It was King Taras who brought order to the chaotic banquet hall.

After making eye contact with Dana, Taras quickly composed his expression and called out to the banquet guests.

“To think such wonderful things would happen simultaneously! It seems Yurhemia took pity on the princess who couldn’t contract with a Divine Beast, and while blessing the prince’s birth, also bestowed a Divine Beast upon the princess’s husband! Isn’t that right, Priest Gailos!”

When Taras called out, Priest Gailos suddenly came to his senses and nodded.

“Yes, that seems to be the case! Truly congratulations!”

“Everyone, let us celebrate! Congratulations, Dana! Congratulations, Lord Khalid!”

Taras raised his hands high and clapped. The nobles, with dumbfounded faces, began to follow Taras’s lead and clap. Clap, clap, clap-clap, clap-clap-clap-clap.

The bewildered Dana and expressionless Kaiden were at the center of the applause. Dana turned her gaze again to look at Queen Bridget. The queen, holding the prince in her arms, was staring at nothing with an icy cold face. Still holding her son, who was supposed to be today’s main character but no longer was, in both arms.

‘Ah…’

This was the worst possible situation that no one had expected.

Dana tried her best to hide her agitation as she pulled her lips up into a smile. Then she turned her head to look at Kaiden. He was just looking at Dana with an unreadable expression.

* * *

After the prince’s birth banquet ended in chaos, the Duke and Duchess of Khalid were unable to return to Khalid as originally planned. They couldn’t depart from the royal palace because King Taras opposed their return to Khalid and ordered them to remain at the palace.

The reason was, of course, because Kaiden had contracted with a Divine Beast. Taras prevented the Duke and Duchess of Khalid from returning north, saying they should wait a while as he wanted to investigate through the priests and temple how Kaiden’s contract came to be.

Dana exchanged farewells with Hilda, who was returning to the north first with Bitern. The Count and Countess Vicar also had plans to return to Vicar territory immediately the day after the banquet to prepare for monster attacks. After saying goodbye to the worried Hilda with a smile, Dana returned to where she was staying.

Kaiden was sitting in the reception room waiting for her. Dana slowly walked toward Kaiden, who jumped to his feet when he saw her.

‘What in the world is going on…’

To think he would contract with a Divine Beast. And Bazesus at that. Bazesus was a Divine Beast that no Rowen royal had been able to contract with since the founding king. To be honest, this situation…

‘Looks too dangerous.’

King Taras had barely managed to contract with a lower-ranked Divine Beast. His sister Dana couldn’t contract with a Divine Beast at all. Yet this exceptionally skilled knight had contracted with the founding king’s Divine Beast.

The dignity and identity of the royal family that ruled the Rowen Kingdom, and the blessing that had sustained the kingdom, had all been directed at this knight of common birth.

‘So what happens now?’

One of the titles held by the Rowen king was Commander of the Divine Beast Corps. The Divine Beast Corps was made up of Divine Beasts under the command of the king’s contracted Divine Beast, and the king was their leader. Throughout the kingdom’s history, the Rowen royals had contracted with Divine Beasts and ascended to the throne.

However, King Taras’s Divine Beast was far lower ranked than Bazesus, which Kaiden had contracted with. Since Bazesus was a top-tier Divine Beast, Kaiden would now be able to command many Divine Beasts under it. But among those Divine Beasts would be countless ones that would not follow Taras’s orders.

A Commander and King who couldn’t command the Divine Beasts of the Divine Beast Corps. Meanwhile, a Duke who could command those Divine Beasts. Dana knew how deeply loyal Kaiden was to Rowen, but to Taras who didn’t know this, it must undoubtedly feel like a very uncomfortable and dangerous situation.