"Ahh… I finally feel alive…."
Yulian buried his face in the pillow while lying on the bed. Deneb did the same.
Kyle was snoring loudly, having passed out completely.
Ghislain didn't bother to book multiple rooms at the inn. Instead, he got one large room for everyone to stay in together.
Deneb glanced at Ghislain and spoke.
"Can't we book separate rooms since it's been a while since we rested?"
"No."
"But we have a lot of money now."
"You guys have been acting suspicious lately."
"..."
"It feels like you're trying to avoid me."
"...."
"We won't be attacked here, so get some proper rest."
Deneb let out a sigh. There was no chance to escape after all.
Ghislain had no choice either. Even if he could catch them if they ran, he couldn't let his guard down.
This was because Astion's body was weaker than his original one.
Still, thanks to the loot they obtained after taking down the bandits, the group was able to enjoy some luxury after a long time.
When the three of them came down to the first floor after washing up, they were shocked. A massive amount of food covered the tables.
Kyle cheered and looked at Ghislain.
"Wow! Is all of this really for us?"
Ghislain nodded.
"Of course. Eating well is part of training too. You need to eat properly to recover quickly and build strength."
"...."
Everyone was so stunned that they couldn't say a word. It seemed like everything was part of training. They felt like they had been drafted into the army.
Now that they thought about it, even the titles Ghislain gave himself were unusual. Yulian cautiously asked, "Ghislain, were you a soldier?"
"Hmm, since I spent my entire life on the battlefield, you could say that."
The three nodded as if that made perfect sense.
Ghislain was different from nobles who simply joined wars to boast. His teachings on military tactics and combat were exceptionally professional.
'I'll never join the army.'
'I'll just keep wandering around and helping people.'
'I'll live a quiet life once I earn enough money.'
The three made firm resolutions in their hearts, completely unaware of what their futures held.
The future could wait—this was the present.
Fresh from a bath and feeling clean, they stuffed their mouths with food.
"This is so good!"
Tears welled up in their eyes. It had been ages since they'd had such warm, delicious food.
Their grueling training only made it taste even better.
Thanks to Ghislain's 'consideration,' they didn't have to do laundry or maintain their weapons. They spent a lot of money to have others do it instead.
When the three protested that it was a waste of money, Ghislain firmly stated, "When you spend money, spend it properly. If the goal is to rest, focus all resources on resting."
With that logic, the three truly had nothing to worry about.
Kyle mumbled as he shoved food into his mouth.
"Money really is the best."
After all, their goal to become stronger was ultimately to make more money. Money allowed them to eat like this and rest comfortably.
Yulian and Deneb couldn't argue with that.
As the meal was about to end, Ghislain asked Deneb something that had been on his mind.
"Your holy power isn't particularly strong, but it doesn't seem weak enough for you to have been cast out, right?"
Deneb shook her head, looking embarrassed.
"My holy power was much weaker when I left the temple. No matter how much I prayed, it wouldn't grow."
"But it's grown a bit now?"
"Yeah, probably because I kept training."
"Doesn't holy power normally not increase?"
"It's not always like that. If you live a life of constant training and good deeds, it can increase a little."
Even so, the growth was usually negligible, which was why no one lived that way.
Still, Deneb seemed to believe she was one of those rare cases.
Holy power usually grew the most during childhood. Even then, cases of growth were rare, so temples took in children based on that slight possibility.
Deneb had been cast out when no more potential was seen in him.
Ghislain fell into thought, then nodded.
"Alright. Rest well today. Tomorrow, let's look around the city."
The three let out sighs of relief and collapsed in their beds. It had been a long time since they could relax so completely.
The next morning, Ghislain took the group sightseeing. Since they thought it was just a tour, no one asked what they were doing.
After roughly looking around the city, Ghislain led them to the outskirts, where the slums were located.
Most of the houses were falling apart, and the people wandering the streets looked exhausted and hopeless.
Looking at them, Ghislain said, "Since we're here, let's do some volunteer work."
The three widened their eyes in surprise. It seemed so out of character for Ghislain, who usually acted like a devil, to say something like that.
Yulian, in particular, frowned suspiciously.
Ghislain was startled by Yulian's expression.
'He's grown cynical!'
Yulian, who used to rush to help others, was now giving him such a look!
Ghislain worried that his 'training methods' might have warped Yulian's personality.
'A hero can't turn out like this.'
Of course, Yulian hadn't actually changed. He was just exhausted, and Ghislain's unexpected words had caught him off guard.
But if things continued this way, who knew when he might actually become jaded?
Deneb smiled brightly and said, "Sure! We have plenty of money now, so let's help people."
She was genuinely happy about Ghislain's suggestion. Helping those in need had always been her lifelong goal.
It definitely wasn't because she wanted to avoid more training.
The group bought plenty of food and supplies to distribute in the slums.
At first, the slum dwellers hesitated but soon thanked them and took what was offered. As time passed, more people began to gather.
The group wasn't foolish enough to hand out everything at once.
To ensure as many people as possible received help, they visited the slums repeatedly over several days.
Kyle spoke with a dissatisfied expression.
"How long are we going to keep doing this? We're going to use up all the money we worked so hard to get."
"We still have plenty, so let's just do a bit more before we leave. That's okay, right, Ghislain?"
"Hmm, fine. Think of it as a break."
Ghislain agreed readily. Kyle still felt it was a waste of money, but the idea of resting from training calmed his complaints.
While the three busily moved around, Ghislain simply observed. He didn't particularly favor this kind of charity work.
Unless it was an emergency, Ghislain preferred not to give handouts. Instead, he believed it was better to offer excessive compensation for work.
'If you just hand things out, they'll waste it quickly or have it stolen.'
He believed people needed to be integrated into the economy to strengthen the territory and develop the desire to protect their own wealth.
However, for now, he let the three do as they pleased. His main focus was to observe Deneb's abilities.
The slum soon turned into chaos. After all, people distributing goods without asking for anything in return was a rare sight.
Among the gathered crowd, some took notice of Deneb's worn priestly robes and the emblem on them.
A scruffy young man approached, supporting an elderly woman who looked unwell.
"Excuse me… are you a priestess?"
"Yes, though I'm still just a trainee. Do you need help?"
"M-My mother isn't feeling well. Please, I beg you, take a look at her."
The young man knelt down and pleaded. In this era, divine healing was something only the wealthy could afford.
Deneb readily agreed to his request, though she looked a bit shy.
"My holy power is weak, so I might not be able to help much."
Even so, the young man looked grateful. He just wanted any kind of treatment.
Deneb poured all her effort into healing the old woman. Fortunately, it wasn't a serious illness, and the elderly woman's complexion improved even with Deneb's weak holy power.
"Phew, I'm relieved. Make sure to eat well and get some rest, and you should feel even better."
Deneb even handed the young man some money.
"Buy some herbs that help with recovery. Since she's older, make sure to take care of her health."
"Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The young man bowed repeatedly, his voice trembling.
It was the first time he had experienced such kindness. In this era, no one helped others—everyone focused only on taking from one another.
News of Deneb's ability to use holy power began to spread quietly. Soon, more sick people started to show up.
"Form a line! I'll treat everyone!"
For days, Deneb distributed food and treated illnesses.
Her holy power was limited, so she quickly became exhausted. But she squeezed out every last bit of strength to help.
Yulian and Kyle also purchased herbs and handed them out to people. Thanks to their experience helping others during their travels, they worked well together.
It was tiring but rewarding. Even as Deneb grew weary, she smiled happily.
However, problems soon arose. People started flocking to her, even those who didn't live in the slums.
Deneb's weak holy power couldn't keep up with the growing crowd.
People began pleading in front of her.
"Please heal us too!"
"We've been waiting for days. It's my turn now!"
"I'm sicker than they are. Please, heal me first…."
In the slums, most people suffered from malnutrition, poor hygiene, and untreated injuries.
Everyone fought to be treated first, knowing that more people would continue to gather as time went on.
"Move! I was here first!"
"What are you talking about? I got here before you!"
"No, I was here first!"
Voices rose, and no one tried to maintain order. With no one to control the crowd, chaos erupted.
If Deneb kept treating them all, she'd be trampled by the crowd.
Yulian and Kyle stepped forward in panic.
"St-Stop! Don't come any closer!"
"Form a line! A line!"
But the people were desperate. Divine healing wasn't something just anyone could receive.
Unwilling to miss this chance, the crowd grew even more frenzied.
"Heal me first!"
"My father is dying right now!"
"Save the child first! Please, heal my child!"
Some even showed up armed, threatening others.
For people who didn't know if they'd survive tomorrow, holding back wasn't an option when faced with hope.
The three were overwhelmed. The charity they had done so far had been small-scale.
They hadn't traveled for long, nor did they have much to give in the first place.
So in the face of such a situation, they had no idea what to do.
All three turned to Ghislain, silently begging for his help.
But Ghislain showed no reaction.
'Helping others isn't easy. They still have a lot to learn.'
To Ghislain, this era was in utter disarray. Even the world he came from was chaotic, but this was worse.
It wasn't just the poverty or the cruelty of people that made it bad. Those things had existed in his time too.
The laws, systems, and even people's ways of thinking seemed completely broken.
Deneb, drenched in cold sweat, shouted, "P-Please, calm down! Stay in line!"
Yulian and Kyle stood in front of her, trying to keep the crowd from pushing closer.
Of course, the sick didn't attack Deneb—they needed her help.
Instead, they attacked each other.
"I was here first, you bastard!"
Thud!
When someone threw a punch, the violence spread like wildfire. People started fighting each other without hesitation.
For them, such chaos was just a part of everyday life.
But seeing this so close left Deneb pale-faced.
"H-How… why? Why are they attacking each other…?"
The situation had already spiraled out of control, far beyond what she could handle. Yulian and Kyle didn't know what to do either.
Only Ghislain remained calm, watching the chaos unfold as if curious to see how they would solve it.
"Get out of the way, you bastard!"
"No, you get lost!"
"I'll kill you, you piece of shit!"
The fighting intensified. The sick were caught in the violence, shoved aside, and trampled.
The crowd seemed to forget why they were even there, consumed by rage.
"P-Please! Stop! Everyone, stop!"
Deneb tried to stop them, but it was no use. Moving closer would only put her in danger.
"Get back!"
Yulian grabbed Deneb's arm and pulled her behind him. He wanted to stop the crowd, but he had no way to do so.
Just as the chaos reached its peak, a group of people approached from a distance.
A man in elegant priestly robes, accompanied by temple knights, strode toward them.
The priest looked around with a haughty expression and spoke coldly.
"Tsk. Trash blocking the road. Clear them out."
At his command, the temple knights moved.
Their method of clearing the crowd was far from ordinary.
Stab!
"Urgh?"
Without hesitation, they began cutting down and stabbing the people in their way.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]