Chapter 7

“Seeds?”

There were several seeds sitting there.

“Yes. They’re the seeds from the peaches you just ate.”

“Why are those here?”

“Irien asked me to collect them.”

“That rabbit?”

“Yes.”

[Pii! Pi, pii!]

‘…She asked for them?’

[Pii!]

The moment Irien spotted the seeds, she began hopping around more excitedly than usual. Then she started squeaking loudly, demanding that they be given to her.

‘What does she intend to do with the seeds?’

Was she planning to plant them? Since Irien’s primary ability was growing plants, that seemed highly likely. Whether she’d actually get any results was another matter.

‘They’re plants from the Divine Realm. Would anyone be able to plant them and easily grow fruit?’

Of course, Irien wasn’t exactly anyone. Some even considered the Tamer Relic to be a form of power bestowed upon humans by a god.

At first, she had collected the seeds for research, thinking that since they came from peaches of the Divine Realm, the seeds might perhaps have some medicinal use as well. She had even kept the ones Kainel had eaten instead of throwing them away……

Well, regardless, since Irien had asked for them, she had been setting the seeds aside whenever they ate a peach.

That said, there were only a few peaches she had received from High God Jibrio, so there weren’t many seeds to begin with.

“I hear an interesting rumor has been going around lately.”

“A rumor?”

Duke Norua brought up a new topic with his trademark mischievous smile.

“A rumor that a snow-white baby rabbit has been saving crops.”

“Ah…….”

Ceres, who knew very well whose rabbit they were talking about, scratched her cheek.

The rumor’s already spread this far?

“Oh, our Ceres. She just can’t bring herself to walk past someone in trouble.”

“He’s exactly like his father.”

“Not that one. He takes after his mother.”

Ceres felt strangely guilty at the Three Dukes’ words of praise and subtly avoided their gazes.

Every time she secretly went out at night to repair buildings, the children would follow her and keep getting in the way, leaving her no choice but to give them other things to do.

‘I only told them to help out at the nearby farms.’

But little by little, the scope had expanded. Now they were even traveling to regions outside the capital to help the farmers. Even Ceres hadn’t anticipated things going this far.

‘It seems Cheyan’s Teleportation Magic is proving quite useful.’

The fact that they could move from place to place several times a day and save crops owed no small part to Cheyan’s Teleportation Magic.

“They’ve started calling them the Rabbit Expedition Team.”

“…The Rabbit Expedition Team?”

When did they even get a name?

Ceres couldn’t hide her disbelief at Duke Elkein’s words. Of all the names they could have come up with, why Rabbit Expedition Team?

“His Majesty is grateful as well.”

“His Majesty?”

“Yes.”

Duke Schweiss’s expression remained as cold as ever as he delivered the message, but the other two Dukes, who had known him for so long, could easily tell.

There was a faint trace of amusement hidden beneath his cold tone.

“He asked me to convey his thanks for the help you provided with the restoration.”

After the Former Emperor stepped down, the Crown Prince Aserian, who had become the Emperor of the New Empire, had been meeting frequently with the Three Dukes.

After all, securing the support of the Three Dukes, known as the guardian families of each region, was essential to solidifying his position as emperor.

‘It seems Kainel has been summoned quite often, too.’

Kainel, the master of the Northern Region, was receiving just as many summons from Emperor Aserian. He simply wasn’t answering them.

‘I’ll pay him a visit once Ceres has fully recovered.’

…Isn’t he still not going even after she’s recovered?

Ceres found Kainel’s behavior utterly ridiculous. He was using her as an excuse to avoid visiting the Imperial Family, and from her perspective, it was painfully obvious that he simply didn’t want to go because it was a hassle.

“Is there still no news of His Former Majesty?”

“No.”

Now that the conversation had turned to the Imperial Family, Ceres suddenly found herself wondering about the Former Emperor.

By the time she had regained consciousness, everything had already been over.

“No one seems to know exactly where he went.”

“Tsk. To disappear without giving us so much as a word of warning.”

The Former Emperor had stepped down after taking full responsibility for the crimes committed by the Third Prince, while the Crown Prince Aserian had taken his place and was now governing the empire.

‘So Prince Alex is dead.’

When she woke up, everyone had told her the same thing. That Prince Alex had passed away.

“Hm.”

But Ceres didn’t believe it.

‘When I turned back time…….’

When she had turned back time to seal Herkaos—the Evil God who had taken over Prince Alex’s body—once again……

‘He had lost consciousness, but…….’

There had been nothing wrong with Alex’s body.

‘And yet he died?’

If his body had been perfectly fine, why would he have died? And then there was Emperor Devrika’s behavior. He had suddenly relinquished the throne and disappeared without leaving behind the slightest trace.

‘Tsk.’

Ceres clicked her tongue softly to herself. She had a pretty good idea of what had happened, but she decided there was no need to pry any further.

As she thought of a certain foolish guy who had been willing to give up his own life in his younger brother’s place……

‘So that’s why he stayed cooped up in the Mage Tower for so long?’

Cheyan had barely been able to meet her eyes, like a child who had done something wrong.

And now, he was frantically helping those who had suffered because of the Demon Beasts.

‘It’s not just the Rabbit Expedition Team.’

After the Red Moon Incident ended, he had been secretly donating enormous sums of money without letting anyone else know.

Apparently, he had even been personally supporting children who had lost their parents to the Demon Beasts, practically emptying his own pockets in the process.

‘At this rate, you’ll end up selling the Mage Tower and donating that, too.’

‘Come on. No matter how far I take things, I’m not crazy enough to sell the Mage Tower.’

‘Then why are you taking all the Mana Stones?’

‘Hehe. You know why.’

‘What do I know?’

‘Besides, these Mana Stones don’t belong to the Mage Tower. They’re mine. I bought them all with my own money, anyway.’

‘Are you not going to research Mana Stones anymore?’

‘…Should I keep one?’

Eventually, Cheyan’s Secretary, Luka, could take it no longer and tried to reason with him, but it was of little use.

Remembering how Luka would let out a deep sigh whenever he saw her and ask her to please stop Cheyan, Ceres lightly shook her head.

‘If that’s what it takes to put his mind at ease.’

She couldn’t understand why Cheyan was acting this way over something he hadn’t even done himself, but she had no particular intention of stopping him.

‘It’s better than him sitting around listlessly in the Mage Tower.’

That was also why she had deliberately left Jien and the Little Ones in his care. She didn’t want to see him like that. When your thoughts get too complicated, sometimes keeping yourself frantically busy is the best medicine.

“So, where do you suppose our Rabbit Expedition Team went today?”

…Since when did it become our Rabbit Expedition Team?

Ceres let out a silent sigh and paused to think about Duke Norua’s question. Where had they said they were going today?

“I think they said they were heading to the Etlin Region.”

Kirik… Kiririk…….

“M-Mom.”

“Yan! Run!”

Etlin Region. In a small house in a quiet rural village,

a scream suddenly rang out from the basement storage room. Nine-year-old Yan had gone down into the basement with his mother to retrieve the little food they had left, but now he couldn’t stop his body from trembling.

There was a grotesque creature standing right before his eyes. Its single, enormous red eye gleamed as it searched for prey.

Kiaaah!

A Demon Beast bared its sharp teeth and let out a strange cry! Its tentacles reached toward them, making Yan feel as though his entire body might be torn apart.

“Run!”

“M-Mom!”

“Go!”

Determined to save her child, at the very least, Yan’s mother, Lil, grabbed a farming tool lying on the floor of the storage room and stepped in front of the Demon Beast. Her legs trembled violently, but she had no intention of backing down.

‘Even if it means sacrificing myself!’

Desperate for her child to get as far away as possible while the Demon Beast went after her, she forced herself to tighten her grip around the farming tool.

“Yan! Hurry!”

“U-Ugh…….”

He stumbled backward at his mother’s sharp command, but the boy couldn’t make himself move properly.

Ever since he had seen the Demon Beast’s red eye, terror had taken hold of him, and his body refused to obey him. He felt that the moment he moved even slightly, those sharp teeth would catch him and devour him.

“Yan!”

“Hic!”

At his mother’s scream-like call, he barely managed to take another step backward, but……

Kiaaah!

“Aaaah!”

The enormous roar that erupted from the Demon Beast’s mouth finally made the boy scream and collapse onto the floor.

“Yan!”

Lil rushed over and quickly pulled the boy into her arms. As the Demon Beast approached, its heavy breathing and distinctive foul stench filled the air, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

This is it. I’m going to die.

At the very moment she thought that—

Kwaduk!