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~Chapter 14~
Valkyrisen…
‘It’s nerve-racking because I know what kind of chaos will break out later, but at least it’s safe for the next five years…’
Elodie couldn’t trust a single member of the beastkin families.
How could she know who had cursed Ratson—or who had helped?
And seeking refuge with another human family was impossible due to the peace treaty.
In the end, Valkyrisen was her only choice.
‘And this is the most important part.’
She could keep that prince bastard away!
The royal family of Silveria? Even the Emperor of the Terranolia Empire couldn’t meddle carelessly with the Valkyrisen family.
They were nothing less than a symbol of peace.
At least for the next five years!
It wasn’t a bad place to lay the foundation for her grand plan—“Pave a Flower Road for Sera”.
‘All right, let’s go to Valkyrisen.’
Elodie jumped down from Sera’s arms and began marching forward energetically.
CRASH!
“E-Elodie!”
“Ah.”
Well, maybe she needed to master walking first.
Valkyrisen.
The only neutral land across the entire continent where beastkin and humans lived side by side.
She had expected it to feel different from the Silveria Kingdom.
But…
‘Not this different!’
The moment their carriage entered the Valkyrisen domain, an entirely new world unfolded.
Beastkin walked around freely, their fluffy ears and tails in full view!
‘They’re beastkin!’
Elodie pressed her face against the carriage window, her jaw practically on the floor.
Beastkin and humans mingled naturally—talking, laughing, working together.
It was like witnessing a completely new kind of human society.
“Thay purrson over thare is a beastkin, right?”
“Looks like it.”
“And the one opposhite looks like a wolf beastkin, doesn’t it?”
“Seems so.”
“How ish that poshible?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Don’t they eat each other?”
“If you cause trouble in Valkyrisen, you get kicked out.”
Wow. So that’s how it worked.
Even with Eisen’s flat, uninterested tone, Elodie was full of awe.
Different species living together without tearing each other apart—that was something she’d never imagined.
Maybe this was the ideal kind of society.
‘It’s beautiful.’
The peaceful atmosphere—the warm sunlight, the clouds lazily drifting in the sky—everything looked so serene and calm.
‘So this was possible… in this era.’
She had forgotten. She was just a child back then, after all.
There had been a time when humans and beastkin coexisted under Valkyrisen’s pact without hatred.
A time when, even if they weren’t exactly friendly, they didn’t harbor malice either.
Even when all other interactions were forbidden, in this one land, they could still live side by side.
No wonder the Duke of Valkyrisen was called the Symbol of Peace.
“What’s with that look?”
“Jusht…”
When Eisen raised an eyebrow and asked, Elodie mumbled vaguely.
Because she knew.
He would die five years later.
At a rather early age.
A heart attack, cause unknown. There was no evidence of foul play, so it had been ruled a sudden death.
‘And ten years later, the peace treaty collapsed…’
Elodie recalled the near future.
Five years later, the Symbol of Peace, the Duke of Valkyrisen, would die.
That event would ignite the spark of discord between humans and beastkin.
‘It started with a string of murders.’
Those murders led to revenge killings, then riots, and finally… a massacre.
Peace shattered, hatred deepened.
Twelve years later, the Third Great War began.
No one could predict the victor.
Sometimes beastkin held the advantage, only to be pushed back again.
Sometimes humans seemed on the verge of winning, only to lose it by a hair’s breadth.
The war dragged on endlessly.
After three years, both sides signed something that resembled a truce.
‘It makes no sense.’
If it was all just going to end in a stalemate, why start a war at all?
No—not even a stalemate.
Elodie could still see the piles of corpses, lives wasted in vain.
What had they died for?
The war she had witnessed had been exactly that—utterly meaningless carnage.
No victory. Just empty, miserable deaths.
While she was lost in thought, her eyes met Edmund’s.
“…?”
The boy tilted his head, then smiled kindly—like anyone would when looking at something small and adorable.
‘Duke of Valkyrisen.’
A memory flashed before her eyes—Edmund, battered and bloodied, standing before the king.
He had always been at the frontlines.
The massacre in Valkyrisen had been the trigger for the Great War, but it was only because the Duke had endured that things didn’t spiral into complete annihilation.
If Edmund hadn’t been there, Terranolia would’ve fallen long ago.
Yet despite his sacrifice, all the people’s resentment was directed at Valkyrisen.
He was treated like a scapegoat—fighting silently until the end, only to die in battle.
After his death, both continents hastily declared a ceasefire.
‘And Valkyrisen was wiped out.’
The world regained a fragile, temporary peace—leaving behind nothing but deep wounds and hatred.
Edmund’s body was never found; he wasn’t even given a proper grave.
Only after his death was his name cleared—but what meaning did that hold?
The Symbol of Peace was gone.
The neutral land destroyed.
Humans and beastkin now killed each other on sight.
In the end, despite all his struggle, Edmund had failed to protect anything.
“…”
As Elodie stared at him, the boy’s face turned serious. He met her gaze directly.
“Do you wish to say something?”
It couldn’t be stopped.
Neither the war, nor the fall of his house.
What was fated to happen would happen.
Trying to stop a tidal wave with a hammer would only get you swept away.
But still…
‘I owe him my life.’
Yes. She’d repay that debt.
Just that much.
‘Because now… I’m human.’
She made up her mind and opened her mouth.
“Y’know…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I hope Duke-shir livesh a long, long time.”
“…”
Eisen snorted, pointing to himself.
“Me?”
“Yesh.”
“Cheeky brat.”
He scoffed, but he didn’t seem offended.
Elodie glanced nervously up at him, then clenched her tiny fists.
“Then I’ll check you later, okay?”
“Check me?”
“A health checkup!”
She recalled what the High Priest of Ratson had once told her.
The Ratson family’s ability wasn’t limited to healing physical wounds.
They could cure any disease—
Even mental ones like insomnia or trauma.
As long as someone still breathed, their body and mind could be restored to their peak condition.
A literal miracle of God.
‘Though the range depends on talent…’
Even the least gifted among them had abilities no one could replace.
That’s why the Ratson family was called the jewel of the Aimalnolia continent.
‘If I can just learn how to use this hammer properly…’
“I don’t need it.”
THUD!
Elodie looked as if she’d just been smacked in the face with a hammer herself.
“What do I need that for? The physician said I’d live another fifty years.”
No!
Not fifty—five!
You’re going to die in five years!
“B-but it won’t hurt to check, right?”
“I know my body well enough.”
Like hell you do!
“Besides, I clearly heard your father say to use your divine relic only in emergencies.”
Ah, right—he understood the mouse language.
Elodie shrank back, gauging his expression.
Eisen snorted again, half amused, half stern.
“The divine hammer isn’t a toy for children. If you go around swinging it for fun and your grandfather catches you, you’ll regret it.”
Seriously? You think I’m doing this for fun?
I’m trying to save your life, old man!
At that moment, Edmund leaned toward the Duke and whispered,
“Grandfather, that’s not it. The young lady just wants to play doctor.”
No, that’s NOT it!
But Eisen’s expression softened slightly.
“Hmph, is that so?”
