BXBX NOVEL Chapter 68 – Joyful, the Savior Has Come (5)
After being tossed into the air several times in celebration, I finally managed to set my feet on the ground.
I didn’t expect such a vigorous welcome.
“Sir Dian! You’ve finally come!”
“We’ve waited so long for this day!”
As I tried to fix my disheveled hair, people surrounded me, greeting me loudly.
Looking at their faces, I recognized a few and smiled.
“You’re all still alive and well.”
“It’s all thanks to you and Sir Linus!”
“How is it that you haven’t aged a day in ten years?”
“But you seem to have aged quite a bit. You look so much older.”
“Hahaha!”
It’s not that my memory is particularly exceptional, but I remember the faces of the villagers because of the dire situation back then.
When we defeated the Demon King’s platoon, the village was already engulfed in flames and collapsing.
The villagers had become refugees, and staying there would have left them exposed to the advancing Demon King’s army.
After much deliberation, Linus and I decided to take the villagers with us on our retreat to the battalion headquarters.
Among the villagers were young children and elderly people who couldn’t walk, extending our expected two-day return to four days.
And since few villagers survived, I remember most of their faces.
Fortunately, we didn’t encounter the Demon King’s army again during those four days, and we safely reached the battalion headquarters.
In recognition of our efforts, Linus and I received medals.
“Everyone, calm down.”
A woman emerged from the excited crowd.
“Hello, Sir Dian. Do you remember me?”
“Um, I’m not sure.”
She smiled when I didn’t recognize her.
“Do you really not remember? I said I would marry you when I grew up.”
“Whaaaat?!”
Her words startled me, and the people around us burst into laughter.
“Of course, you wouldn’t recognize me. I’ve grown so much in ten years.”
“So, are you going to marry him now, Merilda?”
“Hahaha!”
Seeing my surprised expression, Linus answered with a laugh.
“That’s right, Dian. She’s now the acting village administrator.”
“Acting administrator?”
“Yes. She studied public administration at the public academy. She’s very smart.”
“Huh… The world really has changed in the last ten years…”
That girl is the savior of this village.
To be precise, she was the reason Linus and I decided to save the village.
When we saw her running with her baby sibling on her back, falling over, we both rushed into the village.
She was just a kid back then, but she’s grown up so much?
And she graduated from a public academy with a major in public administration and now serves as the acting village administrator?
The ten years of an adult and the ten years of a child are certainly different.
“It’s all thanks to the support from Sir Linus and you. I was able to attend school with the money you both provided.”
I was about to say that Linus provided the money alone, but Linus quietly shook his head to stop me.
“Why don’t you show Dian around the revitalized village?”
“Sounds good!”
“Let’s go!”
At Linus’s suggestion, the people cheered and, led by Merilda, began to push me forward.
I entered the village with the villagers like a small boat caught in a wave.
Linus followed slowly, smiling contentedly.
“Oh? Wow.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim as I entered the village.
Tatarnok village had completely transformed from the horrific state it was in ten years ago.
The burned and collapsed houses had been rebuilt into neat, sturdy brick houses, and flowers were planted everywhere, creating a cheerful atmosphere.
In the center of the spacious cobblestone square stood a large fountain spraying cool water.
The fountain featured white marble statues, one of Linus and… was the other one supposed to be me?
The small statues depicted Linus and me shoulder to shoulder, holding the severed heads of the Demon King’s soldiers. Embarrassing.
Around the fountain, little children who didn’t understand who Linus was or what the rebuilding event was about were playing joyfully, running in and out of the fountain.
And that wasn’t all. There was even a school.
Considering that this world, unlike modern times, didn’t have a compulsory education system, it was incredible to see a school in a village, not a big city.
But the building really was a school with several classrooms.
Educated villagers voluntarily taught the children, making this village the one with the highest academy enrollment rate in the area.
It was like saying kids from a small rural village in modern times mostly went to top universities.
In this world, academies were highly prestigious institutions that were difficult to get into.
“This is truly… hard to believe….”
“Isn’t it? Everyone worked hard over the past ten years. The continued support from Sir Linus and you made the biggest difference.”
Merilda said proudly.
I knew Linus had a lot of money, but I didn’t realize he could revive an entire village.
Well, being the hero of the continent must mean having that kind of capability.
It took quite a while to tour the entire village, which had grown significantly.
It seemed more appropriate to call it Tatarnok city now.
“We’re planning to apply for city status soon. We recently met all the conditions for the upgrade.”
Merilda answered confidently to my remark.
“Then our village will have an official administrator assigned, and we can develop even more. It’s all thanks to Sir Linus and you. Without you both, the village and everyone in it would have perished back then.”
Merilda continued.
“We’ve all been waiting for you to visit, Sir Dian. Sir Linus comes to see us every year, but you haven’t visited even once in the past ten years. We wanted to show you what your decision and courage that night achieved.”
Merilda spread her arms, gesturing to the village that was now practically a small city.
“Look, Sir Dian. This is all thanks to you and Sir Linus. You saved the lives of everyone here, including the children born afterward.”
“Yes… I’m so glad to see everyone doing so well.”
It feels strange.
The village of Tatarnok, which was helplessly burned down by just thirty Demon King soldiers, is now on the verge of being upgraded to a city.
The child we saved has graduated from the academy and is serving as the acting administrator, and the other villagers are all doing well.
Some have married and had children, and the village has grown into such a peaceful and beautiful place.
After touring the entire village, we headed to the village hall.
The large hall was filled with food, like a wedding banquet, prepared to celebrate my visit.
“Sir Dian, please say a few words. Everyone is waiting.”
As Merilda pushed me onto the stage, all eyes turned to me.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Dian. It’s been ten years since we parted.”
The villagers nodded with pleased smiles.
“I vividly remember leaving the burning village with you all that dark night. Strangely, I recall it being quite a warm night.”
Voices of agreement came from here and there.
“At that time, to be honest, I thought the village would be completely gone. I never imagined it would rise again so magnificently. It’s truly amazing.”
“It’s all thanks to Sir Linus and Sir Dian!”
Someone shouted.
“I’ve heard. Sir Linus continued to support the village in both our names. But that’s secondary. Without your determination to rebuild, no amount of money could have created the Tatarnok village we see today.”
The villagers applauded. Some began to tear up and sniffle.
“I should have come sooner. I didn’t save you that night to be recognized. But seeing the significance of what I left behind while seeking a quiet life has made me realize how important it was to someone.”
“Thank you, Sir Dian!”
“You saved us, Sir Dian!”
The sobbing quickly spread, and most of the villagers were now crying and clapping.
I glanced at Linus, who was nodding with a warm smile.
# # # # #
What is all this…?
Lying flat on the roof of the village hall, Lina blinked in confusion.
What did Professor Dian and Sir Linus do…?