BSPD 44

Chapter 44

“Ugh… I never thought I’d end up in a love that crossed the boundaries of race….”

I never imagined that life with the divine beasts, which I had thought of as just work, would turn out to be this enjoyable. Even though it had nearly cost me my life on multiple occasions, dragging me into all sorts of incidents. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, and Letty’s light laughter fluttered down.

“Oh, come now. Do such things ever matter in the face of love?”

“You’re right. They really mean nothing at all. Things like race, I mean.”

Letty watched me with a gentle smile as I said this, the kind of smile an older sister might give her youngest sibling. It made me feel strangely embarrassed.

“Now then, my lady. Shall we move to the back of the procession?”

Drawn along by Letty’s hand, I glanced back toward the rear of the main palace, where the lake lay glittering.

[Well… because I love that kid, don’t I?]

Why that selfish divine beast’s words suddenly came to mind, I couldn’t say.

Our seats, Letty’s and mine, were nearly at the very back of the procession, far from the divine beasts’ carriage, but they were still perfect for enjoying the festival.

We were mingled with the crowd, yet guarded by knights on all sides, and from there the view of the procession’s center was excellent.

All the way to the square, I could marvel at the showers of flower petals and brightly colored confetti raining down upon the golden carriage. Amidst the cheers of the Empire’s citizens, the divine beasts’ carriage rolled smoothly into the square.

At its center stood a tall platform, draped in red velvet and surrounded on all sides by imperial knights.

“Lady Linnegrym, we need to move beneath the platform now.”

“Ah, yes!”

Clutching the satchel of herbs I had brought—just in case—I quickly hopped down from the carriage. With the knights parting the crowd for us, Letty and I made our way to the base of the platform without trouble.

Soon after, the door of the golden carriage swung open. The first to leap out was Eve. He landed in an instant, rolling his shoulders and stretching as if shaking off stiffness. Anyone would have thought he had been stuck in that carriage for days, not just a few dozen minutes.

“All right, little ones. Slowly now.”

He extended his hand toward the carriage, and Hina rose. I expected her to fling herself straight into his arms, but instead, she placed her tiny hand delicately in his and stepped down as though she were a young lady of high birth.

Her chin lifted proudly, the picture of dignity. At her adorable yet stately appearance, the gathered crowd squealed and gasped, some nearly fainting. I clutched my stomach, giggling. Who wouldn’t, when her attempts at majesty were just so irresistibly cute?

“Hina’s putting on such airs in front of the Empire’s people, Letty! Look at her!”

I waved frantically for Letty’s attention, but she didn’t answer. She was already dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, overcome with emotion. Too busy choking back sobs to reply.

“Sniffle… to think… our little Lady Hinacis is so dignified now… Snf… Just last year, she was hurling herself straight out of the carriage, and now… she’s grown so much…!”

She must have felt it keenly, having practically raised the young divine beasts herself.

“Hoo-hoo-hoo! Lady Hinacis! You are most dignified!!”

“Sob…! You look magnificent, Lady Hinacis!!”

Correction: it wasn’t just Letty. Apparently all of the divine beasts’ attendants were overly dramatic like this.

Next was Luka. He politely declined Eve’s hand and stepped down on his own. I worried about those short legs on the carriage steps, but of course—this was Luka. With his usual calm expression, he climbed down and took his place beside Hina.

One adorable child beside another only doubled the cuteness. The citizens’ cheers grew even louder.

Then came a tousle of golden hair. Kinya peeked nervously through the open carriage door. For the youngest of the divine beasts, this was only his second official event.

The massive crowd clearly overwhelmed him, and he hesitated to step outside. But the people themselves encouraged him.

“My goodness! How precious!”

“Welcome, young Lord Kiniacs!”

They smiled and waved warmly at the small, hunched figure, gestures meant to help him along.

Kinya glanced from their bright faces, to Lunaris still seated within, then looked about as though seeking someone.

When at last his eyes found me, waiting below the platform, his pale face lit with a smile.

“Brother Eve! Help me down!”

Throwing his arms wide, he called. Eve, clearly anticipating this, scooped him up at once and set him on the ground. Beaming, Kinya took the hands of Hina and Luka, standing proudly between them.

The crowd erupted, showering the three little ones with adoration as petals rained from above.

Only after the children had their moment did Lunaris rise. Even in something so simple as stepping from a carriage, he was grace incarnate. One might have thought the sun god himself had descended. The entire square fell silent, breath held in awe.

Through the hush strode the Holy Order of Knights, approaching to greet the divine beasts.

At their head stood Sir Ethan Croyt, captain of the Holy Order.

His short russet hair was neatly groomed, his uniform impeccable, though dark circles beneath his eyes betrayed his fatigue. No doubt the tightened palace security had left him without a moment’s rest.

“We greet the exalted Riwhiela clan of divine beasts. I, Ethan Croyt, Captain of the Holy Order, pay my respects to Lord Lunaris.”

His deep, steadfast voice spread like a calm wave through the silent square.

I couldn’t help but think again…

“Sir Croyt’s voice is truly enchanting, isn’t it….”

Letty spoke my thought aloud, and I nodded vigorously.

After offering his greeting, Sir Croyt led the way forward, toward the flower-bedecked platform. His steps made no sound on the velvet carpet. He halted before the platform, then stepped aside and bowed low, positioning himself close enough to spring onto the dais at a moment’s notice if need be.

The divine beasts began ascending. Eve and Raykis guided the children carefully up the steps.

When they emerged atop the platform, applause rippled through the crowd, growing until it was a thunderous tide that filled the sky.

No one applauded louder than the man seated upon the imperial throne: Rubain Dern Lionel, Emperor of the Lionel Empire. Beside him stood the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Imperial Princess, all rising to greet the divine beasts.

“Welcome, Lunaris.”

“Another year, and here this day comes again, Rubain.”

The human sovereign and the divine beasts’ leader clasped hands warmly, drawing a storm of cheers from the people.

I rose on tiptoe, clapping along with the rest.

Once the Emperor and Lunaris had taken their seats, the rest of the royal family followed suit.

[Helion looks a bit tense, doesn’t he?]

Though his dazzling beauty hadn’t dimmed, the Crown Prince’s expression was stiffer than usual. Understandable—being in front of so many people could make anyone nervous.

Princess Rowina, seated beside him, held herself with flawless posture, her expression indifferent as her gaze swept the assembly.

Seeing them side by side, I realized how much the Prince resembled his father.

“Ah, the power of handsome genes… wait—?!”

My eyes widened. The Empress, sitting on the Emperor’s other side, was the spitting image of Rowina! Her hair was a fiery blaze unlike the Princess’s golden locks, but their features were identical. Even with her gentle smile, she carried a chilling aura.

“The marvels of genetics….”

I clapped my hand over my mouth in alarm, for just then the Emperor himself began to speak. To babble irreverently during his address would have been unthinkable.

“Welcome, all citizens of the Empire.”

His rich voice descended over the quiet square, heavy with authority.

“Even the heavens seem to bless this Founding Day of ours, gifting us such a clear sky. To meet you beneath it gladdens me—and so, I hope, gladdens you as well.”

Was that… majestic? With that mischievous smile and joking tone, he looked more like a playful rascal.

“Today, the Empire of Lionel celebrates its eleven-hundredth Founding Festival. For over a millennium, we have defended our lands against the monstrous hordes, triumphed over hostile nations, and built resplendent monuments, enjoying unprecedented prosperity. Even now, our history shines with unmatched glory. And all of this, of course, was only possible through the radiance of the divine beasts, heirs to the gods’ power.”

The Emperor stepped back, turning to Lunaris—and right on cue, a breeze swept by. Lunaris’s flawless golden hair streamed like radiant threads, catching the sunlight.

Gasps rose from the crowd. Even I, long accustomed to his beauty, had to bite my lip to keep from drooling. For those seeing him for the first time, it must have been a shattering of everything they thought they knew of beauty.

As every eye fixed upon him, Lunaris began his own address.

“I, Lunaris, head of the Riwhiela clan, bless the Lionel Empire on its eleven-hundredth year. Today is the Empire’s day—and the day of all who uphold it. May this Founding Festival shine brighter than ever before.”

He raised his hand skyward, releasing a flood of golden light. It soared heavenward, then cascaded down like a fountain, showering the square in radiant drops.

It was Lunaris’s unique gift—the purifying power that both banished corruption and bestowed blessings, the very reason he stood as leader of the divine beasts.

A golden rain fell upon the gathered masses.

“So beautiful….”

I, too, was entranced, gazing up at the dazzling light. Until someone tugged my arm. Letty.

“Lady Linnegrym. You promised to watch carefully, remember?”

“Hm? Watch what—? Oh!”

Fwoosh! My short hair whipped wildly about, and I hastily tied it back.

Smiling, Letty tucked a stray lock behind my ear and pointed upward.

“If you break your promise, he might be upset with you.”

Her finger aimed at the platform. But the figures who had just stood there in their human guises were gone.

They had cast off those forms, revealing their true selves.

The Transformation Rite had begun—the true start of the Founding Festival.

Boom! Boom!