Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 52

Chapter 52

The black ropes surrounding the empty houses began to ripple, glowing with a bluish light.

As the glow intensified, the ropes' movement grew more violent, until eventually they began to rise.

The ropes stopped at different heights.

The future fire station rose to the height of a three-story building, the library to a slightly higher five stories.

And the training ground, roped off last, stopped at a much higher point.

Light streams poured from the risen ropes, enveloping the buildings. Like waterfalls cascading from black holes in the sky.

I couldn't even make a sound at the magnificent sight.

'This is a demon...'

A non-human existence.

Verity's power.

I turned to look at Verity again.

Verity slowly lowered his clapped hands.

His right hand faced forward, palm out, while his left hand was raised vertically to support the right, wrists touching.

Then he flipped the hand shape.

Right hand facing down, left hand facing up.

"Replacement."

---

Exilium Village now had neighborhood facilities.

At the same time, a new buzzword was born.

"Replacement!"

"Replacement!"

"Are you mocking me? Oh my, so cute!"

Verity beamed at the village children imitating him.

"But what does 'replacement' mean?"

Pania, the oldest among the children at eight, asked.

The boy was holding Flora and Nula, who were still fooling around on either side of him.

"Replacement means changing one thing into another."

"You changed empty houses into those big buildings?"

"Yes."

"You, Verity?"

"Yes!"

Verity had become a star.

He'd always been popular for his easygoing nature, but after this facility construction, the villagers' perception of the demon itself had changed.

Looks of goodwill were now mixed with respect and awe.

"Haha, if you're all happy, that's enough for me."

Verity was noticeably brighter.

"......"

Hebenia glared at Verity with displeasure.

"What's bothering the village chief now..."

Ian set a cup down in front of Hebenia and asked cautiously.

The displeased seven-year-old village chief, her eyes narrowed and fixed on Verity, sipped the drink Ian had brought as if it were alcohol.

"He's so annoying. All that was made with my nosebleed."

"A gym and library made from nosebleed..."

The thought alone devalued the buildings, but Ian was smart enough not to voice his opinion.

"Is he trying to take my position as village chief?"

"Do you love power that much?"

"If I can't be a magical girl, I'll at least be a village chief!"

"Right, you do whatever you want."

Ian was getting tired of it.

But inwardly, he knew that if the two ever fought over the village chief position, he'd support Hebenia.

There's a saying that everything started with the Clavis.

Meaning the Clavis had a long history and had exerted great influence across the continent, including the Empire.

'This time too, Hebenia started it.'

The neighborhood facilities were a huge success.

They were welfare beyond the villagers' imagination.

In particular, the gym Hebenia had always talked about became incredibly popular among the villagers, who had recently begun focusing on training.

Under Verity's guidance, the adults learned how to use the equipment and visited regularly to train, followed by cardio in the underground pool.

The library was stocked with various books and newspapers. The villagers, long isolated from the world, filled their intellectual hunger through reading.

A fire station to prepare for fires.

A health center to treat illnesses.

And even a small temple.

"They were all your ideas."

Ian didn't forget Hebenia's efforts.

"The adults know it too. You saw it—Aunt Elva was crying your name and thanking you the moment she saw the herb lab in the health center."

"...It wasn't all me, though."

And Hebenia wasn't childish enough to stay pouty.

"I just grumbled a little. Honestly, what did I do? I just sketched out what I wanted. Uncle Modi and Verity are the ones who planned and built it all."

My contribution was about 10%, maybe?

Even though it was something to be proud of, Hebenia was calm.

'She really doesn't take care of herself, does she.'

Usually it doesn't show, but sometimes she undervalues her own efforts and achievements like this.

It was also concerning how she'd laugh it off when she bled from overusing her power.

"Don't push yourself too hard."

"Do I look like I'm pushing myself?"

"Not right now."

Sitting crookedly in her chair, scratching her shins, she looked like a grandmother who'd seen it all.

"But that demon butler has been getting too full of himself lately?"

Hebenia clicked her tongue.

"I need to establish the hierarchy. After this research lab trip, I'm going to straighten out that demon butler's manners."

"...Speaking of which, the Duke couple isn't here."

"They went to inspect the new facilities. I guess they're curious about the new buildings."

"Ah."

Marking their territory.

Ian answered nonchalantly, but he was once again vividly aware that he'd been swept into a massive whirlpool of fate.

'...But having been through so many incredible things, it's not even surprising anymore.'

He felt like his sense of normalcy had gone numb.

"Um..."

Just then.

A small, timid voice cautiously interjected.

"Aunt Nema!"

Hebenia quickly straightened her posture.

Aunt Nema, who had her reddish-brown hair neatly tied down, looked at Hebenia with a shy smile.

"I, I have something to consult about..."

"With Verity?"

"Yeah."

"Nema-nim, you're here!"

Just then, Verity approached with children dangling from both arms.

After crouching down to set the children on the ground, Verity asked for a moment of privacy.

The children obediently headed to the playground.

Watching them fondly, Verity turned back to Nema.

"Shall we go to the hall?"

Nema nodded awkwardly.

---

Aunt Nema.

There are three famously quiet people in Exilium, and Aunt Nema is one of them.

'She's quiet and gentle, so it's comfortable to be around her.'

I'd liked being with her since the exile camp days.

Aunt Nema wasn't the type to force conversation, but she made quiet silences feel comfortable.

'And that aunt...'

Received the 'Bloody Berserker' aptitude.

Neither I nor the other villagers could believe it. That such a calm, timid woman could be a Bloody Berserker.

Aunt Nema herself had been so shocked when she first learned of her aptitude that she'd gone to Verity several times to confirm it.

'...But I think it suits her.'

People who are so quiet often harbor a deep, bitter madness within.

And I like those kinds of people.

'All goodness is boring.'

That's why my fondness for Aunt Nema only grew.

"Here's some tea. Or would you prefer something cold?"

"Anything's fine."

"Verity, you heard that? Bring three cups."

"There are four of us, you know?"

"Verity's a butler, so you can't drink."

"...What, are you really trying to crack down on me?"

Grumbling about how could he live with such misery, Verity still brewed exactly three cups.

"I'm not drinking. Ian oppa already gave me something."

"Ah."

"Hehe, discipline established."

And so, cups were placed in front of everyone except me.

"Um, I..."

The real conversation began.

"I was asked to join the Antema Research Lab trip..."

"Verity recommended you."

"I, I don't understand..."

Yes.

This trip to the Antema Research Lab was different from the previous outing to the Deste Territory.

Combat was expected, and in the worst case, serious injury was possible. That's why we'd warned the villagers multiple times.

So instead of accepting volunteers, Verity and I had decided to select the personnel through discussion.

Libby had been eliminated due to mana control issues.

And Nema was chosen as her replacement.

"No matter how I think about it, it's wrong."

Nema's hand, gripping the cup handle, trembled.

"I've never had any fighting—combat experience, that is. At most, I've only hit monsters with a club here..."

"......"

I looked at the frightened Aunt Nema with pity.

'Actually, hitting monsters with a club is a huge experience...'

Of course, this absurd training was only possible thanks to strong beings like Verity and Poppy and Chuchu watching over them.

'But if she's this scared...'

She wouldn't be helpful even if we took her.

She wouldn't be able to fight properly, and in the worst case, she'd be a liability to the team.

'She's terrified herself, after all.'

She could end up being an even bigger detriment than Libby, who was eliminated due to mana control issues.

"No, Nema-nim. You must come with us."

But Verity insisted she could do it, trying to convince her.

"Oppa."

I quietly whispered in Ian's ear, who didn't seem to understand the situation.

"Verity actually wanted to take Aunt Nema instead of Libby from the start."

"From the very beginning?"

"Yeah."

Verity had always wanted to bring Aunt Nema and had placed her at the top of the candidate list.

"So that's why he was so happy when Libby blew up the house."

Ian nodded vigorously, as if finally understanding.

But that didn't mean he understood Verity's intentions. He was still confused, and so was I.

"Nema-nim."

Verity looked at Nema with a serious, unsmiling gaze.

"I believe in Nema-nim's potential."

"Is it because of my, my aptitude?"

But Nema was desperate to refuse.

"But, I, I don't really know anything about being a berserker! As I said, I don't know about fighting—I've never been in combat..."

"Then shall I show you?"

"Pardon?"

Why I'm being so insistent like this.

Even he knows he's being difficult.

As I watched with half-lidded eyes, Verity pulled two long wooden clubs from his pocket—likely from his subspace pocket.

"Huh?"

Ian reacted audibly at the sight of the clubs.

"Those are..."

"So you recognize them."

Verity lifted the corner of his mouth proudly.

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