MCDWTBS Chapter 21
by VolareChapter 21 “Even if it’s just for my male parent…”
The news of Duke Noah’s sudden mental energy collapse had spread throughout the Capital Star. As one of the four families that assisted the royal family when the empire was founded, the Noah family is now the most declining, but it is still an old noble force guarding the Golden Feather royal family.
Therefore, the royal family made a grand show of conferring the title of new duke, even though everyone knew that the new duke was an undeveloped, disabled cub. The Capital Star’s media outlets competed to report on it, and expensive flowers filled the main streets of the Capital Star. The central city was even more adorned with flowers and fluttering colored flags.
Serra didn’t have much joy on his face, because he noticed that Edwin beside him was slowly suppressing all his emotions, reverting to the emotionless, obedient appearance he had when they first met.
This was his way of protecting himself. Serra knew it was the right thing to do, but his heart still ached uncontrollably. He quietly extended a black tendril, encircling Edwin’s ankle, nuzzling it to show comfort, but Edwin only paused for a moment, not petting the cub’s head as he had done in the past few days.
Serra’s carefully styled little curls drooped, a little listless, but he didn’t say much. Today was different from their usual relaxed days at home; they had to face this deformed and cruel world and find a way out of it.
The Duke’s conferral of title was a major event. Countless male insectoids with titles or working for the royal family flocked to the scene, bringing a large number of female insectoids and Sub-males. They lowered their heads, humbly and silently filling the streets. Each of them wore a collar around their neck, branded with the family’s exclusive mark.
They were like a group of taciturn puppets, forming a huge contrast with the flamboyant decorations, the technologically advanced streets, and the central city suspended in mid-air, sending chills down Serra’s spine.
Lives stripped of too many rights had lost the warmth of living things, causing Serra’s tendrils to cling even more tightly to Edwin’s ankle, leaving a faint pink mark.
The Duke’s investiture ceremony began in the morning, but the celebration didn’t start until noon and lasted until nightfall. The one bestowing the title upon Serra was the male insectoid Prince Colean. The old insectoid Emperor was old and weak and hadn’t appeared in public for a long time, and Colean, the most mentally powerful of the three male insectoid princes, had become the undisputed heir to the empire.
The royal palace was majestic and luxurious, suspended in mid-air, appearing magnificent and resplendent under the starlight, with a golden-red hue. A pair of white-gold wings extended from behind the palace, the metallic feathers distinct, like a pair of angel wings, embracing the massive palace complex.
The royal family’s crest, the golden feather wings, was derived from this.
The morning ceremony proceeded quickly. The noble royal palace couldn’t accommodate too many attendants, and the Duke’s Mansion’s female insectoids and Sub-males were arranged to wait in the side hall. Serra walked alone towards the young male insectoid on the throne. He heard the male insectoids from various families around him pointing and whispering about his cub-like appearance, emitting buzzing jeers, but he didn’t care at all.
Prince Colean was very young, taller than ordinary male insectoids, with a fair complexion and no beard, and a pair of crimson-gold eyes, very similar to Ilotte’s eyes he had seen before, but far more flamboyant, sharp, arrogant, and impolite than Ilotte’s. He looked down at the four-headed small male insectoid, casually lowered a hand, and the Sub-male attendant kneeling beside him immediately raised his hand to present a mark.
“Serra of the Noah family, I, Colean, the twenty-first generation heir of the royal family, bestow upon you the title of Duke of Noah, hereditary and irrevocable. And you, following the legacy of your ancestors, swear loyalty to the royal family.”
Serra looked at the mark, but before he could reach out to take it, he heard a clear jeer from the surroundings:
“Your Highness Colean, Bishop Sandersfi respectfully presents,” the red-robed bishop said, bowing in Colean’s direction with a strange metallic staff in his hand:
“His Holiness the Pope regrets that he could not personally attend the ceremony presided over by Your Highness today, and hopes that Your Highness will not be offended.”
As his voice fell, the hall was silent. Colean didn’t even give the bishop a glance, but his dismissive attitude made the face of the older male insectoid from the church look unsightly.
“But the Holy Son Francis will join the upcoming celebration. As the only male insectoid in the empire with a level exceeding 2s, and with an equally noble status as Your Highness, there must be many topics to discuss with Your Highness.”
There was a hidden threat in Bishop Sandersfi’s words. Colean’s expression remained unchanged, but Serra felt a surge of power in the void. He knew that it was Colean’s male insectoid mental energy violently churning.
“This treasure of the Church is finally willing to show his face? If he hadn’t come out again, I would have thought there was something fishy about him.”
Colean finally turned his gaze to Sandersfi. The old male insectoid, whose level was only A, broke out in a cold sweat under the gaze of the 2s-level male insectoid, but he was very pious to the Church, gritted his teeth, and continued:
“The Holy Son is just shy and there is no major problem. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The Holy Son is very concerned about the Duke’s heir’s inability to develop, and even more saddened by the former Duke’s accident. The Church is aware that the four families are indispensable cornerstones for the royal family, but it is a pity that another undeveloped male insectoid cub inheriting the title will inevitably harm the reputation of the royal family. Please Your Highness reconsider.”
A huge uproar suddenly erupted in the hall, and many noble male insectoids glared at the Church’s envoy. Of course, they knew that the Church had deliberately sent this old guy to disrupt the investiture ceremony in order to publicly shame the royal family and the noble male insectoids.
The male insectoid’s ability comes from his bloodline! The nobler the bloodline, the higher the level of male insectoids that will be born. The Church has been challenging the iron rule of the nobility. Now, relying on the super 2s-level Holy Son they found from who-knows-where, the Church doesn’t even bother to pretend and wants to ride on the heads of the royal family and the nobility?
It was extremely hateful! And Serra, this stain on the nobility, made them lose all face!
Some noble male insectoids maintained their dignity and disdained to argue, instead casting their hateful gazes on the four-headed Serra. Serra listened to the chaotic sounds around him and reached out to grasp the emblem of the Noah family:
“I will do my best for the royal family, Your Highness. May the love of the insectoid Mother eternally flow in our blood.”
After saying that, two black mental tendrils suddenly appeared behind him. One of the tendrils lightly touched the ring of power on Colean’s hand. The pure mental power of the male insectoid caused the ring to glow brightly, and a pair of white-gold wings faintly emerged.
The loyalty ceremony was completed, and the black tendrils disappeared into the air, but no other male insectoid in the hall made a sound.
Silence and faint fear spread, and everyone stared at the harmless little body of the undeveloped male insectoid cub, but there was no longer any contempt in their eyes. The Church’s forces were silenced. Even if they dared to desecrate the nobility’s inheritance, they would never dare to desecrate the pure male insectoid divine power.
In fact, Serra only released a little power. Since knowing that Edwin’s body was weakening, he often performed mental guidance for Edwin, and his control over his abilities was much stronger than before. Today, he deliberately only released two tendrils, and deliberately made them ethereal, disguising them as the appearance of ordinary male insectoid tendrils.
He needed to show that he was worthy of this title, but he didn’t want to become a thorn in the side of the major powers. He had a grand plan to subvert the rule of the male insectoids, and now was definitely not a good time to expose himself.
When Colean heard Serra’s veiled words, praising the nobility, he suddenly showed a sincere smile. He stood up and publicly announced that the ceremony was completed. The nobles around him, at his signal, came forward to express their congratulations to Serra.
The Church’s male insectoid didn’t look good, but he also congratulated Serra. This Bishop Sandersfi was not only more eloquent than Bishop Alec, whom Serra had seen before, but also able to be flexible, giving Serra a higher opinion of him, and Serra gave him a somewhat insincere smile.
Being good at enduring is an extremely rare trait among male insectoids who have been spoiled since childhood, and a male insectoid with this trait is definitely not easy to deal with.
The luncheon after the ceremony was extremely boring. Serra ate the exquisite pastries in the palace, thinking about how to replicate them in his own kitchen for Edwin. He didn’t bring Edwin to this occasion, because all the female insectoids and Sub-males present were kneeling beside the male insectoids to serve them, including the noble Prince Ilotte.
He knew that Edwin would not have any objections to this. Even though Serra had expressed his love to him countless times, in Edwin’s view, there was no problem with him kneeling to serve Serra, but that was definitely not the posture of being loved.
Out of the corner of his eye, Serra saw Colean wiping his hands clean and kicking the thigh of his female insectoid brother Ilotte, who was kneeling on the ground, with his toe, making him reveal a sweet and flattering smile, and stand up and walk towards Serra.
“Duke Serra, before the evening celebration arrives, my royal brother invites you to have a small chat in the drawing room.”
Serra nodded, knowing that this must be to discuss cooperation, after all, the conflict between the royal family and the Church was getting heavier and heavier.
“Thank you. Please lead the way, Your Highness.”
Ilotte widened his eyes at his friendliness and politeness, but quickly regained his composure and bowed to Serra as a gesture of “please.” Serra was indeed different. No male insectoid would treat a female insectoid so kindly, which gave Ilotte a greater certainty about his plans.
“My royal brother is very curious about how His Grace the Duke discovered the Church’s tampering with the robots. You know, he is always thoughtful and worried.”
While walking through the quiet palace corridor, Ilotte suddenly whispered a reminder. Serra nodded to him, and the corridor returned to silence. The servants behind Ilotte followed far away like silent puppets, without even making a sound.
“Please rest assured, Your Highness,” Serra suddenly said just as they were about to reach the room, “Even if it’s just for my male parent, I will change this world.”