Chapter 51
“Oh, Jennifer. You’re still young, so you don’t know any better. No matter how sweet their words are, we must not trust outsiders so easily…”
The guild leader was sweating profusely as he tried to hold back his granddaughter.
Despite being so strict otherwise, he seemed to be a doting grandfather when it came to her.
“Aww, Guild Leader, you’ve been holed up for days, so you have no idea what’s been going on in the village! That handsome young man over there looked over our store’s accounting books and helped us find a mistake. If it weren’t for him, the hole in our finances would’ve only gotten bigger. If anyone’s all talk, it’s not him.”
“That’s right! That buzz-cut lad over there hauled lumber all day yesterday, thanks to him we barely met our delivery deadline! While everyone else was off drinking, saying they couldn’t go into the forest, they were the ones actually doing the work that mattered.”
Not just his granddaughter, but now the villagers too started to speak up in our defense. The guild leader and his aides looked flustered, beginning to panic.
And then, the finishing blow:
“She said it was that pretty lady over there who brought the teddy bear Shaun gave me. Right, Shaun?”
Jennifer held up the teddy bear with the pretty ribbon in one hand and pointed at me with the other.
A young boy, previously hidden among the crowd, stepped forward and shouted:
“Yes! That big sister and the blond-haired big brother brought it from a secret hideout in the woods!”
“Ah! You’re that kid from before…!”
Leo’s eyes widened as he recognized the boy from our quest yesterday.
To me, it wasn’t all that surprising.
Even though Leo had joined me in what was originally a solo quest, this scene had played out exactly like it had in the game’s cutscene.
“W-What should we do, Guild Leader?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? The people are already on their side.”
The guild leader muttered as he held his head in frustration.
Though they whispered amongst themselves, strangely, I could hear them clearly.
Perhaps it was because I’d already heard these exact lines in the game.
At any rate, the situation was now resolved.
Even if the guild leader held power, it was ultimately derived from the members—that is, the townspeople.
Wasn’t that why the previous guild leader had been ousted in the bloody revolution?
He had sided with the temple and exploited the people, and as a result, lost their support.
“Hmph, ahem. Very well. Though we didn’t officially request help, it’s true that you, dispatched from the Hero’s Order of Hagion, helped us during Silva Grove’s crisis. We cannot ignore such a contribution.”
Suddenly, it was as if he had never been cold or hostile toward us at all.
The guild leader now looked at us with warm eyes.
The sudden shift left my companions snorting in disbelief.
“Now you say that…?”
Lena huffed in anger, but Leo quietly grabbed his sister’s arm, stopping her.
Even in the game, Lena’s character would’ve normally burst out in rage at this point.
But now, she seemed to have resolved to rein in her temper a bit.
It was a rather positive change.
“Ahem. You must be tired after everything today. Why don’t you rest at the inn for now? We’ll prepare a festival in your honor and discuss how best to show our gratitude.”
“We don’t need a festival…”
Adrian politely declined, looking a little uncomfortable.
“That won’t do! You are the saviors of Silva Grove! We must show our appreciation properly.”
His words were not up for debate.
“Well then, go and get some rest.”
Just as the guild leader was about to dismiss us—
“Wait a moment.”
I spoke quietly, halting my steps toward the inn.
“Hm? What is it, Hero of the Goddess?”
The guild leader responded.
I was a bit curious how he knew I was the Goddess’s Hero.
Still, he was the most powerful figure in the city—it made sense he’d know.
“You said we’re your saviors, right? I hope you’re not planning to penalize Mr. Ferdia, our helper. We were only able to solve the forest issue thanks to him.”
I smiled as I spoke.
Ferdia, still being scolded by her father, looked at me in surprise.
I couldn’t just turn my back on her.
In the game, even after helping us, she was suspended for violating guild orders.
When we were leaving for Midile Island, she had said that she didn’t regret helping us.
That she was happy to have protected the forest of her hometown.
On the surface, they threw a party in our honor, calling us heroes.
But behind the scenes, they had punished Ferdia for helping us.
I couldn’t let that slide.
“Hmm…”
The guild leader swallowed hard, looking troubled.
Normally, he would’ve yelled something like, “How dare an outsider meddle in our affairs!”
But if he did that now, the townspeople would surely turn against him.
I had just made it publicly known that Ferdia had played a key role in resolving the crisis.
If he punished her now, the other guild members might protest.
At least now, Ferdia would be a bit safer.
Sure enough, she looked at me with an expression full of gratitude.
‘Ugh, this is embarrassing.’
When will I get used to that kind of look?
Will I ever?
I don’t consider myself a particularly righteous person.
If I weren’t in this position—if I weren’t the “Goddess’s Hero” admired by everyone—
Would I still have been able to say those words?
Probably not.
Most likely, I would’ve thought it unfair, but stayed quiet.
And then felt guilty. Not deeply, just for a moment.
Something I could drown in a drink and forget.
“O-Of course. Ferdia contributed as well. She deserves to be recognized.”
The guild leader said begrudgingly.
He seemed to be the type to care about appearances, so he’d likely honor what he said.
I gave a satisfied smile.
My companions looked at me with pride.
All except for one—Adrian.
He was glaring at me.
His icy blue eyes practically burned.
At this point, I could guess what he was thinking.
“So nosy. She should worry about her own safety first!”
He had that cold expression, but I knew it was because he was concerned about me.
Knowing that, even his glare seemed… endearing.
After returning to the inn, everyone went to their rooms—except Adrian and me.
“Adrian, can we talk for a moment?”
I had stopped him.
We sat facing each other at a dimly lit dining table.
A candle flickered between us, its faint scent filling the space.
“…What do you want to talk about?”
Adrian asked coolly.
He crossed his arms and turned his head, making it obvious he didn’t even want to make eye contact.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you, Adrian? I just wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.”
Putting aside being coworkers, I really liked Adrian as a character.
So, of course I didn’t want him to hate me.
“…Why would I be mad at you?”
“You say that, but you won’t even look at me.”
I teased, smiling playfully.
Finally, he turned his eyes toward me.
Under the soft glow of the candlelight, even his normally cold eyes seemed warm.
“Fine. I admit it. I am a little frustrated. No matter how many times I tell you to look after yourself first, you never listen. How could I not be?”
He sighed deeply.
So he really was worried about me earlier.
“If it’s because I spoke up for Ferdia… I only did that to ease my own conscience. It didn’t sit right with me—someone who helped us being punished.”
Even as I said it, it felt like a lame excuse.
“…It’s not that. I hadn’t even thought of that, actually. I admire your compassion, not find it frustrating.”
His answer was unexpected.
That… wasn’t it? Then what is he upset about?
I had been sure it was about what I said earlier. Now I was just confused.
Then, as my confusion faded, I began to feel a bit embarrassed.
As Adrian said, I wasn’t especially thoughtful.
I only knew what to do because I had seen Ferdia’s future in the game.
“T-Then why?”
I asked, suppressing my growing embarrassment.
Adrian tapped the table with his finger, thinking for a moment.
“Don’t put your faith in people’s goodwill.”
“…?”
That came out of nowhere.
When had I ever put my faith in people’s goodwill?
I couldn’t recall, so to me, it sounded like nonsense.
Seeing my puzzled expression, he sighed again and continued.
“I overheard your conversation with Leo earlier. Not that I meant to eavesdrop—please don’t misunderstand…”
He looked at me with eyes so deep, it felt like I could fall into them.
