Chapter 16: Revolt
I am delighted to get impressions, bookmark and evaluation on a moonlit night.

I saw the making of the compost.
I started making the compost from the next day after the potato was planted.

A receptacle for manure that’s use has already been made first.
In the village of the elf, excretion produced from each household is dumped outside the village once a day.
I make sure that the manure receptacle made is left there.
The receptacle itself is popular, as until now it was thrown away near the village and the smell drifted out.
There is no smell when thrown into the deep receptacle with a lid.

The receptacle for manure is a very sanitary device. The feces and urine starts to ferment when it’s thrown away there, and temperature rises to 70 degrees, killing pathogens which are origins of diseases and parasites. Above all, it can now be used as a fertilizer.

Without going through the process of fermentation, if you directly use excretions as fertilizer, nitrogen starvation occurs,  roots rot and crops becomes sick. In the first place, crops are often damaged by the methane and heat released during excretion decomposition.

“Well, excrement itself however, isn’t something I would like to use willingly.”

I opened the cover of the huge earthenware pot used as a receptacle after leaving it for a week after tossing large quant.i.ties of husk from threshed wheat into fermenting excretion and maple leaves collected by the female villagers.
While fermenting, as the smell of the world ending is emitted, I did not forget to let the wind carry away the smell and make sure it doesn’t reach the village.
If it’s only excretion, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and pota.s.sium are all insufficient, so I supplemented it with maple and wheat. Bad compost balance becomes a poison, so I mixed it with care.

“Alright, seems like fermentation is going well.”

Something like white mold is growing on the surface. That is evidence that compost is made smoothly.
Within the receptacle, fermentation isn’t complete as new excretion is placed into the receptacle everyday. Thus, I added something that will become nourishment and let fermentation advance more by pa.s.sing 1 week through time in this way.

“After that, once every 10 days, oxygen is send in by stirring to activate the bacteria, it will be in a usable state after one month.”

The best timing to add fertilizer to the potatoes is 1 month from now, and I aim for just that timing when the nutrients from the ground has been absorbed. It also seems to be just in time for it.
I am stirring it to introduce air while dispelling the smell by blowing with the wind. Still, I had to endure desperately as I can’t completely prevent the smell.
When the compost is complete, the color becomes blackish brown, and the bad smell turns to the smell of earth. I am reminded of that scene as I stirred the decomposition wholeheartedly.

“Syril, no, village chief! Empire soldiers are coming and will arrive in approximately 30 minutes!”

A youth raised to being a guard……Roreu, while holding his nose came to me who was mixing the compost. It was unexpectedly slow, 10 days later after the raid of the supply base.

“Ah, prepare the greetings. How many are able to handle the crossbow?”

“30 people.”

“Please call out to all the members.”

“I understand. Where is the greeting?”

“It might be good in the center of the village, it’s easy to aim at there.”

“Do you think that you will use the crossbow?”

“First of all, I have no doubt. Do you intend to tell everyone to be prepared?”

“Roger. See you later.”

And saying so, Roreu turns back running. Though he was in a hurry, but this smell would still be harsh. If the making of this compost succeeds, I’ll make a detailed recipe and as for this work.
I decided that I will force it on that fellow and returned to the village.

“Hey there, thank you for coming over. People of the empire. What is your business today?”

10 empire soldiers came along riding on 2 carriages. All members are fully armed and revealing wariness.

Although the attacker of the supply base is not thought to be in the elf village, the soldiers who came to collect tax and new elves not returning the other day might be the basis of taking precaution.

“I am Joseph. I came for the collection of tax. Lets get Nijie the village chief out.”

The man who seems to be the most important looking one among the soldiers took off his helmet and expressed that.
Looking down on the surrounding, his bad character is seeping out from his eyes.
And I can guess that he is a n.o.ble from the fact that a family crest is carved into his armor.

“Nijie left the village. The present village chief is me, Syril accepting the responsibility.”

I took a modest approach while I was concealing my real intentions.

“Are you still a child? Will you stop joking?”

“No, one will be an adult by fourteen in the elf village. I am treated as an adult in this village. I became the village chief after everyone in this village consented.”

Although they do not seemed convinced with my words, he seemed to have judged that it was not a lie from looking at the appearance of elves other than myself.

“Then, you are fine. Shall I have you present the quant.i.ty of wheat written on that paper and 3 of your fellow countrymen?”

Going straight to the point, business is thrust at me. I can see that he has no words and actions to spare.
Are you in a hurry or something?

“I should have paid this year’s tax. Why are there additions at this timing?”

Probing at great pains, I want to confirm the intention of these guys.

“After the base was attacked by a thief, the amount sent to our own country became insufficient….it doesn’t matter! Hurry and bring it.”

I see, this isn’t the retaliation for killing the previous guys, but purely distortion made by the attack to the supply base.
In this case, it doesn’t come to light that it’s me who have attacked the supply base.

“I refuse.”

“What!”

“I said that I refused. In addition to tax, I handed over the deposit of wheat. When anymore is taken, we cannot get through winter. Rather, would you return the wheat deposit soon?”

Called a wheat deposit, wheat is lent to the empire as its name suggests.
To prevent a revolt, the empire prevents storage except the minimum food used as emergency stores. If you act against the empire, the wheat deposited isn’t returned, it’s a plan for starving to death. In addition to taxes, most of the wheat in the village is taken.

“Wheat deposit? I do not know it. We probably didn’t received it this year.”

Frivolously, Joseph the representative of the soldiers declared.
The empire which looks down on us, even if I followed it, agreements are simple to annul in this way if it’s inconvenient.

“Shall I bring the certificate?”

“Ho, do you intend to bring a forged certificate? I will cut off your head at this place if you do something like this. You seem to have bad comprehension, shall I kill you quickly and arrange for the next village chief!”

This man doesn’t notice. The atmosphere with the elves surrounding the soldiers becoming more serious steadily, and the finger reaching for the crossbow concealed in the back also…….

“I see, the empire is going for such an att.i.tude. I think that’s good. I give up the wheat loaned out. However, above this, as with the matter of giving more wheat, villagers cannot be presented. We can’t starve to death and lose my comrades anymore.”

“Na, you! Are you mistaken! We didn’t come for a request! It’s an order! To starve and die? Then, after we kill you one by one, I’ll convert you to magic stone! Then after the cost of your food decreases, you would be able to pa.s.s through winter even if you pay tax! We are happy to obtain quite a lot of magic stones. You guys are happy without annihilation of the village, everyone is happy.”

Joseph pulls out the sword and applies it to the bottom of my neck, bringing his face close on top of that and scowls.
If it’s the old me, I would be frightened. However, the me of today does not feel fear at all. Because a hooligan like this is compared to the recalled experience of fighting fear many times over.

“It’s an interesting plan. However, there is a better plan. I annihilate you all and pretend the additional collection didn’t exist.”

“Hou, you says so right. You have just became the village chief and feel a little c.o.c.ky right? What’s said can be done by a powerless elf?”

“What can be done? It too early to see compared to words from the mouth. Shall I do it right away?
Shoot it!”

As I shouted, elves in positions about 20m away surrounded the soldiers to form a battle formation and took out the crossbow hidden behind them, pulling the trigger.
Since the bowstring has already been drawn fully, countless arrow flooded in.
And the arrows goes through the armor of the soldiers easily, piercing their body.

“Gyaaaaaaaaa”

“Owwwwwww”

“Why, why, the invincible armor of the empire!?”

The grin on the soldier’s faces some time ago stiffens.
Five people hit in a bad place dies instantly, and four people survives but falls to the ground writhing.
I had painted the arrows with poison based in aconite (monkshood) picked from the mountains mixed with several wild plants and excrement. An acute pain spreads once the fast acting neurotoxin enters the body and it becomes impossible to stand and writhe for half a day.
Crossbow is superior in penetrating, but it’s stopping power is insufficient. It takes a modest scheme to compensate for that.
From this, it becomes an incompetent weapon during melee combat.
When I noticed, about 2 people have committed suicide from excessive pain. Did I overdo it? I have to improve the poison a little more.

“Well, as you can see even the powerless elves are able to do something to this extent.”

Joseph falls on his rear and scoots backwards without standing up.
So far, it’s a single-sided killing. It’s impossible to do without something like the resolution to kill.
With corpse around, the voices of friends writhing in acute pain doubles the fear several folds.

“This is the question. Why have you been kept alive?”

Joseph does not answer my question.
That is because it’s impossible as he has frozen in fear.

“Time is up. As for one, it’s because I want information, so I am in need of a person from the human race to torture. Excluding vital points, I am allowed to shoot you, but being a little too fired up with poison, you might also break if I use that right? Therefore, I made special arrangement for you.”

At the same time I finished my words, an arrow comes flying from my rear and goes through Joseph’s a.s.s.
It’s shot from Lucie’s bow 100m away. She has good senses. She can aim at a place and hit at distance of 100m or less and there is hardly any error margin.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, oh, on my feet, the arrow, arrow, pull it out, pull it out”

It’s a shameful cry. However, not much blood is flowing out. The poison is just ordinary muscle relaxant too. With only the force of entry, it should be hard to feel the pain instead.

“Therefore, although you will not be killed now, there would be a strong preference to shut your eyes and die.”

“Stop it! Do you think that you can get away with doing something like this!?”

“I do not think so. Therefore, you know. I’d like to hear various things. do you want to turn out that way too?”

When I pointed to a soldier’s corpse while saying so, Joseph’s expression stiffens. Among those who escaped from instant death, the elves are inflicting fatal wounds on them.
No, it isn’t something pretty. Countless arrows all over their whole body. Just for the sake of killing, it’s inevitable if it’s the case. For the sake of having revenge freely, cold-bloodedly, mercilessly and severely, anger is struck with each blow.

Appearing in the battlefield from ancient times, the soldier who could not kill a person becomes a problem. Statistically, 70% of the new recruits cannot pull the trigger. Even if it’s a gun. In the case of sword and spear, the tendency becomes stronger depending on the extent of feelings transmitted to the hands.

In a sense, the biggest concern was there. Can the elves who doesn’t know the battlefield really kill a person?

However, that worry is a needless anxiety. The pain that has been oppressed until now, the grief from s.n.a.t.c.hing away an important person, the feeling of protecting comrades next to you now all pulls that trigger.

“We, will not run away anymore. I will not let you take anything. I have the courage and resolution for confrontation. And the weapon to gain victory.”

I stop using honorifics. The performance is up to here.
The surrounding elves nod. The days hanging our head in shame and shedding tears are already over.
Even if we get hurt for example, we will face forward and struggle desperately. The feeling is shared by all the members.

“Let’s calm down, that’s it, this village has been suspected of rebellion since the previous guys did not come back. If we do not return, the doubt will turn into conviction and 500 fully armed soldiers will make arrangements to attack this village!”

“And? I already killed all others except for you, it’s just talks of how to fight the war later.”

“If you let me go, because I will ask to not attack the village, that’s it, if you tender wheat and 3 elves properly, all the dead subordinates,  I’ll decide that they have been killed by bandits!
Therefore, please don’t kill me! Do you even understand it? It’s 500 soldiers? If it comes to this, the village is over in an instant. Na, please.”

“It’s only 500 people. It doesn’t become anything if it’s only that.”

I a.n.a.lyze the present information objectively. And with the results obtained, I guess we are more than enough to win.
We will experience and somehow manage approximately 500 people.
It’s understandable. This village is far from the empire and the road is steep. It’s more than 200km and halfway up the mountain even if you say the road is paved. It’s difficult to march systematically, and it will cost an enormous amount of money.
Beside, with anymore people, it’s unprofitable even if the magic stone is obtained, and for the elves it will be plenty of experience.

“Well, shall we slowly acc.u.mulate stories with just the 2 of us? It’s okay, I will not kill you. There are a lot of things I want to hear, as I said earlier. And I have another reason to not kill you. There’s a family crest carved on your armor right? It has good craftsmanship. That’s the proof of aristocracy right? n.o.bles are lucrative.”

A crest in the shape of a lion is carved in a conspicuous spot in the middle of the armor.
In the empire, such decoration is the special privilege of the n.o.bles, and is not permitted with commoners.

“Because I’ll demand ransom after finishing the battle with 500 man troops all at one go, I’ll have you live properly till then.”

In this era, requesting ransom for the prisoner is extremely common.
of course, if it’s done to a small fry soldier around here, it will be ignored and I will have no choice but to sell him as a slave in the end, but an aristocrat is profitable. The relatives have money and care about honor.
Unpleasant rumors arising such as So and So’s family paid money for a hushand, and in who and whose family, money is too precious to give up.
I have a small amount of money but I want a larger amount. There is limited self-sufficiency in this village. To replenish stocks from other village and towns, no matter how much money is not enough.

“I hate it, I hate it, this is a lie.”

I dragged Joseph who was throwing a a childish tantrum and entered the warehouse beside the village chief’s house.
Then, I took off his armor and start preparations for torture.
I leaked information in various ways some time ago, after all, and unless information is drawn out properly with some method, it isn’t credible.
Joseph tries to run away, but the poison doesn’t allow his body to move freely.

“Shall I use this..”

Holding a heated iron pipe, I rushed to Joseph’s original position.
I have to confirm whether the talk of 500 soldiers is reliable first. Because he is a n.o.ble, I will listen to various other stories too.