AWDC Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Hofa’s Visit

Returning from the capital, I peered into my daughter’s sleeping face.

“Marina is so happy,” my wife Margarita said with a smile.

In my daughter Marina’s hands was a doll I had bought in the capital.

“There were so many urgent matters this time, I couldn’t choose something I really liked.”

“Seeing your face was the happiest thing for me.”

Indeed, my daughter, whom I hadn’t seen in three weeks, couldn’t hide her excitement. Now, it seems, she was exhausted and fast asleep.

I deeply felt the warmth of family that I had never experienced in my previous life.

I didn’t want the peace of my family disturbed, that feeling welled up inside me.

However, the domestic situation was steadily deteriorating.

As soon as I returned to the village, I told William Robertson and Roy Keene about the situation in the capital.

“Is the expansion of the rioters unstoppable?”

“When I left the capital, I believe there were over 20,000.

The starving rioters are seeking bread, and looting of stores is taking place.

Knowing that they can plunder bread, the number of starving people will increase.”

“What about the retainers I left in the capital?”

“I thought that leaving them in the capital any longer would be unproductive, so, on my own initiative, I brought them back with me. I also told the people at Ladapole’s shop to prepare to return to the village at any time.”

“That’s fine. Now, what about our countermeasures?”

“I don’t think there’s an immediate danger of rioters pouring into the south, but I think it’s important for the south to act in unity.”

“We need to decide on a leader for the southern region,” Roy Keene proposed.

Earl Milona had been decided as the leader of the southern region, but currently the head of the Earl’s family had been purged and the position was vacant.

“Do we have no choice but to have Prince Raphael take the lead?”

I didn’t know what the King’s intentions were in keeping the Prince in the south, but now I was grateful that the Prince was there.

There was no opposition to Prince Raphael becoming the leader of the south.

For the southern lords, the turmoil in the capital was something they could not ignore.

In order to prevent the rioters from invading the south, they tried to strengthen their defenses with Prince Raphael at the center.

“The south is the country’s granary. If this region is ravaged by rioters, this country will collapse. The lords must unite to deal with the rioters,” Prince Raphael declared to everyone gathered.

As a result, the southern region was temporarily able to prevent chaos caused by rioters.

While I was thinking about measures against the rioters, I received an unexpected visit.

“Let me introduce myself again. Nice to meet you, I’m Toma. I never imagined that someone as noble as you would visit a commoner like me in a remote village.”

“I wanted to greet you sooner, but I was unable to leave the capital.”

The person in front of me was Hofa, the Archdeacon, who could be called one of the executives of the Lord Religion.

He had left the chaotic capital the day before yesterday and suddenly came to the village. And today, he came to my house alone at night, without bringing a pastor.

Seeing his attitude, I decided to meet him alone in the study.

“The church has been busy, and I haven’t been able to meet with you. I’ll proceed with the conversation believing that you are a reincarnated person.”

I listened to his story without affirming or denying it.

(As I thought, he sensed it. Sending a pastor to the village was also his doing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have placed a pastor here without us requesting it. And the purpose of sending the pastor is to investigate the state of the village.)

While harboring such doubts, I said something completely different.

“Is it okay for you to leave the capital, what about the church?”

Bawa Roma believers were hostile to the Lord Religion.

It was reported that most of the churches in the capital had been burned down, and some of the church executives had been killed.

“The church has been completely destroyed. I can say that there’s nothing we can do in the current situation. Frankly, it doesn’t matter where I am. I came because I thought I could only meet you at this time.”

“That’s quite a bold statement. Isn’t your decision necessary at this crucial time?”

“The church can use people to manipulate politics. We can’t take action in a situation where the King is absent. In that case, I don’t know how much more effective it is to contact someone who will play an important role in the future.”

He was a person who didn’t easily reveal his true intentions. I changed the subject.

“You sent the pastor to Toriholi Village, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. I couldn’t tell what kind of person you were in the capital. I want to know what you, a reincarnated person, want to do with this country.”

“I want to make this village prosperous. This village welcomed me warmly. The villagers are like my family. I want to live peacefully with these people. That is my wish now.”

“But the country is in chaos now. Don’t you think this chaos will spread to the village?”

“At that time, I will do everything in my power to protect the village. But, to be honest, I don’t want to get involved outside the village right now.”

“You mean you have no ambition?”

The meeting ended without either of us showing our true intentions.

The Orthodox Church made a new application to build more churches in the village.

That meant a large donation from the village to the church.

However, I decided to accept this.

“There’s nothing more meaningful than having you accept the construction of a new church.”

Hofa said such flattery and got up.

The construction of a new church is something that should be discussed with William Robertson. I don’t need to give him permission.

“I am honored to have been of assistance to a respected Archdeacon.”

While feeling suspicious, I also responded with a smile and ended the meeting.