“Hmm? Why are all you gathered like this? And who are they? They aren’t from Everveil, are they?”
Another Kitsune saw Kael’s group and came up.
“They came here to learn the Truth!”
Luna answered with the same excitement even though she was saying the same thing for the twentieth time.
“Really!? Are you taking them to Lady Reynara!?”
The Kitsune questioned excitedly.
“We are!”
Luna nodded.
“Do you wish to join?”
She questioned.
The Kitsune, however, shook her head. Rather, she looked into Luna’s eyes and,
“They came here from outside, they must be hungry. Did you give them something to eat?”
“…”
Luna blinked at that question.
Then, she avoided the Kitsune’s eyes.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
The Kitsune smiled.
“I…”
Luna didn’t know what to say.
“You were so excited about going to Lady Reynara that you forgot.”
“I… I have nothing to say.”
Luna lowered her head in embarrassment.
The Kitsune shook her head. It was as if she already expected it.
“Follow me.”
She spoke as she turned around.
“Okay!”
Luna’s smile brightened up.
Kael frowned at that.
“I would rather you take me to Lady Re—”
“It isn’t good to rush into things, young man.”
The Kitsune, however, cut him off.
“You won’t be able to learn the truth that way. Calm down and observe things around you. Learning Truth is only possible if you see it.”
As she said those words, Kael looked into the Kitsune’s eyes and,
“…I understand.”
He nodded and decided to do as he was told.
Observe.
Kael and his group followed Vixara. The Kitsune then took them to her house, where she cooked a delicious meal for everyone.
The instant she brought it, the Kitsunes’ eyes brightened with joy, and they ate without any care. Kael did wonder if it was poisoned. He tried using his eyes, but just like it had happened before, the screen didn’t show him the details he wanted and showed random, incomprehensible letters instead.
‘Whatever, if it is poisoned, I’ll just die.’
In the end, Kael shook his head and ate the light red soup he was given. He did consider the possibility of there being a different type of poison in it, but he didn’t exactly have a choice here.
If these people wanted to hurt him, it shouldn’t be difficult considering how they had surrounded him.
“!!!”
Kael’s eyes widened in surprise at how delicious the soup was.
“It’s so tasty!”
Even Vitaria exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.
“Do you want more?”
Vixara questioned with a gentle smile.
“Yes!”
Vitaria nodded as the bowl in front of her floated towards Vixara on its own and another flying utensil refilled it.
Kael and Vitaria enjoyed the meal till they were full. Because of how delicious it was, even Kael let his guard down and decided to enjoy the meal instead.
“Ahh~ I am full~”
After about 30 minutes, when everyone was done eating, Luna spoke as she rolled on the floor in bliss.
“I am so sleepy~”
After a good meal, it was obviously time to sleep.
It wasn’t just Luna, the rest of the Kitsunes seemed the same. They didn’t even care about the fact that the place they were in was not their home. They just lay down, and Vixara just smiled at that.
“Would you like to rest?”
Vixara questioned as she glanced at Kael.
Honestly, seeing all these beautiful Kitsunes lying on the floor, Kael was momentarily tempted, but—
“I would really like to meet Lady Reynara.”
He answered politely as he gently rubbed Vitaria’s and the other 4 Kitsunes’ fur. Yes, seeing how he was playing with Vitaria, the other Kitsunes wrapped themselves around him, wanting the same treatment, and because of how adorable they all were, Kael had no choice but to give in.
Yes, he was a sucker for cute things through and through.
At his answer, Vixara nodded. She glanced at Luna and the others, but the group was asleep.
“I’ll take you.”
In the end, Vixara took the responsibility instead.
“I am sorry for taking your time.”
Kael apologized politely. Vixara, however, just chuckled at that.
“What do you mean? Meeting Lady Reynara is always a bliss; it’s not an inconvenience at all.”
“It seems all of you love Lady Reynara.”
Kael commented.
He had seen how their eyes brightened up every time this Lady Reynara was mentioned—so much that every single one of them followed willingly after knowing they were going to her.
“Of course, Lady Reynara is the strongest of us all. She solves all our problems, she takes care of us all. She is like a second mother to us.”
Vixara’s eyes brightened up when she talked about her.
“I am excited to meet her.”
Kael nodded.
“Fufufu~ You will love her.”
Vixara smiled.
Kael finally freed himself from the Kitsune heaven he was in. Vitaria, too, took her rightful place and made herself comfortable in her father’s arms.
They followed Vixara as she took them to Lady Reynara. It was a 30-minute walk, and in these 30 minutes, around 5 more Kitsunes joined them.
Kael also continued to appreciate how wonderful this place was. Soon, his eyes fell on what seemed like an ancient temple.
“Come in.”
Vixara smiled as she walked in.
Kael followed the group with Vita in his arms.
They walked along a glowing path made of smooth white stones. Strange blue fireflies floated around them, lighting the way. The trees slowly changed—taller, older, their bark silver and their leaves glowing with soft pink and gold light.
If before, Kael thought this world was beautiful, now, his very concept of beauty was changing.
This place was… mesmerizing.
It was so beautiful that he felt like he would lose himself if he continued looking.
As they continued walking, they finally reached a large temple hidden deep within the forest.
It looked like an old Japanese shrine, but much more magical. The roof was curved and golden, with wind chimes hanging from every corner. The chimes made a soft, gentle sound, even though there was no wind. The steps leading up to the temple were carved from shining moonstone, and soft light floated up from the cracks between them.
Small fox statues sat along the edges of the path, but some of them moved slightly when Kael passed, as if they were watching.
The air here felt calm and still, almost too quiet.
Inside the temple, the scent of sweet flowers and warm mist filled the air. Glowing lanterns hung from the ceiling, and pools of crystal-clear water reflected the soft lights above.
Everything felt warm, peaceful, and very old.
As he walked in, Kael heard some voices,
“Lady Reynara! Hahaha~”
“Lady Reynara! Look! I am flying~”
“Lady Reynara! I finally learned how to create a lantern!”
He turned around, trying to find where these voices came from.
“You did well.”
Then suddenly, he heard a voice so melodious that it seemed like it resonated with his very soul.
The moment he heard that voice, a curtain of golden mist that had surrounded this magical place started to disappear and Kael’s eyes fell on her.
A beautiful nine-tailed fox, her fur whiter than snow and shining like it was made of starlight. Each of her nine tails moved gently, as if dancing with the air.
The moment she sensed Kael’s gaze, she turned and looked at him. Her deep, calming purple eyes seemed to look right into Kael’s soul.
Kael froze.
He…
He felt overwhelmed.
Her presence was huge.
She was large, graceful, and powerful—but in a soft, comforting way.
Even Vita stared at the being in front of her in awe.
*Lady Reynara’s Picture*
“Lady Reynara!”
The other Kitsunes quickly rushed towards her with excited looks on their faces. They all seemed to respect her, but their love for her outweighed all the respect, and Lady Reynara seemed to prefer it that way.
She smiled at her people and,
“I hope you all are well.”
“We are!”
The Kitsunes nodded.
Even Vixara, who had been acting mature all this while, seemed no different than the little Kitsunes who were playing with Reynara before Kael and the others came here.
Reynara once again turned towards Kael and Vitaria. Sensing her gaze, Vixara finally recalled why she was here and,
“Lady Reynara, they came here to learn the Truth.”
“Is that so…?”
Reynara smiled at those words, her purple eyes flickered gently.
Then, she glanced at Vixara and,
“Vixara, it’s time for the children to eat. Will you and the others see to it that these little things eat everything and not waste anything?”
“Of course! We will take care of it all!”
Vixara nodded with a bright look on her face.
Reynara nodded gently as Vixara and the group took away the children to the kitchen.
With the garden now empty, Reynara glanced at Kael and,
“So you have come to learn the Truth?”
She questioned with an amused chuckle.
“Yes.”
Kael nodded with a determined look on his face, and at that reaction, Reynara just laughed,
“And what exactly does Learning the Truth mean?”
She questioned, a question at which Kael froze.
After all, he had absolutely no clue what it meant. He just repeated what the Mission’s Title said and had been going with it all this while since it was working.
“Lying doesn’t create a good first impression, Kael Carter.”
Reynara chuckled softly.
And Kael…
He narrowed his eyes,
‘Did I ever… tell her my name…?’