Chapter 548: Dinner and Reports

That evening’s dinner was far more lavish than the one the night before. It seemed the villagers had offered up the food they had been carefully hoarding for emergencies. I couldn’t help thinking they really didn’t need to go this far, but it appeared that neither the villagers nor the researchers would be satisfied unless they did.

Feeling apologetic yet grateful, we all sat down together and enjoyed the meal to the fullest. The highlight, without question, was the secret-aged meat prepared using a technique passed down through generations. It was so extraordinarily delicious that I asked them to teach me how it was made. When I return to the House of the Heine Frontier Count’s Territory, I decided, I would immediately pass the method on to our cooks.

Tomorrow, we would leave this village and head back to the royal capital. Once there, I intended to send relief supplies here. No—this village alone wouldn’t be enough. The surrounding villages would need help as well. If even one of them became abandoned, everything would have to be rebuilt from scratch, and there was no telling how many years true recovery would take.

After dinner, I flopped down onto the bed with a soft thud. It seemed there was no proper bath in this village; at night, one simply wiped their body with warm water. Would this place become the front line in the effort to purify the tainted land from now on? If so, then improving the village’s facilities might have to be placed higher on the list of priorities.

“Today, we made great progress in purifying the tainted land,” Fabienne said softly.

“We did,” I replied. “I honestly didn’t expect the spirits to actually come.”

“That’s because you summoned them, Julius-sama. As expected of you.”

Fabienne, her eyes shining with admiration, sat down beside me. The bed bounced gently under her weight. The arrival of the earth spirit and the blessing we received had been completely unexpected, but… perhaps this was the best possible outcome.

Once the researchers reported what had happened, His Majesty the King would surely be delighted.

With this, the national land purification operation might accelerate all at once. The remaining issues were the powdered magic stones and the restoration of withered greenery, but… somehow, it would work out. There were things you simply couldn’t solve by worrying in advance. Better to think once you actually ran headfirst into the wall.

“When we get back to the Kingdom of Raven, I’ll need to write to the House of the Heine Frontier Count’s Territory first,” I said. “Fabienne, will you write to your parents as well?”

“Yes, I believe I shall.”

Good, good. If a letter reached the House of Baron Amber from Fabienne, her parents would feel at least a little more at ease. They would surely understand that I was cherishing her properly.

“After the letters, we’ll need to decide what to do about the plant nutrient solution. And we have to make additional phonographs as well.”

“Julius-sama, after seeing the condition of that mountain, I feel even more strongly that the plant nutrient solution is essential.”

“I know. In that state, it’ll definitely take years before we can harvest timber again. Until then, this village won’t have any real source of income.”

Would the village even be able to survive like that? Perhaps they would have to establish a new settlement several years down the line. They had said this land had been passed down from their ancestors for generations… If they left, their forebears might feel lonely.

“The all-purpose plant nutrient doesn’t cause plants to grow explosively,” Fabienne said thoughtfully. “I think we need a different type altogether.”

“You’re right. Let’s take that into account once we’re back in the capital.”

There was so much waiting for me once we returned to the royal capital. It was going to be busy. For now, I decided to rest early and restore my energy. And before sleeping, I’d have Fabienne rest my head on her lap.

The next morning, we departed the village amid many regretful farewells. Since we set out at dawn, we were told we would reach the royal capital by nightfall.

Today would be nothing but travel. Once back in the capital, I’d eat dinner, take a proper bath, and go straight to bed. That was the plan. The real work would begin tomorrow.

…Or so I thought. Apparently, word of the various things I’d gotten up to had already reached His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, Sophia-sama, and Erwin-sama. Naturally, Giovanni-sama and the others had heard as well.

It seemed the news had spread alongside the report on the test results of the purification powder.

Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later. Still, I had hoped to at least take it easy for one day.

And so, of course, dinner was held together with His Majesty and the others. I would have liked to enjoy a quiet meal with Fabienne, especially after a full day of carriage travel. We were exhausted.

Since I was the only one present who could give a firsthand account, I ended up explaining everything in broad strokes. For the detailed explanations, they would have to hear directly from the researchers.

“Julius-dono, I truly do not know how to thank you. You have my deepest gratitude.”

The King bowed his head to me—a mere third son of a minor border marquis. This was bad. If this continued, it would look as though the Kingdom of Spencer stood above the Kingdom of Raven.

That would invite unwanted attention, both from Raven’s own citizens and from foreign nations. It wasn’t something either side wanted.

Panicking slightly, I chose my words with care.

“Please don’t concern yourself. I merely did what I could as a friendly allied nation.”

“If there is anything at all we can do for you, say the word. There is no need for restraint.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll give it some thought.”

For a moment, I considered asking for support for the village we had left that morning—but I decided against it. A kingdom supporting a specific village could hardly be called fair. Complaints would surely arise from other towns and villages struggling just as much. It would be cleaner if I handled this personally.

“Julius-sama, it seems there are methods of purification besides magical potions,” Erwin-sama said.

He must have read about it in the researchers’ letters. Given the incident with the false saint, his suspicion was understandable. It would be better to explain things properly here—if only to encourage them to search for someone capable of purification magic.

“According to the earth spirit, that appears to be the case. Magic is one way, of course, but it might even be possible with a holy sword.”

“With a holy sword as well… then it seems it still hasn’t been fully mastered.”

Using the holy sword Gatekeeper of the Kingdom of Raven, purification was indeed possible. It wasn’t merely a sword that opened the gate to paradise. That particular trait stood out, yes—but it wasn’t the whole story.

If only I could teach them how to use it properly… but that would cause all sorts of problems. Knowing how to wield another country’s holy sword was obviously out of the question.

I already had the achievement of restoring a holy sword under my belt. Even then, I had only managed to convince them by claiming I’d read about it in some book long ago. There was no way the same excuse would work a second time.