0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 30: The Village of the Sun God (2) (Part 1)
“If it’s this strange, then it should be interesting.”
Karos followed Sinclair to the warehouse.
“Here. This is the last one.”
“Oh! Thank you! Hero……”
The village chief, who approached with a face full of emotion, froze for a moment upon seeing Karos.
“This… Is this person also helping us?”
“Um. He said he would help. Since we rarely get help, make good use of him.”
“I would appreciate it if you could use me appropriately.”
Karos responded casually. The village chief’s face was so visibly shaken that even a three-year-old child could have noticed.
“I’ll go put this wooden barrel down first.”
“Ah, okay.”
The village chief stepped back hesitantly. Karos entered the warehouse and looked around.
“It seems like there is a shortage of food supplies, are you sure this is okay?”
It wasn’t enough to last until the next harvest. At best, they could only last about a month.
This was the number that would disappear after he and Sinclair left.
“Chief, is what he said true?”
“Ah. That, it’s fine. We have finished negotiating with another merchant group, and they have agreed to trade with us. You don’t need to worry.”
It was unlikely that such a small village had the capital to trade with a merchant group, but Karos didn’t point it out. As they left the warehouse, the village chief suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.
“Hero. You can go in and rest now.”
“Hm? Aren’t there still many things that need my help?”
“No. Upon further thought, they are tasks that do not need immediate attention. In fact, hastily addressing them might cause everything to crumble.”
“Is that so?”
Sinclair tilted his head in confusion at the village chief’s words.
“Cleaning the barns is…”
“Yes, it is! So please, go in and rest!”
“Village chief?”
Sinclair nodded with a frightened face at the sudden shout. The village chief looked embarrassed as if he had made a mistake and quickly smiled.
“I apologize. I’ve been a bit anxious lately.”
“Um. No, it’s okay. Vaine, what about you?”
“Ye-Yes. It would be best for your companion to also rest soon…”
“No.”
Karos shook his head. With a faint smile, he continued.
“I will take a walk around the village. Staying still is somewhat tiring for me.”
“As you wish. Fine. I’ll go in.”
Sinclair left. Karos looked at the village chief. His face was twisted.
“Then, I’ll leave.”
Karos turned around. A small laugh escaped him.
It was a very interesting village.
**** ****
Karos touched the fence on the outskirts of the village. Even a cat could jump over it, yet it had almost no gaps. Meaning, it was not built long ago.
“As expected.”
This confirmed it. The village was recently hastily constructed.
As he walked around the village alone, checking various things, he first looked at the houses and discovered that all of them were built around the same time.
In a proper village, there should be differences in the construction times of houses due to later joining populations or lack of labor.
However, this was not seen here.
Moreover, it was too clean. Places where people live tend to accumulate a certain amount of dirt over time. But the streets, houses, and fences here did not have such marks.
‘And the people are different.’
Karos had visited another branch of the Sun God in the past.
Though it was called a branch of the Sun God, it was essentially a village formed by criminals and deserters. It couldn’t be called a good place by any means. There were always fights and loud arguments. Killing each other was a part of daily life.
But this place was different. The atmosphere was calm, and people behaved respectfully towards one another. More than a village of deserters or criminals, this was.
‘A village of scholars.’
And such people would have no reason to claim themselves as a branch of the Sun God. They could live anywhere.
This place was strange. It was like it was created for a purpose, gathered for something.
“Are you free for a small talk?”
“Please speak.”
The village chief, who had approached unnoticed, patted his own waist with a full smile.
“Thank you for coming. In these hard times, such help is a great aide to us.”
“Is that so.”
“In that sense, you are a very strong person. But the Hero should be Alone, mighty, and noble. Therefore, I have a proposal for you, traveler.”
The village chief subtly handed over an envelope. Karos accepted it without a word and checked the contents, which turned out to be quite substantial. It was an amount that an ordinary person could spend luxuriously for a year.
“I hope you will take this and leave.”
The village chief whispered into Karos’s ear.
“The Hero is a strong individual, and fickle. Currently, she’s merely enchanted by a moment’s delusion… but who knows when she will turn against you.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. I’ve also provided ample travel expenses. There’s no reason for you to refuse as a traveler.”
“I suppose so.”
Such an amount of money. It was too much just to drive away a mere traveler from the Sun God’s branch.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Karos quietly returned the envelope. The village chief’s face hardened.
“A traveler seeks adventure over safety. A journey with the Hero of the Sun God is priceless. I’ll accept your intentions with thanks.”
“You will regret this.”
“We will see about that.”
The village chief turned and left abruptly. Karos silently watched his back.
**** ****