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EP.185

The king blamed the queen.

The queen blamed the king.

They insulted each other’s blood, condemned each other’s faults, and drove verbal thorns deep into one another.

In the midst of this, the boy with the cow’s horns simply felt that everything was his fault.

He thought he should never have been born.

He questioned why he was born and why he had these horns, asking the Goddess of Dragons again and again.

But the Goddess of Dragons only told the young boy that every life has a meaning behind its birth.

So the boy simply lived on, like he was dead, until he could one day discover the meaning of his own birth.

That was until the king, considering him a thorn in his side, finally threw the boy into the maze he created in the palace’s basement.

—

Upon hearing rumors about the monster, I found myself in a city-state located on an island, a bit away from the mainland.

The city-state called Minoa was once home to small villages about 300 years ago, but now it had developed into a wealthy city-state thanks to the fertile plains in the southern part of the island and abundant marine resources.

Being on an island, it seemed to be relatively safe from invasions from other places, and I wondered if that contributed to the nation’s gradual strengthening. The development in construction was particularly remarkable.

Thanks to advancements in technology for cutting rocks into proper building materials, the buildings in this city-state were relatively huge compared to those elsewhere.

It must be that because the foundations are sturdy, they can erect large structures? While other places use wood for pillars, here they use stone instead.

Maybe that’s why.

“What a magnificent palace.”

In the center of the city stood a palace the size of which could rival the temples in the Divine Hall.

Even one side of its square area stretched over 160 meters. I never thought humans could construct something like this.

It seemed humanity’s progress was faster than I imagined.

Humans are great!!

Though aside from that greatness, I did find one slightly troubling aspect since coming to this city.

“Ah! Are you a guest from outside? With those cow’s horns, you must be a beastman. Welcome to Minoa!”

A friendly-looking woman smiled at me, and I averted my gaze with a troubled expression.

And it made sense why; the people of this city… their clothing was rather scandalous!

Perhaps it’s due to the generally warm climate, but their clothes were thin and the fabric area minimal… minimal…

Should I say it was minimal? Or that they hardly had any fabric at all?!

The men were dressed in shorts and the women walked around almost fully exposed!

How indecent! This is outrageous!

After shaking my head at their appearance, I headed elsewhere.

First, I should search for that rumored monster. I can’t stay in such a scandalous place for too long!

For now, let’s find the Temple of Life. It must be here in this city.

“Excuse me. Where is the Temple of Life in this city?”

“Temple of Life?”

The woman in scandalous attire seemed to think for a moment.

“Oh! You mean the temple dedicated to the Goddess of Dragons! Just go straight down the main road, and once you reach the square, you’ll spot it easily.”

What’s with this Goddess of Dragons?

—

Arriving at the Temple of Life. No, the Temple of the Goddess of Dragons.

Fortunately, there were no scandalously dressed people there.

Phew. Thank goodness. If I had encountered those indecent outfits here as well, I would have been in real trouble.

“What brings you here, little guest?”

“Ah, excuse me. This is indeed the Temple of Life, correct?”

“Hmm? Ah, you’re from outside. Yes, this is where we worship the Goddess of Life, as she is known outside.”

“Others say she’s called the Goddess of Dragons.”

The one who seemed to be the priest of the Temple of Life smiled with a hint of resignation.

“It’s just a slight modification of the teachings of the Temple of Life, which is a native religion here. It’s rather unique in its development, so no need to worry about it.”

“Well…. I can’t deny that, but why is she called the Goddess of Dragons in particular?”

I felt like my essence had been seen through. If this story spreads, rumors that the Goddess of Life is a dragon might start circulating.

“Originally, this island had primitive worship of a snake goddess and a bull deity. In that environment, the teachings of the Temple of Life seeped in, and entwined with the faith in the dragon god of the beastman tribes that interacted with the island… It culminated in the belief in the Goddess of Dragons. I think it’s the outcome of the snake’s scales, bull’s horns, and other beliefs merging.”

Hmm. How peculiar. A mixture of indigenous religions, outside religions, and the Creator Dragon God of the beastmen resulting in this.

“But a bull?”

“Yes. According to records, many of those who settled this island were beastmen of the cow variety. That led to the development of a native faith that sacredly regards cows.”

Hmm… A bull, huh? Come to think of it, that child who is referred to as a monster was also a beastman of the cow variety.

Perhaps he could be their descendant.

“Thanks for informing me. But may I ask one more thing?”

“Yes, of course. For a beastman like you, I’ll answer any question you have.”

Hmm… Did they mistake me for a beastman because of my horns?

Well, I guess it suits me just fine.

“I heard rumors that there is a monster, a beastman of cows, in this city. Do you happen to know where it is?”

At my question, the priest’s expression darkened quickly.

“I don’t know where you heard such rumors, but it’s not good to believe them. Such nonsense should be brushed off.”

Hmm? Nonsense? What’s with this reaction?

It’s a response like it’s a subject that shouldn’t be spoken of.

But if it’s really being hidden, how could rumors be spreading outside?

“It’s just a bit of curiosity. If my curiosity is satisfied, I won’t look any further, so please tell me just a little.”

The priest looked troubled at my words, then glanced around before slowly speaking in a small voice.

“Well, it’s truly a story that should not be told… but if you promise to keep it completely secret, I’ll share it with you.”

“Hmm. I promise. I heard nothing.”

“Though I feel a bit uneasy about trusting you… very well. You must keep the secret.”

After a few more reassurances, the priest said,

“The child born from the king and queen is the one referred to as a monster, a beastman of cows.”

“Huh? Is he the prince of this city-state?”

“Well… no. Both the king and queen are human, and suddenly a baby with horns of a cow was born between them… so he isn’t recognized as a prince.”

Huh? A beastman appearing suddenly between two humans?

An affair?! Is it an affair?! Love and war, eh?! The story is getting more interesting now!!

“Is it an affair of the queen?”

“No, that’s not likely. The king and queen were the most beloved couple in the city until the cow beastman was born. Moreover, there were no beastmen that could be suspected of being the queen’s paramour around her…”

Hmm. A beastman suddenly born among humans.

Well, it’s not impossible.

If one of their ancestors, either the king or queen, has beastman blood… then it could be that the gene suddenly manifested due to latent genetic tendencies.

Such latent genes can indeed come to light suddenly.

“Is there any chance that a cow beastman is mixed among the parents or grandparents of the king or queen?”

“I… don’t really know. Perhaps there are records, but…”

Right. Humans might not understand such sudden genetic manifestations.

Anyway, now I have a general idea of why they’re keeping everything about that monster under wraps.

“Thank you for letting me know. Now, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes. I would appreciate it if you kept what I said a secret.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t hear anything.”

More than anything, I’ll clear that beastman’s name from the stigma of being an illegitimate child.

So, I set off with a light step towards the grand palace.

Now, where could the king of this city be?

—

After hiding my presence and searching through the various rooms in the palace, I finally located where the king was.

Though it took quite a bit of time sifting through hundreds of rooms, I actually found it quite enjoyable exploring here and there, so it was worth it.

“Ugh…”

The king was discovered alone in a small, empty room, drinking wine in desolation.

He looked like the very image of a pitiful bachelor. Who would think someone in such a sorry state is the king of a city?

With how disheveled he looked, I didn’t even recognize him after a couple of glances.

Thanks to the passing servants’ chatter, I realized this pitiful man was indeed the king.

“What was the queen lacking that led to her infidelity? What am I missing…?”

The sight of the king drowning his sorrows in drink was utterly pathetic.

Thus…

“What a lame sight.”

Let me just offer him a little help here.

 

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