Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 28
Chapter 22: To make. To live.
“… Huh, what are you guys doing?”
As expected, I was also became tired after all that work, after eating – and after unconsciously sprinkling holy water around – I fell asleep.
It should be noted that, there were some work left to do, and it was a hassle to go back to the base, so I slept inside a newly built house.
Then, I woke up, gently removed the hand of Uru who was still clinging to me while she was sleeping, and wondered, shall I start to make the breakfast?… And while yawning I tried to go outside.
And as I looked at Regulus and Liese who looked at my face……they kneeled down towards me.
I tried rubbing my eyes to see if I was still half-asleep, but there was no change in the reality.
Ehh… Just when I got out, what they are trying to do…? I was sleepy and didn’t talked to them, but something happened last night…?
“Miko-sama”
“Y-yes. What is it?”
Then Regulus speaks with a firmer tone that sounds more serious than when we were fighting the Chimera.
And then… he said something that made me doubt not only my eyes but also my ears*¹.
“We pledge our loyalty to you for the rest of our lives.”
… Eh, loyalty?
I kept my mouth shut for a bit, as if I was trying to digest what the words he was saying… And I didn’t even have to think deeply before coming up with an answer.
“Ehh, I’m sorry, I don’t need that kind of thing.”
“”Ehh?””
Don’t say ‘Ehh?’ to me. I’m that want to say ‘Eh???’ to you guys.
In the first place, why did it suddenly become such abrupt story…!?
“On top of defeating the Chimera, Miko-sama has purified the soil, that in the worst case could take years or even decades to become habitable again.”
“And for us who lost everything, you even prepared a house… in just a short amount of time.”
“Putting aside the houses, I haven’t purified it?”
“”Eh?””
I just replaced it with the healthy soil that was in the item box, but the polluted soil itself is still lying around inside the item box in large quantities.
When I took out one block as proof, both of them stared at me blankly.
“Fuhahaha, I see, that’s what it means to replace it. I didn’t come up with that idea.”
“Uru? Good morning.”
I heard laughter behind me, so when I turned around while putting away the blocks, Uru was walking to me with a happy smile.
She replies “Umu, good morning” to my greeting.
“Well, ‘just replacing it’ may not be a big deal to you, but it’s a tremendous task for ordinary people. In the first place, it would be tough to even touch it.”
“Ah~”
Certainly, if you touch the contaminated soil for too long, you’ll get damaged, and the tools you’re using will corrode quickly, so it’s going to be difficult work to do.
Because I have skills, I can do it easily, and on top of that, with the God’s shovel I have infinite durability…
“It’s not like I don’t understand why Regulus and Lieze want to worship you. If anything, I want to worship you too.”
“No, no, no, please don’t worship me, okay? This much is something that every pla?… Miko can do.”
Oops that was dangerous, I started speak the word player.
But really, if you’re a player who is a little accustomed to the work, it will be done quickly, and if they have good sense, they can make a super elaborate house, right?
Screenshot contests were held from time to time, but it was so amazing that I could gave a sigh in amazement every time.
However, this is not a game, but the real Asteria…
“Then let me ask you, how many mikos are here?”
“…………I am the only one.”
“That’s right. Right now, in this place, it’s something that only you could do.”
I was admonished by Uru.
I’ve only done what I can do, but still.
?? I was able to save someone, I felt deeply moved by that fact.
“Regulus and Lieze, think about it for a second. Do you think Rion would want something so stiff as loyalty?”
“Ugh… that’s…”
“But we have nothing to give back…”
This time I called out to the two who were still kneeling.
Yeah, yeah, there’s no way someone like me, who gets itchy with honorifics, would need something like that.
“Well, if you say you don’t have anything, you can pay with your body…”
“”……Eh?””
“I’m sorry, I chose the wrong words. Is it okay if you provide me with a bit of labor?”
I meant it as a common joke*², but they were deeply confused, so I hurriedly rephrased it.
Uru looks at me with a somewhat disappointed look, but no, really, there’s no strange meaning in it!
I mean, Uru do you understand the meaning of ‘pay with your body’ too, is that so…
“But well, let’s leave that sort of thing for later.”
To dispel the air that have became strange, I clapped my hands and made a gesture as if I was putting something aside.
“I want to be friends with you guys normally.”
At my request, the two held their breath and hardened.
At that reaction, for a moment I thought, “Huh? Was it no good? Was I presumptuous?” But.
“Oh! Let’s get along, Rion!”
“Please treat me favorably, Rion-san.”
Both Regulus and Lieze replied to me with big smiles.
That said, I can’t let them to move to my base for now. No, I proposed it to them, It wasn’t that I couldn’t accept them, but first there is more important things to do.
“Before that, we don’t have to collect the residents who fled first?”
“Ah.”
And not just collect them, but also explain the circumstances and think about what to do next.
That’s because many people have died in the attack, I have prepared a houses, but it may be difficult to them to lead a daily life.
For the time being, as a minimum preparation, I plowed the fields and planted the seeds, created a fence and a moat around them and created the usual automatic holy water spraying device.
As long as your safety is guaranteed and you have a place to live and food to eat, you should be able to live for the time being. It still will take time for the mental wounds to heal…
Ah, I have to make sure I properly check the handle of the holy water and magic stones. It could be that I have to teach them how to do it.
After that, if possible, I have to recommend them to start to making things. As a Miko of the Creator God is not that the most important thing?
“It seems difficult to make things…”
“Regulus, you don’t have to think too deeply, okay?”
For example, making weapons for hunting is also “making things”. It’s the same with growing crops and cooking the harvested crops.
All activities are connected to creation.
“…In other words, I don’t want them to despair because of this incident and to live each day properly, okay?”
“Then it’s will be fine”
After laughing out loud, Lieze suddenly put her hands together towards me me as if praying.
“Rion-san, we have been shown hope by you. In order to repay you, I will continue this hope into the future.”
I was shown a refreshing smile like a flower blooming.
But, I just reflexively said.
“… If you want to put your hands together, please do it to the statue of the Creator God.”
To hide my embarrassment, I said that unintentionally.
Perhaps because my inner feelings were being conveyed, everyone laughed at me, Gununu.
*¹Translator note: In japanese there is an expression called ‘to doubt my eyes(????)(?) and is used to express something so unbelievable that one suspects it is a mistake, in this case it goes beyond just that and the user express not only suspect their eyes but also their ears.
*²Translator note: In japanese “you can pay me with your body” could mean both “Pay me with your body(labor)” or “Pay me with your body(sexually)” and is a common joke in anime or novels.