The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 56

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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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Our Neighborhood’s Strongest (56)
“It’s not about setting Gain up as another nobleman. It’s about making him our representative so we can win autonomy for the people living in the Crerarion Mountain Range from the kingdom.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Once he becomes the representative, he’ll need money to maintain that autonomy. Where will that money come from? Eventually he’ll demand taxes from us.”
“Right. He’ll definitely demand taxes, and if we can’t pay, he’ll drive us out from here too.”
“If we’re driven out of here, we have nowhere left to go. Can’t we just keep living as we do now? We’ve managed well enough so far, haven’t we?”
Those opposed to making Jang Gain their representative were few, but the villagers could not ignore their voices, so they sent Kurel to summon him to the meeting hall.
When Jang Gain arrived at the meeting place, he listened to those who feared the collection of taxes and let out a short sigh.
“The reason I wish to become the representative of the various peoples living in the Crerarion Mountain Range is to prevent hunters and mercenaries from entering the forest to kill and abduct our people.”
As Jang Gain spoke, Korhwan—the villager who had raised his voice loudest on the matter of taxes—opened his mouth.
“Even if you become the representative with the consent of every person living in this mountain range, maintaining autonomy will still require soldiers, won’t it? And feeding, clothing, housing, and training those soldiers costs money. Money you’ll eventually collect from us as taxes.”
“Any power must bear minimal maintenance costs to survive. If I become the representative and win autonomy, I will conscript some of you as soldiers and collect taxes. There’s no way around it.”
“We fled into the forest and live like this because we didn’t want to pay taxes. Are you really going to collect them anyway?”
“Without autonomy, mercenaries and hunters will keep coming to kill you and abduct your families. How much longer will you endure that?”
“But we came all this way into hiding precisely because we didn’t want to pay taxes……”
“The taxes I collect won’t be excessive like those the kingdom’s nobles demanded. I’ll take only what’s truly necessary, and I’ll establish trade with the kingdom and the empire using the special goods produced here in the mountains. Then you won’t have to buy grain and necessities at inflated prices as before, and your lives will improve.”
“Tell us here and now how much ‘what’s necessary’ amounts to. That way we can decide whether to continue living here and paying taxes, or retreat deeper into the forest.”
“To be honest, I’ve never served as a lord before, so I don’t know exactly how much I should collect. If anyone here has wisdom in such matters, please help me.”
When Jang Gain finished speaking, the eyes of numerous villagers focused on Korhwan.
“Korhwan, since you’re most sensitive to tax matters, why don’t you collect whatever amount is necessary yourself?”
“What? Me? Asking me—who doesn’t want to pay taxes—to collect them? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Either you retreat into the forest swarming with monsters, or you’ll have to stay here and pay taxes anyway. If Gain becomes the representative of the mountain range and maintains autonomy, have Korhwan watch beside him and calculate directly how much money needs to be collected. That way you’ll know whether he’s taking too much or too little, won’t you?”
Jang Gain listened to them and nodded.
“I think that’s a good idea too. If Korhwan watches beside me and helps me, I won’t waste the taxes I collect, will I?”
“No, I…… Sigh! Very well. I’ll serve as your steward.”
“Thank you. So this village consents to my becoming the representative of the people of the Crerarion Mountain Range?”
“Yes. From now on, Gain is our one and only representative.”
“Thank you. I hope the other villages will reach the same conclusion.”
Kurel’s Father, who had heard Jang Gain’s words, tilted his head and opened his mouth.
“Gain, but what if another village, unlike ours, strongly opposes you becoming the representative?”
“If they strongly oppose it, then I can’t do it. Why would I become the representative of the Crerarion Mountain Range villages despite their opposition for some glory? I said I’d do this because I feel for those being hunted and taken as slaves. If the majority prefer to live as they do now, I’ll abide by the majority’s will.”
“You have no intention of persuading those who oppose you? Or subduing them by force?”
“I’ll try to persuade them, but I have no intention of imposing my will through force.”
“I see. Very well. I hope many will support your view.”
* * *
After visiting all six squatter villages, sending the free people home, and distributing food and supplies, Jang Gain was unexpectedly appointed as the representative of the Crerarion Mountain Range from all six villages.
Satisfied with this welcome result, as he was heading toward Houwan Village where the Dwarven people lived, Smith called to Jang Gain during their midday meal break.
“Mister Gain, come over here for a moment, would you?”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to have Tomi attack that tree using the Heavenly Demon Army Technique. Would you watch?”
Hearing Smith’s words, Jang Gain’s expression grew curious.
Two days ago, when the earth spirit had demonstrated the Heavenly Demon Army Technique, he had been startled and felt a twinge of envy.
“Did you practice while I was making rounds through the other villages?”
“Yes. Every time my Spirit Power recovered, I kept practicing.”
“All right, show me.”
“Yes.”
Thump.
Crack……
When a tree thick as a man’s embrace split cleanly from root to crown in a single stomp from Smith, Jang Gain’s eyes went wide.
“Wow! Finally! Mister Gain, how is it? By concentrating the dispersed force into a single point, we split such a huge tree in half!”
“Huh, unbelievable! What am I looking at right now? The Heavenly Demon Army Technique is clearly a wide-range attack meant to face multiple enemies, but to concentrate it into a single point like that! Is this child a genius? Or is the earth spirit Tomi a genius? I’m starting to feel like the fool here.”
“Sir, you should give us your assessment. Isn’t Tomi amazing?”
“Mm, amazing. Seems like he does it better than I do.”
“Oh, no matter how well I do it, it’s nothing compared to you. You shattered a boulder the size of a house, after all.”
“My Inner Power is far greater than your Spirit Power, so my destructive force is bound to be superior. But I don’t have the confidence to alter the Heavenly Demon Army Technique’s attack form the way you do.”
“Really? But Tomi says you could do it too.”
After Smith suddenly spoke with the mole-shaped mound of earth, he tilted his head in confusion. Jang Gain smiled ruefully.
“Your spirit Tomi is overestimating my abilities. No matter how hard I concentrate, I can’t narrow the blast radius like you can.”
“If you make a covenant with a spirit, you could do it too, sir.”
“Haven’t I told you already? No matter how hard I listen, I can’t hear the whisper of the wind spirit. That’s why I haven’t been able to make a covenant.”
“Tomi says that right now, around you isn’t just the lower-rank wind spirits that usually loiter about—a quite powerful wind spirit is flying around and keeps asking to make a covenant with you.”
“That’s right! I thought the mountain wind was blowing unusually hard today, but was it because of that? Well, my ears still only hear the whistling of the wind.”
“The wind spirit circling around you right now is high-ranked, so Tomi says we can make a preliminary covenant just by having it relay messages in between, which would allow us to communicate.”
Jang Gain’s eyes went wide.
“A preliminary covenant? If we can communicate, we might be able to make a true covenant as well.”
“That should be possible.”
“Then tell Tomi to relay a message to it. Tell it I want to make a covenant.”
“Understood.”
After a moment, the earth spirit’s mouth moved as if murmuring toward empty air, and a humming sound came from the wind.
Smith spoke.
“It says, Jang Gain, stretch your right hand forward and emit spirit power while speaking your name. It wants to know if you wish to enter the Primordial Covenant with Xilun, the wind spirit.”
“Xilun? Usually don’t we give them their name after making a covenant?”
“Xilun had contracted with a druid before, so it already has a name.”
“Ah, I see. All right. I am Jang Gain, and I wish to enter the Primordial Covenant with the wind spirit Xilun.”
Wheeeee. Hummmmm, hummmmmmm…….
Suddenly, a violent whirlwind erupted around Jang Gain’s outstretched right hand, and the sound of the wind grew louder. And finally, Jang Gain’s ears picked up the sound the wind spirit was making.
―At last we are connected. Human who wishes to make a covenant with me. Can you hear my voice speaking in the tongue of mankind?
Jang Gain started in surprise.
The spirit’s voice rang in his ears as if a martial master were using sound transmission.
‘Is it raising wind with the spirit power I’m giving it, and carrying sound on that wind?’
Since the sound came from the center of the whirlwind spinning in front of his hand, he sent back a message the same way, toward that center.
―I hear it. The voice of the wind spirit at last reaches me.
―Wait? How can you speak directly to me? I’ve never seen a human do this before.
―Ah, so you’ve never heard sound transmission before. Since my energy is flowing to you anyway, I simply spoke through that energy directly.
―That a human can use a method so similar to how we spirits communicate—how remarkable! I am Xilun, the wind spirit. You, my covenant-bearer, are Jang Gain. Now, according to the Primordial Covenant, each time I act in this world, you must lend me your spirit power, and in return, you may demand of me whatever you wish.
―I understand. Oh, and they mentioned that the spirit power I’m supplying right now is somewhat refined. Is it acceptable for you to use?
―Spirit power from lower-ranked spirits is difficult for them to use, but for me to use it poses no problem.
“Right, I’m glad. All right. According to the Primordial Covenant, I, Jang Gain, swear that I will lend you spirit power and in return will make my wishes known to you.”
―With this, the covenant between you and me is complete.
Wheeeeeee…….
As Xilun declared the completion, the wind gathered with light toward its center and became a small bird, about the size of a sparrow.
―Huh? Tomi said it was intermediate rank or higher, but… the size is quite small?
―I must use your spirit power sparingly, so I manifested as a small bird. If you wish, I can change my size and form however you like.
―Use as much of my spirit power as you want. Make yourself bigger.
―Understood.
The sparrow-sized bird grew to the size of an eagle in an instant, then swiftly became as massive as a wyvern.
―Wow! It became enormous. But it’s not draining as much energy as I expected?
―I only enlarged the form. When attacking or defending with wind against enemies, I could need several times, or even dozens of times more spirit power than now.
―Right, it’s only the external appearance, so it wouldn’t require that much spirit power. But you said earlier you can change form however you wish?
―That’s correct.
―Then could you take the form of a dragon? People tell many stories of dragons, but no one I’ve met claims to have seen one, so I’m curious what they actually look like.
―A dragon? I have seen dragons before. If you wish, I can take the form of one I have seen.
―Yes, try it.
Whirrrrring…….
Jang Gain felt a considerable amount of inner power converted into spirit power being drawn away and was slightly surprised.
‘I didn’t feel that pull when it changed into a wyvern….’
Soon after, the spirit in wyvern form expanded, and from head to tail dragging along the ground, it became a massive dragon roughly seventy meters in length, with wings spread to what appeared to be fifty meters across.
An enormous mouth that looked like it could crush ogres, sharp teeth, piercing eyes, sturdy-looking horns, scales like iron plating covering its entire body, short front legs compared to massive hind legs, a long tail dragging along the ground, and razor-sharp claws.
Despite being merely a wind spirit taking this form, it emanated pure intimidation.
―Ah! This is not the dragon I knew. I thought it would look similar since the abilities were alike, but…. And it’s absolutely enormous. Is this what dragons actually look like?
―Yes. The Green Dragon Noxkasarsis who lives in this mountain range looks like this.
Jang Gain’s eyes went wide.
―What? You mean there’s a green dragon living in this mountain range?
―A Worm Rank dragon about three thousand years old lives here.
―Then would it be about this size right now?
―Five hundred years ago it was about this size, but it’s likely much larger by now.
―But five hundred years ago—it could have died or moved somewhere else?
―Once a dragon creates a lair, it rarely moves away. I don’t know whether it has died since then or still lives, but there is a very high probability it still exists.
While Jang Gain marveled and expressed wonder at the dragon formed by the wind spirit, Smith and the surrounding people were aghast.

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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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