Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 37

Chapter 37

'Wait, that means my training will get harder too.'

I found myself making the same expression as the adults.

"Verity is an excellent teacher who protects us in any situation and always reassures us in dangerous moments."

"......"

Verity's eyes widened, then soon curved beautifully.

"My Lady is generous with her praise."

"I meant it."

Please don't make the training too intense...

But as a professional, Verity probably saw many flaws and areas for improvement that were invisible to a layperson like me.

'This isn't the time to be lazy.'

In fact, our training had one major flaw.

'The training location.'

To enter the primeval forest, I had to open the barrier, and then immediately close it so the monsters couldn't escape.

And I was the only one who could do that.

Verity seemed concerned about this too, and on the way back to the village after parting with the others, he said.

"I feel bad about having to bring you along every time we train."

"I don't mind, but I'm worried about what would happen if I got sick or something came up."

"How kind of you."

"Can't you handle the barrier, Verity?"

"I can't touch it."

Verity answered immediately.

"That barrier was designed and installed by the Grand Lord—the long-haired Lord. Even the other Lords can't open it."

"......"

"So you're truly amazing, my Lady, for being able to interfere with that barrier."

"Hmm, a little?"

I answered brusquely, pretending not to be impressed.

Verity's laughter behind me was particularly loud.

"Anyway, we need to find a way to go in and out of the barrier without you. I'll try contacting the long-haired Lord."

"But isn't he on leave because his wife is pregnant?"

"He'll still take the call."

With that, Verity pulled a phone out of his pocket.

'...S-Samsung?'

I was speechless at the familiar phone design.

Noticing my gaze, Verity smiled awkwardly and manipulated the phone. Judging by the rapid movement of his thumb, he seemed to be sending a text.

"The products here are good. They're sturdy and don't break easily."

"Can I have one too?"

"As I said before, you'll have to pay a higher price."

"Damn that old geezer!"

"You're cursing your grandfather, right? Not me, right? Phew, I'm actually old enough to be your ancestor, so that startled me..."

After putting the phone away, Verity continued.

"And I'd like to have a training ground inside the village too."

"Like a gym?"

The village development plan included building a gym.

Verity shook his head.

"Separate from that, I'd like a training ground with a sparring arena."

"A sparring arena? Training ground?"

"Would it be easier for you to understand if I said a sports stadium? A place where competitors test their skills."

"...Oh dear."

I'd been planning to push the villagers hard too.

'But he's even more intense.'

I couldn't even imagine how hard he'd push them.

"Real combat is the best teacher—that's my philosophy."

"Demon..."

---

As soon as lunch was over, I headed to the communal well in the village. Ian, Aunt Elva, and Verity were with me.

Actually, this well was more like a decoration. Every house had running water.

But the adults sometimes came here to draw water in ladles and carry it home.

'It's like a natural spring.'

Click—.

I connected the well to the well at the Deste Temple.

The slight drain of energy was becoming familiar. Out of habit, I wiped under my nose with the back of my hand—but this time, nothing came off.

'My power has really grown!'

Ian put a pouch of dried Dulcevia into a ladle and dropped it down the well.

After a moment, the long rope went taut.

Ian worked the pulley and pulled up the ladle.

"There's a bottle inside. And a note."

Ian took it out and handed it to me. Reading the note, I smiled.

"They say they've been able to treat patients thanks to the Dulcevia medicine."

"Thank goodness...!"

Aunt Elva, who was with us, collapsed to her knees, gripping the well.

"And that, the Head Priest..."

"Saikeuf?"

Ian looked at me incredulously.

"You were teasing him in the dungeon this morning—how did you forget his name already?"

"Ahem, anyway, no priests seem to question Head Priest Saikeuf's whereabouts. No one's even looking for him."

"That priest must have had no faith."

Verity clicked his tongue and asked.

"My Lady, you promised the priests there that you'd turn the temple well into holy water, right?"

"Yes."

"How are you planning to do that? Are you going to give them some of my holy water?"

"That wouldn't be cost-effective."

I shook my head.

"And this is beside the point, but I used to think all water from a temple was holy water."

But according to Priest Chel do, holy water refers to a precious healing medicine that only a powerful holy person can produce after tremendous effort.

'That precious and valuable stuff...'

Verity had generously shared it with me and the villagers during every training session.

'I'm grateful, but I can't just use Verity's things freely.'

Besides, my plan didn't require Verity's holy water.

I wasn't trying to make holy water that heals people.

"I'm going to give them that instead."

"Aha, so that's why."

Realizing it was his turn, Verity pulled out two large, heavy sacks from his subspace pocket.

"So that's why you were digging up soil alone during training."

"Yes. I'm going to tell them to mix this soil into the temple's fields. Then plant Dulcevia seedlings."

A well that springs holy water.

It sounds impressive, but the holy water I wanted had to have the power to make specific crops grow vigorously—not heal people.

And that specific crop had to be the extinct Dulcevia.

"I've always wondered—how did Dulcevia, thought to be extinct, end up growing like weeds in our village?"

What was the difference between the outside and here?

"I think the primeval forest holds the answer. Our village was part of the forest until recently."

So this soil should help the transplanted Dulcevia adapt and grow well.

"We'll say that the water from the well made the Dulcevia grow."

"Will the other priests believe that?"

"They'll have no choice but to believe."

The Deste Temple had become the last hope for people suffering from the herb shortage.

And for the desperate temple trying to help them, Dulcevia—called the panacea—would be a divine gift they must protect.

"The angel's descent has already established the plausibility of a miracle..."

Verity nodded.

"That method is the best for now."

"But..."

Ian hesitated before speaking.

"The Emperor won't just let this slide."

At that, Aunt Elva's expression darkened.

I acknowledged it too.

"He won't."

"That's what I'm worried about. As soon as he hears the rumors, he'll send people to investigate, and then he'll look for Molle Livus and Head Priest Saikeuf..."

"Which is why I told the temple to hide the herb's existence."

"...What?"

"I instructed them to do so."

Ian looked at me with disbelief.

Was he unable to trust my judgment?

'Or did he find it strange that I'd say something like this without hesitation?'

The latter would be a little sad, but I still had to convince Ian here.

Otherwise, he'd likely oppose the plans I was preparing later.

Acting like a seven-year-old was only necessary when I was whining for an extra slice of bacon.

"The temple caused a lot of harm due to an insider's betrayal."

"The herbalist elder, you mean?"

At Ian's words, I nodded.

"That incident is a stain on the temple. That's why the priests are even more desperate to save people."

"...So they'd try to hide it even more."

"That's not all. The real problem is..."

I hesitated for a moment.

Just thinking about it made me frown with pity.

"The High Priest's condition is apparently very bad."

"What's wrong with the High Priest?"

"After the angel's descent..."

When I hesitated to explain, Verity seized the opportunity to inform them of the High Priest's current state.

"He walks around with his pants half-down, a dagger tucked into his waistband, and he's obsessed with piercings."

"Ah..."

Oh dear.

Ian couldn't hide his pity.

"R-right. Then they'd try to avoid the eyes of anyone—the Emperor, the Holy King, or anyone else."

A look of sympathy crossed Ian's stuttering face. I fully understood how he felt.

"Oh my goodness, what a horrible curse!"

On the other hand, Aunt Elva, who didn't know the context, worried whether the temple could be trusted.

"How wicked must the High Priest be to be cursed like that!"

"Pfft!"

Verity quickly turned away. I didn't miss the sight of the demon gritting his lips as he turned.

Looking to the side, Ian had buried his face in both hands.

"...Th-that's not a curse."

I decided to defend the angel who'd helped me.

"It's that thing that... happens when you get old..."

"Senility?"

"...Yes."

Puhahaha!

At the word "senility," Verity finally burst out laughing.

---

"...Wow."

Libby, who had just finished washing the dishes, wiped her wet hands on her apron.

"Hebenia is really sharp. She's practically a genius. Maybe she really is twenty-five, like she said."

"......"

"But why do you look so troubled, oppa?"

Ian, who had been sitting at the table pre-shucking boiled shrimp for tomorrow's breakfast, stopped.

"Do you believe that?"

"About her being twenty-five?"

Libby, removing her apron, sat across from Ian.

"At first I thought it was a joke, but now I'm half-convinced?"

"......"

"But I don't think it matters either way. I'm more worried about something else."

"What?"

"Hebenia is sacrificing too much for us..."

Every time Hebenia bled, Libby's heart sank.

Especially after the last trip, she feared that Hebenia might end up dying because of them.

"She seems to take self-sacrifice for granted."

"She does give that impression."

"She's so cheerful and bright normally that you wouldn't notice, but sometimes it feels dangerous. She never says she's struggling."

Because the adults were incompetent, the child had to shoulder too much responsibility alone.

Every time Libby saw Hebenia's back as she stood up for them, she felt ashamed and embarrassed.

Back   Next