#1097 Riot Disposal

After all sorts of problems had been sorted out, Arowana approaches a middle-aged man to speak with him.

“Aha, Midrocon... Of all places to run into you, it had to be here. I’m not exactly thrilled about it.”

“Y-Yes, sir…!”

The man stiffens up, looking every bit like a frog caught in a snake’s stare.

Judging by how obvious his reaction is, there must be some bad blood between them.

But a merman? Here on land?

“So, you slipped through Zoth Syra’s grasp and wound up here on dry land, huh? Our Demon King was right to worry you’d cross borders and keep slinking away like a wanted man.”

“…”

“Your lust for power was always a threat to the Mermaid Kingdom. Zoth Syra’s rather forceful decision to deal with you wasn’t exactly wrong. Now that you’ve shown your true colors again, it only proves the wisdom of that call.”

“I! I served as the prime minister with glory…!!!”

“During your term, you didn’t accomplish anything worth mentioning. And yet you collected a massive salary all the same. My father, the previous king, spared your neck only because he was a man of duty, but everyone secretly wished you’d retire sooner rather than later.”

“Grrrr…!”

“If Zoth Syra had caught you, you might have just lost your personal fortune and been allowed to live quietly off in some remote corner. But now, after you’ve taken up with these land-dwelling crooks and dared to disturb Lord Saint’s peace, there’s no letting you off easy. You’ll be heading straight to the Trench Prison.”

With those words, Arowana leads him away.

It seems that the other conspirators, both human and demon, who made a last desperate stand are facing some severe punishments of their own.

Thus, it looked like all the chaos at the settlement had finally settled down. However...

***

A few days later…

The frontier settlement was once again bustling with activity.

“Oh my… that’s the saint I’ve heard so much about…!!!”

“Divine blessings, divine blessings…!”

Even today, elderly visitors gather around me, bowing and praying with grateful awe.

Ever since that army tried to invade, rumors have run wild about “a saint living in the cultivated land,” and now people from all over the world flock here just to catch a glimpse.

It’s gotten so popular that tour groups have started flooding in.

This is supposed to be a frontier outpost...!

“Lord Saint! We’re wasting so much time dealing with tourists that we can’t get any work done!”

“This is the third day in a row we’ve fallen behind schedule!”

The pioneers and settlers are at their wits’ end.

They came out here to clear new land and build something from scratch, not to serve as tour guides to gawking visitors.

Most of them used to be adventurers, mercenaries, or explorers; they’re not exactly trained in hospitality.

All these unexpected visitors are throwing the whole operation into chaos.

“Who knew my existence would cause such a splash…?!”

I knew the concept of the saint was famous worldwide, but not like this.

Now, busloads of sightseers show up like a never-ending bucket brigade every day, and there’s only so much we can do to handle them all.

I’ve organized plenty of events before, so I thought I’d handle this crowd just fine.

But I never expected this kind of onslaught.

Especially since I’m at the center of it all...

The crowds are coming specifically for me, and that’s a whole new ball game.

With everyone pushing forward to see me, I’m stuck in place, forced to play host.

I can’t move freely, and without me to coordinate, even calling in reinforcements from the farm doesn’t help. There’s no one at the helm to direct them.

Darn it… I’ve never faced a situation like this before.

Why is everyone so grateful to see me, anyway?

“Well, obviously. You’re the holiest being in the world, the saint himself!”

Oh, Platy.

You came all the way from the farm, bringing Norito and Shotaro with you?

What’s going on?

“You may not realize it, but the saint’s existence is like the world’s last great mystery. People have been buzzing about it forever, coming up with all sorts of theories, like evolved human, mutant monster, child of a god, space alien, life from another dimension, pure plasma form, or even a Brocken phenomenon. It’s all wild speculation.”

So, I’ve been treated like something straight out of an occult magazine.

Shocking, even to me.

“Now that you’ve appeared publicly, it’s set off a huge sensation. Honestly, I can see why everyone’s rushing to get a peek. And you do love making people happy, don’t you?”

Huh? What do you mean, “love making people happy”?

While I’m chatting with my wife, the tourists keep pressing forward.

“Lord Saint! Lord Saint. I’ve had this stubborn back pain for twenty yearsss...”

Oh, back pain?

Sure, let me just lay hands on you for a second.

…Hand of Supremacy!

“Wha?! My aching back, which troubled me for two whole decades, just vanished! Thank you, Lord Saint, thank you so much!”

No need for thanks.

With my Hand of Supremacy, I can boost anyone’s natural healing potential beyond its limit. Back pain and stiff shoulders vanish with a single touch!

“Wowee! Lord Saint’s blessings are incredible! I’m gonna head home and tell all my neighbors!”

Off they go, skipping away happily.

Seeing that, Platy mutters...

“No wonder visitors never stop coming. The word-of-mouth must be spreading like wildfire.”

...all the while trembling.

“If the world’s most talked-about figure also happens to grant instant miracles, why wouldn’t everyone come running? If anyone can see you even once, it’s like a priceless souvenir of their life. So they’ll keep coming!”

Meanwhile, our eldest son Junior is following Platy’s lead and has started copying me over there. He’s placing his tiny hands on visitors’ shoulders, using his Hand of Ultimacy to ease their aches and pains.

“A mother’s warmth in a shiatsu massageeee, just like Mother’s healing touchhhh.”

“Amazing! There’s even a little saint! This is so incredible!”

Maybe he just wants to help.

Like a good kid watching and learning from his dad.

A heartwarming sight, right, Platy?

“Now I understand why the Demon King and my brother tried so hard to keep you a secret. Look at the uproar you’ve caused. And this is just the crowd looking for your blessings. Imagine those with more sinister motives.”

Huh?

You mean not everyone is here just to see the saint?!

“Of course not. The saint’s reputation would draw not just worshippers, but people wanting to fight you, trick you into scams, or use you for weird experiments. All sorts are here.”

Experiments?!

People that dangerous came too?!

But I haven’t seen anyone suspicious…

“Obviously, we’re filtering them out before they reach you. I work with Aileron and our orc-goblin team to weed out the troublemakers before they get anywhere near you...”

Really?!

I had no idea my farm friends were putting in all that effort behind the scenes.

“Aileron, being an ex-thief, has a sharp nose for her old kind, and I can sniff out anyone who’s up to no good. Then Orkubo and Gobukichi muscle them right out of the picture.”

A perfect double-layered defense.

But that kind of work must be exhausting and definitely slows down progress on the development work.

“If you keep handing out miracles like candy, rumors will keep exploding, and soon we won’t be able to manage the chaos. We need a plan before this spirals even further out of control…”

You’re right. This land should be a place for progress, not a pilgrimage site.

It’s not fair to the people who’ve come here to build something meaningful.

The demon and human pioneers have started to bury the hatchet and team up, too.

It’s pretty amazing how quickly they bonded once they discovered that their feud was just the result of bureaucratic scheming.

Turns out, being the ones on the front lines meant they got danced around by the office drones, and they’re not loving that fact.

With everyone thinking they’re the victims, the walls came down, and now they’re getting along so well they can actually work side by side.

The hiccup is that their newfound teamwork is all about handling tourists, though…!

…Hmm.

I really feel bad for dragging them into my own mess.

There’s no denying I need to come up with a solution.

But… what exactly should I decide in the end?