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Volume 5 Chapter 3 Part 5

「Because we came to the island, the village was burned down. There is no doubt about that. 」

「If you’re aware of what you did, then leave this village at once! 」

「No, we should kill them right now! 」

「Nobody wants you to overthrow the Rossini family! 」

One of the villagers yelled angerly.

(Nobody wants to overthrow them?)

Those words shook Siluca deeply.

She didn’t know if that’s what they really mean, but the hatred they’re throwing at them is definitely real.

(This is what the reign of the Rossini family has done to them…)

Because of the Rossini family, people started blaming the object of Rossins anger instead of the Rossini family itself for burning that village, which means that they’ve accepted the Rossini family’s tyranny as something absolute.

「I understand. We’ll be leaving this village shortly, but before we do, there’s just one thing that I want you to remember: we just came to this island, and they burned an entire village down because of it. As long as the Rossini family will continue to rule this island, the situation is only going to get worse as time goes on. I want to change that, and no matter what you’re going to say about it, when I’ll come back, it’ll still be to fight against the Rossini family. 」

Then Theo walked away, and the surrounding villagers opened the way for him. Luckily, he was able to leave the village safely, although at the back of his head he was afraid that he might actually be attacked by them.

「I didn’t expect that kind of reaction… 」

While walking west on the highway, Siluca looked at Theo as if asking for help.

「What should we do from now on? 」

「We have no choice but to do as you have suggested. All we can do now is go around the villages and show them the extent of our determination. 」

「Yes, but considering what we just witnessed, itt makes me feel like many more people from the island will be unwilling to stand up against the Rossinis. 」

Siluca sighed heavily.

「In a sense, the Rossini family’s rule achieved an admirable thing. It night be through fear and oppression, but they did manage bind the people’s hearts and control them thoroughly. 」

This is a so-called planned tyranny. That’s exactly why Theo can never forgive them for using it, but he cannot deny how effective it is.

「I know that, but even so, we have no choice but to keep going. Even if you throw a small stone into the pond, the ripples will eventually form and spread all across its surface. We just have to believe that the ripples that we’re going to create will turn into big waves in time. 」

Theo then hugged Siluca’s shoulders in order to encourage her.

「Yes… I agree… 」

Without even realizing it, Siluca almost broke into tears on the spot.

Theo must have known from the beginning that the method that Siluca suggested wouldn’t work.

(Now that we’ve started it, we have to see it through to the end.)

If Theo was prepared for it, then Siluca thought that she cannot be worse than him.

However, it seemed that the anxiety of not being able to predict what future might be holding in store for them still weighted heavily on her chest.

As they traveled west, they went from village to village, calling out to the villagers to help them overthrow the Rossini family.

However, wherever they went, the reactions of the villagers were similar to the ones living near the volcano. They were all afraid of getting involved with Theo and were telling him to immediately leave the village and be on his way. Sometimes, Theo and his companions were even attacked by the villagers.

Now that the minions of the Rossini family received information where Theo’s group has been sighted, they began to move more actively, so they had no choice but to avoid acting and moving in public as much as possible, so thy hid themselves in the mountains in the day and moved mostly at night. If it was not for Irvin, Luna and Emma’s vigilance, they wouldn’t be able to rest for even a moment in fear of being found out by their pursuers.

Eventually, the food reserves that they had were completely exhausted, and it became difficult to procure more of it, but whenever they managed to gather some ingredients, they gave it to Irvin so that he could turn them into a dish that they could all eat.

Everyone gathers ingredients and makes a dish that Irvine can eat.

「This reminds me of the old days… 」

Theo muttered to himself while eating the poor meal.

「Is this how you lived back when you were a wandering Lord. 」

「Yeah… but sometimes it was even worse than that. 」

When Siluca asked him, asks, Theo smiled wryly.

「Aren’t we close to the place where you were born now? 」

From the town of Laxia in the east of the island, it feels like they’ve gone halfway around the island in a clockwise direction. The party was now on the west side of the island.

「Well, it should be a little more further ahead… 」

Theo nodded with a complicated expression.

「Would you like to go there if we ever get the chance? 」

Siluca made a suggestion.

「Hmm…. I don’t know… 」

Theo hesitated and nodded. He seemed reluctant about it.

「If it’s your hometown we’re talking about, then you might be welcomed there, Lord Theo. 」

Theo is now a Baron, so his return to his hometown would definitely be a triumphant one. And just like it was back when he fought against Nabir Gerje, the King of Selvis, sometimes all it takes for the majority of people to rise up is to see one person standing up, just like it was when the master of the blacksmith and the others from the castle town followed Theo into battle. Siluca was hoping that it would be the same with the people from Theo’s hometown.

「Well, I don’t know about that. But you know what? Let’s go there anyway. I’m curious to see what happened in the village while I was gone. 」

Theo said as if he had already made his decision.

Then the entire party waited for nightfall and headed towards Theo’s hometown.

It was on the morning of the next day when they arrived at Marza village.

Since the Rossini family may have already infiltrated this village after they learned about Theo’s arrival on Sistina, before they entered the village, they sent Irvin to scout the situation in the village for them.

However, he has returned shortly after and reported that no member of the Rossini family or their forces have been seen

(That’s good to hear… but also more than a little strange.)

Despite her relief, Siluca still found that rather concerning.

When they entered the village, a man who was working in a field nearby noticed them and shouted towards them. He looked like a middle-aged man and was poorly dressed. Just like many of the other people of Sistina they’ve seen so far, he was very thin.

「Theo… is that you?!」

The man immediately stopped working with the irrigation tool he was holding.

「Long time no see, Fabio. 」

Theo replied.

「It was supposed to be a mockery. I didn’t expect you to really come back to the island. 」

A man named Fabio stared at Theo while giving him a sour look.

「Yes, I’m back here. How many years has it been since I left? 」

Theo narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the scenery of the village. Siluca was also following Theo’s gaze with her own.

It was a small village. Hundreds of poorly made houses were scattered along both sides of the road, and equally poorly growing vegetables were planted in the fields.

「I’m sorry to be asking this of you, but could you gather everyone from the village together for me? You may have already heard about it, but I want to liberate this island from the oppressive rule of the Rossini family, and I am appealing to all the villages on the island and their inhabitants for their cooperation. I want everyone to help me achieve that goal. 」

「 …… Okay. 」

The man was deep in thought for a while before answering, but then he left without hesitation.

Theo continued on and stopped at what looked like the main square of the village.

After a while of waiting, people gathered all around him with wistful expressions on their faces. Theo looked at each and every one of them as if he wanted to confirm their presence.

「I didn’t think you’d ever come back… 」