Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 15

Chapter 15

The old door led to a prayer room.

Inside the stone chamber, which had no windows and was filled with cold air, the young Crown Prince was alone in white priestly robes, reinforcing the defensive magic spells.

"Sir Ian, is that you?"

The Crown Prince's eyes went wide at the appearance of the unfamiliar intruders.

But soon he smiled brightly and removed the white veil covering his head.

Disheveled platinum blonde hair shimmering in the candlelight. Slightly reddish-gold eyes and a trustworthy impression.

'Wow.'

I couldn't close my mouth.

'He's this handsome already at such a young age?'

The Crown Prince was the most handsome human I'd met since waking up in this world.

I couldn't even imagine how much more dashing he'd become when he grew up.

"You're safe. I'm so relieved."

On top of being handsome, he was kind-hearted.

That made me even angrier.

'Leaving a child alone in such a shabby place...'

Making a child work until this late hour was completely unacceptable by my standards.

Besides, outside was in chaos with the demon's appearance, and in the primeval forest, the barrier had broken, causing a crisis where monsters were killing people.

If that was the case, they should have at least left guards to protect the young Crown Prince.

'Well, what can I expect from a crazy country that sends a seven-year-old into exile.'

Just as I was about to let out a deep sigh at the grim reality.

"Habi!"

The young Crown Prince suddenly hugged me.

Startled, I quickly looked up at Ian. Ian was just as surprised, his mouth agape.

For the record, Flora, who had been in his arms, had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion.

"Habi..."

The Crown Prince's voice trembled.

'He knows me.'

We must have met in a past I couldn't remember. And we seemed to have been quite close.

They said the Clavis had been powerful enough to give away the title granted by the Emperor to their pet dog, so they must have had frequent contact with the imperial family.

'Is Habi my nickname?'

The protagonist of Clavis in One Volume was also named Habi.

'Hebenia, Habi, Chae Habin...'

I had a feeling it wasn't a coincidence that the name I was called in my previous life was similar to the names here.

"You're safe. You came back safely."

"Huh? Ah, yeah."

"I'm glad you look healthy."

The Crown Prince, slowly pulling away from me, smiled. The corners of his round eyes were slightly moist.

'...Wow, what is this?'

My chest ached.

There was someone outside the primeval forest who worried about me.

The very thing I'd vaguely envied while watching the exile family—I had it too!

The joy was so overwhelming that I couldn't process it rationally, and I nearly burst into tears.

'Don't cry, I'm twenty-five!'

I have my pride as the older one!

Just as I was pressing my lips together to hold it in.

"Your Highness."

Ian suddenly stepped in front of me, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

"An unfaithful sinner dares to greet His Highness the Crown Prince of the Empire. I hope you have been well."

His precise posture and deepened voice.

In that seemingly trivial greeting, I could glimpse a side of Ian as a former imperial knight.

He must have been an exemplary knight without peer.

The young Crown Prince was genuinely glad to see Ian safe as well.

"I am also very pleased to see you again, Sir."

"Thank you. And I am truly sorry."

Thud.

The Crown Prince, eyes wide open, pitched forward.

Ian carefully caught the falling Crown Prince. Something had fallen at his feet.

A syringe.

A syringe containing a sedative.

I quickly picked up the syringe for evidence disposal and tucked it into my cloak pocket.

"Oppa, you're in big trouble now. You're going to get arrested for violating medical laws."

"Did I only violate medical laws? I also committed attempted regicide."

"Woo-hoo, I've got a new lifetime prisoner comrade."

I was surprised, but in fact, Ian had made the best decision.

'We needed to summon a demon.'

We hadn't forgotten what Verity had said.

Ian moved the unconscious Crown Prince to a small bed prepared in the corner. Flora was already lying there.

I quietly gazed at the sleeping Crown Prince. Looking closely, there were dark shadows under his eyes.

Feeling sorry for him, I gently stroked his head.

'Sorry. But there's nothing you need to see.'

I activated the 'Summon' app. Thanks to the summoning circle I'd photographed earlier, I didn't have to bother drawing it on the floor.

A red light from the watch drew a pentagram shape on the floor.

'Magic Milky, give me the shamelessness to endure the embarrassment!'

Then I stretched out my watch-wearing hand and shouted with vigor.

"Summon!"

"...Do you really have to shout it that forcefully?"

"Be quiet. I'm absorbed—no, focused..."

As I was about to scold Ian for interrupting, I noticed something strange.

'The star shape...'

It was upright, wasn't it?

Realizing the mistake, I pulled my arm back to cancel the summon. But it was too late.

The red-glowing star gradually turned blue. A gentle breeze rose like a whirlwind above the summoning circle, and the scent of soft fabric softener filled the prayer room.

Thud.

A pair of folded sneakers touched the ground.

"......"

"......"

Ian and I slowly raised our gaze from the bottom up.

Baggy pants draped over a round bottom, suspiciously fluorescent pink underwear, a loose white sleeveless shirt, and bronze skin covered in demon tattoos.

Black bangs covering the eyes.

Bleached back hair as if gnawed by rats.

Shaved sides.

'Whoa.'

This was truly.

'An enlightening fashion...'

It was a shocking fashion that made me realize I was too precious to have to witness such a sight.

Just then, Ian silently nudged me with his toe.

His trembling eyes desperately pointed to something that had fallen near the summoning circle.

A white feather.

'Oh my god.'

Following the demon, I'd summoned an angel.

---

"Oh, she summoned."

Back at the Deste mansion, Verity looked up toward the temple.

The school-uniform demon was examining the summoning circle piled with corpses.

"Hmm, she summoned the second legion commander? The vibe is exactly that insufferable bastard. I hope our Lady doesn't get too shocked by that angel's outfit."

Verity examined the summoning circle again.

"Succession ceremony, physical enhancement..."

Outside the summoning circle lay the body of the gaunt man who had been so smug, pushing up his glasses. The last expression on his face was twisted horribly.

'It seems he was killed right after we fled.'

There was not a single sign of life here now.

'The fat rat we put in Flora's room is dead too. And the Viscount of Deste as well, it seems...'

Verity's plan to extract information had thus come to nothing.

"Ugh!"

After finishing his examination of the summoning circle, Verity stretched and let out a long breath.

"Well, well."

His face was full of annoyance.

"This is getting bigger and bigger."

---

A clean and holy atmosphere.

A beautiful being with pure white wings.

A representative of God who kindly consoles people and guides them in the right direction.

That's the stereotype people have of angels.

"Fuck, who called me while I was resting."

Not some gangster who'd learned hip-hop wrong.

'He even has a tongue piercing...!'

I pretended not to see the black gun tucked into his waistband.

Apparently, the god of this world was quite open-minded and violent.

Leaving an angel who looked like that to wander around was proof of that.

I kept my eyes downcast, but the angel's voice fell from above.

"What's this."

Unable to ignore his blatant gaze, I eventually looked up.

The gangster angel, who had come right in front of me, was staring intently. His bangs covered his eyes, but there was no doubt.

"You're back?"

"...Pardon?"

"Ah, then, hmm, I see."

The gangster angel muttered incomprehensible words.

In the meantime, Ian and I exchanged glances with our eyes—'That angel has demon worship tattoos,' 'Does a tongue piercing let water through when you drink?'

"Then I'll be going now."

"Huh?"

Flustered, I quickly grabbed the angel's leg as he tried to disappear into light.

"Wh-where are you going! You haven't granted my wish yet!"

"You didn't summon me to grant a wish."

"Ah, you know that?"

"That chuunibyou demon with the annoying, unlucky power must have told you. No one else has that kind of power. Well, all demons are bastards anyway."

Wow.

'In my eyes, you look more like a bastard now.'

But I wasn't naive enough to show that.

"Lord Angel..."

I pleaded with the most pitiful face I could muster.

"Could you please grant me just one wish?"

"Huh."

"Can an angel really abandon humans in danger?"

"Because of you humans' filthy prejudices!"

For some reason, the angel glared and shouted.

"We angels are always depicted naked! And we're constantly drawn as big-chested beauties or handsome men, only to be harassed by perverts!"

"...Pardon?"

I was bewildered by this sudden scolding, but I quickly glanced at the young Crown Prince collapsed on the bed and whimpered sadly.

I hadn't intended to wish for us to be saved in the first place.

"That child—no, His Highness the Crown Prince—helped us. We're actually heinous criminals who were framed. Yet His Highness didn't tell anyone we were here."

Surely that young Crown Prince had no solid foundation in the palace.

Being made to reinforce defensive magic spells in such a shabby prayer room all night, and having received swordsmanship training from a commoner like Ian, were proof of that.

And on top of that, he'd even hidden heinous criminals.

'I have to help him before I leave.'

The angel scoffed as if mocking my thoughts.

"Mind your own business."

Despite the harsh words, the angel's body had already turned fully toward me. I secretly smiled in relief.

"So, what's your wish?"

"My wish is..."

After hearing my wish, the angel curled the corner of his mouth but didn't refuse.

"Oh, and the payment..."

"Forget it. I'll bill you later..."

"Cough, ptoo!"

A drop of saliva fell onto the summoning circle.

It was a crystallization of moisture I'd gathered from my dry mouth after running.

"This should be enough, right?"

"......"

"Huff, but did I spit too much? Then put it on my tab. I'll just summon you occasionally to settle it."

From behind, I heard Ian mutter in despair, "We're dead..."

'Hmph, you don't know anything.'

My spit is more valuable than gold to demons, so the angel should be satisfied too.

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