The villagers' reactions were predictable.
Some ragged-looking strangers showed up and said such things—it was only natural for the villagers to be dumbfounded.
'Aren't they just kids who barely came of age...?'
'Did they really take down those vicious thugs?'
'And they're sharing the loot? Why? Isn't it normal to keep it all for themselves?'
The villagers didn't believe it. In times as tough as these, what adventurer would share treasure?
They were more inclined to believe it was a trap meant to lure them into danger. Even Deneb, the priest, was thought to be an imposter.
To convince the doubtful crowd, Yulian showed them the treasures they had brought.
Only then did the villagers hesitate and summon the village chief. By the chief's orders, several people followed the group to confirm the bandit camp's situation.
Seeing this, Kyle pouted even more. It was no wonder he felt annoyed when they acted so ungrateful, even as they were offered treasure.
"We'll share with the people from other villages who suffered as well."
Yulian said this and visited nearby villages. In total, they went to four villages.
None of them believed at first, and only a few people were sent along with Yulian to verify the claims.
Those who cautiously followed the group were stunned to see the bandits' corpses.
"This… this is real?"
"So, they're really sharing the treasure?"
"No way… How could something like this happen…"
Regardless of which village they were from, the villagers all wore dumbfounded expressions.
When they checked the warehouse, their jaws dropped even further.
"W-Wow!"
"This is incredible!"
"A-Are you really giving all of this to us?"
Yulian and Deneb nodded.
"Yes. You've all suffered losses, so share it among yourselves."
The villagers bowed their heads in gratitude.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
"To think you wiped out those vile scoundrels..."
"May the goddess's blessings be with you."
Yulian and Deneb smiled warmly at the villagers' thanks. Moments like this were more precious to them than any treasure.
Only Kyle continued to grumble with a dissatisfied expression.
"Ugh, these idiots."
Still, what could he do? It was because they were like this that he liked and trusted them.
Kyle muttered to himself, venting his frustration to Dark, who perched on his shoulder.
The villagers happily returned to their homes. Before long, they came back with more people to carry the loot.
Brimming with enthusiasm, they carried baskets and wooden frames to haul the goods. When they confirmed the contents of the warehouse, they cheered and repeatedly thanked the group.
"Thank you so much for getting rid of those cursed bastards!"
Getting the treasure was great, but what delighted them the most was the end of the bandits' reign.
Even the lord had failed to capture them and let them run wild. Moving elsewhere wasn't an option either—the lord wouldn't allow migration.
They had been living in misery, but now that the bandits were gone, it was like a dream come true.
Yulian and Deneb continued to smile, feeling fulfilled as they helped the villagers.
However, the seemingly happy ending quickly grew tense.
"Wait a minute, our village suffered more damage!"
"What nonsense! Your village paid them off with money and food to live peacefully!"
"And you think we don't know you told them to raid our village first?!"
Before they knew it, the villagers had split into groups and started arguing. Each claimed they deserved more of the loot.
While bickering, they exposed and criticized each other's wrongdoings. It was clear they already had poor relations.
It wasn't surprising. Each village had tried to survive by redirecting the bandits toward others.
The grudges built up over time had now exploded.
"You bastards want to die?!"
"Oh yeah? Think we're weak?!"
The villagers grabbed clubs. Some even picked up weapons left behind by the bandits.
They had cowered under the bandits but were now ready to fight over treasure.
"Huh? What?"
Yulian and Deneb were flustered.
They had never dealt with a situation like this before. Until now, they had simply distributed loot to neighboring villages, and that was it.
They'd never encountered a crowd with such tangled interests.
Yulian looked at Ghislain, silently asking what to do.
Ghislain shrugged.
"Why should we care? If they want to fight, let them."
Had this happened in the real world, Ghislain wouldn't have stood by idly. In fact, he wouldn't have let things escalate in the first place.
But this was different. Yulian and Deneb were in charge here, so Ghislain just folded his arms and watched.
As the villagers prepared to clash, Deneb stepped forward.
"Stop it! The bandits are gone now! Why are you fighting each other? Just share fairly! If it's not enough, I'll give you mine!"
Thud.
Deneb set down her backpack in front of them. Kyle covered his face with one hand, and the villagers' eyes widened.
Her bag was full of treasure—enough to live comfortably for months.
Ghislain smirked.
'So saintly.'
She didn't hesitate to offer her belongings. She seemed born to make sacrifices.
'But she still doesn't know how ugly people can be.'
Ghislain glanced at the villagers. Their eyes were growing greedier.
At first, they eyed Deneb's bag. Then, their gazes shifted to Yulian, Kyle, and Ghislain.
In the brief silence, they exchanged glances.
These so-called adventurers had taken down the bandits, but there were only a few of them, and they looked young and wounded. Their tattered clothes made them seem vulnerable.
The villagers started to wonder if they could overpower the group if they attacked all at once.
Kyle noticed it first.
"Ungrateful bastards..."
Kyle drew his sword. Anyone could tell what they were thinking.
In this remote mountain, it wouldn't be hard to bury a few travelers.
The villagers flinched but didn't back down or deny their intentions.
They just kept watching, gauging their chances.
Ghislain let out a short, scornful laugh.
'How did these two become heroes in this world?'
It was an age of chaos. In some ways, it was even harsher than the reality Ghislain came from.
Everyone was worn out from fighting against the demon realm. Even knights had turned to banditry.
Now, even the villagers were revealing their greed toward their saviors. Yulian and Deneb would have to witness more of this ugliness.
Doing good in a world like this wasn't easy. Ghislain wondered again how those two had become symbols of hope.
Deneb finally sensed the shift in mood.
"Why… Why are you looking at us like that? You're not…"
The villagers didn't confirm or deny it. They were still unsure whether they could win.
But if someone stepped up to lead them, they wouldn't hesitate to attack.
They kept their eyes on Deneb, the only woman in the group. She looked like a priestess but appeared weak—proof she wasn't a real one since real priestesses would be in temples.
If they could take her hostage…
The villagers exchanged subtle signals. If they acted quickly, they could seize her.
"W-What are you doing…?"
Deneb realized the danger but couldn't back away. If she retreated, they'd attack immediately.
She was clearly in danger. Kyle prepared to leap forward.
But then, a chilling voice cut through the tension.
"Nobody move."
The sharp command froze everyone.
In the eerie silence, Yulian stepped forward.
Step. Step. Step.
He slowly approached the villagers and stood in front of Deneb.
Then, he drew his sword and slashed the ground.
Scrape!
A deep line carved into the earth.
Yulian's cold eyes locked onto the villagers.
"If anyone crosses this line without my permission… you'll die."
Ghislain raised an eyebrow, silently impressed.
'He's finally showing his true self.'
This was closer to the Yulian Ghislain knew.
'Still, that might not be enough.'
As Ghislain predicted, the villagers didn't back down.
The standoff dragged on.
'They see us as weak.'
The group looked young and injured. It was natural for the villagers to underestimate them.
'Then… should I play the villain?'
As the tension lingered, Ghislain suddenly stepped forward.
Step, step.
Only Ghislain's footsteps echoed. All eyes turned to him.
Ghislain smirked at the man standing in front and raised his staff.
"W-What are you doing?"
The man leaned back and asked, but Ghislain didn't answer. He simply swung his staff.
Smack!
"Gah!"
The man collapsed to the ground from the sudden blow. Ghislain drove his staff down onto the man's leg.
Crack!
"Arghhh!"
The man screamed as his leg shattered. Without hesitation, Ghislain swung at the next person.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Two men were writhing in pain within seconds. The others, who had been watching, flinched and backed away.
Ghislain's sheer audacity to attack without hesitation struck fear into them.
Still, Ghislain said nothing. He simply kept swinging his staff at the crowd.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Ahhh!"
Several more fell to the ground in an instant. The terrified villagers dropped to their knees.
"Please spare us!"
"Why are you doing this?!"
Their bravado crumbled. There was no way they could handle Ghislain when he decided to act.
Just as Ghislain raised his staff toward another person, Deneb rushed over and stopped him.
"That's enough, enough!"
Ghislain looked at Deneb and spoke.
"Don't get any ideas."
"W-What?"
"Think about those bandits around here. Most of them used to be ordinary people. Some were even former royal soldiers."
"But…"
"They just did what they had to because someone stronger forced them. If these people had power, they'd have turned into bandits too."
"Still... they haven't crossed the line yet."
"Hmph."
"It's a harsh world. They probably didn't want to live that way. That's why... someone has to help them. Someone has to reach out before they fall down that path."
But that "someone" doesn't have to be you.
Ghislain swallowed the words before they left his lips.
He didn't intend to argue with Deneb, nor did he plan to change how they thought.
He was merely demonstrating one way to handle the situation.
Yet, it seemed even that approach didn't resonate with the "saintess."
Ghislain slung his staff over his shoulder and smiled.
"Fine, let's hear from them. Hey, you lot. If you're going to fight, come at me already. If not, then drop those thoughts."
"I-It's a misunderstanding."
"We were just trying to figure out how to handle this..."
"We had no bad intentions. Really."
The villagers scrambled to explain themselves.
Deneb stepped forward to calm them.
"It's okay. My friend must have misunderstood. It's really okay."
She smiled gently, a warm and forgiving smile.
The villagers bowed their heads in shame.
They had briefly harbored wicked thoughts about their saviors. And yet, she remained so compassionate—it was almost hard to believe.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
They repeatedly expressed their gratitude. If not for Deneb, that little man(?) might have killed them.
Dark, perched on Ghislain's shoulder, whispered.
"You're the only one who ended up as the villain, master."
"Hehe. I'm used to playing the villain."
"That's not a villain. That's just evil! Ahhhh!"
Dark squealed as Ghislain grabbed him mid-taunt.
Meanwhile, Deneb used her holy power to heal the injured.
Despite being tired, she tended to those struck by Ghislain without hesitation.
The wounded men wept tears of gratitude.
Watching this, Ghislain narrowed his eyes.
'Holy power…'
They had climbed cliffs and fought battles. Deneb should have expended a lot of her holy power.
While it hadn't changed much since the fight ended, her holy power now felt purer and stronger.
It was a subtle change, one Deneb herself probably hadn't noticed.
But Ghislain picked up on it immediately.
'Could it be…?'
A theory popped into his mind.
There had been a similar case in Fenris Territory.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]