Chapter 5: Meanwhile, in Elendil.

Ren and Grandma Rigg were exchanging a number of words, rejoicing in their long-awaited reunion.

“Not a day goes by that we don’t thank you for making our village so beautiful, Bo-chan.”

“I mean, it’s not only me you should thank,  rather also Lessard-sama,—-the baron.”

“It’s true, it’s also thanks to the Baron. But I’ve heard many times from the Master that you’re doing your best, Bo-chan.”

“Eh? From my father?”

“Yes. Whenever he receives a letter from you, he runs around the village boasting about it.”

Ren was happy that his father was happy.

But on the other hand, when he heard that his own father was so pleased with a single letter, for the umpteenth time, he was embarrassed.

“Then I’m glad I tried my best.”

There was this loneliness I felt while I was away from the village.

But if the village develops and the villagers have a good life, then I feel that my decision wasn’t wrong.

I’ll continue to do my best, Ren thought so.

“Recently, merchants have started to come to our village.”

It was very rare for merchants to come to this village. When Ren was living here, he had never even seen one.

Yet, according to Grandma Rigg, these days they visit the village at least once a month.

“They’ve started visiting not only for materials for construction, but also for trade.”

“Oh, so that’s why we have more kinds of foodstuffs than before.”

“Yes, the mistress was happy about it.”

Perhaps because the village had undergone extensive construction and was in the process of developing, the merchants had also begun to visit the village because they thought they could make a profit.

This was a happy miscalculation on Ren’s part.

“I wonder if this village would be more prosperous if there were some special products?”

“I guess so…… but I think it would be difficult to find such a thing around here.”

It’s not only in this village that it would be easy to find such a thing.

Ren chuckled at having said those words so lightly, muttering, “Right,” and straightening his back with a grunt.

—- A few hours later, Ren was walking down the same road.

The spring sun was shining down from the top of the celestial sphere, and he and Roy were on their way to work on the wall.

“I heard from Grandma Rigg that merchants are now passing through.”

“Ah. Thanks to you and the Braon.”

Roy said, showing his white teeth.

“The roads are being improved, so I hear it’s good for the merchants.”

“But then again, why go to all this trouble to come to such a remote area?”

“The knights say that the area around this village is convenient for many reasons.”

The Ashton family’s village is located in a particularly remote corner of the Clausel territory, which is considered a rural area.

For the merchants, there was no value in visiting there, until now.

…… However, this changed when the roads began to be improved.

“The village can become a new transit point for merchants. Once the roads are cleared, it’ll be safer to pass through than before.”

From the town of Clausel, the merchants traveled through the surrounding villages to the former Viscount Givens’ estate. It’s also convenient for adventurers to be able to visit the area around the village.

The more adventurers are able to visit the village, the more the merchants will be able to do so.

“I thought the village would be more prosperous if it had some of its own specialties…..”

”Haha. Looks like it’s going to be a crowded situation regardless.”

The monsters that inhabit the area around the village are all weak, but it’s said that the demand for those materials will never go away.

For example, the fur of a little boar makes inexpensive winter clothing and the meat is delicious.

Materials for weak monsters are usually traded at low prices, but this is also important because they support the lives of the commoners.

It’s also a good job for young adventurers and other mature adventurers to earn money on the side—- Roy said.

“The more tax revenue the village gets, the better off the Baron will be.”

“Yes. But in return, it’s going to mean more work for you, dad.”

“……?”

“If the village is prosperous, it’s natural that there will be more work. If merchants and adventurers start to stop by, there will be more things to think about.”

“I’m sorry…… I forgot.”

Roy held his head as he walked.

Seeing how bad they are at civilian work, Ren smiles and then thinks.

(but —- I see.)

As the village develops, the responsibilities increase in proportion.

Ren wasn’t finished with sending money home, but as a member of the Ashton family, he had to think about the future.

If it developed further and eventually grew to the size of a town, —-

(I, too, can’t keep going on like this)

I have to learn more….. Ren realized.

(I’ve always placed importance on earning money and honing my skills, but that’s not enough.)

He thinks about what will happen in the future when he takes over the reigns of his family.

If the village continues to develop as it is, there are many things that I’m lacking and i was made to think.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later, in Elendil, near the imperial capital.

The place is called the town of prayer, many people were walking on the main street today.

The town is full of history and emotion, and it’s a bustling city near the imperial capital.

At noon that day, Licia was in town with Weiss.

After she finished her early morning work, she took the time to look around the town.

“As expected, it’s very different from Clausel.” 

“It’s a town with a long history.”

“Oh, dear, I might put a deputy here just like my father did.”

“It would be natural for a noble with several territories. However, the Young lady will still be the lord of this land.”

They continued their conversation as they looked at the stalls lined up across the main street.

“For that reason, the young lady should attend a school somewhere.”

“For example, the Imperial Military Academy?”

“Ha. If you graduate from that academy, you’ll eventually be recognized as Elendil’s successor.”

Licia nodded at Weiss’s words and muttered quietly.

“I wonder why Ren has been avoiding that academy.”

She tilted her head as she said so.

From a corner of the main street, some swarthy voice rang out.

Licia ran out with Weiss and headed in the direction of the voice.

Ahead of the crowd, she saw a narrow path leading to a back alley. From what she heard from the people there, it sounded like a snatcher had fled.

Licia heard that a girl was chasing after the snatcher.

“Weiss, let’s go.”

“Oh, young lady —- it looks like we have to go!”

Before Weiss could stop her, Licia ran and stepped into the alleyway where the snatcher was headed.

The narrow street echoed with the sound of many footsteps. The bustle of the main street had died away, and it was as if she had stepped into a different world.

“Over there,” 

Licia ran in a different direction from where she had heard the voice.

“We’ll go ahead of them.”

“I see. A pincer attack.”

They decided to go ahead of the snatchers, trusting those who were chasing the snatchers ahead of them.

The sound of footsteps echoing through the alleyway didn’t stop.

Licia and Weiss moved away from the sounds to get ahead of them, but they began to hear them again, louder.

They were able to get ahead of them as planned, and Licia and Weiss waited with their swords in hand.

After a while—- the snatcher finally appeared.

“What the hell are you guys?”

The snatcher, who appeared to be an adventurer, was dressed in equipment made of monster material. He was carrying an expensive-looking bag under his arm, which was probably the stolen goods.

The man reached into his pocket as he ran and held up a knife.

“…… Hey Weiss. Is Elendil not a safe place to live?”

“It’s one of the better ones in Leomel. There are criminals everywhere, just as there are in Clausel.”

“I see. Then I wonder if it can’t be helped.”

Licia said with a sigh and stepped forward.

Licia held her hand out in front of her before Weiss could say anything else, and her hand emitted a blinding flash of light.

It was only light and not lethal, but the man, dazzled by the sudden flash, lost his footing.

“Gu..Guaaaaaa!!!”

The man rolled on the ground and went directly in front of Weiss.

“Can you leave it to me?”

“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”

All that was left was to catch him.

Weiss reached out before the man could get up and made him cross his arms behind his back.

The man, perhaps because he was restrained by a strong force, said, “I’m sorry!” in a pathetic voice.

“Then go back to the front —- Ah. It seems that those who were chasing you earlier have arrived.”

The sound of footsteps approached them.

Licia, as the daughter of the one who governs this town, felt obliged to thank those who had been chasing the man.

After that, she was going to go out front and bring in the man she had caught, but when Licia saw the girl who appeared, she said aloud, “Oh my.”

Then Weiss noticed the reason, too, and smiled as he wondered what he was going to do with the man in her custody.

The girl who came, saw Licia and Weiss suddenly, stopped in a panic and almost lost her balance as a result of the reaction.

“Oh no— What’s going on —-?”

The girl then looked up at Licia.

“—Li–Licia Clausel! Why are you here?”

She shouted in surprise, her fair face flushed with amazement.

She ran around the alleyway, regulating her disordered breathing, while she hand-combed her brown hair, which was equally disheveled, and straightened her apearance.

Meanwhile, Licia, when asked, looks at the brown-haired girl and spoke.

“My father rules this town, so it’s no wonder I’m here.”

Licia said proudly and extended her hand to the girl.

“It’s been a long time—- Sarah.”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The location has changed from the back alley to the front of the knight’s quarters set up in Elendil.

The guardhouse was for them, and inside there was a prison to hold criminals.

There, Weiss tells Licia, after entrusting the snatch-and-grab to those in charge.

“Young lady, let the knights take care of the rest.”

“Sure.”

Licia looked at the girl she had just called Sarah.

“Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate it.”

The thank-you was for the fact that Sarah had been chasing a purse snatcher earlier.

When she was thanked, Sarah continued, “It’s no big deal.”

“I was just doing what I was supposed to do as a member of the heroic faction.”

One of the Seven Heroes is a swordsman named Gajeel Riohald.

The swordsman is said to have surpassed the heroes in terms of pure swordsmanship and has played a number of active roles in the journey to defeat the Demon King.

Sarah is a descendant of Gajeel, the daughter of the Riohald family.

She’s also the main heroine of the legend of the seven heroes, she’s also popular for her cheerful personality.

…… And the Riohald family is naturally a family that belongs to the heroic faction.

Sarah is the daughter of the family, but she and Licia, a neutralist noble, know each other well for some reason.

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