Chapter 863

"Gray, I've already settled your village's matters. From now on, you can return whenever you want — no need to worry about people here making things difficult for you."

Before long, Broly returned to the cemetery cottage. The moment he stepped inside, he spoke to the Gravekeeper girl waiting within.

"Ah, Broly, you didn't... kill the Village Chief and the Village Elder, did you?"

Gray stood up, looking over with some nervousness.

"Hah, how could that be? You don't like me being a murderer, so I definitely won't be one. I merely confirmed some details about this village with them and, incidentally, reasoned with them a bit.

And the Village Chief and Village Elder were very understanding. After hearing the reasoning I laid out for them, they've recognized their own mistakes, raised both hands and both feet in agreement that Blackmore Village is your home forever, and that whenever you want to return to visit family in the future, they'll always welcome you."

Broly said with a hearty laugh.

"Is that really true?"

Gray looked somewhat doubtful, her gaze turning toward the Gravekeeper master who had followed in behind.

"Yes, that's exactly how it is. I can vouch for it."

Belsak nodded.

When they met, Broly knocked the people down first; only after they were all down did he talk business————

With a situation like that, if they dared not welcome her, they'd really be beaten to death.

"Mom, that's really wonderful~"

Gray looked happily at her mother.

"Hmm————"

Margatan looked a bit puzzled. In her impression, the Village Chief and Village Elder weren't that easy to talk to; otherwise she wouldn't have needed to scheme to let her daughter fake death and escape. But seeing Belsak, he shouldn't be lying either. So her son-in-law really did persuade them with reason.

【Ah, he really is a capable one. It seems if Gray follows him from now on, she should be able to live a good life too.】

Thinking thus, the smile on Margatan's face gained a few more degrees of genuine warmth.

"Gray, congratulations."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Luvia."

"However, although Broly persuaded the people of this village, Gray, you still shouldn't show your face openly. After all, those outsiders who invested in your village are still there."

Luvia gave a reminder.

"Mm, I know. I'll keep a low profile and try not to show my face in the village anymore."

Gray nodded.

Blackmore Village, after all, was the place that gave birth to and raised her.

Although the villagers mostly kept their distance from Gray, they never stinted on her food and clothing.

If it lets the village continue swindling funding to live well, then a little grievance on her part is nothing.

Of course, just keeping a low profile and not showing her face — that hardly counts as grievance.

"Then Gray, let me make you a mask."

Belsak hurriedly said, his gaze stealing a glance at Broly, afraid this situation with Gray might draw displeasure from this son-in-law beside him.

If the other party went to those outsiders again and reasoned with the various faction representatives who invested in their village's King Arthur Resurrection Project, things would get troublesome.

In the current situation, if Gray cooperates by keeping a low profile and not showing her face, it can completely be treated as nothing happened. The resurrection project continues to be shouted, and the major powers' annual funding continues to be secured.

Broly didn't notice the Gravekeeper old man's careful, tentative gaze. He was in the Crystal Palace Group Chat, editing the situation on Blackmore Village's side into a text message to send to Rin Tohsaka.

【Didn't expect Blackmore Village to be this kind of situation. Broly, you handled it pretty well — didn't go randomly killing people in that village. Otherwise, with a girl as simple and kind as Gray, although she wouldn't necessarily develop a negative view of you because of it, it would still make it hard for her to feel at ease generating happiness when facing you, knowing you killed her villagers. Still, you've dealt with her villagers, but how do you plan to handle that group of investing outsiders?】

【Rin, it's precisely because I don't know how to handle them that I'm asking for your opinion.】

【Broly, what's your take on that group?】

【Suckers.】

【Uh, isn't that a bit too concise?!】

【The longest-running of those powers have been swindled into investing in Blackmore Village for over fifteen hundred years. No returns seen during that period, yet they continued. If that's not suckers, what is?】

【Can't put it that way. Blackmore Village's situation should be the result of various powers' involvement and balance. And the Magic Association, as the longest-investing power, may not have intended to harvest returns from the King Arthur resurrection matter in the first place.】

【Hm?】

Broly sent a puzzled expression, and Rin Tohsaka didn't beat around the bush, directly explaining and answering.

【The Magic Association was established in AD 1. Founded by some Magecraft practitioners who survived from the Age of Gods, joining hands to establish the Association's foundation. Its original purpose was to preserve, for future generations, the history and knowledge that Mystery once existed in a future world where Mystery would ultimately disappear. So the Magic Association's reason for investing in Blackmore Village should be to protect the history inherited there from the late Age of Mystery — just like ordinary people would protect meaningful ancient buildings and cultural relics.】

【I see.】

Although Broly didn't understand why one would protect ancient buildings and cultural relics, he still acknowledged his wife's explanation.

【So, Rin, do you have an opinion on how to handle them?】

【How those people should be handled depends on whether they'll pose a threat to Gray in the future.】

【Then do you think there's a threat?】

【That depends on whether Blackmore Village will have a new round of King Arthur Resurrection Plans in the future.】

"Old man Belsak, does your village have any plans to resurrect King Arthur in the future?"

Broly didn't know, so he directly asked the person here with the authority to speak.

"This————"

The hands carving the wooden mask stopped. A look of difficulty appeared on Belsak's face.

To continue swindling funding, they'd definitely have to keep dragging out the project, but————

"Mr. Broly, what do you think?"

"I think to avoid Gray being dragged into a King Arthur Resurrection Plan again, you'd best stop this plan."

"Then, alright. But even if our village doesn't do it ourselves, it's inevitable that some people will want to do it."

"Who?"

"Can't be certain. But among Magecraft practitioners there's no shortage of bold types. If our village continues with the King Arthur resurrection business, those people should watch and wait.

After all, doing this personally is troublesome not to mention you'd have to start from scratch; better to leave it to our village, which has already been at it for over fifteen hundred years.

But if we publicly announce we're not doing the Arthur Pendragon resurrection anymore, it's inevitable that some magecraft practitioners will get the idea to do it themselves and continue researching the resurrection of ancient heroes.

What Belsak said was actually meant to get Broly to agree to let his own village continue this prosperous business of resurrecting Arthur Pendragon.

【As expected, I should just kill all those outsiders who invested in Blackmore Village.】

Seeing this message, Rin Tohsaka, far away at the Clock Tower, got a bit of a headache.

【Just killing those investing outsiders is useless; you'd have to uproot the factions behind them too, but how many people would that take to kill?

Even if you can easily do that, what then? The Blackmore Village Arthur Pendragon resurrection project has been shouted about for over fifteen hundred years; who knows how many factions know about it. You can't possibly kill everyone who's heard of it, right?

Don't rush. There's definitely a way to solve Gray's little trouble once and for all, but let me think about it first.】

Rin Tohsaka soothed Broly a bit in the group chat room, then @'d Aozaki Touko: 【Asleep?】

【Not yet. What's up?】

【Come quick and help think of a way, otherwise our man might go on a killing spree in this world.】

【?】

Aozaki Touko sent a question mark over; Rin Tohsaka directly pulled her into a private chat channel.

【Haha, you're worried about just this?】

【Got any ideas? Don't beat around the bush, say it directly, otherwise when I get back, careful I poke your butt.】

The bespectacled First Class Puppeteer:

E

Wondered in her heart whether to take off her glasses at night, switch to her true personality, and let Rin Tohsaka know exactly who would be the one getting their butt poked.

"Forget it, I'll let you off this time."

Seeing Broly's 'kill them all' message, Aozaki Touko decided not to quibble with Rin Tohsaka for now.

【Broly, didn't you just master a resurrection technique?】

【Huh?!】*2

【The trouble on that girl Gray is mainly that guys wanting to resurrect Arthur Pendragon would use her as a physical vessel for the resurrection. But if you resurrect Arthur Pendragon first using your own method, then her value as a vessel would be gone, right? And with no value, naturally no one would come looking for trouble.】

【!】

Rin Tohsaka sent an exclamation mark.

【Make others walk your path so they have no path to walk!】

Broly also sent out a new line that popped up in his consciousness.

【Right, that's what I mean.】

【But resurrecting Arthur Pendragon — although Blackmore Village has been swindling funding, there must also be some ancestors who were diligent and truly wanted to resurrect Arthur Pendragon. Something that couldn't be achieved in over fifteen hundred years — can the resurrection magic Broly learned in another world really do it?】

Rin Tohsaka raised a doubt.

【Blackmore Village failed to resurrect Arthur Pendragon mainly because they're stuck on the soul. The souls of those who become Heroic Spirits enter the Throne of Heroes.

Since the Age of Gods, the Throne of Heroes has been jointly managed by the Two Great Suppressive Forces. Snatching a soul from the Two Great Suppressive Forces is basically the same difficulty as reaching the Root — both are challenging the Counter Force.

But if it's Broly demanding Arthur Pendragon's soul, I think the Two Great Suppressive Forces would probably give him face.】

Aozaki Touko wasn't worried at all; she'd seen how the Two Great Suppressive Forces acted before Broly.

"Old man Belsak, I suddenly have an idea."

"Ah, Mr. Broly, please speak."

"What do you think about me resurrecting Arthur Pendragon?"

"?!"*3

The three people in the room all looked at him somewhat dumbfounded; Margatan even subconsciously pulled her daughter behind her.

"Of course, not using your resurrection method, but using the resurrection means I've mastered myself."

Broly immediately relayed some of what Aozaki Touko said to the three of them.

"Resurrecting Arthur Pendragon to make Gray lose her value as an Arthur Pendragon resurrection vessel — the theory is correct, but resurrecting an ancient Heroic Spirit, can you really do it?"

Luvia was very doubtful.

"Try it and you'll know. Anyway, trying isn't hard. If it succeeds, it's a permanent solution, and I won't have to keep thinking about who to deal with."

Hearing this, Belsak had no reason to refuse: "I'll go contact the Village Chief and Village Elders. Does Mr. Broly need any materials for resurrecting Arthur Pendragon?"

"A corpse. Does your village have Arthur Pendragon's corpse?"

"Uh, that we certainly have. We're a Gravekeeper village; if we didn't even have Arthur Pendragon's corpse, what grave would we be guarding?"

"Then that's fine. I only need Arthur Pendragon's corpse; no other materials needed."

"Mr. Broly, can you really resurrect Lord Arthur Pendragon?"

Receiving the notice, the old Village Chief and clan elders rushed over quickly. They still had the injuries left from Broly reasoning with them on their faces, but at a time like this they couldn't care less about wounds. The old Village Chief stepped forward and asked carefully.

"I said let's try. What, to keep swindling funding you want to object?"

Broly gave them a sidelong glance.

"No, no. We swindled funding before because we knew we fundamentally couldn't resurrect Lord Arthur Pendragon. But if you can help us resurrect Lord Arthur Pendragon, we absolutely support it."

"Right. Once Lord Arthur Pendragon is resurrected, maybe he can lead our village to establish New Great Britain!"

"Pfft, cough cough———"

Hearing a Blackmore Village clan elder blurt out about establishing New Great Britain, Luvia choked on her saliva and coughed violently.

【New United Association————】

In Broly's consciousness, corresponding information also popped up.

"Stop wasting time. Either you dig up the grave and open the coffin, or I dig up the grave and open the coffin."

He shook his head, then urged the Village Chief and the others with a sentence.

"Ah, sorry, we'll start digging right away————"

Arthur Pendragon's grave was quickly dug open; the redwood coffin, after the baptism of a long time, presented a dark red color.

"Click~"

The wooden nails were quickly pried out, the coffin lid was opened, revealing the remains inside wearing blue and white skirt armor, clutching a holy sword; after the baptism of over one thousand five hundred years, Arthur Pendragon's remains surprisingly still maintained the integrity of the bones.

", is the holy sword in here real?"

Seeing the long sword the remains clutched, Luvia subconsciously asked.

"That is merely an imitation holy sword; the true holy sword broke long ago. Our village belongs to Arthur Pendragon's Mystic Code; only the holy lance is real."

The old Village Chief explained a sentence, then looked at Broly.

Arthur Pendragon's coffin had already been carried out and placed on the grass lawn at the side.

He did not know how the other party would resurrect the dead using only the remains.

"Unstepped Domain, Forbidden Wall————"

Broly did not waste words either; he converted Qi into Magic Power and began chanting the spell of Resurrection Magic.

Dark clouds appeared overhead at some unknown time, covering the originally clear sky.

In the windless environment a wind rose, from a breeze to a gale that forced people to raise their hands to shield their faces.

The Reverse World's Resurrection Magic, when used in the Type-Moon World, seemed to produce different environmental special effects.