The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology. - Chapter 55: A Village of Mixed Blood (Part 2).

A Village of Mixed Blood (Part 2).

The next morning, after taking turns with Ellie to guard the village overnight so as not to cause any trouble for them, Cross offered to help with the village’s reconstruction.

He was confident in his physical strength and didn’t mind dirty work.
Even if it was just at a beginner’s level, he could handle construction, farming, or medical care – whatever was needed, he was willing to do it.

That’s what Cross pleaded with them for, but the villagers did not look pleased.

Of course, their reaction was only natural. No one would feel comfortable making someone who had saved their entire village do mere chores.

Indeed, the village was in dire straits, with no surplus of anything, but they still had enough pride not to shamelessly impose upon their savior.

One villager politely explained this to Cross, leaving him deeply surprised.

Back when he was human, he had never received such a courteous refusal.
At best, they would reject him for reasons like “we can’t trust you” or “it’s confidential.”
But in most cases, people treated his help as a matter of course and didn’t even bother to thank him.

“You’re strong, so obviously you should help.”

“Why should we wait for you to finish your work?”

“You’re just the hero’s lackey.”

“You live off taxes, so serving the people is your duty.”

That was the prevailing mindset. It wasn’t that helping others was wrong – the villagers were in need, after all. But being treated as if it was only natural for him to sacrifice himself left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Precisely because of this, Cross wanted to do something for these villagers. They saw him as he was, thanked him sincerely, and yet were struggling so desperately.

***

Five hours later that afternoon…

“Hey, can you handle that side for me?” someone called out to Cross.

He raised a hand in response. “Sure thing, boss. Over there, right?”

Saying so, he grabbed his hammer and began assembling wooden parts just as instructed.

“Don’t call me ‘boss!’ I’m just a farmer,” the Lizardman replied, letting out a hearty laugh.

“Yeah, but right now, aren’t you the lead carpenter in charge of the entire reconstruction?”

“Well, I did build my own barn and cattle shed back then. The livestock and fields are all gone now, and there are plenty of farmers here… maybe living as a carpenter isn’t such a bad idea.”

“Right now it’s an emergency, so you’re needed, but doing what you truly want is best. So, which do you prefer?”

“Hmm… I’ve never really thought about it seriously. I only farmed because it was the only thing I could do. But…” He paused.

“But?” Cross prompted.

“…But I guess I’m the kind of person who doesn’t mind being relied upon like this. Maybe… I’ll start over as a carpenter.”

“Good luck, boss! Anyway, what should I do next?”

“Man, you really work fast. I don’t have any tasks here right now, so go help out somewhere else.”

“Got it. See you later, boss!”

With that, Cross jogged off to find another villager in need of help.

“…Alright, back to it,” the Lizardman muttered to himself, beginning to process the wood with a proud smile on his face.

“…You’ve… blended in perfectly,” Ellie remarked, watching Cross assist another villager elsewhere.

It had been only five hours since everyone refused his help, yet now Cross was working as though he’d always been one of them.

“Ah, sorry, Ellie. I’ve kept you bored all this time,” Cross said, continuing to spin wool into yarn with nimble fingers.

Ellie gave him a wry smile. “No, I’m just… impressed.”

Indeed, she was deeply moved.
Helping people was easy. If you simply forced yourself into the role, they would have no choice but to accept.

But in that case, everyone would have been intimidated by him.

Yet none of the villagers showed such fear. Cross naturally blended into their lives without making anyone feel uncomfortable or inferior.
As someone who had commanded others before, Ellie knew just how difficult that was to achieve.

And that wasn’t all.

“All done here, ma’am!” Cross called out after spinning the wool into yarn and neatly winding it onto a stand.

“My, you’re quick for someone so young. Thank you, dear. You should go help out elsewhere now,” the old woman replied kindly.

“Will do. Take care, ma’am.”

With that, Cross stood and walked over to Ellie.

“You really can do anything, Cross. I don’t think I’m particularly clumsy myself, but…”
From basic skills like cooking and laundry to carpentry, first aid, caring for infants, spinning thread, and sewing – Cross handled everything effortlessly.

“I was just a jack-of-all-trades type of guy,” he replied with a sheepish smile.

“I think that’s actually pretty amazing.”

“Not really. There was never anything only I could do. Anyway… Ellie, what about you? I feel bad keeping you waiting all this time. Why don’t you head back to the capital first?”

Seeing the worried look on his face, Ellie narrowed her eyes coldly.

“Your Excellency. I am your loyal knight. Are you suggesting I abandon my duty and leave your side? That would be the height of disrespect, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing her formal address, Cross realized she was truly angry and quickly pressed his palms together in apology.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought… it must be boring for you to wait around for over five hours since this morning.”

“No. In fact, I’ve been observing things I wanted to investigate while you helped the villagers,” Ellie said with a thin smile.

“Investigating?”

“Yes. Once you decided to assist this village, I thought I should consider their future as well. So I observed their circumstances.”

Cross frowned slightly. “Ellie… you’re not planning something that would harm them, are you?”

“Unless they’ve done something truly unforgivable, that won’t be necessary. However… there is something that concerns me. Would you please accompany me to the village chief’s house?”

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Cross nodded. Side by side, they walked towards the chief’s home.

“So, what is it that concerns you?” Cross asked.

“This village’s existence itself,” Ellie replied. “Unofficial villages aren’t rare. Villages split off, groups get exiled, famines force people to settle elsewhere… there are many reasons. But here, it’s strange.”

“Here?”

“Yes. It’s within walking distance of the capital. This region is prosperous and stable under Lady Aura’s reign these past five years. There should be no reason for an unofficial settlement here.”

“…Meaning something else is going on.”

“Exactly. For example… it could be a gathering place for criminals.”

“No way,” Cross immediately objected. “The people here…”

“Seem perfectly good-natured, yes. They don’t even try to exploit your help. But that, too, is odd.”

“…How so?”

“Cross. Has anyone here even asked your name?”

At those words, Cross realized with a start – not a single person had asked who he was.

“In other words…?”

“People avoid asking names when they don’t want to get involved. To skip the speculation and put it plainly, these villagers are good people, but they’re hiding from something. That’s why… we’re here to find out what.”

Ellie knocked on the charred door of the village chief’s home, its roof long burned away.

The village chief was a small elderly man by human standards. Short, with snow-white hair and beard, his face was lined with gentle wrinkles. Yet despite his size, he radiated an overwhelming presence.

The reason was obvious – he had a third and fourth arm growing from near his shoulders, making him appear much larger than he actually was.

“Oh my… if it isn’t our saviors. What brings you to this old man today?”

At his words, Cross looked at Ellie.

“I have a matter I’d like to discuss regarding the village’s future,” she replied.

The chief’s smile faded slightly, and he quietly stepped aside. “Please, come in. It’s not much of a house anymore, but…”

They sat on rickety chairs that had probably just been built.

“Let me be blunt,” Ellie began. “Why did you end up leading an unofficial village like this?”

If this had been a village of uneducated monsters, such a situation wouldn’t be unusual. Sadly, there were many species with no opportunity to learn such matters, and it was natural for them not to know that founding a village required official recognition.

Ellie had spent the entire morning observing and investigating, however. She confirmed that this village was run by someone with full knowledge of these procedures. Therefore, they must also understand the risks and disadvantages of being unofficial.

The village chief let out a quiet sigh… and then bowed deeply.

“Please… if my life alone will suffice, I beg your forgiveness.”

Ellie’s eyes widened in shock.

“…Huh? Wait, is that what this is about? Ellie…?” Cross looked at her with frightened eyes.

“Wh-what? No! That’s not what I intended at all!” Ellie exclaimed, flustered. “Why would you think that, chief!?”

“Eh? Well… if I may ask, aren’t you two rather noble individuals?” the chief asked hesitantly.

“Uh… I’m a commoner,” Cross replied at once, tilting his head.

“Is that so? I thought at least the lady beside you was of noble birth, judging by her refined manners.”

“…Well, I am a knight, so I do pay attention to etiquette,” Ellie admitted.

“I assumed you were the son of a wealthy merchant and she was your knight and attendant. Was I mistaken?”

Ellie and Cross exchanged awkward glances.

“Ellie, what am I supposed to say here? I mean, I am just a commoner.”

“No, use the title you were granted for this journey,” Ellie instructed quietly.

“…I really don’t want to pull rank like that.”

“It could help bring this village much-needed aid.”

Cross finally understood. While he was helping physically, Ellie was exploring political means to save this village.

“…I see. Thank you, Ellie, for supporting my selfishness.”

“I am your knight. This is only natural,” she replied with a reassuring smile.

Cross turned to the village chief. “For the record, I’m currently traveling as a representative of the Demon King. Would you be willing to tell me your story?”

The chief smiled… and then froze, utterly motionless.

It took thirty minutes to revive the old man, who had fainted from the shock and tension, and another thirty to convince him that they had no intention of destroying the village, but rather wanted to help.

An hour later, he finally regained his composure enough to explain.

“It’s not a particularly complicated reason,” he began quietly. “Everyone here… we don’t even know what race we are.”

“…What do you mean, you can’t find out?”

The chief shook his head. “No. We can’t be classified. We’re what you call hybrids.”

Over time, new species like Necrolinia were born from intermingling races.
But at the same time, there were those who carried many racial traits, yet were recognized as none. They had no choice but to call themselves mutts or mongrels.

“Ellie, is not knowing your race such a big deal that you can’t form a village?” Cross asked.

“No, of course not. Lady Aura would never tolerate such discrimination. Normally.”

Ellie turned to the chief, who nodded solemnly.

“Yes. But in addition to being mixed-blood, all of us here are also ‘Rebooters.’ Because of that…”

“Rebooters…?” Cross tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.

“People with resurrection abilities,” Ellie explained. “You saw it yourself, didn’t you? Someone crawling out of a grave.”

The chief nodded. “Yes. We can come back to life after death. Not always, but… often enough.”

“That’s amazing. But… isn’t that a good thing?” Cross asked innocently.

The chief gave him a troubled smile.

Unlike typical undead, Rebooters had natural lifespans. But unlike them, they could fully revive as long as certain conditions were met – that was their ability.

These villagers were a special type of Rebooter known as “Undertakers.” If buried properly beneath a formal grave marker while their corpse was still fresh, even if only their head or heart remained, they could regenerate.

Long ago, there had been a dedicated Rebooter unit created by a Demon King three generations back. Their terrifying resilience allowed them to achieve reckless breakthroughs with minimal casualties.

Even now, tales of their might were mandatory knowledge in the education curriculum.

Thus, to most monsters, Rebooters were synonymous with warriors.

“Your Excellency,” the chief asked Cross softly. “Do I look strong to you?”

Cross nodded without hesitation. “You have four arms. I imagine it would be difficult to face you head-on.”

The old man shook his head with a sad smile. “But I can’t even hold a sword. It’s too heavy. Even a spear is difficult for me to lift, let alone wield. My grip strength was never more than twenty kilograms… now, perhaps ten at best.”

“The villagers here… none of you can fight, can you?” Ellie asked gently.

The chief nodded.

“…I don’t get it,” Cross muttered.

“It’s hard to explain,” Ellie replied evasively.

Though Rebooters were seen as fearsome warriors, the truth was that their ability alone didn’t make them strong.

Yet their military image was so deeply ingrained that people believed they only had the right to revive because they fought.

As a result, Rebooters who couldn’t fight were treated with contempt.

Mongrels with no place to belong, who revived from graves through unsettling rituals – they were driven out wherever they went.
In the end, they had no choice but to gather together and protect each other by forming their own village.

“I understand the circumstances now,” Ellie said softly. “But tell me, why establish your village here, so close to the capital?”

“…We don’t even know where we are,” the chief admitted. “None of us are familiar with geography, and we live in isolation with no merchants visiting. If this land is valuable and we’re asked to leave… I will do my utmost to persuade my people. Please, I beg of you…”

He looked up at Cross with eyes that seemed to plead for mercy.

Seeing that, Ellie sighed.

“I told you… we’re not here to harm you,” she said gently.

As she watched both Cross and the chief look at her with such fearful eyes, Ellie thought to herself, for the first time in her long life as a monster – Maybe I should try being a little kinder to people from now on.