Ch.71God’s Puppet (2)

The demon army had fallen.

The demon army had adjusted their frontlines, redirecting all legions to capture Alreina’s party.

However, Alreina already knew they would move like this thanks to the strategy guide.

Moving ahead of them, Alreina leisurely passed through the flimsy boundaries between legions and infiltrated deep into their rear.

While the demon army’s main forces were wandering around searching for Alreina’s party that wasn’t even there.

Alreina and her companions reached the demon army’s command center without any interference.

The command center was virtually unprotected except for a few guards.

Alreina slaughtered all the demon staff officers and beheaded the commander-in-chief.

While Kareni and Amila used magic and holy power respectively to prevent the demons from resurrecting, Alreina found the Ark hidden inside the command center.

Inside the small Ark, barely large enough for one person to squeeze into, sat a young girl.

On the surface, she had a cute and harmless appearance no different from a human.

But Alreina recognized from the energy emanating from the girl’s eyes that she was the ‘Ark’ itself.

The true mastermind who summoned demons to this world and granted them strange abilities.

Before killing the girl, Alreina checked the strategy guide once more.

No matter how many times she looked, the guide clearly stated not to be deceived by the appearance of the girl sitting in the Ark and to kill her without hesitation.

If the old man said so, then that must be right.

[What book are you reading so intently?]

Suddenly, the Ark spoke.

“You don’t need to know.”

Alreina closed the book and raised her sword.

[Shall I guess? It probably contains secrets about this world, doesn’t it?]

Alreina’s hand stopped just as she was about to strike the Ark’s neck.

[I was wondering how you managed to anticipate our movements and get ahead of us. So that’s what you had. How fascinating.]

The Ark smiled.

[Who wrote that for you? They must at least be in a position to look down upon the world, though not the god of this world.]

The Ark continued speaking as Alreina hesitated.

[Because the god of this world doesn’t work that way. Though they created the world, even they don’t know what will happen in the future. Just as I didn’t know my world would be destroyed.]

“Are you a god too?”

[Yes, hero. I am also a god. Those you call demons are my creations.]

“For an army led by a god, they seem rather weak.”

[Of course. Like your god, I don’t have abilities like seeing the future. If I had known you would appear, I wouldn’t have done things this way from the start. But the person who wrote that book seems to be capable of it.]

The Ark raised her hand and pointed at the strategy guide.

[This I know for certain. Foreseeing the future is something even gods cannot do. Only one who created gods can do such a thing.]

“One who created gods?”

[The god of gods. Creator of all worlds. One who has already planned for all this to happen. One who has determined when foxes dig their burrows, when the first leaf falls, and when babies sneeze.]

At that moment, Alreina recalled a certain concept.

Words the Witch of Sighs’ daughter had told her before.

This world isn’t reality. It’s a virtual world created by someone or someones.

This is an enormous stage on a continental scale. Where what is being performed and who the protagonist is remains unrevealed.

Everyone exists only for the protagonist, as mere supporting characters. They can only prove their worth through interaction with the protagonist. I’ve run the calculations many times and always get the same result.

In my opinion, that man is the creator of this world. Whether a god or some transcendent being we can’t even comprehend. And that person has chosen you as the protagonist of this world.

“Is the old man the god of gods…?”

[Is the one who wrote that book for you this ‘old man’? If so, be careful of him. No one can know what he intends to do by using you.]

“The old man isn’t that kind of person.”

[Then let me ask you. Why did he give you such a precious book?]

This was a question Alreina had pondered occasionally. Why did the old man write the strategy guide for her?

She had thought about it many times but couldn’t find an answer.

Because, as the Witch of Sighs’ daughter and the Ark suggested, the old man was someone far beyond Alreina’s comprehension.

[Seeing that you cannot answer, you harbor doubts yourself. Everything in this world comes with a price. There must be a price for him giving you a book that lets you know everything in this world in advance. And that price is something beings like us cannot even imagine.]

The old man gave me the strategy guide expecting something in return?

Suddenly, Alreina snapped back to her senses.

The strategy guide clearly warned to beware the whispers of demons.

“Shut up!”

Alreina’s sword severed the Ark’s head.

After watching the Ark’s head roll on the floor, Alreina fled the demon army’s command center as if escaping.

* * * * *

“I knew it!”

I shouted, raising my fist high into the air, causing passersby to look at me as if I were crazy.

I’m acting this way not because I’m insane, but because of what I just read in the newspaper.

I had a feeling it would be around this time, so I asked Blanchard to bring me the latest newspaper from the royal palace.

In a corner of the newspaper was a brief article stating that some disturbance in the northeast had been suppressed.

It was described vaguely because it happened so far from here, but I immediately recognized it as the fall of the demon army.

So Alreina succeeded again.

She followed the strategy guide well, recruiting Kareni and Amila as companions and infiltrating the rear just before being surrounded.

Well done, Alreina. Not much further to your destination now.

“What are you so happy about?”

When I returned to the shop, Mirella asked dryly, sitting at the counter with her chin propped on her hand.

These days, Mirella doesn’t go out much and stays in the shop constantly.

Since I’m busy with city hall work, there’s no one else to watch the shop.

Normally I should hire an assistant, but with Mirella here, there’s no need to go that far.

Above all, doing so might make Mirella feel useless and hurt her feelings.

So every evening I make potions, and in the morning Mirella divides the cooled potions into portions and displays them for sale.

“Just some good news.”

“I bet Alreina accomplished something big again? Welcome! This is Jack’s Potion Shop!”

As a customer entered, Mirella sprang up to greet them.

At some point, Mirella started calling it “Jack’s Potion Shop” instead of “Jack and Mirella’s Potion Shop.”

“Ah, this is the small quantity, and this is the large quantity. How much experience do you have? Where are you headed next? In that case, I recommend the large potion.”

Mirella assisted the customer with fluent expertise.

Since our upgrade to a city, the shop has been getting many more visitors.

Previously, adventurers would always head north, but now with our Starting City as a base, many adventurers are traveling south and east instead.

The southern and eastern parts of the continent, where at most only the aggressive and closed desert nations were within human reach.

That’s why the Deputy Mayor of Odelin was horrified when I said I would open up the south and east, but not anymore.

With the reliable base of Starting City, adventurers confidently gear up and bravely set off on adventures into the unknown.

In fact, this is a completely new branch point that wasn’t implemented in the game.

Why is Starting Village called Starting Village? Because there’s nothing below it, that’s why it’s the Starting Village.

But now people are going downward, and even I don’t know what’s there.

Whether it’s blocked by a huge gray wall at the edge of the map, or whether a new map from a hidden expansion pack created by the developers will open.

Whatever happens, our Starting City is completely on track and only prosperity awaits.

Fortunately, Bellamy’s depression is also gradually improving.

I suppose we should be thankful that the game developers didn’t bother creating detailed settings for minor NPCs like the Starting Village administrator.

Now she doesn’t look for potions multiple times a day or throw down her work in frustration nearly as often.

Currently, she’s just somewhat gloomy and a bit timid, I guess?

The other day, city hall employees were whispering together, and when I asked what was happening, they said the mayor had worn white socks.

I didn’t think it was a big deal, but for Bellamy, who wears nothing but black from head to toe, it was a life-changing event.

Adelheid’s guards have thoroughly combed the area around the city for weeks, capturing all the low-level monsters and bandits.

They killed all the monsters, executed the worst criminals among the bandits, and put the less serious offenders to work in the city in exchange for their lives.

Liberone is pushing forward with plans to build a temple in the city by requesting approval from the church headquarters.

Every city should have something that can be called a temple.

So people can receive blessings from clergy, get married, and do various religious activities.

It’s deeply moving to think that a temple will be built in what was once Starting Village.

Now, what else have I missed?

I can’t think of anything else.

So, can I retire and just enjoy life now?