Chapter 182

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on March 10, 2025

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Follows the woman who identifies herself as part of the sect.

“Um…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I appreciate the guidance, but what should I call you?”

“Now that you mention it, I forgot to introduce myself.”

The woman stops and turns to me.

“We do not refer to individuals by name to treat everyone equally, but… we cannot impose that on you, Edu.”

The woman, with her hand on her chest, bows her upper body and answers politely.

“I am Lila. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Edu, and Simonia.”

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Lila.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you.”

Lila walks ahead.

As we navigate through the seldom-traveled alley, we head deeper inside, where a shabby white building catches my eye.

It reminds me of the white garments the loud man on the platform and the choir behind him were wearing.

Sure enough, Lila raises her hand to point at the building.

“That’s the building.”

Saying this, Lila walks ahead.

As our group approaches, the gatekeeper, who had been standing next to the entrance, squints and soon recognizes her.

A muscular man with his hands clasped in front of his chest bows his head towards us.

“Welcome, sister. May you have a fruitful day today.”

“Thank you for your hard work, brother. May the blessings of farming be with you as well.”

Exchanging this strange greeting, Lila enters the building.

Simonia and I follow suit, and the scenery that differs from our expectations unfolds before our eyes.

An atmosphere reminiscent of a monastery, with religious decorations and statues placed everywhere.

Though nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the issue was the common forms visible in all of it.

“…Lila.”

“Yes, Edu?”

“Why is my face visible from everywhere?”

From the stone statue beside me to the tapestry hanging on the wall, even in small tools like a little water bottle, my face is apparent.

The only relief is that it isn’t my actual photo but a cute image in SD form; still, it doesn’t make me feel any less strange.

“That’s because Edu is at the center of the faith we have come to realize.”

“Pardon?”

“Center of faith? What does that mean?”

“At the end of the wrong path, we came to understand that you, Edu, are the very embodiment of farming chosen by the heavens and the living power of farming!!”

A voice filled with passion.

“Therefore, we are ultimately training ourselves by making your image a symbol to reach the same level as you.”

“Oh, okay…”

Feeling like I shouldn’t dig deeper, I end the conversation when Simonia’s face suddenly appears above the stroller.

With a mischievous expression, she giggles.

“Edu, you’re quite popular?”

“…I already have a headache, so please don’t tease me.”

“Isn’t it better than them hating or being hostile towards you?”

“That’s true, but…”

An odd feeling of misdirection lingers.

If they were enemies, I could just wipe them out, but since these people are, after all, friendly towards me, I can’t do that.

“Ugh.”

But who on earth did this? With the strong religious overtones, it feels similar to the Eternal Life Sect, sparking a strange sense of déjà vu.

Lost in thought while quietly sitting in the stroller, I realize Lila has stopped moving.

She halts in front of a large door and turns back to us.

“By the way, what a timely visit you made; today happens to be the day of the elder meeting, so you can gather information from here and other places.”

“Hmm.”

Simonia shows interest.

Lila knocks on the door and raises her voice towards the inside.

“Elders, we have noble guests!”

– Noble guests, you say?

A middle-aged man’s reply comes from within.

“Yes, the Savior has come.”

– What? The Savior!?

Suddenly, the room bursts into commotion.

There’s no telling what they were doing inside, but loud ruckus erupts, followed by footsteps approaching us.

Soon, the door opens, revealing an elderly man sweating from his forehead.

The old man is dressed in the same white attire that features my face, and upon seeing Lila, he bows, quickly spots me.

“Oh, oh! What a farming-filled appearance…! Welcome, Savior. Please, come in.”

With a broad smile, the old man bows.

An inexplicable feeling of unease arises, but since we’ve come this far, it’s too late to back out, so I nod.

“…Yes, I beg your pardon.”

Ding dong~

The small bell resonates within the room.

People gathered around a large round table turn their gazes toward us.

“Oh, how bountiful it is…!”

“Indeed, Savior, you are filled with farming energy that we cannot even begin to match.”

“Farming!”

Unrecognizable exclamations flow from everywhere.

Once Lila closes the door, the elder who welcomed us quickly returns to his place.

“Ahem, we of the Farming Sect warmly welcome the visit of our Savior, Edu. May I ask what brings you here?”

“I have some inquiries, would it be alright to ask a few questions?”

“Of course, please feel free to speak.”

“I’m pursuing someone who seems to have hidden in Outland. So, have there been any suspicious movements or significant changes in Outland recently?”

“Hmm.”

The old man goes into thought at my words.

His gaze shifts sideways.

“Sister, did something unfortunate happen in your parish recently?”

“Yes, brother.”

The woman nods.

She looks this way, takes her hand to her back, and places something on the round table.

A small bag full of rusty-colored grains, about the size of a pinky finger.

As soon as I see it, the event within AOE comes to mind, and my expression involuntarily sours.

“…It’s drugs.”

“Exactly, as expected of the Savior.”

Drugs, Haven.

Events related to this Haven among many messes caused by the president are indeed among the more challenging events to deal with.

Even in the well-maintained Asian nations of the 21st century, the war on drugs and crime never seems to cease, making it even harder to eradicate drugs spreading from dangerous places like Outland.

“Now that you mention it, I felt something odd too.”

Another man raises his hand.

“Please share, brother.”

“Yes, it’s concerning the brotherhood within our parish; recently, they’ve been active, smuggling weapons, and even handling robots.”

“The brotherhood with weapons and robots?”

“Yes, indeed, Savior.”

The man nods.

“Hmm.”

“Edu, do you know anything about it?”

“Yes, it seems I’ve stumbled upon something bothersome.”

The events related to the brotherhood portend a large-scale raid event known as the Ark toppling plan.

Considering they’ve already engaged such a large group as the brotherhood, it can be inferred that many involved in the underworld, including Outland, have fallen under the president’s control.

“May I ask how this person you’re searching for is related to all this?”

A sudden question.

However, these people are following me in a strangely devoted manner, so it feels right to share some information, even if not the identity of the president.

“Actually-”

I explain his actions to the Farming Sect people, excluding the identity of the president.

Nodding and listening intently, people gradually lower their heads.

Once my explanation concludes, the elder jumps to his feet and shouts loudly.

“What blasphemy is this!! Not only are you trying to harm the embodiment of farming, but you still haven’t repented!!”

“Indeed, brother!! We must show this detestable heretic a lesson!! We cannot allow this to stand!!”

“Farming War!! Farming War!!!”

“Punishments to the apostates!!”

A sudden flare of enthusiasm.

Looking at the people who seem ready to charge out, I raise both hands.

“Wait a moment. Everyone, calm down—”

As I say this, a certain thought pops into my mind.