In the Animallia Empire, there existed the true Grand Temple and the real domain of the Ratson family—lands where the Lords of Ratson had served the gods for generations.
Once, it had flourished as a holy nation, thriving and bustling to the point of being indistinguishable from a capital city.
But now, the entrance had been sealed off. No one could enter or leave.
Because the High Priest and his wife, along with all the citizens of the sacred land, had been turned into harvest mice.
Currently, the Ratson family wandered from place to place, never staying in one location for too long.
It was necessary to avoid detection by their enemies.
If their whereabouts were exposed, the consequences would be catastrophic. There was no other choice.
But... it’s already been almost seven years...
For nearly seven years, the Grand Temple and the entire holy land had remained empty.
A sacred kingdom on the verge of becoming a ghost nation.
For now, the Emperor of Animallia was using divine revelation as an excuse to keep things under control.
But he can’t keep it up forever...
If only the curse cast upon them had been sothing as simple and direct as true love’s kiss, it would have been so much easier.
But there was no way it could be lifted with sothing as basic as a kiss between family mbers.
That particular clause had only been applied to Elodie—the one who had been abandoned in human lands.
This is impossible.
Other crises at least felt like they could be tackled with enough effort.
But the Ratson family’s curse?
For seven years, no progress had been made.
"Why is the god just standing by?"
Their most favored divine representative had been cursed and turned into an animal.
Elodie couldn’t hold back her frustration and muttered under her breath.
She hadn’t been expecting an answer.
People only started praying and blaming the gods when they were backed into a corner. That was just how it was.
But the fire spirit, Inpirno, practically jumped in protest.
[That’s unfair! It’s not that they’re standing by—they just can’t interfere directly in mortal affairs!]
"That’s basically the sa thing."
[It’s completely different. I guarantee that so kind of arrangent has been made.]
"Then where is it, this arrangent?"
[It’s just that, as always, it often doesn’t reach us...]
"......."
[Most of the ti, people don’t even notice it passing by...]
"......."
[That’s why, when we first t, I told you to just give up and enjoy the rest of your life.]
Elodie and Inpirno let out deep sighs at the sa ti.
***
Leaving the Temple of Healing, Elodie quickly glanced around.
Hmm, no one’s around.
If anyone had been lurking nearby, Magic Cotton would have fried them with electricity by now.
Feeling safe, she reverted to her human form and turned into a side alley—
—only to smack face-first into soone’s solid fra.
"Ow!"
There was soone here!
She had deliberately chosen a secluded alley, away from prying eyes. Had they seen her coming out of the temple?
As she clutched her stinging nose, frozen in place, she felt a familiar hand pressing down on her head.
A hand that, for so reason, insisted on stroking her in reverse, flattening her ears forward.
"You little rascal."
It was Eisen.
"I saw you transforming outside. Did you really think I could just walk past that?"
It had barely been a few days since she had nearly gotten into serious trouble. How could she be so careless?
He began to lecture her.
"It’s fine, Magic Cotton was watching over ... but more importantly—Grandfather!"
"Yes?"
"Why are you at the academy?"
Eisen hoisted the bewildered Elodie up in one arm and answered plainly.
"What do you an? I’ve been here from the start."
...From the start?
Then—he had been at the graduation ceremony?
"But Sera, Edmund, Geno, Karon, even I—none of us noticed!"
"Of course you didn’t. I didn’t tell you."
That wasn’t the issue!
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"If you ca all this way, you should have said sothing!"
"I saw the graduation. That was enough."
"It’s not enough...!"
He had just co, watched quietly, and left without saying a word?
"I was invited as a guest by the academy and made enough of an appearance among the officials. No one will be able to spread rumors about Lady Bluewood being abandoned by her patron."
Eisen confidently made a completely off-the-mark assumption about what she had been worried about.
Elodie frowned in frustration.
"That’s not the point! If you hadn’t co, everyone would have been disappointed. And if they knew you were there, they would have been happy!"
"A re old man showing up—"
"Oh, co on! Just follow and do as I say, Grandfather!"
Cutting him off, Elodie pointed a finger in the direction she wanted him to go.
Eisen chuckled as he watched the ever-bold and impossibly adorable child boss him around.
"Fine, fine."
***
Elodie led Eisen to the headmaster’s office and returned the remaining answer sheets.
Even if the prince had been expelled, his test papers couldn’t just be taken out of the academy.
The headmaster, flipping through the pages he received, frowned in confusion.
"So of them seem to be missing..."
"Oh, I burned them."
"You... burned them?"
Elodie pulled out a small box, revealing the scorched paper fragnts and ashes inside.
"They needed to reach the gods."
Of course, in reality, the fire spirit had simply eaten them to analyze the energy they contained.
"But isn’t the result what matters?"
"I-I suppose... Then, what did you find? What kind of power was embedded in them?"
Despite being given a chance for a retest, Cesare hadn’t taken it.
The academy’s exams weren’t sothing you could just morize answers for.
Knowing he had no chance, he had given up.
People like him tended to surrender quickly.
Even if he had tried again, he would have failed spectacularly and embarrassed himself even further.
In any case, he was expelled. That was final.
Now, the only question left was the origin of the power he had used.
"How should I put this...?"
Elodie let out a long sigh, her expression troubled.
She hesitated as if struggling to find the right words, leaving a heavy silence in the room.
The headmaster swallowed hard, growing more anxious.
"What kind of power was it?"
After a long pause, Elodie finally spoke.
"His Highness... It seems that he is a heretic who worships an evil god."
"Gasp!"
The headmaster nearly choked on his own breath.
Even Eisen’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.
If he was reacting, a man who could brush off death threats as mild inconveniences, then this was truly a disaster.
"I-I an, this... this is..."
The headmaster stamred, sounding as if he had forgotten how to form coherent sentences.
He had assud that, at worst, the prince had used so minor forbidden power to cheat.
But an evil god?
"Yes. And it’s beyond what I can personally investigate."
After all, the Kingdom of Silvaria was under the jurisdiction of Terranolia.
But Duke Valkyrisen, on the other hand...
Why?
Because he was also a noble of Silvaria.
And thanks to Edmund’s testimony, it was now officially established that the prince had personally targeted a Valkyrisen heir.
If Eisen accused the prince of using an evil god’s power against his grandson, no one would be able to refute him.
Elodie turned to Eisen and, without the headmaster noticing, gave him a playful wink.
"Hmm..."
A lazy smile spread across Eisen’s lips as he gave her a knowing look.
"I suppose we must contact the High Priest of Terranolia and the Inquisition imdiately."
"Right now?! B-But I haven’t even ntally prepared myself—"
"Or should we report directly to His Majesty? Or perhaps the Emperor?"
"......."
"A eting will surely be called soon. I’ll inform them of my intent to attend in advance."
Elodie had tossed the bomb first.
And Eisen had caught it perfectly, sending it flying toward the highest authorities.
With that, the two of them strolled out of the headmaster’s office, completely at ease.
Let’s see if the prince still holds onto his right to the throne after this.
Elodie grinned and raised her hand toward Eisen.
"Grandfather, high-five."
"......?"
Eisen looked down at the small hand in front of him, puzzled.
Elodie, undeterred, grabbed his hand and smacked their palms together before smiling in satisfaction.
Eisen glanced down at his own hand.
It seed this gesture was entirely foreign to him.
"Sera!"
Elodie spotted Sera and the others waiting for her, waving excitedly.
The mont they saw Eisen, their eyes widened in shock.
"Grandfather ca to congratulate you on your graduation!"
"I never said that."
"Oh, hush."
She had recorded Sera’s amazing graduation speech.
She had given her the bouquet.
Now, all that was left was returning to Valkyrisen.
***
Or so she had thought...
Eisen, keeping his usual nonchalant expression, tapped his earpiece and had a quick exchange of ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) words.
Through the device, the faint, static-ridden voices of his parents could be heard.
"Is sothing wrong?"
"A priority request from the Ratson family..."
Eisen started to explain but then cut himself off.
His deanor suddenly shifted, turning serious.
"A crisis is upon us."
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