Kim Hana conducted the interview with the blonde man, her expression tense.
Gracia.
The man revered by all Dimension Warriors!
His might in America was beyond imagination.
He was truly worthy of being called the strongest man.
However, during the interview, he suddenly began to talk about someone else.
"......Phantom. If he is indeed Korean as the rumors suggest, I would like to meet him. We could make a great team. I can provide him with a lot of information on various 'interests.'"
"Who is Phantom?"
"One of the eight heroes who fought alongside my 'Avatar' against the Demon King in another dimension. He is also known as Wilhelm. We need to join forces again here on Earth."
"He seems to be quite an impressive person?"
"Yes. And off the record, there is something I personally want to ask you, Ms. Kim Hana."
When Kim Hana gave a signal to the surroundings, the camera was turned off.
Off the record. It means guaranteeing confidentiality.
Then, Gracia, with a solemn expression he had never shown before, said:
"What is your relationship with the owner of 'Hydragon'? Do you know where he is?"
Gulp!
Under Gracia's piercing gaze, Kim Hana swallowed hard, tense.
*
The Garden of Knights.
A city that all regular knights of the Balan Kingdom must pass through.
A place with a small lake made of marble and statues of honorable knights.
Its beautiful and dignified appearance was romantic in itself.
"......It seems to be a memorial service."
However, the atmosphere of the city was gloomy.
A large monument in the central square, with names inscribed on it and rows of memorial flowers at its base.
All the names of the knights who were martyred in the Great Expedition.
'All the knights were wiped out.'
The 500 knights were all brave and honorable men. They fought and died without fear on the front lines of the Demon World.
While Wilhelm's charisma was overwhelming, it would have been impossible if their nature had not been such.
But those who bravely moved forward all died.
In the end, I faced the Demon King alone and met the same fate as the knights.
"Is there any name you recognize?"
"......No."
A familiar name inscribed on the monument?
None.
It's impossible for me to have memorized the names of countless knights.
To me, it was just a game.
Except for important named NPCs, I don't know them. I don't know any of the names inscribed on this monument.
Not a single one.
"Wilhelm! You bastard! Give me back my son, give me back my son!"
Turning my head at the sound, I saw an old woman pounding her chest not far away.
"Sion, didn't you say you would come back! Didn't you say not to worry! How, how...... Choke!"
She soon grabbed the back of her neck and fell.
My body had already run over to support the fallen old woman.
"Reverend?!"
Hudson's eyes widened at the sudden action.
Isabel also looked quite flustered.
I picked up the old woman and said to them:
"......Let's take her to the relief center."
*
The relief center, run by the clergy, serves as a hospital to treat the common people.
And the relief center in this 'Garden of Knights' is operated by the 'Church of the Goddess,' which has the greatest influence on the continent.
"Help, I'm dying! I'm dying!"
"Ugh!"
......As you can see, the patients are overflowing.
There were no normal people inside or outside the building.
A clear sign of a shortage of both personnel and supplies.
After assessing the situation, Hudson said with a stern expression:
"Shouldn't I treat them?"
"It's useless."
The Water Guardian skill treats external ailments.
It cannot heal the heart.
But the story is different for the owner of the relief center.
"Hey."
A man wearing a cassock with a 'δΊ' symbol on the shoulder, the symbol of the Church of the Goddess.
Approaching a deacon, who is a rank below a priest, the man replied, sweating profusely:
"Please wait in line if you are a patient. I'm sorry!"
"Is Father Andrew inside?"
"He is, but...... Ah! Don't touch that!"
"It's an emergency."
"......Even so, you need to wait in line. Or donate 50 gold!"
Accepting money?
While the relief center is run by the Church of the Goddess, in reality, it relies on the city's donations.
The size of the relief center varies depending on the size of the city.
This 'Garden of Knights' is one of the top three cities among the 13 major cities of the Balan Kingdom.
The relief center is not so desperate as to demand money from patients.
'The donations for the relief center have dried up. The city's finances must be in ruins.'
Now they are openly demanding donations.
And it's 50 gold.
The city's finances are in such a state that they can't even send support to the relief center.
In the golden city of Arkan, one can spend hundreds of gold in a day, but 50 gold is a month's salary for a commoner.
'There's no time to wash the cassocks......'
I quickly looked around at the deacons checking the patients.
All of them had dark circles under their eyes, and their clothes were stained with sweat.
They hadn't had time to wash properly, and their faces and hair were greasy.
They were too busy to sleep or wash, with no one to relieve them.
"If you're not going to donate, wait!"
The deacons ignored me completely.
Swoosh!
At the sudden sound, the deacon's eyes widened.
"Choke!"
Gold coins spilled onto the floor.
An enormous amount, countless gold coins.
I pointed to a gold bar worth 10,000 gold.
"Ten of the big ones, will that do?"
"Y-Yes, I will serve you well, brother!!"
*
An old man with a long white beard and wrinkles on his face.
Father Andrew placed his hand on the old woman's chest.
Then a blue light poured out, and the old woman's stiff expression gradually relaxed.
"W-Why, Father Andrew......?"
The old woman opened her eyes and looked at Andrew, confused.
Andrew smiled kindly.
"These people brought the fallen Sister Mei. If they had been any later, it would have been a serious matter."
"I'm sorry. I must have caused trouble......"
The old woman, called Mei, bowed her head to me.
Then Andrew put on a scolding expression.
"Did you go there again?"
"......How can I avoid it when it keeps bothering me?"
"What about the foundation? Don't you have clothes to deliver by winter?"
"It's just that I can't focus on my work."
"You still need to do it. No, I can't let you. I will check on your progress every day."
"If, if Father Andrew does that, the people of the city will throw stones at me. You are already busy with the relief center...... Please don't."
"Then will you work hard so I don't have to check?"
"Yes......"
When Mei agreed, Andrew nodded.
As expected.
The only relief center in this city. Andrew, its owner, naturally has a close relationship with the citizens.
'He mainly gave quests to raise honor.'
Many of the so-called 'honor quests' were given by Andrew.
So when raising a character that values honor, one had to go through Andrew.
Naturally, I knew very well what kind of person Andrew was in this city.
"Thank you, really......"
She thanked me again. I shook my head.
After she left, only Andrew and I remained in the room.
"......"
Silent stillness.
A heavy silence passed between us.
Andrew spoke first.
"Sister Mei's only son went missing recently. He participated in the Great Expedition. Since then, she has been living with constant anger. She couldn't stop him, even though she should have."
"......I can see that."
"Sister Mei's son, Sion, admired the Knight King. He was enthusiastic about driving out the Demon King with the Knight King. But he never returned. Not even his body. Whether he is dead or alive...... That infinitely close to zero hope has made Sister Mei like this."
In fact, he is probably dead, Andrew said bitterly.
"Sister Mei is not the only one. Many people have lost their family and friends. The only survivor, Serengeti, remains silent......"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I think you should hear it."
Andrew sighed deeply.
He was a sage, one of the few true priests recognized as such.
He could guess the reason just by looking into my eyes.
An unshakable calm. My emotions were not affected by the heart of an iron-blooded ruler.
"You must have a reason for donating 100,000 gold. So, why did you come to see this old man?"
100,000 gold can breathe life into the relief center.
At least a year's worth of funds to treat patients without worry.
It was like a timely rain in a drought.
But there's no such thing as a free lunch.
'I will have to refuse if they make unreasonable demands, even if it's a shame.'
While I need the money, I won't sell my soul for it.
The money is needed only for the patients, to serve the citizens. If the request is unreasonable, I will have to refuse, even if it's a shame.
'Sometimes merchants approach me for a pardon.'
It's likely a high-probability case.
A priest of the Church of the Goddess can issue three pardons in their lifetime.
And Father Andrew has only issued one pardon so far.
'The pardon was given only to him.'
To only one person, the Knight King Wilhelm.
So merchants occasionally approached him, believing they could buy a pardon with a large sum of money.
"The purpose has already been achieved."
At that moment, Father Andrew frowned.
Achieved the purpose? Wasn't the pardon the goal?
Could treating Sister Mei have been the real goal?
"......What do you mean by achieving the purpose?"
Seeing Andrew's confusion, I smiled.
At that moment.
"Move!"
"Get out of the way!"
The outside soon became noisy.
The sound of metal hitting the floor.
The group that appeared, with considerable weight, were indeed knights.
"Andrew! The lord wishes to see the guest inside!"
As they tried to enter, Isabella and Hudson blocked their way.
A tense standoff.
"What...... What is this......"
Andrew was confused.
But it was natural.
I had anticipated their visit.
The owner of the Garden of Knights, Duke Wiser, must be in dire need of money.
He would be curious about who donated 100,000 gold to the relief center.
With the money spilled on the floor, it wouldn't take long for the news to reach the duke.
This approach was more effective than handing the money directly.
"It was nice to see you again, Father Andrew."
I slowly got up from my seat, opened the door, and headed outside.
"Again......?"
Leaving behind Father Andrew, who looked at me with a complicated expression.
*
The Wiser Family Manor.
A grand mansion with an old-fashioned exterior, I entered with the guidance of the knights.
After arriving at the reception room, I sat at a table with an old-fashioned feel.
Tea and snacks were placed on the table.
Clearly, it was a setting for receiving guests.
'The appearance is unremarkable.'
Duke Wiser observed the three guests he had invited.
Especially the man in the middle, who had donated 100,000 gold to the relief center.
'Is he a wandering merchant? He doesn't seem to have brought any supplies. He might be a wealthy young master traveling around.'
In any case, he definitely has a lot of money.
The equipment worn by the woman and man behind him were of considerable value.
Duke Wiser smiled.
"I apologize for inviting you so suddenly. I hope you can forgive me."
Duke Wiser, a plump man.
The owner of this city, once admired by many knights.
But now he is just a fat pig.
Seeing him, Hudson began to tremble uncontrollably. He was trying to hide it by clasping his hands under the table.