The ravaged village looked desolate. Collapsed and damaged houses stood all around, dark red bloodstains still marked the ground, and a faint, acrid smell of char lingered in the air.
Busy villagers hurried about carrying timber, repairing the buildings damaged by the Waves. Women put up tents and carefully tended the wounded. Fortunately, Naofumi Iwatani's help had kept casualties low during this Wave. Even half-grown children joined in rebuilding the village, though the atmosphere remained heavy with sorrow.
The arrival of Ye Uchiha's group drew the attention of quite a few villagers. But when they saw the weapons Ye Uchiha and Gin Ichimaru carried, none dared approach rashly, afraid of inviting trouble.
"I am the lord of Lute Village. May I ask what brings you esteemed adventurers here?"
Before long, a white-haired old man dressed as a lord approached. After taking in the group's attire, he nervously asked his question.
"You're just in time. From now on, I'm the lord here. This is the royal decree."
Ye Uchiha got straight to the point and handed the lord of Lute Village the decree he had prepared.
This was the letter of appointment Ye Uchiha had ordered the king, who was under the control of Pseudo-Infinite Tsukuyomi, to issue. With it, he effectively had official permission to develop freely and could openly recruit people. Of course, he could not be too blatant about it, or he would be accused of harboring ulterior motives.
Ye Uchiha had a series of plans to turn this place into his private territory. He intended to build a state within a state, with its own independent armed forces, no longer subject to orders from the Kingdom of Melromarc.
Of course, it might eventually grow powerful enough to alarm the Kingdom of Melromarc and make an enemy of it. But with himself, Gin Ichimaru, and Princess Kaguya holding the fort, royal armies and adventurers were nothing they could not wipe out with a wave of a hand. In the face of overwhelming power, however unwilling the kingdom might be, it would still force a smile and come seeking peace.
"How could this happen? Even if you say so, I haven't received any word from the Capital about this!"
The decree did indeed appoint Ye Uchiha as the lord of this territory, and it bore the king's seal. It was unquestionably genuine, leaving the lord of Lute Village in a difficult position.
Even the nearby villagers who had heard Ye Uchiha's words looked frightened and uneasy. Clearly, they were reluctant to see their old lord leave and deeply distrusted this unfamiliar new one.
"Relax. I know what you're thinking. I won't usually be staying in Lute Village, and you'll still handle all its affairs. Also, I plan to convert the abandoned mine nearby into my residence, so I'll need some craftsmen to build it for me. Naturally, I'll pay them the going daily rate. If Lute Village has suitable people, they'll get priority."
For now, Ye Uchiha's attention was focused on building his base. He had never intended to manage this little village himself. To him, it made no difference who ran Lute Village, so long as they did not interfere with his plans.
"Thank you for your generosity. I will make sure workers are arranged for the construction of your residence."
Though puzzled by Ye Uchiha's strange instructions, the lord of Lute Village was already quite satisfied that his authority had not been stripped away and that he could continue managing the village.
Besides, working for this eccentric new lord would earn them wages. For Lute Village, which was struggling through hard times, that was like rain after a long drought, a cause for immense joy.
"Ye, what are you doing here?"
Two familiar figures pushed through the crowd and walked toward Ye Uchiha. They were Naofumi Iwatani and Raphtalia.
"Hello, Lord Ye." Standing beside Naofumi Iwatani, Raphtalia greeted him politely.
Seeing that the Shield Hero seemed to know their unfamiliar new lord, the surrounding villagers did not dare disturb them. They promptly dispersed and returned to their work.
Surprise crossed Ye Uchiha's face at the sight of the familiar pair. "Naofumi, Raphtalia-you're here too."
Naofumi Iwatani immediately explained, "We're resting here for a while and leveling up nearby while we're at it. We'll leave in a few days."
"This decree was just issued. The king has appointed me lord of Lute Village, so I'll probably be based here for the long term," Ye Uchiha said, giving the letter of appointment in his hand a shake.
Naofumi Iwatani looked skeptical. "That stingy bastard of a king? Since when was he so generous?"
"Well, who knows? Maybe it's a special reward because I played the biggest part in repelling this Wave."
Ye Uchiha did not want to explain too much, so he tossed out a convenient excuse to brush the matter aside. Naofumi Iwatani seemed to pick up on his intentions and, rather than pressing him, immediately changed the subject.
"And these two? Your companions?"
Naofumi Iwatani had seen Princess Kaguya in the Audience Hall at the beginning. She had stood beside Ye Uchiha, her cold, aloof air keeping everyone at a distance. Like an unattainable flower atop a snowy mountain, she made people feel ashamed of their own inadequacy, unable even to muster the confidence to stand before her.
Her flawless, luminous white eyes had been especially striking, without a trace of impurity. Under the direct gaze of those eyes, exquisite as works of art, no filthy or wicked thought could arise. This dignified, elegant beauty with her classical air had left a deep impression on Naofumi Iwatani.
As for the other man, with his short pale-purple hair, narrowed eyes, and foxlike face, he gave Naofumi Iwatani the spine-chilling sense of danger a rabbit might feel under a venomous snake's gaze. The man was looking at him with a sinister smile, making his scalp prickle.
Naofumi Iwatani fought back the urge to summon the shield on his arm and forced himself to look composed and serious, hoping the other man would not notice anything amiss.
Ye Uchiha introduced them. "These two are my current companions. This is Kaguya Otsutsuki, and this is Gin Ichimaru. I met them during my travels. They're both pretty strong."
Princess Kaguya remained as cold and unapproachable as ever. She gave Naofumi Iwatani and Raphtalia an indifferent glance, nodded slightly, then looked elsewhere.
"Naofumi, you have quite a look in your eyes-that dark, fierce gaze of a lone wolf on the plains. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Gin Ichimaru. I look forward to getting along."
Gin Ichimaru extended his hand first, his mouth curling into a "warm and friendly" smile as he spoke to Naofumi Iwatani.
"Likewise."
Though he had no idea what Gin Ichimaru was after, Naofumi Iwatani still reached out to return the handshake rather than risk being rude.
Before you continue