[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord":3,"chapter-the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-chapter-162":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Beast Tamer Clan's Monster Overlord",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1291098,1713,"Chapter 162 - 161: Strange","the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-chapter-162",162,"\u003Cp>Axelius’s eyes wandered past Princess Athena for a moment, drawn toward the crowd where his family was seated. He spotted the Grand Duchess beside the Duke, and she silently mouthed something toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius let out a quiet sigh under his breath. \"Of course...\" he muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning back to Princess Athena, he bent down on one knee with graceful movements, lowering his head slightly as he extended his gloved hand toward her. \"May I have this dance, Your Highness?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Athena’s lips curved into a soft, satisfied smile, as if this was exactly what she had been waiting for. \"You may,\" she replied, gently placing her hand in his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius rose smoothly, leading her with a polite bow before guiding her toward the center of the hall. As they walked, nobles and guests began stepping aside, forming a wide open space and murmuring softly with excitement — giving the princess and the Dravenheart heir the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The music shifted, slower and more elegant. Axelius placed one hand behind his back and the other gently supported Athena’s as they began to move in rhythm, their steps perfectly matched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have noticed something, Lord Axelius,\" Princess Athena spoke first, her tone light but carrying a hint of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Princess?\" Axelius answered politely, meeting her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Athena’s smile widened, but her words carried a sharper edge. \"You seem to enjoy standing beside a servant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Servant?Axelius blinked, confused for a second. \"Sylfia?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess looked slightly surprised that he spoke the name so casually but quickly regained her graceful expression. \"Yes. My dear sister’s personal knight. You seem to know each other quite well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. \"Could it be, Princess, that you’re jealous?\" he teased, a small laugh escaping him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Athena didn’t deny it. She tilted her head and smiled sweetly, though her eyes were unreadable. \"Yes. Perhaps I am,\" she said, voice playful but tinged with something deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s rather disappointing that Lord Axelius prefers to speak with a servant rather than spend his time with a princess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius blinked again, his light mood fading slightly as confusion slipped into his chest. ’Why is she acting like this?’he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had just met, and this was their first real conversation yet the tone in her words felt far more personal than it should.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he forced a polite smile and continued leading their steps through the graceful dance, all while quietly trying to understand Princess Athena’s strange behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius let out a soft breath, keeping his polite smile as they continued to move across the floor. \"We were just having a small talk, Princess,\" he said calmly. \"Nothing much. A light conversation to pass the time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Athena tilted her head, watching his face carefully. \"Is that so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Axelius replied, his voice warm and respectful. \"And besides, having a conversation with Your Highness like this is an honor in itself.\" He lifted his gaze and met hers with steady eyes, the way one would when speaking to royalty. \"I mean no disrespect. You have my full attention now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Athena’s smile softened again at his words, though there was still a glint in her eyes he couldn’t quite read. \"Good. I would hate to think you’d rather spend time with someone else at my birthday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius chuckled politely, hiding the uneasy feeling building inside him. There was something about the way she spoke gentle on the surface but sharp underneath that made him think twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s not as innocent as she seems,he thought quietly. ’If I upset her, she might turn that temper toward Sylfia...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so he chose his words with care. \"I assure you, Princess, this dance is the highlight of my evening,\" he said, his tone light but sincere. \"I would not miss the chance to spend even a moment with the star of this celebration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed to please Athena. Her expression relaxed, and she let him guide her through the next steps of the dance, the music swirling around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius laughed softly as he noticed the whole hall had gone silent, all eyes fixed on him and the princess.What? Scared?he thought, glancing around at the nobles who only whispered and stared.Now show me what you’ve got, those mouths that love to talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The music slowed, and Princess Athena gave him a charming smile as the dance came to an end. \"I’m glad you enjoyed the dance, Lord Axelius.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius gave a polite bow, his words smooth and warm. \"More than I expected, Your Highness. It was a pleasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See you later, Lord Axelius Dravenhart,\" she said with a graceful turn before walking away, her gown trailing behind her like flowing silk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius waited until she was completely out of sight before letting out a long, heavy sigh. \"The fuck is wrong with her? Acting all friendly?\" he muttered under his breath, stepping out of the hall and into the cool night air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a small silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hands and arms. \"Ugh, I’ve been touched by a plastic,\" he grumbled, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Axel!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head and saw Owen slithering toward him in a hurry. \"Yo! Where have you been?\" Axelius asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It doesn’t matter!\" Owen hissed, stopping at his feet. \"I discovered something important!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Axelius asked, but before Owen could speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous explosion ripped through the night, so powerful that the ground itself trembled violently beneath Axelius’s feet. The force of it sent a shockwave rushing through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A section of the castle’s upper tower burst apart, scattering stone and debris like deadly rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoa—!\" Axelius reacted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive chunk of wall, large enough to crush a carriage, came crashing down toward him. He darted to the side in a blur, his coat snapping in the wind as the rubble slammed into the ground where he had been standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth shook again from the impact, and dust and thick smoke billowed everywhere, swallowing the courtyard in a gray haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screams erupted from the hall as nobles panicked. \"The castle is under attack!\" one knight shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Protect the royal family!\" another barked, drawing his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get the king and queen to safety!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of knights flooded the courtyard, forming shields and lines as they rushed toward the source of the explosion. The sound of boots pounding against the stone mixed with the cries of the terrified guests inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius broke into a run, Owen quickly slithering up to his shoulder. The two rushed back inside the chaotic hall, weaving past fleeing nobles and knights barking orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over there!\" Owen hissed, his eyes darting to the raised platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Axelius’s gaze followed — the royal family was gathered together, guarded by knights, but Princess Athena and Sylfia were nowhere to be seen. His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s Athena... she’s the target,\" he muttered, his jaw tightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without another thought, Axelius bolted deeper into the castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Axelius!\" the Grand Duchess cried out from where she was being held by the Duke, but Axelius didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even turn his head. His mind was fixed on one thing: finding Athena and Sylfia before it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>",1201,"2026-06-05T17:37:14.220Z",1,"novelbin.me","42316aed176523ff98977f6000204df0975ef974ed548846ab655aa82374ed79","the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-chapter-163","the-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-chapter-161",168,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-beast-tamer-clan-s-monster-overlord-cover.jpg"]