Chapter 92.1
Chapter 92: Knights Of The Goss Empire [1]
Linnevia opened the letter.
“Dear Lina, I hope this letter finds you well.
I know you’re not too keen on seeing me, but if I hadn’t intervened, the little fox wouldn’t have regained her voice.
Rest assured, this is a gift from me. I didn’t take anything from either you or the little fox. She’s still the same adorable little fox.
However, I must tell you something. This little fox is actually the daughter of the Fox Emperor. Four years ago, I stole her from the Fox Emperor, intending to raise her as my little pet, but this fox turned out to be incredibly stubborn.”
At this point, Linnevia frowned.
Yes.
Akatsukimaru did have a history with that black-haired woman.
But Akatsukimaru had been unyielding. Despite years of beatings, she had resolutely guarded her dignity.
Until she met Linnevia, who gave up her human identity to claim ownership of Akatsukimaru. From then on, Akatsukimaru‘s allegiance shifted to Linnevia.
“Now, this little fox is completely devoted to you. Linnevia, you’ve trained her so well that I pale in comparison.
Since your heart has been freed from its burden, I believe you can now fully commit to being the little fox’s master. I’ve restored her voice for that reason.
What I hope you will do is help her return to the Fox Kingdom and support her in becoming the Queen of the Fox Clan.
And eventually, ensure that the Fox Kingdom falls under the control of the dream demons.
I trust you can do this, Linnevia.
Love, Phyllins.”
“Linnevia!”
Akatsukimaru swiped away the letter that stood between them. Linnevia stared at her in shock.
“Akatsukimaru, are you really the Fox Emperor’s daughter?”
“Yes…”
Akatsukimaru nodded.
Linnevia remembered the nine tails Akatsukimaru had when she transformed into the nine-tailed beast. Of course! Ordinary foxes don’t have nine tails!
Oh, dear.
How had she not made the connection all these years?
“This isn’t important!”
Akatsukimaru pouted, upset that her confession had been so casually dismissed.
Linnevia smiled.
“So, what is important?”
The little fox girl lowered her head, her face turning red.
Having summoned all her courage for the first confession, she now felt too shy to speak again.
Suddenly, cool fingers lifted her chin.
Soft, warm lips met hers.
The answer was already clear.
——————
Rex City.
Iris and her companions used their tried-and-true method of bribing a noble’s convoy to sneak into the city once again.
Compared to Gerris, Rex City was much livelier, with adventurers and heroes clad in green outfits roaming the streets at every turn.
Having learned from their experience in Gerris, Naya avoided staying in the wealthy district this time, opting for the middle district instead.
Here, a variety of shops catered to all needs, and they wouldn’t have to spend ages searching for a commoners’ restaurant.
After all, commoners’ restaurants provided hearty meals with generous portions.
At the regular inn, what fascinated Naya the most wasn’t the food but the boasts of the patrons—heroes recounting their daring exploits. As she listened to them while eating, Naya couldn’t help but reminisce about her own days as a hero.
But now, she is about to become a mother of three.
“Hey, have you heard? There’s a strange figure in the Bear Forest.”
“A strange figure?”
“They say it’s an Earth Vein Guardian, born from the Leyline energy as the Earth Vein Flower gradually matures. It hunts down any adventurers who dare to explore the forest.”
“A world-class Leyline relic with a guardian—must be incredibly powerful, right?”
“Yeah, according to the heroes who escaped from Bear Forest, this guardian has long red hair tied in a ponytail, wields a broken dark-red greatsword, and constantly wears a grumpy expression. When it spots someone, it yells, ‘Judgment is upon you!’ It’s terrifying!”
“Red hair, just like that woman’s hair? Could it be her?”
The hero who had been talking pointed in Iris’s direction, and suddenly, everyone in the inn turned to look at her.
Red hair, ponytail, scowling face—it all matched!
Iris shot them a cold glare, her eyes warning them not to spout nonsense.
“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. The guardian is said to be male. Besides, Leyline guardians don’t leave the Leyline energy zones.”
“Oh…”
After the explanation, the heroes shifted their gazes away from Iris and went back to their boasting.
Naya couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
Iris did resemble the guardian they were describing.
Whenever there were crowds, Iris’s face was always icy, as if everyone owed her a fortune. It was only when she was with Naya and Illya that she showed her softer side.
[System, from what they’re saying, the Earth Vein Flower should be blooming within a week.]
[Yes, host. I can sense it too. The Leyline energy is concentrating into one point, much like a black hole drawing everything in. Most of the surrounding matter has already been consumed.]
[As expected, a world-class Leyline relic can’t be born without a guardian.]
Earth Vein guardians formed from Leyline energy were nearly invincible within the Leyline energy zone, able to rapidly heal by absorbing energy.
[System, this Leyline relic feels a lot like a celestial body. In space, scattered stardust condenses over time, growing in mass and eventually forming celestial bodies of various kinds.]
[That’s about right.]
[So, it’s not surprising that a high concentration of Leyline energy could fold space. After all, the more massive a celestial body, the more it warps the space around it.]
[Are you trying to apply science now?]
[Do you think the “end of the world” you talked about could mean the emergence of an ultra-high concentration of Leyline energy, far surpassing world-class levels, to the point where it becomes as dense as a black hole and folds the entire world’s space in on itself, delivering a higher-dimensional strike?]
Naya had heard of “dimensional reduction strikes,” but a “higher-dimensional strike” would be just as catastrophic for three-dimensional beings.
[Is your imagination always this wild?]
[Well, you won’t tell me anything. I have no choice but to guess.]
[Just focus on eating!]
This darned system—so cryptic all the time.
Fine, if it didn’t want to explain, so be it.
After finishing their meal, the trio returned to their inn.
The middle district inns ranged from luxurious ones for the wealthy to modest ones for commoners.
Naturally, Naya chose a luxurious one—complete with a private, artificial hot spring!
It sounded fancy, but in reality, it was just a private bathhouse.
Still, the bathhouse had a pleasant ambiance. The walls of the room featured magical illusions simulating outdoor gardens, and the ceiling was a transparent, open-air view.
But the best part of all was the private bathhouse itself…