Chapter 582: The Progress of the Green Rebirth

Seeing the lively expression on my face, Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama both seemed to relax. The tension in their features softened, their shoulders easing ever so slightly.

…But only for a moment.

Almost immediately, their expressions tightened again, returning to something more formal and resolute.

“We have heard from the others that you defeated the ‘corrupted giant tree’ near the mountain summit, and at the same time purified the tainted land. You have our deepest gratitude.”

The two of them bowed their heads.

…Alright.

This was important.

I should accept their thanks properly here. By doing so, it makes things clear—no debts, no obligations left hanging between us. A clean exchange. That way, both sides can walk away satisfied.

“It wasn’t my strength alone,” I replied calmly. “We were able to do it because the Forest Spirit was there.”

“We have already expressed our gratitude to the Forest Spirit as well,” Sophia said, lifting her head. “Though, interestingly enough, the Spirit claimed it merely lent us a small amount of assistance.”

By the time she finished speaking, her expression had returned to its usual composed elegance.

…Yeah. That should be fine now.

From what I heard afterward, the purification efforts were proceeding as planned, starting from the areas near the village. Since I had shown them how to use the growth-enhancing solution earlier that morning, they had already begun applying it alongside the purification work.

That was reassuring.

“Please continue to rest until dinner this evening,” Sophia said gently. “We will take full responsibility for purifying the tainted land.”

“Next time you head somewhere heavily contaminated, I’ll come along,” Erwin added. “Something like what happened yesterday … won’t happen again.”

At that, Erwin-sama gave a firm nod and struck the hilt of his sword with a sharp clack.

Apparently, he had brought the holy sword along, just in case.

…If that’s the case, I wish he’d told me earlier. I would’ve had him come with us.

No… maybe not.

Even the Forest Spirit hadn’t expected a concentrated mass of corruption like that to be there. If it had known, it would’ve warned us in advance. And more importantly, it would never have led us into such danger knowingly.

…Still.

The Forest Spirit might be feeling responsible for what happened.

When dinner comes, I should talk to it and clear the air.

As for Sophia and the others—it seemed they had decided to stay in the village for the night.

…Let’s be honest, that’s probably because of me.

I should apologize to the village chief later.

After all, having the princess of the kingdom and the hero who saved it suddenly staying over… that’s bound to give anyone a stomachache. Sure, it’s an honor, and in the long run it might even help bring recognition to the village—but that’s a distant future.

For now, restoring the land comes first.

When dinner preparations were complete, we moved to the dining hall of the village chief’s residence.

As expected of a rural village leader’s home, the building itself was quite spacious. It lacked luxurious furnishings, of course, but everything was kept impressively clean and orderly.

On the way, I ran into the village chief and offered my apologies.

Clutching his stomach slightly, he insisted, “It’s nothing of the sort.”

…Yeah, that wasn’t convincing at all.

Still, I decided not to press the matter further. Instead, I handed him a reliable stomach medicine.

That should at least protect his poor stomach.

By the time I arrived at the dining hall, everyone else was already gathered.

It seemed they had deliberately waited and called for me last, out of consideration.

Feeling a little guilty, I took my assigned seat.

“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

“We’ve only just arrived ourselves,” Sophia replied with a gentle smile. “There’s no need to worry.”

“Indeed,” Erwin added. “More importantly, it’s good to see you looking well, Julius.”

Not only Sophia and Erwin were present—the Forest Spirit was there as well.

…Wait.

Does the Forest Spirit even eat?

Ah, right. Come to think of it, it had requested a large amount of dried fruit earlier.

So it’s the gluttonous type, huh?

As we chatted lightly, the food was brought in one dish after another.

The nearby mountains and forests were still contaminated, meaning there was almost no access to fresh meat or vegetables. Because of that, the meal had been prepared using ingredients the researchers had brought along—mostly dried meats and preserved root vegetables.

“Let us begin before the food gets cold,” Sophia said.

At her cue, everyone offered their own brief words of gratitude before starting the meal.

I, too, gave thanks—to the divine and to the blessings of the earth—before taking my first bite.

…This looked a lot like nikujaga.

The ingredients had clearly been simmered with care, the flavors thoroughly soaked in. Even the dried meat, which should’ve been tough and chewy, was tender enough to eat without difficulty.

They must have stewed it for quite a long time.

…That probably used up a lot of firewood.

The thought crossed my mind briefly, but if things continue at this pace, the forests should begin to recover soon. Before long, they’ll be able to gather firewood from the mountains again.

And when that happens, wildlife will return as well.

As the mountains are purified, the displaced villagers will come back too.

And then… crops will grow here once more.

“Wow… the yellow potatoes have really absorbed the flavor,” I said. “The balance between the saltiness of the meat and the sweetness of the onions is just right.”

“Ufufu, it seems you’ve taken quite a liking to this dish, Julius-sama,” Fabienne said, smiling warmly.

“Yeah… it just feels kind of nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic…?”

…Oops.

I almost drifted off into sentimentality there.

If I miss the food from my old world that much, I could just make it myself. The only reason I haven’t is because I chose not to.

Maybe it’s time I start trying again—little by little.

I did make ginger pork recently, after all.

Maybe curry next?

I have a feeling everyone would love it.

Unable to explain that properly, I gave Fabienne a vague answer instead.

“When I was staying with the Heine family, we used to eat together like this all the time,” I said. “Lately, I’ve often been eating separately from Nero and Lionel, so… it just feels like it’s been a while.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true,” Fabienne said softly. “I almost envy you. At the Anveil baron’s household, there were only three of us.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” I replied with a small smile. “From now on, we’ll have plenty of chances to eat together like this—noisy and lively.”

When I’m with Fabienne, I don’t want her to ever feel lonely again.

We’ll have lots of children.

Make every meal full of laughter and chaos.

…Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

But still—

Our happy family story begins here.