Chapter 578: A Splendid Noble

Lionel, who had gone to gather information, returned shortly after. According to him, they had decided that for today, only the luggage would be sent ahead to the village. That made sense—if the luggage was already there, we could travel light tomorrow, and the journey would be much quicker.

“Could they take the fertilizer we brought along with them as well?”

“I asked about that too. They said it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. Then let’s go and ask them right away.”

Guided by Lionel, we approached the group that was preparing to head toward the village. When we requested that they take our wagon along as well, they readily agreed.

“We’ll make sure it’s delivered safely, so please don’t worry.”

“Once it reaches the village, you can leave the wagon as it is. Thank you.”

The group transporting the luggage set off, and we watched them until they disappeared from sight. There wasn’t much else we could do for now.

Now then—it was still only a little past noon. How should we pass the time?

“Fabienne, since we have some time, how about taking a walk around town?”

“I would love to accompany you.”

Her voice carried a light, cheerful lilt, and her smile bloomed like a flower in full blossom. Seeing her so pleased made me happy as well. Though, come to think of it… this was basically a date, wasn’t it? Looks like I’ve finally reached the point where I can naturally invite someone out like this. A proper noble, indeed.

With Lionel and Nero accompanying us as guards, we set out into town. Of course, I held Fabienne’s hand as we walked. Hesitation? I crumpled it up and tossed it straight into the trash. After all, we’re engaged. As long as I didn’t lead her into some suspicious inn, everything would be perfectly fine.

We walked through the streets—but it seemed that rumors of the purification’s progress alone hadn’t been enough to bring people back yet. Many of the shops were still closed. A bit disappointing.

Well, in that case, we might as well visit some local sights instead.

Giving up on shopping, we decided to explore what seemed like notable landmarks around town.

“It’s a large woodworking workshop. Is that a magical tool for cutting timber? If it were running, it must have been quite a sight. I would’ve liked to see it in action.”

Ahead of us stood a large magical device fitted with a circular blade. It must have been used to process timber, spinning that blade at high speed.

But now, it stood silent and empty. The stillness made the place feel strangely desolate. If timber continued to be unavailable, this workshop might eventually disappear altogether.

“All the more reason we must restore the greenery as soon as possible,” Fabienne said softly.

“You’re right. Though, we should absolutely avoid creating another sacred tree. If it turns into one of those, we won’t be able to use it as timber.”

“That’s true. It would feel far too sacred to cut down. We must be careful.”

Fabienne laughed gently. Just moments ago, she had looked a little downcast—but perhaps my joke had lifted her spirits, even if only slightly.

As expected, the responsibility placed upon us was quite heavy. Still, we had a clear path forward now. All that remained was to spread the fertilizer and observe the results.

“Let’s head back. We’ll be departing early again tomorrow, so it’s best to get proper rest.”

With that, I led Fabienne back to the inn earlier than planned.

When we returned, neither Sophia-sama nor Erwin-sama were there. It seemed they had gone out to look around town as well. I just hoped that seeing the state of the town wouldn’t weigh too heavily on Sophia-sama. After all, none of this was her fault.

The next day, we set out for the village at the foot of the mountain together with Sophia-sama and the others—though she looked somewhat troubled.

We carried only the bare minimum of luggage, and the horses pulling the carriages moved with a light, energetic pace. At this rate, we might arrive even earlier than scheduled.

Before the sun reached its peak, we arrived at the village. From there, the same blackened mountain came into view as before. I carefully angled Fabienne’s gaze downward, almost overprotectively, trying to keep that sight from her eyes.

“Julius-sama, you don’t have to go that far. I was only unprepared last time. I’m fine now.”

“I understand. But if you feel even a little unwell, you must tell me immediately.”

“Yes.”

Fabienne smiled reassuringly. For now, she seemed alright. Still, I hoped she wouldn’t push herself too hard. I didn’t want a repeat of last time, when she couldn’t sleep at night. Though… if that happened again, we might end up sharing the same bed… well, that wouldn’t be so bad.

With Fabienne beside me, I went to check on the fertilizer that had been delivered the day before. There were no signs of damage—no torn sacks, no spilled contents, and none appeared to be missing. Everything was in order.

Just as I nodded to myself in satisfaction, I noticed Sophia-sama nearby, looking as though she might collapse at any moment. Erwin-sama was supporting her, but her condition didn’t look good at all. I hurried over.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any mental stabilizers on hand. I had never even made such a thing. In hindsight, I should have prepared some kind of potion to calm the mind.

“Sophia-sama, you mustn’t push yourself. Please rest at the village chief’s house. We will take care of everything here.”

“Julius-sama… I’m terribly sorry. I had heard about it from Erwin-sama, so I thought I would be fine, but… it was more than I expected.”

Erwin-sama lowered his shoulders slightly. He had probably tried, like I had, to shield her from the worst of it. But he couldn’t ignore a request from the princess of this kingdom. That must have been the situation.

“Erwin-sama, please take care of Sophia-sama. We will handle the purification of the blighted land and the restoration of greenery—for both of you as well.”

“Thank you. Leave Sophia-sama to me.”

I nodded in response. With him there, she should be fine. Given time, the shock would surely pass.

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind—perhaps Fabienne should stay here as well?

But I immediately shook my head, dismissing the idea.

Just imagine how Fabienne would feel if she were left behind. That would be far worse. If she were to collapse, then I would support her. That was all there was to it.