Chapter 179: The Gift You Deserve—A Homeland’s Name

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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Transforming assets—bank cards, valuables—into liquid funds would take some time.

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Yet compared to the return to the Holy See, this was a mere logistical concern. With City Lord Tawatz himself overseeing the operation, assembling the needed manpower and acquiring supplies was simply a matter of coordination and patience, not possibility.

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Beyond the sizable withdrawal of gold coins from the local bank, the remainder would be delivered steadily from neighboring cities, even those within the Wall of the Border. By the time the work was done, every participant would receive the payment they were due.

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Hours slipped quietly past.

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Night fell, shrouding the world in somber darkness.

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From the far horizon, the mournful howls of monsters drifted on the wind.

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Lin Wei stood atop the city wall, surveying the land that, not long ago, had been a barren, empty field. Now, in record time, a sprawling patchwork of makeshift shelters filled the area below—enough to shield the refugees from wind and rain.

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A river of torches stretched unbroken through the night, illuminating the camps like a serpent of fire. Lin Wei watched from above, a rare sense of satisfaction settling over him.

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“At least the refugees will have a roof over their heads tonight,” he murmured.

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There had been no time for proper amenities, of course.

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But for temporary shelters, this was as good as anyone could have hoped.

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“From here on, I’ll leave the rest to City Lord Tawatz.”

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“As you command...”

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City Lord Tawatz was working at a relentless pace, proving that his appointment as city lord had not been the result of flattery or luck, but of true competence.

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In just a few hours, he had executed every task Lin Wei assigned with near-flawless efficiency.

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Now, when Lin Wei turned to him, Tawatz straightened at once, ready to tackle the next challenge.

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“Once the refugees have recovered their strength, select laborers through a work-for-relief program to help rebuild the area. Continue until the unrest in the Northern Countries has subsided.”

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“I’ll also leave funds for expenses. And, City Lord, I’ll need you to have the city’s newspapers report on today’s events.”

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Lin Wei’s tone softened as he issued the final instructions.

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“The main focus should be: ‘Her Holiness Pope Selena of the Holy See dispatched her trusted aide, Saintess Yalis, to rescue the refugees,’ and ‘Iresha, last Princess of the Silver Harbor Kingdom, generously donated to aid the people in their hour of need.’”

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With the Saintess present, it was only natural to elevate her reputation. And as for the one who had footed the bill—that honor belonged to Iresha.

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As the last princess who had nearly united the Northern Countries, she deserved her share of the spotlight.

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“Eh? I—I really didn’t do anything... I just came with you, Mr. Lin Wei.”

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“The only thing I tried didn’t even work out. Isn’t it too much to mention me in the paper?”

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Yalis, ever modest, waved her hands in protest, her cheeks tinged pink.

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“You’re the Saintess. It doesn’t matter what you did specifically.”

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“Your presence alone means the credit must be shared with you. That’s the foundation you’ll need when you lead the Holy See one day.”

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“Besides, you don’t want to end up like Pope Selena—losing ground because of poor publicity, nearly losing her position altogether, do you?”

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Lin Wei’s protective instincts surfaced.

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He reached out with a gentle smile, ruffling Yalis’s hair to comfort her.

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“And, honestly, this is something Pope Selena herself asked me to do.”

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“R-Really...?”

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Yalis stared at her toes, shuffling them nervously.

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He said as much, but it still felt wrong to accept praise for something she hadn’t truly done.

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Her sense of justice, instilled since childhood, rebelled at the idea.

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And ‘trusted aide’? Since joining the Holy See, all she’d done was cause headaches for Her Holiness. If anyone deserved that title, it was the Secretary—not her.

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Claiming it for herself felt shameless.

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“All right, how about we change the headline to ‘The Great Pope Selena leads the relief effort, dispatching Saintess Yalis to the front lines’?”

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Lin Wei caught the faint change in Yalis’s expression.

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She was still young, earnest. He saw no need to upend her sense of justice in a single night. There would be time enough to gently broaden her perspective.

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“By the way, City Lord Tawatz truly deserves a medal for today.”

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Having finished his orders, Lin Wei turned to Tawatz with a smile.

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Tawatz looked youthful, but just standing before Lin Wei, he radiated a pressure Lin Wei hadn’t felt in years.

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Not even the Governor within the Wall of the Border, nor the visiting Imperial nobles, had made him this tense.

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“O-oh, it was nothing, really—just doing my duty...”

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Perhaps it was the presence of the Holy See’s Knights? Tawatz waved his hands in embarrassment, privately grateful that neither he nor Steward Doro had ever embezzled relief funds or oppressed the people. If they had, he’d likely be dangling from the city wall as a warning to others.

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“Don’t be so modest. The Holy See never overlooks merit—unless, of course, it simply goes unnoticed.”

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“You know both these young ladies’ backgrounds. I won’t promise you gold or riches, but when we return, I’ll make sure their families hear about City Lord Tawatz’s tireless efforts to save the refugees and maintain order at the border.”

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“As for what happens next... well, that depends on fate.”

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Such a reward was beyond Tawatz’s wildest dreams.

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If he’d hesitated before, now his hand froze in mid-air.

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Wait—they’d report this to the ducal families?

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He’d heard the introductions earlier. The Saintess belonged to House Perseus, and the Royal Mage Princess of the Hero’s Party was apparently connected to House Glenfield.

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These were the Empire’s most illustrious ducal houses. Even the Griffin Duke, famed for doting on his daughter, would be overjoyed at such news. Now, it was double the reward!

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“Thank you so much, Sir Lin Wei!”

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He’d wanted to thank Miss Yalis earlier, but if all else failed, he would have knelt in gratitude.

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“Don’t mention it. Go see to the aftermath—and don’t forget the newspaper coverage.”

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“Understood!”

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Credit tallied, the path for the Saintess’s future was paved.

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With the Griffin Duke backing her, even if conflict arose between the Imperial nobles and the Holy See, Tawatz’s future was secure.

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The city lord, already dreaming of promotion and fortune, hurried away.

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As the night deepened, only the faint sounds of the refugees outside the city walls lingered.

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Lin Wei narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping quietly on the stone, lost in thought.

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How long had this war between demonkind and humanity dragged on?

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If a single raid on the heartlands could wreak such devastation, what must the border have looked like at the war’s height?

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Charred earth, barren wastelands—hell on earth.

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“What a pity... We came so close to peace back then.”

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“Even if the war could never truly end, there could have been decades of calm—until the Dawnstar Pope passed away.”

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“But both sides had their warmongers, didn’t they?”

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From a distance, this thousand-year conflict was a cycle of blood and vengeance, each side nursing ancient wounds. Whenever internal tensions rose, it was always easier to blame and attack the other.

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Even if he wished to mediate, Lin Wei doubted he could. If only he were a god—he’d beat both sides into submission.

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“Whenever a warmonger appears, just kill them. If two show up, kill them both. Beat them all until they bow their heads.”

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He caught himself and coughed. “Not that I would ever—ah, what a terrible thought! Good thing I’m clergy now, not the sort to do such things...”

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Damn, muttering to himself again!

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Thank heavens Yalis was still nearby. If he’d accidentally blurted out ‘Demon Lord,’ he’d have to flee the country on the spot.

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“Mr. Lin Wei, are you close with Miss Iresha?”

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Luckily, Yalis broke the silence, seemingly oblivious to his near-slip.

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Relieved, Lin Wei turned to her with a candid smile. “Fairly close, I suppose. We first met when the subjugation squad passed through Aurens Town—had a bit of a run-in. Later, while mapping the Pascal Labyrinth, I happened to save her during a goblin outbreak.”

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“So you know both of us because of that labyrinth. Fate really does work in mysterious ways.”

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As for why it was ‘close’ rather than a first meeting... Well, the first time he’d met the Saintess, he’d nearly strangled her on the spot.

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Of course, it had been an act—a setup. But that was a secret he intended to take to the grave.

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Memory sealed. Major amnesia spell—activated!

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No one would ever recall that incident. Ever.

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“I see... So, you’re Miss Iresha’s savior.”

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No wonder their relationship seemed so close—just like her own with Lin Wei.

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Yalis clenched her hands, moved by the realization.

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She herself had developed feelings for Lin Wei after he saved her, longing for friendship.

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But Iresha was older—an adult, old enough for deeper feelings.

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Would she fall for Lin Wei as well?

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That would be... terrible!

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Yalis’s grip tightened.

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First, there had been that mysterious woman before they set out, and now, on the very first day of this journey, she’d encountered Miss Iresha.

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Just how many strange women did Mr. Lin Wei know out there?

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Perhaps Her Holiness’s worries weren’t so groundless after all.

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He was far too easily tempted. As the Saintess, it was her duty to ensure nothing improper happened.

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“Hey~ What are you two doing up here?”

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Almost as if summoned by Yalis’s thoughts, Iresha returned from outside the city, curiosity bright in her eyes as she climbed the wall.

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Her beautiful face was tinged with pride, her chin lifted just so, the image of a noble princess. Yet paired with her present exhaustion, it only made her more endearing.

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Sweat beaded her cheeks, stray hairs clung to her brow—she looked every bit the royal who had worked herself to exhaustion.

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“We’re discussing the work we assigned the city lord—and the newspaper coverage.”

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“Besides the Holy See’s news, I reserved a headline for you: ‘Iresha, Last Princess of the Silver Harbor Kingdom and Mage of the Hero’s Party, Donates Generously to Aid the People in Their Hour of Need.’ See? I didn’t forget you in the publicity.”

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From the start, Iresha had pushed herself relentlessly, never pausing for rest. Only now that everyone was fed and sheltered did she finally return to the city.

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Come to think of it, were the Northern Countries truly so united in the past?

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Lin Wei looked at her, curiosity in his gaze. As a descendant of Silver Harbor, she was doing all she could for the refugees from the north.

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But he had only arrived in this world a few years ago—everything he knew came from old texts. He had no true sense of what it had been like.

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“Hmm? You only mentioned my name?”

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As a member of the Hero’s Party, Iresha was used to making headlines across the land—usually under ‘Led by Hero Oshu.’

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But this time, only her name was highlighted, along with her status as the last princess of Silver Harbor.

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“‘Mage of the Hero’s Party’ I can accept, but ‘princess’... you know, that’s really just between us, right?”

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“I’d be a little embarrassed to see it publicized!”

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She muttered, her face reddening.

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The Silver Harbor Kingdom was long gone. She could joke about her royal status in private, but to have it broadcast so openly...

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After all, the collapse of the Northern Countries had begun with Silver Harbor’s fall. The entire northern defense had unraveled in an instant.

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From that perspective, the refugees’ suffering was, in some sense, her responsibility.

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“Don’t be embarrassed, Miss Iresha! You’re a princess—why hide it now?”

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“And I’ve seen firsthand how much you want to help the people of the Northern Countries.”

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For a moment, Lin Wei caught a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

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He clapped her gently on the shoulder, his sudden seriousness catching her off guard.

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“Back then, Silver Harbor was beloved throughout the north. Mentioning the last princess now may lift their spirits.”

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“And... even after all this time, I think you still want the people to remember Silver Harbor, to cherish its name.”

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Perhaps ‘morale’ wasn’t quite the right word, but it was close enough.

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Before them, the plains stretched wide, filled with refugees from every corner of the north.

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The torchlight cast Lin Wei’s face in a warm glow—steady, handsome, and reassuring.

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He looked ahead, his voice gentle and certain.

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“That’s why including your name is the right thing to do.”

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“Rest easy, Iresha. Let the name of your kingdom rise once more among the people of the Northern Countries.”

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“This is the gift you deserve—”

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A homeland’s name.