Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 49

Chapter 49

"Ah, this..."

Feeling the gaze, Edelros hesitated and explained.

"I bought this to give to Mini, but in the end, I kept it for myself. So it's gotten quite worn and faded, and the decoration fell off."

"Hmm."

Pereus finally looked out the window that Edelros had been staring at.

It faced the direction of the detached palace where their younger sister, Princess Minitia, resided.

'...Why bother caring about a dying girl who can't even help?'

Pereus found it quite irritating.

The young Crown Prince disliked his siblings.

He firmly believed that the lowly blood of the Royal Consort flowing through them would hinder his path forward.

All the famous scholars and high-ranking nobles who taught and supported him said the same thing. It was quite logical, and Pereus agreed.

In fact, Pereus had never met Princess Minitia even once.

She was isolated due to illness, but he had no intention of visiting her anyway.

'What if I catch something?'

Perhaps it would be better if Minitia died like the Clavis.

"Come to think of it..."

Pereus's voice, which had been quite friendly, suddenly lowered.

"I heard a miracle happened at the Deste Temple?"

"It was thanks to the priests' devotion."

"People are saying it's because the gods acknowledged your devotion."

"The priests are just being kind."

Edelros looked flustered, as if he'd been falsely accused. His wide eyes and slightly parted lips showed his sincerity.

"Besides, the feather left by the angel chose the High Priest, not me. That alone shows the angel's descent had nothing to do with me."

"I suppose so."

Pereus disliked his siblings, but this younger half-brother of the same age at least knew his place, making him tolerable.

His deference—daring not to meet his eyes—was particularly pleasing.

"But why are you out here? Worried about your sister?"

"I'm waiting for a servant."

"Where did your servant go?"

"His Majesty the Emperor seemed pleased with what happened in the Deste Territory, so he ordered a prayer tour. I'm waiting for the servant to return with the schedule."

Pereus smiled.

As long as he knew his place and was more polite than those noble brats who were so eager to please.

"Good luck."

He could afford to toss out such a token word.

"It's nothing compared to Your Highness the Crown Prince's hard work."

Pereus silently mocked Edelros, who would bow until he was out of sight, and left.

---

Until Crown Prince Pereus disappeared, Edelros focused all his attention on his ears.

'Footsteps carry a lot of information.'

Servants try to make as little noise as possible to remain inconspicuous.

The chamberlains, on the other hand, have a rather heavy step, driven by pride in serving the future Emperor.

And Crown Prince Pereus's footsteps were distinctly characterized by his cleverness and selfishness.

The sound of his shoes grinding against the marble floor was devouring everything.

"......"

Edelros, who had finally lifted his head, took a long breath, as if releasing air he'd been holding to avoid a foul smell.

'Your Highness the Crown Prince.'

His round, beautiful golden eyes were quietly shadowed.

'You should have first worried about the people suffering from the abnormal herb distribution and your sister, who has been reduced to a political tool.'

Instead of keeping me in check—someone who dreams of being a sugar daddy, not of power.

Edelros carefully clasped the worn hair tie in his hand, as if he might lose it.

---

The second village assembly was held.

Unlike before, children were not allowed to participate this time.

They were playing in the playroom prepared at the village hall, waiting for the adults.

Aunt Elva, with her 'Apothecary Who Whispers Death' aptitude, was with them.

"...Then, for the first agenda item, we will exclude rock music and songs about tragic love from the morning exercise playlist."

Bang!

Hebenia swung a small gavel carved from wood.

With so few residents, even the items gathered over time were few in number.

But compared to the first assembly, the number had increased, and the content had diversified.

It meant the villagers' desires for their lives were growing stronger.

From making morning exercises optional, to requesting library materials, coordinating hobby classes run by residents, and even a business start-up support request.

'What remarkable progress.'

Verity showed particular interest in the business start-up support request.

Currently, Exilium Village was practically run by Hebenia alone.

She was providing everything—food, supplies, safety, and welfare—free of charge.

Fortunately, the villagers didn't take Hebenia's generosity for granted.

'They've recorded everything she's provided in a ledger, haven't they?'

Their attitude of vowing to repay her someday was a rare sense of responsibility in this day and age.

'On top of that, the hobby classes she introduced are showing results.'

The villagers regained their lost confidence by teaching their skills and aptitudes to others.

And now they were beginning to engage in full-fledged economic activity.

'If the start-up support proposal succeeds...'

They'd be able to collect a certain amount of taxes from those who gained economic power.

In other words, the village's income problem that Hebenia had been worrying about would be resolved.

'Her time in Korea wasn't wasted after all.'

The young village chief of Exilium was seriously establishing the start-up support details, exchanging opinions with the adults. She was the very picture of a reliable village chief.

The villagers, too, far from dismissing Hebenia for being young, showed her great respect. They also didn't forget to exercise their responsibility as adults.

Watching them, Verity's eyes were full of pride.

"Hmm, in the end, we'll need someone to manage the money professionally..."

After listening to the opinions, Hebenia scratched her chin with the gavel.

"Should we kidnap a banker or financial expert?"

"I've told you thirty times not to think like a criminal."

"Then should I politely invite them to the exile camp? It's faster and more realistic to bring them here and sweet-talk them. Maybe we could work on their ankles so they can't escape..."

"That's exactly what I mean—don't think of those methods!"

Apart from Ian breaking a sweat trying to stop Hebenia's criminal ideas today, the village assembly proceeded quite peacefully.

"Oh, Verity."

Hebenia said.

"You mentioned at the assembly that you had a proposal, right?"

"Ah, yes. I did. Sorry, but could we do that at the next assembly?"

"Okay."

And as the meeting was wrapping up.

"This isn't an agenda item, but an announcement."

Hebenia put down the gavel she'd been holding.

"We've found the research lab's location."

The villagers' eyes widened as they listened intently. Some had grim expressions, as if they'd suspected it.

Pex, the former magical tool developer.

And Daliss.

"Uncle Pex and Aunt Daliss inferred the location, and Verity confirmed it last night."

"Aunt Daliss?"

Everyone's attention naturally turned to Daliss.

Daliss, still wearing a stern expression, slowly nodded.

"Among the visitors who came to see my ex-husband—the former Viscount Deste—there was one who stood out."

High-prescription glasses, messy orange hair that looked like it had been gnawed by rats, gold dentures visible between slightly parted lips.

Burn scars covering half his face.

An eye-watering medicinal smell.

A peculiar grin behind thick glasses.

That man was the last guest Daliss received before being forced into the succession ceremony.

"I remember the conversation."

To the former Viscount Deste's offer to stay, the man left with an unpleasant laugh and these words:

"By the way, the Deste Territory is a bit inconvenient."

"The transfer only runs at this time, so..."

Transfer.

The Deste Territory, famous for magical engineering, had many train lines.

The time the man left, as Daliss remembered.

The only transfer.

"That man came from the Antema Research Lab."

"His name is Xespel Entia."

Daliss and Pex spoke in turn.

"Xespel Entia was wanted for conducting unethical research using corpses, but was believed to have died in the lab fire."

At Pex's final explanation, everyone barely breathed.

Hebenia broke the silence.

"...Our next outing destination is the Antema Territory."

And unlike the previous outings, she gravely warned that physical confrontation was inevitable.

"In the worst case, we might not come back. Yes, we could die."

Hebenia deliberately stated the cruel assumption.

"So you have the right to refuse."

The villagers looked at Hebenia in surprise.

Hebenia, the youngest here, was calmer and more composed than anyone. She even had the composure to smile.

But her tone was the firmest they'd ever heard.

"We won't be recruiting volunteers for this outing. After careful discussion with Verity, we'll select the necessary personnel and request their accompaniment."

"You have no combat experience yet. So it's natural to be scared, and it's natural not to want to go."

Verity continued.

The demon, who usually delighted with a lively cheerfulness matching his fifteen-year-old appearance, was as solemn as a general about to charge into battle.

"Don't be swayed by sentiment and accept rashly."

You only have one life.

With those words, the second village assembly came to an end.

---

After the assembly.

Ignoring the gazes pouring down on me, I ran to the well.

'The meeting ran long—it's already lunchtime.'

Under the noontime sun, which had grown quite hot, I connected the well to the Deste Temple. I dropped the letter I'd written the day before into the ladle and sent it down.

The letter contained the research lab's location and a request for train tickets.

After a while, the rope went taut.

Carefully working the pulley, I pulled up the ladle and found a unfamiliar note and today's newspaper instead of my letter.

I checked the note first.

It was a short reply from Priest Chel do.

[With so many visitors, it might take some time to get the tickets. We'll try our best to get them as soon as possible.]

And a hastily scribbled number.

'Page 15...'

I quickly opened the newspaper.

Page 15 was the 'Regional News' section, which briefly covered local news.

Most regional news was in small columns. I squinted and checked each one.

[South: Surge in Crape Myrtle Cold infections]

"...Damn it."

The disaster that should never have happened had finally occurred.

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