ushernet Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“Wh-What is this?!”
Elodie shook her head wildly, trying to shake off whatever had latched onto her face.
As she did, fluffy little puffs floated around her, drifting lazily through the air.
Magic Cotton.
A rare and protected resource that only appeared in Valkyrisen. It was so scarce that even when released, only minuscule quantities were available.
And yet, for some inexplicable reason, these precious little things were clinging to her, refusing to let go.
“Why are you doing this?”
Stay away. You’re nothing but flying fines.
Even just touching Magic Cotton, a protected resource, meant an instant fine.
And that was the best-case scenario.
If she accidentally absorbed even a fraction of it, she could kiss her hands goodbye—literally.
I need to run.
Without hesitation, Elodie spun around and bolted.
Toooong—
“......”
Toong, toooong—@@@@
“......”
Toong toong— toooong! Smack.
“Hey! Get away from me!”
She swatted at them furiously, but the Magic Cotton caught up to her in no time. She had no choice but to get mad.
Why the hell were they chasing her?
Did they think she had saved them from Young Lord Wellston’s clutches or something?
No, but they’re not even alive to begin with, right?
Just as Elodie was frantically waving her hands to ward off the persistent cotton, the Duke and his aide, Eagles, approached.
“It seems they recognize the Ratson lineage,” Eagles observed.
Elodie flinched so hard she nearly jumped.
Hic.
Howlf was at least easygoing and slow-witted, so he wasn’t that scary.
But Eagles, the eagle beastfolk, was on an entirely different level.
Not only was he massive, but his piercing gaze, sharp like a bird of prey, was downright terrifying.
And his demeanor made it clear—this man was not someone who forgave mistakes.
Just looking at him was enough to make criminals break down and confess their crimes, begging for mercy.
Elodie froze on the spot like a statue.
Then, in a snap decision, she darted toward Eisen and clung to his leg.
Eisen’s expression shifted as he felt the insignificant weight against him, along with a warmth that was oddly irritating.
“She seems scared of you,” Eisen remarked.
“Hmm.”
Eagles fell into brief contemplation, then suddenly pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on.
“Does this help?” he asked.
“...A little?”
“I see. I also have an enchantment that prevents my eyes from being seen through the lenses, if needed.”
Why would he go that far?
Elodie grabbed Eisen’s sleeve with trembling hands.
“Am I gonna get eaten?”
The Duke of Valkyrisen, the guardian of peace, was just standing there watching his aide say these things! How could he do nothing?!
She was starting to feel seriously betrayed.
“...Ah, I seem to have caused some misunderstanding.”
Seeing Elodie on the verge of tears, Eagles hurriedly attempted to explain.
“I meant that when something is overwhelmingly cute, it triggers extreme impulses. I didn’t mean I’d actually put you in my mouth.”
“......”
“I was merely describing the sensation.”
That didn’t explain anything.
So he was admitting that he had, in fact, considered it.
Tacking on some flimsy ‘oh, but you’re cute’ excuse afterward wasn’t going to make things better.
Instead of feeling reassured, Elodie took a step back. Then another.
She was increasing the distance, not closing it.
For some reason, Eagles’ expression darkened.
But to Elodie, that only made him scarier.
Her eyes welled up.
“Grandpa...”
“There, there.”
Eisen, who had been watching with amusement, finally lifted her up.
“If you’re still this skittish, you haven’t made much progress.”
The moment she curled into his arms, he clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
How was she supposed to stay calm after that?
I’m not the weird one here.
Pouting like a duck, she buried her face in his chest.
Somehow, he looked a little too pleased.
“I suppose I have no choice but to keep carrying you around.”
No, put her down.
She wanted to go back to Sera.
But Eisen, citing ‘building courage’ as an excuse, kept holding onto her and purposefully made her face off against beastfolk every chance he got.
Damn it. This is just eagle-style education.
If someone said they couldn’t fly, did they throw them off a cliff to fix the problem?
Now it made perfect sense why his aide was an eagle.
“H-Holy one!”
“Maintain a safe distance.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t even talk to her.”
“T-Then what should I do?”
“Just watch from there.”
“...Understood.”
...What was this?
Why did it sound like he was bragging?