Litain’s eyes flickered to the proudly strutting Juicy.
“……It’s too early.”
Juicy was puzzled by the complexity of Litain’s expression.
She thought he’d be happy to see her awaken her senses and show him her strong white tiger side.
“We’d better hurry.”
“Kharhung?”
“You don’t have to try. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Juicy stood still in thought as she listened to his words, with all context removed.
But she soon understood.
Litain had been making frequent visits and had been thinking about something.
This time, the reason for the long trip was because of her.
‘No way. My dad keeps going on inspections to check……. It can’t be something to do with the guy from my dreams, can it?
At the thought of it, Juicy nervously clutched at Litain’s clothes with her front paws.
Litain patted her back and stood up.
“Let’s go get something to eat, and if you look closely, you’ve lost a lot of teeth in the meantime.”
At the sound of his gentle voice and touch, Juicy nodded in agreement.
Her teeth, which had been stuck in like grains of rice after her bifunctional awakening, had now grown into a full set.
Wanting to show off, Juicy deliberately bit the back of Litain’s hand.
It was still non-threatening and cute, but Litain stiffened unnecessarily.
“Ouch, that hurt. Good job, Juicy.”
Juicy wagged her tail and chuckled softly.
“Yeah. Being scared isn’t going to solve anything. That guy in my dream was just a dream. I just need to grow up and get stronger.
Determined, Juicy decided that she had to figure out how to use her powers.
From then on, she waited impatiently for Nowton.
He recognised my expression, so he was the only Sioux she had a good chance of communicating with.
She was going to ask him if he could show her how to use her powers.
‘The sooner I can use my powers properly and become stronger, the sooner I can protect myself and others, and the sooner you can stop worrying.
An enemy I’m not sure about yet.
Remembering the one who had threatened her in her dreams, though she couldn’t see him now, Juicy steeled herself.
***]
A secret meeting hall built deep underground beneath the Imperial Palace.
As soon as he returned from his inspection, Emperor Litain called a meeting of the senior nobles.
The expressions on the faces of the senior nobles seated in the meeting hall were stony.
A tense atmosphere hung in the huge, high-ceilinged room.
When the Emperor called the nobles here, it was usually for something bad.
It was even more unnerving that he hadn’t told them what he was calling them for.
They could only assume it had something to do with him, since he had just returned from an inspection.
“Have you heard the news? They say the Empress has awakened her powers.”
“Of course I’ve heard, juicy hasn’t even celebrated her first birthday.” ……. It’s unusual. The oracle must be true.”
The nobles who had gathered beforehand discussed the matter of the White Tiger Empress awakening her powers.
The party may have been locked away, but the interest in the White Tiger Empress was immense.
One nobleman raised his voice and insisted.
“No. If I’m right, the Empress is most likely the reincarnation of Anash!”
“But isn’t it too early to tell?”
“Yes. Besides, if the Empress is Anash’s reincarnation……. then it means that ‘destruction’ is near, just as Ganash said.”
“No, why do you assume destruction? We now have the Empress, the reincarnation of Anash.”
“That’s right, don’t be so ominous.”
But already, many of the nobles were worried about the future.
“So…….”
Another nobleman insisted after swallowing hard in horror.
“That, as the scholars keep saying, there’s a good chance the ‘Dark One’ will reappear.”
“Well, Anash was also reincarnated, and it’s quite possible that the seal of the Dark Divine Water has been broken.”
“Wait. Then what do we do? Even if Anash is reincarnated. Would the Dark One use the same trick again?”
“That’s…….”
Fear spread like a fire in a dry field, consuming them.
The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly chaotic, anxiety threatening to consume them completely.
“His Majesty the Emperor, ruler of the empire, and the Crown Prince, protector of the empire!”
With that, the Emperor and the Crown Prince walked into the conference hall together.
On a golden throne on a high dais, Emperor Litain sat, and beside him sat the Crown Prince.
The roar of the crowd was instantly silenced by the arrival of the two Penterin imperials, whose mere presence exuded an immense sense of power.
Half of the nobles gathered here were fierce beasts, but they could not help but tremble in the presence of the overwhelmingly powerful Penterin imperials.
Litain swept his gaze slowly over the bowed heads of the Council of Elders nobles.
“Since when.”
Arsenic formed at the corners of his mouth.
“Since my personal vassals were such cowards. I don’t need vassals like this.”
“Hic!
Goosebumps ran down the backs of the nobles’ heads as they stared at the floor.
For some reason, the emperor had been listening.
Emperor Litain rubbed his chin and spoke slowly.
“Noblemen, hiding behind a young princess for protection. How pathetic.
“You are the arms of the Empire, my hands and feet. But if you are not trained to fight, you are a burden.”
The Emperor’s voice dropped even lower.
“I have no need of vassals who are unwilling to defend this land. Leave.”
Looking down at the nobles, Litain warned them sternly.
A breeze seemed to blow in from somewhere as a heavy silence settled over the hall.
The nobles shuddered.
Where could they possibly leave?
And even if they did, the Emperor’s army would be after them in a heartbeat.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty. I apologise!”
“Forgive me!”
Terrified, the nobles, who had been saying anything to put all the blame on the young empress, knelt on the floor and tore their hair out.
Only after the music had ceased did the emperor raise his hand to stop them.
“You only get one chance.”
His golden eyes flashed, and he warned again.
“You’d better not think of hiding behind my daughter and begging again.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The murderous atmosphere cleared.
And the nobles came to their senses, much calmer than before.
For a moment, they forgot what their lord, Emperor Litain, was like.
Sioux, the mighty tiger who never backed down from a fight.
The Penterin royal family is strong.
Two golden tigers blessed by Ganash, the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and now a white tiger in the form of Anash, the mightiest of the god beasts.
Their fears were quickly dispelled.
With the mighty Penterin Imperial Family by our side, we would be no match for the Dark Gods.
“It’s certainly not like it was in ancient times.”
“We have a Penterin army with history and tradition. They are worthy of fighting the Dark Gods.”
The nobles’ faces brightened, and somehow they felt more at ease.
Not so easily defeated, Arms.
“After all, we are the mightiest Penterin Empire, so let’s give them a run for their money!”
But the Emperor, who had been watching them in silence, spoke up.
“But I must say, I’m uneasy.”
“Huh?
“No, why are you changing your tune again?
The nobles were sweating profusely.
At a loss for words, the Duke of Athasix raised his hand.
“Your Majesty, may I ask what you mean?”
He was the head of the Fire Bear House, blessed by the Fourth Divine Beast, the Fire Bear Divine Beast.
In response to Duke Athasix’s question, Emperor Litain answered carefully.
“We are strong, but we may not be able to defeat them using only the power of the beasts.”
“What?”
Tsk.
Litain pulled something from his bosom and threw it across the table.
It was a birch branch, blackened and dried up.
The Duke of Athasix’s face went white as he examined the branch closely.
“This is……!”
“It is said that the body of Anash, the God Beast who slayed the Dark God Beast, shattered and fell to the ground across the continent, and in its place stood the Anash Birch.”
It was a story they all knew.
“And it is a branch of that birch that is now before the Duke.”
There was a sigh.
How could that pure white birch tree be like this.
With trembling hands, the Duke of Athasix gingerly picked up the branch of the Saccharum birch and examined it.
“So, the Dark One has already awakened?”
“I believe so.”
The hall fell silent.
