Lane sank deeper into his thoughts, and as he did, his goals slowly began to take shape.
"I destroyed the church. Now I need to prepare. This place will be the main base, but because I destroyed the church, the Holy Army and the Imperial forces may come here. If the Goddess intervenes and delivers a revelation, things will become even more complicated. Then we will either have to abandon the village… or erase it completely in front of everyone."
Lane stood up. At that moment, Edwick entered the room.
He approached Lane and asked,"What are you doing here?"
Lane replied,"I was thinking. Things are getting complicated. We need to start organizing the village slowly. Before the Holy Empire and the Solarin Empire swarm us, we need to erase our traces. And if the Goddess interferes in this matter and sends a revelation… things won't go the way we want."
Edwick frowned."So you're saying we should change locations? But you know the villagers are unlikely to agree to that. They built their houses, they worked for them."
Lane spoke calmly."Don't worry, I thought about that too. We'll finish some things quickly with magic. You're a former soldier. Sara is a former mercenary. I can speed things up with magic. And I know exactly where we should build the base."
Edwick was surprised."Lane… how can you make so many plans? And don't think I didn't notice the ten villagers hiding behind the tree during the battle. Why are you helping us this much?"
Lane was startled for a moment. It was the first time Edwick had seen such an expression on Lane's face. Then Lane spoke with a faintly mocking smile."Well, if you saw the ones hiding behind the tree, you have sharp eyes. I thought no one noticed."
He paused, then his voice turned cold."As for your other question… I already answered it before, but I'll say it again. This place will now be used for my own goals. You help me, I help you. I will turn this place into the richest and strongest area. Everything will be done from the shadows. I will destroy both Solarin and the Holy Empire. I will kill all the gods they believe in. This world is rotten to the core."
Edwick thought for a moment. Then he put his hand on Lane's shoulder and smiled."Alright. I understand what you mean. This village will help you achieve your goal."
Lane nodded."We need to speed things up now. I need to build shelters as quickly as possible."
Edwick agreed."You're right. Let's go outside and discuss this in the council."
Lane and Edwick went outside, talking among themselves. Sara was writing down the list of villagers who had died. When Edwick saw her, he called out,"What's our current situation? How many losses do we have?"
Sara lowered her head."We lost about thirty-three percent of the villagers…"
Hearing this, Lane clenched his fist and muttered in a low voice,"Damn it… I said it wouldn't go above twenty percent."
Sara was about to speak again when Lane suddenly gave an order,"Gather everyone. We're going back. Don't allow anyone to enter the houses. Absolutely not. First, we'll turn the houses into dust and ruin until they look old and worn."
Sara froze, not understanding what was happening. Edwick immediately stepped in,"Sara, I'll explain once we reach the council. For now, do as he says."
Sara could only say, "Alright." They then headed toward the council.
As they walked, Lane supported the wounded soldiers by holding their arms. Then he shouted to everyone,"Everyone help the person next to you! Unity is born from small actions like this!"
The villagers helped each other and quickly covered the distance they were walking slowly before.
When they entered the village, Lane gave the order to stop. He looked at everyone and said,"Everyone take a handful of soil from the ground. Rub it between your hands until it turns into dust."
Everyone found it strange. Edwick thought to himself,"Here we go again with the weird stuff…"
The villagers who were not injured slowly began to do as instructed. After fifteen minutes, Lane spoke again,"Now everyone enter the houses. Start with the empty ones. Blow the dust you're holding inside. Make sure everything is covered in dust. Tell those who are inside to leave their houses. If anyone refuses to leave, report them to me. Mark them. I'll deal with them personally."
One by one, the villagers entered the houses and filled them with dust. In the village, all families except five abandoned their homes and gathered around Lane.
At that moment, shouting erupted from the tavern. A fight had broken out. One of the villagers was thrown outside. A few people began running to inform Lane about what had happened.