The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief in Exile - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26
Fortunately, the word “sister” that had escaped my lips went unheard in the chaos unfolding at the Herb Shop.
The knights cordoning off the area around the Herb Shop building were familiar faces—the Imperial Knights who had camped outside the Primordial Forest.
“I’d noticed the number of knights watching the Primordial Forest had dropped, and now I see why…”
Berity trailed off with an air of disgust.
I squinted in the same direction, and a familiar face came into view.
‘That bastard—isn’t he the one who got chewed out by the Court Chamberlain for running his mouth?’
The sight of him standing there in his grave expression and bloodthirsty stare, monitoring the onlookers as though he were performing some grand task, turned my stomach.
Then more knights emerged from the building.
One of them wore not armor but an ornate dress uniform adorned with every manner of jewel. Seeing the other knights bow their heads, he was clearly their superior.
‘Two moles near his mouth…’
A striking impression.
The man came to a halt before the collapsed Herb Merchant Grandfather.
Thwack!
As the old man’s body flinched from the kick, my mind went white.
“Miss.”
Berity’s voice dropped to a warning.
“If you use your power, you’ll be scolded severely.”
Only then did I notice my right hand had lifted without thought.
“Take a deep breath. Slowly, and carefully.”
“Haa… haa…”
“I understand. We’re all feeling the same right now. But you have to hold back. Otherwise, Hebennia will be in greater danger.”
“Huuu…”
I barely managed to grip my composure as instructed.
‘Right. If I step in, they’ll discover the village people are alive, and I could even expose that Hebennia’s been secretly helping us.’
Once Berity confirmed I’d calmed down, she slowly lowered my trembling right hand.
The knights surrounding the Herb Merchant Grandfather spouted their nonsense.
“This criminal has defied His Imperial Majesty’s decree! For the grave crime of illegally distributing unverified medicinal herbs, this court sentences him to severe punishment under imperial law!”
“All who purchased herbs from this man shall present themselves at the magistrate’s office by tomorrow afternoon for voluntary confession, and all charges shall be dismissed. The purchased herbs must also be voluntarily returned!”
Then they forcibly hauled the collapsed Herb Merchant Grandfather to his feet, bound his hands and feet with rope, and dragged him away.
The old man remained utterly motionless the entire time. He had lost consciousness.
Only a small trail of blood was left at the spot where he had fallen.
No one among those watching dared step forward. The gleaming blades drawn by the armed knights barred any approach.
“…No, that’s not right.”
Elba shook her head in protest.
“Dulchovia is unquestionably an herb approved by the Imperial Herb Association. There are even records of it healing royalty! True, it hasn’t been seen for so long that people thought it was extinct, but…”
“Please calm yourself.”
Pex’s hand moved gently across Elba’s back.
“You are not mistaken, Elba.”
“That’s right. If there were any error, the Bleached Demon would have pointed it out immediately back then.”
Livy added her voice.
The day I had first summoned the Bleached Demon.
That well-meaning demon had personally verified the Dulchovia and other herbs growing profusely on the outskirts of the village, and confirmed they were genuine.
Moreover, he had immediately prepared Salve and Powdered Medicine from those herbs and distributed them among us.
That salve was now in my bag.
“We should move to another location.”
Following Berity’s suggestion, we made our way into a nearby alley.
In the meantime, I struggled quite a bit to swallow the bitterness rising in my throat.
“Miss.”
Berity met my eyes. Her smile was gentler and kinder than usual, brimming with concern for me.
The other adults shared the same expression.
“This is not your fault.”
“I know.”
Fortunately, I wasn’t foolish enough not to understand that.
“Hebennia can endure whatever happens to herself, but she truly hates to see others get hurt. The girl has a good heart…”
Elba and Pex emphatically agreed with Livy’s words.
“When those guards beat you before, Hebennia charged in and bit one of them without hesitation. We were all so shocked.”
“That’s what happened on the day we tried to escape the place of exile too.”
“Oh, our dear miss…!”
Berity chuckled with amusement at me.
“You play the part of shrewd and selfish so well, yet here you are—a soft touch who can’t help but give.”
“The village chief’s selflessness is a most admirable phenomenon.”
“Oh dear. Have we roused the despot?”
Everyone laughed at Berity’s halfhearted concern.
‘Still, the fact that the Herb Merchant Grandfather ended up like this… it’s our fault, really.’
So we had to help him.
I recalled what I’d witnessed just moments before.
The Deste Territory in upheaval over an Angel Descent, crowds of patients flooding in, Imperial Knights attacking the Herb Shop, the ornate attire of a man with two moles above his mouth.
‘……Something’s off.’
What am I missing?
While I puzzled over it, the adults were busy theorizing too.
“Where would they have taken him?”
“The Deste Mansion, most likely. The direction was that way, and noble estates typically have dungeons beneath them.”
“True—using a temple or inn in a situation like this would be difficult.”
“But there, in a place like that…….”
Elba spoke carefully.
“So many people died…….”
Ah.
“……Wait! Wait a moment!”
The adults turned to me with startled eyes. I blurted out the inconsistency I’d overlooked.
“Despite so many deaths, everything feels far too peaceful!”
The situation was chaotic thanks to the Angel Descent, but even accounting for that, the Deste Territory remained as serene as ever.
‘I alone saw over twenty corpses! And Count Deste himself, the lord of the territory, is dead——!’
In that instant.
A ghastly thought crystallized in my mind.
‘The Clavis Compendium: One Volume Complete.’ Part One, on Monsters.
[Fairy: ……A Lich is an extraordinarily powerful Undead creature.]
[Harvy: Undead?]
[Fairy: It means a creature that doesn’t die. Usually, an evil mage or a Lich curses corpses…….]
“The dead people… turned into Undead…….”
With those muttered words, we hurried toward the Deste Mansion.
* * *
The Deste Mansion remained as beautiful as a castle from a fairy tale, fit for a princess.
And the murdered servants bustled about, maintaining the estate.
“So all those people are… actually dead…….”
“I can hardly believe it even seeing it.”
“There’s no sign of decay or corruption—none of the typical traits you’d expect from corpses.”
Pex, Livy, and Elba spoke in turn.
“Strange. I thought Undead decomposed even if they didn’t die…….”
Hebennia, muttering to herself as she always did, turned to Berity seeking more detailed explanation.
The erudite demon butler had always taught her much.
“…….”
Yet even Berity wore a peculiar expression, cold sweat streaming down his face.
Hebennia found that look strangely familiar.
‘Ah yes—the face of a coworker cursing out a subordinate who’d caused trouble with inflammatory remarks all day long at the office!’
She’d even seen that expression on the day they first infiltrated the Deste Mansion.
‘What was the situation back then?’
The three of them—she, Ian, and Berity—had hidden in some room, and by chance, that room contained Count Deste, collapsed from a side effect of the Summoning Succession Ritual.
‘And in that room were two little mice and a demon…….’
Hebennia’s eyes widened.
“Could it be… another demon is involved?”
“…….”
Caught in the bull’s-eye, Berity hung his head low.
“High-Grade Curse Magic of this magnitude… there’s a good chance a demon was involved. Not certain, but for some reason, I’m sensing a certain… familiarity from those Undead…….”
“Hah!”
At his rambling excuses, Hebennia was thoroughly exasperated.
“But you said demon summoning was difficult! That only the exceptional could manage it! Yet here demons are being summoned left and right to clean up after the Emperor!”
“Ugh…….”
Berity could find no rebuttal and merely groaned.
Then.
“Footsteps……!”
The moment the group sensed a presence, they hurried into a nearby empty room and concealed themselves. Hebennia drew a Protective Barrier around the room as a precaution.
Soon the heavy footsteps of several people overlapped from beyond the door.
As the sound faded into the distance, Hebennia cracked the door open just slightly to peer outside.
She caught sight of the side profiles of people turning the corner of the corridor.
Ornate uniforms.
Two moles at the corners of the mouth.
The same man who had kicked the Herb Merchant Grandfather.
* * *
Molle Rebus.
A member of the Imperial Knights’ Third Guard, a man who had compensated through rope-walking, flattery, and eloquence.
His efforts had borne fruit, and at last he had become a nobleman.
“By His Imperial Majesty’s solemn command, We bestow upon Molle Rebus the Territory of Deste, the rank of Count, and the duty to govern the domain righteously.”
“I humbly receive His Imperial Majesty’s solemn command.”
A cold blade rested briefly atop Molle’s head, then fell away.
Rising slowly from his place, he surveyed the reception hall where his title had been granted, swift and silent.
The small but elegant atmosphere pleased him.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and the two moles there twitched.
Though the House of Deste was but a county, the Deste Territory was renowned for Magitech, and the revenues it drew were the envy of the great noble families.
The Court Chamberlain spoke.
“His Majesty holds great expectations of you.”
“It is an honor far beyond my station.”
“Indeed, far beyond your station.”
The Court Chamberlain’s mouth, which had remained stern throughout, relaxed slightly.
“Sir Ian, whom you betrayed—he was truly a man of excellence.”
“…….”
“With skill so remarkable that even Clavis House took notice. Perhaps he might have become history’s greatest swordsman…….”
Molle Rebus knew well that the Court Chamberlain was deliberately raising the subject of Ian to provoke him.
“…….”
Yet knowing this, Molle Rebus felt the words still draw blood, and his foot pressed down with force.
His dark military boot silently crushed the floor.

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