This chapter is brought to you by Inkpot Gods by The Amazing Devil.

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"There was silence in the air as wretched Toby fell to Mercury's blade. The crowd murmured at the pitiful figure the man made, sprawled on the ground as blood pooled around him.

Toby gasped for air, his trembling fingers moving to the gaping hole in his chest. Mercury glared at him with loathing in his gaze.

Behind him, Belwyn and Rowan both watched coldly as the villain slowly died.

Those sleepless nights caused by this man, who threatened his own cousin's safety and well-being, were finally over.

Rowan saw golden blond hair from an alleyway. He noticed the glimmer of emerald green eyes and a flash of red.

Jovette had been watching.

Sadness was etched into her features as she watched with sorrow.

This was the end for that cruel and stupid man.

No one will truly mourn him. He was weak and incapable and had no standing in Vesna besides being Lord Calypto's nephew. His followers only cared for his ties and nothing else.

The last kindness House Calypto offered him was to be buried in their Mauselium.

There was no demand for reparation from House Stella."

1E5L1AO3-ZW6 finished reading the last chapter of his sister's latest letter with a dramatic flourish.

"Well, that was depressing," one of their roommates commented.

Another scoffed. "He's been harassing Jovette since the start of the story. I'm amazed he managed to live this long."

"Still, I imagined there were reasons for his... stupidity."

"He's stupid, incapable, and has bad decision-making skills. He got what was coming for him."

"... I guess you're right. Nine, what did you think about the chapter?"

9A1420H5-ZT4 raised his head from the puzzle toy he was fiddling with and blinked.

"Hm?"

"Oh, for the love of--the story, Nine. What did you think of Toby's death?"

9A1420H5-ZT4 tilted his head in thought. "Foolish. But sad."

"You think he's sad?"

"Mm. He was not meant for Vesna. He should have left instead of staying. There was nothing worse than a slow death."

Everyone in the room murmured in agreement.

They were all fighters and were bred for war. To be stuck behind the walls and incapable of doing anything was a death sentence. Let the ones in Administration handle the papers. They were meant for the battlefield.

---

Nine lept through the trees, blood on his daggers and a smirk on his lips.

Behind him, a large beast barreled through the trees with a bloody gash on its flank.

Quin giggled madly as he jumped through the air gracefully. Blood dripped down his fingers as he glanced back at the enraged creature.

"It's gaining," he warned.

"Then stop playing around," Juno called back.

They made it to the treeline and jumped. The three of them landed on the ground and then ran for the shore where the rest of their group awaited.

Behind them, the beast emerged from the trees and gave a furious roar.

Nine signaled for Quin and Juno to draw back.

The beast was huge, nine meters tall, and just as long. Sharp tusks poked out from its bottom lip, and it eyed them angrily.

"Duri, Tess, get ready," Nine instructed.

The beast charged forward.

Duri and Tess flew into action. Twin chains extended from their sleeves, flying toward the beast in unison.

The chains wrapped themselves around the beast's legs, trapping it in place.

Otto, Sept, and Treis were ready once the beast was trapped.

"Ready?" Otto asked.

Trei nodded and Sept gave a thumbs up.

Otto brought his crossbow up and aimed.

Trei and Sept raised their daggers in front of them.

The arrow was shot and pierced into the beast's neck.

It gave an angry roar.

At the same time, Trei and Sept descended on the beast's head.

The chains tightened as the beast began to struggle.

To the left and right of it, some distance away, Duri and Tess were hyperfocused as they held onto their respective chains.

Trei had a fire stone embedded into its hilt, courtesy of Lief's work, and activated the stone. The blade started to glow a violent shade of red and orange.

The beast was not smart enough to recognize the danger as it tossed its head in defiance, aiming its tusks at the fleshy humans, intending to impale them.

Trei dodged swiftly and stabbed his hot metal blade into its ear.

On the other side, Sept did the same with a similar dagger embedded with an ice stone.

A pained howl echoed from the beast as it struggled and resisted.

Both Duri and Tess were momentarily dragged forward before they held their positions with even greater effort.

"Hurry up!" Tess yelled.

"Damn, this thing is stubborn," Quin muttered.

Juno nodded in agreement.

The two of them sheathed their daggers and took out their short swords. In case the beast tried to escape, they would be ready for it.

Otto fired another arrow into the beast's chest. It embedded deeply into the creature.

Nine frowned.

Duri and Tess couldn't hold the chains forever, but the beast was slowing down.

"Are you going to finish it?" Otto asked.

Nine nodded.

He ran forward and came right at the beast.

Sept and Trei smirked as they passed him, and saw he had his daggers raised.

The eerie sound of blades sinking into bone echoed.

Nine struck the creature right on the skullcap when it swung its head once more, trying to remove the daggers from his ear canals. All its momentum was put to a quick end, and the dead beast flipped over and crashed into the ground with its legs in the air.

"Alright, that was fun," Quin quipped, clapping hands to dust off the bloody flakes and debris.

"Get your weapons. Where's Lief?" Nine asked.

A figure near the shore of the lake came forward.

"Right here. I didn't want to get in the way in case it managed to free itself."

Nine nodded. "Good. Will this be enough?" He indicated to the fallen beast.

Lief examined the creature for a moment with narrowed eyes, and then a large smile appeared on his face.

"Absolutely. Jovette will love it! And the meat can be served for the feast."

The nine siblings crowded around the dead creature.

"One, two, three--"

They picked it up and hauled it onto the boat.

---

It was nearing the Calypto Heir's eighteenth birthday, and many people noticed Tobus Arcadia and his followers leave Vesna's walls in the early mornings one day, two weeks before the awaited party.

By evening, they saw him re-enter with a nine-foot Beast King carcass and reeking of blood.

Tobus and his siblings smuggled the Beast King into the Calypto Estate through the backdoor while Ophelia and Puck distracted Jovette.

They first passed through the kitchen, where the beast was carefully skinned and all the parts that could be used outside of food were skillfully taken apart and gently placed into Lief's metal chest.

Once the edible parts were stored away, Duri and Tess took the pelt to the Saintly Sisters.

"Rasa's waiting with the necessary tools," Duri explained.

"We'll have it dried and ready for the stitching later. Vetty likes moths, doesn't she?" Tess asked with a knowing smirk.

The pelt was going to be the most envious tool in all of Vesna.

The beast's bones were handed off to the Calypto craftsmen, who would then grind them down and give them to Lief once he finished his work on the tusks.

"Get the machines running!"

"But sir--"

"There's no time to sleep! Someone go light the forge! We only have two weeks left!"

Trei and Sept joined him in his workshop to help with the metalwork and refinement of the ingredients.

Otto led Quin and Juno to the magic stone mines underneath the Tower. They had already gotten exclusive permission from Lord Eartha and were given two hours to search for what they wanted.

"They're all starting to look the same..." Quin whined.

Juno threw a rock at him. "Keep your eyes open."

Otto didn't say anything as he looked through another pile for the right stone.

Tobus set off toward the main wing of the Calypto Manor and stood in front of his Lady Aunt's office.

The room opened and he saw several moths flying around his Lady Aunt.

A purple powder-like substance fell off their wings as they flew.

The room smelled like the incense used throughout the Calypto Manor. It was the scent infused in their soaps and perfumes and single-use weapons.

This was the place where the source of the mysterious Calypto Grade Poison was made.

The most deadliest toxin in all of Vesna was bred by this woman, his Lady Aunt, who was once called the Butterfly.

"What is it, Tobus?"

"Jovette's birthday present."

She cocked her head, and one of her deadly moth's landed on her cheek.

"I see. Come inside. I'll see what I can do."

Few could enter Butterfly's laboratory, though even fewer would ever walk out alive.

Tobus stepped inside and closed the door.

---

"Everything ready?"

It was the day of the birthday party.

There were three presents in the Sun Room laid out in front of them.

Ophelia arrived.

"The party is about to begin."

Nine looked at the cats and his kittens.

They weren't children, anymore.

The cats were getting older. Hungry, Cow, and Dog, especially.

But all of them were dressed in red. Red collars, red coats, embroidered or lined by threads of gold.

It was all the same, but all very different.

Nine smiled.

"Let's go."

They gathered the presents and went out.

---

The banquet hall was lavishly decorated as per usual of all Calypto celebrations, but it was even more extravagant than previous parties.

Valerius had spared no expenses for Jovette's coming-of-age.

He and his wife made their way down the stairs as music started to play.

They were greeted by a crowd of well-wishers.

Atilos and his wife were among them.

He made brief eye contact with the other man before sneering and turning away.

His heir and nephew were not given invitations to the ball.

He deeply disapproved of Atilo's heir seducing his daughter, and Belwyn's mooning wasn't exactly... discreet in regards to Tobus.

Valerius had chosen to stay silent regarding his nephew's... suitor--but it didn't mean he didn't equally disapprove of the young man.

At first, it was something he could rub into Atilo's face, but then Tobus started to actually respond to those advances in a way that was very Tobus-like--and Valerius panicked because he knew his nephew enough to be aware of his tells.

"Lord Tobus Arcadia," the master of ceremony called out.

The numerous cats appeared at the stairs, and then Tobus' children descended right after. The applause came when Tobus appeared.

The elders, who decided to be present for the coming-of-age ritual, all eyed his nephew with approval.

Valerius clicked his tongue as he observed their whispering.

His nephew is not marrying his daughter.

The music swelled and the star of the show arrived.

His darling daughter smiled charmingly as she slowly made her way down.

Her dress was bloody red and dusted with gold--made with the most expensive brocade in the entire Empire--with detailed embroidery of moths on the outer skirt.

Ophelia had outdone herself with Jovette's accessories and hair. Her golden locks were styled with half of it pinned by decorative moth pins.

"Father, Mother," Jovette greeted with a small curtsy.

Her lips were curled in amusement. She was aware of all the gazes on her and was at ease by the attention.

Valerius sighed quietly to himself and offered a hand.

She gracefully took it, the movement no doubt mesmerizing the audience.

Valerius wanted to turn to Atilos and brag about how good and capable his daughter was compared to his unworthy son.

But he didn't because he was too focused on this young lady in front of him, who he had remembered being the most tiniest, most fragile thing he'd ever held in his arms eighteen years ago.

Oh, how she's grown...

Valerius felt his eyes turn glassy.

The music started its transition to the first ritual of the night, and he proudly led his daughter to the dance floor.

The father and daughter dance commenced.

---

The author has something to say:

You know that red outfit Roxanne Agriche wears in Chapters 25-26 of The Way To Protect The Female Lead's Older Brother? That's the inspiration for Jovette's dress. And the inspiration for Lady Calypto's moths, except the moths don't drink blood. They're just poisonous.

Also, to y'all who were confused about Rowan's lack of immunity to poison when it comes to that incense, he's immune to a lot of different poisons, but not Calypto-grade poisons. How do you think he killed himself in Poison Lace Dagger?

The foreshadow regarding the poison was hinted at in Chapter 13: O Happy Dagger in regards to the training ground of the Calypto Estate utilizing the poison to build up the Calypto mercenaries' immunity ^^.