Chapter 4 : Those Who Have No One to Rely On Part 4

He checked his wallet.

Just breaking a single large gold coin into small change was enough to make it feel painfully empty.

He’d had some unexpected income, but unless he found some kind of work in Bigu Village, it would soon be hard just to get by.

Incidentally, he had also hoped to rely on Eo’s funds, but she only had a few small silver coins. Of course, he hadn’t counted on the goddess having any money.

“Coachman, what kind of place is Bigu Village? As you can see, we’re all from different races and came from far away.”

In the bustling Souza, carriages were in high demand, so finding a cheap one had been difficult.

The coachman was a young man, probably around twenty. He was human and had only just started this job. When Yoji tried negotiating the price with his smooth talk, the young man had surprisingly agreed quite easily. He seemed like a good-hearted person and was probably going to have a hard time in life because of it.

“Bigu Village, you say? It’s the Ainwake family’s food storehouse. Nice and quiet place with no village quarrels or anything. It’s got the source of the river that flows into the canal, so the water’s really clean. Lately, some rich folks have been building vacation homes there, so I’ve been out that way a few times.”

“Oh, the bourgeoisie people, huh? If you’ve been escorting such folks, you must be pretty trusted, no?”

“No, not at all. It’s just work my old man passed down to me.”

“Connections are important, you know. You should be promoting yourself more. Rich people want to spend their money. A true businessman knows how to stimulate that desire. Your horse is calm and sturdy. And your unique way of speaking? That adds a warm charm. Rich folks find premium value in that sort of thing. Do your best, okay?”

“Much obliged, wahaha.”

In good spirits, the coachman gave them some snacks. Yoji received three, then handed two to Ria and one to Eo.

“We can see it now. That brick building over there?”

“That’s the Bigu Village office. It doubles as the council hall. It’s a pretty solid building.”

The Ainwake Viscount’s food storehouse… the village didn’t look all that big, but apparently, it had its own council. Fields nearby were filled with thriving green leafy vegetables, and orchards could be seen in the surrounding mountains.

Even with Yoji’s exceptionally keen eyes, he couldn’t spot any signs of disease or pests. The soil was dark, and it was immediately clear that it was rich in moisture and nutrients. It was remarkably fertile land.

“What a lovely place. I wonder how many people live here.”

“I think it’s around 1,200 or so. And it’s pretty rare for a farming village, but they’ve got that… whatever they call it, representative democracy thing goin’ on. They elect a representative to decide the village’s policies.”

“Democracy in a small farming village? The Ainwake family allows that?”

“Beats me. I don’t know much about politics, but I guess it works out well enough.”

As long as they didn’t interfere with the Empire’s politics, towns and villages were free to choose their own political systems. So even if a farming village used an indirect majority rule system, there would be no complaints. Still, it was quite unusual.

In places like this, it was far more common for village heads or large landowners to dominate local affairs.

It was likely that the Ainwake family, who managed this area, was intentionally experimenting with such a political structure.

The Ainwake family was a viscount family.

A viscount typically meant someone who governed a single castle or perhaps one or two villages. It was just your average noble of the Great Empire. But this family was different.

Judging by the size of their territory and their economic scale, it wouldn’t be strange if they ruled an entire country. In fact, the original “Ainwake” was once just a knight. Still noble, but one without a title, a mere warrior.

And yet now, that same person had become a great landowner serving the Emperor himself. It wasn’t hard to imagine that he must be quite an extraordinary individual.

(Um, Mr. Kinugasa. That carriage really was expensive, wasn’t it?)

(Well, well. First impressions are everything.)

(Huh?)

(Think about it. If someone who’s about to become a god showed up on foot, what would people think? It wouldn’t exactly inspire awe, would it?)

(Ahh… that’s true…)

(Listen carefully, Miss Eo. Let’s put on a show. Even if we’re poor, we must never look poor. We have to show that, under our faith, we live with inner peace and strength.)

(And then what happens?)

(We’ll look reliable. And if people rely on us, that’s when a religion shines.)

Eo nodded happily. She was definitely a good girl. But she was too easy to handle, and that made Yoji deeply uneasy.

“Then please stop right there.”

“Aye.”

“Here, take this.”

With that, Yoji firmly placed three large brass coins into the coachman’s hand.

“Oh wow, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect this!”

“There might be another chance to call on you sometime.”

“Well then, I’d be honored to serve you again. Thank you so much!”

The coachman beamed and started waving enthusiastically as he ran off toward the stable. It looked like a generous tip, but considering the going rate for carriages, Yoji suspected he had actually bargained too hard; he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. Even after adding the three large brass coins as a tip on top of the fare, it was still cheaper than the standard price.

“Miss Eo, your collar is flipped up. My goddess, your robe has slipped, and your divine butt is slightly peeking out.”

“Mmh.”

As for Yoji’s own clothes, he was wearing a relatively neat mountain outfit made for Western elves, which he’d bought along with the replacement underwear. It wasn’t particularly popular among other humanoid races, but for Western elves, it was close to formal wear, so it wouldn’t be considered disrespectful.

Yoji himself was an Eastern elf… but aside from his hair and eye color, there wasn’t much difference, so no one was likely to question it. In the first place, the very idea of a wandering elf was suspicious enough on its own, so it didn’t matter much anymore.

The Bigu Village Hall was quite an impressive structure. It was three stories tall and sprawling wide. The first floor seemed to be a reception area for villagers and visitors. The pillars weren’t bare but coated with a solid layer of waterproof paint, showing that no halfhearted work had been done.

Clearly, the village seemed to be doing well financially.

Still, it was puzzling that such a well-off village was known as a “godless village”.

Had their previous god vanished somewhere, or perhaps passed away? Even the village’s recruitment notice mentioned signs of decline ever since their god left.

A village without a guardian deity wouldn’t necessarily fall into ruin, but there would be drawbacks. Since receiving a god’s blessings was nothing but beneficial, most villages wasted no time in welcoming a new one. Was there some specific reason for the delay here? Or had they only just begun the process of inviting one?

“Ah, welcome! Thank you for coming all this way.”

(Oh, someone came to greet us.)

(Just like I said.)

As expected, a man came out from inside the hall to meet them. The bearded, slightly chubby man didn’t have the air of a regular staff member. He was probably a senior official.

“I am Maurice, head of the Tourism and Promotion Division at Bigu Village Hall. May I ask what brings you here today?”

“Thank you for going out of your way to meet us. We’re from a religious organization called the ‘Healing God Friends Association’. I’m Yoji, this lady here is Miss Eo, and this is our goddess, Lady Shupria.”

“I see! You came in response to our notice. Splendid, splendid. Then please allow me to guide you to the Religious Affairs Division.”

The moment Yoji had heard that the village operated under a representative democracy, he’d suspected things might be complicated. It seemed the path to the village chief was indeed going to be a long one.

“Would it be possible to have an audience with the village chief?”

“Unfortunately, the regular council session is in progress right now. If you absolutely must, you’d need to schedule an appointment…”

“Then please arrange for us to meet another day. You mentioned the Religious Affairs Division. Does that mean there are currently multiple gods living in this village?”

This was something Yoji had half expected. Other gods….meaning rivals to Ria for a place in this village.

He had planned to present the village chief with a lovely golden gift to push aside such troublesome competitors, but with the administration running as tightly as it did, handing over gold would be no easy matter. He would need another way to gain the upper hand.

“Yes. At present, there are two gods here.”

“…Fewer than I’d expected.”

“Haha. You see, in this village, even the selection of a god requires the council’s approval. Gods who declare ‘I am the one and only!’ don’t seem to take a liking to such a stiff place bound by rules.”

Gods, if they were born with a rough background, often had rough personalities to match. This village was one where the people technically stood at the top; for gods who preferred to command mortals from on high and bask in their own grandeur, such a system was hardly appealing.

Perhaps this was the main reason the village had no resident god.

If so, the two gods still here were likely ones who could be reasoned with.

“Please wait in this room. I’ll go and fetch the person in charge.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The room they were shown into looked like an ordinary guest room. Perhaps it was her first time seeing a leather chair, as Ria drifted over and plopped herself onto one. The chair was thickly padded and pleasantly springy, and she seemed to be enjoying the sensation.

If his goddess was satisfied, there was nothing more to be desired. Before long, Yoji decided that soft chairs and beds would have to be prepared as a proper seat for their goddess.

“Mhmm, the Great Tree Church had plenty of tedious rules, but this village seems even more bothersome.”

“It is unusual. From the prosperity of Souza City to Bigu Village’s politics and agriculture, the Ainwake family must be quite capable. Look there…see that glass vase? It’s perfectly clear, with detailed craftsmanship. To think such an expensive vase is displayed in nothing more than a village hall’s guest room.”

“Ah, how much do you think it costs?”

“Not less than ten large gold coins.”

“Heee.”

“Please don’t make such a foolish noise. Ah, my goddess, that carved wooden oak statue is quite valuable, so please don’t touch it.”

“Yoji.”

“Yes, my goddess.”

Ria withdrew her hand from the oak statue and walked over, then leaned her full weight onto Yoji from the front as he sat. Despite her youthful face, her body was overdeveloped for her age, and the weight she brought to bear was no joke. Perhaps something was on her mind.

“What should I do?”

Ah, I see, Yoji thought with a nod. Since he usually took care of everything, the goddess had no real need to work. But perhaps, because all of this concerned her, she felt guilty about doing nothing.

“I will definitely create a future where you can all find happiness. And to that end, I may ask you to perform miracles from time to time. I ask for your understanding.”

“You’re saying all that so seriously, Mr. Kinugasa, but your face is bright red, you know?”

“Unfortunately, the only young woman I usually interact with is… my little sister.”

“You have a sister? Now that you mention it, you’re from the East, right? What brought you all the way out west?”

“Well, that’s… uh… well…”

“There, there.”

Ria gently patted Yoji’s head. This particular goddess was especially good at sensing people’s emotions. From Yoji’s demeanor, she must have sensed that something painful had happened and he didn’t want to talk about it. Her hands were soft.

If it was only that much, he supposed there was no real reason not to talk about it.