Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 20

Chapter 20

Uncle Pofina actually seemed satisfied with his aptitude.

"I used to have some moves back in the day. I also liked astrology—every night before bed, I'd transcribe poetry and smell the wildflowers I'd picked that morning..."

I decided to summon the source of this chaos, Bleached Demon, to explain things.

'I'll summon him and ask what all this is about, and also why I'm the only one without an aptitude.'

I stretched out my left hand, which wore the watch.

"Summon!"

"She really likes that stuff."

"She's a kid. That's the age to like that kind of thing."

"I should make her a magical girl transformation costume later."

From behind me, I could hear Ian, Libby, and Verity snickering.

I had nothing to be ashamed of about my tastes, so I was proud.

"Make two—one for Flora too!"

"Looks like she's too embarrassed to wear it alone."

"Already using her little sister, what a mean big sister."

Amid the adults' teasing, the summoning circle activated.

A red inverted pentagram rose above the ground. Grand classical music, dazzling light, and pale smoke.

And the scent of incense from a temple.

'Huh? Incense?'

Suddenly?

Before I could wonder about the out-of-place scent, Bleached Demon appeared.

Dressed in stiff, baggy monk's robes.

A wooden rosary wrapped several times around his neck clattered.

Noticing my bewildered gaze, Bleached Demon blushed uncharacteristically and made an excuse.

"The temples here are famous for their cats! If you do a temple stay, the monks throw a cat into your room!"

No wonder his posture seemed awkward—he must have been in the middle of petting a cat lying on the floor.

I felt a little guilty for interrupting his paradise.

---

"Damn, it was my day off..."

Bleached Demon grumbled, but he quickly changed clothes and explained the 'aptitudes' written on the health checkup reports.

Every time he spoke, the rosary around his neck swayed.

"It's literally a recommended occupation based on your potential and aptitude. You'll adapt much faster than others and be able to perform well."

"I see..."

The exile family members nodded.

Just then, a hand shot up from the lowest position. It was Hebenia.

"Little ant, you have the floor."

"Why don't I have an aptitude?"

"Because you're a Clavis."

"......"

"Don't glare at me."

"......"

"That wasn't an order to close your eyes in defiance."

While Hebenia endured Bleached Demon's sharp scolding, the exile family tried to process the explanation.

Everyone looked thoroughly confused.

'That's understandable.'

Verity, watching from a step back, slowly nodded.

'Even I was surprised.'

Even for Verity, who had lived for thousands of years, this situation was truly bizarre.

'All these precious transcendents are gathered here.'

Transcendents.

Beings who surpass or deviate from any limit or standard.

'They're still ordinary humans, but considering Sir Ian's growth, they'll all break through their limits within ten years at most.'

Ian had already taken a step into the realm of transcendence.

'That's what makes it strange.'

It was as if someone had deliberately gathered them all together.

'Could it be...'

With a rising suspicion, he looked for Hebenia.

In the meantime, somehow, Hebenia was lying flat on the dirt floor, whining at Bleached Demon.

"It's not that I want to be a magical girl, it's just that I feel left out..."

"Hey, little ant, how old are you to be liking that stuff?"

"What does age have to do with liking something..."

"Shouldn't you be more mature by now?"

With a sigh, Bleached Demon let out a heavy breath.

"Magical girls are run by lunatics who violate the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Labor Standards Act against minors, don't pay allowances, and have tax evasion issues—they're a hotbed of illegality."

"......"

"Plus, during transformation, they're completely naked for the whole world to see, and after transformation, they only wear skirts that show their asses. Isn't that basically sexual exploitation?"

"......"

"Every time they fight, those girls' glutes and hamstrings are exposed. Do you think that's normal, huh?"

"Don't taint my dreams and fantasies!"

I only watched all-ages stuff!

"......"

Verity felt like his earlier seriousness had made him look like a fool.

'Well, at least it's clear that Lady Hebenia knows nothing.'

From what he'd observed, Hebenia seemed completely unrelated to all of this.

Rather, she too was a victim.

'A precious Clavis lady, suffering so much in another world...'

He recalled the conversation he'd had with Hebenia in the primeval forest.

Even though Verity had lived for a long time, his heart still ached when a young being had gone through such pain.

"Fine, fine!"

Bleached Demon suddenly shouted.

"Little ant, bring me your report!"

"You're going to write 'magical girl,' right? Tell me I have a hidden aptitude too! And no nonsense like before!"

"Who did you inherit this shamelessness from!"

"Hmm, probably the Clavis family I don't even remember."

"...You really do take after them."

Verity held back a laugh that was about to burst out.

'Indeed.'

For someone with such a painful past, she was strangely cheerful.

'She takes after her grandfather.'

The head of the Clavis family.

That particular shamelessness and sharp tongue were exactly that man's bloodline.

Meanwhile, Bleached Demon quickly scribbled something in the 'Other' section of Hebenia's report.

"Here."

[Village Chief]

At just those two words, Hebenia, who had been full of anticipation, turned as pale as a corpse drained of all life.

"V-village chief is cool too."

"Right. It's a symbol of power."

"Our Hebenia is becoming the head of the village!"

While the exile family comforted the disappointed Hebenia and chattered about their own aptitudes.

Bleached Demon beckoned Verity over with a finger.

"The impostor you reverse-summoned—interrogation started yesterday."

"Who's interrogating?"

"'Pervert.'"

Verity was shocked.

"The Pervert Lord himself?"

There are four Lords in the demon world.

Though the system differs somewhat from human monarchy, these four Lords rule the demon world and protect its order.

And one of those great Lords is personally handling the interrogation.

All four Lords are strong and cruel, but among them, 'Pervert' was on another level. Even the other Lords avoid fighting him at all costs.

Verity felt sorry for the demon who had impersonated him for the first time. That demon would experience repeated deaths throughout the interrogation.

'Well, given the severity of the case, there's no helping it.'

Summoned demons have many rules to follow.

Among them, succession ceremonies, illegal body enhancement, and murder are serious crimes.

'He won't die peacefully.'

Verity asked.

"By any chance, did the Pervert Lord also write those health checkup reports?"

"I was busy, so I borrowed a hand."

"No wonder the descriptions had a chuunibyou feel to them."

"Anyway."

Bleached Demon asked.

"Did you contact the other side?"

"You mean the angel? Yes. My Lady summoned them at the temple. I also met the Legion Commander."

"Which one?"

"The second one. The one who forgot how to wear pants."

"Sigh, is that guy still like that?"

Bleached Demon's sigh fell heavily.

"Verity, submit a report by the end of this week."

"Huh?"

"What's with the surprised face? Did you think you were on vacation here?"

"...I half-thought of it as one."

Because Verity had enjoyed talking with Hebenia, and he loved the unique peace of the exile camp.

"This won't do. Submit the report by tomorrow."

Now Verity turned as pale as a corpse too.

---

Everyone else got cool aptitudes, but I was left with 'Village Chief,' tossed to me as if Bleached Demon was washing his hands of me.

I was so sad.

But I couldn't stay upset about this forever.

"After much struggle, I finally accepted that becoming village chief means I can control the village and collect taxes to build wealth—so it's not all bad."

"Your way of thinking is so villainous."

Ian, having breakfast with me, let out a hollow laugh.

"As the person in charge, you should look after the residents and lead the village in a good direction."

"Then isn't Hebenia already doing that?"

Libby smiled as she placed some boiled peas on my plate.

"Thanks to Hebenia, we learned for sure that we were framed, and we're able to live like ordinary people again. We're eating well and living in a decent house, and we even have a chance at revolution."

"About that."

Ian poked at his sausage with a fork and asked.

"Are we really going to... you know..."

"Revolution?"

Seeing him hesitate, Libby spelled it out, and Ian made a pained face.

"Yeah. Revolution. Are we really doing it?"

"Maybe someday."

"But revolution will involve bloodshed, no matter how you do it. They won't just sit back and take it."

"Well, that's true."

"Libby, could you kill someone?"

"Not really..."

Libby slumped her shoulders and shook her head.

Ian let out a sigh as if to say 'see?'

'I figured.'

I chewed my peas slowly, listening to their conversation.

On the day we discovered the exile family's immense potential, I had firmly believed they would naturally accept my proposal to start a revolution together.

But my expectations were completely wrong.

No one accepted it.

That didn't mean they forgave the imperial family. The exile family was clearly angry and hurt.

But apart from their anger, they were afraid of steeling themselves to fight the power of an emperor.

'Most people don't stab back just because they were stabbed.'

Revolution was too unrealistic an option for people just trying to reclaim their everyday lives.

'Alright, let's put the revolution on hold for now.'

Maybe later, when they've awakened their powers and grown stronger. But for now, healing their wounds was the priority.

'Helping the family eat well and live well!'

That was exactly the village chief's duty.

So I made a list of what a village chief should do.

"And the first on the list is building a village hall?"

Verity asked.

Back   Next