A Vulpine Spanner in the Works

by Ten-Tailed-God

Believing that Momonga was the only Player remaining in YGGDRASIL at closing is an impossibility. What would happen if another Player, one not influenced by a guild of monsters arrived in the New World? Not all heroes are human, and not all monsters are skeletons. Sometimes, what one needs to change the world isn't great strength but instead trickery.

37. Chapter 34

A Vulpine Spanner in the Works

Chapter 34: Princess Renner: The Princess and the Fox

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[Princess Renner]

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It was just another day at court as Father listened into the idiotic suggestions of the multiple leeches that he called vassals argue which of my brothers should be made his heir, how the upcoming war was going to affect their wealth, and so on and so forth. It was like clockwork with how they repeated the same drivel each day. And, all the while, they ignored their actual problems.

For instance, the kingdom is slowly running out of peasants, many of which are farmers, to fuel the war. This lack of farmers will cause a food shortage within the coming year as there won't be as many of them harvesting crops. The food shortage will make many nobles begin to hoard their own harvests from the kingdom, as well as their own subjects, leading to the lower classes becoming displeased with nobles.

This will cause the nobles to distance themselves from their subjects in an effort to keep themselves safe, creating further division and strife. If allowed to continue, revolts are soon to follow which would put into question Father's rule. I already predicted five nobles in the court right now who would try to maneuver these events into deposing and even killing Father and the rest of his family, myself included.

Yet, I had seen such an issue coming to pass years prior. Which is why I increased my efforts to mingle among the peasantry beyond what I normally did for my Climb's happiness. I held no enjoyment in performing such menial work like they did, but it helped with endearing me to them beyond just the normal charity work I already performed.

Additionally, it made my Climb, my devoted knight, so much more in love with me. Really, that's all that I cared about, ensuring my future with my Climb. If my Climb wasn't so attached to the people of this kingdom and their prosperity, I would abscond from this doomed kingdom with my beloved Climb in tow to somewhere secluded and use my pet in any way I wished without care of the opinions of court.

And how I'd use him, I've dreamt for so long. Sadly, I still had to wait until I could finally make that dream a reality, something I've been working on for years.

Father, for how easy it was to manipulate him to aid me in multiple ways, such as in my acts of charity or works to defeat the criminal organization Eight Fingers, would never allow my request of being with my Climb to be granted. Even though he wouldn't force a marriage upon me, that didn't change his thoughts on what the status of my suitors should be. Unfortunately, even if I might be able to convince Father otherwise, he'd likely be dead from age or assassin at that point.

That left me with my brothers as another option. Both were like squabbling children over who should be allowed to play with their shiny toy. They were idiots, with only Zanac being slightly more competent than Barbro. And I did not wish to see Barbro attain the throne as he would immediately sell me off to some noble without a moment's hesitation.

Zanac wasn't likely to do that, namely because he already suspected what my true personality was actually like. That wasn't optimal, but I could still utilize his fear and hesitation for my benefit. He'd more than likely acquiesce to my request if I were to help him in attaining the throne.

"Father, with all due respect, we should increase the levies of the peasants, then our army would have little issue in crushing the Baharuth's on the field of battle." Barbro stated to Father with the confidence a brainless moron like him could spout.

"And I feel that it would be better to have the lords that have been sending the bare minimum of their troops to increase that amount before we increase the levies of our lands. For instance, Lord Danius Ulbreckt Clyburn has sent us only 1,439 of his men when he has 14,632 in reserve!" Zanac rebutted.

How interesting that Zanac chose that lord, especially because that lord is a well-known supporter of Barbro. Zanac had an entire list of the nobles supporting Barbro's faction, and while I've no doubt that he's trying to avoid conscripting too many peasants of our own lands, he's also trying to weaken Barbro's faction as much as he could.

Barbro glared at Zanac before attacking the suggestion, "You would have our vassals give up all of their troops when they are needed for protection of their lands? You'd leave them defenseless!"

Ah, yes, 'protection of the land' was an interesting way of saying 'protection of my allies' troops'. And from here, Father will likely veto Zanac's opinion and agree with Barbro's specifically so that he doesn't upset the nobles. The royalty faction was already at a tenuous position as is and Father knows this.

It doesn't help that he's been too lax in keeping all of his vassals and their factions under heel. Since he let it be for too long, in an attempt to be diplomatic and avoid conflict, those vassals and factions have grown too powerful and can now legitimately challenge Father's power if they so wished. The only reason this hasn't happened is because every other faction that's cropped up has been keeping one another in check.

"That is not the case, Barbro! You put words in my mouth!" Zanac shot back as he tried standing his ground against the imposing figure of our elder brother stepping up to him.

"The only thing I see being put in your mouth is the words of a coward who wants to weaken the vassals of the King." Barbro stated. "Besides, why should Father listen to you, little brother, when you haven't even taken to the field of battle like I have?"

Zanac took a step closer to Barbro and glared up into his eyes, "Just because you may have talent in leading an army, it doesn't mean that you have any in running a kingdom, besides into the ground that is."

I could already see the members of both of my brothers' factions beginning to take sides behind either idiot.

Before it could go any further, Father finally spoke, his voice echoing throughout the room, "Enough!" Every noble in the room turned to look at Father as he held his hand up, "My sons, both of your suggestions have merit. While-"

Father stopped speaking as his eyes widened and he looked past the bickering nobles. At the same time, the sounds of weapons being drawn by the guards, including Gazef Stronoff, filled the room with the warning of danger. Quite quickly, the guards moved their way past the nobles and held their weapons towards a dark portal of magic that had appeared in the middle of the hall.

Before Gazef could order a command to the guards, a golden throne slid out from the portal and quickly stopped on the red carpet leading up to Father's throne. Soon after, the portal closed behind it and everyone's eyes focused on the fearful ones of Alecto, Father's cousin, who sat in the golden throne unmoving.

One thing I took note of was the garish crown of gold and jewels on top of his head that drew attention to the long headrest at the back of the throne which said 'KING EIGHT FINGERS'. Additionally, I saw how he seemed fused into the throne as gold seemed to either cover or merge with his arms and legs. It was obvious enough to tell that some type of magic must have been used to do this.

Yet, before any of us could say a word, Alecto spoke first, "King Eight Fingers was sent here in punishment by the goddess known as the Fox Princess!" Alecto announced, causing a stir within the throne room. That left many questions for me to fill in the gaps for.

It would have to be someone of great power to not care about harming the cousin of the king. If a goddess really was involved, not that I could fully believe it, then that left why she might possibly be punishing him? And from what he's called himself, along with the name written in that throne, I suspected that he was in league with the criminal organization Eight Fingers.

If that was the case, then I was happy to see one of their own be dealt with since they have been an annoying thorn in my side. As part of my efforts to maintain my pure image devoted to aiding the less fortunate, along with trying to make this kingdom a better place for my Climb, I had to get involved in hindering the group's activities.

Fighting them has certainly benefitted my reputation, and it made my Climb so happy, but the downsides to it were almost not worth the effort. Eight Fingers wants me dead. They, and the multiple nobles working with them, all did. I've had to deal with a few assassination attempts because of it, but because I'm not a brainless princess with a heart of gold like almost everyone thinks I am, it was easy enough to foil these plots.

Another hindrance to me is that the nobles working for Eight Fingers have done everything in their power to delay or prevent any policy or action I perform. Two such policies were the crackdown on illicit drugs and the outlaw of slavery which I got enacted because my Climb told me one day of how much he wished that such would cease.

I ensured that all of it would happen for my darling Climb. Every time he looked at me with those innocent eyes of his that saw me as a perfect saint of a princess filled me with an excitement beyond description.

And yet, I couldn't help but feel frustrated as all the extra work that Eight Fingers and their people put me through got between the time that me and my Climb should have. If it wasn't for the front I needed to continue putting up, I would relish torturing the leaders of Eight Fingers for getting in my way.

"C-Cousin? What has happened to you?" Father asked in shock.

"King Eight Fingers is the leader of the criminal organization known as Eight Fingers. King Eight Fingers took over the leadership role of the group after King Eight Fingers' father died. All of this was in an effort to have you, cousin, rendered as incompetent to rule so that your sons would take the throne or, if already murdered beforehand, like King Eight Fingers planned to do, then King Eight Fingers would be made king!" Alecto said, causing everyone to gasp or comment in shock at the admittance.

I had to copy the same reaction that everyone else was making, even if I wanted to smile and laugh at the punishment Alecto was undergoing. It was like divine providence to see one of the people that has been delaying my plans suffer like this. I'd really have to thank this Fox Princess for saving me the headache of dealing with one of the group's leaders.

"You traitorous bastard!" Barbro exclaimed as he drew his sword and seemed ready to march over and lop our traitorous cousin's head off.

"Barbro, stop!" Father commanded, stopping my elder brother's march. Barbro looked back to Father in confusion.

"Why, Father? This traitor has admitted his guilt and needs to be punished!" Barbro explained.

"And yet, it seems that my cousin, Alecto, has been bewitched somehow. This could be some method to have him killed by a political rival or by Eight Fingers. We mus-" Father was quickly interrupted by Alecto who hadn't moved at all since he had come, not even a nod of his head in agreement with Father.

"The goddess known as the Fox Princess gave King Eight Fingers two orders. One is to explain everything about King Eight Fingers' criminal empire known as Eight Fingers along with King Eight Fingers' reasoning behind it. The second order is for King Eight Fingers to only ever refer to King Eight Fingers as King Eight Fingers."

Father pondered aloud, with his hand under his chin, "This is just so hard to accept."

That certainly explains 'King Eight Fingers'' colorful dialogue. But if he truly meant what he said, that he must explain everything about Eight Fingers, then I had a few questions for him.

Changing my expression to one of worry before asking Father with a demure tone, "Father, I feel so awful that our cousin could have betrayed us like this. But if it is the truth, then shouldn't we try and discover who else might have led this organization that has harmed the innocent subjects of the Re-Estize?"

Father looked at me with a soft smile before he nodded, "Yes, even if there is much doubt in this, the fact of the matter is that someone went to a lot of trouble to send Alecto before us like this." Then, he looked back to Alecto, "Cousin, tell me, if you truly are the leader of Eight Fingers, then who are the other heads of your organization?"

"King Eight Fingers is the leader of Eight Fingers. Under King Eight Fingers' leadership are seven others. One was Lubelina, who was thought to be dead after a fire burned down her brothel in this city. She was replaced by Prian Polson until he was likely killed a few minutes ago by monsters that King Eight Fingers couldn't see.

Following him was Zero, who the Fox Princess killed personally soon after Prian died. Next was Noah Zweden, who the Fox Princess trapped within a statue of gold until he dies a few days from now. Raglin Zolber was locked into a crate like he did for transporting slaves, and will be taken on his normal smuggling route around the kingdom until his likely death.

Hilma Cygnaeus and Ampetif Cocco Doll are both likely dead at this point, or at least, that's what the Fox Princess alluded to." I found myself taking notice of the few nobles who seemed to become very nervous when Hilma Cygnaeus was brought up. Of what I know about her, besides what I potentially suspected, she's a high-class escort that I've spotted around the palace once or twice.

The thought of her being near my Climb upset me, but it wasn't enough to affect my facial expression. I really had to thank this Fox Princess for punishing such a worthless being.

Alecto continued, "The only living members of the eight of King Eight Fingers and King Eight Fingers' associates is King Eight Fingers, Lubelina, and Count Iselk Bernard von Dalton II. Aside from King Eight Fingers, the other two were likely horrifically punished."

The name of Count Dalton was very familiar with everyone at court considering his title and how prolific he was at interacting with nobles from around the kingdom. That was shocking to say the least. But it did help explain my suspicions on how Eight Fingers could be so entrenched in nobility. Aside from Alecto, Count Dalton was well-known for his constant interactions with the various circles of nobility.

"And all of this was due, in part, because of the Fox Princess?" Gazef was the one to ask as he sheathed the teal blade of his magical sword.

"Yes. The goddess known as the Fox Princess has dedicated herself to destroying Eight Fingers for - - -" Alecto's mouth didn't move and he remained silent for a moment before continuing as if nothing happened, "and ruining the lives of many innocent people."

Could it be that he was bewitched to not say something more that he knows? Maybe I should try to test it out?

Changing my tone to one that was a mixture between vapid and curious, I innocently asked Alecto, "C-Cousin Alecto, what else do you know about th-this Fox Princess? She sounds scary, but she also seems righteous, even if her methods are quite cruel."

For everyone else in the room, all they heard was the kind princess being both curious and scared upon hearing about this strange 'goddess'. None understood what I was actually fishing for from dear Cousin Alecto.

"The goddess known as the Fox Princess is - - - -" Alecto stopped speaking and he froze once more before coming out of this trance and speaking, "That is all King Eight Fingers knows about her."

That told me all I needed to know, but I still needed to act confused about Alecto's behavior in front of the others. "Why is he acting like that?" I asked while looking to Father.

Father's eyes studied Alecto a bit longer before he finally spoke. "I'm not certain. This is something I've never seen before."

"I believe that I know what this is, your Majesty." Gazef said, "He's bewitched to not speak of what he knows about this Fox Princess. He's only allowed to say that she is a goddess called the Fox Princess or whatever punishments she inflicted upon his group. Aside from this, nothing else will leave his lips."

"If it's some magical nonsense, then why not bring in one of the mages from the Magician's Guild to dispel this bewitchment?" The fat noble, Count Brandon, offered as an idea, "Then, we can find out what this Fox Princess doesn't want us to know."

"Perhaps." Father said in agreement before looking over to one of the guards, "Go to the Magician's Guild and fetch one of the mages specializing in dispelling magics." The guard nodded in answer and quickly made his way out of the throne room towards the guild. That would likely take him almost an hour to get there and then head back with a mage in tow.

Then, Father looked upon our cousin with a gaze before speaking, "Now, while we wait for a mage to be brought here, I wish to hear more of what Alecto has to say under this supposed bewitchment of truth. So, cousin, you've mentioned Count Iselk being in thrall of Eight Fingers. Which other nobles are you aware of that have been in your employ?"

"Two nobles that King Eight Fingers knows of that are currently in this room are Count Brandon Elswen Galdwin and Viscount Randall Ulther Wyse." As soon as those two names were uttered, both men had the eyes of the entire throne room focused on them.

It almost made me laugh at the way that Brandon was the first in the room to want to dispel this bewitchment upon Alecto. No wonder. He didn't want his name to be connected to Eight Fingers while Alecto was still forced to tell the truth.

Yet, there was also a single moment that I spotted Barbro look…relieved? Interesting. Why would he appear so relieved over what Alecto said…or didn't say?

Hmm… Brother, you've made some interesting friends, haven't you?

Father glared at the two nobles in suspicion as they seemed to almost quiver under the attention, at least, Randall still quivered as his already fair features grew even paler, making the man look a skeleton in a white wig wearing blue silk clothing. Brandon seemed to control himself and attempted to remain calm under the suspicion.

"Lords Brandon and Randall, is there any truth in what Alecto says?" Father asked.

"Of course not, your Majesty! This is just lies forced in Lord Alecto's mouth by this spell upon him. I have only ever been loyal to the crown with no ties to such criminal activities!" Brandon answered as confidently as possible.

"Just as Lord Brandon says, I would never taint mine, nor my family's, honor by working with Eight Fingers!" Randall added.

Yet, once the seed of doubt was put into the minds of everyone, it's quite difficult to remove.

Father's gaze flitted between Brandon and Randall before looking over to Alecto, "Alecto, do you have any proof to these claims against either Lord?"

"Yes, King Eight Fingers has many documents of proof stored in King Eight Fingers' office within King Eight Fingers' estate! Lord Brandon was well-known for giving access to his estate as a depot to store numerous amounts of narcotics. He has written off any money he has received for it as payment for 'crops' to evade any suspicion from the kingdom. As for Lord Randall, he would allow Eight Fingers to use his many barns to store slaves before they would be transported across the kingdom to each city. He wrote off any profits he received as livestock."

Father was silent for a few moments of contemplation before announcing, "Guards, take Lords Brandon and Randall into custody until their proof can be determined. As soon as this is done, send investigators to each of their properties to determine if what Alecto says is correct."

Once his commands were given, guards surrounded both accused nobles with their weapons drawn while the pair of nobles looked incredulously at Father. "Your Majesty, you are making a terrible mistake!" Lord Brandon shouted.

"This is all just lies from a spell! We've never done anything of what we're being accused of!" Lord Randall shouted in tandem. Both continued making such pleas and excuses as they were taken out of the throne room and to the royal cells to await their proof of guilt or innocence.

It was hilarious to watch them suffer the humiliation of being dragged from the throne room, just as they so enjoyed trying to humiliate me whenever I proposed a suggestion to Father. Though, truthfully, I really couldn't care less if my suggestions of improving the kingdom were enacted or not. Just the attempt of doing so already improved the public's opinion of me.

It's more about the principle of the matter. They got in my way and tried to humiliate me, so I would relish any tragedy that befell them, just as I would anyone else.

"Your Majesty, are you certain that it is wise to lock up Lords Brandon and Randall like this? These allegations are still currently baseless, and it could imply, even if the thoughts were unfounded, that you are simply using this to get rid of political opponents." Duke Antonio, a bootlicker of Barbro, asked. The man was a young head of house after his father died in the fire that took the whorehouse in the city.

Just like Barbro, he was spoiled and arrogant, with more muscle than brain in his head. His body certainly fit the image with him being well-muscled with a face matching the image one might have of a knight in a fairy tale.

Probably his largest weakness as a newly-made duke was that he lacked perspective on exactly how the world worked. He was one of the nobles in agreement with greatly increasing our army's levies while ignoring the problems the kingdom would face if the farmers and crafters of the kingdom are unable to do their work.

He'll run the dukedom of Re-Lobell into the ground within a decade based on what I've seen of him currently. Well, that's if he even gets the chance to considering that I've predicted that the Baharuth Empire will conquer us even sooner.

I've been drawing up escape plans for myself and my Climb since I first came to the realization of this prediction. I've already been setting aside a fund for that moment along with methods of transport out of the city. From there, I have a few locations set aside which we'd go to based on how the invasion occurs.

Then, I would have my Climb all to myself.

"This is a risk that I must take, Lord Antonio. When I have fully uncovered the truth of the matter, I will make my next move. I don't imprison them just for the protection of the kingdom, but also for the protection of them as well. If these allegations are false, then it will mean that Lords Brandon and Randall have been made the targets of a plot against them and are now in danger." Father reasoned.

I couldn't disagree with how Father's reached this thought process, but I felt that everything Alecto has said has been the truth. It would be too much work otherwise to magically enchant an innocent man to lie about the involvement of multiple people with Eight Fingers. That would require setting up evidence all across the kingdom against high-standing nobles and figures. With an operation that large, it would be exceedingly difficult to keep it quiet, especially with criminals.

Finally, the method of magic used to transport Alecto would require a spellcaster with a great amount of power. I knew this due to making some inquiries to the Magician's Guild under the guise of wishing to 'transport food to the needy in far-off villages'. In actuality, I was singling out methods of escaping the city if it was needed. Sadly, from what I was told, teleportation magic was beyond the skill of most mages in the world. As such, it was a useless prospect.

Still, a spellcaster, like this 'goddess', would be wasting their time and talents in faking their attack on Eight Fingers when they could just actually do it. But with what I know of spellcasters, considering my knowledge of the adventuring group Blue Rose and their spellcaster Evil Eye, the Fox Princess was even stronger.

I guessed this as, even with all of the power Blue Rose had at their disposal, they haven't been able to stomp out Eight Fingers as quickly the Fox Princess has.

But that did bring up an interesting idea on how to capitalize on this unique situation that was literally dropped in the throne room. I could foster further good will among the people by hiring a few adventuring groups to hunt down and finish any Eight Fingers operations still running.

It would take a week or two for news to spread that the leadership of the organization had been captured or killed. From there, chaos would ensue as anyone in Eight Fingers would either remain to continue operations or distances themselves to avoid suffering the same fate as their superiors. There would likely be a two-week reprieve as Eight Fingers tried reorganizing itself and new leadership began to make themselves known.

During this three-week interim, they'd be at their most vulnerable, making it a perfect time to strike at their operations.

I could get a message out to request for adventurers. From there, I could learn about Eight Fingers operations from Father or, if he lacked the required knowledge, from Alecto himself since the man's enchantment seemed to force him to speak the truth about Eight Fingers. I also doubted that any mage Father had summoned could break what afflicted Alecto, otherwise the Fox Princess wouldn't have let him so easily explain his bewitchment to us.

"Allegations or not, shouldn't we try to get Cousin Alecto out of the binds of this throne he's in?" Zanac questioned as he studied Alecto's predicament. Gazef and another guard strode over to Alecto and examined his throne and what bound him, making testing pulls at the gold on Alecto's limbs before ceasing their attempts. Both men turned to Father and shook their heads.

"There are no binds tying Lord Alecto to this throne, my Lords. His limbs have been merged into the gold of the throne." Gazef answered, much to the grim realization of the other nobles in the room. "It would either take magic to undo this, a smith to attempt breaking the metal apart which could result in Lord Alecto limbs being crippled, or the removal of Lord Alecto's limbs."

"That's absolutely horrific." Duke Wyburn Andros Tayle remarked while his face blanched. He was an older man with a portly figure covered in a blue silken shirt, white trousers, fine leather boots that have never touched dirt, and a green coat with golden buttons that were more of a fashion statement considering his coat could never come together over his portly stomach. Duke Wyburn's thinning gray hair was combed over to hide his growing bald spot, only drawing greater attention to it.

He was part of the royalty faction in support of Father. Yet, the one thing I am aware of, which Father is not or just pretends not to be, is that Duke Wyburn is actually in support of Zanac's faction. He's done well to hide it, but I have slowly pieced together his true allegiance through the way he interacts around my brother and the conversations I've overheard.

"My Lord, considering what Lord Alecto said earlier. If it's true, one could consider this to be divine punishment." Gazef stated, the hint of a joke in his tone.

Then again, considering how the nobles here have treated Gazef, arguably one of the reasons the Re-Estize's army has done so well during the continual wars against the Baharuth. He certainly does have reason to find amusement when one of said nobles endured their comeuppance. And yet, even after all of the insults and poor treatment by most of the nobles besides Father, Gazef still managed to remain professional and disciplined throughout.

I could respect him, partially, for that. But really, the main reason for my respect of Gazef Stronoff came from how my Climb looked up to the man as someone to aspire to and emulate. It made me that much happier and more excited when my Climb focused on me with that enhanced dutiful mind of his.

"It's senseless cruelty, Sir Gazef! Regardless of any potential misdeeds, Lord Alecto is of noble lineage and deserves to be treated as such!" Duke Wyburn argued back. "This sorceress that claims to be a goddess should be brought for judgement over her treatment of the distinguished members of our kingdom."

"Duke Wyburn," Marquis Raeven, a man with slicked back blond hair and a cream-colored tunic and trousers, said, "While you are correct that treatment of nobility like this is reprehensible, looking to make enemies of an unknown being, either powerful sorceress or goddess, is not wise at this time. We know very little about the Fox Princess, but I doubt that we can say the same about what she knows of us."

Marquis Raeven was a man whose loyalty constantly seemed to flip between the royalty faction and nobility faction. Yet, the overarching faction he constantly remained tied to was that of the Six Great Nobles. They were a group that held almost 30 percent of the land of the Re-Estize. This made them the most dangerous political faction for Father to butt heads against since they, combined, had more than enough power to cause a civil war. Something which the kingdom could not survive with the Baharuth continually grinding through its forces.

"Do some of us have some, if any, knowledge of this sorceress known as the Fox Princess?" My Father questioned the gathered nobles. I was actually interested in hearing this as her sudden appearance and actions were already helping me, even if she hadn't planned for it.

"I might, your Majesty." Another of the members of the Six Great Nobles, Marquis Blumrush, announced. This drew everyone's attention upon him, not that he showed any issue with it. "I have been hearing a few rumors coming from E-Rantel that one of my merchants told me the other day. It was about a goddess discovered in the Great Forest of Tob who had nine tails and the ears of a fox. It was said that she managed to conjure a mountainous tree in the center of the Great Lake of Tob."

Merchant? I wasn't aware that Marquis Blumrush employed any merchants. That was odd.

"A woman with multiple tails and bestial ears? Is there anything else you were told about this goddess besides her ability to conjure trees?" Duke Wyburn almost seemed to demand from the Marquis.

"Aside from her beauty, she has powerful magic and an army of monstrous foxes at her beck and call." Marquis Blumrush answered.

This made Father's face become fixed into an expression of concern. "Goddess or not, it's immensely concerning to hear talk of an unknown entity amassing an army within my kingdom's borders." Father remarked.

That was when I noticed Barbro's expression transform into a grin as his eyes became filled with some inane plot. Finally, he came to a conclusion and spoke out, "Father, while you sort through the truth of what Cousin Alecto says, why not allow me to take an army of 1,000 through the Great Forest of Tob to uncover the truth of this sorceress? I could also use this excursion to secure our borders to the Baharuth before heading directly north into the forest towards the lake. Besides, you've always shown interest in establishing a presence in the forest, and by taking my troops through it, we can cut down any monster in our path to establish a foothold!"

Quite interesting that Barbro wanted to leave the capital so quickly. Almost like he didn't want to be around the area in case something 'inconvenient' were to be discovered.

Even aside from hastiness, this was very ambitious of my older brother. His plan would also attempt to prove his worth to Father through this grand gesture of responsibility as quickly as possible. This would also do well in overshadowing any attempt that Zanac would make to impress Father. Yet, it was so childish and ill-thought of Barbro.

He severely underestimated the power of mages, just like most every noble here, including Father. Barbro didn't believe the Fox Princess a goddess, nor whatever size and power her army of foxes might be. And that didn't even include the rest of Barbro's plan.

Barbro was spreading his net too wide in an effort to capture glory. He could get all of his men to the border without issue, but marching them up to the forest without any real plan besides cutting his way through any monsters encountered was going to get his troops quickly killed. Barbro knows of the Three Great Rulers of Tob, but he probably assumed that throwing enough troops at the powerful monsters would bring them down.

And that didn't even take into account how Barbro would likely act once he finally met the Fox Princess. His skills at diplomacy left a lot to be desired as he was just as likely to demand the Fox Princess to sleep with him as he was to create diplomatic ties with her. Due to being spoiled, my older brother was used to being given everything he wanted. That mentality would hinder any discussion that might require Barbro to concede something or be denied.

It would be hilarious if he got himself killed after throwing a tantrum to someone stronger than him. Not that I would really care if he did die. I didn't care if any of my family died actually. Well, I would care if Father died since my plans were easier to complete with him still alive.

If he could survive less than two more years from his advanced age or assassination attempt, then I would be fully confident with being independent from him. Father could die then.

"Your proposal does have merit to it." Father admitted, "But would 1,000 men be enough to accomplish this?" Barbro looked pleased at Father's admittance.

"With 2,000 more men, I guarantee that nothing would prevent me from completing this task, Father." Barbro said with a bow. Father considered this for a bit longer before nodding.

"I'll allow it, my son." Father finally allowed.

"Then I shall take my leave at once. I will be back within two months with news of my success!" Saying this, my idiotic elder brother turned around and made his leave, but not before sneering at Alecto as he passed. Soon after, Barbro left the throne room with a flourish of his cape.

Just as I thought that the nobles would go back to interrogating Alecto, Father spoke directly to me, "My daughter, I believe that what will be discussed next with Alecto is not something that should sully your ears."

Overprotective fool! I wanted to know more of Eight Fingers without needing to question Alecto on my own and possibly receiving unneeded questions. I really wanted to tell Father that I didn't need delicate treatment like this, but that wasn't how the Golden Princess persona I've fostered would act.

Instead, I smiled to Father and nodded, "Of course, Father." Though, I did throw out one last attempt for easy access to information before I needed to work for it, "But if you were to fulfill one request from me, would you be willing to tell me if there are any plots from that awful organization which may be affecting the people that I've been aiding? I wish to protect them so, and they have such difficult lives without the cruel shadow of Eight Fingers looming over them."

I heard the chuckling of a few nobles as they listened to my plea. They only saw the innocent princess trying to help those poor innocent commoners, not understanding all the serious topics occurring around her. But the reaction of those nobles didn't matter, only Father's did.

The quirk of Father's lips into that slow smile, followed by the slight twinkle in his eyes told me that the man would do it. He was so easy to read after these many years of doing so. "Yes, dear Renner. I'll inform you about anything that might be harming those you've charitably taken care of."

I gave Father a thankful nod and curtsy, "Thank you so much, Father!" I said as cutely as I could before making my way out of the throne room and past Alecto. I could only wish the man luck since he was most likely going to be a dead man soon enough.

Upon making it outside, I found my Climb waiting for me like the loyal knight he was. "Climb!" I said happily as I ran up to my knight and smiled.

My Climb gave a smile of his own as he gave a quick bow. "Princess Renner, how was the meeting with King Ramposa and the nobles? I saw some commotion occur when a knight ran out, followed a few minutes later by Lord Brandon and Lord Randall being escorted out by guards. Is everything safe for you, my Lady?"

Oh, my Climb has no idea how excited it makes me whenever I hear him refer to me like that!

Putting on the act of a worried girl, I gave a cautious look around us before answering, "I'm not certain, Climb. I fear that it might be best if we discuss this in my study. It worries me."

My Climb took on a serious look as he gave me a nod. His stance also shifted to one that became more protective as my Climb looked around for any hidden threats, "Of course, Princess Renner."

We then walked away from the throne room and towards the grand staircase. During this time, I enjoyed all the attention that my Climb showered me. And yet, that didn't prevent me from noticing the looks that some of the guards and servants gave to my Climb.

They saw him as lesser in comparison to them due to having been taken from the streets as an orphan and given his permanent place at my side. I made certain that any who made insult to my Climb and his humble origins would hear from me. The servants were easy to cow into line. And if they truly displeased me, I could have them kicked out of the palace.

The guards were more difficult as they were stubborn, and Father didn't like to fire any well-trained guard unless there was good reason to. That just made me become more creative in my methods of punishing them.

For instance, I remember early on when my Climb was first being trained as a knight that his instructor was unfairly harsh on him in comparison to the other trainees. It was quite the scandal when some of the crown jewels were discovered to have been 'stolen' by the man.

I felt so awful when I heard that this instructor was executed for the crime of stealing from the royal family. At the very least, the next instructor brought in was much kinder to my Climb.

Just like my Climb would try to protect me from all threats against my life, I, as his mistress, would ensure that he would always be safe and mine.

After enough time, we had finally arrived to my study which was adjacent to my bedroom. My Climb opened the door for me and I walked inside before he followed after me, closing the door behind us. Inside my study, one would find bookcases filling the walls with topics of study that most would not expect a princess to be interested in, like politics, economic studies, farming, and so on.

Multiple lamps lit the seconds of the room that the sunlight coming from massive window behind my desk couldn't reach. Each lamp was crafted with a magical spell of flame imbued into them. This allowed the lamps to stay lit without the need for wick and oil that a normal lamp required.

Throughout the room, scattered within the hollow interiors of a few fake books, were funds and items of value that I kept for emergency. Yet, they didn't compare to the deeds of ownership I had hidden within the secret compartments of my desk.

Each one was to a plot of land, a building, or a business under a hidden name. Unknown to any of my family or the court, I owned two shops that manufactured textiles, a pharmacy, and a smithy within the city. I chose each business because of how widely their individual markets were.

Textiles were always in need by the poor and rich alike. Additionally, I could offload any excess material for charity under my name. My pharmacy had a glut of noble and wealthy customers, which typically produced the most excess income that I could reinvest into my other businesses or pay for any of my altruistic plans when the aid Father gave me wasn't enough.

The smithy probably had the largest number of clients and activity due to being strategically placed near the city's Adventurer's Guild. It didn't make as much usable profit as the pharmacy since the cost of materials was higher, but it did give me an ear to the Adventurer's Guild as they had a wealth of information that my workers could get out of any adventurer that stopped by.

I've spent years making profits from these businesses for the sake of my Climb and his wish to make the Re-Estize better. Yet, the longer I do this, the more I see how futile it is to continue attempting to improve this doomed kingdom. The only reason I haven't ceased my altruistic operations and fully invested in our eventual escape is because it would make my Climb upset.

I would never allow my knight, my Climb, my pet to be unhappy.

"Princess Renner, what happened within the throne room that upset you so?" My Climb was so adorable when he acted worried around me.

"Climb, it is only us here. You can just call me Renner." I said, taking on the appearance of a blushing princess.

My Climb looked cutely flustered before nodding, "I apologize, Renner. It's hard to avoid being formal when I have to maintain proper etiquette in public."

One of these days, soon enough, I would hear him screaming my name just like that in pure ecstasy.

"You never need to apologize to me, Climb." I assured him as I placed my hand on his warm cheek. "But as for your question, a strange act of magic occurred within the throne room earlier. With it, Father's cousin, Lord Alecto, arrived through a dark portal while merged into a golden throne. More chillingly, he was enchanted to reveal that he was being punished by a goddess known as the Fox Princess for his hand in being the leader of Eight Fingers."

My Climb looked shocked as he gently took my hand on his face into both of his. "Renner, are you okay after seeing and hearing such a thing? Is it certain that Lord Alecto was telling the truth?" He asked gently.

"Sadly, I feel in my heart that everything Cousin Alecto has said was real. It's even the reason that Lords Brandon and Randall were escorted out of the throne room by the guards. Cousin Alecto named them directly as actively working for Eight Fingers."

With calculating movement, I changed my expression to that of a distraught princess and pulled my Climb into a hug, "It's just so awful that such powerful nobles so close to my family could be affiliated with that terrible organization." I said with a saddened tone.

I did my best to hide the shiver of excitement I felt when my Climb wrapped his arms around me in an effort to comfort me. "I can't imagine how you must be feeling, Renner. To learn of those nobles being corrupt is terrifying to consider. Is there anything I might be able to do to help you?"

I pulled away from my Climb and changed my expression to one of relief as I met his gaze, "You being here is already of immense help." I relished seeing the small glint of pleasure that mixed with the happiness in his eyes. "But there is one other request that you could perform, which would aid not just myself, but so many other innocent people that are vulnerable to Eight Fingers."

My Climb became filled with a resolve as he looked at me, "Name whatever you may need of me, Renner. I will do everything I can to ensure that it is done."

I loved just how excitable my pet was when I gave him a request, "Thank you, my dear Climb." I said with my sweet tone of appreciation, "I feel that if I am to protect the innocent people of this kingdom, it would be best to bring in, not just the soldiers of the kingdom, but also the enlisted aid of adventurers to raid nearby operations of Eight Fingers before news of not just Alecto's capture, but the capture or deaths of every other leader of Eight Fingers becomes known."

"All of them are captured or dead?" My Climb asked in astonishment.

"Yes. And by the very same goddess that sent Cousin Alecto to the throne room, enchanted to tell the truth." I answered with a nod.

"That's both remarkable and terrifying." My Climb said in a stupefied tone before regaining his faculties, "I'll head straight to the guild to make the request. Is there anyone in particular that you wish to hire?"

"Preferably those that have had experience in dealing with Eight Fingers before. I believe that the group, Blue Rose, is in the city or nearby at the very least. They've had a lot of experience in dealing with Eight Fingers. I just want to make sure that anyone requested for has as little a chance of getting hurt as possible."

"I'll make certain it is done." My Climb said as he broke away from me before giving me a bow.

"Thank you for helping me in this task, my dear Climb." I said with an expression of gratitude.

"Always, Renner." My Climb said before exiting my study and closing the door behind himself.

As soon as he left, I began to slip out of the Golden Princess façade I had been putting up. Then, I heard a voice behind me and to my right by the bookshelves.

"For a princess, you certainly have a varied taste in reading material." The powerful, yet sultry, voice of a woman remarked.

Quickly turning around and backing away in preparation to scream, I found myself looking at a woman in risqué dress of white with a strange conical white hat that was faced towards the bookshelf with one of my tomes in hand. Yet, it was the features I instantly took note of that caused my scream to die in my throat.

Nine golden tails lazily waved behind her while a pair of matching ears stuck out from holes cut near the top of her hat.

This had to be the Fox Princess. But why was she here in my study? Could she have some awareness of my true personality and be here to punish me? No, I don't believe so.

From her actions against Eight Fingers and its leadership, she was too altruistic to allow my true self to outweigh the good I have performed and am still performing. That was even if she was aware of my true self. Another reason for her arrival here could also be due to her wishing to acquire an ally of high status to aid her in whatever endeavor she wishes to achieve.

But I would need to tread lightly before then. For now, I'll continue to maintain my persona as the Golden Princess around her until she gives me reason not to.

"H-How long have you been here?" I asked with a meek voice to let the Fox Princess feel that she had more power in the conversation than what she had already. It would serve to get a measure of her personality.

"Just a little bit before you and your boyfriend got here. You two do make for quite the cute couple." She answered with a teasing tone at the end.

I felt split on the matter. One part of me felt vindicated satisfaction that a person of the Fox Princess' supposed power saw my Climb as rightfully mine. The other part of me was terrified at calculating just what she might possibly be hinting at. Has she been watching me before? If so, for how long?

I will continue to maintain my demeanor as I haven't been called out on it just yet.

"I-I thank you for your kind wo-words." I replied as I changed my expression to shyly look away from the Fox Princess as a blush filled my face.

I got a view of her face as she looked over her shoulder at me with a pair of glowing golden eyes with vertical slits for pupils. A translucent veil covered her lower face, but even then, I could see her smiling at me in amusement.

"Oh, I see that the blushing princess isn't even denying her infatuation. A knight and a princess in love is a very romantic tale, don't you think?" As she said this, the Fox Princess stored away the book before she fully turned to me and began sauntering over, the tall heels of her white boots clicking throughout the room.

One thing I easily took note of, now that I could see her from the front without her tails obscuring it, is that she was very well-figured. Another was her body language which told me how confident she felt, even in the heart of the king's palace. This goddess could very likely kill everyone in this palace and not even break a sweat while doing so. I needed to be very careful.

Finally, she stood before me, studying my form with curiosity and interest. Even if I was acting before, I couldn't help but feel insignificant and helpless in front of her now.

"Climb is just my guardian knight, my Lady." I answered like the good princess would.

"The hormones I could smell coming off the pair of you from that unresolved sexual tension would say otherwise. Please tell me that you're both aware of that, at least?" She asked, which confused me. Why was she continuing to comment on the relationship that my Climb and I had? Was she trying to threaten me with my Climb's life?

"I care for Climb dearly. I believe that he feels similarly to me, but my knight cares about my future more than his own happiness." I answered, playing along to whatever game she was making me go through.

"Is it because your status is too far apart from one another?" The Fox Princess asked with an expression of interest fully visible through her veil.

"Yes. As princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Father, and the other nobles, would never approve of me being in a romantic relationship with a commoner." I answered honestly.

"Interesting." The goddess mused aloud. "Though, if I am to be truly honest, I think that a smart girl like yourself is already looking into ways to change that."

"S-Smart?" I intentionally stammered.

"Considering the books in your library that I can tell were read and that you managed to single-handedly abolish slavery in this kingdom while having relatively little political power? I think that requires a bit more intelligence than a run-of-the-mill person would have. And that doesn't even mention the crackdown against the narcotics being peddled by Eight Fingers that you've been leading." As the Fox Princess said this, I realized that even if the truth of my intelligence has been discovered, that didn't mean my personality was.

I only need to adjust my current façade to match the intelligence while keeping everything else hidden.

Giving her a practiced sigh, I spoke, "You are correct, Fox Princess." She gave me a satisfied smile as I said this, "I've spent years keeping the truth of my true intelligence hidden as acting like a simple and naïve princess with well-meant intentions puts my opponents at ease. I likely could not have accomplished half my charitable works if the nobles with power knew exactly how well I've planned around them."

"You have done admirably in that. Enough so, that the leaders, well, former leaders," The Fox Princess said with a giggle, "of Eight Fingers all wanted you dead. I find that to be quite impressive."

"For a goddess to give me praise, that is an astounding compliment. At least, I believe you are possibly a goddess. But it could also turn out that you are simply a powerful mage that is utilizing a pretentious title to more easily intimidate the nobles that were in the throne room. Yet, I doubt that intimidation was the only reason for your display…" I watched her body language shift at this as her tails no long swayed aimlessly, now all were posed in my direction like an audience whose attention I had captured.

"No, not just intimidation, and neither was it just punishment. You already knew that he'd suffer from the sheer shame and embarrassment he received in combination with his throne and magical compulsion." Keeping an eye on her entire body, the Fox Princess showed all the signs of being receptive to my current assessment, so I continued, "You wanted people to know you did it," A quick twitch from her tails almost made me want to smile, "you needed them to know that you did it."

I've figured her out.

"After all, what is a/goddess without worshippers?" She finished together with me.

A few of her tails slowly began to wag behind her like a dog's would, "Now that is a very neat skill of yours. Anything further you can tell about me with it?" She asked, almost like a child wanting to see a mage perform a simple spell for them.

Before, she had been interested in me for my altruistic actions. Now, she was just purely interested in me as a person

A moment later, a chair of gold appeared behind her and she sat down before provocatively crossing her legs in what seemed to be a habitual manner. A golden chair appeared behind me and I sat down in the offered chair.

Both from what she had said earlier about my Climb and I, and her actions right now in combination with her clothing choice, I could surmise that teasing others was a large habit of her personality. That also meant that she probably wasn't subtly threatening my Climb's life earlier.

"From what I saw in the throne room, you are particularly creative with your punishments, vindictive even. Additionally, with what Alecto was unable to say, I would guess that Eight Fingers did something directly to you which is why you so quickly went after them. Probably within the last month or so since this would've happened earlier considering what I can only guess of your abilities."

"Correct again, Princess Renner." The Fox Princess admitted openly as I couldn't find any lie in her body language, "Eight Fingers did some very heinous things to my eldest daughter. Besides punishing the ones in charge, I want to see the rest of their organization burn." Despite her smiling visage, I saw animalistic rage burn in her eyes before they became calm once again.

It was extremely easy to guess exactly the type of heinous things done to the goddess' daughter. Though I did wonder if her daughter was even a full goddess if she was able to be captured by Eight Fingers? A demigoddess, perhaps? Or adoption is the other possibility.

"Then I have to wonder why you are even here? I doubt that you would have much difficulty in hunting down the operations of Eight Fingers yourself." I questioned, already trying to pin down the full reason for why she was here.

"It would take only a little bit of time and effort for me to do so. I ripped the knowledge from the minds of Eight Fingers' leaders on where all their large-scale operations are. But after reading the minds of all of those despicable animals, I found that they all had one commonality to them. You." A few of her tails pointed at me to emphasize what she said.

"Me? How might I have ended up in the forefronts of the minds of Eight Fingers' leadership?" I already knew the answer.

"You, Princess Renner, the youngest and seemingly politically weakest of your family, managed to take on a kingdom-spanning criminal organization in a way that they all wanted you dead for one reason or another. You are also the only noble that actually has fully tried stopping them. Compare that to your peers who made half-hearted efforts, ignored them, or were even working for them, such as your eldest brother."

I allowed myself to giggle as the goddess gave me a questioning tilt of her head. "From the way that my elder brother, Barbro, acted earlier when Alecto began naming nobles that he was aware of working for them, I had a suspicion. It grew when he swiftly undertook a mission, soon after, that would take him far away from the capital. You just ended up confirming it for me."

The goddess found some amusement in this as she asked, "And you aren't that upset about your brother being part of a criminal organization?"

I would withhold my true feelings about my family and instead give her a half-truth. "My Lady, I was never able to grow close with most of my family as I grew up. In my family, I was already a spare of spares. Barbro was spoiled and cruel, with the most thought given to me is who he could sell me off to for an alliance in marriage. Zanac always held me in contempt because he had suspicions on my true intelligence and saw me as a threat to attaining the throne. At most, he sees me as an ally of convenience."

I was pleased to note that she had now gained a sympathetic expression as I spoke. Beyond altruistic, she's also highly empathetic which made me wonder why that might be the case? Typically, those with vast amounts of power typically would not have a well-developed conscience for those lesser than themselves. This could imply that the Fox Princess was one of the rare few that deviated from that trend or it meant that she wasn't always as powerful as she is now, giving her the ability to understand the weakness of lesser beings from an equalized perspective.

Still, I decided to continue my explanation to her since obtaining the sympathy of a goddess could prove useful in this discussion that we were having, "Both of my sisters had been married off before I could get to know them. Mother died giving birth to me. And Father, while he loves me dearly just as I do him, his duties as king leave him with precious little time for us to spend together."

"I see. A lonely existence where everyone either wants to use you or kill you. And it's fair to assume that you didn't have a lot of friends growing up either?"

"You would be correct in that assumption." I nodded in agreement, "When I was a child, I learned quickly that most children attempting to befriend me were actually after something from me, be it the chance to obtain a proposal for me, getting close to Father and my brothers, attaining wealth and power. They all wanted something, and I was little more than a pawn in their schemes. The servants would never dare try and establish a friendship with me. One of the few positives of my childhood was the development of my ability to read people to see if they planned to use me or not."

I admitted this fairly easily as it allowed me to build further rapport with the goddess. The shifting of her posture as she subconsciously leaned towards me in her chair showed her growing interest in my story.

"In a way, this castle, this kingdom even, has been a sort of prison for me. It was worse before I finally met Climb. I was in the royal carriage taking a tour around the city when I saw this orphaned boy in the streets." I couldn't help but feel nostalgic about the first meeting between my Climb and I, "Normally, we would just pass the homeless orphans by without a word, but then Climb met my gaze with those innocent eyes of his, still untouched by the hardships that he went through."

I can still perfectly recall every detail of those beautiful and innocent eyes that gazed on me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. It gave me an indescribable feeling of power that I had never felt until that day. I no longer cared about any loneliness that I had ever felt as I found something even better than mere companionship.

I had complete and utter devotion. I never wanted that feeling to disappear. I knew I had to permanently have my Climb for myself in not just soul but body as well.

Maintaining the love-struck demeanor of the Golden Princess, I continued, "Something in me knew that I had to help him, so I invited him into my carriage and took him back home to the palace. I fought to make sure he wouldn't be kicked out." I supplemented this by hugging myself and adopting the expression of a blushing maiden, "It was only later that I realized it was love at first sight and I had fully given my heart to my handsome knight!"

"That is adorable to hear!" The Fox Princess said with a giddy excitement for me. Aside from a highly emotional personality, she's also a romantic. "Have you discovered any methods that will allow you to be with Climb?"

I don't believe that she was trying to test my ability to plan, but considering how enthralled she was with my love-life, telling her a few of my ideas would make her more attached to me. And it made her potentially likely to help me in them considering that she was here for some form of aid from me.

"There were a few. One was that Climb and I would elope together," I then took on a tortured expression to endear the Fox Princess to me, "but that idea is hard to stomach and makes me hesitant since I would be abandoning those who would need my help." I really couldn't care less about those people besides how their happiness made my Climb happy. But that wouldn't sound pleasant to the goddess who I was almost completely positive that she didn't know anything of my true personality and just believed me to be an intelligent and kindhearted princess.

"Another was to elevate Climb to the status of nobility in one way or another. This, in turn, would allow me to petition Father to allow our relationship. But it is a faint hope as the other nobles would never accept a commoner-turned-noble being together with me. And they would have more than enough power to force Father to prevent it. I'm not ignorant in the waning influence of Father against the other nobles who would see him deposed. And yet…"

Now, I was going to attempt to gain as much sympathy from this goddess as I could. To do so, I slouched my posture and bowed my head slightly, put my hands in my lap, and forced tears to drip from my eyes, "It just seems so distant a dream for us to truly be together, especially with Father's declining health. I fear that once either of my elder brothers attains the throne, then I will be bartered away in a marriage with Climb taken away from me." I added some sniffling to enhance the act.

I watched as a pair of hands with long, and wickedly sharp, nails, reached over and gently took my hands in their own to comfort me. My eyes also glanced at the ten unique rings of unparalleled craftsmanship that covered each of the hands' fingers. Slowly, I looked up to see that the Fox Princess now had a maternal expression of concern.

Externally, I looked surprised at the goddess' action. But internally, I was pleased to see that my emotional manipulation had worked.

"Please, don't cry, Renner." As she said this, two of her tails gently wiped the tears from my eyes. "What if I told you that your dream of being together with Climb could be made a reality?"

That I would do whatever was asked of me in order to have it.

"Y-You could truly do that for us?" I asked while making myself sound shocked, like I hadn't partially expected this by steering our conversation the way I did.

The Fox Princess nodded with a wide smile on her face, "Not only that. I think that you and Climb would look very cute sitting on a nearby throne together." I found my mind going blank for a moment as any plan I had for what I thought the Fox Princess might do was currently upended.

I surmised, and had proven true, that the goddess was going to enlist my aid in dealing with Eight Fingers along with helping to spread worship of herself. In return, she would probably (now it was confirmed that she would) help me be with my Climb. At most, she'd likely try to rule these lands with me helping her in what ways I could.

Never could I have expected that she wanted to make me queen of the Re-Estize.

"Are you saying that you want me to-"

"-be the queen of this kingdom? Absolutely!" She said without a hint of falsehood, "Based upon all the memories I needed to sort through of the former leaders of Eight Fingers, I learned quite a lot about the politics of this kingdom. For instance, your father, while not the worst king in history, is so ineffectual that his vassals have become too powerful for him to control.

Your brother, Barbro, is a spoiled idiot who doesn't think things through, and is so corruptible that he's been in business dealings with Hilma Cygnaeus for years now. He'll run the country into the ground. As for Zanac, while much smarter than Barbro, will care more for the nobles than he will the commoners which, while greater than Barbro, is still not enough. With all the tenuous alliances he has, he's liable to get assassinated within a few years and someone worse will take his place."

The Fox Princess then, surprisingly, cupped my cheek and looked at me with a kind smile, "But you, Renner? You're smart enough to see the problems of this kingdom and work on fixing them, even with the limited political power and resources you've had. You care about the common people, and have tried to help them on numerous occasions, even going so far as to perform manual labor that most of these nobles wouldn't be caught dead doing. If you can do all of that with only a limited amount of resources, I wonder what you might accomplish with all of them?"

With all the resources of the kingdom? I could make certain that nothing could ever come between my Climb and I. He would be with me forever. And speaking of forever, as a goddess, I think that the Fox Princess might be able to make that a possibility.

Considering the proposal even further, even if I would be forced to continue my charade as the 'Golden Princess', I would have everything that I have ever wanted.

I will admit, the 'Golden Queen' does have a nice ring to it.

And, in public, I'd have my Golden King at my side. Privately, I'd have my Golden Pet under me or inside me. That made me excited.

With a regal tone, making it appear like I would bear this future rulership as a solemn duty, I answered, "I will accept the crown of rulership if it means that Climb and our people will prosper with happy lives."

From the slight quickening of her breathing, the slight dilation of her slitted pupils, and the wagging of all her tails, the Fox Princess was very happy about my answer. "And I will help ensure that you will sit on your throne, Queen Renner."

Oh, I very much like the way that title sounds with my name. Even more when my Climb would call me it amidst the throes of pleasure.

"But, my Lady? If it's not too much to ask, do you have a name beyond the title of the Fox Princess?"

If we were going to be working together for the start of our very long partnership, it would be nice to know what my new goddess' true name was.

The goddess giggled in humor before nodding, "My name is Kashia Blanc, daughter of the goddess, Inari. It's a pleasure to be working with you."

As Kashia said this, I smiled back to her, an amalgam of my true and false personalities, "More than just work for you, Kashia. You are my goddess now, and I, Queen Renner, am your devout worshipper henceforth." I said without any lie. She was giving me everything already, so what more might she give me if I were to fully worship her?

It's funny. Earlier, I contemplated that I needed Father to live for at least two more years. Now, it didn't matter if he dropped dead right this moment. I didn't need him anymore.

Kashia continued smiling as I witnessed a gold chalice manifest in her hand with water. Then, I watched her hold one hand over the water and cut her palm open with the nail of her index finger. With fascination, I watched as glowing golden blood dripped from her hand into the water of the chalice, mixing with it before the water turned a glowing gold as well.

"My followers started this ritual of consuming my blood which gave them all strength. I won't force you to do it if you don't want t-" I didn't let her finished as I gently took the chalice into both of my hands.

More gifts? Then I would take them gladly.

"I already made my choice the moment you promised me a life with Climb." I answered which earned me an accepting look from Kashia as she let go of the chalice.

I would burn the world to ash if someone promised me that I'd have my Climb with me forever! Drinking Kashia's blood was nothing.

With that last thought, I raised the chalice to my lips and quickly consumed every last drop of golden water within.

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Well, managed to hit 700 favorites, so that's pretty cool. Also reach 400k on this story, so that's another milestone to celebrate. See you guys soon.