Villainess and Grimoire

Chapter 61 – The Peasant Rises Arc

Day 15 of the decaying season during the morning, in the South center border of the Lumen kingdom.

A wooden outpost has been created through the work of 20000 men in the south border around 100 kilometers far from Astia Village, and in the middle of it, a really tall tower where a few archers who have a skill that allows them to see far away, reside changing turns with one another as specified in the general notes. Inside it contains a bell with a large rope that can be used to pull, making it ring alerting everyone of an enemy attack.

Geographically speaking one could feel the certainty that the location chosen by Aurora hadn't been random. If a vertical line was drawn on a map from top to bottom, the place they resided would be exactly below the capital.

The wood outpost has a wooden wall of 500-meters away from the forest, so that they have time to see the enemies even in the dark, and behind towards the kingdom it is filled with long fields that are close to a river that curves nearby, allowing them to not run out of resources easily, even though these are still currently growing.

The field is planted with crops that will survive through the decaying and the moon seasons, and the resources they brought from the capital will last for a long time thanks to the big quantities of salt bought. The men were instructed to fish, farm, and hunt as those things would give them titles, another thing was that they had to build everything on their own, so they could cut the wood from the forest in front of them to reduce the camouflage attempts of the monsters, so they spent 12 days doing this making a pretty big outpost with a one hundred long wall that heightened about 2-meter tall and they did it in turns, as the general notes advised, giving titles to everyone who contributed.

By the end of the 12th day, they realized that doing these activities was truly making their bodies stronger, so they did them more effervescently and with more motivation as they seeketh to become powerful so that they could have a better time when the fighting starts.

The cooking was made initially by the female soldiers, who then taught the male ones contributing further for their statuses improvement, some even made desserts who also received titles from it, mostly dry fruit cakes as sugar is extremely expensive.

They learned slowly how to read as Aurora remembered it had helped Iris increase her wisdom eventually adding most of the titles knowledge into the notes she made, making everyone do a lot of useful things that some had never done before, and others didn't complete. They don't have a status skill that shows the rank of their titles thus extra effort was necessary.

From practically day one, they would end up fighting monsters and beasts who'd come close by, and also when they'd go to cut the woods from the forest extending the range between the natural fortress and the humans camp while also creating everything they needed with it. Some of them were blacksmiths, carpenters, artisans, and other ranked 0 classes, who weren't defensive or offensive classes, as such development was made slightly faster.

Of course, that the peasants from the villages around would get hired to work if they'd like, as well as merchants would drop by and attempt to buy and sell the loot either they or the soldiers had.

The days passed by fast while the army awaited their general to come, but every soldier knew a speech had been appointed. That was the first step to be done back in the Lumen capital before she'd have a chance to continue her work, and that day had been today, it would take a bit longer before Aurora would be able to arrive.

※※※

On the afternoon of the day, 15 of the decaying season at the south wall of the capital three individuals could be seen, where two were widely known through the entire kingdom the prince Marty and the princess Liliana.

It is tradition for the speech order to start by the amount of influence, however, since Aurora was practically unknown to the peasants and known only to the army, nobles, and the royal family, she was placed as the last one, the one to begin ended up being the prince Marty.

With the help of a few wind mages, the voice was able to flow without issue and the intensity would increase almost like talking in a megaphone, so everyone, in other words, 5 out of 10 million humans filled the outsides of the southern walls, the gate, and the inside of the capital. All of them be it peasants or nobles waited patiently to hear what they had to say, as the news of the king's death flew extremely fast and the later news of the cremation did too.

"As most of you know I am prince Marty and am here today to greet you all, I've come here to tell you that I wish to keep the ways of the past king and bring happiness to all of you the same way he tried to through his ruling."

"I'll begin by taking the 20 thousand soldiers towards the south in a few days, and expand our territory against the evil monsters that await us, eventually conquering even the other territories as you all know, ah..." he grasps for some air feeling pressured.

"As we all know the successor was supposed to be my older brother the crown prince Julius, but since my father wanted to give all the descendants a fair chance. The throne will go to the one who earns more lands, so that's what I'll be doing from now on."

"Any of you that wish to be part of my army is very welcome to join, I'll be heading southwards in 3 days," once he finished some hundreds applauded and shouted but it wasn't a significant sound.

Princess Liliana in a long white dress with a layer of blue took her brother's place and started speaking.

Her beautiful light tone porcelain-like skin and young age made the people in front of her do some noise as she is very beautiful while being the youngest of the siblings about 20 years old.

With a mixed tone of mature and softness, her gorgeous voice filled everyone's ears.

"Hello everyone, I'm princess Liliana the third in line to the throne, till the most recent event where my father died, and now having to dispute this between my siblings upon the late king dying will."

"I'll be making my representative the head of the golden rose Angelica lead the army in my place in a few days, and put a swift end to this dispute as early as possible becoming the next ruler of this kingdom, by bringing prosperity to it by vanquishing the enemies of humanity."

A couple of thousand men applauded and shouted making a significant noise from down the wall as they enjoyed what they saw.

The last one took the place of climbing to the very edge of the wall, unlike the others. One step away from falling worrying the people in front and around her, of a possible fall ending up creating surprise and anxiety in their hearts.

"The unease you just felt from watching me almost falling, is the emotion that our enemies are currently having, as I've been fighting against the monsters that the two who came before me mentioned for 13 days now."

"I've set up a base, recruited soldiers from all around the kingdom, gave jobs to peasants like myself and nobles too. As many of you don't know, I am Aurora the general of the crown prince Julius whom he promoted as a noble to lead his army, and the same way he did, I propose to all of you peasants and nobles alike a work offer.

"After all, I see no difference between either of you since you're all humans in my eyes!" She shouts loudly making the intensity of her voice reverberate in everyone's ears.

"I have made it that those who join my army will be paid with a good amount of money and lands, the ones you all help conquering. Not to forget that their ranks will progress depending on their achievements, in other words, the money and lands you receive will increase as they accumulate through your accomplishments.

"You will be able to obtain the same ranks as the heads of the rose families and be rewarded equally! In the name of the crown prince Julius I Aurora."

She lifts her right hand in the air slowly and then says," I shall finish what I've started, and crush every single enemy that doesn't submit to us, humans!"

Aurora closes her small hand so that everyone can see almost as if she was smashing whatever the inside had.

The moment she did the euphoric sounds of peasants who have always dreamed of becoming nobles or simply being able to raise in a system where the social classes have always been locked, started vibrating the air with their voices and shouts while clapping and hitting the floor with their steps happily.

Everything started shaking giving goosebumps to the crown prince Julius who was watching from afar and almost making the blonde girl fall off.

Aurora bows deeply towards the people in front and below of her and then leaves walking past the second prince and princess, who remain dumbfounded by the speech they heard.

Both take the chance to memorize Aurora's face as she went through but mainly focus on the blonde color of her hair, which shone beautifully with the sunlight, irradiating them as an aurora boreal does towards the night cold sky.

As she came down from the wall, some people awaited her in white robes, who blocked the passage. Since most of them were taller, especially the one in the middle, the girl's head raised while her eyes meet the person in front.

"Hello? Who might you gentlemen be?" Aurora questions with a small smile while keeping a confused expression.

"Greetings young lady Aurora, I am the pope Klaus of the church a friend of the Saintess. I have come to ascertain some doubts as I was told that you were born without an element."

'Does he have some sort of skill that enables him to check my status? What should I do?' As she prepares herself to break through the ones in front.

The crown prince alongside Ryu and a few guards who walked with him surround the priests in front of them making them stuck in the middle of Aurora and the prince.

"What is your eminence doing here?" Julius asked curiously with a neutral tone feeling his path to Aurora blocked which displeased him greatly as he wanted to congratulate her right away.

"I've heard the general of your army, this little kid in front of me was born with an illness of sorts, which made the body unable to produce an element. Something like that made me curious while pitting her, as such I'll use two skills on the girl that will show me the child's true nature, I believe the crown prince wouldn't mind correct?"

'If the prince agrees to it I might be found out please say no Julius.'

"Sure, go for it, she's just a normal kid who had rough health since birth," he declared firmly while believing his friend Luke's words making Aurora bow looking at the floor, making it impossible for the pope to see her eyes or expression which was showing some despair.

'I'm officially screwed, I'm sorry Iris,' the pope extended his hand at Aurora and channeled mana while voicing the name of the skill.

"Demon detection," upon not receiving any information as she's not a demon he attempted a different one.

"Very well you're a human, now disgrace detection," his eyes widened then closed allowing a few people to look at the pope's surprised expression.

"You have no disgrace whatsoever it seems like you've been behaving properly, I'm truly happy lady Aurora."

"Now even though I did say, I'd only use two skills I must confirm one last thing, and in exchange, I won't bother you further. Human lie detection, are you against me, the Saintess, the Goddess Aria, or even the church?"

"I'm not your eminence, simply a sick girl with some talent towards war."

'What's up with all these weird detections? Just what kind of class does this man have?'

"It seems it truly is something that was born with you, I'm afraid I cannot help you. My apologies child as my Saintess took a liking to you and asked me if I could help you out."

Aurora bows to him deeper and voices out," not at all your eminence, just your presence has already made this one overjoyed. Even if the almighty goddess Aria did not provide me with an element, she did bless me with a good brain and memory for which I'm truly eternally grateful for."

"I'm truly exhilarated, though what class did you acquire lady Aurora?"

"Strategist is the class I received, I believe it helps me think on plans to help his highness prince Julius in the wars to come."

'After talking for a long time with many people I met, I ended up using the same class as Mark as an escape. If I told this man my true class he'd certainly do everything he could to discover all about it and possibly even force me to use it.'

"Human lie detection," upon hearing those words Aurora's expression didn't waver and she said," I'm not lying pope Klaus," she smiled innocently at him.

"Since none of my skills told me anything that would trouble you, I'll be taking my leave and I shall pray for your success in the wars to come, young general."

He smiled genuinely kindly due to gaining an incredible amount of respect for Aurora, especially for having no disgrace whatsoever which is very unique in a human being, as titles end up giving a bit of it at some point.

The guards retracted and the men in the white robes left, "I'll be praying for your success as our greatest ally prince Julius."

"Thank you very much eminence, send my best regards to the Saintess."

"But of course, if you'll excuse me," Julius nodded slightly while smiling faintly.

The pope left alongside the rest of the priests leaving Aurora, Ryu, and Julius who headed together to a more quiet place alongside some guards who escorted them.