Come to think of it, there was no way he'd be this smug simply from possessing a few magic tools.
Could someone really be backing him?
"......I still can't believe it."
"You may not believe it, but it's the truth. That person was the one who taught us how to live prosperously. That person also gifted me the magic tools. What happens here is no different from having received official permission."
For the Imperial Palace to permit such things. It was true that the poor fishing yields had been discussed a few times, but no one had proposed using monster blood as an alternative.
Getting carried away by the catch right before one's eyes, one might easily incur greater military costs and suffer losses.
If someone truly was behind the village chief, it wouldn't be for some petty scheme to slightly revive the fishing industry.
Arms crossed, I pulled the corners of my mouth upward into a crooked smile.
"You're just spouting nonsense because you're afraid of being reported. Once our Paladin reports to the Temple, this village will be investigated immediately. Even if the Temple officially sends an investigation team, will that precious person of yours still protect you?"
"It seems you're young and don't understand. It's not difficult to silence one or two Paladins."
"At least I know it would be difficult for a small village chief like you."
When I retorted with sarcasm, the village chief scowled and replied in a sharp tone.
"Since you don't seem to understand the situation properly, I'll tell you specially."
Puffing up with arrogance, the village chief lifted his chin and continued.
"The person who will become the Crown Princess is watching over this place! Do you know how merciful that person is? She has deep ties even with someone like me!"
That 'person who will become Crown Princess' wouldn't be me, of course.
At my reaction, frozen in bewilderment, the village chief puffed his shoulders with even more pride. Staring at him blankly, I cautiously asked again in a suspicious voice.
"......Surely not Lilia?"
"How dare you utter that noble name carelessly! Watch your mouth!"
Is it really Lilia?
Was it Lilia who taught them how to use monster blood?
"Did Lilia give you the magic tools you're using right now?"
"I told you to watch your......"
"Just answer me!"
At my suddenly raised voice, the village chief flinched and looked at me in surprise.
"I'm asking if you received that from Lilia."
The village chief, who had been frozen in surprise, cleared his throat and forced a calm voice.
"That person is a gracious one who has cared for the Empire's citizens even before becoming Crown Princess."
Can someone really be this entangled in misfortune with another?
Feeling absurd, I stared at the village chief for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh. I couldn't understand what she was thinking to do such a thing.
"Did she tell you to use monster blood for fishing? So you caught the baby sea monster?"
"W-what!"
"The sea monster that had its baby stolen finally found this village and attacked, and my Dullahan that happened to awaken around the same time blocked it?"
If not for Ganic, this village would have been razed by the enraged Lizardman.
Whether Lilia knew it or not, thanks to her clumsy assistance, an entire village had nearly been wiped out.
"And after that too, whenever they received that baby's blood, monsters gathered, and my Dullahan fought in their place knowing nothing about it."
"W-what are you talking about! Baby sea monster!"
"You know too, don't you? That the blood shed by that baby sea monster is luring monsters."
The village chief fell silent with a pale face. Unless he was a fool, how could he not know?
At first, he might have thought it was coincidence, but if it kept repeating, naturally he would have suspected a connection.
He simply knew but couldn't give up the prosperous life.
What surprised me was the fact that I heard Lilia's name even in a remote corner like this.
"You know too many dangerous things. I don't think I can just let you go."
The village chief glared at me with fierce eyes.
At that moment, behind my back, something cracked with a zzzt sound. The village chief's face twisted in shock as he checked behind me.
"That's impossible!"
I turned my gaze following the sound. Cracks starting from the edge of the grayish barrier gradually spread toward the center.
And finally, with a crack sound, the barrier split in two.
"They said even the Tower Lord or his disciple couldn't break it unless they came!"
The barrier shattered into pieces and crumbled down. Beyond the barrier falling like glass fragments, four headless Dullahans revealed their massive bodies.
Relief and joy welled up simultaneously. Despite everything, it seemed I relied heavily on these Dullahans.
"The Tower Lord or his disciple has to come for it to break?"
I smiled brightly and turned to look at the village chief.
"It seems the person who gave you the magic tools lied because they had no intention of truly protecting you."
At my mocking tone, the village chief trembled as he looked at me.
"The barrier is completely defective."
"You—!"
The village chief, eyes bloodshot, swung what he was holding toward me. A light strong enough to momentarily brighten the entire cave burst forth.
I reflexively covered my face with my arm and urgently twisted my body.
I then stepped wrongly on a rock and fell backward. My hood slipped back, and a stinging shock transmitted to my bottom.
[Boss!]
[Chief!]
Tristan and Falides, who were standing nearby, simultaneously moved to block in front of me. With an acrid smell came the sound of something burning.
[This bastard!]
[Zigor, don't get close!]
Ganic grabbed the scruff of Zigor who was about to charge recklessly. Zigor's body barely stopped right before stepping on the unidentified substance pooled right in front.
"D-damn it!"
I could see fluorescent material stuck to the cave walls, floor, and everywhere. Along with faint smoke, the stone gradually corroded.
"There were definitely three!"
It seemed the village chief didn't know Falides was also trapped. But whether there was one more or one less, it probably wouldn't have greatly affected his odds.
As I groaned and stood up clutching my sore bottom, I heard the village chief breathing heavily while muttering.
"A-anyway, if I trap them again......!"
It was the moment the village chief tried to activate the barrier magic tool he had brought.
"Ugh!"
[Umm, Chief. This guy suddenly can't move.]
Falides spoke in a puzzled voice. Indeed, the village chief was frozen while clutching the rod-shaped magic tool.
Hidden behind the Dullahans, I stretched my neck to check him. After seeing the village chief's face with only his pupils barely moving, I looked down at the unidentified substance he had sprayed.
"Falides, Tristan. Are you alright?"
[We're fine.]
[Our armor melted a bit. We're fine, but if the Chief had been hit, it would have been bad.]
"Right."
I didn't know if it was a magic tool or some other offensive item, but I understood he swung it intending to kill me. Swallowing a groan, I muttered.
"Trying so hard to prove it's an illegal magic tool, with activation this slow."
Actually, I had activated the magic tool I brought as soon as the village chief appeared. It was a trap that would stop the opponent's movement when they entered a specific point.
I thought it was broken when it didn't work, but thankfully the magic activated late.
I carefully approached the village chief while avoiding the substance on the floor. I snatched the rod from his hand and examined it this way and that but couldn't learn anything particular.
"I'll take this."
I couldn't get an answer from the village chief whose tongue was probably stiff as well. I was about to pass by him when I suddenly turned back.
"The magic will probably lift around sunrise. And if you ever meet Lilia later, ask her. Did she teach you such a terrible method intending to kill all your villagers?"
The village chief couldn't move, but his consciousness would be intact.
I pictured in my mind how he would worry endlessly until the magic lifted, having heard all my words.
"Monster blood calls the blood of even stronger monsters, they say. Originally, in exchange for living prosperously for a few months, the village would have been destroyed. You knew that too, which is why you tried to capture Dullahans as guardian deities."
After my resurrection, I didn't particularly intend to do anything to Lilia, but honestly, my personality wasn't good enough to actively refuse an opportunity that rolled right to my feet.
Especially since I had been indirectly harmed by her once again.
"So then, did Lilia not know that?"
I could feel the village chief's breath wavering.
"Who knows? She has prophetic abilities. Everyone in the capital who matters knows. Would such a person really not predict this dangerous situation and teach such a method, give such defective magic tools?"
Honestly, whether Lilia knew or not, I didn't really care, but......
"Think about it carefully."
My whispering voice gradually lowered. Of course, it was still loud enough to reach the village chief's ears.
"By the way, His Highness the Crown Prince still misses his former fiancée, they say."
If he was swayed, good. If not, whatever.
"So can you guess what position his current fiancée is in?"
Ending with a question filled with laughter, I finally left the cave without regret.
* * *
Finding the medium wasn't difficult. Breaking it was of course not difficult either.
"Ha, this is so satisfying."
The barrier's medium was a small magic stone. The magic stone was found in the belly of a fish living in a small pond behind the village chief's house.
I had thought it would be in a hard-to-find place, but to think they put it inside a fish's belly.
'No matter how I think about it, this village chief is extraordinary.'
Zenon shook his head and quickened his pace. Capturing Dullahans to use as guardian deities for his village, and the idea of using baby Lizardman blood to increase catches.
It was hard to believe these were the thoughts of a small fishing village's chief.
'Traveling together, I see all sorts of things.'
When traveling alone with Nesi, it had been quiet and peaceful every day.
Actually, getting caught up in incidents like this wasn't Zenon's preference. He specialized in running away and avoiding problems when they arose.
There might be situations where he had to step in depending on the atmosphere, but he didn't need to solve every problem in the world.
Even without him, there were many people who would step forward for problem situations. Paladins or guards. Even if not by legal means.
In that regard, traveling with Aneli flowed in a direction that really didn't match Zenon's tastes.
Aneli seemed to have the power to attract problems from all over the world even when standing still.
'Then again, being a Resurrected One, it's natural.'