Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 100

Chapter 100

"You didn't buy one for yourself?"

"We still have medicine at home..."

"Still, it's better to have one, just in case."

The woman who had bought the kit looked around and lowered her voice.

"You never know."

Last spring, the abnormal herb distribution had affected the entire country, including the Deste Territory.

Unobtainable herbs, suddenly inflated prices.

The fear of that time had left a deep impression on many.

So many people, unable to shake the thought of 'what if,' were ordering the kits.

"Besides, if the medicine in this kit expires, the temple will replace it with new ones at half price. It's a special privilege for residents of Deste."

"Oh my, really?"

"And they don't just throw away the expired medicine—they purify it and recycle it into livestock ointment or use it as alchemy ingredients."

"Sh-should we get one too..."

The eyes of those who had shown interest in the kit sparkled.

"They're accepting reorders soon. Wait and buy it then. I heard your eldest just had a baby—this would make a perfect gift."

"You're right. With kids, you never know when they'll get sick..."

An ordinary day.

An ordinary routine.

Even some reassuring news.

Amidst this bustling commotion, a luxurious carriage slowly made its way toward the eastern commercial district.

"Oh my, is that the Wall of Infinity I've heard so much about?"

"It's a symbol of the Magical Engineering Academy. Doesn't it look like a hood covering half the buildings?"

"It does. It looks like a cloak pulled over its head."

The carriage stopped at an antique shop.

It was a narrow, old building. But it was well-maintained, giving it a quaint, antique charm.

Grand Duchess Touri Stria stepped out of the carriage, followed by her personal maid, Kara, and they entered the shop.

"Welcome."

An old man wearing small spectacles greeted them.

"I hope you find something you like today."

"Oh my, are you chiding me for only browsing every time I come?"

"Hehe, was I too obvious?"

"Could it be the shopkeeper's fault for not finding something that captures this picky old woman's heart?"

"Hehehe! You got me there."

The Grand Duchess exchanged pleasant banter with the shopkeeper.

With a groan, he stood up and brought out a few items.

"These came in just today."

"Oh my."

Kara, watching from the side, couldn't hide her admiration.

"Even to my untrained eye, they look incredibly precious."

"Your eye for quality tells me that's a lie."

After sharing a knowing look with Kara, the shopkeeper explained the items' origins.

"They're from the personal collection of the Director of the Magical Engineering Academy."

"The Director?"

As the Grand Duchess expressed surprise, the shopkeeper nodded.

Then he recommended one of the magical tools.

It was a very small scale.

"It's called the 'Scale That Weighs Truth.'"

"A magical tool that reveals the truth."

"Yes."

"That's truly precious."

"It is. Since it's impossible to interfere with someone's mind or force them to reveal their true thoughts..."

Just then.

Thud—!

A loud noise like the building being driven into the ground was heard.

At the same time, all the magical tools in the building stopped working.

From the bright ceiling lights, to the cuckoo clock, to the small bell that chirped whenever a customer entered.

"...Oh dear."

The shopkeeper went outside to check the situation.

"It seems to be a power outage."

"A power outage?"

Kara, helping the Grand Duchess, asked.

"They said there's a large-scale experiment today, and parts of the territory might have their mana supply cut off."

The shopkeeper pointed to a small window on the east side of the building.

The symbol of the Magical Engineering Academy.

The Wall of Infinity was visible.

"The Director informed me."

Creak—.

Suddenly, the small scale tilted slightly.

"Oh, it's working now. If the right side tilts relative to the front markings, it means the truth is being spoken."

---

Two minutes earlier.

"Target's carriage confirmed."

On the rooftop of the tallest building in the Deste Territory.

A short-haired imperial knight, watching the antique shop through binoculars, relayed the situation through a brooch-shaped magical tool.

"The target and her maid have entered the destination."

A voice came from the brooch.

[Begin the operation.]

The imperial knight turned to her side.

There stood a demon in knight's attire.

He had a gentle face, but his bright yellow eyes sparkled eerily in anticipation of the coming cruelty.

His long, pointed tongue, like a spike, lightly licked his lips.

"Ugh, if you're going to kill something, you have to go all out."

"......"

"Do you think I'd be satisfied with something as petty as wounding people with a cotton candy machine?"

"But you made a mistake last time."

"...Inferior human."

A fierce killing intent rose in the demon's yellow eyes.

"Watch your mouth, got it?"

"Don't you have any conscience?"

"Do you feel guilty when you crush ants?"

"......"

"To me, you're just ants that look like us. Whether I crush them with my hand or step on them, it's nothing."

"......"

"Ah, but their reactions are fun, I'll admit."

The demon reached out his hand toward the antique shop.

"Just barely within range."

Then he grinned.

"Alright, let's begin—"

Whoosh—, thud!

Just then.

An arrow embedded itself in the ground in front of the demon.

A small amount of red blood was smeared on the arrowhead, unnoticed by the demon and the imperial knight.

At that moment.

Snap.

"Transfer."

In the blink of an eye, the demon's surroundings changed.

A dense forest, faintly visible through thin sunlight filtering through the trees.

A vast nature that had existed for hundreds of millions of years.

The primeval forest.

'What, where is this...'

Unfortunately, the demon didn't have time to fully form the thought, "What happened?"

"Guh!"

The demon was sent flying backward, crashing through three massive ancient trees before finally stopping at the fourth. He coughed up blood.

"Huff, pant..."

The terrified demon looked ahead with trembling eyes.

Beyond the holes he'd made in the ancient trees, a being of immense presence was walking toward him.

Worn golden eyes gleaming like a cat in the darkness.

Thud!

"......Aaaargh!"

A long spear with a golden tassel pinned the demon to the tree.

Despite the agonizing scream, the primeval forest remained silent.

The monsters that were considered a disaster and despair to humans had been frightened into hiding.

"Ugh, nngh..."

The demon, now face to face with Verity, trembled.

"Wh-who are you...!"

"Shut up."

Snap. Verity broke the arrow he was holding.

"Tch, because of you, that little girl bled again."

"Sob, sniff..."

"What, demons are better than humans? To me, you're all the same..."

No, not quite.

Verity quickly corrected himself.

"I respect the tenacity of humans who struggle to survive without shame. That's admirable."

Nod, nod. Verity nodded.

"And unlike you."

His eyes, once full of warmth, instantly turned to contempt.

"I hate those who mistake their natural talent for power."

"Sob, huff..."

"When they've never accomplished anything with their own hands."

Thud. Verity roughly pulled out the spear and stepped back, forming a hand seal.

"Inverted seal."

Reverse summoning.

The hand, forming a circle by touching thumb and ring finger, turned over.

A large, rusted iron door appeared behind the demon. Thick chains shot out from the slightly opened gap, wrapping around the demon's body.

"Ah, aah! Nooo!"

"Don't worry, you've got this."

Verity kindly informed him.

"You have to take responsibility for your actions."

"P-please spare me! I was wrong...!"

"Don't apologize when you don't mean it."

"No! I, I don't..."

Clang—!

The iron door, having swallowed the demon, vanished with a sound like eerie laughter.

---

"......"

The imperial knight still couldn't comprehend the situation.

'An arrow...'

Had flown.

It had come so fast and so strong—why hadn't she noticed it?

Probably because the arrow carried no killing intent.

The arrow embedded itself in the hard rooftop.

At the same time, a familiar-looking man appeared where the demon had been.

He looked like a knight who had disappeared two years ago, exiled for embezzlement and breach of trust.

'Where did the demon go?'

By the time she managed to form that thought, she was already pinned to the ground and bound.

Fallen, she noticed that the spot where the demon had been was scooped out like ice cream.

Ian removed the brooch-shaped magical tool from the knight's body and crushed it with his sword.

Then he reported the situation through his watch.

"Subdued."

---

[Subdued.]

"Phew."

I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.

The clock tower, the tallest structure in the Deste Territory.

It was slightly higher than the commercial building where Ian was, allowing Uncle Aig's arrow to reach safely.

'I'm exhausted...'

As I swayed, Uncle Aig quickly caught me. I grinned at his worried expression.

"Thanks to you, we succeeded."

Uncle Aig's tense expression softened slightly.

"Practice paid off. I'm glad I could help."

"Uncle, you're truly our village's Jumong!"

"Jumong?"

"A great archer from legend!"

Uncle Aig, who had been framed for killing people with illegal pesticides.

His aptitude was 'Archer Who Guards the World Tree.'

He'd always been large, but through consistent training, he'd built incredible upper body strength, and his archery boasted amazing accuracy and power.

That's why we needed him.

'To send only the demon to Verity in the primeval forest...'

We needed a marker that would serve as coordinates on both sides.

That marker was the arrow smeared with a little of my blood.

Uncle Aig shot the arrow in front of the demon, and I simultaneously transferred the demon to the primeval forest where Verity was waiting.

'My role in this plan is over.'

I was carried down from the clock tower on Uncle Aig's back.

"Is it all over?"

"No."

Stepping out of the tower, I observed the bustling square.

"Now the real part begins."

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