Chapter 26

Barretta, with a serious face, asked a strange question, and Ichirou responded with a puzzled expression,

"…Huh?"

He couldn't help but ask her to repeat it. He understood the meaning of Barretta's question, but he had no idea what her intention was. If asked whether he was human, the answer was of course yes, but the way she asked made it seem as if she had thought he was some kind of non-human creature all along.

Seeing that Ichirou wasn't answering her question, Barretta, perhaps out of extreme nervousness, asked again with a trembling voice,

"…A-aren't you… human?"

Barretta had often felt, albeit vaguely, that "Ichirou might not be a Graciel but an ordinary human" many times before. However, after hearing Ichirou talk about his parents' company while wiping the water wheel this morning, her doubts turned into certainty. She had mustered the courage to ask Ichirou, but with his lack of immediate response, she suddenly became worried that she might have asked a ridiculous question.

"I'm human! I'm nothing but human!"

When asked the same question twice, Ichirou noticed that Barretta's hands were trembling and hurriedly answered her question.

"…Really?"

"Really. I mean, what else could I be?"

Hearing Ichirou's words, Barretta let out a deep sigh of relief and weakly said,

"…I'm glad…"

In contrast to Barretta, who was relieved that her question had been answered, Ichirou still looked confused.

"Um, what do you mean? Did you think I wasn't human?"

When Ichirou asked this, Barretta, looking apologetic, hesitantly began to explain.

"Yes… In fact, since Kazura came to this village, I've always thought you were a Graciel… I believe everyone in the village still thinks Kazura is a Graciel."

"Graciel…? Wait, could it be…?"

Hearing the word "Graciel," Ichirou remembered a similar word he had heard from Barretta before. As he recalled it, the blood drained from his face, and cold sweat began to pour from his body.

"By the way, when we had the rain ritual in the village, you told me about a water god called 'Suiptsiol,' right?"

"Yes, I did."

"…What does 'Siol' in Suiptsiol mean?"

"It means a ruling god. Suipt means the source of life and also water."

"…Oh no…"

Hearing Barretta's explanation, Ichirou held his head in his hands. He had always felt that he was being overly respected by the villagers, and he had thought that they might have mistaken him for a notable person from somewhere else because of the various things he had brought to the village. However, he had been too busy dealing with the immediate problems to consider how the villagers perceived him.

"…By the way, what does 'Grac' mean?"

"It means mercy and abundance. More precisely, it's Graciel… Are you okay?"

Hearing Barretta's explanation, Ichirou began to groan while still holding his head.

Upon reflection, he realized that his actions in the village had been truly remarkable. He had instantly cured over fifty people suffering from malnutrition, brought in a large amount of food and salt from nowhere, and even made it rain in a village that had been suffering from a prolonged drought, all within just three days. Moreover, he had brought in numerous machines and tools (like the water wheel and farming equipment) that the villagers had never seen before, and the villagers were starting to become superhuman due to the effects of the food Ichirou had brought. If he were in the villagers' position, he might have thought he was a god or a savior.

Ichirou let out a deep sigh and slowly raised his face, looking weary.

"I'm fine… A god of mercy and abundance, huh? That's quite a misunderstanding…"

While his actions might have seemed god-like, if the villagers continued to mistake him for a god, it could lead to problems in the future. Ichirou thought that he needed to clear up the villagers' misunderstanding as soon as possible. As he was thinking this, Barretta spoke again, looking apologetic.

"Actually, it was me who spread the word that Kazura is a Graciel… Because you resembled the Graciel in the village's legend so much… I'm sorry."

"…A legend?"

Reacting to the word "legend," Ichirou asked, and Barretta began to explain.

"Yes. It's a story that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Long ago, when this region was hit by a great famine due to a prolonged drought, a man with unusual attire appeared in the village, bringing a large amount of food to save the people. Moreover, those who ate even a small amount of the food he brought quickly regained their strength. …Um, was that man you?"

"No. I can't live that long."

When Barretta asked hopefully, Ichirou immediately denied it. The actions of the man who appeared hundreds of years ago were similar to what Ichirou had done, but they were definitely not the same person. If Ichirou were the same person, he wouldn't be human, but Barretta might still have some doubts.

"Yes, you're right. What was I thinking… You are human, right?"

As Barretta repeated her words, Ichirou thought about what to do next. He needed to quickly declare to the villagers that he was human and clear up the misunderstanding that he was a Graciel. Given the various aids he had provided to the village, he didn't think the villagers would reject him just because he wasn't a Graciel, and Barretta, as the daughter of the village chief, would likely support him. The village chief, Balin, would also help if properly explained.

"Yes, I'm human. We need to clear up the villagers' misunderstanding as soon as possible… Let's explain to the villagers tomorrow morning that I'm not a Graciel but a human."

"Wait, please!"

When Ichirou said this, Barretta exclaimed in a panic. Ichirou, who wanted to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible, tilted his head in confusion at Barretta's words.

"Actually, the legend I mentioned earlier has a continuation. The man who came to the village… Graciel, was captured by the lord and his soldiers who heard the rumors."

"Captured? But he didn't do anything wrong… More importantly, what does that have to do with explaining to the villagers that I'm not a Graciel?"

Ichirou, looking completely puzzled, asked, and Barretta turned to him with a serious expression.

"The reason the Graciel who appeared in the village hundreds of years ago was captured by the lord was because the rumors about him spread too far. If only those seeking salvation from Graciel heard the rumors, it would be fine, but if the rumors reached the ears of those who wanted to monopolize the benefits for themselves…"

"Bad people might come to the village looking for me, right?"

Ichirou nodded, understanding Barretta's explanation. In other words, the villagers, including Barretta, were imposing a strict code of silence to prevent the rumors from spreading, to avoid following the same path as the legend. While the current lord, Nalson, might not act like the lord from hundreds of years ago, others might be tempted by the opportunity.

"Yes. Therefore, I would like you to continue acting as Graciel."

"…What?"

Ichirou, who had nodded in agreement with the idea of preventing the rumors from spreading, was taken aback by Barretta's unexpected request. Barretta should already understand that he is not a Graciel, so why would she ask him to continue acting as one? It was completely incomprehensible. Was she planning to start a new religion?

"No, Barretta, I'm not a Graciel. How can I act like one…?"

When Ichirou said this, looking confused, Barretta quickly waved her hands in front of her face.

"Sorry, I didn't explain it well. I want you to pretend that you don't realize the villagers think you're a Graciel and continue to act as you have been."

"…Why?"

"The villagers are determined not to let the content of your aid leak outside the village because they believe you are a Graciel. Also, because they believe you are a Graciel, they don't try to investigate where you came from or how you managed to bring in such a large amount of food, fertilizer, and tools in such a short time. If the villagers found out you're not a Graciel, they might demand explanations for everything. Moreover, if the rumors spread and reached the ears of Nalson or the royal family…"

"Yeah, it would be a huge hassle. Declaring myself human would be a path to destruction."

Hearing Barretta's detailed explanation, Ichirou immediately abandoned his plan. While being mistaken for a god might lead to various problems in the future, it was much better than the potential disaster Barretta described. He hadn't planned to do anything grand in this world, so if he could live a quiet life in the village, occasionally visiting Isteria, that would be fine. The village's agriculture was going well, and the handmade water wheel he had built with the villagers had solved the water problem. He decided to avoid flashy support in the future and focus on herb cultivation with Barretta.

"…I understand. It's a bit uncomfortable, but I'll continue to act as if I'm a god who doesn't realize he's being mistaken for one. If I'm about to slip up, please cover for me."

When Ichirou said this with a sigh, Barretta nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! 'Follow' and 'support' are on me!"

Seeing Barretta, who seemed unusually happy, Ichirou thought,

"(Ah, she's even learned some foreign words…)"

While feeling a bit tired, he sighed deeply, thinking about his upcoming life as a fake god.

---

While Ichirou was deciding to continue his fake god life, in the office of Nalson's residence in Isteria, Nalson and Jilconia were receiving a report from Isaac, who had just returned from inspecting the construction of a fortress near the border with Barbeur.

Nalson, sitting at his desk as usual, nodded occasionally while reading the report, seemingly satisfied with the progress. Jilconia, leaning against the desk, asked Isaac about the details of the construction and occasionally peeked at the report Nalson was reading.

"The construction of the fortress is proceeding very smoothly. If this pace continues, it should be completed a year before the ceasefire treaty expires."

As Isaac said, the construction of the fortress was going very well. The construction of the fortress along the border was the top priority in Isteria, and the allocation of materials and personnel was prioritized, so it was natural for it to go smoothly. However, the construction was progressing at a slightly faster pace than initially expected. All those involved in the construction recognized the importance of the fortress, which would serve as a crucial stronghold after the war with Barbeur, which had ended four years ago. The fact that the construction was being carried out by only Arcadia's citizens, without the use of slaves, was also a reason for the rapid progress.

"How much food can the fortress produce?"

Jilconia, who was particularly concerned about this, asked, and Isaac immediately provided the answer from memory.

"It's still unclear how much of Graciel's blessing the land will receive, but it should be able to produce enough food to sustain 50 to 100 people for a year."

"…Even if we estimate high, only 100 people. Still, it's better than nothing…"

Jilconia sighed. She had been troubled by the self-sufficiency of the fortress for a long time. While the amount of food that could be produced was limited even if the fortress were larger, the water problem could be solved by digging several wells. However, the food problem was more challenging. In a prolonged conflict, external supplies would be essential, but how feasible would that be against Barbeur's large army? Laying a long-term siege to a single fortress would require significant transportation capabilities, and Barbeur, a much larger country than Arcadia, might easily manage such a feat.

"There's no point in worrying too much about things we can't change. Let's focus on stockpiling enough food for emergencies."

Nalson, noticing Jilconia's gloomy face, looked up from the report and spoke. Seeing Isaac, who looked as if he felt responsible for the low food production, Nalson chuckled.

"Don't look so down, Isaac. It's unrealistic to expect the fortress to be completely self-sufficient."

"Yes… But I wish there were a better way…"

Despite his gloomy expression, Isaac's earnestness made Nalson sigh. He then pulled out a memo from the scattered documents on his desk and slid it to Isaac.

"I'll take care of that issue, so don't worry. Focus on your next assignment."

Isaac took the memo, read it, and nodded.

"Understood. I'll confirm the details now."

"Wait, it's the middle of the night. Take a break today and start tomorrow."

Seeing Isaac about to start working despite it being late at night, Nalson chuckled and advised him. Isaac, thinking,

"(Nalson is planning to work until dawn, isn't he?)"

murmured to himself and replied,

"…Understood."

He bowed and left the room.

"…He's really serious and dedicated. Don't be too hard on him."

"He's not being hard on him."

As Jilconia commented, Nalson, looking at the door where Isaac had left, answered brusquely and began to organize the scattered documents. Jilconia, seeing this, started to help with the organization, but then thought of something and decided to ask Nalson.

"By the way, what did you instruct Isaac to do next?"

"Reorganizing and training the troops for the next seven days… It's like a break for him. After that, he'll inspect Grisea Village."

Hearing "Grisea Village," Jilconia looked a bit distant and murmured,

"Grisea Village… I wish a Graciel would really appear."