The Paladin Owns the Relic

197 – Behind the scenes (7)

“Benefactor!!!”

Flora, who ran to the dodo, gave her a hug. I pushed her face away.

“What are you doing in front of all the kids?”

“You must be ashamed.”

Flora, daughter of the Fairy Queen, her eyes twinkled.

“I heard all the stories. That colossal miracle… How far did the benefactor get so strong?!”

“No more?”

“Ah?! Gee, you really don’t have it?! What is it?! Something like this exhausted balloon!”

He kicked Flora’s butt.

“Ahhh…&”

The escorts immediately drew their swords.

“Go, dare!”

“Flora’s ass?!”

“No matter how benevolent you are, this is not polite!”

“It seems that only you think so.”

I pressed down on Flora’s butt as she suddenly lay down.

“Do you like it?”

“Ah, no oh oh… ♡ Uh, if it’s a benefactor… This kind of treatment… Is okay… ♡”

“Flora?!”

“What is this?!”

I glanced around the elven army. There were so many legions to fill Garnet’s front.

Elves are guys with relatively heavy hips. It does not crawl out of its own place well.

Nevertheless, the fact that they came on such a large scale…

“In addition to the scale of the truth…To attack the weakened ancient forest?”

“It is much closer to the former.”

Flora jumped to her feet.

“Beloved. Can you tell me the story? We still don’t understand how things played out. But I know one thing. That the benefactor was at the center of everything.”

“It’s not just about playing.”

“Ehehehe. Right?”

“Okay. Let’s talk. Of course I…”

I haven’t forgotten my original purpose.

“Because I have a story to tell.”

. . .

The captain of the expedition who tried to support the 3rd princess by opening a trade route.

Count Blaken blinked. He looked at Zahad in front of him.

What the hell is going on?

Are you able to open trade routes…?

Just when you thought everything had gone to waste, a ridiculous rope of salvation came down?!

“Is that true?”

He survived to the end, but now it was he who helped Count Blaken, who thought he would soon die. A saint who raised Garnet, who had been in ruins, and performed an absurd good deed.

It was rather strange not to be polite. His voice also softened.

“I, really… Can open a trade route…?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“How…?”

It was a great favor to have saved his life.

But now, they openly spread gold!

“Yeah, but can I do that with my own balls…?”

“It doesn’t matter. There is no need to mention His Excellency Ashwal’s name. Just go back and brag about it. His Excellency has done everything.”

“If that’s the case, leave it to me! But I have to figure out the context before I can do something about it…”

“You can say that the fairy queen cooperated. They are also not in a good situation because of the war, so they are going to open trade routes with humans.”

Zahard opened the map.

“I will make a trade route through this place… And through this place. Elves will support, and humans should help too.”

“But… Did the elves accept the trade request so easily? If it’s human, they’re trembling…Without any gift…”

“Because the fact that I was able to stop the war and stop the army of spirits was all thanks to my party.”

“No, you’re right, but…”

No matter how much you are human, fairies bend your back first?

Those proud guys?

Not understanding, Blaken tilted his head. But good was good.

“If we can break through the trade route, the support of the 3 princesses will increase significantly. I don’t know how things are going as the gate hasn’t been restored yet… Once opened, the trade route will help not only the 3 princesses, but the entire empire.”

“That’s good news.”

“But…”

The problem is not over yet.

“Most of the luggage I brought was burned. The merchants who joined the expedition to trade also lost all their possessions.”

“I didn’t expect that His Excellency would pay attention to that.”

“One way or another… These are the ones who survived while starving together. Some of them even gave me food.”

Arrogant and arrogant.

However, human nature cannot be the same.

Severe hunger never experienced before.

In it, Blaken heard the voice of the people. He also saw people feeding the people next to him, even though he himself was starving.

If you fall to the floor, there is something you can see. Blaken sighed.

“I tried to handle the work as much as I could, but somehow I don’t have enough hands.”

“What? Are you paying attention to give me something?”

“That’s not like that! Sorry. Stop without knowing… My heart is a bit stuffy…”

Blaken hunched his back.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean that. The Holy Son has already done everything he can for us, so we will take care of the rest.”

“No. You don’t have to.”

“…Yes?”

“It is normal for the person who stole it to compensate for that amount.”

Zahard grinned.

“Is the special product from the ancient forest just as useful as the special product from the fairy forest?”

. . .

“To make amends for the things we destroyed?”

“Exactly. Lunaris.”

The forest queen nodded her head neatly.

“Okay. It’s a race I don’t like, but it seems to have caused trouble. I will reward you separately in the Ancient Forest.”

“…You are surprisingly cooperative?”

“I am not cooperative with them. I am cooperating with you.”

Queen of the forest, Lunaris bowed her head toward me.

“…Thank you. For bringing me back to life I’m saying a belated greeting now.”

“If that bastard had done it right a little while ago, this division wouldn’t have happened.”

“You mean it’s my fault?!”

“Write. Cub Didn’t you confess 10 years earlier? Huh?”

“You bastard!”

“Ah! I’m the weakest right now! I die!”

Lunaris giggled.

“To think that Duran has a friend… That’s very good news.”

“Your Majesty?! Are you friends?! I’ve never had a relationship like that with such an ignorant fellow!”

“Do you want to search?! That’s what I’m going to say!”

“Come on!”

“I can’t attack! The bastard knight is trying to beat the weak?! Are you still a proud knight!”

“Ugh!”

Lunaris touched me.

“So…How should we compensate you?”

“Are there any fruits or herbs that only grow inside the ancient forest?”

“A lot. The nature cultivated by the spirits tends to maintain a higher quality than normal.”

“Please give me that. There are a lot of guys out there who have lost their entire fortune…A bit unlimited?”

“Good.”

“…I do need a huge amount.”

“It’s okay. For us, we can provide it indefinitely without damaging nature.”

The ground shook.

The dragon stood up. Was he the Guardian of the Earth?

Why are you here?

“Paladin.”

“Huh. Are you here for revenge?”

“…A cheeky bastard. No! I am only here to warn you!”

“Warning?”

“Since His Majesty has weakened, the influence of the Ancient Forest has also decreased considerably. The spirit’s army has suffered more serious damage than expected, and is hiding in nature, seeking its revival. However, patrols outside the perimeter remain intact. We still see right through the ancient forest.”

“Just tell me the point.”

“There is an intruder. On a large scale too. They each had the crest of the moon.”

“…What?”

Moon Paladins?

Those from the Church of Lu are coming in in large numbers?

“Why?”

“I don’t know why. But the momentum is vicious. So I’m just here to warn you.”

“……”

The spirit is vicious…

I glanced at the toryong.

“But why are you telling me that?”

“What are you saying even if I do it for you!”

“There is no particular reason to do it.”

“His Majesty’s benefactor is a benefactor to all of us!”

“Have you already forgotten that you were hit hard enough? Then I’m good.”

“Bonbonsae… Is very nasty. But I’ll take a look.”

From noble mtl dot com

The Toryong tapped me with its tail.

The corner of his mouth went up.

“Isn’t the googling just the chirping of a baby bird?”

“This little lizard!”

“I am Valakar, Guardian of the Earth! Damn this! Say your name properly!”

“Ballado dragon baby!”

“Come on! Don’t beat me!”

“I can’t attack!”

. . .

I proceeded step by step according to the plan I had clearly established.

Opening trade routes was done slowly. The trade route that began to be created with the tacit permission of the Ancient Forest pierced a small road in the middle of the Ancient Forest.

“Humans and elves will manage half and half.”

“If there is opposition from either side, trade routes will not open.”

The initial purpose was achieved immediately. Since one has been resolved, there is no debt to Ashwal, but the same.

“Arpina. If Ashwal gives you something, you take it.”

“Yes?”

“If you throw a few holy relics, don’t refuse. Got it?”

“What is that…”

“All you have to do is understand.”

“Ah, I understand~.”

I knocked on Alpina’s cheek. With this, the relationship with Ra must have been completely settled.

It’s an ambiguous relationship. There is much received, but there is also much deceived. The more you think about it, the more complicated the relationship becomes.

…So let’s put it aside for now. It’s not bad to establish a relationship after saving Mercedes.

I think it was replaced with a holy object.

“Ahh…Why, why do you keep touching me…?”

“Because I’m soft. Can’t you touch me?”

“No, you can touch it, but…”

Beatrice interrupted abruptly.

-Stop playing with dolls. Zahard. I have a story to tell.

“What is it?”

-I figured out how to increase the number of followers. I also realized some of the nature of the strangely flowing power.

As expected, he is competent. My master!

“How can I do it?”

-It’s simple. You can drop the stigma.

“…A stigma? Carving stigmata one by one?”

I know the basics. I’ve done it once before.

But to expand the number of followers like that? Individually?

“That’s a bit…”

-It will be different from before. Zahard is the one who will stand at the top of the future religion. The one who dispenses the stigmata, the existence that is tantamount to a demigod.

“…So what?”

-The ‘disciples’ to whom Zahard personally engraved his stigma will have the right to make ‘priests’, and those ‘priests’ will have the right to make ‘believers’ again.”

That’s totally…

“Isn’t it multi-level?”

-A lot of things…? Anyway, even if you don’t know what it is, increasing the number of followers is not something Zahard can do. What the apostles appointed by Zahard and the priests under him could do.

“Should I have stigmata engraved on believers?”

– Yes. Zahard is different from normal gods. As the source of its existence is uncertain, it is necessary to engrave stigmata on its followers as well. Rather than simply leading to ‘belief’, we can gather strength only when there is a clear proof.

“…Then.”

Wouldn’t it be fine if I made an apostle myself while wandering around the world?

Beatrice put an end to her swollen opinions at once.

-But with the current divine power, there is only one apostle that can be created. In the first place, being an apostle isn’t something that can be produced just like that.

“One person?”

-Yes. Even now, there are dozens of people who have had their stigma engraved by Zahard himself… But for some reason, they are not recognized as apostles, but feel like ordinary priests. It’s probably because Zahard gave out the stigmata during his time as an apostle of Ra. The power that comes from them is weak. So right now, only one person can be appointed as the first apostle. By pouring all of the gathered divine power into it, only one stigma can be carved.

“…Ooh.”

-You can’t unilaterally engrave a stigma. Only when their hearts are connected will they be able to stably engrave stigmata. But in the end, this is all speculation. Unless you actually try it…

Isn’t there the right person at the right time?

“Let’s clean things up first.”

-Yes.

“I can make an apostle…”

-There is a limit to the number.

“An apostle can produce a priest…”

-That’s right.

“A priest can stamp out followers. In addition, the number of believers that I am producing will actually be the source of my strength.”

-Exactly. Except that apostles can also make followers.

“Fathers also have to be stigmatized by priests, and there is only one apostle I can make now.”

-Yes.

I asked after tidying up.

“Isn’t that a penalty or something?”

-There is nothing like that. It must be a give-and-take…Relationship. If you give Zahard strength with faith, it feels like the other person also gains a portion of Zahard’s strength.

“It’s a business relationship. Trust is the best relationship.”

-Do you have the right person?

“Of course. A person who speaks well and always calls me teacher.”

-…Eve? Will she like it? I don’t know much about her ex her.

“You will like it. First…”

I let go of Alpina’s cheek. Arpina rubbed her reddened cheeks.

“Ahh…”

“Let’s ask.”

“Please join me in the conversation too…”

“Where is Ra’s pawn!”

“Ahhhhh… That’s true, but it makes me feel bad…”