RISE OF EROS

After Damon and Abigale confirmed that their children were safe and well, they breathed a sigh of relief, they had already received this news a while ago, but Andrew's words reaffirmed what they already knew.

It may seem silly, but it is not abnormal for a parent to want to reassure them that their children are safe. Now that they had Andrew's word, they could rest easier and focus on their duties as Dukes of Cannes.

The city had been rebuilt at great speed and although it was not yet completely repaired, many buildings had already been repaired. Most had to be built from scratch, but everyone had come together and moved forward quickly.

Obviously, Andrew's Celestial Palace had not been repaired, as it was not a priority. As much as the Pixoy family helped Andrew, after an attack like the one they suffered, priorities were elsewhere.

Many were left homeless, and many lost their businesses, but a pleasure house was the last business they would repair. First, they had to secure food and basic necessities, as that was what was most needed at the time.

Material losses were the least of their worries. It was the lives that were lost that were most lamented. Many of the common citizens who could not withstand the presence of the powerful died.

It is only natural. If common citizens cannot even stand up straight in front of a powerful expert, now imagine a demigod of legend level, and what is even more traumatic is that they attacked indiscriminately.

The mere air pressure created by the attacks killed many and when the leader of Purgatory entered the city and attacked the Cannes Palace, well, it was the biggest aggravation for the fatalities.

Andrew was bitter as he listened to Damon and Abigale tell him about the damage and deaths suffered during the attack. It was obvious that it had been his fault and the deaths of these people weighed on his conscience.

It was true that he had sent his caravan with necessities and food to help, but that was a drop in the ocean. It did alleviate some of the damage, but compared to the damage, it was insignificant.

Still, Damon and Abigale thanked Andrew for his help, but honestly, Andrew couldn't be happy. All the damage and deaths were his fault, so he couldn't be happy that he had contributed so little help.

Because of this, Andrew handed over a large amount of money to Damon and Abigale, to be used as funds for the repair and reconstruction of the city. It was obvious that this was Andrew's way of releasing guilt, but he was still not rejected.

The Pixoy family has saved up a great wealth over the centuries, but there is never any money left over, and since Andrew was willing to help, they wouldn't reject him. Andrew had already discussed this with his wives, so no one objected.

If there was one thing Andrew had in abundance, it was money. Their businesses in the different countries had generated great wealth, especially Candice who had expanded everywhere.

They were no longer imprisoned by money. It was more like a sport for them, as they made lucrative deals wherever they went. They were no longer restrained as they were when they were in Cannaris who fought for every coin.

They now had money to spare, to the point of not knowing where to use it, so there was no better way to spend it than helping Cannes get back on its feet, especially when he was the reason for it falling into this state.

Crhono and the others realized that the destruction of Cannes and the fatalities of the attack weighed on Andrew's conscience, but they did not say anything, as it was something that only Andrew could deal with.

After some further conversations, Crhono, Draneg, Sereda, and Sohei left. They had to look for the elements for the dew of youth. Elidyr had not traveled with them and everyone else stayed to protect Andrew.

Not wanting to sit still, Andrew helped everyone with the repairs. He had nothing to do at the moment, so he got to work. It was another way to atone for the guilt he felt. His wives, concubines, and apostles didn't sit still either. Some of them had administrative skills like Candice, Carolina, Nadila, and Yuri, so they helped with the paperwork.

Helena, Sonia, and the others went to talk to the people. They had the ability to connect with people, so they brought comfort to them in this time of pain. There were others like Aki, Zany, and the two Amazons who weren't very good at these jobs, so they helped Andrew with the construction.

They were strong, so there was no need to worry about them getting hurt. Biacko, Lugia, and the other demigod dragons seeing this could only laugh to themselves. They would never see an image like that, where a future god helps simple citizens rebuild their homes.

Don't be mistaken, although they found it funny, they weren't making fun of him. It was just that the image was unreal and that's why it made them laugh, but at the same time, they admired it, because not everyone would stoop to that level.

Even they don't dare to intervene in that way and in terms of status Andrew surpasses them all. Time passed quietly and Andrew stayed in Cannes for about a week. The city had already been mostly rebuilt. To be more exact, the necessary buildings had been completed, namely the houses and food businesses and the like.

Now, Andrew raised the possibility of rebuilding his Heavenly Palace. There were no important or, rather, necessary structures left to build, so they could start building these kinds of places.

Being close to the Pixoy family and having provided help, no one refused to build it. Also, pleasure houses could bring some comfort to this burdened population.

Don't think that a pleasure house is a place just for having sex. There is liquor, food, and above all entertainment. The latter is the most important, as there is nothing better than something to distract you when you are hurting like most people in Cannes.

However, just as there were sympathizers, there were also some who did not agree. Especially a certain group that clearly remembered the attack. They knew that the one who destroyed their city had attacked the Cannes Palace.

They were not stupid and when they remembered this, they were filled with hatred, because they thought it was Andrew's fault that all this happened. They were jumping to conclusions without foundation because they only remembered that the leader of Purgatory attacked Andrew's establishment.

Although they had no proof, they were not wrong, but no matter how much guilt Andrew felt, he would not admit it. He was not as naive as before, to accept the things that others said.

What happened was indeed his fault, but there was a fight for much bigger things than the houses and lives of Cannes, so Andrew would never accept these accusations, and Zaros, along with everyone else, had the same thought.

Unfortunately, rumors spread quickly. These hurt men, although not the smartest, were not stupid. They knew that Andrew had a close relationship with the Pixoy family, so they could not attack head-on.

Therefore, they did what most would do when facing a more powerful enemy, seek help. Rumors were necessary to gather supporters, for among the weak, strength lies in unity.

The voices of the angry ones grew louder and before long, everyone in Cannes had heard the theory that Andrew was the culprit of the attack. They did not blame him for being the perpetrator but for the cause.

Words like, "If he were not here, nothing would have happened," could be heard among the whispers of the people. Andrew and the others were not fools and could see the growing discontent of the people, but they did not act.

Attacking these people would only prove that they were right and even if they were, Andrew would never admit it. Admitting it was the same as being exiled from Cannes, something he could not afford.

Not only was one of his strongest and closest allies ruling here, but he was planning to take the two princesses of the Cannes duchy as his wives, so it was impossible to leave this place without a stable base.

Unfortunately, he also could not let these rumors gain traction or it would be troublesome in the future. Because of this, Andrew gathered all of his wives, concubines, and apostles to discuss the matter.

He also invited Zaros, Biacko, and Lugia as advisors. They were centuries old and experienced, so it did not hurt to listen to their wisdom. Furthermore, Zaros is a renowned strategist, so there were gains everywhere.

None of those present were stupid, so they knew about the problem they were facing. Even Aki and Zany, who usually don't care about these things, had noticed people's discontent.

Andrew asked for recommendations, but no one had a proper plan. Zaros, Biacko, and Lugia didn't say anything. Andrew was sure they had a way to solve this, but they didn't want to tell him.

Andrew understood their stances. They wanted Andrew to solve things on his own because if they always helped him, he wouldn't grow, and although annoyed, Andrew understood that they did it with good intentions.

After a few minutes of silence since Andrew asked for recommendations, Candice was the first to break the silence saying, "Why don't we reopen the mall project?"

Everyone looked at her strangely, except for the demigods who were still smiling as always. Andrew, for his part, fell into thought. He wanted to understand what Candice meant, but in the end he gave up and looked at her as if to say, "Go on."