Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 42

Chapter 42

A bright blue star-shaped summoning circle rose from the ground.

A warm, soft wind surged upward, carrying the faint scent of clean fabric softener.

"...Fuck."

The angel who emerged through the holy light spat out a crude curse.

"Summoned to a demon's den. What kind of bullshit is this..."

"Hello!"

"...This is hardly a pleasant situation."

The moment the angel saw Hebenia's innocent greeting, it swallowed the curses that had risen to its lips.

---

'As expected, its nature is kind.'

The angel, which had swallowed its curses upon seeing me, couldn't fully suppress its rising irritation, so its legs were trembling.

Today too, the angel with long bangs covering its eyes was dressed in a unique outfit that caught the eye.

"My Lady, looking at that will damage your soul."

"Since it's already damaged, move aside so I can see more."

I pushed aside Verity's fingers covering my eyes.

For some reason, the angel was wrapped in chains.

With nothing underneath, its solid bare skin was clearly visible, though its nipples were mysteriously hidden.

'Its skin must be getting pinched between those chains.'

Fortunately, it was wearing pants properly this time, but they were tight leather, which was quite embarrassing.

The gun tucked into its waistband was oddly reassuring.

'I guess they're into that sort of thing.'

As I nodded to myself at that plausible guess.

"Ouch!"

A sharp pain on my forehead—the bangs angel had flicked me.

"Why did you hit me!"

"I felt insulted."

"But I didn't say anything!"

"My Lady, come here. You shouldn't associate with angels."

Verity pulled me behind him as if to shield me.

I followed obediently, peeking out just my face to glare at the bangs angel.

The demon and angel began to converse.

"I've never seen such a thug. Why are you hitting a child?"

"You started it. Is it innate rudeness to call a busy angel to such an unpleasant place?"

"Look at your own outfit first. Did you rob a hardware store? Putting aside the chains, what's with those pants? Your ass is suffocating."

"Hmph, a low-level demon wouldn't understand fashion."

"If that's fashion, I've said thousands of times that I'd rather never know."

The bangs angel, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from its back pocket, paused and glared at me. Startled, I hid further behind Verity.

The angel clicked its tongue and shoved the pack back into its pocket.

Then it said irritably.

"Get to the point."

"......"

"Why you summoned me."

"Ah! To make a wish."

The bangs angel lowered its lower body, and a soft chair appeared to support it.

"Right, there was that prepayment you forcibly pushed on me."

I was more surprised that the angel called me 'little ant' than by the sudden appearance of the chair.

"Good. I've been feeling uncomfortable, so let's clear it up quickly."

"I have two wishes."

One: Make the well at the Deste Temple emit a faint glow.

And the second.

"......"

"......"

When I stated the second wish, Verity and the bangs angel scrunched up their faces as if they'd eaten bitter herbs.

"Wait a moment, my Lady."

Verity stepped forward.

"Did I mishear you?"

"What did you hear?"

"That you want to send a revelation to the Holy King."

"You heard correctly, didn't you?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Every human has a screw loose somewhere..."

"No, no! Are you serious?"

Verity grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.

"Check if she's sane."

Saying I was crazy with every word, the bangs angel looked at me with pity.

"......"

I was a bit offended, but I deliberately put on a pitiful face and said.

"You can't do it, can you..."

A grating sound of teeth grinding came. I pretended not to hear and continued my act.

"It's okay. I'll just ask Verity. I thought an angel would be better for intervening with the temple, but if it's difficult, just grant the first wish..."

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"So when do you want this revelation sent?"

"Why would you fall for such a provocation."

Verity scolded, looking exasperated, but he seemed slightly more cheerful than before.

He seemed to have liked how I'd subtly cut the angel down.

The bangs angel was already seriously considering how to send a revelation to the Holy King.

"This is about my pride. I'll send a revelation more spectacular than you could ever dream of."

"You just lost a hierarchy fight to a human child."

"Seems to me you demons lost that fight a long time ago."

"Kyahaha."

"My Lady, don't laugh so innocently with that irritating face. Anyway, why did you make such a wish..."

"It's obvious."

Cutting off Verity, the angel gave the answer.

"Herb distribution."

As if asking if it was right, the bangs angel tilted its head toward me. I answered by tilting my head in return.

"I know too."

After glaring at the angel, Verity turned back to me.

His beautiful face, now devoid of irritation, was full of worry and questions.

I said.

"Those undead we saw in the Deste mansion—there's a possibility they were test subjects."

"Ah, well..."

Verity's voice trailed off.

"But that's just a possibility..."

"Actually, I asked the herbalist grandfather about something."

"What?"

"The commonality among the herbs the imperial family is currently buying."

The herbs the imperial family was nearly monopolizing had only moderate effects—treating common ailments like colds, mild fevers, bruises, headaches, and fevers.

They were nothing compared to the panacea Dulcevia, but ordinary people desperately needed them.

"After thinking for a long time, he finally said this."

I noticed Verity and the bangs angel focusing on my words.

I too grew tense.

Because what I was about to say was quite horrifying and cruel.

"They have preservative effects."

---

"If I had to find something, it's only a preservative effect, but I'm not sure if that's the answer the village chief is looking for."

"A preservative effect isn't that impressive. It just makes food spoil a little slower and destroys bacteria infecting the body."

"Treatment and preservation are different concepts, but in a broad sense, they have similarities. That's why most herbs have preservative effects."

Preservation.

The act of preventing an object from decaying or spoiling.

The moment I heard the word 'preservative,' I thought of the employees walking around the Deste mansion.

Even though they were undead, they hadn't decayed.

"Back then, Verity said a demon might be involved."

"Non-decaying undead can only be created with high-level curse magic. A human in this world couldn't do that to so many people at once."

"What kind of idiot..."

The chains wrapped around the angel's body rattled.

The air grew heavier with the clear anger and killing intent radiating from the bangs angel.

"What kind of idiot did that?"

I recalled the conversation we'd eavesdropped on that day.

"...A man called the Chief Chamberlain said the one who created the undead in bulk was the Mage Tower Lord."

"When high-level magic is beyond the caster's ability, they need supplementary materials. They probably did something with those herbs..."

Verity, who had been cold toward the bangs angel, showed a worried expression for the first time.

"Will you be okay?"

"......"

I looked at the two of them with curious eyes.

If a crazy demon was involved, why was Verity asking the angel if it was okay?

Noticing my question, Verity explained.

"My Lady, do you know what divine magic is?"

"I read about it in the book..."

Clavis in One Volume.

I quickly recalled what was described in the early part of Part 1: Theory.

"It's magic given to priests who endure trials and hardships, right?"

Unlike other magics that must be learned, divine magic can only be acquired when bestowed by an angel—a messenger of God.

"It's broadly divided into three types: healing, purification, and enhancement."

I folded my fingers as I remembered what I'd learned.

Healing: The power to heal wounds and restore tired bodies.

Purification: The power to destroy evil and corrupted things.

"Enhancement is the positive, eff-effective power that amplifies one's existing abilities several times over..."

Suddenly, my head rang loudly.

I stopped mid-motion, let out an "Ah," and looked back and forth between the angel and demon with a dumbfounded face.

The two beings, meeting my eyes, simultaneously nodded.

As if my thought was correct.

"Could that enhancement have been..."

"It amplified the herbs' preservative effects."

Verity pointed with his chin at the bangs angel.

"Demons can't use divine magic, so it would have to be a priest or an angel. Given the situation, the angel being involved is more likely."

"Fuck."

The bangs angel fidgeted with the gun tucked into its waistband. It had released the safety.

"If I find them, I'll kill them...!"

"Phew, now it's not just a demon problem, is it."

Verity seemed secretly pleased.

"...Everyone and their mother is summoning them, in the end."

I glared at the two inhuman beings for failing to manage their own kind.

---

"That pervert angel came to the village?"

The next morning.

I told Ian and Libby what had happened the day before.

The moment they heard the bangs angel had visited, they grimaced and showed their distaste, which was quite amusing.

But as I continued my explanation, Ian's expression grew stiffer.

Resting his elbows on the table and covering his chin with his interlaced fingers, Ian looked quite cool.

"Ugh, this is beyond what an ordinary person like me can handle..."

His words were a bit pathetic, though.

"Oppa, you're not ordinary anymore. You've been killing monsters."

"At this point, I almost miss the days of wrongful exile."

"I want to call you crazy, but I feel the same."

Ian and I let out a heavy sigh at the same time.

Just then.

Libby, who had been listening silently, spoke up.

"But..."

Libby was brushing Poppy and Chuchu in turn.

Poppy, already brushed, was lying on a cushion on the chair next to her, while Chuchu, still being brushed, was enjoying it with closed eyes.

"Wouldn't it be inefficient to mass-collect common herbs just for preserving corpses? It also damages the Emperor's own reputation."

"I'm curious about that too. Maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"He gets off on being hated."

"Oh, that's a bit..."

Too unpleasant.

Libby's expression turned serious.

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