New Management (1)
Ever since then, Seris had become noticeably more obedient to his suggestions.
Vergil understood where the change had begun. If all it had taken was a single sob story, then he would have told her long ago.
For all of the Ice Dragon’s stubborn pride and fiery temperament, she was surprisingly sympathetic.
Recently, Seris had begun going to the village with him without complaint. Little by little, she was warming up to it, and in turn, the villagers were warming up to her.
“Good morning, Sir Vergil. Good morning, Miss Seris.”
Seris seemed to hesitate for a moment before returning a small nod of her own.
“...Good morning.”
The greeting was awkwardly stiff. Yet even that much was enough to make the villagers smile.
Seris followed a step behind Vergil as they walked through the village.
Each greeting that came their way was met with another hesitant response from her.
Some were barely a whisper, while others came with an awkward bow of her head.
Still, none went unanswered.
It was progress, however small.
A few laughing children ran past them. One of them nearly fell flat on his face before recovering himself.
Seris flinched at the sight.
Vergil glanced at her.
“He’s fine.”
Seris watched the boy scramble back to his feet and run off again as if nothing had happened.
“...They recover fast.”
“They do.”
Her eyes remained on the children long after they had disappeared down the path.
And without realizing it, she had already stopped hiding behind his back.
They passed a familiar stall near the main path. The woman tending the skewers looked up at once and smiled.
“Ah, it’s you again, Miss Seris. And hello, Sir Vergil.”
“…Good morning.”
While Seris greeted, Vergil nodded.
The woman turned a skewer over the fire.
“Same as usual?”
Seris nodded.
The skewer was handed to her, and she accepted it with both hands out of habit.
“Thank you.”
She took a bite. There was no surprise this time.
Vergil watched from the side as she ate. The children nearby whispered her name and waved.
“Miss Seris, can I try your hat on again?”
Seris glanced at Vergil. The voice belonged to Mary, the blond little girl, who always insisted on wearing her witch hat.
Vergil crouched and spoke before Seris could answer.
“Unfortunately, Mary, Miss Seris’s hat is actually part of her hair.”
“Haah? How is that possible? Is it true, Miss Seris?”
Seris looked at Vergil. He gave a subtle nod. After a moment, she nodded as well.
“Yes. This hat is… the result of a magic hairdo.”
“Wow. Magic? Miss Seris can do magic?!”
“Mary, then why do you think Miss Seris is wearing a witch hat?”
“Umm…”
Mary fell silent as she thought. After a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up. At the same time, the other children seemed to reach the same conclusion.
“Miss Seris is a witch!”
“That’s right.”
Watching the exchange, Seris could only alternate her gaze between the children and Vergil, who was calmly spouting complete nonsense to the naive children.
Letting out a sigh, Seris crouched down as well.
“Yes. That’s right. I’m a witch.”
“Wow~! Show us, Miss Seris!”
“Hmm…”
Seris glanced around, thinking of what kind of magic to show them. When an idea came to her, she placed her palm against the ground and slowly lifted it.
Mana gathered as frost fluttered through the air.
In the next instant, a snowman began to take shape.
“Wow~”
The children immediately gathered around the snowman.
Their hands reached out as they circled it in excitement. Laughter spread through the small crowd as they admired the shape and the frost still lingering on its surface.
“It’s cold!”
“Miss Seris really is a witch!”
Seris shrank back under the attention as she looked around at the children surrounding her.
Their excitement was a little overwhelming, but she didn’t move away.
Vergil watched from a short distance with his arms crossed.
Seris glanced back at him for just a moment, then turned toward the children again.
“Yes… this is witch magic…”
The children cheered even louder.
Seris created more snowmen for each child.
With every motion of her hand, frost gathered and shaped itself until a small army of uneven snow figures lined the snowy sheets.
Once the children were each preoccupied with their own snowman, Seris finally stood and walked back to Vergil’s side.
“Enjoy yourself?”
“…They are loud.”
“It’s fun, isn’t it?”
Seris didn’t answer. She kept her eyes on the children instead, watching as they proudly guarded their clumsy snow creations.
A small smile touched her lips.
“It’s peaceful.”
They continued walking through the village, exchanging greetings with the people they passed.
Then, all of a sudden, a scream resounded through the air from somewhere in the distance.
——Chief! Call Sir Vergil! Knights… Knights from the Empire are coming!
All attention turned toward the voice. It was one of the young squire knights assigned to patrol the outskirts of the village.
Vergil moved at once toward the town hall, with Seris close behind him. By the time they arrived, the village knights and the chief were already gathered inside.
“Knights from the Empire?”
The moment Vergil spoke, every eye in the room turned toward him as he approached.
“Ah, Sir Vergil. You’re already here.”
“Yes. What’s the situation?”
The squire stepped forward.
“While patrolling, I spotted silhouettes advancing from the west. They were flying the Empire’s flag. Knowing the Empire, their business here will be anything but pleasant.”
That much was obvious.
Whenever knights from the Empire passed through the northern villages, it never ended well.
They would clash with the locals or freeload under the excuse of protection.
They would claim that the village owed its safety to the Empire’s generosity, and would boast that even the presence of local knights was only possible because the Empire allowed it.
And because of Vergil’s history with the Empire, his presence would only make matters worse.
So most of the time, the village simply endured it. They let the knights take what they wanted and waited until they left.
The difference this time was clear. According to the squire, it wasn’t a handful of wandering knights, but a full battalion advancing under the Empire’s flag.
That meant this was no longer casual harassment. This was official business.
Vergil turned toward the village chief.
“For now, I’ll stay out of sight. Try to gauge their intentions first. I’ll be on standby in case I’m needed.”
The chief nodded at once.
“That would be best.”
Vergil stepped back toward the edge of the hall. As he did, instinctively, his gaze turned to the doorway, where Seris was standing silently.
Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before Seris moved to his side.
“If they take you, I will kill them.”
“Don’t do that. And don’t worry, they won’t.”
Despite everything, his voice remained calm.
“Even after everything that happened, there are still knights who are indebted to me. And…”
A sinister glint passed through his eyes.
“There are many who would rather avoid me entirely.”
Knights he had once beaten senseless.
“Then should I hide here with you?”
“Naturally. With that hat, you’d be identified as a mage. You don’t have a proper identity right now, so they would question you relentlessly.”
Seris clicked her tongue.
“Such cowardly human tactics.”
* * *
Outside, as the knights finally crossed into the village, they were met at once by the village chief, accompanied by the small group of local knights.
The tension was immediate.
The Empire’s banner fluttered behind the battalion. Heavy boots pressed into the snow as the formation came to a pause before the chief.
A man in armor stepped forward with a sealed decree in his hand.
“You must be the village chief. We’ve come under the name of Emperor Wilhelm.”
“This village welcomes guests. But we were not informed of any official visit.”
The knight unfolded the decree.
“This village has always existed under the protection of the Empire. As such, it is recognized as Imperial territory by right. You have merely been allowed autonomy.”
The words settled heavily over the gathered villagers.
“Due to the rising tensions in the north and the alliance with the Dragon Empire, we are enacting a temporary occupation. This village will serve as a forward base.”
The chief flinched.
“A forward base… for what purpose?”
“The search for a surviving Ice Dragon.”
Whispers spread throughout the gathered villagers.
“From this moment on, Imperial authority is in effect. Our battalion will be stationed here indefinitely. Reinforcements will follow once the perimeter is secured.”
The chief’s fists clenched.
“And if we refuse?”
“This village will be seized by force.”
Silence fell.
The knight rolled the decree back into his grip.
“From today onward, all village resources will be accounted for under Imperial law. Food supplies, livestock, tools, and housing. Everything will be taxed accordingly to cover military costs.”
The chief’s eyes widened.
“This village barely produces enough for itself…”
“That is not our concern.”
Another knight chimed in.
“Quartering will begin immediately. Homes closest to the main road will be requisitioned for officers. Storage barns will be converted into supply depots.”
The villagers were distraught. Some lowered their heads, while others began to scream about tyranny.
“And should there be any resistance, it will be treated as an act of treason.”
The air turned cold.
“For your cooperation, you will retain limited self-governance under Imperial supervision. For your defiance, you will lose even that.”
The chief trembled.
“…How long?”
“Until the Ice Dragon is found. Or confirmed dead.”
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then a shout broke through the crowd.
“What do you mean, seized?!”
“This is our home!”
“We’ve done nothing wrong!”
The panic spread in an instant.
Villagers began to yell over one another, screaming in anger or crying in fear.
“You can’t just take everything!”
“We’ll starve!”
“We survived winters worse than this without your help!”
The Imperial knight raised his hand.
“Silence!”
No one listened.
A second knight slammed the butt of his spear into the snow.
“Silence, I said!”
The shouting began to ease.
The first knight looked around the crowd.
“Any further disruption will be met with force. You will comply. You will provide what is demanded. And you will remain where you are.”
The chief shut his eyes.
Snow continued to fall over a village that had just lost its freedom.
One of the knights behind the chief leaned in and whispered.
“Chief… should we fetch Sir Vergil?”
The chief shook his head.
“N-No… This is the village’s matter. It doesn’t sound too severe… If we just comply—”
Before he could finish, a voice cut through the square.
“Wow. Took you only two years to start barking like a proper Imperial dog.”
Every head turned at once.
“Who said that—”
The knight holding the decree turned, then froze when he saw who had spoken.
“K-Knight Vergil?!”
“It’s been a while, Squire Felix.”
A smirk tugged at Vergil’s lips.
“Or should I call you Knight Felix now?”
