Chapter 16
“You’ve never seen what my father is like, have you?”
“Umm…”
“My father has a terrible temper. When I was little, I messed around with him, and he sent me to study abroad for ten years.”
…Huh.
I widened my eyes.
Now that I think about it, when I was a puppy, I used to follow my sister to her heir training classes.
I saw him often back then.
‘He seemed like a really scary guy, right?’
***
“Repeat my words exactly.”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry, I’m trash.”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m trash, Duke Ardoth. I-I apologize!”
“You missed your chance to eliminate the sea monster in one strike?”
“I-I’m sorry… Please share your thoughts, Duke Ardoth!”
“I need a ship made of iron. Have it ready in a month.”
Duke Ardoth went to support the disaster caused by a sea monster in the Rivera Grand Duchy. His words were sharp, causing many soldiers to hold their breath.
Right after the Duke of Rivera left to deal with a sudden monster attack at the northern border, Duke Ardoth pushed for back-up support with the soldiers that remained.
But none of the soldiers were doing anything that impressed him.
“Your technology can’t make it in a month, can it?”
“Impossible, we can’t do that…”
“You young people always think things are impossible. Is that how you see the world?”
His red eyes filled with disdain, and the soldiers shrank back.
“Sorry…”
Though his black hair had started to turn gray with age, he still had a clear, middle-aged look. He was a general who had marked his name in history and led the mighty Ardoth family.
“You know I got the Empire’s only magic tower built in my land, right? Do you know what the magic tower master said when I asked?”
“What was that…”
“He said if I could make a ship float in the air, he would build the magic tower on my land. Everyone said it was impossible, but I found a way.”
“…”
“You have to believe everything is possible to make it happen. If you start with defeatist thoughts, then what will happen?”
“Sorry…”
He shouted at the complaints and frustrations of the soldiers, feeling disappointed by their lack of spirit.
“Talent doesn’t matter if you’re always defeated mentally.”
At that moment, a soldier came running into the barracks.
“Duke Ardoth, we have news for you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about the tiger spirit beast that escaped the annex. It has been captured again.”
“I see.”
The tiger spirit.
It was a beast captured in the Rivera Grand Duchy and sent to Duke Ardoth’s mansion. No one knew much about its powers yet. All they knew was that Duke Ardoth had sensed a special energy from the tiger and captured it.
Hearing the news, Duke Ardoth sighed in relief.
Some might think it was just another “ordinary spirit beast,” but…
Duke Ardoth immediately realized the tiger was hiding extraordinary powers.
‘That tiger’s hidden power is amazing.’
It was strong enough to break through the barrier he personally set.
A smirk appeared on his lips.
“So, who captured the tiger?”
“Do you remember Coco, the child the Senate decided to adopt?”
“The Blessing Baby? The one everyone thought would disappear from our family when the mark faded?”
The Senate had praised Coco when she was called the Blessing Baby, but when her mark faded, they quickly criticized her. But whether she was the Blessing Baby or not wasn’t important to Duke Ardoth.
‘What matters is whether they’re trying hard or not.’
He remembered Coco’s name because she had been registered under his family after the Senate made the decision.
“Yes. She captured the tiger spirit beast. Now, Lord Rus is taking care of it with her.”
“Did a five-year-old do that?”
The assistant quickly added, “Yes. People in the family now believe she might really be the Blessing Baby.”
Duke Ardoth was surprised at first, but soon regained his calm.
“We’ll see. For now, we’ll keep an eye on her.”
Though the report was unexpected, Duke Ardoth didn’t have any high expectations for the child.
‘Why do I feel so fuzzy about her? I remember her being weak and unable to look me in the eye.’
But he didn’t think she was special.
‘Maybe someone helped her, or maybe it was just luck.’
“Let it go for now. After this battle, we’ll go back and properly check things out.”
He didn’t have any great expectations.
Young people always disappoint him.
Duke Ardoth glanced around the barracks uncomfortably.
“When this battle is over, we’ll go back to the mansion. Before that, I need to have a private meeting with the Duke of Rivera.”
“Yes, yes?”
“I need to speak with him. I heard he’s dealing with the monster at the northern border. Let’s go!”
Though he hadn’t slept for 72 hours, he moved with the energy of someone who had just woken up.
***
The Next Day:
Lea Amond, a close associate of Patricia, held a small social gathering.
“Did you hear? Teresia met with Chloe.”
“I heard. She was rejected again.”
Some of the noblewomen sighed sympathetically.
“They say Chloe is rejecting treatment from Teresia because she’s on the brink of losing control. It’s so concerning.”
Lea sighed while looking at the kind smile of Patricia.
“It’s truly unfortunate. Patricia was even a candidate for saint, but now she’s rejecting her kindness.”
“Oh! Does that mean Lucrecia went to the temple…?”
Lea covered her mouth and giggled.
People viewed Patricia as a saint because Chloe, the “villainess,” kept hiding in her room.
‘It’s so easy to shape public opinion.’
Lea smiled proudly.
Just as Patricia’s supporters praised her, a noblewoman with a knight husband in the Ardoth family whispered.
“Did you hear about the tiger spirit beast in the Ardoth family?”
Patricia’s face became uncomfortable, but the woman continued.
A huge rumor spread across the Duke of Ardoth’s mansion the night before: the child, Coco, who was on the verge of being disowned, had captured the black tiger spirit beast.
And now, Duke Ardoth was returning urgently!
“What kind of person is this Blessing Baby?”
“I’m curious.”
“Could it have been a mistake?”
“Well, capturing the spirit beast is impressive, but… maybe it was a mistake?”
The social gathering had been held to create negative rumors about Chloe, but it quickly turned into gossip about the child who captured the tiger spirit.
Patricia, who had lost the spotlight, was fuming.
One lady whispered softly,
“But… I wonder if capturing that tiger spirit will even be worth it.”
“What do you mean?”
“They say its condition is really bad. It could die soon.”
***
The Path to See the Tiger:
To my surprise, Dot shared shocking news with me.
“Baby, the tiger spirit’s condition isn’t just bad—it’s worse than we thought.”
“Huh, why?”
“Do you see that dark mark under its feet? That’s called the Black Lion. When that happens, the spirit beast is going to die soon.”
“Black Lion…?”
I was shocked by the unexpected news.
‘The tiger has the Black Lion mark.’
This can’t happen…
I need to find the tiger’s friend before it dies.
I looked at the tiger with a worried expression.
“Should I try talking to the tiger?”
“Yes, Baby. Since you have the animal affinity ability, try to communicate with it before it dies…”
Dot looked at me with sad eyes.
I hurried to the tiger’s resting place.
On a big, fluffy rug bigger than the tiger itself.
“Tiger! I’m here!”
[What is it?]
“Yeah, yeah! You’re sick, right?”
“…”
The tiger’s face turned gloomy.
I looked at the dark mark near its paws.
‘Is this the Black Lion?’
I remember reading about this in the future.
“Is there a way to fix this?”
Animals instinctively know when something is wrong with their bodies.
They also know the remedies, which are well-known among animals.
[It’s over.]
