I Became a Witch and Started an Industrial Revolution

Chapter 14: Don’t Be Afraid, I’ll Only Break One of Your Legs

Bernard Village

The village was small, with only a few dozen households, the total population adding up to just a few hundred people.

Because it was relatively close to the forest, the people here could earn some extra income from logging and hunting in addition to farming.

Under the statue of the Goddess in the village center, a dozen children played happily, while a few middle-aged women sat together nearby chatting and laughing, occasionally picking up the fabric in their hands to sew a few stitches.

Ever since Mitia had driven away the manor lord, the villages that used to rely on the little lords had been freed from the heavy burdens pressing down on them.

Naturally, their lives had visibly improved.

“From the Yarlis family, your two acres of land had a good harvest this year, didn’t they?”

Among the seated women, a long-faced aunt looked toward a brown curly-haired woman who was busy sewing.

The others, upon hearing this, began chirping questions one after another:

“Yes, I saw the wheat in your fields a few days ago, it looked great. How was the harvest?”

“Should be good, I heard that Lady Mitia specifically told people to select the largest ears of wheat for seed, saying that planting this way would make the crops better each year.”

The brown-haired woman lifted her head and gave a shy smile to the women: “The harvest was indeed much better. The two acres together filled two more sacks than before.”

The surrounding women immediately exclaimed in surprise:

“Whoa! Doesn’t that mean even after paying the grain tax, you still have one extra sack left?!”

“That’s really something. A few years ago, one acre could barely fill three sacks, now it’s almost doubled!”

“When can we get those seeds too? One extra sack per acre would feed us for a long time.”

“Probably still some time to wait. I heard the village chief say that only military families can receive them for now.”

When they heard it was only for military families, everyone’s enthusiasm was dampened.

The long-faced aunt who first started the topic said enviously: “Tch, being a military family is really nice. Once my boy grows older, I’ll send him to join the army too. But if you ask me, I’d still feel safer with more land.”

“Aiya, you’re really willing to let him go? Being a soldier means going to the battlefield, that’s too dangerous. I think life now is already very good—we can eat our fill and even buy fabric to make new clothes.”

Another aunt retorted.

She was already very satisfied with her current life.

Since war always claimed lives, she felt there was no need to take the risk.

The others nodded in agreement at her words, though they didn’t continue fussing over the issue of seeds.

The brown-haired woman forced a smile at everyone before lowering her head to continue sewing, but her hands remained motionless.

‘Being a soldier means going to the battlefield.’ Those words pierced her heart like a needle, leaving her restless.

What they didn’t notice was that a curly-haired young man in uniform had already walked over carrying a bundle.

He called out joyfully to the woman with her head lowered:

“Mom!”

The brown-haired woman’s hand trembled, pricking her finger with the needle.

Beads of blood immediately welled up.

She raised her head blankly, and when she saw her son standing there for real, her surprise turned to delight:

“Son, you!… How did you come back?”

The young man dropped his bundle and strode over in a few long steps.

Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, he pressed it against her finger to stop the bleeding, scolding her with concern: “Mom, you’re still so careless.”

The brown-haired woman tilted her head back to look at her eldest son, who had grown taller than her by almost a head.

She let him scold her, her face brimming with smiles.

The aunts turned their heads at the sound and immediately gathered around in surprise:

“Oh my! Little Harlin is back!”

“This military uniform looks so good! Let your auntie touch it—ah, the fabric feels really nice!”

“Shoo! With those calloused hands of yours, don’t ruin his uniform!”

“That’s such a big bundle, how many things are inside? Must have cost a lot of money, right?”

Harlin laughed and greeted the aunts who had watched him grow up, patiently answering their questions.

The children who had been playing nearby also came running over, curiously staring up at the tall, handsome big brother.

Harlin crouched down to their level, pulling over a little boy still sniffling with a runny nose.

He grinned: “What’s wrong? Don’t recognize your brother Harlin? I used to spank your butt, you know.”

The boy shrank his neck awkwardly and chuckled: “I really didn’t recognize you. Brother Harlin, you’re too handsome now.”

As he spoke, his eyes shone as he looked at Harlin’s uniform.

He couldn’t help but reach out and touch the eagle-shaped badge hanging at the center of his cap.

“Hey!”

Harlin turned his head to avoid the boy’s hand and said sternly: “You can touch anywhere else, but not this.”

“Forget it, even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand… Anyway, I brought some candy. Each of you take one and go play!”

Saying this, Harlin pulled out a small bag of candies from his bundle and distributed them among the children.

Sugar had only been released in small amounts as welfare for the army after production had risen in the past year.

The candies Harlin had were saved from his own rations—he hadn’t been willing to eat them himself.

When they saw the candy, the children around him immediately cheered.

They didn’t know exactly what candy was, but as long as it was food, it made them happy:

“Wow! Thank you, Brother Harlin!”

“So this is candy? I heard it’s sweet. What does sweet taste like?”

“Dummy, just eat it and you’ll know.”

After sending away the children and the aunts, Harlin once again shouldered his bundle and returned home with his mother.

Meanwhile, his younger siblings, who had gone with their father to collect branches down the mountain, had already run back upon hearing the news.

They just happened to bump into the two as they entered the door.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize your brother anymore?”

Scooping up his timid little sister, Harlin popped a piece of candy into her mouth, then gave another piece to his four-year-old brother.

The unfamiliarity from six months apart instantly melted away.

When their father returned carrying firewood, the small courtyard was soon filled with laughter and joy.

At the same time, in the Astal Manor, a scene of chaos was unfolding.

With time and experience, Eliza had grown even more graceful and noble.

Yet now she was storming through the manor with a stick in hand, chasing after her mischievous child.

A group of maids trailed behind, wanting to stop her but not daring to, only following anxiously.

“Coy! Where are you? Get out here for your mother!”

The voice carried through the window into the study.

Mitia, who was reading reports on the rotation schedule of officers and soldiers on leave, couldn’t help massaging her temples.

Looking at the small head peeking in through the door, she sighed helplessly: “What did you do to upset Mother again?”

As the head turned, Mitia froze for a moment at the sight of his face.

She pressed her lips together, but in the end couldn’t help laughing:

“Pfft… You used the lipstick I gave Mother?! Anna, look! Hahahaha!”

Coy’s chubby little face was covered in red marks, his small mouth completely smeared, as he looked pitifully at Mitia and called out with a wide-open mouth: “Sis.”

Anna, dressed in a frilly maid uniform, couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.

She quickly turned her head away, her shoulders trembling.

Coy rushed into the study and threw himself onto Mitia’s lap, smearing red marks onto her white dress.

“Sister! Save me.”

Barely holding back her laughter, Mitia stroked his round head: “Calling me sis won’t help. That was the one and only lipstick I worked so hard to make for Mother as a birthday gift.”

“She didn’t even dare use it herself, and you ruined it. Tsk tsk, even a beating would be letting you off lightly.”

Coy’s small body trembled at her words.

He looked up at his sister in disbelief: “Only one? Then I’m doomed…”

Though he was still young, he understood that only one meant it was very precious.

“Yes, I only tried it out once to see if I could succeed. I had no materials left, and the season has already passed. I can only make more for Mother next year. So, you understand.”

Hearing this, Coy’s big eyes immediately filled with tears.

He looked at Mitia pitifully: “Sis, I won’t dare do it again next time. Please help me. I don’t want a beating.”

Mitia shook her head: “Tears don’t work on me. You wasted something too precious. I think a good lesson is necessary.”

In the past, Mitia would have tried to intervene.

Children naturally had strong curiosity—making mistakes was normal.

But now, things were different.

At five or six years old, a child could already remember and distinguish right from wrong.

From this age onward, if not corrected, he would only grow more spoiled.

*Knock knock knock*

“Mitia, is Coy inside?”

“Yes!”

Eliza slightly pushed open the door, her gentle voice drifting in: “Coy, come out quickly. Don’t disturb your sister’s work. Don’t be afraid, I’ll only break one of your legs, it won’t hurt.”

“Ah?!”