Kino and Hermes visit Veldelval, a land that prides itself on a being a peaceful nation. However, abandoned military equipment litters the streets, and an army is training on the outskirts of town for a war to be held on the following day. Curious about these contradictions, Kino visits the museum of national history and learns from the curator that Veldelval finally found a solution fifteen years ago after being at war with Relsumia for 192 years. The next day, Kino is escorted by a guide to the outskirts of the country, where Kino understands that the solution is for both armies to attack a tribal village of defenseless Tatatans nearby, in which the army causing the most casualties is declared the winner each year. Kino returns back to the museum, where the curator explains that it was partially her idea to establish an annual Tatatan hunt to achieve sacrificial peace between Veldelval and Relsumia. As Kino and Hermes leaves the country, they are surrounded by vengeful Tatatans who want to kill Kino, but they disperse when she kills one of them, much to her own dismay.