NOVEL NEXT Chapter 398
A unicorn presented at the charity auction held at Orogite Theater.
A living tonic worth 40 thrones was acquired by the Duke’s Family, having voluntarily offered its own horn as well as the gender of its fifth offspring, achieving a status elevation as a guest of the Duke’s Family.
Naturally, a problem arose.
Namely, chains and cuffs binding the unicorn physically and magically.
There is no law in the world that restrains a guest.
Unless the guest has committed mischief against the host or is about to do so.
In fact, despite the restraints, oppression, the touch of non-virgins and men, and being treated like a slave, the unicorn had shown goodwill not once, but twice.
Then, Alfred had to respond to that goodwill.
“Catherine, let’s remove the bindings.”
“My lord. But if the unicorn escapes—”
“Giant. I can understand your concern, but the other party has shown goodwill by voluntarily handing over its horn.”
However, Alfred’s face, when he mentioned the unicorn, seemed to hide something he wanted to say but was holding back.
“Though it differs a lot from the unicorn I imagined…”
Everyone present agreed that there was no denying this.
“Oh, indeed, a guest who is a Duke is entirely different! I was feeling prickled, itchy, and as if I could die from the heavy chains and iron smell! Finally, I can get rid of this suffocating cuff and chain!”
…One can’t help but think that it is remarkably rude and noisy, should they reconsider.
But given Alfred’s resolve, the Giant turned his gaze toward the much lower-ranked Catherine.
A gesture for her to persuade him somehow.
“My lord’s wishes are such. There’s no helping it.”
Really, there was no way around it. The Giant, appearing displeased, sniffed as he received a dagger from the seed and approached the unicorn.
“Yikes! What a huge, smelly creature! And it’s all hairy too!”
“Shut it, you rude head. If it weren’t for the Duke’s declaration of guest, I would have skinned you alive for such insolence.”
“Skin me alive?! Hearing that makes me think of the desert’s cuisine! The kebab, where thin layers of meat and fat are stacked and skewered and roasted—”
Ignoring the incessant chatter from the rude mouth, the Giant showed his displeasure openly and poured aura into the dagger—
“Ah, wait a moment.”
The Giant suddenly turned his head.
“My lord, can I just chop this off? This magic tool looks extremely valuable for binding the unicorn.”
“I heard it is a magic tool that fully binds the target until it is severed. The seller said it was a dungeon artifact.”
“Does that mean—”
“It means there’s no other way but to destroy it. Catherine, even without you looking at it that way, I intended to leave the remaining items to you.”
Crash! Clang! Tinkle! Bang!
With the burst of azure aura, the cuff and chains snapped, and the runes carved on its surface flickered out.
“Oh my, I never thought I would feel this light in my life!”
“More importantly, do you have a name I can call you?”
“Onager. You can call me Onager.”
“…Donkey?”
Contrary to concern, the unicorn with a shockingly trivial name, worth 40 thrones, did not escape.
Rather, it plopped down as if ready to enjoy itself now that it was free.
—
Karem could do nothing but be flustered by William’s request, along with the interruptions.
“What? The unicorn called Onager wants to try the dessert made by the best cook in Winterhome? But isn’t that Sir Zigmeser?”
“Zigmeser is said to be the best cook in Iceland.”
William handed over a letter, which was precisely as described.
Onager had expressed a desire to taste the dessert made by Winterhome’s best chef, asking if he could borrow Karem’s skills.
If he lent his skills, he was to prepare something right away without a reply.
A peaceful snack time. For anyone savoring flavors in the lounge, it felt like a thunderclap.
Karem blinked and set down the silver cup he held.
“…You just dumped this on me, didn’t you?”
“Well, who knows. But what’s in that cup?”
Catherine answered the question.
“Tea that came from the east beyond the Kingdom of Adobice. Some was brought to the Duke’s house, so I was sampling a bit.”
At those words, William turned his gaze to the cup.
The clear light green liquid that reflected the floor like a mirror exuded a warm steam.
“Shall I give it a try?”
“If it’s okay, just a little?”
As if waiting for it, Mary placed the cup down momentarily.
Drip, drip—
A nutty and bitter aroma wafted up.
As soon as William tasted the slightly poured tea, his face scrunched up as if gathering to a point.
While nutty, it was far too weak in flavor than he expected.
Moreover, the aftertaste was so astringent that his hand reflexively reached for the sweets.
“Oof… I’m done. This isn’t to my taste. So, Atanitas, will you reject the offer?”
“Well…”
Catherine could reject it.
On the flip side, she had no reason to decline.
Alfred had already said he would cater to Onager’s needs while it stayed in Winterhome.
It was only reasonable. The unicorn had offered its horn and confirmed the gender of the baby in the womb.
Many had their illusions shattered by the unicorn.
While taking a large bite of the sweet, Karem glanced at Mary.
“But isn’t the best dessert artisan here you?”
“I’m just a house fairy, you’re the chef, Karem, aren’t you?”
“So you won’t help?”
“When did I ever say that?”
Unlike Mary, who enjoyed any task, Karem was not feeling motivated.
It was irritating enough that their break time was interrupted and now he had to prepare food for such a frivolous and annoying unicorn?
Nonetheless, Karem worked diligently to prepare.
He even used divine power as time might be tight.
Thus he headed to deliver freshly made cream puffs filled with custard, egg tarts, and Castella when unexpectedly, Catherine tagged along.
“What’s the occasion for you to be moving your heavy footsteps personally?”
“That unicorn, Onager, seems to be providing its byproducts as accommodation fees.”
Catherine, who had been walking leisurely, uncrossed her arms and twirled her fingers in the air.
“Even with the same dish, its taste varies based on the chef’s skill. It’s the same. The effectiveness of valuable byproducts also depends on the skill of the gatherer.”
A natural statement, though when heard like that, it felt reminiscent of a gaming proficiency system.
“For instance, mistletoe can only maintain its best efficacy when cut with pure gold tools.”
“Naturally, unicorn byproducts are the same, right?”
“The horn cut after it has been killed and the one given voluntarily. It’s evident which one’s quality is higher. The latter would undoubtedly be pricier.”
The idea that the quality of skin stripped while alive is shinier occurred to him abruptly. Especially if it affects practical efficacy rather than just appearance, it’s only natural to react sensitively.
“That ‘Onager’ was its name, right?”
“Yes. Onager, that’s correct.”
“What a haphazard name. Donkey.”
William, mumbling, tapped his forehead with his palm.
“Said it just fell from his head when requested? From what I heard from my father, it just dropped right off when asked.”
“It probably possesses unprecedented efficacy in history. But, Prince William—”
“Hmm?”
“Do you have business with the unicorn?”
Me? William, pointing at himself, shook his head vigorously.
“No, I’m just going to see the unicorn.”
“Have you never seen it before?”
“This is the first time I’m going to see it.”
“In that case, it’s worth looking forward to.”
“Really?”
“Indeed. It likely won’t be ordinary.”
William thought his exclamations were exaggerated.
“For real, it seems extraordinary.”
“…It’s much more extraordinary than I thought.”
Catherine, who had broached the topic, also hadn’t expected it to be this much.
A warehouse remodeled as a stable, with well-dried hay laid out.
Onager was treated like a master.
The maidens and servants carefully brushed its body while some were preoccupied with massages, and there was even someone applying oil and polishing its hooves.
Care that would rival that of world-class racing horses worth hundreds of millions after winning a major derby.
Given that Onager is a unicorn, all maids and servants were young maidens.
For them, a lounge was set up in one corner of the warehouse.
“Oh, yes. That’s perfect. Beautiful lady. Can I take some of the byproducts that came from managing you? Of course—ah, finally, the much-anticipated dessert has arrived!”
Clap! With a satisfying clap of its hooves after grooming, the maidens hurriedly gathered their belongings and moved to the lounge prepared at one end of the stable.
“Wow… it’s like a true master.”
“Ew. A virginless man is visiting. Can you not come closer right now?”
“The talk is rough.”
Though William was a man, one could not treat the Pelwinter siblings like any other man, considering Alfred would eventually be the father of two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary.
“But something feels off.”
“What suddenly? If you have something to say, please hurry up. I’m about to taste the dessert made by Winterhome’s best chef.”
“Why is it that, as a fellow man, you don’t say anything to Karem like you do to me?”
William said as he pointed at Karem.
“Thinking about it, that’s true. Catherine, isn’t it true that unicorns only allow children and young maidens near them?”
“That’s definitely the case. Completely different from what I know.”
“When a regular man approaches—”
“Instantly, they’d have their guts spilled or split in half.”
“Oh, it’s only natural that the treatment differs!”
Suddenly, Onager chimed in, lifting its backside off the floor and shaking its body.
“The esteemed Unicorn Council decided to extend the meaning of ‘virgin’ after fierce debates involving blood and violence.”
“What do they intend to do by extending that?”
As William’s disbelieving reaction resonated, Karem, Catherine, and Mary looked around in agreement with him, only for Onager to click its tongue and shake its head.
“While it is true our unicorn adores virgins, let’s examine this fundamentally. A virgin is also a being born from someone else’s womb.”
When a virgin is born, a non-virgin is also born.
It was the first time Onager spoke seriously.
Considering its head and swaying hooves, it hardly looked serious.
“If we were to entirely antagonize non-virgins and men by only worshiping virgins, how could any virgin ever come into the world!”
“…That’s surprisingly specific for a reason.”
“Just saying.”
Onager continued to chatter, undeterred by such reactions.
“Therefore, after numerous meetings, the Unicorn Council decided last year to finally establish exceptions for Honorable Virgins and their partners!”
“Is that for real?”
How long did it intend to keep blabbing?
When was dessert going to be eaten?
As those thoughts wandered through Mary’s mind, suddenly one idea sparked in her head from Onager’s words.
Alfred and Elizabeth.
Unlike William, Karem had received no words.
And Karem and Catherine were currently a couple.
“Only lovers who gaze at each other and maintain a marriage relationship?”
“Good sense, beautiful house fairy. Our unicorn expresses it in two words as ‘pure love.’ Thus, even if a virgin loses her virginity, if there is unwavering fidelity in their relationship, we shall treat her with the title of Honorable Virgin. The partners must, of course, be males who only gaze at their Honorable Virgin!”
As Onager finished its statement and a silence fell, it frowned slightly.
“Thanks to that, the backlash from conservatives among us grew, along with assassination attempts and dirty disputes with the Vaikon… Why is everyone so quiet? It’s a bit boring with this silence.”
“So, to summarize.”
Karem cleared his throat for a moment and repeated what had been said.
“The Duchess is in a marriage relationship that only looks at the Duke.”
“The Duchess is an Honorable Virgin, and the Duke is her partner.”
“Then what about Catherine and me—”
“Huh? From my perspective, both of you seem to be in the same case?”
The logic that any virgin one day becomes someone’s partner giving birth to yet another virgin.
“Ah, but if the partner lays hands upon her, she might split, so keep a distance and enjoy only with your eyes!”
It was an irrefutable unicorn logic.
“Now, if we’re done with questions, can we finally eat the dessert made by the best chef in Iceland? Sniff! Ah! The smell is heavenly!”
Onager exclaimed with a cry of joy.