The Hero Becomes the Duke's Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 180

Aden conveyed his thoughts directly to the cat, and upon hearing them, Miao shuddered.

-This can't be...! If that's really the case, it's a big problem! We must inform all the Divine Beasts immediately!

Having experienced it firsthand, he knew it well.

With that strange stone present, the Divine Beasts would be helpless and fall to their enemies.

Pamsibet, the chieftain, became seriously rigid.

“I will contact the other tribes, Lord Miao.”

-That would be too late. And simply sending someone to inform them won't suffice. I know those stubborn fools too well.

The Divine Beasts were special beings who had grown enough to shed their beastly nature and attain divine status through tremendous effort and fortune.

Having lived long lives to reach their current position, they naturally had pride and arrogance. Even if a warning was sent, they would dismiss it without a second thought.

-I must go myself. No matter how proud those fools are, they'll sense the danger when they see my state!

Pamsibet hesitated, troubled.

“But, Lord Miao…”

You're a cat right now…?

A small and cute kitten that one would want to cuddle tightly.

Pamsibet, the chieftain, couldn't bring himself to say the rest, swallowing his words and trailing off.

But even that was enough for the Divine Beast to understand what she was trying to say.

The cat drooped its ears sadly.

-Yes. Right now, I'm just a mere kitten... If I go out like this, I'll be defeated by even the most insignificant forest beasts.

But it was also difficult for the chieftain and warriors to accompany him.

With the beasts running amok, having broken free from the Divine Beast’s control, the chieftain, who was maintaining the village's barrier, couldn't leave.

And taking a few warriors wouldn't suffice if they encountered that lich.

Thus, only one option remained.

The cat Divine Beast turned its head to look at Aden.

-Please, take me to the sanctuary where the other Divine Beasts are!

Although he had lost his power, he wasn't so weak that he couldn't recognize strength.

The cat Divine Beast saw that Aden was an incredibly powerful individual, far beyond what was typical for his age.

“Are you asking me to save the other Divine Beasts?”

Aden looked down at the Divine Beast with an indifferent gaze.

-Nya, nyaaa...

The Divine Beast, intimidated by his dark eyes, shrank back, its tail drooping.

-I know it's an unreasonable request... But the safety of the forest is at stake, and though it's difficult in this state, I promise to reward you multiple times over once I regain my strength...

“Do you promise?”

-Nyaa?

“You said you’d reward me multiple times over later. Can you promise that?”

As Aden seemed to show interest, the cat Divine Beast's face brightened.

The kitten desperately nodded its small head.

-Of course! I swear on my name as Miao, the Guardian Divine Beast of the Red Fox Tribe!

“Alright. I’ll accept.”

-Really?

“As long as you keep your promise.”

When Aden surprisingly accepted the request so easily, the cat Divine Beast was both startled and delighted.

-Thank you so much! I won't forget this favor!

At that moment, a slightly mocking voice echoed in Aden's mind.

-Have you eaten something wrong, Dragon Slayer?

'Are you picking a fight?'

-The Aden I know would have easily ignored such a request from a mere cat. It's unlike you to act this way.

The cat Divine Beast had already lost most of its power and was now just a talking cat.

In reality, any reward the cat Divine Beast could offer was unlikely to be of much use in the future, even as an investment.

Indeed, Aden agreed with the criticism.

‘Well, that's true. But this involves black magic.’

Through Hermit, he had learned that Chaos was behind the Mad Dragon incident.

Knowing this, he couldn't simply dismiss them as obstacles to his revenge.

If in the future Aden hadn't killed the Mad Dragon, the continent would have been destroyed even before the gates of hell could open.

Those planning to cause such chaos were now scheming in the southern Great Forest.

‘There's a high possibility that the war between the Great Forest Alliance and the Tower Kingdom was also influenced by them.’

If he remembered correctly, there were only a few months left before the war with the Tower Kingdom would break out.

And now, warlocks were attacking the Divine Beasts and draining their power.

What was once thought to be a mere clash between civilization and the wild, magic and nature, had now revealed a third-party involvement.

They were undoubtedly plotting something as ominous as the Mad Dragon incident.

‘It must be stopped.’

If the world ended, revenge and everything else would be meaningless.

He became resolute in his determination.

‘They aren't just a bunch of lunatics; they're a plague that will bring chaos and destruction to the world.’

They must be eradicated.

This time, he would uproot them completely.

‘To do that, I need information on what exactly they're planning in this unknown forest.’

The best course of action now was to find the Divine Beasts that Chaos was targeting.

Meanwhile, the cat Divine Beast, unaware of Aden's thoughts, felt incredibly grateful for his help.

So it pondered if there was anything it could offer, and then a brilliant idea struck.

-Ah, that's right! At least take this for now, nyan!

“What?”

Whoosh! The flames at the tip of the cat Divine Beast's tail suddenly flared up, and a portion of the fire was absorbed into Aden's body.

-'You have acquired the ‘Blessing of Miao.’'

‘A blessing?’

Aden's eyes widened slightly.

The cat Divine Beast had bestowed a blessing upon him.

Aden checked the detailed information.

[**Blessing of Miao**]

*A blessing granted by Miao, the Guardian Divine Beast of the Red Fox Tribe and an ancient Fire Cat Divine Beast.*

*-Increases the recipient's agility by 10%.*

*-Grants absolute support from all members of the Red Fox Tribe.*

The cat Divine Beast spoke.

-I've lost my power and can only give you this, but it will be useful, nyan! Please accept it!

“Thank you. I’ll accept it gratefully.”

Aden was satisfied.

It wasn't a reward he particularly needed, but increasing his agility by 10% was certainly beneficial.

As an advance payment for the request, this was already more than worth it.

Aden felt grateful for the cat Divine Beast’s sincerity—no, its good heart.

* * *

Kyaaah-!

The griffon roared as it soared into the sky.

Aden, who was riding on top, let out a chuckle.

“Never thought I'd get to ride a griffon in my life.”

“Eek, it's too high! Let me down! Save me!”

-The Demon Sword Saere, though lacking eyes, regards its contractor with disdain for now also suffering from a fear of heights.

Aden was on his way to the sanctuary where another tribe's guardian Divine Beast resided, riding a griffon, the primary mode of transportation in the Great Forest.

He was accompanied by his escort knight, Lowe, the rogue Unknown, and the cat Divine Beast, Miao.

“Why am I being taken along? Huh?”

“Just in case something happens, so you can use your power to escape.”

“Damn it! You're treating me like an artifact!”

Elise had moved with the Red Fox Tribe to contact other villages, while Aden, along with the cat Divine Beast, headed to the sanctuaries where the other Divine Beasts resided.

Since the Red Fox Tribe's village was relatively in the northeastern part of the Great Forest, they had to head south to reach the other Divine Beasts.

Flap!

Every time the griffon flapped its eagle-like wings, a strong wind blew, and the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.

The flight speed was astonishing.

“Aden, do you know how to ride a griffon?”

-Nya, nyang. Griffons are difficult to ride unless they have a master, but you handle it well.

“Well, animals tend to like me.”

Aden shrugged his shoulders.

Thanks to the effects of his achievement, **Demonic Strategist**, all monsters weaker or similar in strength to Aden felt awe and fear toward him.

As a result, the griffon, which the tribespeople found difficult to manage, obediently followed him like a tame pony.

Aden rode the griffon toward the sanctuary closest to the Red Fox Tribe's village.

-We’re almost there, that mountain is the home of the White Snake.

They could see White Cloud Mountain, a tall dormant volcano with white clouds draped over its peak.

This dormant volcano was the sanctuary of **Jormungandr**, the ancient giant white snake, one of the Divine Beasts of the Great Forest.

The White Snake Divine Beast was a rare case, as it didn't have a specific tribe to care for it.

“A snake Divine Beast, huh? What kind of creature lives there?”

In response to Aden's question, Miao's face wrinkled deeply.

-Nya, it's a complete jerk!

“A jerk?”

-It constantly spouts nonsense about how reptiles are the most superior species in the world and how reptiles should rule while inferior mammals should kneel. It’s an annoying creature that gathers reptilian monsters regularly to preach its ideology.

“...”

Hmm.

What a dreadful and terrifying thought.

It seemed that the snake Divine Beast was no ordinary creature either.

The clear, sacred energy-filled mountain lake at the peak was the snake Divine Beast’s hideout.

However, as they got closer to the lake on White Cloud Mountain, Aden narrowed his eyes.

‘It’s already too late.’

The lake nestled in the peak of White Cloud Mountain.

A massive, whitish object lay across the lake.

The owner of White Cloud Mountain.

Jormungandr, the snake Divine Beast, was floating lifelessly in the lake.

‘It's enormous.’

Its body length easily exceeded several hundred meters, making the previous basilisk seem like a baby snake in comparison.

‘To think such a gigantic Divine Beast was defeated…’

The white scales of the snake Divine Beast were scattered like petals, and its blood polluted the lake's water.

Aden landed the griffon near the snake Divine Beast's head to get closer.

-Jormungandr!

As soon as they landed, the cat Divine Beast dashed toward the snake Divine Beast.

Miao looked at the lifeless snake eyes and shed tears like hen’s droppings.

-You damned snake! What am I supposed to do now that you've gone like this?

The red kitten wailed.

-You had a terrible personality, you were obnoxious, cold-blooded, and there wasn’t a single thing I liked about you, but what am I supposed to do now that you’ve gone in such a pitiful state! Sob, sob!

-Really, you’re so noisy. This is why I hate mammals.

-Nyang? That voice…?

Suddenly hearing a voice, the cat Divine Beast looked around.

Then it lowered its gaze.

Hiss hiss.

…A tiny, white snakelet, so small it was almost adorable, was flicking its tongue and looking up at Miao.

-Could it be… White Snake? Is it really you?

-It seems you’ve been caught too, cat. But don’t you dare look down on me, you inferior mammal.

-Talking like a jerk, as if someone boiled your manners into a soup… So it really is you!

A Divine Beast wasn't called such for nothing.

When enemies attacked, just as the cat Divine Beast had created a clone and fled, the snake Divine Beast had also created a small clone and hidden under a rock.

Aden approached the two Divine Beasts.

“Are you the snake Divine Beast?”

-Don’t look down on me, mammal!

The snake Divine Beast hissed, revealing its fangs in a nervous, threatening manner.

But a snake so small that Aden could crush it underfoot seemed insignificant no matter how it acted.

‘At least that's some relief.’

After seeing the enormous snake Divine Beast’s corpse, he had thought it was too late, but at least he had properly contacted the snake Divine Beast, even if it was just a weak clone.

He could gather information on what had happened here.

Aden smiled politely and spoke.

“I’m Aden Remes. I’d like to ask you…”

-I don’t want to hear it. I have nothing to say to a mammal. Get out of my sanctuary, filthy mammal. Someone without scales, let alone a Divine Beast, has no right to converse with me!

Hmm.

At that moment, Aden pondered how he could persuade this damned snake in a way that was environmentally friendly and full of human wisdom and intelligence.

Then he immediately put his plan into action.

“Lowe.”

“Yes.”

“Start a fire. We’ll boil that thing into snake soup and quickly move on to the next Divine Beast.”

“Understood.”

At Aden's words, Lowe nodded seriously and replied.

And as he took a step to prepare to light a fire, a voice was heard.

-But considering the current situation, even though you’re a mere mammal, I’ll grant you the honor of conversing with me, for the sake of that cat’s face. What do you wish to know?

Aden marveled inwardly.

It seemed this thousand-year-old snake Divine Beast wasn't to be underestimated after all.