the entire continent upside down.

If I were to think about it from a certain perspective, the current Light Kiyoung was no different from being the continent’s center.

The Goddess’s descent was also important, but I had devoted my whole body to prevent the war, and the post-war settlement had also been done pretty well.

It was the right choice to forgive all the Republic soldiers and to declare peace with everyone.

This was the second coming of Goddess Benignore. Because of this, I was now known as the Son of the Goddess Benignore, and the Deputy of Goddess Benignore.

There were rumors that the Goddess Benignore had even descended to save the continent.

I thought it was a bit exaggerated to phrase it in this way, but I also thought the same thing when I saw the demons being swept away with a simple hand gesture.

In fact, it was true that I was receiving protection from the Goddess Benignore, and it was also true that I had been communicating with her.

It meant that about half of the adjectives like the Second Coming, the Son, the Incarnation, and the Deputy were true. Though the titles could be explained through that, I still could no longer measure my true worth because of how highly the people now regarded me.

Indeed, the word vertical ascent wasn’t enough.

Although the Kiyoung Coin’s market value was originally high, the unit price became higher due to that incident.

Naturally, those who couldn’t invest in that coin would currently be punching the ground in regret. Everyone who had been hostile to me, even by a little, had begun to spoil me with presents.

As I hummed silently to myself, I heard a knock on the door.

Turning to face the entrance, I saw a fairly familiar face.

My personal secretary stood in the doorway, lifting her glasses with one hand. Of course, it was difficult to say that her exact position was secretary, but it was the role she had been recently playing, so it didn’t really matter.

“Manager Kim Miyoung.”

“Oh! You were eating. Sorry.”

“No. No. It’s fine. I’m almost finished, and it’s my fault for not getting ready. As you can see, sitting here, I have nothing to do but lie down and look outside. Anyway, you came at the right time. I was getting a little bored. Do you have any new news? No, the next schedule…”

“Yes.”

“You can tell me right away.”

“Yes, Vice Guild Master. First, the good news… ahem. I’ll tell you everything. This is a list of gifts from the nobles of the continent, including the members of the Republic. All of them are currently being stored in the guild house storage. Special features include catalysts and ancient alchemy books stored in the Republic. In addition, the Eastern Congressional Union and the President of the Republic also personally sent a gift with a message of hope for recovery.”

“I see.”

This was why power was so good.

“They also asked to meet you personally, but…”

“Oh, that… I don’t really feel like it. It’s hard to move at the moment, and it is uncomfortable to act because of others’ gazes. Please tell them that I will contact them separately for personal meetings.”

“Okay. I will relay your message to them.”

“Please tell them that politely.”

“Noted.”

“One more thing, Oscar wants to come to visit you herself…”

“Hmm. Please tell Oscar that she doesn’t have to come. She’s probably busy. Even if she’s not, I’ll soon stop by the Capital, so please tell her so. Come to think of it. I should see Pope Basel as well. There are many things he may be curious about… Oh! More importantly, how’re the guild members? I mean, Deokgu and Hyunsung.”

“Park Deokgu-nim is in his sickbed. His treatment seems to be working quite well, meaning he should recover within a few days, but he remains unconscious until now.”

“Hmm. That Valentin Alexandro, is that son of a bitch still in jail?”

“Yes.”

“Please tell Helena, the Director of Inquisition, that I’m asking for a special favor—no, it would be better for me to contact her separately. Well, I’m glad that he will recover completely within a few days. And…”

“In Guild Master’s case…”

“Yes.”

“I think he has a lot to think about recently. I keep noticing him looking out the window or worrying about something… He hasn’t said anything special, but he’s definitely different than usual. Of course, I’m not worried about it, but I think it would be wise for you to talk to him.”

“Hmm.”

‘That bastard.’

Due to the report about the lovely returner, I had no choice but to tap the armrests.

“And…”

That was because worries had begun springing up in my mind.

‘It’s all over, but what’s wrong with him?’

When he came to me for a visit, he gave off some strange vibes, but it seemed like he was still the same at the guild house.

I thought he might be bothered, but I didn’t think he would be still spacing out.

Kim Hyunsung was not thinking badly about that war.

Rather, it was the opposite.

I didn’t know anything else, but he looked very satisfied with the results. I didn’t know how bad the first round was, but each continent’s force could’ve been fighting up to that point based on his reaction.

I didn’t want to think they would have done such a stupid thing, but… It was also possible that they were fighting even after the unknown threat had erupted.

They would not only fight for one small bowl, but they would be dragging each other into a hollow.

‘If that’s the case, the first round must have been hell.’

Compared to the first round, which ended due to the masked trash’s activity, it was safe to think that they had all turned over a new leaf.

There were some damages, but if I compared the current situation with the first round, this was simply a drop in the bucket.

The continent had, so to speak, fully preserved its physical strength for the coming threats.

I didn’t know why he was acting weird, but…

‘Is he thinking that Jin Qing is not the masked trash?’

Although it was quite difficult by my standards, he could’ve felt that Jin Qing was dull.

The masked trash that had harassed him so much in the past kept screaming that he was not a demon summoner. Because of this, it was difficult to judge what kind of emotion Kim Hyunsung might have felt.

I, who had a little respect for him, after seeing that, felt pretty turned off.

Instead of the charismatic masked trash, there was simply one loser who was held in evil.

What would Kim Hyunsung have felt at that moment? Emptiness, or satisfaction?

It wasn’t easy to judge for me, who had no means of knowing what was going on in his mind.

I didn’t know why, but he even seemed depressed.

I thought that I would have to refine his mental condition someday, but now that the work had piled up, there wasn’t enough time for it.

‘I’m glad he’s doing his job at least.’

If it weren’t for that, the entire Blue Guild members would have been having a hard time.

Manager Kim Miyoung was waiting for me as she saw me tapping the armrest, suddenly lost in thought.

As I shook out of my reverie and hurried to speak, I saw her quietly smiling.

“…”

“…”

“Ah. I’m sorry, Manager Kim Miyoung.”

“It’s fine. Can I continue with what I was saying…?”

“Yes. You can do that.”

“It’s an extension of what you said about meeting Pope Basel.”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if you schedule it as soon as possible. Perhaps… I’ll have time next week.”

“Actually, there’s a reason why Pope Basel is looking for you in a hurry.”

“What? Did anything happen with Jin Qing? Or the trial schedule…”

“No. It’s not because of that… Er… I don’t know how to say it, but…”

“Yes.”

“The Benignore statue is shedding tears of blood…”

“What?”

I steeled myself. What bad news in such a good era!

‘What happened?’

I didn’t know why, but something seemed wrong up there.

‘Ah, what’s up with her again?’

Suddenly, my head started to hurt.