Deputy Village Chief Wozuma's Take on What Happened

(Wozuma's Point of View)

"… Village Chief, enough is enough."

After Village Chief Kehma returned from his Draco Village inspection visit, he promptly fell asleep. Ichika reported various matters to Wozuma in his stead.

The moment he met Village Chief Kehma on the following day, those were the first words out of his mouth.

"O-Okay. Sorry, Wozuma. I guess I did a bit much there, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

Yes, he'd very clearly overdone it. He'd overdone it to the point that Wozuma wanted to tell him, "That was hardly adult of you, going that hard against a child," even if his opponent was Draco Village's Village Chief — the aristocratic child genius Cid Pavera with the full backing of the Paveran lord.

Had he been so bothered by being called incompetent? No — if anything, perhaps it was a gesture for the sake of Wozuma and the other villagers who had been the ones bothered by that.

But he truly, truly had gone too far.

It all started with the duel Village Chief Kehma was forced into when he first made it into Draco Village.

Being challenged to a duel was fine in itself. However, Wozuma was certain that this was what had triggered Village Chief Kehma into seriously crushing Village Chief Cid.

At the end of the day, Village Chief Cid had chosen Harvey to be his champion. Harvey, the one known as the Dark Knight, was a famously strong person in Pavera. He had definitely issued the challenge with the intent to win.

Wozuma knew. He knew that Kehma was a mirror-like existence.

If one were to challenge him seriously, he would respond in kind. That was the man called Kehma whom Wozuma recognized.

The match's conclusion was too one-sided.

Kehma had Niku Kuroinu stand as his champion, sure, but what in the world was [Faked a handshake and bam balam bang!] supposed to mean? Even after having Ichika repeat the story for him, Wozuma truly couldn't tell what had happened. Only after several retellings did he finally piece together her meaning.

Although Wozuma had long since understood that Niku Kuroinu held a strength far outstripping one might believe such a small body could hold, for her to be able to brandish an adult man as if he were a sack of potatoes… He couldn't help but feel somewhat light headed at the thought.

However, holding true to his title as a prodigy, the young Village Chief realized that all he could do from there was pivot into a more amicable approach.

After showing off his mightiest force of power and having it taken out, he'd effectively had no other choice. A man who continued to show hostility from then on would be nothing but a fool.

Had he seriously believed that he ever had a chance in besting Village Chief Kehma, a man who tamed a Dragon?

… Though for people who didn't know the Village Chief well, it couldn't be helped if they believed the Dragon suppression was Hero Wataru's achievement. The Hero had certainly accompanied him, so it was probably normal to think the Village Chief had at most played a part in the negotiations.

The Village Chief hadn't brought that hero with him and had mere maids as attendants. He likely believed that this was the perfect opportunity. Wozuma himself might even have thought as much.

However, it was a trap.

And by challenging him to a duel, he had likely provoked Village Chief Kehma's ire.

Village Chief Kehma demanded [Friendly Relations] as his prize. This was truly a very Village Chief Kehma-like thing to do and was something Wozuma felt nothing but admiration towards.

While he had called it [Friendly Relations], since Village Chief Cid bore the guilt of having been the one to start the duel, it was in fact a [Favor Owed]. However, as it was stated as [Friendly Relations], this blurred the upper limit of what could be asked.

Village Chief Cid had in all likelihood been swindled by Village Chief Kehma. That sleepy-looking face of his made it seem like he could be outmaneuvered however one pleased, after all. It was a blunder to believe that his expression meant that the upper limit of the [Friendly Relations] could be lowered.

The moment he'd agreed to the [Friendly Relations], Village Chief Kehma had effectively already won.

Village Chief Kehma immediately followed up by loaning out that magic tool under the guise of [Friendly Relations], dealing the finishing blow. It was a magic tool Wozuma had no knowledge of, but it appeared to be one that came from the dungeon, a thing that could produce a hot spring.

The [Friendly Relations] were quickly made use of, but it would lead into mutually beneficial trade dealings. It was a deal that couldn't be outright refused due to the [Friendly Relations]… but it wasn't anything that would clear the favors owed between them.

It was what it was, after all. A magic tool that could bring forth a hot spring. Water itself was a valuable resource, let alone to a village in the mountains. He'd offered an incredibly valuable magic tool to them.

As Draco Village did actually have an issue with securing enough water, it was becoming difficult for them to expand further than they had. By loaning them the magic tool at a [Fair Price], the Village Chief had further piled on the [Favors Owed] while simultaneously collaring them.

They would obviously continue looking for a way for them to not rely on that magic tool, but they would be forced to continue that [Loan] until then. Had the rent been exorbitant, it would have plainly canceled out the favors owed between them.

This would definitely turn future negotiations into Village Chief Cidthe payer offering more money and the Dyne Trading Companythe payee asking for less. On that point, Dyne, knowing well of Village Chief Kehma's way of doing things, would certainly settle on a price lower than average market value.

It was such a splendid display of forcing a debt on someone that he wanted it to be placed in every textbook across the land.

Moreover, as if to drive the point home, Village Chief Kehma used the [Friendly Relations] to invite Village Chief Cid into Beddhism.

This alone wouldn't particularly clear any favors owed, either. But it was a move that established a clear hierarchy, that of a religious founder and a believer.

That issue is likely why Village Chief Cid said that he was thinking about joining Beddhism so lightly. He'd likely intended to put off actually becoming a believer under the guise of having to wait for a baptism or the like.

However, as Beddhism fully advocated that once one said they were a believer, they were one, that goal of his was dashed.

Although Beddhism was free to join and to leave, an aristocrat couldn't so easily go back on his word. With things as they were, Village Chief Cid had no choice but to join, if only to pay back a small bit of what he had come to owe.

Yet while that may be so, Village Chief Kehma hadn't made any unreasonable demands. Beddhism taught that one should neither overexert themselves nor make others do so, after all.

Then when Village Chief Cid — who'd been driven into a corner and unable to back out — played his hand and offered to build a proper Beddhist shrine in the best part of town, Village Chief Kehma told him to just put some tiny thing in the inn.

With that, the [Friendly Relations] agreement had simply been deepened.

In other words, the [Loan]—the [Debt] from their perspective — was steadily growing larger. The upper limit of that [Friendly Relations] was dictated by their [Relations], after all.

At this point, it wasn't a stretch to claim that Draco Village had already been taken control of.

All of that happened from a single visit. Within a single day.

Wozuma couldn't help but tremble with awe as he sighed for the umpteenth time. If he'd had such ability when he was working in the Imperial Capital, he would have long since become the prime minister.

"Umm. I'll not do anything as the figurehead Village Chief for a while, alright?"

"… Please."

Wozuma responded, relieved that Village Chief Kehma wouldn't do something so momentous again anytime soon.

He never thought that he would come to pity Village Chief Cid in the span of a single day.

Having been shown ability like this, no one could ever again mistakenly call him 'incompetent.'

"Really, not doing anything would be great. Please, don't do anything."

"I get it, I get it. I won't."

However, it seemed he would need to go set up that hot spring magic tool for the time being, so Wozuma braced himself for something else to happen.