After multiple hours of altering the memory of the soldiers and the villagers, Neoh managed to fabricate a memory that made sense.
The story that he came up with was that he and Sylvia found their camp and went back to their soldiers to orchestrate an ambush, the came up with a plan to get the villagers out, they used fire arrows to terrify the orcs and secure the villagers, when they were about to leave they encountered a terrifying leach who was the leader of the orc horde, so Neoh and Sylvia fought the lich and won the battle, after that the orcs lost their stomach to fight and were slaughtered by Sylvia's man.
Although this story had so many plot holes, Neoh knew that this would suffice if only he managed to conjure a scene that made sense with his story, so he started reanimating orc corpses, teleporting the lich bones, making the soldiers armors and swords damaged, and spraying blood on them, and a lot of other things he did all of this in an hour, it was truly fascinating watching him just standing there and everything around him moving and changing.
When they woke back up, they didn't seek to be aware that they were asleep a minute ago, the magic was so terrifyingly accurate, that they couldn't recognize that they were passed out moments ago, it was a strange feeling, seeing them cheering for the victory they thought they had achieved.
Neoh didn't talk the whole way back although he was showered with praises by everyone for killing the lich, when they got back to the city, he and Sylvia went to the commander's headquarters and presented their evidence.
Neoh's rank as an adventurer helped his story to be believed an A-rank adventurer could possibly dispatch a lich with some help but what neoh had killed was no avarage lich, but of course they didn't know that, no change happens to lich's appearance when they evolve only to potency of their magic, so the skull they had brought was not suspicious.
The commander was shocked and very happy he promised them a big reward, he told them that he will ride to the capital himself and report the incident to the imperial guard headquarters, naturally Sylvia was happy too with this she had come closer to her goal, but deep down she was terrified she felt as if she had sold her soul to the devil.
Neoh didn't seem enthusiastic about it, he just received a token from the commander to show to the adventurers guild so he can take credit for killing a lich, even tho he didn't want anything from these people he knew that they are abusing his kindness, he had gathered some intel while talking to soul of the lich all the way back.
Most of the adventurers die every year, monsters in this world are vicious and smart and most of the people don't have access to magical abilities, scrolls are very expensive too, so neoh being able to kill a lich was something the country would celebrate and make stories about, in this cruel world that villages got destroyed by orc attacks or goblin attacks on a day to day basis, people getting killed and raped, adventurers slayed, and monsters running wild, what neoh had achieved could put hope in people's hearts, he wanted to take advantage of this he wasn't scared of becoming famous, he wasn't afraid of anything, in fact, getting his name out there was one of the first things he had to do in order to take over this world, although he could just take it by sheer force and power that would be no fun, he wanted to rule as a hero and a popular figure not a demon king who alters the mind of all of the humans in the kingdom.
After that neoh headed to the guild, people in the city who had heard gossips about sylvia's soldiers being able to put an end to the orc threat had big smiles on their faces now they could venture behind the walls of this city and maybe they could go back to their villges and start farming again, all thanks to a stranger that they didn't know.
The city felt more vibrant and colorful, laughter could be heard again and the streets had even more people in them than before.
If it was the old Neoh he would feel happy about this, but now, he couldn't care less, something inside of him had changed, although Sylvia was but one person, she had showed him how terrifying he was to avarage human, he could see it in her face, but he hadn't given up on finding friends or living as a normal man, he had decided in the orc camp to go in a different way about it and take over the world, how about living as a king ? He thought, his thoughts were cloudy and didn't make much sense, even for himself, he would change his mind every second and switch between a villian and a hero, between a normal adventurer and the emperor, his plans were not set I stone but written on a leaf, the real answer was that he truly didn't know what he wants to do in this world.
"I guess I will go with the flow and see what happens for now" he mumbled
After he got to the adventurers guild he went straight to Ria and presented his token, and told her about him killing a lich, although there was no contract for killing a lich, he could still get some benefits by presenting the guild the evidence of his deeds.
Ria submitted the evidence into his files, and gave him 10 gold coins, usually when someone kills a powerful monster they get rewarded directly from the guilds budget.
"Where is Alton?" Neoh asked
'The guild master went to the capital the night you and the bone eater fought he told me that I'm in charge while he is away'
"Good for you let me know if you need any help"
'Thank you, will do'
While soldiers were resting in their barracks noeh found a little alone time, so he decided to deliver on his promise to his apostoles, he found somewhere that no one could see him and directly teleported onto the evernight castle's throne hall.
He sat down on his throne and let out a sigh, Ah good to be back.
Suddenly a portal opened in front of him it was no one other than Yael who was kneeling on one knee, "my lord you are back".
'I have so much to share, tell the maids to prepare a big feast, and call the others to the dining hall'
"Yes my lord" her voice was overjoyed with happiness, then she teleported out of the hall without wasting a second.
I guess they deserve to know the full story, neoh said to himself.
They were the only ones he could blindly trust but he never paid much attention to them, if was because he always thought of them as his creations rather than actual people, but after he got into this world he started to change, No maybe the change started the moment he decided to kill himself, he didn't know the exact reason but he had become more thoughtful about other people's feelings albeit unconsciously.
I dont know if that's a good thing, maybe me trying to end myself had changed part of my soul, all I could think about before this was my own selfish desire to live happily amongst my kind even tho I was a god, but now my desire doesn't feel as strong anymore, and I can consider someone else's desire too.
Yael loves me, but how could she love her creator? Am I not like a father to him?
I dont even know anymore, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to want or expect, am I a tyrant God? Was I a tyrant God all this time ? What does it even mean to live normally like other people ? Isnt this just a wish i had back then when they outcasted me? , he was questioning his morals and his values and his goals, and Deep thought tears started to fill his eyes.
It's like torture, to have the soul of a human and the power of a God.