Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 669: Distribution Of Resources

Asher nodded and didn’t say any more words, as though allowing the Village Chief the time and space to gather his thoughts properly and without interruption. The Village Chief slowly turned to the side, orienting himself toward where Lyra and the hired man were standing just outside the building.

"Are they your teammates who fought against the kidnappers with you?" the Village Chief asked, his voice steady yet carrying a hint of curiosity beneath its surface.

Asher shook his head slightly. "No, they aren’t; they are my friends. Them following me also pertains to one of my reasons for being here," Asher stated, his eyes remained fixed on the Village Chief.

"Which is?" the blind Village Chief asked, his head tilting ever so slightly as though trying to better grasp the intent behind Asher’s words.

"I already know your village and other villages gathered your resources together to generate enough coins to pay for the mission you posted, and still, fewer people took it because the reward wasn’t enticing enough," Asher began to speak, his voice measured.

"I know this would affect the village as a whole, not just temporarily but in a lasting manner. The woman with the black hair will share various resources that we’ve purchased, while the man possesses the ability to increase the fertility of farmlands; even dead lands can be turned into fertile farmlands again," Asher explained calmly, making sure his words were clear and deliberate.

The Village Chief remained silent for a while; he did not rush to accept the offer immediately. Everyone understood what kind of world Crymora was, nothing was given without a cost, and generosity often came with hidden strings attached.

"Why are you doing this, Asher?" he finally asked, his tone careful and probing.

Hearing his question, Asher stayed silent for a brief moment, his gaze lowering slightly before he spoke again. "If I’m being honest, guilt is the reason. If I had been faster, if I had been smarter, if I had reacted sooner, I could have saved everyone, but in the end... I could only save fifteen people," he stated calmly, though the weight behind his words was undeniable.

"Although these gifts I bring won’t bring back the dead, at least they can ease the pressure the villagers feel in their daily lives. After all, from this incident alone, many are now orphans, widows, and widowers... I hope you can accept them, Village Chief," Asher explained, his voice carrying a quiet but unmistakable sincerity.

The Village Chief stood in silence once more, absorbing every word that had been spoken, before finally responding. "We don’t get a lot of kindness around here, Asher, especially not from outsiders. But on behalf of the villagers, you have my utmost thanks," the Village Chief said as he bowed his head, his tone filled with genuine gratitude and restrained emotion.

As the Village Chief, he knew the burdens his people carried; nobody understood this weight more deeply than he did.

"I will work with them to share the resources you speak of," the Village Chief continued, a small, tired smile appearing on his lips. Although he had lost many of his villagers, he was not a delusional man who believed that the world was filled with nothing but butterflies and roses. He had already expected casualties even before he and the other Village Chiefs had posted the mission.

With that, Asher and the Village Chief stepped out of the Village Chief’s home together. The Village Chief approached Lyra and the hired hand, greeting them respectfully and treating them as individuals worthy of acknowledgment, especially as they were associated with Asher. Shortly after, he called for an emergency village gathering, his voice carrying across the area as he announced that Asher would be distributing resources to everyone present.

At the sound of such news, the villagers began to rush toward Asher in large numbers; the hunger that plagued the land was immense and deeply rooted, yet despite their desperation, they had endured in hopes of the safe return of their fellow villagers.

"Line up, or you won’t be getting anything," Lyra’s voice echoed sharply as she stepped forward, her presence heavy as a faint pressure flickered into the air. She immediately took control of the situation, her presence unquestioned. No one dared to defy her words; after all, they were receiving food and clothing without cost, and they already understood that Lyra’s power far exceeded anything they could oppose.

With a simple wave of her hand, bags of grains, wheat, flour, and various other food supplies materialized in large heaps upon the ground. A pile of silver coins followed shortly after, along with weapons that clattered lightly as they appeared, and clothing of various sizes and styles manifested alongside boots and shoes suitable for all. Lyra then carefully covered each heap of resources with an Astra energy barrier, ensuring order and protection.

Together with Asher, they began distributing everything systematically, ensuring fairness as each person received an equal share of food, clothing, and coins. Mothers collapsed to their knees in tears of relief and joy, grateful that they could finally feed their children again. Fathers gripped their newly acquired weapons with renewed determination, knowing they could now defend their families and hunt weaker monsters for both income and sustenance.

Children, blissfully unaware of the world’s cruelty, laughed and played with their new clothes, trying them on immediately as they giggled and compared whose attire looked finer and more beautiful. The girls gathered around Lyra, who gently lifted them into the air using Astra energy telekinesis, their laughter ringing out like soft chimes.

The boys, on the other hand, clustered around Asher, who lifted them into the air as well, occasionally placing some on his shoulders and on his neck. A genuine smile spread across his face as he interacted with them, his usual composure softening into something far more human and unguarded.

Meanwhile, the hired hand found himself surrounded by farmers, who looked at him as though he were the greatest blessing they had ever received. They eagerly led him across every available acre of land, including areas that had long been deemed barren and unusable. With the hired hand’s ability, those lands gradually transformed, their lifeless soil regaining fertility and promise.

After some time had passed, Asher could be seen floating in the air alongside Lyra and the hired hand. Below them, every woman, man, child, and elder raised their voices in gratitude, chanting the names of Asher, Lyra, and the hired hand in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt appreciation.

Asher smiled as he looked down at them from above. He lingered for a brief moment, as though reluctant to leave, but he knew he could not remain, there were still other villages that required his attention, including the Sand Village.

’I hope these children’s innocence remains like this forever,’ he thought to himself, though he understood that such a wish was unrealistic. Even those who were unawakened would eventually come to understand the harsh realities of the world, even if they did not stand directly at its forefront like the awakened.

"I hope we meet again, Village Chief," Asher said before propelling himself into the sky, with Lyra and the hired hand following closely behind him.

Out of everyone present, the hired hand remained the most bewildered and stunned; to him, Asher was nothing like what a Wargrave was believed to be.

And with that, they proceeded to visit every village, distributing resources equally among all, just as they had done in Blackstone Village. By the time they were finished, the day had gradually drawn to a close, and they returned to the Wargrave Estate under the fading light of the evening sky.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: The day was too stressful to write, so I planned on not typing today (as announced on my Discord). But thanks to Aaaninja’s Magic Castle, this author decided to push through the tiredness and type. Thank you, Your Majesty; Aaaninja.

Thanks for reading.