After choosing to leave, they regretted it.

When the chosen hero just arrived, humans suffered several defeats in a row. Half of the kingdoms fell, the main force of the empire suffered heavy losses, and the fronts of other countries were also suppressed. Almost all humans felt that they were doomed.

Under such circumstances, Aize withstood the heavy pressure and stabilized the front line with a series of victories. His achievements are indeed worthy of being praised and admired by everyone.

It doesn't matter what Aize is like at this point. Desperate people will unconsciously overlap their own wishes and expectations on him, and after randomly distorting them, they will turn them into the image of Aize they want.

"I clearly have something I want to achieve, but I don't want to, or I dare not, put in the effort to achieve it. I don't even have the courage to imagine it. I just impose it on the image I imagined. It's no different from worshiping a god."

Aize smiled contemptuously.

"This is what most people call worship: cheap, casual, infantilizing, and irresponsible. Who do you think I am? Can I summon seven little marbles like a dragon?"

In fact, it is the same as some idol worship in the original world.

Giegie is handsome, sings well, is innocent and loyal, and is friendly and gentle to his fans. He is the most ideal image that cannot be more ideal.

Actually?

Maybe someone is using impact to fuck fans and take drugs, even though he is just a toothpick and still likes to say he is big.

The result is that the story collapses the moment it is exposed - or some already extreme fans refuse to believe the facts and become even more extreme.

The same goes for Aize.

No matter how others praised him, he knew very well that he was just an ordinary student who had traveled through time by chance and had some knowledge of military affairs and history.

He has his limits.

He is by no means sure of winning every battle.

Therefore, once this inexplicable worship gets out of control, the result will inevitably be the collapse of the house.

When an idol's reputation falls, all he can do is quit the circle - or go to jail.

If the fanatically worshipped Aize were to collapse, it would likely lead to an extremely serious loss of morale and even trigger an even more serious chain reaction.

Therefore, Aize hopes that his subordinates can remain rational and correctly understand the roles and abilities of each of them, including Aize and themselves.

Therefore, Aize hoped even more than the prince himself that he could achieve great things, suppress his own limelight, and stop this inexplicable trend.

This is the only way to ensure that the morale of humanity as a whole will not be seriously damaged by the failure of one person.

And then again, this is imperial territory after all.

They don't rely on the lord, the royal family, or themselves, but instead rely on an outsider like Aize. Even in Aize's own opinion, it is a bit too pathetic.

"Well, that's what's going on. The Hero Aize must be a tall and mighty god of war, not an ordinary passerby dressed as a businessman. So don't be afraid of being recognized. Let's go, where's our next stop... Chris?"

The blue-haired girl stood there, not moving.

Chapter 54 Hot Spring Hotel

The cheap and irresponsible worship that Aize mentioned refers to the behavior of these believers, and it is not directed at people, but at the matter, and is not a contempt for these believers themselves.

Of course, there was no intention to target Christina at all.

As Azer's most reliable deputy, Chris was deeply involved in every battle Azer experienced, and also made great contributions to the organization and establishment of the Knights.

Although he was speechless about her behavior, Aize did not think that his apprentice's words and deeds could be called "cheap and irresponsible" anyway.

But Chris herself doesn't think so.

She was trained as a child of destiny and a future pillar of society. She graduated from the empire's highest military academy with top-notch and record-breaking grades, and was given the task of leading a team in the face of an unprecedented crisis.

At that time, Chris was so proud that she could be said to be conceited.

The result was a disastrous defeat right from the start.

In the vortex of power struggle, he was backstabbed and oppressed by those who once praised him.

Being beaten by reality from all sides, it goes without saying that the self-esteem and self-confidence that had been built up so high collapsed overnight, and there has been no sign of recovery to date.

When it came to commanding a battle, she used to be able to take action as long as she thought it was possible.

Now, only when Aize thinks that what she thinks is right will she have the courage to do the same thing as before.

To put it bluntly, she must have Aize as a crutch and Aize to cover her back, otherwise she would be unable to move forward and might even lose her mind due to panic.

Chris was disgusted with herself for being like this, but she could do nothing about it.

The result is all sorts of performance art that leaves Aize himself speechless.

At this moment, she couldn't help but identify herself with the situation and attributed her weakness and timidity to what Aize called cheap and irresponsible worship.

My mind went blank.

"...Chris?"

Seeing his apprentice standing there unable to move, Aize was stunned for a moment.

Then he quickly realized what was going on and tried to find a way to make amends.

He shrugged and said lightly:

"That's true, but considering the situation in this world, I'm the weird one. Don't worry too much. Let's go. Aren't there still plans for the future? What's the point of standing here?"

"...Well, let's go, Master!"

The blue-haired girl pushed all the chaotic thoughts into the deepest part of the sea of consciousness, put on the same smile as when she started, and nodded.

Today, I was the one who asked Aize to come out.

Putting aside the fact that she was instigated to run away secretly by her mother, she also hoped that Aize could have a day to relax and have fun before the upcoming expedition.

Therefore, even if I cry, I have to finish today's schedule first.

The two then set off again.

In this world, apart from the luxurious and hypocritical social occasions of the nobles, there is actually very little entertainment available. So to be fair, Aize did not have high expectations for today's itinerary.

But what I actually saw and heard was beyond my expectations.

In the remote open spaces of the city, tall orc-human hybrids train giant rat-like monsters and perform thrilling circus-like performances.

According to Chris, when she was a child, there were even bigger monsters, but her father banned them for fear of hurting people, which caused a conflict between father and daughter.

At the entrance to the city gate, the town guards practiced the empire's iconic infantry shield formation, allowing passing residents, farmers, and merchants to watch.

The deliberate placement of this place had a strong sense of performance. According to Chris, it represented the imperial army's determination to defend the city, and besides being a visual feast for the people, it also served to calm their hearts.

Then, after lunch, we rode out of the city again.

After the last war, Lilbas, the closest city to the border, was occupied by orcs. The main force of their army even reached the city here, but was repelled.

It can be said that the villages and towns outside this city have been directly facing the demon army at their fingertips in the past few years. In addition to large-scale invasions, they have also suffered small-scale harassment from time to time, such as beating grass in the valley.

But even so, the village still prospers.

Thanks to the patrol teams that are everywhere and do their duty, a thriving scene has been created in a place so close to the demons.

Compared with the territories of some unscrupulous nobles in the rear, no one knew where the war was going on.

"My mother was born into a commoner family, so she's more familiar with the affairs of the lower classes. That's why my father usually leaves the management of the territory to her."

The blue-haired girl changed her previous depressed look and introduced it proudly.

The Karseid family lost a large amount of territory in the previous war, but its prestige and control were not greatly affected. The reason is self-evident.

There were no traces of demons or monsters, it was unusually peaceful - this should also be the case for the demons on the opposite side.

Normally, who would have thought that such a scene would hide a large-scale expedition of the empire?

pity……

Aize sighed regretfully.

Since he had no interest in hunting, the two of them did not go to the hunting grounds in the end. They spent the entire afternoon patrolling the territory.

The sun gradually sank to the west.

As it grew darker, Chris, who was leading the way, showed no intention of returning to the castle. Instead, she walked further and further away, even coming straight to the foot of the Central Mountain Range.

Here, there is a not very big village. In the center of it stands a gorgeous building that is out of tune with the surrounding style. It is the destination of the two tonight.

Looking at the brightly lit house in front of him, Aize raised his eyebrows:

"here it is?"

"This is a property owned by my family. Should I call it a hotel, or a holiday villa? In short, something like that."

Chris got off the horse and explained as she went.

"The mountain behind this village is a volcano. This hotel has used the hot water from the mountain to create a special bathhouse. It's quite comfortable."

"understood."

In plain words: hot spring.

Aize didn't particularly like baths - after all, his home before he traveled through time had showers, but it wouldn't be bad to try it if he had the chance.

As the two arrived, several staff members dressed as servants walked out of the hotel. The middle-aged woman in the lead bowed her head to the two.

"Welcome, Miss, Lord Aize, you are finally here. I was worried that something might have happened on the way, so I was about to send someone to look for you."

"Nothing. I just took a few more detours to get to the village in the north. It just took a little longer."

As Chris spoke, she handed the reins of her and Aize's carriages to the servants who came over.

asked:

"Ms. Administrator, are you all ready?"

"My dear Miss, I received a message from Madam at noon today. Everything is ready. Please come in and rest."

"Well, that's troublesome."

After a brief exchange, the two were led into the hotel by the administrator.

In stark contrast to the rough and casual interiors of typical country hotels, this one is refined and elegant.

The marble floor is covered with red carpets, and the huge chandelier makes the night here invisible. The huge murals stretch out on the walls on both sides as the guests enter, which is quite imposing.

In comparison, the castle where Chris's parents lived was almost a slum.

The only problem was, there was no one.

In an entertainment and social venue of this size, the only sound besides the soothing background music brought by the magic phonograph is the chirping of summer insects coming from outside.

No one except the servants was in sight.

"Because it's open to the public for business, the decoration is a bit more luxurious. My mother said, if you make money, it's not shabby."

Chris came over and explained in a low voice:

"Before the war, there were many guests. Even some nobles from the kingdom came all the way here to recuperate. A considerable portion of the military expenses of my father's army came from the money earned here."

Aize shook his head:

"But isn't there anyone here now? Why not just close it for now? It can't be that it's open just for us, right?"

"That's not the case. Father believes we can't let the demonic scum ruin our Imperial way of life. Therefore, especially at times like this, it's even more important to keep this place open. It doesn't matter if there are guests or not, it's just a matter of breathing. And it's not like there aren't guests. Military heroes are also allowed to rest here on a rotating basis."

Preventing the demons from disrupting their way of life, to put it bluntly, wouldn't that just be like continuing to play music and dance? It might help boost morale, but if Aize had the choice, he definitely wouldn't do it.

All I can say is that everyone has their own style, and Aize can’t say much.

"My lady, Lord Aize, dinner is ready. Please move to the banquet hall. You can enjoy the bathroom that we are so proud of."

The administrator pressed her chest, smiled and bowed.

"But before that, Miss, the Madam has sent a few words to you. Could you please spare a moment to speak?"

Chris glanced at Aize, who nodded and gestured for her to do whatever she wanted.

He has never been interested in interfering in the family affairs of his subordinates.

He turned around and went to the banquet hall under the guidance of another waiter.

After watching Aize's back disappear through the banquet hall's door, the administrator immediately lowered his voice and said:

"Miss, everything is ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"That's what Madam told us to do. She told us to do some hands-on work today... Strange, didn't she tell you?"

"Give it a push, uh—"