The vast Titis Forest, said to be as large as an entire country, can be broadly classified into three zones.

The innermost zone, the deep zone, and the outer zone are the three main regions.

Among these, I considered the deep zone for the Kijin tribe’s relocation.

The innermost zone, filled with dense magical power rising from dragon lairs, warps the surrounding creatures and is utterly unsuitable for the Kijin tribe’s settlement.

The outer zone was the area where I frequently visited to gather medicinal herbs before mastering my Soul Equipment. Compared to the innermost and deep zones, it is significantly less dangerous. In that sense, it seems most suitable for relocation, but it has its own problems.

If I could enter it in the past, then other adventurers could easily enter as well. Recently, the forest has been ravaged due to the rampaging Hydra, and it seems that fewer adventurers visit Titis than before, but that doesn’t mean there are none at all.

If a Kijin settlement were established there, it would undoubtedly be discovered by adventurers.

Among adventurers, there are hunters who specifically target Kijin. Even if not, Kijin are recognized by people as “the culprits of the great war.” If it became known that there was a Kijin settlement in Titis Forest, it would certainly cause trouble.

Although I plan to eventually make the Kijin tribe’s existence public, now is not the time.

Therefore, the only option left is the deep zone. Though the deep zone is home to many ferocious magical beasts, making it hardly suitable for residence, it is far better compared to Demon Island.

The outer zone will remain untouched for a while, serving as a buffer zone with humans.

However, if I become the lord of Titis, it’s obvious that various people will come to investigate. I needed to have some countermeasures in place.

“As the lord, one option would be to prohibit entry into the forest,” I suggested.

“I would advise against that,” said Lunamaria, the elf sage with long golden hair and equally long ears, interrupting me.

I had come to Titis Forest to meet Kagari and was consulting Lunamaria about future plans at the site of the former Fly King’s nest.

Lunamaria continued, her expression serious.

“Prohibition is the strongest means to arouse human curiosity. If the dragon-slaying master is appointed as the lord of Titis and immediately prohibits entry into the forest, it would be akin to announcing that there is something in the forest that must be hidden.”

“You’re right,” I conceded.

“Yes. To keep people away, it would be best to spread rumors now. If they know that magical beasts from the deep zone frequently appear in the outer zone due to the Hydra, those who value their lives will stay away from the forest. In reality, the movements of the magical beasts are still active, so we wouldn’t be spreading falsehoods.”

I nodded at Lunamaria’s suggestion.

There’s nothing easier than spreading the truth. If I were to hunt a few man-eating magical beasts, like the notoriously violent Manticore, and bring them to the city of Ishka, loudly proclaiming that they were defeated in the outer zone, people would naturally spread the word.

As I secretly considered hunting some notable magical beasts before heading to Demon Island, Lunamaria continued speaking.

“However, Master, only those unaware of the truth will be deterred by this. Those who know about the dragon lairs in Titis Forest will think you’re trying to seize control of them upon hearing of your appointment as lord.”

“Indeed. Especially the Temple of the God of Law, which won’t remain silent after I’ve taken the initiative.”

Just after using Duke Clovis’s scheme to station temple knights in Titis, I was appointed as its lord.

They would undoubtedly realize the significance of this move. The message that I would become the head of the Mitsurugi family had likely already reached via the temple on Demon Island.

What countermeasures would they take?

As I pondered this, Lunamaria, with a thoughtful expression, asked:

“Master, forgive my forwardness, but you believe that the Temple of the God of Law is part of the group aiming to purify the world, correct?”

“Yes. If it were just the words of Lascaris or Pope Sophia, I would have had my doubts, but Duke Clovis’s incident confirmed it.”

“Then, the ‘Divine Child of this Era’ is—”

“It’s probably Pope Noah.”

I casually mentioned the name.

Zeram, a close aide of Pope Noah, acted to station the temple knights in Titis Forest. This alone clearly indicates that the incident was driven by Pope Noah’s intent.

Having met and spoken with Pope Noah personally, I found it hard to believe she intended to cleanse the world by aligning with dragons.

Is there some other circumstance, or is there someone behind Pope Noah? Or was my judgment of Pope Noah completely wrong? In any case, I couldn’t draw conclusions based solely on speculation, so I decided to proceed with the relocation while awaiting their next move.

When I expressed this, Lunamaria’s expression revealed a hint of concern.

“In that case, Master, shouldn’t we summon Ilia back from Berka? I think it would be best to inform her and Priestess Sarah of the situation.”

“Hmm.”

“If the Temple of the God of Law desires the dragon lairs, they will have to remove you, Master. However, confronting a dragon-slaying master directly is no easy feat. In such a case, they might try to leverage Priestess Sarah and Ilia, who are also members of the temple.”

Lunamaria suggested that I explain the situation to them before any conflict between me and the Temple of the God of Law became public.

Upon hearing this, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.

Though we speak of the Temple of the God of Law, it doesn’t mean all its followers are involved with dragons or world purification. On the contrary, the vast majority are devout believers with no such connections.

Priestess Sarah and Ilia undoubtedly fall into the latter category. Thus, I had hoped to keep them out of this incident if possible.

However, Lunamaria seemed to think this was a mistake.

Indeed, for the Temple of the God of Law—specifically the purification faction—it would be a waste not to utilize those close to me who are part of the temple. Preparing for this was only natural.

Especially Ilia, who, as Lunamaria mentioned, is currently in Berka. IIf the Temple of the God of Law aims for the dragon lairs not only in Titis Forest but also in the Catalan Desert, Ilia and her companions are right in the midst of it.

There’s even a possibility that the Temple of the God of Law might call upon Ilia to fight Lascaris. Considering this, Lunamaria’s suggestion to call Ilia back held significant merit.

It was my failure to prioritize Titis over the Berka’s situation.

I nodded in agreement with Lunamaria’s advice and thanked her.

“You’re right, as always. Thank you, Luna.”

“I’m glad to be of service, Master,” Lunamaria replied with a bright smile.

Like Miroslav, having someone to consult with like this was incredibly helpful. When alone, I might not notice such oversights.

Both Miroslav and Lunamaria know about my past and continue to support me, making it easy to consult them without reservations.

When discussing events on Demon Island or the Kijin tribe’s relocation, I never had to ask, “Will you help me?” Nor did I request, “I need your help.” They considered it natural to assist, and they did so naturally.

Miroslav, who once thought himself useless compared to Claira and the others due to her lack of combat ability, was never truly useless.

I had encouraged her, saying, “The Miroslav I know wouldn’t settle for being useless.” Even if Miroslav’s abilities never improved in the future, I wouldn’t part with the red-haired magician.

The same goes for the elven sage before me. It’s essential to convey these feelings properly. While Lunamaria hasn’t openly compared herself to Claira and the others like Miroslav, she likely harbors similar thoughts internally.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on. Thank you,” I said briefly but sincerely.

Lunamaria blinked in surprise, her expression showing she was taken aback.

I wondered if my sudden statement had startled her, but there was no doubt that it was how I truly felt.

Exactly three seconds after I spoke, Lunamaria’s pale cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red with an almost audible “pop.”

As I widened my eyes at the sudden change, Lunamaria, her face now bright red, bowed deeply, almost folding herself in half.

“Uh, um… Th-thank you very much… I, uh, appreciate it!” she stammered.

Seeing Lunamaria so visibly flustered was rare.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re overreacting. Did I say something that strange?”

“N-no, it’s just that it’s rare for you to say something like that to me, Master…” she replied, still visibly embarrassed.

“Is that so?”

I tilted my head, trying to recall my past conversations.

Although I had initially treated Lunamaria like a slave, after freeing her, I thought I had been interacting with her normally. However, I realized that while I often thanked her for her help, I hadn’t really expressed my trust in her directly before.

Still, I found it surprising that she would be so flustered. It seemed my earlier guess was correct—Lunamaria probably had her own feelings about my bringing Claira and the others back.

If my words had dispelled any of Lunamaria’s insecurities, then the slight embarrassment I felt was worth it.

With these thoughts in mind, I continued watching the flustered elven sage with amusement.