Chapter 890

It was obvious the news was spreading through the entire shantytown in an instant. The situation beyond the wide-open city gates atop the gentle hill was likely no different.

"Well now, I'd believe this was the North," Miguel said from behind.

He had clearly noticed the swelling crowds gathering from every direction.

Charlotte let out a low growl and added, "The Demigod has returned. Of course, they should come out to welcome him."

"I can't stand noisy crowds," Diana muttered, clicking her tongue.

Charlotte shot her a slight frown, but Diana ignored her entirely, pulling a mask from her belt and slipping it on.

At least there's one person here who feels the same way I do...

Looking somewhat resigned, he gazed down the highway cutting through the shantytown. Even now, more people were gathering along the roadside.

"They all came to see you, Brother. Maybe you could at least wave once as you pass— ah, right. That would probably be too exhausting for you. Ha ha..." Miguel trailed off awkwardly, hurriedly avoiding Ian's icy stare.

Letting out a short click of his tongue, Ian naturally looked back over his shoulder and said, "Don't do anything stupid. Just keep your eyes forward and move quick—"

But he trailed off and closed his mouth. The fairies and beastfolk following behind were looking up at him with undisguised disappointment.

Only Diana, hidden behind her mask, avoided looking at him.

"They don't often receive this kind of welcome. That's why they're excited," Charlotte said calmly as Ian's eyes narrowed.

Meeting his gaze, she continued matter-of-factly, "Don't worry about it, Ian. They'll follow your orders."

That only made Ian smack his lips.

She wasn't wrong. Beastfolk were usually treated as strange curiosities at best, or future demons at worst. And the fairies, who had spent their lives hidden away in noble estates or Deep Forests, had likely hungered for this kind of attention for a very long time.

"At least check your uniforms," Ian finally said with a sigh.

The fairies and beastfolk, who had looked away one by one, froze.

"You need to look like my personal special unit. You can walk slower if you want, but keep your formation tight," added Ian.

Only then did the fairies and beastfolk widen their eyes and look back at him.

Charlotte blinked before turning her head and shouting, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry. The city is close. Anyone who embarrasses him will answer to me personally."

The fairies and beastfolk immediately lowered their heads and began adjusting their clothing and equipment in a flurry.

As Diana slowly shook her head, Ian met Charlotte's gaze once more.

"Pride and belonging aren't things you can just ignore," said Ian.

"Yeah, you're right," Charlotte replied a beat later. Her voice had become noticeably softer and quieter.

Ignoring Miguel's chuckling cough, Ian straightened his collar as well.

"They've arrived!"

"O-Oh... the Demigod has returned...."

The shantytown was already close now. Residents packed not only the main road but every alley beyond it. Even at this moment, their numbers continued to grow.

Nila proudly lifted its head and naturally slowed its pace.

"Glory to the Radiant Light."

"To the exalted heavens!"

"O great Golden Demigod!"

The residents began bowing their heads in respect and offering prayers. Those who lacked the space simply clasped their hands before their chests and bowed even deeper.

Either way, it was more than enough to make a clear, resonant vibration spread through the deepest part of Ian's soul.

However, Ian's eyes twitched slightly for more than just that reason. He had spotted several familiar faces from his past tours—like that boy standing at the mouth of an alley, hands clasped before his chest, and a bright smile spread across his face as he looked at him.

His name was... Rishel, wasn't it?

The boy had grown a little taller, but he was the same child who had once come asking Ian to pray for his sick mother. 

His mother stood beside him now, head bowed in prayer. Even from here, Ian could tell her complexion was healthy, and she had put on weight.

The same was true of Rishel.

Ian met the boy's gaze and gave him a slight nod. Then his gaze swept the surroundings once more.

Come to think of it, everyone looks strangely...

Realizing something, Ian carefully surveyed his surroundings once more. The feeling that the district had become cleaner was no illusion.

There was no filth strewn across the alleys, and the residents themselves looked noticeably tidier and better cared for.

The foul odor hadn't disappeared entirely, but compared to the squalid slum it had once been, the difference was beyond comparison.

They're still following the things I casually told them back then.

Ian's lips curled upward when he spotted blankets hanging from windows to air out.

Of course, part of it was because the area had become sacred land, but part of it was because the residents were living far better lives than before.

Clank, clank—

Even as Ian felt an unfamiliar sense of fulfillment, rhythmic footsteps continued behind him.

The beastfolk and fairies marched after him in perfect formation, their footsteps synchronized.

"That’s the Demigod's legion..."

"Beastfolk and fairies are following the Demigod...."

The residents whispered and gasped in awe.

The children, meanwhile, simply stared in complete fascination. Especially at Charlotte, who strode forward in black armor adorned with gold, her mane flowing behind her.

At least they're drawing some of the attention. In that case, maybe this isn't the worst.

Ian's gaze stopped on a street near the main gate.

He had spotted another familiar face. This time, however, it wasn't someone from Orendel.

Howard Bellan.

He was the very lord who had survived in the heart of former Lu Sard after it had become a demonic realm, together with his people.

That was probably why a quest completion window suddenly appeared before Ian's eyes.

Closing it immediately, Ian gave him a slight nod.

Howard, who had his hands clasped before his chest, returned the nod.

The middle-aged man standing behind him, a long scar running across one side of his face, did the same. Though dressed in ordinary clothes, he was none other than Sir Osric, Howard's knight.

"W-Wait, that's—" Miguel let out a belated gasp of recognition.

"You know him?" Charlotte asked in a low voice.

"He's the one who survived in Glumir while leading the townsfolk. It seems Sir Mev managed to bring him here safely," replied Miguel.

"Glumir?" Charlotte's voice dropped even lower.

Without even turning around, Ian was certain she was glaring at Howard. After all, Glumir had once been the stronghold of the vampire clan.

"He has nothing to do with the ones you're thinking of, so relax." Ian entered through the wide-open city gates. No one blocked his path.

Even the guards stationed atop the walls had lowered their weapons and knelt on one knee. Beyond them, the streets were just as crowded with waiting residents.

"Glory to the exalted heavens!"

"O Light!"

"O Golden... Demigod..."

The moment Ian passed through the gates, the people of Orendel dropped to one knee as if they had been waiting for that exact moment.

"What a sight..."

Even Charlotte, following behind, let out a breath of amazement.

To Ian's eyes, this resembled a religious ceremony far more than a welcome procession. The continuous pulse of divinity deep within his soul was proof enough of that.

Yet despite all of it, it stirred absolutely nothing within him. Rather than any of that, the panoramic view of Orendel beneath the bright blue sky was far more impressive to Ian.

Unfamiliar buildings now packed the city, their silhouettes sharp against the horizon.

How many people had he worked to the bone behind that smiling face?

Its scale rivaled even the great cities of the Empire. There was no need to doubt that it was the largest and most prosperous city on the frontier.

Ian continued down the main avenue. Before long, one corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.

"A king acting without dignity..."

He had spotted a group racing toward him from the far end of the road.

At the front was none other than Bastard King Declan Burchard, sprinting forward with his hair streaming behind him and an expensive yellow uniform fluttering in the wind.

One hand was pressed against the crown on his head.

It was hardly behavior befitting the ruler of a nation, yet a cheerful grin spread across his face as he ran.

"Y-Your Majesty! W-We should accompany you!"

"Please slow down a little!"

His retainers trailed closely behind, their voices lost to labored breathing.

"Surely that isn't?" said Charlotte.

"It is. The Bastard King," Miguel answered immediately in a whisper.

Charlotte let out a low chuckle. "I can see why Ian favors him. To run all the way here like that...."

"Indeed, it’s unexpected. I thought he'd have learned to put on airs by now."

Acting like this earns far more loyalty than acting like a king, Ian thought, silently snorting.

Even now, Declan had managed to earn the favor of both Charlotte and Miguel. And the residents would once again witness just how close their king was to the Golden Demigod.

"Glory to the Radiant Light!" Declan's booming shout rang out immediately afterward. He was still running toward Ian, one arm thrust high into the air.

Ian burst out laughing and pulled on Nila's reins.

Snort…

Nila halted, exhaling with the same strange tension still lingering in its breath.

A moment later, Declan slid to a stop a suitable distance away.

"Huff, huff!"

He was bent over, unable to straighten fully as he caught his breath. He truly must have run all the way from the castle without stopping.

Ian looked down from his saddle. "You didn't have to come all the way out to greet me."

"How could you say something so disappointing?" Declan finally straightened up, hurriedly fixing his disheveled clothes and hair as he continued, "The archduke who brought heaven's blessing to this land and placed a crown upon my head has returned. Of course I had to come running."

Even then, he never lost his trademark easygoing smile.

Meeting Ian's eyes, he shrugged. "Though I certainly didn't expect you to come up from the south again. Haha!"

Ian smiled back. "Well, truth be told, neither did I."

So he wasn't tired at all to begin with.

Declan's breathing had already stabilized completely in that brief span of time. Considering he possessed a body blessed by the heavens, there was nothing strange about it.

Of course, this wasn't merely a performance for show. More likely, he had been buying time for his retainers to catch up naturally.

"Phew... huff...."

"Huff... huff!"

The moment the retainers stumbled to a stop behind him, they immediately dropped to one knee.

As they collapsed to the ground one after another, Declan's voice rang out loudly.

"May everlasting light shine upon the exalted heavens and the Golden Demigod! Welcome home to the sacred land, O Demigod!"

It was enough to silence the entire area, where countless prayers had been spreading in hushed whispers. The reason Ian's smile deepened, however, was something else entirely.

He's calling me a Demigod quite naturally.

It couldn't simply be because he had heard the stories from the other migrants or from Mev. The higher Ian's standing became, the more legitimacy and authority he and this sacred land would gain together.

With nearly the entire city watching, there could hardly have been a better moment.

In any case, it was hardly a losing proposition for Ian.

Thud!

That was why he vaulted from the saddle and strode forward without hesitation.

Stopping before Declan, he bent down, grabbed his arm, and said, "Rise. Kneeling before me became unnecessary the moment that crown was placed upon your head."

Declan's eyes widened as Ian pulled him to his feet. He clearly had not expected Ian to go this far.

"Besides, Your Majesty and I are already bound by the same fate, aren't we?" Ian added without breaking eye contact.

A faint smile lingered on his lips, mirroring Declan's own.