Chapter9
“I also think it’s just a baseless rumor, but we can’t completely ignore it since the divine beast’s chamber is currently undergoing major renovations. They say even the outer wall on the corridor side has been torn down…”
“Since there’s no divine beast, they must’ve neglected the upkeep of the divine beast’s chamber, tsk tsk tsk. Just like a kid, managing the castle so poorly.”
Biante wore a disdainful expression. His aide quickly chimed in.
“You’re right. If only someone like you, my lord, had become the duke.”
“If only my father had even half your discernment.”
He should’ve known from the moment they chose his brother—who had nothing going for him except a handsome face and some competence—as the next duke.
The day his brother incurred the divine beast’s wrath, how much he had clicked his tongue, thinking they should’ve made him the duke instead.
So when the new Duke of Munlepe was to be decided, he had been filled with expectation.
Finally, it’s my turn, he thought.
But the title went to his young nephew instead.
He went to Elcai with his loyal vassals, but Elcai’s decision was firm.
Why did they only favor that side of the family?
He was just as much his father’s son, so was he picked up off the street or something?
The more he thought about it, the more it ground his gears.
“Come to think of it, that monster supposedly resembles a wyvern, right?”
“Yes. They say it’s a lizard that looks like a wyvern.”
Biante gave a sly smile.
“Didn’t they say Father never draws his sword?”
Having spent his entire life hunting wyverns, his father would surely be sick to death of even hearing the word “wyvern.”
But strangely, his aide, who should’ve agreed, glanced at him cautiously.
Then, with difficulty, he shook his head.
“Well… they say he carries it around by his side all the time…”
“What?!”
Biante was shocked by the unexpected words.
But only for a moment. He soon regained his composure and spoke with a voice laced with mockery.
“I see. He carries it around to kill it when the opportunity arises. My father is a cruel man, isn’t he?”
“No, I mean… they say he genuinely dotes on it.”
“What?!”
Biante was genuinely dumbfounded.
A man who had never spoken a single warm word to his own children, let alone his grandchildren—what was that supposed to mean?
“He’s not planning to make it a divine beast, is he?”
“Well, that’s what they say, but…”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s what they say’! If he’s planning to make it a divine beast, that’s why he’s carrying it around!”
They said it was a pathetic little thing, so what kind of whim had taken hold of him?
Why did his father act like he was missing a screw whenever it came to Edenber?
Biante, consumed by deep-seated prejudice, ground his teeth.
Eager to lift Biante’s mood, his aide hurriedly added some flattering words.
“…Even so, if that thing becomes a divine beast, it could be an opportunity for us.”
“What opportunity?”
“If your sacred beast kills it, and we use the fact that they chose such a pathetic creature as a divine beast to bring down the duke…”
“No, I might end up taking the blame for killing a divine beast.”
Caught off guard by an angle he hadn’t considered, the aide quickly shut his mouth.
But despite his sharp retort, Biante’s mood didn’t seem all that bad.
Stroking his chin, Biante spoke.
“If we kill it before it becomes a divine beast, there won’t be any problems.”
“Pardon?”
“Send a message saying I’ll come soon, and send my bear sacred beast ahead. Tell them since I can’t come right away, I’m sending my sacred beast first.”
“Ah!”
Finally understanding Biante’s scheme, the aide let out an exclamation.
“When it arrives at the castle, like last time…”
“Let it seem like it broke out and escaped on its own, and release the bear sacred beast on the path that monster frequents.”
He had done something similar before to tarnish Edenber’s reputation.
Marveling at what a brilliant idea it was, the aide suddenly expressed a hint of unease.
“But what if, after losing the monster, the duke summons another one—”
“If they had the money for that, they would’ve summoned one already.”
Knowing the Munlepe ducal house’s financial situation inside and out, Biante smirked.
“Once that thing is dead, Edenber is finished.”
“Yes, understood.”
The aide, his expression brightening, quickly left the room.
It was to send the bear sacred beast to the ducal castle.
Left alone, Biante gazed out at the dim window.
The sight of darkness, where not an inch ahead could be seen, felt like it would soon be Edenber’s future, and it put him in a very good mood.
* * *
Tap, tap, tap.
It was the morning a few days after Elcai’s kidnapping.
Asil was walking listlessly down the corridor.
To put it simply, the plan to kidnap and scold Elcai had failed.
“Grandpa, Asil ate all the strawberries.”
All she had done was give him one to taste because it smelled a bit off.
Elcai said the strawberries tasted fine and ended up eating them one by one until they were all gone.
“How could you!”
Shocked and crestfallen, she looked at him, and he shamelessly said:
“You were eating so slowly, I thought you didn’t want any more.”
It wasn’t that she was eating slowly; her mouth was just small. It was so unfair that tears welled up in her eyes.
“Pippi-ya.” (Grandpa, go away now.)
She had kidnapped him for nothing and ended up losing her snack.
Asil resolved never to kidnap humans again.
Instead, she spent days pondering other ways to seem ferocious to humans.
But sitting in her room racking her brain wasn’t yielding any good ideas, so she had come out for a walk to clear her mind.
While doing so, at a corner of the corridor, Asil overheard a conversation between maids.
“This is bad. They say Lord Biante’s bear sacred beast is arriving soon.”
“Last time, it broke out and nearly caused a disaster. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but…”
Their voices were filled with worry and fear.
Asil tilted her head.
‘Is a bear friend that scary?’
Having lived among various beasts in the beastman forest, a bear was nothing to Asil.
But it seemed that wasn’t the case for humans.
“Can’t the duke do something to keep it out of the castle?”
“Well, I don’t know if that’s possible. They can’t just block Lord Biante’s sacred beast outright.”
“We’ll have to be extra careful for a while…”
As Asil listened quietly, a lightbulb went off in her head.
‘If I take down the bear friend that humans are scared of, then Asil will be seen as even scarier than the bear friend.’
She couldn’t help but marvel at her own idea.
Alright, this time, I’ll definitely become a ferocious and scary dragon!
Giggling to herself with a “Pippi-hya,” Asil hurriedly left the spot.
* * *
Some time later, Biante’s bear sacred beast arrived at the ducal castle.
Knowing the beast’s ferocious nature, people were on edge.
Some shuddered, recalling how it had once escaped its enclosure and turned the castle upside down.
To prepare for any potential danger, Edenber assigned a trusted knight to guard Asil.
“My uncle’s bear is dangerous. You’d better be careful.”
“Pippi…”
Asil pouted.
She could handle a bear friend. She had even won first place in a strength contest at the beastman kindergarten.
‘Humans, except for Husband and Grandpa, are scary.’
Husband and Grandpa were okay since her mom often talked about them, but she couldn’t help her fear of other humans.
They had drilled it into her at kindergarten that humans were dangerous.
She was about to say she didn’t need a guard but then changed her mind.
‘I’ll need at least one witness when I fight the bear friend.’
That way, they’d believe Asil beat the bear friend.
In the end, Asil suppressed her fear and introduced herself to the knight Edenber had assigned.
“Pippi-ya.” (Hello.)
“Hello. You can call me Dillon.”
He was openly frowning, clearly displeased with being assigned this task.
Pretending not to be scared at all, Asil hid behind a rabbit and peeked out cautiously.
“Pippi-ya.” (I’m Asil.)
As she rubbed the rabbit fur off her chin, Dillon’s face suddenly went pale.
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By Anna 💓
