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Volume 5 Chapter 3 Part 7

Even the Divine Crest Theory preached by the Order of the Crest supports that.

「Then, do you want to become a Lord as well, Fabio? If you swear allegiance to me and I recognize you as my subordinate Lord, you will also become a Lord with your own Crest capable of becoming a ruler of this village. Then, if that’d be your wish, I could leave the governing of this place up to you. However, I’ll only do that if you promise to do everything in your power to keep the villagers safe and make them happy. 」

「Look at you, saying all those pompous words… I can’t listen to it anymore. 」

But Fabio shook his head at Theo’s proposal.

「I’m not going to be serving under you! You’re not a Cornero, you’re just Theo! You’re Theo without a mother and Theo without a father! You’re just a stupid crybaby brat who was bullied all the time! 」

「That’s right. I’m just Theo. Nothing’s changed from before… 」

Theo replied calmly.

「I’m just doing what I think is right. You should also think about what is it that you truly want: to continue living in fear of the terror brought by the Rossini family? Or to bring that kind of life to an end? That’s all that I had to say. Thank you all for listening to me. 」

Theo bowed to the villagers and was about to leave.

He said exactly the same thing in other villages, but just like in those other villages, it didn’t look like Theo had any intentions of persuading the inhabitants of his village any further. Right now, he probably thinks that it’s enough to just plant the idea of revolting against the Rossini family into people’s hearts. He must be expecting that idea to create a ripple that will eventually change to become a big wave they needed.

put the silk into people’s hearts. I expect it to be a big wave.

「Wait! 」
At the moment when Theo was just about to leave the village, he heard a voice calling out to him, which caused everyone to turn around.

A young girl with her hair styled into two braids was chasing after him, panting.

「Rebecca?! 」

As soon as Theo saw the girl’s face, he screamed in surprise.

「Ah, so you do remember me! 」

The girl whom Theo called Rebecca stopped by him and her face became brightly lit… and then she jumped straight into Theo’s arms, causing Siluca to glare daggers at him from the side.

However, Theo didn’t care about that stare of hers. He exchanged hugs with Rebecca and had a nostalgic look on his face.

「You’ve grown up, but it was still pretty obvious that it was you. Well, it shouldn’t be all tha surprising seeing that I left the village quite a long while ago. 」

「I was so sad when you were gone, you know? 」

As the girl said this, she glanced at Siluca. Some kind of intuition was triggered in her because of that.

(A childhood friend whom he was on good terms with?)

Siluca was not calm in her heart at all, but for the time being, she decided to ignore that matter.

「You’ve grown into a fine man yourself, Theo. Yup, I always knew that you’d be different from the other boys from the village! 」

Rebecca spoke flatteringly to Theo.

「If it’s you we’re talking about, Theo, then I’m sure that you’ll be able to defeat the Rossinis. And if you become the new Lord, then this island will finally know peace, and everyone will be able to live happily. 」

「I sure hope so. 」

Theo nodded at Rebecca’s words.

「You know Theo, there’s something that I always wanted to say to you. Is there anywhere where we can be alone? Oh, I know! Why don’t we go to the secret granary that your father built? 」

The girl made a flirtatious suggestion. However, instead of turning her down, Theo nodded his head approvingly.

「I have a lot of things that I want to talk to you about as well, Rebecca… 」

Saying so, Theo turned to Siluca.

「Can I ask you to leave me alone with her for a while? 」

「Sure, take your time. 」

Aishela answered on Siluca’s behalf.

「Make sure to enjoy yourselves thoroughly. 」

Siluca said sullenly, but she couldn’t understand why Theo was winking at her just now when she said that.

「Really?! I’m so happy! 」

Rebecca clung onto Theo’s shoulder and started pulling him towards the field where the olives were planted. Before long, their figures disappeared beyond the nearby hill.

「Theo is also a man after all. Maybe now he’s going to reconsider some of his recent choices~~」

Aishela said happily.

「Apparently she’s his childhood friend, so maybe they’re going to reignite their passion towards each other after not seeing each other for so long? 」

「Lord Theo is not that kind of person. 」

She doesn’t know everything about Theo, but of that one thing she was definitely sure.

「That being sure, I am curious as to why she invited him like that. 」

「If all goes well, she might become the wife of the new Lord of this island, so I think it’s only natural for her to try to secure that position no matter what, don’t you think? 」

「If all goes well, huh? Can she really be that sure that Theo is going to overthrow the Rossini family? 」

「I definitely don’t think like that. 」

Aishela shrugged her shoulders.

「That’s obvious in the current situation. That’s why there shouldn’t be any reason for her to be going this far. Right now, it’s just a matter of the suspicion about the nature of her relationship with Lord Theo, and whether or not he’s going to get away with his innocence intact or not. 」

「Maybe that girl is not thinking that far ahead? 」

「She’s a woman, so she definitely thinks about that. Aishela, you’re just too free-spirited, so you don’t understand the obscurity of women. 」

「Then what is that girl after? 」

Aishela asked while tilting her neck.

「I could understand it if her purpose was to actually take Lord Theo out… 」

Siluca said so and then turned to Irvin.

「Go after Lord Theo. Take Luna and Emma with you as well. 」
「As you wish. 」

Irvin answered and signaled Emma and Luna to come with him.

「Leave it to us! 」

The twins assumed their Werewolf forms, and the three of them faded away towards the hill where Theo and Rebecca were currently heading.

「So, what are we going to do now? 」

Aishera asked.

「If my prediction is correct, the opponent should have the same number of people as we do. It may be difficult for us to do anything by ourselves. 」

「But we don’t have any other allies, do we? 」

「At least for the time being. So hurry up and move! 」

「Where are you going… no, don’t tell me…! 」

「Exactly! 」

Siluca nodded at Aishela and the two of them returned to the heart of the village.

* * *

As Theo walked with his childhood friend, he started getting increasingly nervous. He had been talking with Rebecca about their past and what’s been happening around the village for a while, but after recounting all of it, she hung hear head down and has remained silent ever since.

「What did they say to you? 」

Theo called out to her.

Rebecca froze and gave a timid look for a second, but then…

「So, you noticed? 」

「Well, yes. 」

Theo nodded.

「If you did, then why did you come here with me? 」

「Because I don’t know what’s going to happen to the village if I were to escape now. For all I know, they might start threatening you. 」

When Theo said so, Rebecca took a few steps away from him.

「I’m not being threatened. 」

Rebecca’s attitude has completely changed.

「Rather, it’s the other way around. I was told that if I succeed at luring you away from the village, I will then be taken you to the city. By Salvador Rossini. 」

「Him, huh? 」

Back at the restaurant in Laxia, Theo’s group met Salvador Rossini, the third son of the head of the Rossini family, Pederico Rossini. After Teo confronted him, they were forced to flee the city.

「That’s what you wanted the entire time? 」

「Yes, since living in the city is much better than living in a place like this! 」

Rebecca cried out.

「We’re hungry all the time and we’re forced to wear such poor clothes. And there are only dull men here in the village! 」