Published: January 12, 2026
I sensed the presence of people around the village chief’s house, but I continued speaking without paying any mind. There was nothing in what I was saying that the villagers should worry about.
Fueled by my own words, I pressed on without hesitation.
“In other words, complaining about the laws of the kingdom or the way the country is governed won’t change anything. So, what do you think this village—our village—should do?”
I deliberately used the word “our,” including myself as one of them. I wanted to convey that I was one of the villagers, one of their own.
Well, it didn’t seem to resonate much with Ronda and the others.
“...What do you mean, exactly? Are you saying we should seek protection from another country?” Ronda asked.
I shook my head from side to side.
“No, that’s not it. The Yelinetta Kingdom governs all its territories the same way, so the treatment would be the same. There are three concrete measures.”
“Three? There are that many?” The woman beside Ronda finally spoke for the first time. I nodded and raised my finger.
“The first is to make this village produce something valuable enough that the kingdom cannot ignore it. The second is to regularly earn money and hire mercenaries. And the third is to renovate and develop the village ourselves.”
“...None of those sound like something we can do right away...” The woman immediately looked disappointed at my words. Well, after living in this village for decades, each one of those ideas must have crossed their minds at least once.
But being in such a remote place means even if you gather timber or stones, you can’t sell them due to transportation costs. And creating products or industries is difficult for villagers who lack education.
So, they can’t earn money, nor do they have the means to renovate the village.
That’s the situation.
But then, we arrived.
“It must have been difficult until now. However, I am someone who has properly studied how to defend a territory. From now on, I will also put my efforts into defending and developing this village.”
Even after saying that, the three didn’t look impressed. Then, Espada, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke up.
“Pardon the interruption. I am Espada, the head butler of the Marquis Fertio family. Lord Van was appointed lord at the age of eight and is known as a prodigy since childhood. Moreover, if I may be so bold, I, along with Dee, the deputy commander of the Fertio knight order, have come here as his subordinates. Please trust us as if you were on a large ship.”
Espada declared this, and Dee thumped his broad chest with his fist.
Seeing the two of them, Ronda and the others looked pleasantly surprised.
“T-the head butler and the deputy commander? Such heavyweights, here in this village...?”
“Is this a dream?”
You guys, don’t forget that Van, the fourth son of the marquis family, is here too. Look this way, hey.
Though I muttered this bitterly in my mind, I understood their reaction. Of course, nobody would trust an eight-year-old’s command.
It’s sad to be treated like a child.
While thinking that, a man who looked to be Ronda’s son looked at me with a bright face.
“I see! So the marquis himself is going to save this village...! And Lord Van is a powerful wielder of four element magic...”
“Ah, my magical aptitude is in production magic, so please don’t expect much combat power,” I quickly denied to avoid misunderstanding. Clearly, he looked disappointed. Hey, I can’t choose my aptitude.
I was getting frustrated.
Crossing my arms and pouting, I spoke.
“…For now, let’s start by deploying a defensive barrier to ensure the village’s safety. Those wooden fences look sturdy, but they’d be destroyed by fire arrows. The houses too need attention.”
As I said this, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
“Espada, does your Earth Magic last?”
“My magic maintains its hardness while active, but once the mana is depleted, it will become just a lump of earth.”