Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 120

Chapter 120

Ceblis's back, slightly bowed as he lowered his head, radiated a profound grief.

Arun awkwardly curled one corner of his mouth.

"Wh-what are you talking about? That's nonsense. What, what did I do? Are you trying to pin some bizarre crime on me...!"

"There are surviving children."

The children rescued from the Antema Lab.

Before coming to the Int'mari mansion, I had told Ceblis about Chloré and Rira, the children we'd rescued from the lab.

"Those children... were the ones I wanted to sponsor."

At that moment, Ceblis looked like someone whose world had collapsed.

"The victims—the children I wanted to sponsor—are alive! And we just caught the ones trying to blow up the port!"

"......!"

"We know everything..."

Only then did Arun squeeze his eyes shut, as if trying to escape reality.

Ceblis felt an even greater sense of betrayal from his brother.

"She was about Rosi's age."

"......"

"Don't you feel any shame toward Rosi?"

"Either way..."

Arun's voice, dripping with cheap pride, oozed out unpleasantly.

"They're orphans with no parents. What's the big deal if a few of those vermin disappear?"

Everyone listening frowned.

"I didn't set the port explosion—that really wasn't me! And I didn't kill those orphans either! I just lent them a carriage..."

"Now your daughter, too."

Unable to listen any longer, I cut in.

"Will become vermin."

Arun, who had been glaring at me as if to threaten, slowly turned pale.

He finally seemed to realize what kind of situation he was in.

His younger brother surrounding him, and the unidentified thugs.

His own body, bound with rope, lying on the ground.

"Ce-Ceblis...!"

Arun called his brother's name desperately.

"N-no, right? Right? I'm still your brother!"

"Brother."

"Right. Ceblis! My one and only younger brother! I just made a little mistake. For the sake of the Octo Trading Company, so I had no choice...!"

"No."

Ceblis slowly shook his head.

"You have another younger brother."

Since this might be his last conversation with his brother, Ceblis used the childhood title.

"The youngest, the one you and our sister abandoned."

"......"

"Do you remember when you abandoned him?"

"......"

You sent a letter.

A letter stating that Pofina had no relation to the Octo family, and that whatever judgment he received, he would humbly accept.

"Precedent can't be ignored."

Ceblis's low voice fell upon the frightened Arun's head.

"Your precedent will be followed."

---

Arun was immediately imprisoned in the Ixelium Village's famous basement guest room.

The empty cell next to him was filled the next day by his sister, Kanna Octo.

"She was the one who provided the bombs."

Verity shared the results of the demon's interrogation with me.

"Kanna Octo married a port administrator."

"Is her husband involved too?"

"It's highly likely. Even if he wasn't, it's still a problem—it would mean he was that incompetent."

The two we'd captured would be handed over to the central headquarters.

It would be the temple's job to find out what deals they'd made with the Emperor and what they'd received in return.

Finally, we were ready to go home, but my heart wasn't entirely at ease.

Verity sat down quietly beside me.

"What are you worried about?"

"Uncle Pofina."

Uncle Pofina had insisted on seeing the moment his brother and sister were imprisoned.

His unusual firmness made me unable to stop him.

Arun and Kanna were shocked the moment they saw Uncle Pofina.

Then they begged for their lives, apologizing belatedly.

But those were just shallow apologies meant to survive.

Uncle Pofina didn't forgive them.

"And I'm also worried about Rosi."

"Rosi?"

"Arun's daughter. I met her at the tea party yesterday—she didn't seem like a bad child."

"She did lose her father overnight."

"The chairman seems troubled by it too."

"Ah, I'm worried about the chairman too."

The day before, Chairman Kommer had returned to the mansion with Poppy and Chuchu, who were exhausted.

As he handed me the sleeping dogs, he said.

"I'll give up Octo."

"That's the only way to protect your remaining children and granddaughter."

The Octo Trading Company was like another child to Chairman Kommer.

I couldn't even imagine what it felt like to give up a business he'd poured his entire life into.

'They say losing a child feels like your guts are being torn out.'

I vaguely thought it must be a similar kind of pain.

"Every time we go out, it ends bitterly."

"It can't be helped."

Verity gently stroked my head.

"There will be more of these things in the future."

He made a sad prophecy—that this might be the most trivial tragedy we'd face.

I drooped my lips.

"I wish the villagers could always be happy..."

"But at least Uncle Pofina reconciled with the chairman, and he found out he wasn't abandoned."

"There will be others who can't, right?"

"There will."

"......"

"That's beyond what even a village chief can do."

Verity said in a kind but firm voice.

"Remember that you can't do everything."

---

Poppy and Chuchu slept for a long time, listless.

"Are you in pain? Are you okay?"

They were so weak they could barely eat, and I fidgeted anxiously. Verity pointed at them and said.

"They're only cute and pretty when they're quiet."

"Grrrr..."

"Growl..."

Fortunately, their temper was intact—I was relieved.

'Was it because of the chaos they caused at the tea party?'

I was able to hear more details about what happened at the tea party from Chairman Kommer.

The wolf monsters, as big as houses, had smashed everything in sight.

I petted the dogs in turn.

"Thank you for helping."

Their tails wagged gently.

"Oh, what happened after the tea party?"

I asked Chairman Kommer, who had been busy for days dealing with the aftermath and reporting his missing eldest son and daughter.

His face was etched with exhaustion.

"I'm being cursed at plenty."

The fact that a historical site had been used for private purposes had already drawn criticism.

People were strongly convinced that the wolf monsters that had ruined the tea party were the divine beasts from legend.

In other words, they were delighted the tea party had been ruined.

'If I were them, I'd be teasing them about it.'

And Countess Reten, the hostess, was still insane.

"She's been severely traumatized, and if it continues, it could develop into full-blown psychosis, according to the doctor."

"Oh dear."

I glanced at the dogs lying beside me.

Like a father closing his eyes while watching the news, the dogs perked up their ears at the mention of their deeds, wagging their tails slightly.

"Were you scared too, Chairman, of those wolves?"

"I was scared. But I wasn't afraid."

Most of the attendees were so frightened that they couldn't even function normally—though not as badly as Countess Reten.

But a few, including the chairman, quickly shook it off and resumed their daily lives.

"It felt like a certainty—that they wouldn't harm me. They also showed no interest in me."

"Oho."

I petted the dogs again.

Because the tea party had caused such chaos, the port incident was relatively underreported.

The public story was that some madmen had set fire to a ship and died when the flames spread to them.

That was a serious issue too, but it couldn't compete with the appearance of the wolf monsters—presumed divine beasts.

"The Crown Prince left for the capital immediately yesterday."

"And the Crown Prince?"

"He left on a prayer tour the day after the tea party. He'll be busy preparing for the annual consecration ceremony this autumn."

So I didn't get to meet him.

'I hope he's not too tired.'

It was disappointing, but hearing about the young prince's killer schedule, I was almost glad we hadn't met.

I just hoped he was eating, sleeping, and doing well.

I asked the tired chairman a few more questions.

"What's happening with the orphanage?"

"A report was filed about the missing teachers and children, but the investigation probably won't go anywhere."

"Then what will happen to the orphanage..."

"The temple has offered to take over its operation."

I was relieved to hear that.

'It would be a disaster if the orphanage disappeared.'

With the Holy King around, there's no safer place than the temple.

Of course, there could be another bad priest like Head Priest Saikeuf, but at least it's much safer than the imperial family.

"Then..."

I asked the most difficult question.

"The missing persons report for your children..."

"I filed it."

"......"

"But I doubt it will be investigated properly."

---

The next day.

"I'll visit again in a few days."

Verity and I prepared to return to Ixelium Village.

The others had already gone ahead. They all made excuses about needing to prepare for my inauguration performance festival, but I knew they were really going to comfort Uncle Pofina.

Chairman Kommer and Ceblis came to see us off. Since we'd be using the ability to return, the send-off took place inside the mansion's entrance hall.

The chairman said.

"By the time you return, Ceblis will be ready to leave."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

"Me too."

We shook hands.

And I turned to the chairman.

"Chairman."

"Yes, Village Chief."

"Feel free to bring anyone."

"......"

"Our village is very big."

I knew what he was worried about.

"Employees of the Octo Trading Company—Ixelium can easily take them all in."

Of course, once they moved in, they could never leave.

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