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Volume 1 Chapter 14-2: Village Headman 【Village Chief】

 

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Two days after I introduced the crossbow.

During that time I had dug a well as Kuiro using 【Samsara Recursion】.

「It’s ridiculous that we have to go all the way to the forest every morning for water.」

Up until now we would have to carry a heavy jar to a spring near the mountains. No matter how you looked at it it was a hassle.

Around noon I had used my Elven magic to grasp the flow of the water underground and its quality. After I checked that it was drinkable and it wouldn’t cause land subsidence, I used the power of the dwarf Kuiro to dig a hole and bake the sides of it solid.

I had considered making a water pump but as long as the villagers could see the water they would be able to use water magic to easily draw it up.

It was a quick make-shift well, but it was quite popular.

I’d continue to make minor contributions like that while I continued producing crossbows and “special” crossbow bolts for when we fight humans.

However, the overall plan for the village hasn’t been decided. The Village Chief continued to refuse to fight against the Empire.

The villagers were growing more dissatisfied as the days passed. There were even some who wanted to change who was the Village Chief.

I was steadily moving to spread this opinion.

As I treated my patients…

【I’ve heard talk of changing the Chief.】

I said each time…

【I’ve heard rumors that the Chief has already drank the Honey Mead that I stole by himself.】

I said as if it was simply small talk.

Others were…

【Many of the Elves who had their magic stones taken were hated by the Chief huh….】

I went about spreading bits of truth amongst the rumors.

Normally people would basically ignore these kinds of rumors and that’d be the end.

However, with how the village is now these rumors spread like fire. It was changing the general consensus of the villagers and started to mentally corner the Chief.

Even without taking direct action, the villagers’ animosity was being stoked. It was easily imaginable what would happen if the villagers were provoked at this point.

The Chief would never say he wanted to fight the Empire. He couldn’t give up the life of relative comfort and ease that he was currently enjoying.

Even so, if I said that he was obeying the Empire completely I don’t know what the villagers would do.

As time passed without saying anything, the situation worsened.

The Chief was now at a dead-end.

It was their that I placed my poisonous bait. Once he chose the easy third option I provided…he’d be on the road to ruin.
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It was late in the night.

Whenever I slept I would keep one part of my consciousness linked with the wind mana.

It was a habit I picked up on the battlefield. Sleeping time was the most dangerous time. Furthermore I was the subject of someone’s resentment.

And one other things…I was monitoring my trap.

The wind mana sounded my mental warning.
The prey was finally caught in the trap.

「Wow, I thought it’d take a little longer…but he was surprisingly impatient.」

I opened my eyes and tuned my senses to the wind mana, increasing my vision range.

It was late in the night, but a single wagon was trying to leave the village.

I had installed devices around the village. They were thin metal boxes with metal balls inside them that made a loud jarring sound when violently blown by the wind.

I made the wind blow as hard as I could.

The sound of the jangling metal echoed throughout the village as all the Elf Villagers woke up and left their homes to see what the commotion was.

I hurried out of my home as well and kicked of the ground. I was using wind mana to let me move at high speeds.

In a moment I reached the village entrance and struck a daunting pose in front of the wagon and its occupants who were trying to calm the frightened horses.

「What are you trying to do so late at night Chief?」

I said with a gentle tone and a huge smile.

「Cyril why!? Move out of the way!」

The driver was the Chief and the passengers were his wife, their son, and his son’s wife.

「Move? Are you in a rush or something? Why don’t you answer me?」
「Shut up! If you don’t move I’ll run you down!」

The Chief had finally calmed the horse and whipped forward.

It was comical that he thought that a horse could do me in.

I used the wind to trip the horse in a way that it would not injure itself.

Then, exactly as planned, the luggage fell from the wagon and its contents spilled on the ground.

It was the valuable honey, pepper, salt, dried mead and wheat, and one more heavy sounding leather bag…..the trap I had placed.

「Oi, what’s going on!?」

A villager arrived and shouted.

Now I just had to set the scene.

「Well, I set up a sound trap to alert us if the Empire soldiers came attacking. But when I came to look the Chief was in this wagon trying to leave the village late in the night. When I called out to him he tried to run me over and I couldn’t help but fight back.」
「This isn’t a small matter…….」

The onlookers increased…now to stoke the fire.

「Now then Chief…..what were you doing out here at this time of night?」

I could see the cold sweat drip off his forehead as he kept silent.

Well then, let’s gather some circumstantial evidence.

「The luggage area has….alcohol, pepper, and all sorts of valuables. there’s even dried meat and wheat. Enough for four people to eat for about two weeks.」

My words allowed the more perceptive villagers to begin piecing things together.

「And look isn’t that the gold I stole from the supply base?」

I had taken money along with the food and weapons.

It was low on my list of priorities so I only took what I found, however there was still around 50 gold coins and 200 silver coins.

Looking more carefully there was one more bag which I had no knowledge of.

I opened it and looked inside to see a bag packed full of bronze and silver coins. The Elf village rarely used physical money, but we always kept enough just in case. He had taken that as well.
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