A chill ran down Keita’s spine, and he felt a weight in the pit of his stomach. Still, he shook his head.
“Such lies won’t work! The villagers won’t be deceived so easily!”
“Who said it would be easy? However, as time passes, things will become more favorable towards me. They are shifting even now, while you are away from the village.”
Said Furukamuto. A certain fact flashed in the back of Keita’s mind. During these past few days, ever since they were defeated by the Demon King’s army, he had spent less time with the villagers.
Of course, it was not as if his reputation had suddenly been damaged. However, it was the Hero’s army who rebuilt the town and helped them make a living.
“You may have saved them during the disaster. But it was my army that helped rebuild the village after that. You have little influence now.”
“Still… I’ve protected this village for so long!”
“You…did?”
Furukamuto chuckled.
“Then let me ask you this. Why were you living leisurely in the village instead of raising your level as a Hero?”
“It…wasn’t leisurely… It’s just that I…”
“You hate fighting. Is that what you want to say? And so you just gave out orders to villagers and mercenaries, why you stayed behind. Safe from harm.”
He waited for Keita to reply.
Keita had never told the villagers that he was afraid of fighting. He had only ever told Canila. And so no human knew about it.
“Were you…listening that time with Fi!?”
“Not only that. I know how you lived in the village. Who you talked to. Who you befriended and who you did not.”
How did he know all of this?
“During this game, I decided to focus on some of the lesser gods. One of them was Evacus, the plague god who wanted to bring chaos to the world of gods. And also Canila Farada.”
The mirror showed a top down view of the village. There were still places that were burned black, but it was an otherwise peaceful scene.
“Evacus’s existence was an example of something destructive. He was driven by ambition and a desire to cause chaos… And I used more than I could have wanted. And Canila and you also did your part.”
“We…did what…”
“You showed just how useless lesser gods are.”
In the mirror, the soldiers were helping with reconstruction. The people smiled, full of hope as they held their hammers.
However, Keita, who should have been with them, was absent.
“Think about it. Had you raised your level a little and raised the village’s defenses, perhaps you could have stopped the tragedy?”
“I would have had to raise it dozens of levels… But Canila said that we could manage…with the help of the villagers…”
“And had she given you a little more of her blessings, you might have been able to raise your level safely. What do you think about that?”
“…”
He and Canila did their best to support this village with what little strength they had. But it hadn’t been enough.
“Indeed, Canila Farada’s idea of a Hero who does not look down on the common people is not wrong. However, she is not strong enough to enforce her views!”
The god stood up and walked towards Keita. The boy instinctively tried to move away, but he was stuck in the chair.
“And you! You did not try to overcome your own cowardice! You relied on blessings and escaped from reality! A weak god and a weak Hero! It is this terrible combination that brought about the disaster in the village!”
“St-still! You left the villagers to die…”
“But if our army was not there, what would you have done?”
The cold blue eyes looked down at Keita.
“The only thing you could think of was to rely on Salia and the kobold. You are nothing but a fool.”
“But…the advance of the Demon King’s army…didn’t you plan it…”
“Do not mistake me. The Morania army was always targeting Lindle. The same thing would have happened eventually. That was why they made the dungeon so close by.”
Keita did not fully understand the god’s words. Indeed, Lindle was along the main road, but it was surely not very important. There were villages that were more wealthy.
“The demon general of Morania is different from the others. He raises his soldiers and maintains order. And your village was chosen as a ‘model case.’”
“…Model case.”
“To teach them how to fight Heroes. Your village was a training ground. Had Canila been as capable as Saliashe, I might have used her differently. Or if you had been just a little more brave, you might have found a place within the wildness of Morania… But you did not.”
Declared the god.
“You are weak. And weakness is a sin.”
Keita had nothing to say in return.
What could he say? Even if the Seer had planned all of this, had they been stronger, they would have been able to do something.
The kobold he had invited in was proof of this.
Someone who was weak and powerless had defeated invincible Heroes.
“Now you understand the situation that you are in. So I will ask you again.”
Furukamuto said in a voice that would allow no argument.
“An dishonorable death, or an honorable retirement. Choose.”