24 - Chapter 24
The capital, the center of the empire and the hub of high society, was overflowing with all sorts of sensational rumors.
So-and-so count's second son ran away in the night with his older brother's wife, or so-and-so baron's daughter had an affair with her mother's lover, and so on.
In that place where ordinary rumors couldn't even compare, the three syllables 'Munrepe' suddenly rose to prominence one day.
"Is it about the Munrepe Duke family again?"
"That family, hasn't it gone bankrupt yet?"
Aristocrats who were slow to hear news shook their heads.
They had chewed, torn, and enjoyed it enough over the past few years, so there was no fresh fun.
They had heard the story that the young head of the family had colluded with the imperial family to summon a monster, but that was it.
The nobles, who didn't know the inside story, speculated that he must have failed to control it, since he hadn't made the summoned monster a Divine Beast.
"I knew it from the moment he said he would summon a monster. I don't know if he can even communicate with it."
"It would be fun if he failed to control it and got eaten up."
No matter how interesting a story is, it becomes boring if there are no changes.
One aristocrat arrogantly fanned himself, saying let's stop talking about that ruined family.
At that, the aristocrat who had first brought up the Munrepe story raised his voice.
"Oh, come on. How can you be here with such slow news? A civil war broke out in Munrepe!"
A civil war? Everyone in the room widened their eyes at the unexpected word.
An aristocrat who had been taking bribes from Biante sharply grasped the situation.
"Biante finally made a move. But since there's no talk of the head of the family being changed, it seems he failed."
"That's right. You know the monster the Munrepe Duke summoned? I heard that monster fought hundreds of knights alone and stopped the rebellion."
Rumors tend to swell the farther away they travel.
It was the moment when Family Deities and Saint Creatures were disguised as hundreds of knights.
The eyes of the surprised aristocrats all grew bigger. The aristocrat who had spread the false rumor continued to speak.
"The moment he saw the knights spread out in front of the castle gate, the Munrepe Duke said this: 'Go, my faithful Divine Beast. Go and defeat the enemies and achieve victory.' At that, the monster ran without a word and annihilated the knights."
"Goodness..."
"My..."
The aristocrats narrowed their eyes, trying to discern how much of the story was true, as it was such a fairytale-like tale.
One of them muttered.
"If it's such a strong monster, why didn't he make it a Divine Beast earlier?"
"Now that I think about it, wasn't it to induce Biante's carelessness?"
After saying this, the aristocrats blushed.
They shouldn't have called Biante foolish.
Hadn't they also been easily looking down on Munrepe and being careless?
"We were too naive."
"We need to find out properly now."
Soon, the big shots of high society moved. Ashil's information, which had been veiled in secrecy, spread in an instant.
"It breathed fire without Magic Tools."
"I heard it broke the Orichalcum door with its bare hands?"
"I heard it always carries a rabbit as an emergency lunch."
Soon, the aristocrats had an image in their heads of a giant monster carrying a live rabbit under its arm and breathing fire.
'To think that such a thing will become Munrepe's new Divine Beast...'
The power of the Divine Beast is the power of the family.
The faces of those who had chewed, torn, and enjoyed the Munrepe without a Divine Beast for the past few years turned pale.
Some of them couldn't accept the current situation and raised their voices in protest.
"It doesn't make sense. Where are they bringing a monster with no roots to make it a Divine Beast!"
"Let's formally petition the imperial family!"
"Let's protest so that it can't be recognized as a Divine Beast!"
On the other hand, there were those who were genuinely curious about the appearance of a strong Divine Beast.
"Is the Munrepe Duke's monster that strong?"
The Third Princess, Iocaste Lin Alliope, who had proposed a political marriage to Edenber and been rejected, was one such person.
Iocaste, who had dark navy hair and black eyes, unique in the imperial family known for its brilliant silver hair, was a charming girl with a cat-like face.
Iocaste, narrowing her eyes, smiled slyly.
"Enough to reject my proposal?"
"Y-yes, yes, yes, that's right."
The maid, who was lying face down like a table, supporting the princess's glass on her back, replied.
She had been in that position for so long that her whole body was cramping.
The drink in the glass spilled slightly as she trembled like an aspen.
The princess frowned at this and kicked the maid hard.
"Aaaagh!"
"To think you can't even take care of the glass of the imperial family you serve. Repay that sin with death."
"I-I was wrong! Your Highness! Your Highness!"
She begged with her hands together, but it was no use. The maid was dragged away by the knights.
As if nothing had happened, Iocaste opened her mouth calmly.
"I want to see with my own eyes how strong that monster is."
"W-well, Your Highness's birthday banquet is not far away, so how about sending an invitation?"
The maid who had been waiting in the back hurriedly stepped forward and offered her opinion.
If she didn't say anything at times like this, she would be sent to the execution ground for ignoring the current princess.
Iocaste, narrowing her brow, parted her beautiful lips.
"That's a good idea."
'Phew, thank goodness...'
"You are sentenced to death."
"Yes?"
"Do I have to attach a reason to call Munrepe's monster in a shabby way?"
Another maid was dragged to the execution ground.
In the chillingly frozen air, the third maid, her face pale, bowed her head.
As if to check if her neck was properly attached, she fiddled with her nape.
Iocaste, looking at her pathetic figure, muttered softly.
"Send a letter to the Munrepe Duke. Invite the Duke and the Duke's Divine Beast to my upcoming birthday."
After saying this, the princess, thinking for a moment, added.
"Don't forget to emphasize that the Duke doesn't have to come, but the Divine Beast must come."
"Y-yes, I understand!"
"Then you may leave."
Finally, at the order to leave, the third maid hurriedly went outside.
While fiddling with her neck as if to check if her neck was properly attached.
Iocaste, looking at her back with a pathetic gaze, muttered quietly.
"Kill that one as soon as the letter is sent."
The knight standing behind her quietly bowed his head.
"How could they all have accepted the Crown Prince's spy proposal when they're so cowardly?"
She clicked her tongue as if dumbfounded and leaned languidly against the backrest. Then she closed her eyes tightly.
"A monster strong enough to defeat Biante's knights, huh."
