The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 44: The Refugee Camp

Episode 44: The Refugee Camp 

The village that Sancho-san told us about was located at the foot of a mountain range south of the royal capital. Its name was Geper. As we had heard, it made a large profit by selling livestock products to the capital. 

“It seems that Geper Village is within the territory of the Marquis of Buchanan. It’ll take about two days to get there—what do you think?” 

“If we fly there now, we should arrive before sunset. But if the village really has been destroyed, there won’t be anywhere to stay.” 

“Then let’s head to the capital of the Buchanan territory instead.” 

The capital of the territory would definitely have inns. It seemed like a good plan to use that as a base while investigating Geper Village. 

After returning to the inn we rented in the royal capital, we packed our belongings and asked the innkeeper to hold our room as usual. Then, we set off southward. 

Since we flew, we arrived at the territory’s capital before sunset. 

“Look, Fel! There are so many tents outside the city walls!” 

“Could they be people who escaped from Geper Village? We might be able to hear more details. Let’s go check it out.” 

There was still some time before nightfall. So we decided to gather information first. We landed a little way from the city and walked toward the cluster of tents. 

The people around the tents wore clothes covered in soot and dust. Their makeshift stoves seemed to be built by stacking nearby stones together. 

“This is worse than I expected.” 

“Yeah… They must have been attacked suddenly. They probably fled here with nothing but the clothes on their backs.” 

“Looks like it. If you take a closer look, the tents are just large pieces of cloth tied together.” 

The exhaustion on the faces of the refugees was evident. I wanted to do something for them. My heart ached. At the very least, I could provide them with a safe place to sleep. 

“Excuse me. Is there someone here in charge?” 

“And who might you be? Someone, please call the village chief.” 

It seemed the village chief was still alive. Judging from what I saw, there weren’t any injured people. Maybe the chief had successfully led the evacuation? 

“I’m Fel, a Platinum Rank adventurer. I came to investigate Geper Village. While I’m here, I’d like to see if there’s anything I can do to help.” 

“Oh my! Are you a companion of the adventurers who came earlier?” 

“Adventurers who came earlier?” 

Lilia tilted her head in confusion. Apparently, there were other adventurers investigating the village. Could they also be pudding lovers? 

The woman looked startled when she saw Lilia, likely because of her Fairy appearance. But she then quickly explained the situation. 

“Y-Yes, that’s right. Some adventurers came earlier and treated the injured. Thanks to them, look—everyone’s doing much better now.” 

So that’s why there were no injured people. Lilia and I nodded in understanding. Just then, an elderly man emerged from one of the tents. 

“I am the village chief. Is something the matter?” 

“Hello, I’m Fel, a Platinum Rank adventurer. If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer housing for everyone here.” 

“Housing…?” 

“Yes. I plan to use magic to build stone houses. Could you tell me how many households need shelter?” 

The village chief’s mouth fell open in shock. The woman from earlier had the same stunned expression. Did I say something strange? I exchanged glances with Lilia. 

“Umm… There are thirty-six households in total, but… build houses with magic?” 

“Yes, with magic. I could make wooden houses. But since Fel can’t use spirit magic yet, they’ll have to be stone houses. Fel, since there are so many, let’s make simple one-story houses instead of complex two-story ones.” 

“Good idea. They won’t be very large, but at least they’ll provide some stability.” 

We flattened the land near the tents using earth magic. Then, one by one, we created simple, rectangular houses with magic. Lilia crafted wooden doors and window frames from single pieces of wood. They were basic, but they would serve their purpose. 

“Now we just need lights…” 

“Fel-san, we’ve managed to secure enough lanterns for everyone. So the lighting should be fine.” 

“Got it. In that case, let’s also build a communal cooking space so everyone can use it.”

Using earth magic, I created about ten simple stoves. 

I hope this will be enough. They weren’t flashy, but they should provide protection from the rain, wind, and wild animals. Inside the houses, the floors were made of wooden planks. 

“Thanks, Lilia. That was a big help. Wooden floors will make things more comfortable.” 

“Village chief, we’ll leave the rest to you.” 

“Thank you so much. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude…” 

“It’s fine. We just did what we wanted to do. More importantly, may we ask you some questions?” 

“Of course. Ask me anything.” 

One by one, families moved into the newly built houses. Their faces looked a little brighter. 

— 

That night. 

We decided to stay in the camp as well. When we started setting up our tent, some villagers offered to let us use one of the houses. But we politely declined. We didn’t plan to stay long—tomorrow, we’d head to Geper Village. 

“A sudden monster attack from the mountains, huh?” 

As we prepared dinner outside our tent, Lilia sat on a chair with her hands clasped. She was deep in thought. It seemed she was considering what the village chief had told us earlier. 

“This has never happened before, has it? In fact, there was no record of monsters ever appearing in the village.” 

“That’s right. Where did they even come from? Beyond the mountains? Still, monsters usually don’t abandon their territory unless something forces them out… like an even stronger monster chasing them away.” 

Lilia’s words were unsettling. But if someone as experienced as her said so, then the possibility was high. That meant some powerful monster had appeared beyond the mountains. It pushed the existing monsters into this side of the region. 

Was this a temporary issue, or would it continue? If it didn’t stop, Geper Village might become uninhabitable. And if that happened, I wouldn’t be able to eat that delicious pudding anymore. 

“Come to think of it, the villagers mentioned that another Platinum Rank adventurer party arrived before us.” 

“Yeah. The one who treated the injured was a healer named Elise. There’s also a shield-bearer named Ardan and a swordsman named Jill.” 

“We might not even be needed.” 

“If that’s the case, maybe we should check beyond the mountains. There’s no way we’re crossing them on foot, though.” 

I’d met other Platinum Rank adventurers before. But this would be my first time meeting this particular group. I wondered what kind of people they were. Apparently, they were around my age. So I was curious to see what they were like. 

“Oh, looks like dinner’s ready. Let’s eat. Tonight’s meal is Red Bull steak!” 

“Fel, you only ever cook by grilling, don’t you?” 

“Huh? You don’t want it?” 

“I do! Hey—wait, that’s my meat!” 

Unlike magic, cooking didn’t always go smoothly. It was edible, but not exactly gourmet. Professional chefs were amazing—they really earned their money.