Chapter 198: New residents.

Zyra was all but ready to turn them down when a scene caught her eye. Just a few paces away, a tiny girl no older than four sat in the dirt next to a motionless body, pulling lightly at a bloody sleeve. "Mommy? Wake up_ Mommy, the bad men are gone_" she said, in a voice that held sweet innocence.

Zyra’s chest tightened so hard she could barely breathe. How am I supposed to just walk away from this? Does that baby have an adult to take charge from here?

Her initial plan was to remain alone or maybe with just a few people at the valley, but she was not a feral beast to leave these helpless people like this!

She walked over to the little girl, scooped her up gently into her arms, and wiped the black soot from her tear-stained cheeks. "Hey there," Zyra whispered softly. "What’s your name?"

"Y-Yaya_" the little girl whimpered, hiding her face in the crook of Zyra’s neck, her tiny hands clutching tightly onto Zyra’s clothes.

Zyra patted the child’s head rhythmically, her eyes sweeping over the devastated crowd. She took a deep breath, her voice ringing out clear and unquestionable across the ruined square. "Listen to me, all of you!" Zyra commanded. "First_ we bury the dead with as much honor as we can give them in these days and then we can think about other things. So, get up and get to work. Salvage what you can."

The villagers nodded silently. Sorrowful quite filtered through the air as the men dug six graves beneath the shade of an old willow tree at the far back, near a pond. People were afraid to talk, and most were whimpering or sniveling.

There were no prayers, no cleaning of bodies. The dead were lowered into the ground in their bloody clothes. As the last mound of earth was patted smooth, Zyra met Hunter’s gaze. He offered a grim nod_ the work was finished. He and a few remaining men had hastily shoved the bandits into one big, shallow grave, granting them not a single ounce of respect.

After that, the villagers looked at Zyra again, with so much hope in their eyes.

"Listen, everyone," Zyra said, her voice cutting through the quiet. "For now, you will stay in my shelter. I expect your best behavior_ anyone who causes trouble will be thrown out. You will pay rent; there is no such thing as free accommodation. You can use your wine money to cover part of that rent and produce more going forward."

​Relief washed over the villagers. Several dropped to their knees in gratitude.

​"Thank you, oh Divine Soul Maiden," Krugger said, speaking for the crowd.

​"Pack whatever you need and let’s move out in thirty minutes. The flood should not meet us here." Hunter called out, already stepping forward to help an elderly villager to their feet.

​Zyra adjusted Yaya in her arms. The child was fast asleep, resting as if the nightmare around them had vanished entirely.

​Krugger and a few other men hauled several heavy wooden crates, setting them down before Zyra. Fisher stepped forward, explaining that these were offerings for the Divine Maiden. Krugger bowed his head, adding softly that while it wasn’t much, it was everything of value they had left.

​Zyra stared down at the crates, inside were bottles of green plum wine, energy stones and meat. She sighed; these people were mistaking her for Trinity_ the divine maiden who would demand a poor man’s last button just to prove his devotion.

​"I don’t need your offerings," Zyra said flatly. "I will take the supplies, but only because I have to feed you."

​The villagers nodded eagerly. To them, the justification didn’t matter. As long as she accepted the gift, they considered themselves blessed.

Zyra turned to Tessi. "Open the portal directly to Beast Valley."

Tessi nodded. She sliced the air with her fingers, and a big, swirling rift opened in the center of the clearing, revealing the lush, green courtyards of Beast Valley on the other side. The Rosewater villagers gasped in sheer awe, staring at the magical gateway to their new home.

Zyra held little Yaya tightly on her hip, looking back at the grateful, tearful faces of the people following behind her.

"Let us go." She said sharply, leading the way through the portal.

Hunter and his men oversaw the move, ensuring nobody was left behind. And when the last villager passed through, they set fire to everything that remained and left as well.

The villagers were mesmerized by Beast Valley, just like everyone else who stepped foot there for the first time. Jaws dropped, eyes widened, and gasps fell from lips as they stared at the out of this world houses like wide-eyed toddlers in a toy shop, they couldn’t even walk in a straight line.

Malia had already formed a welcoming committee near the valley entrance. She moved with practiced grace, directing her assistants to check on the arrivals.

"Over here! Anyone with cuts, bruises, or broken bones, line up by the first courtyard!" Malia called out, her voice warm and inviting.

Pills were popped into mouths, soothing salves were rubbed on scrapes, and water was passed around. For people who had been running for their lives from bandits, this place didn’t just feel like a haven_ it felt like heaven.

Once everyone had a warm belly, beast Link Bands were snapped onto their wrists and their beasts.

"Keep those on," Crispus instructed a bewildered elder. "They are like your resident ID here."

"Wait, beasts have a special home here?!" the elder gasped, clutching his beard.

"Yes, this is a beast home before anything, that’s why it’s called Beast valley." Crispus grinned, leading them toward a row of newly constructed, neat wooden courtyards.

A few meters away, a sharp, childish screech ruined the peaceful moment. Two young boys were rolling on the grass, tearing at each other’s hair over a half-eaten steamed bun.

"Hey! Knock it off, you little brats!" Yanxi yelled, striding over with her hands on her hips, her brows furrowed in annoyance. "We give you a free home, and you start a gang war over bread?!"

Malia burst out laughing, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, let them be, Yanxi. They’re kids. They’ve been scared out of their minds. A little scuffle means they’re feeling safe again."

Yanxi folded her arms, shaking her head as she watched the crowd of adults. Half of them were still tripping over small rocks because they couldn’t stop looking up at the majestic structures.

"Safe for now," Yanxi muttered, rubbing her temples. "But the situation is only going to get crazier. Remember we’re expecting another group of people by nightfall. Our workload had increased."

"Then go drink some herbal tea," Malia teased. "I’ll handle the next batch."

Yanxi leaned towards Malia and whispered, "Why do you think the Divine maiden allowed them to come?"

Malia looked up from the clipboard in her hands. "Because she couldn’t leave them out there to spread word about the Divine maiden of the wild lands. Tessi jumped the gun on this one. Zyra is still growing into her power. She has years to go before she is ready to overthrow Trinity."

Yanxi’s eyes widened in shock. "Here I was thinking that she did it out of mercy! I underestimated our Divine maiden."