Are Beast Nobles Supposed to Be This Lewd?

For several moments, Mirabelle remained exactly where she had landed.

Sitting in the lake.

Her green dress continued to absorb water around her, the fabric growing heavier by the second and clinging to her legs.

She barely noticed.

Her attention remained fixed on the enormous crystal hovering above the water.

The Territory Core.

The Beast Core.

Whatever she was supposed to call the ancient thing that had just held an entire conversation with her, entrusted her with some mysterious power, threatened the extinction of her bloodline if she misused it, and then thrown her out of its strange golden realm.

Mirabelle blinked.

Then something caught her attention. Something inside her.

The connection!

Her eyes widened slightly. The black current was still there. Except — It wasn’t black anymore.

Mirabelle closed her eyes and focused. The vast dark stream she’d followed through the forest had transformed completely.

It shone. Bright white light flowed through it now, so brilliant that the thin, warm threads of her mate bonds seemed almost delicate beside it. And its direction had changed.

Before, Mirabelle had followed the current toward the Territory Core. Now... it flowed from the Core toward her.

Mirabelle opened her eyes.

Her gaze slowly lifted toward the immense crystal. Another pulse of pale light moved through it. And something answered inside her.

A gentle surge traveled along the new connection.

The lynx female inhaled.

Energy.

At least, she thought it was energy. Something seemed to be flowing into her through that bond, spreading through her body with every slow pulse of the Core.

But considering she was currently sitting waist-deep in magical water that apparently healed old scars, removed exhaustion, and made her feel as though she’d just slept for twelve hours after the most relaxing massage of her life...

She couldn’t exactly be sure which magical phenomenon was responsible for what.

Mirabelle stared at the Core for another moment.

"Right."

No answer.

Apparently, her audience was over.

Now she merely had to figure out how to get back.

Mirabelle pushed herself upright. Water streamed from her dress as she stood, the soaked fabric now considerably heavier than it had any right to be.

She glanced down at the lake almost regretfully.

It really was a shame she hadn’t brought a bottle.

Then again, somehow she suspected filling a few jars with ancient magical regeneration water and carrying them home would violate at least one unwritten rule of mystical Territory Core etiquette.

Still...

Good to know this existed.

Mirabelle stepped out of the lake. The moment her feet touched the damp earth beyond its edge, she turned her attention inward again.

Her mate bonds.

Three fine strands of warmth.

Silas remained distant.

But Kaelith and Lucien...

There!

Mirabelle turned until the bonds seemed to stretch directly ahead of her.

"Let’s hope this works."

She started walking.

One step. The clearing disappeared.

Mirabelle stopped.

The lake was gone.

The luminous Core was gone. Instead, enormous ancient trees surrounded her again.

She looked back. Nothing but forest.

"Oh."

So apparently that was how this worked.

Mirabelle took another step. The world shifted.

The enormous tree beside her vanished, replaced by a cluster of slightly smaller trunks. The glowing moss beneath her feet became ordinary green. The strange metallic veins disappeared from the leaves.

Another step. The forest changed again.

Then another.

With every movement, the ancient magic seemed to retreat.

The trees became younger. The darkness overhead softened. The countless glowing flowers grew fewer until there were none.

Purple fireflies vanished from the shadows. Actual sunlight began breaking through the canopy again.

Mirabelle continued following the warm threads connecting her to her mates.

Step. Shift.

Step. Shift.

It was still utterly disorienting. But this time, she understood what was happening.

She wasn’t walking through the forest.

Not really.

The forest was carrying her through itself. And with every step, she returned a little farther toward the world she’d left behind.

A strange melancholy settled over her.

She already missed the other place.

The darkness.

The lights.

The impossible stillness of the lake.

The sensation of standing somewhere untouched by everything she knew.

Mirabelle glanced back once more.

Nothing remained of it. But inside her, that brilliant white current continued to flow.

The Core was still there.

Connected to her.

That knowledge was strangely reassuring.

Mirabelle took another step. Warm sunlight suddenly touched her face. Birdsong became louder. The familiar forest returned around her.

And then —

DING!

Mirabelle stopped.

Blue light appeared before her eyes. A translucent system window unfolded in the air.

She stared at it. Then slowly smiled.

Apparently, she was back.

[Main Quest - Stage I Complete]

[Claim Your Foundation

"No dynasty can flourish without land to call its own."

Objective:

Officially inherit the Duchy of Luchsenstein.

Political Transfer: Complete

Bloodline Recognition: Complete

Territory Recognition: Complete

The Territory Core has acknowledged the Host as the rightful ruler of Luchsenstein.

Status:

COMPLETED

Reward Granted:

+500,000 Development Points

Penalty:

REMOVED

Host-Vessel Synchronization permanently secured.]

Satisfied, Mirabelle looked at her reward. A warm feeling spread through her.

She had done it. Really done it.

She had inherited the duchy, despite all those mysterious magical conditions.

DING!

[Main Quest Updated]

The Rise of Luchsenstein

"Land may be inherited.

A legacy never is."

Objective:

Develop the Territory of Luchsenstein into a prosperous and enduring duchy.

Main Story Progress Increased: 9.0% -> 15.0%

Current Progress: 15%

Reward: ???

Penalty: ???]

’15%? Only 15%?’

What else was she supposed to do?

She stared at the number in disbelief, but then the window disappeared beneath another one that opened in front of her.

DING!

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

[The Land Remembers

"The land has seen countless rulers.

Few have ever been seen in return."

Territory Core Recognition exceeded standard succession parameters.

The Territory Core has entrusted a portion of its authority to the Host.

Authority Granted:

[████████████]

Classification:

[UNKNOWN]

Effect:

⟟⍜⋏ ⏁⊑⟒ ⌰⏃⋏⎅ ⟟⌇ ⋏⍜ ⌰⍜⋏☌⟒⍀ ⟒⌖⏁⟒⍀⋏⏃⌰

⏁⊑⟒ ⏃⎍⏁⊑⍜⍀⟟⏁⊬ ⍜⎎ ⏁⊑⟒ ☊⍜⍀⟒ ⊑⏃⌇

⏚⟒⟒⋏ ⟒⌖⏁⟒⋏⎅⟒⎅ ⏁⊑⍀⍜⎍☌⊑ ████

⌿⍀⟟⋔⍜⍀⎅⟟⏃⌰ ⏃⎍⏁⊑⍜⍀⟟⏁⊬: ███████

⏚⌰⍜⍜⎅⌰⟟⋏⟒ ⌇⏁⏃⏁⎍⌇: ██████████████ ]

"What?"

[System Error]

A big red warning sign popped up.

[Unable to interpret Territory Core authority.

Status information cannot be displayed.

Reason:

INSUFFICIENT SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION

Further information unavailable.]

"Pebbles?!"

POOF!

A familiar cloud of pale smoke burst into existence in front of her, carrying the tiny tentacled mascot with it.

"Oh, Mirabelle! Congratulations! You inherited the duch — ugh!"

Pebbles’ enthusiastic greeting ended in a strangled sound as Mirabelle reached forward, wrapped her hand around the approximate location of his nonexistent neck, and pulled him toward her.

Face to face, she stared directly into his enormous eyes.

"What is that last message supposed to mean? What kind of authority was I granted, and why am I not allowed to know what it is?! INSUFFICIENT SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION?"

Her voice rose considerably on the final words.

Pebbles’ tentacles immediately came together.

He began rubbing them against each other, the soft little limbs twisting and kneading as though the motion might somehow help him manufacture a sufficiently convincing answer.

"Mirabelle... you know I’m not omniscient, and... there are rules..."

Mirabelle narrowed her eyes.

"You are at the very bottom of the food chain, aren’t you?" she said dryly.

Of course...

Of course, if she got a system, it would be one that had absolutely no authority of its own.

"Well..."

Pebbles squirmed in her grip. His eyes wandered everywhere except toward hers.

"In my last system performance evaluation, I received a good evaluation, so I’ll be allowed to advance soon."

Mirabelle raised one eyebrow.

Pebbles apparently interpreted the expression correctly because he hurried to add, "Then I’ll have more functions and permissions."

The lynx female continued staring at him.

Somewhere above them, birds chirped between the branches.

Pebbles’ tentacles continued kneading one another.

Mirabelle had a bad feeling about this.

"What level will you advance to?" she asked suspiciously.

Pebbles froze.

Mirabelle’s suspicion intensified. She had a feeling she already knew where this was going.

"The... second?"

His gaze slid sideways. His tentacles began twisting around each other even more vigorously.

Mirabelle stared at him.

Level two.

Not level twenty.

Not level ten.

Not even level five.

Two.

The lynx female closed her eyes and released a long, exhausted sigh. Of course it was. That was exactly what she’d expected

Mirabelle released the flying tentacle thing.

Pebbles immediately floated backward, putting a considerably safer distance between them. Then, with as much dignity as a floating animated octopus could possibly muster, he began patting himself down.

One tentacle smoothed over another. Two more brushed across his sides, as though Mirabelle had somehow wrinkled him and he now needed to straighten himself out.

Throughout the entire performance, he very deliberately avoided looking at her.

Mirabelle continued staring.

Pebbles fluffed himself up a little more. Apparently deciding he’d restored enough of his dignity, he finally risked speaking.

"Would you like to see your latest hidden achievements?"

Mirabelle’s eyes narrowed.

"Latest hidden achievements? Why weren’t they shown to me immediately?"

Pebbles’ gaze began wandering again.

Left.

Right.

Up into the trees.

Anywhere but Mirabelle.

"Well..."

Mirabelle stared at him for another second before a ridiculous thought occurred to her.

"Don’t tell me you saved them in case I got angry with you so you could distract me?"

She’d meant it mostly as a joke.

Pebbles’ animated eyes widened.

Mirabelle’s mouth fell open.

That was all the confirmation she needed.

Then —

DING! DING! DING!

Several blue system windows burst into existence around her at once.

Mirabelle jerked backward.

One appeared directly in front of her face.

Another unfolded beside it.

Then another.

Within seconds, glowing blue panels completely blocked her view of both Pebbles and the forest beyond.

Mirabelle stared at the wall of notifications.

’That little shit...’

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