The farewell with her friends was far more emotional than Mirabelle had expected.

Or rather—

one particular rabbit made it emotional enough for everyone.

Elowen was already crying before anyone had even started saying goodbye.

The rabbit female threw her arms dramatically around Mirabelle and clung to her as though they were being separated by oceans instead of territories.

"You absolutely have to answer my letters!"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I’ll write to you every month."

She paused.

"No." Her grip tightened.

"Every week."

Mirabelle laughed herself: "Every week?"

"Maybe twice a week."

Caelia: "Elowen."

"Fine. Once a week."

The rabbit female sniffled loudly and buried her face against Mirabelle’s shoulder.

Caelia waited patiently until Elowen finally released her victim.

Then the deer female stepped forward.

Without a word, she simply wrapped her arms around Mirabelle and hugged her tightly.

There was no dramatic speech.

No tears.

Just quiet sincerity.

For some reason, that nearly made Mirabelle more emotional than Elowens crying.

When they separated, Caelia only offered a small smile:

"Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Then it was Lysandra’s turn.

The fox female immediately grabbed Mirabelle’s hands.

"I need a promise."

Mirabelle already knew where this was going.

"...You want me to take care of Lucien?"

"I want you to take care of my idiot brother."

Lysandra nodded seriously. "And if he misbehaves, send me a letter."

Her emerald eyes narrowed.

"I’ll come to Luchsenstein personally and teach him... — and explain to him exactly what he’s doing wrong."

As she said this, she shot a strict look toward the group of soldiers gathering nearby.

Several paces away, Lucien stood among the departing forces of Luchsenstein.

For absolutely no reason whatsoever, the fox male suddenly felt uneasy.

His ears twitched.

Then he scratched the back of his neck.

Some instinct told him he was being targeted.

Finally, Nymeria stepped forward.

The owl female placed both hands firmly on Mirabelle’s shoulders.

Unlike the others, her expression remained serious:

"Be smart."

Mirabelle nodded.

"Make good decisions for your territory."

Another nod.

Nymeria held her gaze for a moment longer.

Then she smiled: "I know you will."

The five females stood together for another few moments.

Promising to exchange letters.

Promising to keep each other informed.

Promising to meet again.

Soon.

None of them quite knew when.

But all of them intended to make it happen.

After the tearful goodbyes, however, a far more important question presented itself.

Who would carry Mirabelle home?

"It should be me," Kaelith declared.

The hyena Beastman crossed his arms over his chest. "I have the greatest endurance. Besides, she likes my Beastform."

"You’ve already carried her once," Lucien remarked dryly.

"I rescued her from those ridiculous Poetry Trials."

"That still counts as carrying her. Get back in line."

Silas ignored the bickering entirely and stated, as though the matter had already been decided:

"She will ride on my back."

The other two looked at him.

The panther didn’t so much as twitch.

"I’m the fastest."

"We’re traveling as a group," Lucien pointed out.

"That’s irrelevant."

"That’s literally relevant."

"Besides," Kaelith added, "you already carried her. For quite a while."

The hyena reminded Silas of the final trial and shamelessly used exactly the same argument Lucien had just used against him.

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Yes, it does."

"No."

"Yes."

While the three argued, Mirabelle studied them more closely.

Now that the emotional turmoil of the last few minutes was beginning to settle, she noticed the signs their fight had left behind.

Kaelith had a split lip.

One shoulder of Silas’ shirt had been torn open. A thin scratch ran along his neck.

Lucien’s normally immaculate hair looked as though a storm had personally taken offense at it.

And he was favoring one leg.

Again.

Also, one of Kaelith’s earrings had disappeared entirely.

Mirabelle was fairly certain none of them would voluntarily explain how that had happened.

Internally, she rolled her eyes.

This absolutely had to stop.

The argument only grew more heated.

"I’ve never carried her."

"That sounds more like a reason against it than for it."

"Besides, you’re still limping."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Tch. It just proves you’re not strong enough to protect her."

The fox looked moments away from launching himself at the hyena.

"Enough, pups!"

All three immediately fell silent.

Mirabelle blinked.

Leontis had appeared.

The enormous bear was already in his Beastform and standing upright on his hind legs.

His head towered several meters above everyone else.

"I’ll take Mirabelle home."

Silence.

The bear looked down at the three males.

Then he snorted.

Mirabelle had never seen anyone silence Silas, Kaelith, and Lucien simultaneously.

It was impressive.

And slightly terrifying.

But yes...

apparently Father-in-Law was not someone to argue with.

And so all three trailed behind the bear with lowered heads and drooping tails while Mirabelle sat enthroned upon his back and didn’t spare them a single glance.

Which was why the journey home proved considerably calmer than the trip to Rotwald.

The large group set off and left the immense tree city of fox territory behind.

One last time they passed houses built into gigantic trees.

Bridges stretched between the canopies.

Colorful banners fluttered in the wind.

Children waved farewell to the travelers.

Then the forest swallowed them once more.

Golden patches of sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead.

The enormous ferns fanned the scent of the forest toward them.

The smell of resin, earth, and pine accompanied them for hours.

Eventually, the trees began to thin.

The grasslands opened before them.

The endless sea of green-gold grass moved beneath the wind like waves across an ocean.

Here they made a planned stop.

Thorn-grass.

The valuable plant the Beast World still had no idea was about to change everything.

The Beast soldiers spread out.

Large transport sacks provided by Rotwald were secured across backs, shoulders, and flanks.

For more than an hour they harvested.

By the time they continued their journey, the sacks were packed full.

The column once again passed small settlements protected by rough fences made from sharpened tree trunks.

Smoke rose from chimneys.

Children played between simple homes.

Herders guided livestock through the tall grass.

Some villagers paused their work to watch the passing travelers with curiosity.

Hour after hour, Luchsenstein drew closer.

Eventually, Steinstein appeared on the horizon.

Beastfolk moved through the streets.

Merchants loudly advertised their goods.

Wagons rattled across the stone roads.

Families strolled leisurely through the city while chatting with neighbors.

Once again, children cheered when they saw the returning group.

Women smiled.

Men paused their work to observe them.

And then they reached the walls.

First the outer wall.

Then the inner one.

When Mirabelle finally passed through the gates of Luchsenstein, everything felt both familiar and strangely different.

Throughout the entire journey, she had been unusually quiet.

The conversations around her barely reached her.

Again and again, she drifted into thought.

The past few days replayed themselves in her mind.

Rotwald.

The Trials.

The friends she had left behind.

And the future now waiting ahead of her.

Her mother was waiting for her together with several of her husbands.

The welcome was warm.

Mirabelle received more hugs within the first five minutes of arriving home than she had during her entire modern life.

Curious glances were directed toward Lucien, but nobody commented on the appearance of the fox male.

Which only made it more suspicious.

Everyone was clearly waiting for someone else to ask first.

Before the Duchess could question her daughter, however, Mirabelle raised a hand.

"Mother, I have important decisions to make. Please ensure that nobody disturbs me."

Something in her tone must have conveyed how serious she was.

Because the Duchess merely blinked.

Then nodded.

"Of course."

And so, after a long bath and a change into fresh clothes, the lynx female barricaded herself inside the castle library.

For three days, nobody saw her.

Except for the unfortunate servant responsible for bringing her meals.

Whenever he arrived, the enormous library doors would slowly open.

Doors made from wood older than the castle itself.

A hand would emerge.

A tray would vanish.

The doors would slam shut again.

Then came the unmistakable click of a lock.

For three entire days and nights, Mirabelle buried herself beneath books so massive that even her strengthened Beast body struggled to move them.

Some volumes were older than entire kingdoms.

Several were so fragile that the pages threatened to crumble beneath her fingertips.

For three days, she learned everything the previous Mirabelle had never cared to learn.

Geography.

History.

Economics.

Trade routes.

Military structures.

Cultivation.

Politics.

Noble houses.

Territorial disputes.

Alliances.

Old grudges.

New grudges.

And the hundreds of invisible threads connecting them all.

She discovered how power moved through the Beast World.

Who truly controlled resources.

Which territories were growing stronger.

Which were quietly dying.

For three days she tore apart everything she thought she knew and rebuilt it piece by piece.

She organized information.

Connected patterns.

Created theories.

Discarded them.

Built better ones.

Again and again.

Maps covered tables.

Notes covered maps.

Books covered nearly every available surface.

Entire political structures were dismantled and reconstructed inside her mind.

Existing assumptions were questioned.

Long-standing traditions examined.

Accepted truths challenged.

The more she learned, the more possibilities she began to see.

Not small changes.

Not simple improvements.

Foundations.

Systems.

Entire ways of thinking.

The Beast World had spent generations accepting certain limitations.

Mirabelle spent three days identifying them.

And imagining what would happen if they disappeared.

Three days deciding what kind of place she wanted to carve out for herself in this world.

Three days deciding what kind of ruler she intended to become.

Three days deciding exactly how much trouble she was willing to cause.

On the morning of the fourth day, the library doors finally opened and she emerged.

Then summoned the three males.

A/N: Alright, everyone...

This is it.

The decision is coming.

Mirabelle has locked herself in a library for three days, studied enough books to terrify several scholars, and finally made up her mind.

Things are about to get serious.