28 - Chapter 28
The Baby Dragon Liveth in the Duke's Family, Episode 28
Theodore's face turned deathly pale, and he crawled on his knees, grabbing the Starrepit Duchess's skirt.
"Please, Madam! Just this once, please!"
He was so desperate that he even changed his honorific from 'wife' to 'madam.'
How did I get tangled up with such a fool? The Starrepit Duchess took a deep breath from the bottom of her heart and opened her mouth.
"He seems to be reflecting enough. That's enough."
However, Edenber's subsequent words forced her to narrow her brow.
"I wonder if you would have told him to stop even if it was Starabbit's Divine Beast that was insulted."
"...Are you still holding a grudge about what happened back then?"
"Why would I, when it's all in the past? I was just curious."
"What happened back then? What are you talking about?"
Elkai growled at the ominous atmosphere.
But Edenber, not wanting to escalate the situation, dismissed it as nothing.
As soon as the Starrepit Duchess returned to the Duke's estate, she sought out her husband.
"Honey, honey! That Priest we met today, I want you to take care of him. Ha, I'm just speechless."
"Why, what's wrong?"
The Duke was puzzled, surprised that his wife, who had gone to receive bribes from the Priest, had come in fuming.
The Duchess fanned herself vigorously, as if the mere thought was absurd.
"Do you know what happened today? I was threatened because of that Priest. By the Munrepe Duke, of all people! Ugh... Just look at him, acting up just because he got a Divine Beast!"
"What? Threatened?"
The Duke was aghast. The young Duke from the weakest family dared to threaten Starabbit?
"What exactly did he say?"
"I was just mediating a fight, and he asked if I would have told him to stop even if it was our Divine Beast that was insulted. He seems to still be bothered by what happened back then. I can't believe it."
'What happened back then' referred to an incident that occurred when Edenber had just become the Duke.
Edenber had led the knights to a desert cave to exterminate monsters.
The Imperial Family ordered Duke Starepit to provide support, to help him who had no Divine Beast.
Duke Starepit sent a few knights and his Divine Beast.
The problem erupted there.
"The front is blocked!"
"Aaaah! Save me!"
"I can't breathe!"
In the final process of dealing with the monsters in the cave, rocks collapsed and blocked the entrance.
It was because of the flames used by Starabbit Dukedom's Divine Beast, the giant firebird, Peer.
At the time, more than half of Munrepe's knights were trapped in the desert cave.
They had survived the battle with the monsters, only to be annihilated by the heat emitted by their ally, Peer.
Edenber strongly protested to Duke Starepit.
"Who sends a firebird Divine Beast to the desert? And to shoot flames in an enclosed space!"
"I helped you, and now you're insulting my Divine Beast? Tsk, someone who doesn't even have a Divine Beast."
Duke Starepit created public opinion and drove Edenber into a corner.
He strongly argued that Munrepe's knights would have been annihilated if it weren't for his Divine Beast.
The nobles sided with Starabbit.
The argument that Munrepe would have been annihilated without the firebird Divine Beast gained traction because Munrepe did not have a Divine Beast.
In the end, all the credit for exterminating the monsters went to the Starrepit Dukedom.
The fact that Munrepe's knights had died from the firebird was buried, and Edenber had no choice but to formally apologize to the Starrepit Dukedom.
"Look at him, still clinging to something that's already over."
"He's still wet behind the ears, yet he's so narrow-minded."
Duke Starepit clicked his tongue.
The Duchess, unable to contain her anger, added a word.
"You know what's even funnier? Munrepe Duke's Divine Beast is a tiny lizard that's hard to even see."
"What?"
"To think that such a lizard defeated Biante's Saint Creatures, it's absurd. I know he's desperate to save his family, but there's a limit to lying."
The Duchess, who had been gleefully tearing Munrepe apart, opened her mouth as if she had suddenly remembered something.
"Shouldn't we use our Divine Beast to flatten that lizard's nose?"
"With Peer?"
Duke Starepit pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"The risk is too great."
"What risk?"
"Munrepe Duke isn't stupid. He wouldn't have spread rumors about something that would be easily exposed. If it's real, we'd just be starting a fight between Divine Beasts for no reason."
"So what if we do? That lizard can't even fly anyway. It's a guaranteed win for us!"
"But there's always a 'what if' scenario."
Duke Starepit wasn't the type to rush in without thinking.
No matter how big his Divine Beast was, a giant firebird, and no matter how Munrepe's Divine Beast was a lizard that couldn't fly, if they were to lose that fight...
The family's image would be ruined. There was too much to lose.
The frustrated Duchess pouted.
"So, are we just going to let Munrepe Duke be?"
"Of course not."
He couldn't let Munrepe, who had become arrogant just because he got a Divine Beast, get away with it.
As Munrepe was the only one of the four great Dukedoms beneath them, they had to make sure to step on him so he couldn't climb up.
"There's a way to make Munrepe Duke realize his place without using a Divine Beast."
"How... Ah, could it be!"
The Duchess, having gained enlightenment, exclaimed lightly.
"Indeed, with that method, Munrepe Duke won't be able to do anything."
"That's right."
You shouldn't get cocky just because you have a Divine Beast.
Duke Starepit, who was plotting a futile plan, completely unaware that he would fall for his own trick, smiled pleasantly.
"Sigh... what should we do?"
"This is a disaster..."
The lively atmosphere of the knights had become gloomy since arriving in the capital.
Ashil, who had been called in for a sparring match as usual, tilted his head, seeing the knights sighing deeply.
'They're not trying to threaten Ashil today.'
It was a good thing, but it felt empty since they weren't doing what they always did.
It was even more so because it happened when he was starting to feel a sense of inner familiarity with them.
Ashil fiddled with the diamond ring he had received from his grandfather, waiting for them to come to their senses.
However, after waiting for a long time and only hearing sighs, he finally asked Dylan, who was the closest to him.
"Bbiatbbi, bbiya?" (Knight human, what's wrong?)
"Well, you see... sigh."
Dylan, who had let out a deep breath, ran a hand over his dry face several times before speaking with a pained expression.
"It seems we will be tarnishing the honor of the Munrepe Dukedom and Ashil-nim."
Ashil, startled, gaped.
What? Tarnish the honor of the violent Dragon beast-man Ashil!
How much had he tried not to be looked down upon by humans? He couldn't allow it.
Ashil jumped off the chair and shouted loudly.
"Bbiya!" (Why!)
"The Starrepit Dukedom has requested a friendly match between the knight orders."
"Bbiya?" (Can't we just fight?)
He didn't understand what the problem was.
Ashil, a Dragon beast-man who was strong from birth, pretended to punch the air. The diamond ring held tightly in his forepaw sparkled menacingly.
Dylan gritted his teeth and said something that hurt his pride.
"We are less skilled than them."
"Bbiya." (Ashil can fight instead.)
Ashil fights very well, look at this.
Ashil, with a fierce look in his eyes, took a stance and swung his forepaws in the air. He also kicked around, twisting his body.
It was better to endure the fear for a while and fight the humans than to lose honor.
However, Dylan shook his head.
"A Divine Beast cannot participate in a friendly match between knight orders."
"Bbiya." (Ashil will be a knight too.)
"Haha... I appreciate the thought, but then they will come out like that too."
So, the conclusion was that he couldn't participate no matter what.
Ashil's tail drooped sadly.
However, he lifted his tail high at the thought that soon came to mind.
