Chapter 42: Peaceful Daily Life + Heretic God Sect Extra

Mann opened his eyes again. Beside him, there was only an empty pillow.

“Strange, where did Mei go?”

He tried to sit up, but only felt a sore numbness in his lower back.

Remembering Mei’s wildness from last night, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.

With that attitude, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had devoured him whole.

It was a pity he had passed out halfway through…

“Whatever, I’d better not think about it for now.”

“I’ve been lying down for so many days. It’s time to get some activity… Maybe I’ll go check on the reconstruction of the territory!”

“And I can look for Mei while I’m at it. Yeah, just incidentally.”

Even he himself didn’t realize how much he was starting to care about this little maid.

But just as Mann was about to get up, he sat back down in place. His lower back had no strength at all.

“Looks like… I’ll have to lie down for another day…”

He could only accept this fact helplessly.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Brother Mann, it’s me, Laira.”

“Mm?”

He was somewhat surprised by her arrival, though he didn’t intend to turn her away.

“Please come in.”

As the door opened, Laira walked in holding an exquisite box of pastries in both hands.

“Huh? Why is there a strange smell here?”

Hearing this, Mann’s body jolted with shock.

‘Crap! I forgot about this!’

“This… well, maybe it’s because I’ve been lying down for too long…”

‘Who would believe that! That excuse is too flimsy!’

By now, Mann was drenched in sweat.

‘Please, I’m begging you! Don’t ask anymore…’

As he thought this, he saw Laira walking toward the curtain beside the bed.

“Brother Mann, you really should remember to open the window for ventilation when you’re injured.”

As she opened the window, the suggestive smell in the tent quickly dissipated.

Either way, he managed to get through it.

But Laira’s behavior worried Mann a bit.

However, considering she had been imprisoned by Campbell for so long, he could understand that her mental state was somewhat childlike.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a big problem. After all, he had plenty of time to teach her in the future.

“Oh, I almost forgot…”

Just as Laira was about to hand the gift box to Mann, a gentle knock also sounded.

The two looked toward the visitor—it was Mei, holding food.

“Good morning, Miss Laira.”

She greeted Laira with a smile.

“…Good morning, Sister Mei.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you probably haven’t eaten yet either, right?”

“What a coincidence. Why don’t you stay and join us?”

Mann also spoke up to invite Laira to stay.

“…Mm.”

“Um, Mei.”

Mann turned his gaze to the maid.

“I can’t move very well. Give me a hand.”

This wasn’t a lie; his lower back really had no strength.

“Honestly, you’re hopeless…”

Mei sighed softly and slowly walked toward Mann.

But instead of helping him sit up, she gently lifted his head.

Then, Mann felt a warm, smooth sensation at the back of his head.

Laira was so shocked she couldn’t speak. In her mind, a girl using her thigh as a pillow for a boy to rest on… she couldn’t even dare to think about it.

“Um… I’m still here…”

Her face was red all the way to her ears, and she stood frozen in place.

Similarly at a loss was Mann. He also hadn’t expected Mei to do this suddenly.

“Master Mann, please open your mouth.”

As Mei spoke, she brought a piece of pastry to Mann’s lips.

Seeing this, Laira’s brain completely crashed.

“Miss Laira, would you like some too? You can.”

“Um… I’ll pass…”

She lowered her head, put the box of pastries aside, and fled the tent.

Only after confirming that Laira was far away did Mann speak leisurely:

“I say, you didn’t have to go that far just to make her leave, did you?”

Having been seen through, Mei guiltily looked away.

“N-no, I didn’t!”

“Ah… just help me sit up first…”

Mann didn’t feel like arguing further, but this position also made him very embarrassed.

Even though a lap pillow was indeed comfortable.

“No way! I’ve finally got some time alone with you. I don’t want to waste it.”

Having said that, she gently kissed him on the lips.

“Master Mann, I love you deeply.”

…

Heretic God Sect Extra

“His Holiness the Holy Son has issued an order. We are to cut ties with the Heretic God Sect and do our best to help rebuild the territory. We must not harm the residents…”

Outside the Matthews Territory, Grace was conveying the orders Mann had given to two hundred and thirty-six followers of the Heretic God Sect.

“Hmph, leave the Heretic God Sect and help the enemy rebuild their home? Is he crazy or am I crazy?”

Rick, standing in the front row, was extremely dissatisfied inside. But unfortunately, he had little influence and, due to his status, couldn’t say much. He could only shout the Holy Son’s name along with the crowd.

Soon, the meeting ended.

Though in his opinion, it was just listening to a bunch of nonsense again.

“Anyway, the Heretic God Sect’s situation has been pretty bad recently. I’ll hang around here for a while, and when the heat dies down, I’ll find a way to run back. Besides, this is a chance to gather some useful information.”

Thinking this, Rick followed the rest of the Heretic God Sect, led by Sophien, heading toward Matthews Territory.

“Hello, I’m a friend of Mann Matthews and I’ve brought people to help.”

Looking at the haggard man talking to Grace, Rick sneered at him contemptuously in his heart. His eyes were full of disdain.

‘As expected of someone who doesn’t believe in Lord Evil God. This is the consequence he deserves.’

But when he actually saw the destroyed city, he gradually stopped smiling.

On this ruin, some people were knights helping with reconstruction, but the rest—whether children or adults—almost all had a shadow over their faces.

They worked mechanically, and occasionally he could see a few stooped old people still doing odd jobs.

After walking a bit further, he was finally taken to his work site.

An old man was resting on a protruding corner of the wall nearby.

“Old man, this is a new helper.”

The old man looked at Rick, startled at first, then quickly nodded with a smile.

“Mm, I see.”

“Come, I’ll teach you how to work.”

Thus, the two came to a row of half-built houses.

With the old man’s help, Rick quickly got the hang of it.

The work wasn’t hard, it just required some patience.

“Young man, you don’t look like you’re from around here. Where are you from?”

“Campbell Territory.”

Rick said casually, planning to brush it off.

“Oh, that’s quite far. Why did you come all the way here? Just to help?”

“Mr. Mann asked us to come.”

“I see…”

The old man nodded.

“That’s not surprising.”

“Speaking of which, if it weren’t for Master Mann, even more people would have died. Damn Heretic God Sect…”

Rick’s face immediately darkened. He clenched his tools until they creaked.

‘If not for the orders, I wouldn’t mind teaching the old man a lesson.’

“They’re just a bunch of arrogant lunatics!”

As he said this, the old man was so angry that he spat.

This action made Rick’s resentment toward the old man grow even stronger.

‘When I return to the Heretic God Sect, I’ll make sure you people who insult us pay the price!’

Though he thought this, he could only pretend not to hear and work in silence.

Soon, the day’s work ended. He had come to hate the old man who was his partner to the extreme.

In the evening, just as Rick was about to rest, a light knock came at the door.

“At this hour… is it a comrade from the Heretic God Sect?”

Though curious, when he opened the door, his face immediately darkened.

It was the old man he loathed.

Sensing his displeasure, the old man held out a jar of wine and said with a sheepish smile:

“You probably don’t know this, so I brought you your share of wine.”

Rick remained expressionless.

“Sorry to bother you at this hour. I just wanted someone to talk to…”

Seeing his expression shift from expectation to disappointment, Rick felt something stir in his heart, though he didn’t know why. He naturally stepped aside and made way.

“Please come in…”

At first, their conversation was normal. The old man still occasionally cursed the Heretic God Sect. Having gotten used to it, Rick didn’t really mind. He just wanted to get rid of the old man quickly and send him on his way.

But after a few rounds of drinking, he realized he had made a mistake. A huge mistake.

Because the topic gradually shifted to the old man’s deceased son.

He talked on and on, his face lighting up.

Sometimes proud, sometimes sad.

But it made Rick feel like days were passing.

Just as he was about to finally lose his temper and tell the old man off, the next sentence silenced him.

“Such a shame… that child died ten-odd days ago in the riots planned by the Heretic God Sect…”

“He was about your age when he died…”

“…”

“And you look a bit like him. I’m sorry to say… sometimes I mistake you for him…”

“Thank you for listening to me. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Watching the old man’s departing back, Rick felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

He suddenly understood the old man. Understood his reasons.

He recalled the faces of the residents when he first entered the territory. They had the same expression as the old man—bleak, haggard, lost…

It was the despair of having family die while being powerless to do anything.

“What have we… done?”

“We kept saying that Lord Evil God would lead humanity to a correct future… but how many innocent people died for that so-called future?”

“Is this what they call ‘correct’?”

He didn’t sleep that night.

He thought a lot, doubted a lot. In the end, only a long sigh escaped his lips.

He had somewhat understood why the Holy Son did this.

“So His Holiness the Holy Son… was giving us a chance to start over!”

He also realized how terribly wrong and laughable he had been before.

But in his heart, the image of the Holy Son suddenly became lofty.

The next day, when he saw the old man again, he no longer felt any dislike. Instead, he took the initiative to talk to him.

“Good morning. I’m sorry I didn’t ask your name until now.”

“My name is Rick.”

Hearing this, the old man froze for a moment, then his eyes reddened.

Whether it was because Rick’s figure overlapped with the child he had lost, or something else, he was silent for a long time.

“Cohen… my name is Cohen…”

…

The next evening, at Mann’s tent.

“How is it, Grace?”

Mann sat on the bed, calmly asking the dark-skinned beauty kneeling before him.

“As you anticipated, though there were some incidents, most of the people are willing to integrate into the residents.”

“Mm.”

Mann nodded.

“Continue secret surveillance. Thoroughly weed out those with ill intentions.”

“Yes.”

“But there’s one more thing…”

Grace looked up at Mann, seeking his opinion.

“Regarding those who are unwilling to integrate…”

“Dispose of them as soon as the opportunity arises. In the future, you don’t need to ask me. Handle it yourself.”