Ch.395Flower Canyon. Neriden Canyon (1)

“Your Majesty.”

Upon exiting the gate, there was a cluster of people gathered, each holding small potted plants.

The one who appeared to be their leader stepped forward before Viktor and presented a pot containing a withered, twisted plant that looked as if it had been deprived of sunlight.

“Please bestow your mercy.”

“…”

Viktor had to contemplate these words for quite some time before understanding.

Mercy.

Was that a concept that could be bestowed upon a plant?

Nevertheless, Viktor reached out and gently caressed the withered branches and leaves.

They felt moist, suggesting they had been given sufficient water. All that remained was the blessing of light.

“Flower, bloom in abundance.”

As the Sun spoke those words, radiance surged from his body. Instantly, the withered plants in the pot transformed, their ashen color giving way to vibrant green as beautiful petals unfurled.

Witnessing this, the people prostrated themselves in unison, and soon the market’s overseer knelt before the Sun and spoke.

“Welcome to the Valley of Flowers, O Sun.”

And then he said:

“Let all praise the Lord of Ecstasy.”

At that moment, a gentle warm breeze blew from behind the Sun.

The flowers swayed in the wind, and bees hid their tiny bodies between pistils and stamens to avoid being blown away. It was as if everything was bowing in reverence to the Sun’s appearance.

“What a beautiful place. What is your name?”

“My name is Severus Yukiteru. I serve as the caretaker of this land.”

“Caretaker. Quite a modest title.”

Viktor nodded and boarded the Bruiser that his subordinate had brought.

“Yukiteru, I ask you: is this a land of peace?”

“It is.”

“Can you tell me why?”

“Because there is no army here. Since no one bears weapons, war does not encroach upon this land.”

“You don’t understand war well. Those who are unarmed inevitably become sacrifices to war. Only the armed can barely escape the terror of war. As this land was once engulfed in conflict, war can always return.”

“Your Majesty, this is a land of regeneration. It’s a place where life that was once annihilated by human madness has been revived through human regret and determination, becoming a garden inhabited by countless spirits. Who would dare invade this place? Who would cut us down and trample these flowers? Of course, we know the world is vast and filled with madmen. If the world is engulfed in war again, we know better than anyone that this place would be no exception—we who are survivors of war.”

“Then why do you not take up arms?”

“Because we reflect on and regret the past. As they say, ‘seeing begets desire.’ If we were to acquire weapons and arm ourselves, these flowers would inevitably be trampled. Instead of children’s laughter, there would be the merciless stomp of military boots; instead of women’s songs, there would be military marches. Once, there was a war on this land—a devastating war that erased everything. To humans, 1,200 years may seem like eternity, but to the land, the wind, and the sky, 1,200 years is merely a fleeting moment. We do not wish to repeat such a tragedy.”

“I see.”

At the caretaker’s words, which left no room for argument, Viktor gave a small nod.

What he had expressed wasn’t merely his own ideology but a consensus reached by all inhabitants of this land. Even for an emperor, breaking their will would amount to nothing but tyranny.

Separately, Viktor had nothing to say about violence and war. Their words had accurately pierced through the essence of war to some extent.

War is ultimately a human creation. We agreed to call it “war” when violence meets violence, when people seek to annihilate each other while proclaiming only their own justice.

So they choose to stand for nothing. They simply tend to flower gardens, eternally covering painful history with fragrance.

One might call it foolish, but it resonated with Viktor, who had directly and indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Parsifal.

After all, despite killing so many people, he hadn’t changed anything.

Rejecting the chain of violence, refusing to even forge the links of that chain… some might dismiss it as the empty words of cowards, but it left a profound impression on the future emperor.

Beyond the binary choice of killing or being killed, this was a land of people who had chosen self-sacrifice—willing to die rather than kill.

“We shall walk this land to rest from our journey. Is there someone who can guide us?”

“I will guide you personally. Would you permit me?”

“I grant permission. Lead the way, caretaker of Neriden. I wish to see the flower fields.”

And so, for a brief moment, those who walked with iron steps decided to remove their military boots and stroll through the flower fields.

A brilliant and beautiful sanctuary of peace, comforting those stained by violence.

While it might not remove the chains binding the souls of those already bound to violence, it could at least lighten their burden and apply salve to their constricted wounds.

“Follow me, Sun of the Heavens.”

The caretaker answered with a quiet bow.

Soon, the Bruiser followed behind him, but the usually rough temperament of the beast was as calm as if sedated. Perhaps the Bruiser too had been pacified by the fragrance of these flowers.

*

Swoosh…

With each gust of wind, countless petals detached from their blossoms, creating what looked like a storm of flowers, elegantly scattering.

The wind diluted the flower scent that was so intense it made one’s nose tingle, and the Iron Walker party members could only stare blankly at the multicolored flowers rooted in differently colored soils, forgetting even to express their admiration.

If the afterlife were paradise, it would surely be a place like this. And it was clear why the people of this land refused to arm themselves. The valley was filled with beauty created by human hands.

“Indeed. A land of regeneration.”

“Yes.”

The fact that they could converse while omitting all subjects suggested they were thinking the same thing.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Even the Bruiser’s footsteps were light and cheerful, yet simultaneously dignified and weighty. Even to the eyes of this mere beast, the beautiful scenery of this land must be apparent.

Buzz… Buzz…

“There are many bees. Almost dizzying.”

“The bees of this land are very gentle. They don’t sting people; rather, they cling to you as if seeking attention, tickling you. Without these bees, these many flowers could not bloom so vibrantly.”

“I see.”

Viktor had some knowledge of pollination (the sexual reproduction of plants) through bees. He had observed beekeepers being called in for pollination a few times when he was young, while staying at an old orchard keeper’s place.

“How many bees are there?”

“Well, counting them individually would be meaningless. I only know that millions of tons of beeswax and honey are exported daily.”

“Hmm.”

“All natural, of course.”

“That’s impressive. I understand why you don’t feel the need to arm yourselves. Peace can be bought with plenty of money.”

“It may not be the wisest expenditure, but if necessary, there’s no need to spare expenses.”

“Indeed.”

Millions of tons of honey and beeswax—this was extraordinary. While they might not be able to claim they didn’t use machinery at all, producing such quantities without specialized automation systems and mechanical assistance, relying primarily on human labor, would generate enormous wealth.

And they wouldn’t just be sitting on this money. They must be issuing tremendous amounts of requests to nearby adventurers to maintain security, and further, providing various loans or investments to neighboring countries to build goodwill (genuine goodwill) and maintain their independence.

It was literally a method of throwing money around, but if money was plentiful, such expenditures were acceptable.

“You’ve come a long way, so you must be hungry. It’s hardly a banquet, but I’ll take you to the finest establishment here. Please follow me.”

“Oh?”

Come to think of it, it was just the right time to feel hungry. Indeed, what culinary delights awaited the Iron Walker party in this valley filled with flowers?

“I’ve heard that you make pancakes and dumplings with flowers. Is that true?”

“Ah, yes. We make small pancakes with azaleas, and cook pumpkin blossoms to use as dumpling wrappers. They’re quite delicious. I often have them delivered myself.”

“Then I’m very much looking forward to it.”