LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 417
The Duke of Iceland’s court sees various guests coming and going even in winter.
Incidents can happen anytime, anywhere, whether it’s the season of rest or labor.
Even when nature and civilization find a moment of respite, the world keeps spinning.
Still, winter should be relatively quiet in Winterhome, but this winter was different.
The reason was a most unusual and special guest.
A unicorn. A living unicorn, to be exact.
Typically, unicorns enter noble families in two ways.
Either a lady from the family tames one.
Or they hunt and bring in the byproduct.
However, this unicorn was different.
It came in alive.
“Ahem, Lord Onager. Is it true that you predicted the gender of the child in the Duchess’s womb?”
“Oh, beautiful lady. Isn’t it a given that the stars shine in the night sky? Of course, the fifth will be a lovely daughter.”
It even predicted the gender of the still-unborn fifth child of the Felwinter Family.
No one doubted it.
After all, the unicorn’s virginity prediction was a well-known fact even among passing children.
Who would dare question that such a unicorn would boldly claim the child in the womb was a girl?
If anyone were to be shocked that the unicorn recognized a not-yet-born child as a girl, they could hardly be blamed.
The unicorn quickly became a star in Coldon’s social scene, spreading its fame throughout Coldon.
Thanks to that, Winterhome, which had hoped for a little calm, was bustling with those wanting to know the gender of the child in the womb and guests hoping to share in the luck.
Of course, there were other folk remedies for predicting the gender of unborn babies that were well-known in Europa.
From the popular remedy of sprinkling a pregnant woman’s urine on barley and wheat, known since ancient times, to praying at the Temple of Many Gods or using magic tools, and so on.
But to be blunt, those remedies were common.
Not romantic at all.
Unicorns were among the most widely known spirit beings alongside phoenixes, so many couples wished for a special experience.
Of course, in the past, it would be an appropriate thing to ponder whether to head to Nastrond or Hades at the entrance of the underworld.
“By the way, as much as it feels inappropriate to say this now, don’t unicorns have that strange habit of killing all but virgin mares?”
“It’s a bit late for that news, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“I hear there are exceptions for honorable virgins and mates.”
“What?”
Indeed.
It seems that an exception had been made.
Naturally, those hearing it for the first time would express disbelief, but upon examining it closely, even the slowest among them couldn’t help but acknowledge it as plausible logic.
After all, if the unicorn said so, what could be done?
However, that also brought about problems.
“Lord Onager! Finally, we meet—”
“Cough! Could you kindly refrain from bringing your filthy and unclean steps this way!? Ugh, how dirty! To think I have a pure wife, yet there’s infidelity!”
“Oh my, what’s this, one, two, three, four!? And even the unborn child isn’t the husband’s!? Execution! Execution! Execution! Execution!”
“Um… can we speak privately for a moment? Well, yes… I know you two share a perfectly pure relationship, and I truly pity the husband, but… it seems you two are… kin?”
The sordid past kept hidden from each other.
The scandalous hobbies indulged in privately.
The truths concealed by the parents of those involved.
All of it was swiftly laid bare before the unicorn.
Mostly to disrupt the peace of the household, morals, and cuisine.
Of course, even if the unicorn showed shock and considered seriously eliminating the unwholesome element, it wasn’t the case that blood would be spilled each time through the mundane efforts of dedicated maids and servants.
Such occurrences were fewer compared to other meetings.
They were resolved with surprising speed relative to the shocking degree involved.
And thankfully, unlike yesterday, today was peaceful.
After finishing the last agenda item, Onager, feeling weary, let out a sigh.
“Ah, my goodness. A princess with a guaranteed future.”
As Alicia jumped out from a pile of straw in the corner, shaking herself off, Onager shook his head.
“Nonetheless, the only thing I can say is no! Absolutely not! No way!”
“Hmm… really, is that so?”
“Well, of course it’s a no! I’ve said it time and time again, if you’re curious, just eat the whale meat or something!”
“I already tried eating it before.”
“Then why?”
But curiosity was unavoidable!
“Hrumph, hrumph.”
“My goodness, those threateningly intense, lewd eyes!”
“But… the fur is so oily and shiny…”
“…”
“Really, can’t it be done?”
“Oh, of course not.”
Onager chuckled and then became serious.
“Of course it’s not allowed.”
“Well, in that case, there’s nothing to be done. Alicia will come again tomorrow.”
“No matter how many times you ask—huh?”
As Onager grumbled, he suddenly raised one eyebrow and tilted his head, staring intently at a certain spot, as if looking through the wall to somewhere beyond.
Alicia, curious about his abrupt behavior, turned to look in the same direction but felt nothing.
“Ugh, I was hoping to rest safely here this winter, and yet, such uninvited guests!”
“Onager?”
“Princess Alicia. I hate to ask, but could you deliver a message to His Grace the Duke?”
“Of course. But what is it?”
“I think I must leave suddenly.”
That statement truly came out of the blue. There were plenty of people who had come to see a perfectly healthy unicorn, and there were promises booked for several weeks ahead that would now be dismissed.
Above all, a guest leaving suddenly meant Alfred came by even before the schedule was over.
“You’re trying to leave already when the period you mentioned hasn’t even ended?”
“Your Grace the Duke, I’m sorry, but something urgent has arisen, and I have no choice.”
“I thought you would wait until spring when your horn was almost fully grown.”
That was indeed true.
With the horn growing fast, there was no reason to stay in Winterhome anymore, but Onager had still planned to rest here until spring.
With beautiful maidens attending to him.
Delicious meals served for every meal.
And he could see so many maidens at once.
Without needing to be coy about it either.
Though he did have a few terrible experiences here and there.
Alfred was also willing to grant Onager’s bold wish so readily.
While mediating the promise with Onager, he was also gaining a few tangible and intangible benefits, but most importantly, he had provided a prediction on the gender of his precious fifth child with his pregnant wife, so that much boldness could be forgiven.
But whether something truly urgent had come up for Onager or he simply remembered something, he declined Alfred’s offer to stay until spring.
“Is it that you’re feeling regret while saying it?”
“Of course!”
What kind of unicorn would refuse such lavish treatment?
The treatment Onager had received was so attractive that even the most conservative unicorns, who sought to uphold tradition, would waver.
Onager’s sudden appearance at the gates of Winterhome attracted everyone’s attention.
The rumored unicorn truly appeared.
For a moment, the crowd gathered, briefly hindering movement, but Alfred attached soldiers to keep order.
From the inner castle to the outer castle, any attempts to obtain a strand of the unicorn’s mane or fur were quickly blocked.
Of course, Onager didn’t deny all those hands.
He wouldn’t mind sharing with the maidens.
Because of that, the meaning of Alfred assigning soldiers essentially vanished, and Onager was only able to leave Coldon’s outer castle as the sun began to set.
Rustle—rustle—rustle—
“Ugh, no. I’m really, really, really sorry to leave now.”
Onager looked back.
Despite the snow pouring heavily enough to obscure the view just in front of him, he could still feel the vibrancy of Coldon from afar.
Above all, the treatment he received there.
The grooming, hoof care, and massages from court maidens were truly…
Of course, half of it was amusing antics while the other half was the sensation of managing a pet, but that was a reward for a unicorn.
His hooves simply wouldn’t come off the ground.
But he had to go.
Onager’s spirit seemed as heavy as a stone pillar smashed into the ground by the god of war.
As he distanced himself from the city, a fierce blizzard came rushing in, as if to signify the wild world ahead. Visibility was nearly nonexistent, but Onager forged ahead as if he were looking at an invisible map.
And the pressure began to build.
The anger contained within it.
In the center of the storm suddenly stood Onager, sprinting against the gale, where he was met with guests waiting, their manes fluttering in the wind.
“I have revealed your sins, Onager!”
“Sins? I don’t even understand what you’re talking about.”
The murderous intent of five unicorns was sharp and glowing, clearly visible even beyond the raging blizzard.
Onager paid them no mind.
“The only ‘sin’ I’ve committed recently is allowing lovely noble maidens to stroke me, brush me, care for my hooves, and nap beside me? How could those be sins?”
“…Wait, that’s a bit enviable. I smell perfume too.”
“Shut up! This is a serious situation!”
“…Could the maiden fragrance felt in the wind be that?”
The unicorns wavered momentarily at the extravagant treatment Onager had received.
Wait, how could he be treated so grandly?
“Silence! You filthy bastard! You would drag down the traditional values of virgins with your tongue! Do you want to be kicked out!? The fact that you were with a maiden makes you guilty!”
The only unicorn who had remained unaffected shouted, and the others cleared their throats, once again sending furious glares.
“Obgalo. My eyes just twitched a little.”
“Shut up!”
Obgalo’s furious roar echoed across the blizzard.
“Since ancient mythological times, the tradition that has persisted since the birth of unicorns holds that only those who are pure and have never known a man are considered virgins! And you dare speak of honorable virgins? How audacious!”
“You’re ignorant! If there are no married women, then no maidens can be born. How long will you cling to such antiquated traditions? Have you forgotten the nightmares of the demon lord’s invasion?”
“Silence! The tradition is beautiful and valuable precisely because it is painful!”
With that, Obgalo’s horn lit up, and the horns of the other unicorns shone, unleashing flames, lightning, and bolts of pure light like a torrential downpour.
But none of the spells managed to touch Onager.
“I merely proposed an agenda to the unicorn council, as old as the tradition itself! You are the ones who violate tradition, you shameless beast! Do you lack the courage to duel one-on-one like a donkey?!”
“Shut up!”
In one section of the snow-covered terrain, the ground began to melt away, yet the magical attacks continued without ceasing.
However, Onager danced as if mocking them, evading every assault.
“I shall sweep away you and those scoundrels who proposed that vile agenda!”
“Oh, that hits hard. But what about all those fellow kin—Whoa!?”
Onager pretended to be wounded, placing his hoof on his chest, grimacing, then leaping into a backflip, dodging the razor winds.
“And those kinsmen extending their preferences to not only courtesans but married women giving birth to daughters? They must be aware of that, right?”
“Courtesans or married women, what difference does it make? They’re all filthy beings who’ve spread their legs for the same dirty men!”
“Wow, I really want to pass that message on to the Baikon! Agh! Danger!”
Onager reared up on his hind legs and elegantly evaded as if people were dancing around.
A ridiculous sight that was supremely disgusting to the unicorns.
Even the leader of the group, Obgalo, couldn’t help but squint.
“Now’s my chance!”
That was enough.
Unraveling the mist in Onager’s eyes, he slammed his horn into the ground.
Kang—The clear sound echoed immediately.
“This is my hidden vision!”
Puhwah-!
A dense fog exploded outward as if it were invisible particles. Thanks to the fierce wind akin to a blizzard, it quickly cleared away.
“What? Where did he go?”
One of Obgalo’s subordinates asked in confusion.
All that remained in the spot where Onager once stood was the mark left from his horn striking the earth.
There was no target to be found anywhere—
“I’m fleeing!!”
“…”
If the sky had cleared, you might have seen Onager’s backside racing toward the horizon, with an audacious mockery echoing along with it.
“Chase him down! I swear I’ll kill him and tear him to pieces and dump him in the sewage of the castle!!!”
As Obgalo jumped out, his subordinate unicorns quickly followed after him, galloping across the snowy fields.