The Cursed Forest Where I Was Exiled Had Somehow Been Designated As A Sanctuary. - Awakened to the Purification skill, I, Surrounded By Divine Dragons And Great Spirits, Become The King of A Nation - Episode 37

“……Strange.”

After sending the army into the Great Tree Sea and gathering them at the point where Zess’s figure was captured from the “Subject’s Perspective,” it has been a few hours since they began their advance to the west.

Keiras, who was watching the scene from the king’s chamber, frowned at the strange situation.

“Is this really inside the Great Tree Sea?!”

In the king’s chamber, there was no sign of Baumann, and instead, the wizard answered with a trembling voice.

“Y-Yes, it must be. The coordinates definitely indicate the southeastern part of the Great Tree.”

At the feet of the wizard lay a map of the continent, and countless points of light were emerging in the lower right of the Great Forest Sea that ran vertically through the center of the continent.

“However, haven’t we not encountered any monsters since we started marching?”

“Um, if I may, could it be that this area does not have any monsters appearing in it…?”

“Huh? …I see, so that’s why that guy was alive! He was lucky enough to be sent to a land without monsters and has been living comfortably ever since…”

Keiras’s fist, resting on the armrest of the throne, trembles with rage.

As Keiras murmured that it was necessary to reconsider the punishment of forest exile, a change appeared in the image projected in the king’s chamber.

It was an artificial object.

Since the invasion of this Great Forest began, it had stood out too much in this place that had only known nature.

You can even confirm its presence from a distance.

In the Great Tree Forest, the Dwarves and Elves live in hiding, and the country is naturally aware of the location of their villages.

However, this location should be an unexplored land.

In the sight of the many buildings lined up, Keiras wore a fierce grin.

“It’s my first time doing something nice for my parents. I never expected to receive such a gift.”

◆　◆　◆

The great tree towering in the center of Yggdrasil Village.

Sitting on the branches near the tip, Zess was gazing at the ground.

In the bustling village of Yggdrasil, the elves and dwarves were busily running around, and… Sonia was somehow running around too.

By the way, Haku flew to the west side of the Great Tree Sea.

He must have sensed that Zess was worried about the people being sent to the Great Forest.

It seems they are focusing on patrolling the areas where “purification” has not been performed.

What’s different this time is that the soldiers of the kingdom, who have recovered thanks to Flora’s “Healing,” are taking the initiative to help with the work.

Among the soldiers of that kingdom, there was also the envoy from the church country who had barged into the house last night.

“Are you spies sent to the kingdom?”

When Zess asks, they shake their heads while still bowing.

“We are followers of the Celestia Faith. Nothing more, nothing less. And because of that, we exist everywhere.”

Ambiguous statements that neither deny nor affirm.

However, Zess felt that he was neither lying nor trying to deceive him.

The followers of the Celestia religion are indeed all over the continent.

That is precisely the strength of the Holy Celestia Theocracy.

Despite the small size of the territory, many believers will rise up at the Pope’s command.

While temporarily satisfied, Zess moves on to the next question.

“Why do you support me… no, that’s not it. What does it mean to support me?”

“It is meant in the literal sense. The Holy Celestia Church supports every action that Lord Zes takes in this land.”

“Everything and anything…”

They nodded at Zess’s mutterings.

“This land is the second sanctuary, rivaling the holy capital. The one who created it, Lord Zess, is the saint sent to the earth by the gods. There is no way to deny his actions.”

Zess realizes that it would be pointless to ask how they know about the “purification.”

I hear that there are people in the Holy Kingdom who possess skills close to foresight and clairvoyance.

It must be due to that skill.

“An excessive evaluation, but are you really sure? I am a condemned man exiled from the Arclight Kingdom. You never know what I might do.”

I intended to ask lightly threateningly, but what I got in return was silence.

Like the people of Yggdrasil Village, who reverently worship him, Zes mutters quietly to them.

“Then――――”

In response to Zess’s question, they answered in unison.

“That too, is the will of the gods.”

As I recalled the conversation with the Celestia followers, Yggdrasil came into view.

Since I appeared from below, peering up at Zess’s face as he looked down at the ground, his chest was left unguarded.

Zess naturally averted his gaze, and Yggdrasil floated gently, entering Zess’s line of sight.

“What were you thinking? Saying you wanted to come to a place like this.”

Yugushiru, who had lightly settled next to Zess, asked curiously.

With Zess’s physical abilities, it was impossible to climb to the top of the giant tree, so I had to ask her to bring me there.

“I was sorting through a lot of things. Like what I want to do, what everyone else wants to do, and how we want to be.”

“Did you get organized?”

With a smile curving at the corners of his mouth, Yggdrasil asks.

Those jade-colored eyes seem to see right through everything.

“When we first met, Yggdrasil said to me, ‘With my power, you can gain honor, fame, and all sorts of things.'”

“…Zess dismissed it outright, saying it didn’t suit him.”

Yugushiru smiled as if recalling something with a chuckle.

“I still think that way, but what I want to do has changed a bit from before.”

Zess looks down at the ground while saying that.

“I want to live a leisurely life with everyone…”

Saying that, Zess extends his hand to Yggdrasil.

“I think it will get noisy, but can you help me?”

Yugushiru does not grasp the hand and gently floats up.

When I circled around behind Zess, who was taken aback, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly from behind.

And when she whispered something in his ear, he twitched slightly, as if reacting to something, and looked towards the eastern sky.

“……a lot of people are coming.”

“Could it be, the kingdom’s?”

Zess also looked east at Yggdrasil’s murmur.

The commotion on the ground happened an hour later.