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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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We fortunately arrived at the village safely before sunset.
Had we walked, it would have taken at least an hour to descend to the village, but since we rode, we made the journey in about twenty minutes.
Horses were definitely the best mode of transportation for long distances.
“Whoa!”
We slowed our mounts to a stop at the village entrance.
I’d been told that all the young people in the village had been conscripted into the Demon Lord’s army, and yet, standing guard at the stone bridge entrance were beastkin children, barely old enough to have lost their baby fat, armed with spears.
Some kind of local militia?
The children recognized Vanessa as she dismounted from her Bicorn and bowed their heads respectfully.
“Greetings, Captain of the Guard!”
“Hello there. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Vanessa, adopting a stern tone unlike the somewhat careless demeanor she displayed when it was just us, handed the children some candy from her pocket and asked,
“We’re here to see the village elder today. Do you know where he is?”
A red-haired child raised his hand eagerly.
“Ah! If it’s the village elder, he’s probably at home! He’s been bustling around the village since this morning, preparing for an important guest!”
“Thank you, Roto.”
Just then, another child noticed us standing behind Vanessa and tilted his head curiously.
“Captain, who are these people?”
Vanessa placed a hand on her hip and said proudly,
“They’re very important guests I’ve brought with me. A dark mage sent by the Demon Lord himself to help the village with the harvest.”
“Wow! A dark mage!”
The children stared at me with wide, fascinated eyes.
“Can you fly like a bird?”
“Of course.”
While most mages couldn’t, it wasn’t difficult for me.
Without chanting, I manipulated the flow of air, creating a constant stream of wind beneath my feet, lifting me slightly off the ground.
“Whoa!”
As the children gasped in awe, I immediately cut off the flow of mana to my feet.
Thud!
“That’s all for the demonstration.”
The children clapped and begged for more, but thankfully, Vanessa intervened.
“Children, I’m sorry, but we’re in a bit of a hurry. The mage will be staying in the village for a few days, so how about you give him a break for today?”
“Okay!”
“Alright!”
Vanessa, clearly experienced in handling children, expertly appeased them and gestured for me to follow.
I mounted my Bicorn and slowly rode into the village.
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The village elder’s house was located in the center of the village.
A respectable brick house with a blue wooden roof.
Its superior construction compared to the other houses suggested that the village elder, as expected, was quite wealthy.
Since there were no stables, we tied the two Bicorns and the regular horse to a tree in front of the house. Vanessa, acting as our representative, knocked on the door, and a moment later, someone emerged.
“Yes, who is it…? Oh my! Lady Vanessa!”
“It’s been a while, Violet. Is the village elder home?”
“Yes, Father is in his room. Please, come in.”
Violet, the one who greeted us, was a beastkin, appearing to be a mix of fox and human.
Not just a human with fox ears and a tail, but a true hybrid, closer to a beast.
Like the beastkin children at the entrance, this village seemed to be the type that would appeal to those with… peculiar tastes.
Well, I could certainly change my appearance to fit in, but if everyone around you looked similar, there wouldn’t be much point in bothering.
We followed her inside, and a tranquil atmosphere, typical of a countryside home, greeted us.
It felt like an ordinary, unremarkable house. It seemed demons didn’t have particularly unusual living arrangements.
The village elder, whom Vanessa had been talking about incessantly, was sitting on the living room sofa, reading a well-worn book.
“Father! We have guests!”
At Violet’s words, the fox beastkin, with long eyebrows and a beard like a sage, closed his book and rose from the sofa.
“You’ve finally arrived, Lady Vanessa.”
“It’s been a while, old man.”
Vanessa approached and exchanged greetings with the village elder.
The elder, who was quite short, looked at me with wise, aged eyes.
“Is this the mage sent by the Demon Lord?”
Vanessa puffed out her chest proudly.
“He’s a mage who volunteered to join our army a few days ago, captivated by the Demon Lord’s charisma. He possesses exceptional magical skills and is highly valued by the Demon Lord.”
“If the Demon Lord praises him so highly, he must be truly remarkable. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mage. I am Popo, the village elder.”
I looked down at him and gave the alias I had prepared before coming to the village.
“I am Patrasche, the Demon Lord’s Hound.”
The elder looked slightly surprised.
“So that’s why you’re wearing a dog mask…”
He seemed to have misunderstood my intentions, but I didn’t bother correcting him.
He didn’t seem to have taken it in a negative way.
After this brief introduction, we sat down in the living room and began discussing the matter at hand.
“As you know, Lady Vanessa, all the young people in the village were conscripted into the army six months ago, leaving us with too few hands to harvest the crops. If we don’t harvest them before the heavy rains come, they’ll all fall over and be ruined.”
I listened to the village’s predicament and asked,
“How much land is left to harvest?”
“The remaining elderly and women in the village have worked as hard as they could, but there are still about 100 acres left. And that’s after significantly reducing the planting area this year due to the lack of workers.”
“One hundred acres!”
Vanessa exclaimed in surprise.
I was equally shocked.
In my previous life, I wouldn’t have grasped the scale of 100 acres, but having been born as a farmer’s son in this world, I knew it was a vast expanse of land.
Without tractors or any modern machinery, harvesting that much land purely through manual labor would require the villagers to work themselves to the bone for days.
The village elder, responsible for the well-being of his people, must have been deeply worried.
“The question is, how are we going to harvest it all…?”
The elder muttered, glancing at me.
I understood what he wanted, so I nodded and gave him the answer he was hoping for.
“Fortunately, I believe I can help with that.”
The elder’s eyes widened, and he bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you! Mage! You’ve saved us!”
I felt slightly embarrassed by his effusive gratitude but confirmed one crucial detail.
“But you can provide people to gather the harvested crops, correct?”
“Of course! We’ll prepare everything if you’re willing to help us, Mage!”
I nodded and said to the overjoyed elder,
“Then I’ll gladly lend you my assistance.”
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After our conversation with the village elder, we were treated to a lavish meal.
The women of the village had gathered since morning to prepare food for us, anticipating the arrival of guests from the Demon Lord’s castle.
A variety of meat dishes, vegetable salads, and soft, white bread made from wheat.
Famished, I removed my mask and enjoyed the delicious meal.
Since the demons in this village wouldn’t recognize my face, I only needed to be careful about my name.
“Please, eat your fill.”
Violet, the village elder’s daughter-in-law, who seemed pleased to see me enjoying the food, poured me a glass of water and smiled.
I thanked her for the water and, addressing Vanessa, who was diligently cutting her steak across from me, said,
“I had no idea you were a woman.”
Vanessa, who had removed her helmet to eat, her brown ponytail swaying, replied with a look of indignation,
“Unlike the princess, I’ve never hidden my gender. And couldn’t you tell from my voice and build?”
I pointed my fork at her, highlighting the flaw in her logic.
“But your armor hides your figure, and that tin can helmet distorts your voice, making it hard to tell if you’re a man or a woman.”
“Ugh!”
Unable to refute my impeccable reasoning, Vanessa chewed her steak with a frustrated expression.
Meanwhile, Camilla, who had been eating beside me, had already finished her meal. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and rose from her seat.
“I’ll excuse myself. Master Patrasche, if you require anything during the night, please don’t hesitate to call for me.”
She bowed politely and excused herself to the village elder and Violet before heading to the guest room.
I glanced at her retreating figure and asked Vanessa,
“Is Camilla always such a light eater?”
Vanessa, who had known Camilla since childhood, nodded and whispered,
“She’s very conscious of her figure. Even back at the castle, she always ate very little.”
“Hmm.”
To me, she simply looked like she wasn’t hungry.
Perhaps, as a succubus, she obtained sustenance through other means, and regular meals weren’t necessary?
I didn’t know much about the physiology of succubi, but it seemed like a plausible theory.
I’ll have to ask her discreetly when we’re alone.
I thought to myself, dipping a piece of bread into my soup.
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