The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief in Exile - Chapter 87

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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 87
“You… you, young mistress…….”
The High Priest asked suddenly, his voice thin and reedy.
“I… just now that was…….”
He pointed at the empty space where I’d just pulled out the documents.
“Ah, Subspace?”
What else could I say?
I exhaled lightly and opened the Subspace again, pulling out a single book.
It was “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”—the exemplary self-help volume borrowed from our village library, a guidebook for the cultivation one must possess when the world seeks to oppress you.
“The thing is, it’s pretty cramped. Once I fit three or four books in there, it’s full.”
But the convenience is beyond words.
‘While I’m at it, maybe I should practice expanding the capacity?’
I made a mental note to ask Verity for training methods once I returned to the village.
…….
…….
…….
But the way they’d been looking at me since just now felt distinctly odd.
What was even more puzzling was that their shocked gazes seemed tinged with something like wonder.
Even the ordinarily composed and dignified Cherdo stood with his mouth hanging open.
‘Could it really be because of the Subspace?’
I know Subspace isn’t common.
‘But surely it’s not shocking enough to warrant this kind of reaction?’
Because the villagers always laughed it off with a casual ‘Oh, how fascinating!’ whenever Verity used her Subspace pouch.
Watching those adults, I naturally concluded: ‘Right, so Subspace pouches are the kind of technique that warrants about that level of surprise.’
‘……Wait?’
Or is it not?
I felt a flutter of unease and asked carefully.
“Could it be that Subspace is…….”
“The power to manipulate space is not within the domain of humanity.”
The High Priest’s voice emerged heavy, stripped of all humor. His temples twitched with each word he spoke, the cleanly shaved skin there quivering.
“At least, to the best of this lowly servant’s knowledge…….”
The High Priest paused mid-sentence and swallowed dryly.
“……It is a miracle that only saints who wield Divine Power—strength bestowed directly by the Divine—can handle.”
“Oh, no.”
I was done for.
* * *
“High Priest, I swear by the Divine—I am no saint.”
“Do not worry. I shall keep this secret.”
“This is an ability passed down through my bloodline for generations. It’s something I’ve endured through trials, bleeding and all……!”
“You have endured such trials?”
“I think it’s best if I just keep my mouth shut.”
The more I tried to explain, the deeper the misunderstanding grew.
In the end, I returned to the village utterly exhausted.
But as the village chief and someone for whom successful revolution was a future hope, I couldn’t afford to rest.
Though I’d earned the troublesome suspicion of the priests, I was acutely aware of my role and responsibilities.
“So then, what’s the name of the commerce guild?”
“We don’t have one yet.”
“To gain official recognition, you must have a name. It’s necessary for legal identification of the parties involved. It establishes legal standing…….”
“High Priest, did you happen to study business administration?”
The reason the commerce guild had no name yet was simple.
I hadn’t found one I liked.
“If we call it Ixelium, doesn’t that basically scream ‘find me’?”
“It’s like saying ‘we’re alive and this is ours,’ isn’t it?”
That evening.
Libi, who was drying my hair, suggested a solution.
“Why don’t you just hold a contest if you’re so torn about it?”
“A contest?”
“A public contest among the villagers. Offer a prize for it.”
“My kiss?”
“If there’s some grown man who lights up his eyes all wild trying to win that, wouldn’t it be gross? I’d rather not have that kind of creep living where I do.”
“Well, that’s fair enough…….”
Still, in those childcare novels, there were quite a few lunatics willing to risk their lives just for a single kiss from the baby protagonist.
‘Thankfully, the adults in our village aren’t like that.’
In any case, Hebenia was quite taken with Libi’s proposal.
So the next day.
Hebenia borrowed Verity’s laptop and created a promotional flyer.
“……Huh? Isn’t this Windows X?”
“Clavis gave it to me. He developed it for the Demon Realm based on the software. He even installed a VPN so we can bypass access to Earth’s intranet without being detected by the Multidimensional Alliance.”
“At this point, I’m not even surprised…….”
“By the way, this mobile phone was also a gift from Clavis.”
“What about mine?”
“You have a deal with His Lordship, don’t you? Put in the effort and earn one yourself!”
“Demonic creatures, the lot of them…….”
Even as Hebenia grumbled, her hands and eyes moved busily across the screen.
“Oh, this looks quite good.”
Verity grinned and nodded in approval.
[Commerce Guild Name Contest]
Beneath the bold title lay the stated purpose of the competition.
[Purpose of Contest: Revitalizing Community Engagement and Securing Original Ideas]
It sounded reasonably plausible.
“Miss, isn’t the real meaning of this that you’re extorting their creativity?”
“Shh!”
Hebenia pressed a finger to her lips, signaling her to keep quiet.
“Besides, I really thought hard about the prize!”
The prize for Ixelium Village’s first contest was none other than a Chief’s Wish Voucher.
[Present this voucher and the Chief will grant you any wish you desire.]
[However, the Chief reserves the right to review the content of your wish.]
It was a prize that made anyone’s heart race just looking at it.
Verity acknowledged this as well.
‘If only that part didn’t exist.’
Verity enlarged the grayish sentence beneath the prize description and changed its color to black.
[However, the Chief reserves the right to review the content of your wish.]
Upon spotting the conspicuous text, Verity gazed down at Hebenia with an expression that clearly read: ‘That’s downright cruel.’
Feeling that look, Hebenia quickly averted her eyes.
“I never thought the day would come when I’d say this, but even Clavis doesn’t go this far. This is just too malicious.”
“This is my genuine concern for our villagers.”
“All I see is malice brimming over, though?”
“Those good people—I wanted them to experience disappointment beforehand, so they never suffer greatly from being deceived. That’s my benevolence…….”
“Double benevolence and the villagers burn up.”
In the end, parts of the promotional material were revised.
[Present this voucher and the Chief will grant you one wish.]
[However, wishes that violate the law or contradict common sense may be rejected at the Chief’s discretion.]
[Examples: killing someone, making a particular person fall in love with you]
Once the revised flyer was posted throughout the village.
The village held its first contest.
Thanks to the extraordinary prize, village participation was unprecedented. So much so that they had to replace the ballot box twice during the one-week submission period.
“Oh, this is surprisingly hefty.”
Ian pulled the papers from the ballot box, gathered them into a large basket, and then dumped everything onto the table.
The papers that now covered the table white easily numbered over a hundred by rough count.
“My goodness……!”
Hebenia, moved by the sight, felt nothing but satisfaction.
“To think they’d participate with such enthusiasm!”
“The prize is amazing. You’re granting any wish, after all.”
“Havi, the way you say that makes me think even Ian submitted entries?”
“I doubt there’s a single villager who didn’t. Flora submitted three.”
“Come to think of it, I submitted ten myself.”
“I’m curious what wishes everyone’s so eager to make.”
Hebenia reviewed the submitted papers alongside Ian, Libi, and Verity.
“Hehe…….”
As time passed, Hebenia’s laughter never ceased.
‘Everyone really did write down only the most genuine wishes.’
That the guild would succeed and thrive.
That all their efforts would bear fruit.
True hearts yearning sincerely for the village’s boundless future.
Each name, brimming with such earnestness, filled Hebenia with gratitude beyond measure—each one precious beyond words.
“But emotions like this vanish the moment the population exceeds a hundred. As the saying goes, more people bring more troubles—the greater the crowd, the greater the sorrows.”
“Blast it, this demon has no tact whatsoever…….”
“Verity, let’s set such truths aside for now.”
“I’m losing my enthusiasm too.”
After such passionate discussion and careful deliberation,
the winning entry was announced.
[Ixel]
Below the winning name, the author’s reason for their entry was also posted:
[During my exile, I took up the hobby of gazing at the Morning Star. A single light that refused to fade even against the sunset—it protected me in darkness where I could not see even a hand’s breadth ahead.
Exilium was our new homeland, and the guild is the first foundation upon which we build our new future.
From the upheaval of exile, Ixelium was born.
Twelve stars gathered in the village, then sixteen, and now more than thirty.
When light gathers and shines brighter and more dazzling than the sun itself, our village will become the land where the most radiant light rises.]
The author of the winning entry was Deyf.
With her gift for prophecy—one who reads fate itself—she had envisioned a hopeful future for the village.
“Ixelium…….”
Hebenia turned the beautiful word over in her mouth again and again.
“Ixelium, Ixel, Ixel…….”
With each utterance, the village grew more beautiful, and its people seemed as though they would face any hardship or adversity by leaning on one another.
An ideal that existed only in imagination now felt as though it might take even the smallest shape in reality.
Truly, it was a word of magic.
Moved to tears, the Chief called an emergency assembly.
Hebenia proposed one matter to the residents, and it passed unanimously.
“From this day forward, our village shall be named Ixelium!”
Bang-bang!
The day the place of exile became a land of brilliance.
The Ixel Commerce Guild was founded.
* * *
Late in the night.
Someone pounded on the door of the Deste Temple.
The priests on duty were startled as they opened it, and there stood a young couple drenched in sweat, tears glistening in their eyes.
“Priests! Please, we beg you!”
“Our daughter suddenly developed a high fever and began convulsing……!”
“The physician’s office is closed now……!”
“Please, save our daughter!”
The child resting against the father’s back was unconscious from the raging fever.
The priests calmed the frantic parents and led them inside.
“Please lay the child here.”
“We’ve called for a Salvation Priest who can use Healing Magic—he should arrive shortly.”
A moment later, a priest with red hair appeared. On his left hand was a white ring denoting his rank as a Salvation Priest.
“…….”
As the Salvation Priest cast his Healing Magic, the child’s face gradually grew peaceful.
“The child should be fine now.”
After treating the child, the Salvation Priest gave instructions to another priest.
The priest who left and returned carried a small metal box.
The Salvation Priest spoke.
“Fortunately, there appear to be no serious complications with the child’s condition. Still, to be safe, we’ll keep watch here for the rest of the day.”
Then he held out the metal box.
“And I’ll give you this.”
“This is…….”
“A First Aid Box.”

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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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