The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella

Valkyrisen…

I know things are going to get chaotic there eventually, and that makes me uneasy. But at least for the next five years, it’s safe…

Elodie couldn’t trust any of the beastfolk families.

How could she be sure who had cursed Ratson? Or who might have secretly helped the culprit?

Seeking refuge with a human noble house wasn’t an option either—due to the peace treaty, no human family would be able to take her in.

Which meant Valkyrisen was her only choice.

And more importantly—

She could block that damned prince from getting anywhere near Sera!

Even the royal house of Silvaria couldn’t meddle with House Valkyrisen, a family that even the Emperor of Terranolia wouldn’t dare cross.

They were literally the symbol of peace.

At least for the next five years!

This was perfect for laying the groundwork for her [Pave Sera’s Path with Flowers] plan.

Alright. Valkyrisen it is.

Elodie sprang out of Sera’s arms, determinedly marching forward—

THUD—!

“E-Elodie!”

“…Ah.”

…Maybe she should master walking first.

***

Valkyrisen.

The only place on the entire continent where beastfolk and humans lived together in harmony.

Elodie had expected it to be different from the Silvaria Kingdom.

She had expected it, but still…

Not like this.

The moment she arrived in Valkyrisen’s territory, it was like stepping into a completely different world.

Beastfolk walked around freely, their fluffy ears and tails on full display, completely unbothered.

"Beastfolk!"

Elodie stared out of the carriage window, unable to keep her mouth shut.

Seeing beastfolk laughing, talking, and working side by side with humans felt utterly surreal.

It was like seeing an entirely new kind of human society.

"That person over there—aren’t they half-human, half-beastfolk?"

"So it seems."

"And that one across from them looks like a wolf beastfolk!"

"That seems to be the case."

"…How is that possible?"

"What would stop it?"

"Don’t they eat each other?"

"If you cause trouble in Valkyrisen, you get kicked out."

Oh, wow.

Even though Eisen answered with the least amount of enthusiasm possible, Elodie was still amazed.

Different species, living together without biting each other’s heads off.

She had never imagined such a sight.

Perhaps this was the most ideal form of a domain.

It’s nice to see.

This peaceful atmosphere.

The warm sunlight, the clouds lazily drifting across the sky—everything about this place felt serene and unhurried.

So this was possible, in this era.

She had forgotten.

Back when she was a child, she had long since buried the memories.

There had been a time when humans and beastfolk coexisted without hostility under Valkyrisen’s treaty.

Not exactly friendly, but not filled with hatred, either.

Even when interaction was restricted, in this one place, at least, there had been no barriers.

No wonder Duke Valkyrisen was called the Symbol of Peace.

“What’s with that look?”

“…Nothing.”

Eisen raised a brow at her, but Elodie averted her gaze.

Because she knew.

In five years, he’ll be dead.

It was far too soon.

His cause of death had been sudden heart failure.

They never found a single piece of evidence pointing to foul play, so it had been ruled as natural causes.

And five years after that… the peace treaty was broken.

Elodie thought back to the future she had once lived in.

Five years from now, the Symbol of Peace—Duke Valkyrisen—will die.

That would be the first spark igniting the flames between humans and beastfolk.

The first incident was a series of murders.

Then came retaliation killings.

Then riots.

And finally—a massacre.

Peace collapsed, tensions escalated, and twelve years later, the Third Great War began.

No one had been able to predict its outcome.

At first, the beastfolk gained the upper hand—only to be forced into retreat.

Then, humanity looked like they had secured victory—only to lose it again by a hair’s breadth.

The war became an endless stalemate.

And after three years of bloodshed, they signed a halfhearted ceasefire agreement.

It didn’t make any sense.

If they were just going to end things as they were, why start a war in the first place?

No—it wasn’t even that.

The world wasn’t left in the same state.

Elodie recalled the mountains of corpses left to rot like trash.

All those lives, lost for nothing.

That was what war had always been to her.

A horrific, pointless struggle.

A victoryless slaughter.

A delusion.

As she fell deeper into her thoughts, her gaze suddenly met Edmund’s.

“…”

The boy tilted his head slightly, then smiled.

It was a kind smile.

The kind anyone would naturally give to a small child.

"Duke Valkyrisen."

A memory surfaced—Edmund, standing before the king, covered in blood and wounds.

He had always led from the frontlines.

The Great War had begun because of the massacre in Valkyrisen.

But because he had fought, because he had survived, the world hadn’t collapsed entirely.

If Edmund hadn’t been there, Terranolia would have already fallen.

And yet—

Valkyrisen had always been the one people blamed.

He had been treated like a scapegoat.

And still, he had fought, quietly, tirelessly—until he died.

After his death, as if the world had been waiting for him to fall, both continents had immediately declared a ceasefire.

And then—

"Valkyrisen was erased."

The world found a temporary peace.

A peace built on unending scars and hatred.

Edmund had never even been given a proper burial.

His body had never been found.

Only after he was dead did people stop calling him the villain of the war.

But what did that even mean?

The Symbol of Peace was gone forever.

The neutral land was destroyed.

And now, humans and beastfolk could no longer meet without trying to kill each other.

In the end, despite all his efforts—

Edmund had saved nothing.

"…"

Elodie stared at the boy in front of her.

Edmund, noticing her unwavering gaze, straightened his posture and met her eyes with equal seriousness.

“Is there something you wish to say?”

Nothing can be stopped.

Not the war.

Not the destruction of Valkyrisen.

Fate would unfold as it always had.

A mouse standing before a tidal wave, even one wielding a holy hammer, would only be swallowed whole.

But…

I should at least repay the favor.

Yes, just that much.

Just enough to do the right thing.

Because I’m human now.

Having settled on that thought, Elodie finally spoke.

“So, you see.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I hope the Duke lives for a really, really long time.”

“…”

Eisen blinked, pointing to himself with an amused smirk.

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

“You’re a bold one.”

He scoffed, but he didn’t seem displeased.

Elodie hesitated, stealing glances at the old man’s expression, before clenching her tiny fists and declaring—

“Shud I check for you la'er? (Should I check for you later?)”

“What?”

“A full-body checkup!”

Elodie recalled what the High Priest of Ratson had told her about their divine abilities.

The Ratson family’s power didn’t just heal external wounds.

They could cure all diseases.

Even things considered practically incurable—chronic insomnia, trauma, and even afflictions of the mind.

As long as someone was alive, their body and soul could be restored to their optimal condition.

Though I suppose the range of abilities varies by individual talent…

Even so, it was an irreplaceable power.

Ratson had been called the symbol and jewel of Animallia.

If I can learn how to use my family’s power through this hammer, then—

“No need.”

Boom.

It felt like she had been struck by the hammer instead.

“What do I need a checkup for? My physician said I’ve got another fifty years left in me.”

No!

Fifty years my foot—you’re going to die in five!

You’ll be one of the earliest cases of sudden death among elders!

“B-but it wouln’t hurt t’ check, righ’?”

“I know my own body better than anyone.”

No, you don’t!

“And besides,” Eisen added with a smirk, “I distinctly remember your father telling you to only use the relic in emergencies.”@@novelbin@@

Ah.

Right.

The Duke had learned the language of the harvest mice.

Elodie immediately shrank back, gauging his expression.

Eisen scoffed and added in a warning tone,

“The Holy Hammer is not a child’s toy. If you go around swinging it carelessly, I’ll have a word with your grandfather.”

What?!

Does he think I’m doing this for fun?!

I’m trying to save his life, damn it!

Then, Edmund leaned in and whispered something into Eisen’s ear.

“Grandfather, that’s not it. The young lady simply wishes to play doctor.”

That’s not it either!

Does everyone here think I’m actually a child?!

But, oddly enough, Eisen’s previously stubborn demeanor softened just a bit.

“…Hmph. Is that what this is about?”