Prologue
In the grandest realm on the continent, the Aliope Empire, there existed a revered entity known as a Divine Beast.
A Divine Beast, a sacred creature bestowed by the gods, was held in high esteem by the empire’s people. The four great ducal houses, each blessed with a Divine Beast, were regarded with awe and admiration.
However, an extraordinary event disrupted this harmony approximately 500 years after the empire’s founding.
For reasons unknown, the Munlepe ducal family, one of the four great houses, provoked the wrath of their Divine Beast. Consequently, the sacred creature abandoned the Munlepe household and vanished forever.
As a result, the Duke of Munlepe was held accountable, imprisoned in a tower, and his young son was forced to assume the title of Duke. The prestige of the Munlepe family, now bereft of its Divine Beast, began to crumble day by day.
Not only were they no longer considered equals to the other three ducal houses, but murmurs grew louder, demanding the demotion of their rank.
Perhaps out of pity for the young duke’s plight, the imperial family proposed a solution: summon an ancient creature to replace the lost Divine Beast.
***
In a secretive room within the castle, the vassals exchanged anxious whispers as they observed the young Duke Edinbert standing before a glowing magical circle.
“The imperial family has granted permission, but… is this truly wise?” one vassal murmured.
“What if it goes wrong? The ritual has already begun,” another replied.
“But what if something bizarre emerges—”
Bang!
The imperial wizard, who had inscribed the magical circle, struck the floor with his staff, signaling that the ritual was ready. The room fell silent, and the wizard spoke in a stern, measured tone.
“I shall commence the summoning, Duke.”
“Proceed,” Edinbert replied, his voice steady despite the tension.
The magical circle before him began to shimmer, activated by the wizard’s incantation. Edinbert’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, his expression taut with anticipation.
Memories of the hardships caused by the Divine Beast’s absence flooded his mind.
“The family is in ruins. Can a ducal house without a Divine Beast even be called a ducal house?”
“No, we should now speak of three ducal houses, not four!”
The Divine Beast was more than a guardian—it was the cornerstone of the empire and proof of divine favor bestowed upon the ducal families. Yet, in a single night, that sacred power had vanished.
The people who once revered the Munlepe family turned their backs, as if their former admiration had never existed. The imperial family branded the former Duke Munlepe as the greatest traitor in history, while the temple declared him a recipient of divine retribution.
Consequently, the current Duke Edinbert’s status had fallen below that of ordinary nobles.
Edinbert fought tirelessly to reverse this perception, but the absence of the Divine Beast posed an insurmountable obstacle. His family was collapsing, his retainers disregarded his authority, and even his uncle overstepped his position, undermining the young duke’s leadership.
The weight of these burdens was crushing, especially for a boy not yet ten years old. Edinbert was reaching his breaking point.
Then, the imperial family offered a glimmer of hope: summon an ancient creature to take the place of the lost Divine Beast. However, the risk was immense—if the summoning produced a monstrous entity they could not control, the Munlepe family would become a laughingstock.
Edinbert had no other options. He accepted the proposal.
Gripping his sword tightly, he fixed his gaze on the magical circle.
“No matter what creature emerges from this circle, I will subdue it and make it our new Divine Beast,” he vowed silently. “Through it, I will restore our family’s honor!”
Bang!
The wizard completed the lengthy incantation in an instant and struck his staff against the floor once more. The magical circle glowed ominously, and a burst of black smoke erupted, clouding the room.
“Prepare yourselves!” Edinbert commanded the knights standing ready for battle, his teeth gritted with resolve.
Come, ancient creature.
Whatever you are, I will make you submit.
Be it the Death Knight, said to have razed an ancient kingdom in a mere week, or the Grim Reaper, wielding a massive scythe to sever heads, or even the Basilisk, capable of annihilating everything with a single sweep of its tail!
As the black smoke dissipated, the summoned creature appeared, falling from the air.
“Beep!”
It was a tiny, unremarkable baby dragon, an eggshell still clinging to its head.
