Chapter 89: Recommended Purchase
Hunting Party?
That sounded suspiciously like the plot of an aristocratic romantasy novel.
Didn’t the protagonist always meet the Crown Prince at those?
Or stumble into an assassination attempt?
Mirabelle’s stomach tightened with dark foreboding. The fact that she was currently living inside something that increasingly resembled a romantasy novel was not helping.
Meanwhile, Silas turned his attention toward the Duchess.
He had expected the Queen of Bergheim to summon them eventually. He simply hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly.
He had accompanied his mother to several negotiations surrounding the peace treaty and therefore already knew the Queen.
She was warmer than his mother.
Just as calculating.
After Mirabelle’s speech, however, he knew she wasn’t particularly fond of the Queen.
So how exactly would their first meeting go?
Lucien frowned as well.
He had already heard quite a bit about the Queen’s Hunting Parties...
His mother had attended several of them.
Because of that, he knew exactly what sort of entertainment was offered there.
His gaze drifted toward Mirabelle, who was thoughtfully chewing on her lower lip.
One of her ears twitched every few seconds.
He wasn’t entirely certain those festivities would be to her taste.
Kaelith, whose bond with Mirabelle was significantly stronger than that of the other males, immediately noticed her mood souring.
He placed a hand on her thigh.
Mirabelle twitched slightly beneath the warm touch.
"You don’t have to go if you don’t want to",
Kaelith smiled at her.
’That’s right. Nobody can force me!
Hadn’t I already decided I wouldn’t bow a second time?’
Mirabelle opened her mouth, fully prepared to inform her mother exactly where the Queen could shove her invitation.
Then —
DING!
A familiar translucent blue screen appeared directly in front of her nose.
And a familiar tentacle-waving mascot began circling her head.
[Side Quest
The Queen’s Invitation
A ruler who never leaves her territory learns only half the world.
Objective:
Attend the Royal Hunting Party hosted by the Queen of Zasar.
Rewards:
+100,000 Legacy Points
+15,000 Development Points
Additional Reward:
One hidden opportunity may reveal itself.
Penalty for Refusal:
Dynasty Progress Locked.
Description:
The future of a kingdom is rarely decided within its borders.]
’Excuse me?’
Instinctively, Mirabelle swung at Pebbles. The octopus dodged while giggling.
Unfortunately, her mother only witnessed Mirabelle suddenly swatting at empty air.
The Duchess frowned.
Perhaps she should remind the groundskeeper about regular pest control inspections...
’What exactly does Dynasty Progress Locked mean?!’ Mirabelle screamed internally.
The octopus floated to a stop in front of her:
"Host, you do not yet have access to the Main Quest. Information regarding Dynasty Progress is therefore restricted."
[DENIED!]
A bright red screen with enormous white letters suddenly appeared.
Mirabelle had to summon every ounce of self-control she possessed not to physically flinch.
’The fuck?
I don’t even know what my Main Quest is!
And if I don’t take this Side Quest, Main Quest progress stops?
What kind of logic is that? Are you stupid?’
At this point, she no longer felt any need to be polite.
Pebbles’ eyes drooped. He actually looked hurt.
"Dear Host, I cannot help the fact that you still haven’t activated the Main Quest."
A dramatic sigh. "Nobody told you to spend nine days choosing your first Mate."
A dark storm cloud began gathering above Mirabelle’s head.
Her tail lashed once against the chair leg. Somewhere deep inside her chest, irritation continued to simmer.
Kaelith, who could practically feel her agitation through the bond — unfortunately not that kind of agitation — was beginning to panic.
He had absolutely no idea what was happening!
Through the bond he could feel her frustration.
Sharp.
Restless.
Like standing too close to a thunderstorm.
How was he supposed to calm her down?
At the same time, he didn’t want to accidentally make things worse.
The hand still resting on her thigh began glowing faintly from the inside. Almost as though it were burning.
Should he remove it?
Should he say something?
Completely unaware that the male beside her was experiencing a full-blown emotional crisis, Mirabelle continued directing her frustration at the System Spirit.
’You can shove your dear Host up your tentacles.’
I didn’t even know there was a Main Quest!’
"Of course there’s a Main Quest."
Pebbles now sounded genuinely offended.
He even crossed two arms — uh, tentacles — over his chest. The movement somehow conveyed disappointment despite violating several laws of anatomy.
’Pff. There are cool Systems that work perfectly fine without quests.’
"Excuse me?!"
Pebbles looked personally attacked.
Which was impressive for a floating octopus.
"Mirabelle?"
Her mother’s voice pulled her out of the argument she was currently having with the floating thing bevor her head.
This time, she actually jumped.
Kaelith could have kissed the Duchess.
Metaphorically.
Tears were practically gathering at the corners of his eyes from sheer relief.
He had already been approaching panic internally. If the other males knew how close he had come to despair, they would never let him live it down.
But they couldn’t understand what it was like to be a newly mated Beastman.
To know your female was upset.
To feel it through the bond.
And to have absolutely no idea how to fix it.
"Uh..."
Mirabelle glanced once more at the blue screen hovering in front of her before turning back toward her mother.
"I suppose I should go..."
Her voice rose at the end as though she were asking a question rather than making a statement.
"It would be a good opportunity to build connections."
The Duchess cleared her throat. She was, of course, perfectly aware of what tended to happen at the Queen’s Hunting Parties.
"...and it would be useful to learn how politics at court functions."
Lucien silently applauded the Duchess for that phrasing.
At the same time, he made a mental note to prepare Mirabelle for what she was actually going to encounter there.
Silas, who had just helped himself to a third serving of Kaiserschmarrn, decided to contribute:
"It certainly makes sense to take a closer look at the people you’ll be ruling alongside in the future."
He gave her a meaningful look.
Mirabelle understood immediately.
Know your enemies.
Even if he probably didn’t know the original saying from Earth.
"Hey." A tentacle suddenly waved in front of her face. "What did you mean by cool Systems?"
Pebbles looked genuinely bothered.
Apparently, that comment had wounded him far more deeply than she had expected.
Mirabelle absolutely refused to make a manipulative, scheming System feel better about itself.
Unfortunately, the octopus mascot looked ridiculously cute floating there with fake tears gathering in the corners of its giant eyes.
She took a deep breath.
Then another.
No.
She was stronger than this.
Pebbles sniffled dramatically. The sound was suspiciously high quality for something that technically didn’t possess a nose.
Mirabelle narrowed her eyes.
Pebbles sniffled even harder.
’Damn it!’
With a defeated sigh, she mentally selected:
[Accept Side Quest]
DING!
[Side Quest Accepted
The Queen’s Invitation
Progress: 0%
Host has chosen wisdom over stubbornness.]
Mirabelle immediately regretted her decision.
’I said there are cooler Systems than you!’
"Host, you don’t mean that."
Pebbles floated closer and tilted his head.
’I do.’
"No, Host. You’re glad I’m here."
’I’m not.’
The animated creature’s mouth curled into a grin:
"Host, the Emotional Integration Subroutine running in the background informs me that you are."
’Set System Spirit to Notification and Alert Mode.’
With a PUFF, the diabolically grinning tentacle spirit vanished.
’Fuck you.’
A blue screen appeared.
DING!
[Recommended Purchase
Noble Etiquette
Standard Price: 25,000 Legacy Points
Limited-Time Discount: 15,000 Legacy Points
Description:
Courtly manners, noble customs, formal greetings, rank protocols, banquet etiquette, eloquent speech, diplomatic conversation, and social expectations commonly observed among the aristocracy.
Knowledge is automatically integrated upon purchase.
Benefits:
Avoid embarrassing diplomatic incidents. Recognize subtle status signals. Improve interactions with nobles and foreign dignitaries. Learn the language of diplomacy, persuasion, and high society. Reduce the likelihood of unintentionally insulting someone important.
System Recommendation:
Strongly advised before attending the Royal Hunting Party. The System has identified several areas for immediate improvement.
Additional Note:
Referring to influential individuals as "uncool," "dumb," or "stupid flying thing" is generally considered poor etiquette.]
[Purchase]
[Decline]
Had Mirabelle not been sitting at the same table as her family, she would have flipped the table.
At least, that was what happened in her imagination.
How dare that idiotic—
How dare it?!
She pressed so hard on [Decline] that the screen briefly flickered like a television struggling to find the correct channel.
Then, thankfully, it disappeared.
Mirabelle found herself staring directly into Silas’s yellow eyes.
The panther had noticed that something was aggravating her.
The way she was glaring in his direction could have frightened a lesser man.
Fortunately, Silas possessed enough confidence for several lesser men.
He was fairly certain she was currently imagining herself beheading the Queen.
Or something equally diplomatic.
He flashed her a brilliant smile.
Against his dark skin, it was almost unfairly striking.
Mirabelle closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again, she appeared perfectly composed.
The picture of calm.
She smiled back at Silas. Then at Lucien.
Then her hand settled over Kaelith’s where it rested on her thigh.
His palm was surprisingly sweaty.
Through the bond she could feel the tension coiled beneath his calm exterior.
Anxiety.
Worry.
Mirabelle shot the hyena a sideways glance.
Somehow, he didn’t look well.
Maybe he needed some rest?
She quietly decided not to spend the night in his room.
And so it came to pass that the poor hyena Beastman lost another potentially wonderful evening entirely because he had spent too much time worrying about whether he was satisfying his female properly.
