No one refuted that assertion.
The war was already a foregone conclusion; only the timing remained in question. When would it erupt?
“The Imperial Court’s oppression of demi-humans is growing more severe by the day. We may be keeping them from touching the Merfolk, but the other races are not so fortunate.”
“I asked the half-elves, and it seems the elves hold a deep-seated resentment toward humans. From what I hear, it wouldn’t be strange if things exploded at any moment.”
Diegon hadn’t taken the half-elves into the navy just because his daughter had saved them. He had traded a place to stay for information. Though the half-elves were ostracized within their own kind, they were far from ignorant of the world. After all, they had been around for a century.
“About three years ago, the commander of the Genome Knights cut down a tree the elves hold sacred.”
“Oh?”
So, the conflict that had finally brought the tension between the elves and the Imperial Court to a breaking point hadn’t been the Emperor’s intention from the start. The commander of the Genome Knights, angered by the elves, had simply decided to chop down the tree as an example, never realizing it was the one thing he absolutely shouldn’t have touched.
The Imperial Court couldn’t easily hand over a high-ranking knight commander. They had issued a suspension and a salary reduction, but the elves had no patience for such bureaucratic half-measures.
“Elves are as wise as they are long-lived. They would never attempt to fight humans on their own. They would join hands with other races—the dwarf blacksmiths, for instance.”
“That is entirely possible. The current Emperor has been increasing his orders for dwarven weaponry every year. The First Duke preached coexistence with the demi-humans, but the current Emperor’s policies are nothing short of oppression.”
After Galizad and Diegon finished, Violet’s violet eyes flickered.
“The Emperor is constantly looking for an opportunity to break the spirit of the Pashayen Family. The moment the war with the elves surfaces, he will undoubtedly demand our troops. If we comply, Pashayen will be left defenseless, and then…”
“An estate war will break out. And there is no shortage of families waiting to take advantage of that chaos. Ugh, tch.”
It was simple. The Imperial Court and the elves would go to war. To minimize their own losses and shrink the power of the great families, the Court would demand their support. If Pashayen were left hollow, the other families would smell blood and initiate an estate war.
“If a war with the demi-humans does break out, why not dispatch Cecilia? She would be far more effective on the battlefield than here.”
At Violet’s gentle suggestion, Galizad chuckled. “That child is impossible to control when she’s angry, so that might actually be for the best.”
No matter what happened outside the estate, the Successor and the Resonator were not to move. It was the duty of the Head of House or the Admiral to involve themselves in external wars; that was the unwritten law of the Pashayen Family. Personnel selection was handled solely through discussions between the Head of House and the Successor.
And as it happened, Cecilia’s abilities were specialized for large-scale warfare.
“But Cecilia will object. She will perceive being sent to a war against the demi-humans as a sign that her standing in Pelun is shrinking. Even if she earns merit abroad, it won’t help her expand her influence within the family.”
As Maliasah voiced her concerns, Galizad stroked his beard again. “I shall think on it. It hasn’t happened yet, after all. The girl’s problem is that her greed exceeds her capacity. She isn’t fit for it.”
Though they didn’t explicitly say it, all four were thinking the same thing: Cecilia’s personality. To put it kindly, she was ambitious; to put it harshly, she was venomous. She wouldn’t go to the battlefield willingly, and if pushed, she might even choose to spark a civil war instead.
“It would be wonderful if we could resolve this peacefully, but the Emperor is not that kind of man. He will try to use the opportunity no matter what.”
Violet spoke softly as she poured tea into everyone’s cups. A silence fell as they drank, and then Diegon stood up.
“I don’t know if the war will start today or tomorrow, but regardless, I must ensure the next generation is raised well.”
He didn’t entertain the thought that he might not return. He still had a young daughter, after all. No matter what happened on the battlefield, he had to return alive.
However… there was always a “what if.” If he were to lose his life, Micard would have to lead the entire military immediately.
“Iliad and Neiad are excellent children as well. Since we don’t know what abilities the others will manifest once their Bijou surfaces… I look forward to it, Di.”
It was the Successor’s role to place children whose abilities had awakened in the right positions. As they prepared for war, that role was more critical than ever. When an estate war broke out, they could not simply remain in a safe place, no matter how young they were. As Awakeners and as the masters of this Pashayen estate, they had to step forward with dignity to protect their people.
Pashayen did not coddle its own like flowers in a greenhouse. That was for lesser families. The Pashayen Family took pride in its name and bore burdens equal to its rights. No one would turn their eyes away from that responsibility.
“I do not know when the elves will spark this war, but we must hope the time is delayed as much as possible.”
Finally, Maliasah took her husband and daughter’s hands. After bidding his parents farewell, Diegon walked out slowly.
*‘I hope Shupetty is alright.’*
Of course, he knew Raywood was in charge as the lead overseer, so he didn’t expect any major disasters. Still, the worry was simply a father’s heart.
*‘Though the kid doesn’t even call me Father yet…’*
Let’s not be impatient. He would wait for the day she finally opened her heart. Even knowing he shouldn’t keep them tucked away, his heart felt heavy not being able to watch over the children on their picnic.
* * *
“Dis is definitely heaven.”
“Heaven? What is that?”
“It means a super good place!”
At that moment, the picnic site. The sunlight shimmered by the riverside, where rows of large Japanese stewartia trees stood. Since there were plenty of little bushes with blueberries, I wandered around picking fruit until my fingertips were stained purple.
Lina helped wash the ones I picked. I giggled and munched on the blueberries. I didn’t get greedy, sharing some with Iliad and Neiad, too—because I’d already had a salmon sandwich, a lamb skewer, two apples, and ice cream. I was perfectly full.
“The family manages this place regularly. That’s why there are barely any weeds or buzzing insects.”
“Aha.”
Listening to Neiad’s explanation, I gathered the remaining blueberries and trotted over.
“Oppa, Joey. Eat dis.”
“You picked all this after working so hard? That’s impressive.”
Elzen oppa and Joey were sticking together here as well. Still, when I approached, they made room for me in the middle. I sat right between them, grabbed a handful of blueberries, and stuffed them into my mouth.
“I noticed this while watching you for the past few days, but you’re quite the big eater for someone so small. You’ve been eating nonstop since earlier.”
“Yup. I’m a big eater!”
Joey looked at me with a curious expression, then returned the blueberries I’d shared with her. She rested her chin on her knees and made a sound: “Hrmm.”
“This is strange. Are you really four years old?”
“Yup!”
“I don’t think so… Are you a half-elf?”
Joey twirled a strand of my hair around her index finger. Elzen oppa, watching, picked up a blueberry and popped it into Joey’s mouth.
“Shupetty doesn’t have any of the traits of a half-elf, Joey.”
“That’s true, but… Ah, I don’t know. For some reason, you give off the same vibe as the half-elves. It’s like your true age and your physical growth rate don’t match up.”
Huh, what does that mean?
“But the Carrot Class teacher said I seem like I’m four years old.”
“That’s just an impression. You don’t actually know for sure when you were born, right?”
“Umm.”
I swallowed the blueberry and glanced up at the empty air. But… the space next to me was deathly quiet.
“Well, it’s not like the age matters all that much.” Joey shrugged.
But right then, Elzen opened his mouth with a grave expression.
“Can you repeat what you just said?”
“Which part? That the age doesn’t matter?”
“No. You asked if she was really four. So, in your opinion, how old does Shupetty look?”
Elzen was more serious than I had ever seen him. The atmosphere was even heavier than when he took my side in front of Angela, so I found myself keeping my mouth shut for no reason.
“Hmm, let’s see. If we consider how much she’s eaten in just this short time, what would her daily total be? She’s got to be at least ten for that to make sense. Has really no one else thought this appetite was strange?”