"What are you saying?" responded the mayor, scandalized by the misunderstanding.

"None of this has anything to do with money," he tried to explain but was interrupted by Trent, who had lost all semblance of sanity.

"Nothing to do with money?! Then answer me. Why do you forbid everyone from talking about the matter? Why don't you want anyone to know about this? Since that incident happened, more and more people have come to the town. How is it that nobody knows what happened?" he asked repeatedly and insistently.

The mayor wanted to say something, but the constant barrage he was enduring prevented him from saying anything.

The town and the mayor himself have indeed benefited since he prohibited talking about the issue, but it was out of necessity.

Has Trent forgotten how the town was left after that disaster?

The place's reputation was in the gutter, and all the people who had the means to leave had already done so in search of safer places to live.

The only ones left were those who had no resources, and the few who wanted to live and die where they were born.

It was thanks to his actions that the town was able to recover.

Both he and the rest of the people who stayed have indeed benefited from the prosperity that was so hard to bring about, but it was also the mayor who worked hardest for the town.

If he hadn't personally gone from house to house, talking to people to convince them not to move away, to work together to leave the past behind, we would only find a ghost town in its place.

Do they think he did it for money? With the money he invested in the town's recovery, he could have gone elsewhere and lived as well as he is now.

With every word that came out of Trent's mouth, the mayor's anger increased.

"Carlo, Bea, Sonia. He left them to die-"

"Silence!"

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. The mayor's shout echoed throughout the office. Trent didn't expect the mayor to shout like that, so he forgot what he was going to say.

"Do you think I wanted that tragedy to happen?! That I rejoiced to see this town wither away?!" the mayor shouted with a fury not normal for a man his age.

"During these years, I have done everything possible to improve things! How many sleepless nights have I spent thinking of new ways to revitalize the town? To bring it back to its old glory. While others lamented their fate, I worked tirelessly to get us to where we are today," he stood up from his seat and looked Trent in the eye.

"The town is thriving, the industry is booming, and mercenaries are drawn to the dungeon. What have you done for this town? Besides lamenting, what have you done for the people who still live here?"

Trent was about to answer, but at the moment he wanted to say something, the words couldn't come out of his mouth. Everything he thought of sounded too selfish to say out loud.

The mayor stared at him while trying to come up with a response that could satisfy him.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The room, which had been filled with shouts a while ago, was now silent. It's not known how much time passed exactly until something broke this moment.

Knock Knock

"Come in." Unlike the young woodcutter, who was startled by the sound of the door, the mayor responded smoothly, undisturbed.

"Excuse me, sir. The inspector has just arrived," said his secretary, who seemed not to have heard the conversation between them before.

"Already?" the mayor asked. After turning around, he looked outside.

At the entrance of the town hall, there were multiple carriages parked. Multiple residents watched from a distance with curiosity. The news that a nobleman was coming to the town had spread quickly over the past few days. The carriages were guarded by a significant number of guards making sure that no one approached too closely. The largest carriage bore a golden coat of arms, representing the noble family.

It was true. The inspector had arrived in town.

The mayor cursed inwardly. It wasn't the agreed-upon time yet, there was still a long time to go. If he hadn't listened to his wife, when the nobleman arrived, there would be no one to receive him.

"I'll be right there." Just thinking about the consequences of insulting the new inspector made a cold sweat break out on his forehead. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel grateful for having obeyed his wife.

"We'll continue this conversation another time." The mayor hadn't forgotten about Trent, but he had more important things to do. You don't keep the nobility waiting unless you have a death wish.

"Help young Trent find his way out. I'll go greet the inspector," said the mayor as he quickly left his office.

"Wait. We're not finished." The young woodcutter seemed to want to say something, but he was blocked by his secretary who stood in his way, allowing the mayor to leave without conflict.

...

Elsewhere in the city, Max was taking the children to see the decorations and performances that people had prepared for the festival.

Despite his somewhat gruff attitude, Max got along very well with the children, and he's a fully qualified babysitter... sometimes.

"Hey. Wait. Don't go so fast!" shouted Max from a distance, having zero effect.

The children had been looking forward to this day all year. No matter how hard he tried, controlling a handful of excited little monsters was a very difficult task.

The town residents around him looked at him pityingly as he tried to corral around a dozen children who kept wandering around.

Despite it all, he and the children were having a really good time.

The town as a whole glowed with a cheerful light. People from all around were coming and going, laughing and talking amongst themselves.

Decorations were used only at this time of year, and all sorts of food abounded in the town's streets. Some street performers showcased their skills to the amazed eyes of the crowd, and music filled the streets, causing everyone to dance where the notes were heard.

For the children who were mostly confined to the orphanage, it was a magical time.

After several hours of wandering around, Max and the children sat down to relax on street benches to rest while enjoying a local delicacy: hot corn on the cob.

Watching the children devour the food eagerly, Max leaned back against the bench, exhausted. There's no way around it, watching children is an exhausting task, especially when there are so many.

"Here you go, Uncle Max." He opened his eyes to see a half-eaten cob of corn offered by one of the children.

"What's wrong? Don't you want more?"

The child nodded embarrassment on his face. He had been taught from a young age not to waste food, but his stomach disagreed with that explanation.

"Luckily, I have an iron stomach," said Max as he took the cob and began to devour it. With all the commotion, he hadn't been able to eat anything since they left the house.

Seeing him eat the cob, the child put aside his worries and joined the others to play.

"This isn't bad." Watching the children play, he couldn't help but relax. These past few weeks have been very stressful for him. Since he injured his leg, everything has been very complicated.

Things weren't easy when he was in full condition, and it wasn't easy having to depend on Rea to do things. Fortunately, Dr. Matthew was there, otherwise they might have had problems.

Thinking of the doctor, Max couldn't help but show a conflicted expression.

What happened was a problem for many in the town. Many people died, including Max's parents.

At first, he was full of hostility towards the doctor, but after all the help he received, he wouldn't have the face to present himself to Rea if he still harbored resentment towards him. The doctor not only healed him despite his behavior, but he also offered them a simple job that allowed them and the orphanage to survive.

Still, some wounds don't heal so easily.