Chapter 61

"Whoa, that's amazing. You were hiding something like this, Ars?"

"...Phew, it seems to have worked. I wonder if everyone else besides Brother Baito can use magic now?"

"Indeed, I can use it too. Still, it's an incredible number of spells."

I, who had been concentrating on the magic circle, let the tension in my body ease at Brother Baito's words.

Using this magic circle is indeed nerve-wracking.

But it seems to have been worth it.

The five people I named had all learned my original magic.

"Alright, let's use this as leverage to gather forces from the village. I'll grant the name and magic of Balca to anyone who helps me now. Can everyone go around and spread the word?"

"Got it. I'll head out right away."

"And I need you, sir, to go on a separate mission. Can you go to the city as soon as possible and gather information?"

"Understood. I'll check how many people the Fontana family is gathering."

"Thanks. Be careful."

"Same to you. Don't die, Ars."

The traveling merchant said this while extending his hand.

I shook his hand and replied, "Of course."

But, "Don't die"...

I never imagined I'd be living a life where someone would say something like that to me.

I couldn't help but think that things were getting serious.

***

"Seventy-eight people. That's quite a number."

As a result of running around the village that day, a considerable number of people gathered.

Everyone had split up and spread throughout the village, demonstrating magic while persuading people.

We spread a slightly embellished story about how the nobles were trying to force their will and had hurt Kyle, an innocent villager.

Then, we declared that we would rise up and resist the nobles.

Naturally, the villagers were hesitant.

No one would want to get close to someone who would do such a thing.

But then we showed them the magic.

We told them that if they cooperated now, they could use this magic, and we wouldn't hesitate to provide new land.

We presented both emotional and practical benefits.

However, it's likely that we wouldn't have gathered so many people with just that.

No matter how practical the benefits, resisting authority is no small matter.

But we managed to overcome this obstacle.

It was because of our relationship with the village.

I had developed the forest into my own land.

When I couldn't manage the work alone, I hired Brother Baito.

Brother Baito had a significant presence in the village.

No one dared to challenge him physically, as he had grown stronger through constant fights.

Moreover, I had assigned jobs to impoverished children and others, paying them in food and other goods.

So, he had a lot of influence among the young and poor in the village.

He managed to gather a considerable number of people.

Mr. Maddock also approached the woodcutters and gathered people.

These were people who had been significantly affected by the forest management I had implemented.

Apparently, they preferred the current lifestyle over the dangerous and meager one of cutting trees in a forest infested with dangerous animals.

I think it was thanks to Mr. Maddock telling me about the woodcutters' dissatisfaction with me.

Through Mr. Maddock, the village's tough men, who were used to swinging axes, gathered at my place.

However, the person who had the biggest impact on the village was Brother Hector.

Brother Hector is the older brother of both me and Brother Baito, and the first child of our father.

He had just gotten married recently.

Actually, even though he had just gotten married, Brother Hector was only 14 years old.

This is a bit early for marriage in this world.

Why did he get married so early?

It was because his fiancée's family pushed for it.

Brother Hector's fiancée was the daughter of the mayor of Balca Village.

The mayor, who had been eyeing my land, targeted my family instead of the young me.

If he could marry his daughter to Brother Hector, who would eventually become the head of our household, he could legally have a say in my land.

That was his plan.

However, it was premature to say the least.

The mayor probably never imagined that his daughter would get married and then immediately get involved in a conflict with a powerful family.

It's understandable that he didn't think of it.

I didn't have such thoughts either.

But for me, this unfortunate event for the mayor turned into a fortunate marriage.

I threatened the mayor, saying, "You'll be held responsible and killed too," and made him request the villagers' cooperation.

As a result, we managed to mobilize a considerable number of people from families that had little connection to ours.

In the scale of Balca Village, the usual mobilization force is around 50 people.

Not all the men go out to fight every time.

Even with children who haven't reached adulthood, more people gathered than I expected.

Frankly, at this point, there would be no one in the village who isn't related to the rebels by blood.

Thus, Balca Village quickly transformed into a land that resisted the nobles.

Thank you for reading.

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