Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 69

Chapter 69

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'Sigh, why is the road home so hard?'

Even a salmon swimming upstream might have an easier time.

Verity, being dragged out bound with rope, was unimpressed.

If he wanted, what was a rope to him? He could take down armed robbers, too. Physically, of course.

For Verity, a General commanding the demon army directly under the four Lords, this was like a baby's play.

Yet he followed the robbers' orders for two reasons.

First: Hebenia's condition was poor.

Reckless movements could hurt her. The robbers had guns, so there was no need to provoke them.

Second: Because of Olive.

Because of this Inquisitor, who firmly believed that Hebenia—who would willingly volunteer for torture out of curiosity—was a saintess, Verity, Ian, and Nema couldn't act rashly.

'If we cause a commotion and things escalate, it'll be a problem.'

No matter how much he was Libby's brother, they couldn't trust him carelessly. Trusting the Holy King behind him, and the state religion itself, was still premature.

Besides, they'd received help from Priests Saker and Chel do of the Deste Temple on this trip.

If the Church got suspicious and investigated, it could backfire on them.

'Above all, my Lady would be sad.'

She's fundamentally a good person.

'Still, this is rather refreshing?'

Verity was slightly excited, as this was his first time being treated this way.

The demon watched the train robbers' actions with a light heart.

Their actions were clean.

They were cautious, avoiding unnecessary trouble, and communicated through hand signals and glances—quite meaningful.

'The organization is impressive.'

They must have put in a lot of effort for today.

'Or this isn't their first time.'

However, their choice of hostages was the worst.

Because all five hostages they'd picked were Verity and his group.

A demon General, a Cold-Blooded Demon Knight, a Bloody Berserker.

And the youngest Inquisitor.

Their weapons had been taken, but that was no problem.

The others, including Verity, weren't too concerned.

But when another robber took the sleeping Hebenia into their arms, he almost decided to just finish them off.

"Oh dear, why is this little one sick..."

"We should show her to a doctor."

"Oh my, look at those chubby cheeks from eating well."

Their behavior was too kind for robbers, so he decided to watch for now.

"Let them go."

The woman who seemed to be the leader of the robbers let the train go peacefully.

The crew and engineer looked at the five hostages with pity, but ultimately had no choice but to restart the train and leave.

'You can't abandon over a hundred passengers to save five hostages.'

Verity, staring blankly at the departing train with its noise and steam, grew curious.

'What's the purpose of this kidnapping?'

The robbers had only taken the hostages, leaving the other passengers' money and food untouched.

Checking the train after it left, there was no damage, and the tracks weren't broken.

"...We, we did it!"

"Wooow!"

The robbers celebrated their own joy.

"Ah, sorry for startling you."

The leader shrugged and casually explained.

"It's our first time pulling a train heist, so we got a bit excited."

"First time?"

"We'll send you back safe and sound, so don't worry."

"What's the reason for this?"

Ian asked in a wary voice.

"Can't tell you. Because then we'd have to kill you."

The answer was cheerful and deadly.

---

I was walking alone through the Clavis mansion's hallway.

'Hmm, have my Korean family stopped appearing in my dreams?'

When I fell asleep exhausted from overtime, I used to have nightmares about my abusive family.

But this time, instead of a nightmare, I was revisiting my childhood memories that I didn't remember.

'Will I meet that boy, my brother, again?'

The Clavis mansion was as grand as ever.

And still full of people.

The employees were busy managing the household, and the aides were helping their masters.

Just then.

"Little Madam."

A young employee who passed by quickly called out to someone.

Little Madam.

'If it's the Clavis little madam...'

Before I could recall the answer, a beautiful woman's face came into view.

Lush, fine navy-blue hair.

Sparkling blue eyes.

A face that radiated intelligence and kindness at once.

The Clavis little madam received a thin book from a young employee with charming freckles.

"Little Madam, it's the storybook you were looking for."

"Thank you for finding it. Where was it?"

"It was in the pavilion in the White Rose Garden."

"Hmm..."

The Clavis little madam smiled curiously and looked down.

There was a little girl who looked about four years old.

A girl so lovable and cute, a perfect miniature of her mother.

"Habi, how did this happen?"

"Uuuh?"

"'Uuuh' isn't an answer."

"Uuuuh?"

"'Uuuuh' isn't an answer either. And don't wiggle your butt cutely."

The young employee was desperately pretending not to hear the mother-daughter conversation.

It was the young Hebenia who finally surrendered.

"Habi didn't know, so please forgive me."

"You're so shameless."

"I take after Father!"

The little madam burst out laughing, hugged her daughter tightly, and lifted her up.

After parting with the employee, the mother and daughter entered a room.

Hebenia, following as if possessed, quickly realized it was her own childhood room.

"Mother, read me the storybook!"

"If I read it to you, you have to take a nap. Okay?"

"Okay."

The little madam settled beside Hebenia on the bed and opened the book.

"Today, I'll tell you the story of the Savior's Three Trials."

"Habi likes this one."

"Mommy likes it too."

A chaotic world.

God sends three trials to find a hero to save the world.

Many attempt the trials but fail; only one overcomes them and is chosen by God.

"Mother, what is a trial?"

"There are three trials in this story."

The first is the trial of qualification—to find the infinite potential within you.

The second is the trial of courage—to use that power to help those in need.

The third is the trial of decision.

"Decision?"

"Choosing. Choosing what to do."

"Habi is going to sleep now! Sleepy-sleepy!"

Surely, important information had been revealed.

But.

"......"

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the tender mother-daughter scene, like a picture from a storybook.

'It's always what I...'

What I'd always wanted.

What I'd desperately longed for, even in my dreams, had existed in a memory I didn't know.

My mother, kissing my sleeping forehead, tucking in my blanket, and then, unable to tear herself away, watching over me.

"I love you, Habi."

At those words, I bowed my head.

The child I was would have taken that boundless love for granted.

But the me of now, I didn't know how to accept a mother's love that poured out not as payment, but as if there was never enough.

'Chae Habin' had never received such a thing.

"My baby."

Someone gently lifted my head.

Blue eyes, like my brother's, reflected only me.

"My baby."

"......"

"You've been through a lot of pain, haven't you?"

"Ah, ah..."

"Habi, come here."

My mother opened her arms wide.

And I, pretending to give in, fell into her embrace.

Even though it was a dream, the warmth, the scent I'd unknowingly missed, the gentle embrace, and the loving voice.

"You did well. So well."

"......"

"My baby, you've worked so hard. Well done."

"Sob, sniff...!"

"Mommy is always watching. Always..."

"Waaah! Huuu!"

I cried more pitifully than a four-year-old.

---

"Doctor, is she really okay?"

"How can she be in so much pain..."

The robbers surrounded Hebenia, who lay on the bed, endlessly worried.

"Get back, all of you! I can't treat her like this!"

A thin man with round glasses swung his stethoscope like a whip.

The robbers shrieked and finally backed away.

"How long has she had the fever?"

"......"

"Guardian?"

"Ah, about four hours now."

"It doesn't seem life-threatening. No signs of infection, and no issues with what she ate..."

The doctor examined Hebenia carefully.

"At this age, fevers often come without reason, so don't worry too much. Let's give her an IV and monitor her."

"Thank you."

Not that the fever would go down because of it.

Verity bowed deeply to the doctor who had kindly treated the hostage.

"Sir."

The robber leader, who had been watching by the door, called out to Verity.

"Leave your sister here, and let's talk in the next room."

Following the leader into the next room, Ian, Libby, and Olive were sitting on a three-seater sofa. Verity sat comfortably on the opposite sofa.

The leader, seated at the head, spoke.

"Sorry for scaring you. As promised, we'll send you back safe and sound, so don't worry. Feel free to report this when you go back. Want me to give you the address?"

"What's the purpose of this?"

Ian repeated the question he hadn't gotten an answer to.

The leader smiled, saying she still couldn't answer.

"If you knew, you wouldn't leave here alive."

"Do you live here?"

Olive asked.

The leader readily changed the subject.

"It's a temporary lodging. We wander and live."

"There were children too..."

Nema recalled the sight she'd seen earlier.

This was a small mansion built on a shallow mountain slope. The kind of place wealthy nobles might rent for a summer vacation.

But the robbers lived here as if it were a small village.

About five children played in the garden, and laundry fluttered vigorously in the sunny yard.

To Nema, it looked just like life in the exile camp.

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