Are Beast Nobles Supposed to Be This Lewd?

Chapter 155: Nobody Asked Her to Start a Religion

With an internal shake of her head, Mirabelle decided to focus on the system notifications instead of Pebbles.

To her surprise, the first one referred to her meeting with the Elders.

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

[The Wisdom of Those Before You

"Respect must be earned."

Achievement:

Earn the Recognition of the Female Elders of Luchsenstein.

Four voices of experience have judged your plans, questioned your intentions, and found you worthy of their support.

Recognition of the Female Elders:

ACHIEVED

Permanent Effect Unlocked:

Elders’ Recognition

The Female Elders of Luchsenstein now recognize the Host as a capable future ruler.

• Increased respect from recognized Elders.

• Host’s proposals will be taken seriously.

• Elders are more receptive toward future plans and reforms.

• Cooperation with the Council of Female Elders significantly increased.

Reward Granted:

+25,000 Legacy Points

Note:

Legacy is not built by silencing those who came before you. It is built by convincing them to walk beside you.]

’Wow.’

Mirabelle couldn’t help the pleased smile spreading across her face.

Those effects were far more valuable than she’d expected. If the Elders were genuinely more willing to listen to her ideas and support future reforms, it could make many of her plans for Luchsenstein significantly easier to implement.

And probably save her quite a few headaches along the way.

Feeling considerably more optimistic, she dismissed the notification and turned her attention to the next one.

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

[A Different Kind of Strength

"Why stop an opponent’s strength when you can let it carry them to the ground?"

Achievement:

Impress the General of Luchsenstein’s Army.

You introduced Luchsenstein’s military leadership to a combat principle previously absent from its formal training:

Using an opponent’s movement, balance, and momentum against them.

Military Interest:

VERY HIGH

Permanent Effect Unlocked:

General’s Recognition

The General of Luchsenstein now recognizes the Host as a valuable source of military insight.

• Increased respect from Luchsenstein’s military leadership.

• Future military proposals will receive greater consideration.

• Experimental combat doctrine inspired by the Host may now be developed and implemented.

Reward Granted:

+25,000 Legacy Points

System Observation:

Apparently, being stronger than everyone else for generations has certain disadvantages.

Who knew?]

As Mirabelle read through the notification, a small twinge of guilt crept in.

After all, none of this was actually her invention.

Judo was an old martial tradition from her previous world, developed and refined by countless people long before she’d ever stepped onto a training mat. She had absolutely no claim to the principles behind it.

Having the system now credit her for introducing them felt a little undeserved.

Mirabelle shifted somewhat sheepishly.

On the other hand...

She wasn’t exactly going to refuse the Legacy Points.

And if knowledge from her old world could help protect the people of Luchsenstein, she would happily take advantage of it.

So, with only a slightly guilty conscience, she accepted the reward and dismissed the window.

One notification remained.

Mirabelle turned her attention toward it.

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

[Start a Cult

"Every sacred tradition starts somewhere.

Apparently, yours started at a military demonstration."

Achievement:

Accidentally establish a new devotional gesture among the soldiers of Luchsenstein.

By kissing your thumb and raising your closed fist toward the heavens in honor of the Beast Goddess, you have introduced a previously unknown gesture of devotion.

Witnesses:

Several thousand soldiers.

Initial Adoption Rate:

...Concerningly High.

New Cultural Practice Detected:

[The Raised Oath]

Associated With:

• The Beast Goddess

• Luchsenstein

• Duchess Mirabelle

• Loyalty

• Shared Purpose

Passive Effect Unlocked:

Devotion of the Ranks

The soldiers of Luchsenstein increasingly associate the Host with divine guidance, unity, and the future prosperity of their homeland.

Current Effect:

• Significantly increased military loyalty.

• Increased morale in the Host’s presence.

• Increased willingness to follow the Host into dangerous situations.

• Soldiers are significantly less likely to question direct orders issued by the Host.

Warning:

Loyalty reinforced through collective belief may develop beyond its original intent.

Skill Classification:

EVOLVABLE

Current Stage:

I - First Believers

Evolution Requirements:

???

Reward Granted:

+50,000 Development Points

System Observation:

You were supposed to inherit a duchy.

Nobody asked you to start a religion...]

"What the fuck?"

Mirabelle stared at the hidden achievement in complete disbelief.

Start a Cult.

Her eyes moved over the words again. They remained there.bUnfortunately.

"Pebbles." She pointed accusingly at the floating status window. "Start? A? Cult?"

Pebbles floated around her until he was facing the notification from the same direction she was.

He read it.

Then looked at Mirabelle.

Then back at the notification.

Then at Mirabelle again.

"Yes?"

The tentacled thing sounded genuinely confused about why she was making such a big deal out of this.

Mirabelle slowly raised one eyebrow.

"What the fuck?"

Pebbles performed the closest approximation of a shrug his boneless anatomy allowed.

"I only deliver the notifications."

"Could I get in trouble with the Beast Goddess for this?"

Pebbles pressed his tiny lips together.

His tentacles folded beneath him as he appeared to think very, very hard.

Mirabelle waited..

And waited.

Finally, Pebbles looked at her.

"Probably not?"

"That sounded like a question."

"It was."

Mirabelle closed her eyes.

Wonderful.

"Pebbles."

"Yes?"

"I would really prefer not to accidentally offend the deity who can apparently interfere with my reproductive decisions."

"Understandable."

"Or get smited."

"Smote."

Mirabelle opened her eyes.

"What?"

"I believe the past tense is smote."

She stared at him.

Pebbles stared back.

"That is what you took away from that sentence?"

One tentacle made a small uncertain movement. Mirabelle pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Can you please find out whether the Beast Goddess has a problem with me starting a cult in her name?"

Pebbles’ expression became considerably more relaxed.

"Oh! That I can answer."

Mirabelle lowered her hand.

"You can?"

"Of course."

For once, Pebbles actually looked confident.

"The Beast Goddess likes attention."

Mirabelle waited.

Pebbles smiled.

That was apparently the entire answer.

"That’s it?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Well..." Pebbles tapped two tentacles together. "You aren’t actually claiming to be the Beast Goddess."

"No!"

"You’re not claiming greater divine authority than her."

"Obviously not."

"You haven’t demanded sacrifices."

Mirabelle paused.

"Why was that on the list?"

Pebbles ignored her.

"And the gesture explicitly honors her while simultaneously strengthening loyalty toward you and Luchsenstein."

He gestured toward the system window.

"So from the system’s perspective, everything is functioning perfectly."

Mirabelle stared at him.

"The system literally called it a cult."

"Yes."

"That doesn’t sound like everything is functioning perfectly."

"That’s a cultural classification, not a quality assessment."

Mirabelle’s mouth opened.

Closed.

Opened again.

"..."

She had absolutely nothing to say to that.

Pebbles brightened.

"And you received fifty thousand Development Points!"

Mirabelle looked at the reward.

Then at Pebbles.

Then back at the reward.

Her moral outrage became approximately fifty thousand Development Points quieter.

"...Fine."

Pebbles beamed.

"But if I wake up tomorrow and there are soldiers outside my window chanting my name, I’m blaming you."

"Technically, you started the cult."

"Pebbles."

Pebbles’ eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh! I think I left the bathwater running."

The little octopus disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Mirabelle stared at the empty space.

Did Pebbles even have a bathtub?

Or a household, for that matter.

Mirabelle was slowly beginning to wonder whether Pebbles actually had an apartment somewhere in his invisible little system world.

A kitchen?

A bedroom?

A bathroom?

And, apparently, a bathtub he could leave running?

Or whether all of his increasingly creative domestic emergencies were simply excuses to escape whenever a conversation became inconvenient.

For all she knew, he disappeared into some mysterious corner of the system realm to worship the Great System or whatever other cosmic bureaucracy governed his existence.

Mirabelle stared at the empty spot where he’d vanished for another moment. Then she shook her head.

Once again, she decided there were more important things to worry about than Pebbles’ hypothetical living arrangements.

Especially because something increasingly restless was bleeding through her mate bonds.

Kaelith.

Lucien.

Their emotions had been muted earlier, distant and distorted as though reaching her through deep water. Now they were becoming clearer with every passing moment.

Concern.

Impatience.

A growing edge of agitation that made the fine hairs on Mirabelle’s arms rise despite the humid warmth of the forest.

’Right.’

She had probably been gone considerably longer from their perspective than she’d realized.

Mirabelle oriented herself toward the familiar pull of their bonds and took another few steps.

The forest shifted around her. Cool shadows gave way to scattered sunlight, and the damp earth beneath her bare feet became warmer.

One more step —

And suddenly two very familiar Beastmen stood directly in front of her.

Mirabelle stopped short.

Kaelith and Lucien stared at her.

She stared back.

The sudden force of their relief hit her through both mate bonds at once. Both males moved at the same time.

Kaelith pulled her against his chest while Lucien wrapped himself around her from behind, enclosing all three of them in one tight embrace.

Mirabelle felt them breathe deeply, taking in her scent, and instinctively did the same.

Their familiar scents filled her lungs. The last tension left her body almost immediately.

For a moment, everything felt exactly as it should.