The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief in Exile - Chapter 105

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 105
* * *
I remained at the platform until the train carrying Grandfather disappeared from sight.
‘Grandfather is something else.’
The moment he saw my letter, he bounced with such excitement.
‘At least his spirit seems as sturdy as ever. Thank goodness for that.’
After putting the sketchbook back into my dimensional pocket, I used my ability to move to the Sacred Shrine.
I wanted to hurry back to the village and rest, but there was something I needed to do first.
The Deste Sacred Shrine I arrived at was in a flurry of activity.
Several days ago, the Holy King had officially proclaimed the Deste Sacred Shrine a sacred site.
Having received official recognition as a holy place where an angel descended three times in succession, they were preparing in advance for the flood of visitors that would soon arrive.
‘Once the mourning period ends, the visitors will pour in for real.’
The shrine still carried the weight of sorrow—the grief had not yet fully lifted from the air.
Yet pride shone from the faces of the busy clergy.
They seemed to find honor in maintaining a shrine graced by an angel’s descent, in serving the divine will within these walls.
‘I hope that pride never curdles into arrogance.’
Knock, knock.
I arrived at the appointed room.
Just as I reached for the door, someone inside opened it first.
“Lord Olive.”
This was the guest room where Olive was staying.
Dressed in ordinary clothes instead of her holy knight’s uniform, Olive looked considerably younger—now she appeared every bit of sixteen.
“I’m a little late from seeing the Holy King off.”
Olive laid three cushions on the chair for me to sit, and I nimbly hopped up onto them.
“So, shall we discuss the southern expedition?”
In exchange for receiving Olive’s help, I had promised to travel south with her.
This meeting was a preliminary conference to fulfill that promise.
Olive asked me a question.
“Do you remember the victims we rescued from the Antemma Research Institute?”
“Yes.”
Six victims who had nearly fallen prey to human experimentation at the hands of those mad researchers.
“Three men and three women. Two of the women were young sisters.”
“You remember clearly.”
Well, I’d planned to bring those victims back to the village and make them residents anyway.
‘Hmm, did I sound like a kidnapper just now?’
Those people surely had hometowns and families of their own somewhere.
A belated twinge of guilt made me smack my lips involuntarily, and that’s when Olive brought up those younger sisters among the victims.
“Those children came from the Southern Orphanage.”
“The South?”
“According to the children’s testimony, the sisters were taken to the Antemma Research Institute while on their way to their adoptive home.”
“Surely not…….”
“There’s a high likelihood this is organized human trafficking.”
It wouldn’t be just any organization.
‘If they were taken to the research facility while heading to their adoptive home…….’
The Imperial Court.
It meant the Imperial Court had involvement in arranging the human experimentation.
‘At worst, even the orphanage might be implicated.’
If that were true, there might be far more victims than just those two sisters.
‘These insane bastards……!’
No matter how mad they were, what was the Emperor doing committing crimes against his own people?
I was left speechless, too stunned to even muster proper curses. This was the kind of situation where anger ran too deep for words—the Emperor really had gone too far.
“However, the shrine has no means to intervene in this matter.”
The shrine could only exercise authority over cases involving desecration of the sacred.
So even if the kidnapped children were subjected to undead experiments, if the abduction itself was separate from those experiments, the shrine couldn’t investigate the kidnapping.
“Therefore, I took a leave of absence.”
To investigate the kidnapping case at the Southern Orphanage, Olive had stepped down from her authority.
“I see.”
So that’s why she needed my help and the villagers’ assistance.
“I understand that it’s difficult for you and the villagers to move about freely. Yet you seem to manage quite well despite those constraints.”
“Listen to this one talking.”
Has my willingness to help completely vanished?
But a promise is a promise, after all.
‘And I have business in the South myself.’
To acquire the factory, I really did need to go see it with my own eyes.
Of course, since I had neither experience nor knowledge in such matters, my plan was to use my ability to summon adults as soon as I arrived in the South, then hand over full authority to them.
‘And then I can help Olive.’
I nodded in agreement.
“When will we depart?”
“His Majesty procured train tickets for us.”
Olive showed me the tickets.
‘Let me see….’
Temari Territory.
‘Temari Territory is right next to Intmari Territory, where the factory candidate is!’
Travel time: two nights, three days. Departure date: one week from now.
And first-class accommodations.
“…First-class?”
“Yes.”
Olive’s tone sounded reluctant somehow.
“First-class, no less. Even His Majesty—why such extravagance….”
“What are you talking about! Grandpa had plenty of money!”
“…Grandpa?”
“Should I bow three times toward where His Majesty is?”
Which direction was west?
I bowed three times toward the direction the Holy King had left on the train.
* * *
And so.
“We shall prepare for the village chief’s inauguration!”
“It was only recently that you mentioned preparing a grand reception according to the dogs’ tastes, and now a third gathering has already come around….”
Returning to the village after a long time, I immediately convened a town assembly.
For reference, this third assembly was attended only by the twelve who had been with me since my exile.
Ordinarily all the residents should attend, but if our numbers kept growing, trouble was inevitable.
So I decided to set limits from now on.
Verity spoke up.
“If you’re going to hold an inauguration ceremony, you should have done it a few months ago when you first received the position.”
“Impudent butler. You’re to prepare five flower wreaths.”
“Five of them?”
While Verity deliberated how to prepare the wreaths,
I explained to the residents why we suddenly needed an inauguration ceremony.
“Recently, there was a tragic sorrow in my Deste Territory.”
“It’s not your territory.”
Ian made a jab, but I pretended not to hear.
“Sharing grief and comforting one another is a noble thing.”
Our village too adorned its doors with interwoven white and black ribbons and displayed white flowers.
However, remaining mired in sorrow isn’t good.
“I’m not suggesting we hold the ceremony at once. Our village will observe a mourning period similar to the Deste Territory’s, and then we’ll hold the celebration.”
Because our village is small, cooperative acts among the community are quite important.
“Besides, the first aid boxes are selling quite well.”
As thanks, I wanted to arrange a festival for them to enjoy.
“I shall make sure you all have a marvelous time!”
“We’d prefer compensation in money.”
The adults nodded at Libi’s suggestion.
“Hmph.”
I snorted derisively.
“How absurd, dear residents.”
I sprang to my feet on the chair with three cushions stacked beneath it.
“Does it seem like I, Hebenia, would insult your labor with a mere five million Ribs in bonus per person?”
“What’s this—you were the best boss after all.”
“I ask you all to attend the inauguration ceremony and perform entertainments for my sake.”
“What’s this—you were the worst boss….”
Sighhhhh.
Starting with Libi, jeers erupted from all corners of the room.
‘We’ve gotten close enough to mock each other openly now.’
I pressed on, explaining the true purpose of the inauguration ceremony.
“When His Majesty appears, everyone rushes over and kneels with such reverence—it’s beautiful to watch. I’m the master and ruler of this village too, so shouldn’t I be allowed to enjoy that sort of thing?”
“Why in the world would you learn that…….”
Ian, who styled himself my educator, buried his face in both hands.
“You should have emulated His Majesty’s character and virtue instead.”
“I thought he was a dictator, but it turns out a cult leader is your career aspiration.”
Verity, meanwhile, responded with all the enthusiasm of a parent who’d given up on their child’s education long ago.
“Well, half of that was a joke.”
I calmed the increasingly chaotic assembly.
“People of the village. Have you ever seen me do anything carelessly?”
“Well, come to think of it…….”
“Never once.”
The villagers nodded in agreement.
‘All my hard work as village head paid off!’
Moved by their faith, I dropped the playfulness entirely and explained the ceremony with genuine sincerity.
“During this inauguration, all of you simply need to perform little acts for my amusement and entertainment.”
“That’s even worse than before.”
“And attendance is mandatory for everyone. No exceptions.”
Horror spread across the adults’ faces.
And then, at that very moment.
I announced it.
“I’m giving a house to every participant as a gift!”
One per household?
No.
“One house per person!”
“Long live the village head!”
“Your loyal Modi already knew of your wisdom, Madam Village Head, indeed he did.”
“Don’t lie, mister! Havi, sister saw it—he was the one jeering the loudest!”
“Who’s just a village head! Hebenia is an Empress! Our Sovereign!”
“Kyaaah! Village head, I want one!”
“Ugh! My vocabulary can only express the radiance of the village head with ‘ugh, oh’, but her beauty is enough to steal away my wit!”
I swayed my hips in the midst of thunderous cheers.
Verity, who had been observing from the sidelines like a detached bystander, muttered flatly.
“Well, everyone seems to be having fun.”
“I’ll make sure to praise you to the nobles later, Verity, saying how well you treated them.”
“Miss, I shall become your steed from now on. Please ride me about.”
* * *
[The First Hebenia Village Head Inauguration Commemoration Talent Festival]
The Old Medicine Merchant read the notice posted on the board and spoke thus.
“Was this village actually a cult?”
“Look at the bottom, sir.”
Elba, a pharmacist with an affinity for matters of death, pointed to the details written on the notice.
[*All village residents are obligated to attend.
*All participants will receive a house as a gift.
*Details of prizes will be announced later.]
The Old Medicine Merchant let out a hollow laugh.
“A cult this trustworthy is worth believing in.”
“When you think about it, Hebenia probably came up with this eccentric plan specifically so she could give houses to all of you.”
“That’s high-level strategy.”
“Strategy, you say?”
Elba’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Old Medicine Merchant nodded slowly.
“Everyone in this village right now is connected to banishment in some way.”
And the residents who will move in from now on have nothing to do with banishment whatsoever.
“You are the original residents who endured alongside the village head and survived to the end. So it’s only right that you receive a little more.”
“But still…….”
“If I gave houses to every newcomer the same way, would they carefully record their gratitude in a notebook the way you did for a seven-year-old’s help?”
Not a chance.
The Old Medicine Merchant laughed bitterly at his own question.
“Humans will kill the goose that lays golden eggs just to pocket a few coins.”
And it was human nature too—to hold a blade and extort for more instead of thanking someone for their help.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————