Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 51

Chapter 51

Upon hearing that the flame had turned white, I felt a strange certainty.

'Wait, did this unnie get stronger too?'

The reason this thought came to mind was because of the science I'd learned in school.

'Flames change color depending on temperature.'

People usually think of red when they think of fire, but surprisingly, red is the lowest temperature flame.

The hotter the flame, the whiter it burns.

Sure enough.

"Wow! Wow!"

Despite the tragic situation of a half-destroyed house, Verity—rather than scolding Libby—was overjoyed like a grandfather wanting to pat his grandchild's bottom in praise, and couldn't contain his excitement.

And he actually asked for permission.

"Libby-nim! Can I give you a pat on the butt? I'm so proud of you!"

"Do you want to get stabbed in the back of your hand with a kitchen knife?"

True to someone framed for armed robbery and murder, Libby knew exactly when a weapon was needed.

"Then how about a little lift?"

"...Between the chest and waist, that's fine. If you touch my belly fat, I'll really come at you with a knife."

"Oh my, how admirable! So admirable!"

"Kyahaha."

And so Libby was praised even after blowing up the house.

The villagers, except for me, could only stare dumbfounded as Libby was lifted into the air.

"Ah..."

Someone muttered.

It was Uncle Modi.

"This feels like a dream you have on a really tiring day."

I nodded involuntarily at the relatable comment.

First, we informed the adults that we were all safe.

"Alright, everyone, you can disperse now! We're fine. The house may be broken, but Libby unnie got stronger, so it's a net zero. It's equivalent exchange!"

"A life where a house getting destroyed is no big deal is my fate..."

Ian's mutter was a bit poignant.

But when Aunt Daliss, who lived next door, offered to let us stay at her place until the repairs were done, he looked like he'd won the world.

I gave Ian a half-lidded glance.

"Lucky you."

"......"

"If it's too much trouble, we could take an empty house—there are plenty in the village..."

"It's rude to keep refusing kindness."

"Okay, fine."

"R-really...!"

"I said okay."

The broken house would be repaired tomorrow.

In the meantime.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm going to throw up...!"

As Libby, dizzy from the extended lift, tried to compose herself.

Verity, who had finished his praises and calmed down, explained to me and Ian just how remarkable Libby's growth was.

"You know about the mage ranks, right?"

"There are nine ranks from 1 to 9, and archmages are usually 9th tier—we learned that before."

I raised my hand and answered clearly, and Verity gave me a candy, saying "Well done."

"Then how are the ranks determined?"

"By the number of mana circles."

This time, Ian answered.

'Mana circles?'

It was the first time I'd heard the term, but it had a strong chuunibyou feel to it.

As I tilted my head, Ian tapped his chest with his finger.

"Mages form rings of mana around their hearts."

"That's a mana circle?"

"When mana circulates through the heart to the rest of the body, the body becomes accustomed to it, allowing for stronger power to be drawn out."

"Oho."

The more circles there are, the harder they are to create, and if done wrong, they could die.

"I'm always amazed by your knowledge, oppa."

"Aura users also create circles."

Ian shrugged.

"But..."

I appreciated the explanation, but it only made me more confused.

"Libby unnie only used magic for the first time a week ago. So she should only have one mana circle, right?"

"My Lady, you've pointed out a very good point!"

Verity gave me another candy.

It seemed that along with the house, Verity's sanity, which had been so focused on my health, had also been broken.

"As you said, Libby-nim has one mana circle."

"But she's 5th tier?"

5th tier is the middle of the nine mage ranks.

'Isn't that still amazing?'

But can she really jump four ranks in just one week? With one circle?

"...Ah."

Just then, a word flashed through my mind like lightning.

"Evolution...?"

Verity snapped his fingers as if that was exactly it.

"Evolutionary circles can only be formed with very pure and clear mana. They are much more powerful than ordinary mana circles."

Ian and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

Then we focused on Verity's explanation again.

"The characteristic of an evolutionary circle is that it doesn't require the effort of creating new circles like other mages."

The quality of mana.

The quantity of mana.

When these two reach the appropriate level, the evolutionary mana circle automatically generates rings.

I was speechless.

"...Wow, it's like a cheat code?"

And that amazing thing is in Libby unnie's heart.

Verity lifted my dropped jaw and nodded.

"So it's very remarkable and rare. Even I'm seeing it for the first time."

"It's no coincidence that her younger brother became an Inquisitor at such a young age."

Verity strongly agreed with Ian.

"Both siblings must have shown extraordinary traits since childhood."

"It's not harmful to her body, is it?"

"Of course not. Rather, she'll become healthier."

Phew, I wiped my chest in relief.

'Getting stronger at the cost of your health is absolutely not allowed.'

The main purpose of Exilium Village is to eat well and live well here, not to sacrifice ourselves to oppose the Emperor.

'Come to think of it, I haven't mentioned revolution in a while.'

I hadn't even said it as a joke.

'I'm pretty cool, aren't I? I look like a proper village chief.'

Just as I was feeling proud, Verity started explaining the drawbacks of evolutionary circles, as if to pour cold water on my mood.

"Of course, when someone's skill in handling mana is still lacking, magic can run wild. Considering that, it's a miracle you weren't hurt, my Lady."

"What? So I'm the only one in danger!"

"Still, I'll praise you for putting up that barrier quickly."

And so I received a third candy.

Staring at the candy, I gasped.

"Wait, then can we take Libby unnie to the Antema Territory..."

"We won't be taking her."

"Huh?"

Why did the conversation suddenly go this way?

"Ah, I see."

"Oh, why not!"

Ian nodded as if he'd expected it, and Libby, who had finally come to her senses, shouted in protest.

I couldn't understand it either.

'She's risen to such formidable power that she destroyed a house—why...'

Ah.

The reason I'd just realized, Ian said without missing a word.

"A girl who's so bad at controlling her mana that she blew up a house—there's no guarantee she won't hurt her allies in real combat."

And so Libby was eliminated.

---

The next day.

Clink clank, hammering sounds began echoing from our half-destroyed house.

"Don't overdo it!"

I shouted to the adults on the roof.

"Take your time fixing it! That way, Ian oppa will be happier!"

"Can you be quiet?"

Ian shouted with a red face. The adults laughed out loud.

Leaving Ian, who was waving his arm as if to throw a hammer and telling me to get to work, I ran away giggling.

Verity, who was waiting, greeted me with a wry smile.

"You're so mean, really..."

"Ian oppa is fun to tease."

"Didn't you promise not to tease him?"

"Promises are made to be broken."

"You're all talk."

Today, our village was about to undergo a big change.

For that change, I and Verity slowly walked around the village.

"Here, a gym combining a fitness center and a swimming pool!"

We took fifteen empty houses near the village hall, and Verity roped them off with a black rope, as if marking zones.

Then I attached a piece of paper saying 'Gym' to the rope.

"The library is here!"

The library took twenty empty houses.

"The theater is, huff..."

"You said you'd screen movies on the tablet PC you'll get, right?"

"But there are things like copyright and concurrent screening limits..."

The theater was put on hold for now.

"Health center, ten empty houses. Police box, five over there. Fire station, ten. The temple doesn't need to be too big, so five. Market, fifty empty houses..."

Since Exilium Village used to be a large city, there were hundreds of empty houses just in the residential district.

We were only using about a dozen of them.

"Lastly, the training ground is..."

"Phew, this is going to be really hard to rope off."

"I should have brought the scooter."

"My Lady, shall we ride bicycles?"

"Oh, bicycles!"

"You made a wish, right? You wished for two, right?"

Riding the cunningly created bicycles, Verity and I sped in opposite directions, wrapping the rope around the empty houses.

The number of empty houses enclosed by the rope came to about a hundred.

'And there are still plenty left...'

Aware of the past glory of Exilium, I attached a large paper marked 'Training Ground' to the rope.

Finally.

Our village was getting neighborhood facilities.

The rough plan I'd sketched out was refined in detail by Uncle Modi, and Verity placed the order with the demon world.

And a few days ago, we received word that construction was complete and we could take delivery at any time.

Now, the empty houses we'd roped off would become the neighborhood facilities marked on the papers.

"Hmm, but..."

It was good that we had more facilities.

"I feel a bit disappointed, don't you?"

"In what way?"

"Actually, I wanted to create more farmland. Of course, for now, everyone relies on me, so it's not a problem, but food self-sufficiency is important too..."

"You're a true agrarian at heart."

"Food is important."

A truth I'd learned during my time in Korea.

Rice is life.

It was a country where you asked, "Have you eaten?" when you met someone you liked, and said, "I think I'll get indigestion" when you saw someone you disliked—a place that took meals seriously.

'How sad it was every time those people ate out without me.'

Anyway, I decided to bring up the farmland issue at the next village assembly.

As I nodded and finished that thought, Verity spoke.

"Shall I perform the wish repair?"

"Make it look cool."

"How?"

"Like a chuunibyou!"

"That's my specialty!"

His worn, golden eyes sparkled playfully.

"Don't fall for me."

Straightening his posture, Verity smiled charmingly and winked. It was as refreshing as a lemon picked on a summer's day at fifteen.

But.

Clap—!

The moment the demon's applause cut through the air.

"Inverted seal."

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