Reincarnated as a... Completely Average Person?

Chapter 7 Visiting the (new) Village

Kotori and her family had avoided entering the village since the arrival of the new count but after a month they could no longer avoid the village. They were in desperate need of salt and to get some tools repaired. So, Kotori and her father, with heavy knapsacks carried the materials over to the village

As they approached it looked much the same. Few people were out on the street but overall it seems like her family's concerns of the new counts were unfounded.

It wasn't very long when they got closer that Kotori realized that her original assumption was, terribly, terribly, wrong.

When they approached the main clearing in the village they saw a new pole in the middle of it. But unlike the previous time where there was only a notice, this time a figure was attached to it.

A man was bound to the pole by his arms. He was tied in such a way that he couldn't sit or else the ropes that bound him to the pole would lift his arms above his head and the ropes would chafe against his wrists. By the looks of it, he had been bound for quite a while. Despite this, nobody seems to make an effort to help the man. Many of them walking past and averting their eyes as if they didn't see anything.

Kotori looked at her father's face and saw that he held a grim expression. Upon seeing the man his hand gripped Kotori's tightly and they quietly went about their business.

Kotori began to notice that the people in the village spoke in hushed tones. This was a far cry from the liveliness that once went on the village and was unnerving. Although Kotori and her father were not very familiar with the inhabitants of the village she had been to the village enough times to know that this hushed speaking was highly unusual.

Going about their business in the village she and her father went to several stores. Her father tried to pester the store owners to explain what happened but none of them seemed willing to talk.

Their final stop was the blacksmith shop and her father went about his business. This was a shop that Kotori liked to be at. The blacksmith was a nice man and frequently patted Kotori's head with his charcoal stained hand. Her father was on good terms with the blacksmith as well since they always visited the shop when they came to the village.

Kotori watched as they started the transaction to replace a few shoveled heads and to buy a new knife. There was tension in the air despite there being no reason for it to exist in the first place. Then suddenly, like a splash of cold water, her father finally quietly asked the blacksmith.

"So what happened"

The blacksmith looked at him and sighed and then reluctantly began to speak

"Well, even if you live farther away Hikki, You're one of use as well, so you ought to know"

In an even more hushed tone, the blacksmith explained what had happened in their absence

While they were gone the new Count had taken over the village. Most of the villagers went about their business as usual. But a few issues began to arise. For one, the new count would complain frequently about the state of the village. This was expected, and most villagers held their nose at these complaints. They would even try to grant the Count's request to the best of their abilities. Even if he would frequently complain about the lackluster quality of the alcohol or the incompetence of the villagers.

That is, until one day the count tried to take a village girl for his own. Her father quickly defended her and told the Count off. In his scathing rhetoric, he denounced the count and told him of all the gripes the villagers had with him but were too polite to say.

The count was greatly angered by this and had his retinue bind the man to a pole in the center of the village as an example. This greatly angered the villagers and many tried to unbind the man. Then the count's men pulled their swords, and the villagers were forced to back down. Since then, the man had been bound for over a week, the village tries to help him in the night when the count and his men are asleep but many fear doing so publicly in case they become the next target. Many tried to plead with the count to let him go. But he only scoffed at them and said that the peasant should know their place.

[Man, What a stereotypical nobleman]

Kotori was surprised and horrified at the New Count's conduct. She thought the contrast in personality from the old Count Derkin and his grandson was too great, but even still there was no reason to deny it. When she had already seen the proof upon entering the village.

Even still, the Count's conduct led Kotori to worry about whether going to the capital was the right option at all. Based on her albeit small, impression of capital nobles it seems that they were stuck up, and elitist.

Of course, she wasn't sure if the new count behavior was indicative of all the capital nobles but doubts still began to spread in her mind.

[Time to think of a plan B]

Kotori still felt frustratingly stuck in her village. And all her options were, closing in on her. The social mobility here was painfully bad.

She and her father finished the rest of their business and quickly left the village without any hassle.

That night as Kotori laid in bed and waited for the family to go to sleep all she could hear was the soft whispering of her parents discussing what to do.

They ultimately decided to use what low amount of savings they had to stock up on materials for the year and completely avoid the village until then.

The very next day

Kotori and her entire family went to the village to pick up essential supplies. The 4 people stocking on supplies was quite a sight for the villager but they immediately understood why and didn't hassle Kotori and her family for it.

As Kotori left the village. She saw the still bound man. Feeling pangs of sympathy she quickly grabbed some dried meat from the supplies and ran over to him.

The man stood there motionless. She saw that his feet were raw cracked and bleeding and his legs trembled. She quickly put the food in his mouth. He coughed then in a pained voice spoke

"Thank... you."

She nodded

"Hey! Who's feeding the prisoner!"

she heard one of the count's henchman and immediately scampered away to her family before they saw who she was.

Her mother berated her

"The whole point of this trip was to avoid getting involved! "How could you do something so stupid!"

Kotori knew what she did was bad, and was completely aware that her current tactic of "look cute and apologetic" was not going to work here.

What really blindsided her was when her father also began to scold her as well. While he wasn't as harsh as her mother was it still hurt to know the person she was closest to in this family was also angered with her actions.

It was bad enough that Kotori had lost Karma

That night Kotori got her first real punishment ever.

Her parents didn't allow her to eat.

As Kotori laid on the straw mat with her stomach grumbling. All she could think about was her meal tomorrow

Completely unaware that her action just set off a chain of events that would ruin her idyllic farm life forever.

Author note: 1 more part coming out today! Don't forget to bump and comment!