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.

48. Chapter 44

A Vulpine Spanner in the Works

Chapter 44: Tuare Days

---

[Tuare]

---

Day 30:

Tying the strings of my apron behind me, I readied myself for another day of work at Celly's restaurant. It was still a little amusing to me that I now was acquainted with another person who went by the nickname of Celly. I actually really did like Celly as she was kind, fair, and understanding to all of us working here while also able to joke around with us all. It helped that she worked with us unlike a few of the establishments run by nobles who wouldn't dare be seen performing any labor with the commoners.

Celly would typically be seen working at all the different stations of the business when she was needed, such as serving the food or drink, manning the bar, cooking the food, and more. As such, all those working at the restaurant, myself included, did our best to lighten the amount of work that she needed to do every day.

Since starting this job a few weeks ago, I've gotten to know all my fellow coworkers quite well. Aside from myself, there were two others woman who helped to serve the food and drink. The first was a girl near my age, if not slightly older, named Kaalia Colas. She was a pretty girl with red hair and green eyes that was a bit of a chatterbox, not that I minded it. Kaalia always had something interesting to say or some news about the city or the kingdom that she'd come across.

I was a little thankful for all the information that she could give me since with my former enslavement, there was a lot of events of the kingdom that I was unaware about. Even if mom hadn't erased my memories of my time as a slave at my request, I doubt that my former slavers would've given me the chance to even know what was occurring in the kingdom. So, this helped me catch up.

With how much of a gregarious and bubbly personality Kaalia had, it was no wonder that she had become one of my two close friends I made while working here.

The other person I saw as a close friend was a woman named Gabrielle Tanner. She was a beautiful woman with tanned skin, green eyes, and platinum blonde hair held in a bun. She was also a rarely seen half-elf, denoted by her long and pointed ears. Those, she tended to hide in her hair.

While she had a bit of a mysterious history, she was also immensely kind and had been acting as a mentor for me since I first arrived. Gabrielle was very wise which came in the form of the multiple tricks she used to earn tips from the patrons. She had been trying to coax me into doing these tricks, but I was still extremely shy and nervous about attempting them.

The two other members of the staff were our cooks who also doubled as protection for the restaurant due to being a former soldier and a former adventurer. The ex-soldier was named Don and he was Celly's husband. Celly and Don's marriage was slightly odd due to Don having taken Celly's family name due to not having one himself.

He was a large and well-muscled man that not even his slightly large stomach could hide. He was bald, with numerous scars across the top of his head alongside a braided blond beard. As for his eyes, they almost seemed a blood-red. His face gave him quite a thuggish appearance. In addition to this, Don dwarfed everyone in the restaurant, especially Celly, which would intimidate anyone who first saw him and didn't know his personality.

The man was an absolute sweetheart. One could find this out if they were to see how he and Celly acted with one another, such as rubbing noses with one another or giving each other adorable pet names.

Don would always have an ear open for any who wished to talk to someone about their problems or whatever else might be on their minds. I think it helped that he was an extremely good listener alongside his slightly reserved nature.

Finally, the ex-adventurer named Seig Grul, had once been a gold-plate on his way to platinum-plate until some event caused him to retire. He had long black hair that he kept tied behind himself along with matching-colored eyes. He was still well-muscled, but was a lot leaner compared to Don. While he was friendly, Seig had an extremely quiet nature which made him uninclined to speak unless necessary.

Quiet or not, if he knew that one of us needed help, he'd come out of the kitchen immediately to bust heads.

After finally getting ready, Gabrielle spoke up from behind me, "Excited for another day of meeting your boyfriend?" That made me jump before I turned and blushed at the blonde.

"What are you talking about? Saizo's not my boyfriend!" I replied back to her, earning a laugh from both her and Kaalia who just entered.

"You say that, but Gabby didn't even say who it was that she was talking about." Kaalia interjected, making me redden further. "Besides, anyone with eyes can see that you like the guy, especially with how handsome he is."

"Well, he is. But I…" I found myself shutting up as I had fallen into their trap.

"With that being the case, what's stopping you from telling him, it's been weeks at this point?" Gabrielle interrogated, "We all can tell he likes you as well. Sounds like a clear case of you having a case of cold feet."

I groaned in annoyance at the older woman being correct, "A-Actually, I should best be g-getting to work!" I countered while quickly making my way from the back kitchens of the restaurant to the mostly empty tables, aside from one which sat the topic of discussion that I had just managed to escape. Gabrielle and Kaalia were probably laughing right now.

But I took at deep breath and arrived to the table seating the gray-haired man who gave me a wave, "Well, if it isn't my favorite server! Morning, Tuare!" Saizo said, making me smile at his excitable greeting.

"Good morning, Saizo. How are you doing today?" I asked in return while stopping next to where he sat.

"Better, now that you're here!" Saizo replied, making me blush as he said this.

Brushing some of my hair out of my face as I tried to calm myself down, I asked, "W-Will you be having your regular order?" Saizo gave me an enthusiastic nod in reply.

"You bet. I can't go wrong with a meat pie at the start of my day." He replied, and I was about to walk away before he added, "But I also can't go wrong when I have a very pretty server to talk to, either."

Saizo then winked one of his amused green eyes to me, and I felt like steam was about to come out of my ears. "I-I'll g-go grab your food for you. I'll be right back!" Saying this, I swiftly rushed past the tables and through the doors leading to the kitchens. There, I was greeted to Gabrielle and Kaalia looking at me with a set of matching smirks. Additionally, Gabrielle was already holding out a plate with a meat pie on it that was steaming from just being taken out of the kitchen.

"Looks to me that Saizo is growing bolder, and that you seem to be liking it!" The half-elf teased to me.

"…Yes." I admitted in defeat as I walked up to Gabrielle and took the meat pie from her. This earned a laugh from the blonde as she patted my shoulders and turned me around.

Gabrielle then leaned over my shoulder and spoke in my ear, "Then do something about it. You've got more than enough going for you to make a move. So be confident and go for it!" The blonde half-elf playfully swatted me on the butt, earning a surprised squeak from me as I quickly found myself on the other side of the kitchen doors where I could see Saizo looking at me with a grin and a wave.

Taking a breath and steeling myself, I walked ahead through the restaurant that was mostly empty at the moment due to it being early, and arrived at Saizo's table with a smile. "H-Here's your meat pie, Saizo. Hope that you enjoy it!"

I watched him rub his hands together in anticipation before he looked over to me and replied, "Oh, I definitely will, Tuare. But do you wanna know what would make this meat pie even better?"

Blinking at him curiously, I asked, "What might that be?"

"What would make it better is if I knew what a specific pretty server might have planned after she finishes her shift at the restaurant?" He answered with a charming grin. I felt my heart beating quickly as I heard this. He was actually asking me out!

I was likely beet-red as I answered, "M-My shift ends in s-seven hours where I-I'll be free afterwards."

"Then, I hope that you'd do me the honor of allowing me to take you out for dinner?" Saizo asked, which I found myself immediately nodding to. "I'll be excitedly waiting for you to finish your work, my lovely Tuare!"

"So, will I, Saizo!" I said back before quickly running to the kitchen doors and entering to see Gabrielle and Kaalia looking at me with a matching set of grins.

"Looks like your handsome admirer has finally asked you out." Gabrielle remarked with a pat on my shoulder.

"Yeah, he finally did, and I'll have something to look forward to after work today. But I'm a little nervous." I replied as I slowly managed to calm myself down.

"Well, you shouldn't worry since I'm sure you'll have a good time. Besides, Saizo doesn't feel like someone who'd do something uncouth to you." Gabrielle said in an effort to encourage me. I just smiled back and nodded. I shared Gabrielle's opinion on the matter that Saizo didn't at all like someone who might harm me were we to go out to dinner together.

Besides, since Meepo was invisibly protecting me, he would ensure that no harm might befall me. And that was leaving out what mom would do to him if she found out. From what Ninya had seen happen to the monstrous killer, Clementine, I shudder to think what she could do to Saizo.

Kaalia bumped up to me with a sly grin, "And, you'll have to tell us everything that happens after your little get-together. We'll need details!" I giggled at the redhead's enthusiastic request.

"Okay, I'll let both of you know how it goes. You're starting to remind me of how I questioned my mother when she had a romantic night with her lover." I ended with a chuckle at the recollection of how much mom acted like a blushing maiden as she answered all of my questions.

"Oh, your mother, hmm?" Gabrielle said with interest, "You've only ever mentioned your younger sister, Ninya, before."

"She's not mine and Ninya's birth mother since she adopted us. Even so, we both love her regardless." I replied, earning attentive nods from my friends before I added with a mischievous look, "But I will admit that I did enjoy how embarrassed she looked when I questioned her."

I had to make certain that neither mom or Ninya discovered anything about my meeting with Saito tonight. Thankfully, mom has been busy with some project of hers which is taking all day, while Ninya has been fully wrapped up in her magic studies. So, with any luck, neither of them will notice me being out a little longer than usual.

After all, I wanted to delay all the teasing that I know would be coming my way from the two.

"If that's the case, I hope you're prepared to handle our interrogation, Tuare!" Kaalia playfully warned.

Finally, Gabrielle ended our little discussion, "Since we have all of that taken care of, it's time for us to hurry back to work before Celly and the customers notice." Then, the half-elf took Kaalia and I by the shoulders and walked us out into the restaurant to continue our work.

I was happy to notice that Saizo was greatly enjoying his meat pie as he had already gone through half of it. Though, one question I did have is where he even managed to put all of that food? He'd come in almost three times a day for that same order, yet he didn't seem to put on any weight. I wonder what his secret was?

---

My heart thumped in excitement as I exited the restaurant to find Saizo standing at the entrance looking at me with his normal charming grin. Funny enough, it even seemed like he had combed his shaggy gray hair, even if he still looked mostly the same as he normally did.

Saizo held his hand out to me as I got closer, "Happy to see you again, my lovely Tuare. Ready for a fun evening?" He asked, making me smile in kind as I took his hand.

"You only just saw me a few hours ago," I said with a laugh. "But yeah, I'm ready." Saizo then began walking, with me following at his side as I was curious about where he might be leading us.

"That may be true, but one tends to quickly miss the presence of others whose company they enjoy." As he said this, Saizo flashed me another smile that I matched.

"Oh, you missed me that much? I didn't know how great of an effect I had on you." I replied back in a teasing tone.

"Obviously, you underestimate this great power that you have over me! But I'm certain that this is now alleviated with your welcome company." Saizo retorted, earning another laugh from me.

As we continued to make our way down E-Rantel's streets. I could see the lamplighters out that were turning the magical lamps of the city on as the sun steadily lowered in the sky.

"Hey, Saizo, since you obviously know a lot about where I work and what I do, mind telling me a bit about yourself and what you happen to do for work? It makes me curious on what would bring a man from a distant country to the Re-Estize." I pondered as, while he had asked a lot about me during our conversations over the days he's been here, the gray-haired man still seemed so mysterious.

"Is that all, huh? Well, I came to the Re-Estize both because I like to travel and for a job that was being given. I'm not the only one though, since my brother also came as well." Saizo replied, making me interested.

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah, though he might find annoyance with it. I mean, even though we look similar, our personalities are the complete opposites. Yamato has a major stick up his butt and is always 'all work and no play'." Saizo answered.

"And is Yamato also working in the city as well?" I questioned.

"Nah, he got a job up by the forest for something or another. He'd probably be whining and complaining at me if he were here. I'm just happy he's out of my f-hair." Saizo said with relief, even if it did sound like he was about to say something different at the end there.

That made me smile as I thought aloud, "At least Ninya and I aren't like that with one another. We've always been very close with one another, so it's a little strange to hear siblings being so at odds with one another."

Saizo gave me a shrug, "Personality wise, we're like trying to mix oil and water. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't bust some heads were the overly stoic prick to need some help. He'd do the same for me, so that's at least got to count for something."

"That's good to hear." I replied. At the same time, I felt a slight tap against my right calve. It was a pretty regular occurrence as that was Meepo silently letting me know that he was still around since he mostly remained invisible when we were out.

Even if he said that he'd be alright, I did try to leave him some leftovers of the restaurant when no one was looking. The fact that they were gone after I went to check told me that he appreciated the kindness.

"Any idea on where you might be taking us?" I asked curiously as we continued to make our way through the streets.

Saizo gave me a wide grin and then asked, "So, Tuare, have you ever gone dancing before?"

---

[Yuriko, the Guardian Shadow]

---

I watched from afar as the immature idiot of a protector took his ward on the beginnings of a courting ritual. Is Saizo absolutely insane?! This was the Princess' daughter that he was trying this with! His lack of any form of respect towards the stations of the royal family was on the verge of treasonous!

Lady Inari forbid if something were to come of this. Why couldn't Saizo be more like his brother? At least Yamato knew what his place was and could think with the head on his shoulders instead of between his legs.

Hopping over the rooftop to land on the other side so that I could keep stride with the pair, I ensured that I couldn't be noticed by the stupid fox through a mixture of an invisibility spell, a silencing spell, and a scent erasure spell. How was it that a kitsune utterly lacking in decorum like him could attain seven tails whilst I, a humble and loyal servant of the royal family, was still stuck on four? It was almost like a cosmic mockery.

"So, Tuare, have you ever gone dancing before?" Saizo asked Princess Tuare as they neared an establishment that the noise of music could be heard from.

"Sometimes in my village, during the harvest festival, I'd join the others in dancing, but that was years ago. I'm fairly certain that I've lost whatever dancing ability that I once had since that time." Princess Tuare replied, earning a laugh from Saizo.

"Nonsense! You just need a little help remembering how to do it, is all." Saizo retorted as he quickly pulled Princess Tuare after him while she began laughing as they quickly rushed inside the establishment.

"Damnit." I said to myself as I needed to get inside the place without being discovered.

At the same time, I doubted that my large fox form would allow for me to easily maneuver around the crowd that I could see inside the establishment. Great, I'd need to disguise myself as a human.

Shifting my form quickly to my humanoid form and casting [Kitsune Illusion], I put my hair up into a knot and swapped out my traditional clothing of the Realm of Foxes with a more appropriate simple brown skirt and gray shirt with long sleeves. Then, I jumped to the street below, and dispelled my invisibility and silencing spells before entering the same establishment as Saizo and Princess Tuare.

It didn't take long for me to find the idiot spinning around with Princess Tuare as some bards played their lutes and sang. I made certain to hide myself in the crowd so that Saizo wouldn't spot me. Since he rarely saw me in my humanoid form anyway, it would take him a bit of effort to pick me from a crowd if he was actively searching for me.

I didn't allow this to happen and instead maintained a perfect distance that didn't give him the chance to even try. If his sight might fall on me as he and Princess Tuare spun around, I would take cover behind one of the multiple other couples dancing alongside them.

The only silver-lining is that Princess Tuare seemed to be enjoying herself. Other than that, I found myself immensely annoyed at this ignorance of decorum.

"Look at that, Tuare. You had nothing to worry about since you're dancing perfectly!" Saizo complimented whilst Princess Tuare accidentally stepped on his boot.

"Sorry about that!" Princess Tuare apologized before resuming a steady dancing rhythm with Saizo, "Appears that my dancing is not that perfect after all."

"I disagree. To me, it's perfect." Saizo flirted back, earning a massive blush on Princess Tuare's face while my urge to stab the daft fox repeatedly in the kidneys with a knife just grew.

"Thank you, Saizo. Though you don't have to avoid hurting my feeling by being honest." Princess Tuare said in reply.

"But I am being honest, Tuare. To me, you're perfect." Saizo then lowered his head so that his forehead was touching against Princess Tuare's. "Flaws add to that, they don't take it away. In my homeland, we have a traditional way of fixing things, like broken pottery, called kintsugi. Instead of trying to cover up the cracks of what has broken, we use a form of golden glue that helps to highlight these imperfections, making them all the more beautiful."

"Oh…I think I like that." Princess Tuare said as she seemed to hesitate for a moment before her lips got closer to Saizo's, "Just like I like your little flaw of being addicted to meat pies."

"It helps that I get them served to me by a very pretty girl." Saizo added.

"And it helps that the person the pretty girl serves to happens to make her smile and is handsome." Princess Tuare replied.

Saizo then playfully let his eyes look up in thought before asking, "Ah, and who might that be-" He was cut off as Princess Tuare kissed him, making me glare daggers at the back of the absolute moron's head!

After watching them together like this for what felt like an eternity, they finally separated, "I hope that gives a hint." Princess Tuare replied playfully in turn with a giggle.

"More than a hint. I think that just told the entire kingdom." Saizo said with a chuckle, "Yet, if you're giving me a gift like that, it's only fair that I repay said gift with one of my own." He quickly kissed her back while my thoughts turned murderous.

"I liked that gift." Princess Tuare said as they broke apart. "I hope that I can get more of them in the future."

"Absolutely!" Saizo then looked around to see that they were the only ones there not dancing at the moment amongst all the couples, then he looked back to Princess Tuare, "So, my lovely Tuare, would you like to dance some more or shall we go get a bite to eat?"

"Food would be nice. Then, I hope that we could dance a little bit more afterwards." Princess Tuare replied.

"If that's what my Lady would wish, then it shall be!" Saizo said as he took Princess Tuare by the hand and led her through the crowd until they reached the bar and began to order their food. Unfortunately, my path was obstructed by a highly inebriated human man who didn't even bother to try and hide what part of my anatomy that he was looking at.

"Hello, miss. Ain't evah' seen a beauty like you b'fore." He complimented. Much to my annoyance, I needed to continue conversing with the man to avoid drawing any of Saizo's attention. Additionally, I would have to alter my voice slightly, because even if he hasn't seen my humanoid form that often, Saizo would definitely recognize my voice.

Adopting a ditzy expression, I gave the man a smile and had my voice take on a higher falsetto in addition to altering my voice's affect. "Thank you so much for the compliment! I've rarely encountered such an interesting man like you before! What brings you here?" I asked, feeling annoyed at dealing with this drunkard.

My attention was slightly split as I strained my ears to keep track of where Saizo was taking Princess Tuare. From the smell closely mixed with the pair, they had grabbed roasted pork and potatoes. "Ya' know, I'd jus' love to get ta know more 'bout you!" The drunkard said, his voice slurring as he took another swig of his mug of ale. It made my nose almost scrunch in disgust.

Why did the drink of this realm have to be so unrefined? I hope that the Princess and Lady Inari are able to establish a less tenuous connection between the realms soon enough so that we can import our food and drink into this realm. I miss the snow-berry wine that I was able to have whenever I wished.

The wines of this realm were nowhere near the taste that I enjoyed.

"I'd love to know more about a handsome man like you as well. Perhaps we could learn more about each other if you were able to parch my thirst." I replied to him. Just as predicted, a slightly excitable look appeared in his eyes as he nodded.

"Of course! Just wait righ' here an I'll have a cup for ya!" He said quickly through his slurred speech. I gave him an excited nod and watched as he made his way through the crowd to the bar. Too bad for him, I didn't plan to be here when he came back.

Moving from my spot while continuing to ensure that I was out of sight, I pulled my hair out of the knot it was in and shook it free to slightly throw off the drunkard if he attempted to spot me again. Then, I moved into a bit of an alcove that was out of the way but still gave me vision on Princess Tuare and Saizo.

---

[Tuare]

---

As we ate our food, my heart was still pounding in excitement at making my move on Saizo. I hadn't really been planning for that tonight, but I wouldn't dare say that I regretted kissing him. There was something…wild about the man that I found intriguing while in addition to his carefree and playful personality.

"How's the food for you?" Saito asked as he effortlessly tore into the slab of pork on his plate and quickly swallowed it. He was already halfway through the meal, and likely could've already have finished if he wasn't trying to be polite in front of me. In comparison, I was barely a quarter through mine.

Swallowing another piece of pork, I replied, "It's not that bad. Could do with a little more seasoning and salt." I replied and took a sip of the ale next to me. "Drink's not the best or the worst, either."

"I feel relatively the same about it. If I had to guess, most people who come here don't exactly notice how the food tastes after a few cups alongside a dance." Saizo joked in reply, getting a smirk from me as I looked around the room at the revelry along with the patrons, none of which looked sober.

"I'd have to agree." I replied while quickening my eating pace, "But who's to say that we shouldn't join them?" Swallowing another bit of pork and downing it with ale, I was quickly realizing, from the slight fuzziness in my mind, that I was probably a light-weight when it came to drinking. "Up for trying another round of dancing?"

Saizo guffawed at this, "If that's what you want, then who am I to say no!" He returned before increasing his eating pace with me as we prepared to go back onto the dancing floor once more.

---

"How are you holding out, Tuare?" Saizo asked as I stumbled down the street while leaning on the man for support. We'd just left that tavern after spending another hour dancing inside to the performances of the bards before I felt too hot, tired…and tipsy to go on any longer.

"Turns out that I'm a…little susceptible to alcohol." I replied with a giggle as I felt my face redden. "I just hope that Ninya and mom are sleeping right now."

"Why might that be?" Saizo questioned while adjusting his grip to keep me steady.

"Because I'll get sooo~ many questions from them." I answered, earning an amused chuckle from the gray-haired man.

Getting a look from him with a raised eyebrow, Saizo asked, "Want me to try and get you back to your home faster?"

I answered that question with a sly look on my face, "Not that I'm disagreeing, but how would you do that?"

Snickering came from Saizo before he replied, "Like this!" He quickly maneuvered to get me onto his back before scooping my legs off the ground and holding me in place, eliciting a squeal of excitement from me as he swiftly took off down the street, as if unhindered by the weight of carrying me. "Better start picking out directions for me before I just start running in a straight line!"

I laughed while trying to get my bearings until we reached a street that I was familiar with. "Take a left here!" We turned around the corner of the street and quickly sped down it. "Right here!"

Another turn, and I found myself feeling amusement alongside a hint of embarrassment at the people wandering the street watching Saizo run down the streets of E-Rantel carrying me while I pointed out directions. At the same time, I was also having an immense amount of fun right now.

It took a couple of minutes for us to finally make it to the Hero's Respite, ignoring the wrong turn here and there as we did so. When we did, Saizo gently lowered me to the ground, giving me time to find my footing until I felt stable enough to stand by myself. "I hope you enjoyed the ride, pretty lady?"

"I very much did." I replied as we both faced one another now.

"Good to know." Saizo remarked before looking at the inn, "Will you need my help getting to your room in there?" He asked considerately.

"Don't worry, I can take it from here." I said confidently. Then, I stood up and gave Saizo a kiss, "Thanks for the fun night and for taking me home."

"You're welcome, Tuare." Saizo said with a warm smile. "Up to do this again?" I nodded in reply before walking to the doors of the inn.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." I said with a wave, already expecting for the man to be at Celly's restaurant so that he could satisfy his insatiable meat pie addiction.

He gave me a wave back as I entered inside to see the inn filled with the usual gatherings of adventurers and citizens enjoying a hot meal or a drink. I was thankful to not trip into anyone as I made my way past the tables, even if I did stumble once or twice. Morgan gave me a his usual nod as a greeting and I returned it with a small wave before heading to the rooms.

I felt a small tap at my calve, telling me that Meepo was right next to me. "Sorry about if you were forced to keep up with Saizo's running." I apologized to the invisible kobold while arriving before the door to our room.

Please don't let Ninya or mom be awake right now.

"It was no issue for Meepo, Medium Mistress." Meepo replied as I twisted to doorknob and opened the door to see that mom hadn't come back yet. That either meant that she was busy with her project or that she was at a certain someone's place tonight.

We both entered the room and I shut the door behind us. Meepo finally dropped his invisibility and looked up at me with a wagging tail. "For now, Meepo will stay quiet to the Mistress and Tiny Mistress if you do." The kobold said, causing me to smile and nod.

"Thanks, Meepo." I said, leaning over to pat him on the head the way he liked as his tail wagged faster. Straightening back up, the pair of us headed to the door of the sanctuary and entered inside, closing the door behind us as we did. With a deep breath, we headed for the cabin and entered, where I found myself sighing in relief.

Ninya was currently curled up and snoring on the floor with her spellbook still opened to the page that she had been working on. I smiled at the sight before carefully making my way around her to where we kept the blankets and pillows.

Pulling a set out for her, I leaned down to Meepo and whispered, "Mind giving Ninya a pillow and covering her with a blanket? I'd do it myself, but I fear I might do something to wake her."

"Can do, Medium Mistress." Meepo whispered back while taking the pillow and blanket from my hand and heading over to Ninya.

That taken care of, I stumbled over to my bed before collapsing upon and quickly falling asleep.

---

Day 32:

"Ready for another fun night, my lovely Tuare?" Saizo asked me with a smile. I nodded with a grin and took his hand in my own. Then, we were off down the streets once again. It was third time that Saizo had taken me out for dinner. The past two nights, he'd taken me out dancing.

After each time, both Gabrielle and Kaalia had heavily interrogate me on details of what the pair of us had done. I had given the pair as many details as I felt comfortable with, even if Kaalia begged for more. For instance, I'd been tipsy from the drink I had, like I'd been the first time we went out. But thankfully, mom and Ninya had both gone on a job that would take them a few days to complete, so I didn't need to worry about accidentally being caught by either of them.

"What will we be doing tonight?" I asked with a growing curiosity. A gray eyebrow rose with amusement.

"Impatient now, Tuare?" Saizo jokingly asked, "Well, I have a fun little spot for us to go to that isn't far away," Saizo continued before adding, "you aren't afraid of heights, right?"

This only made my curiosity grow, "Not that I know of." I answered. That got a wide grin from the gray-haired man.

"Good to hear!" He said as we slightly hastened our pace. All the while, I couldn't help but wonder what might be in store for me? When we had arrived to the guild district, I could see a lot of people going into the Magician's Guild, most likely as worshippers. Funnily enough, I also witnessed a few of the members of the Church of the Four Great Gods protesting in front of the guild, one of which was a priest.

But that wasn't where we were headed to as we approach the tall building of the Adventurer's Guild. Saizo took us out of the view of everyone before turning to me, "Mind closing your eyes for a moment?"

That earned a raised brow from me. "What for?"

"A surprise. You'll love it, trust me." Saizo reassured me with his hands on my waist.

I giggled at how insistent he was and rolled my eyes before closing them. "Alright, I'll do it, but no funny business." I playfully warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He replied, and a moment later, I felt a breeze in my hair. "You can open your eyes now." As I did, I found that we were no longer on the streets of E-Rantel and were now on the roof of the Adventurer's Guild overlooking the streets and people below.

In addition to this, there was a sheet of cloth laid out beneath our feet while plates of steak, potatoes, and carrots were neatly arranged by lit candles. I quickly looked back to Saizo who was grinning like a fool at my astonishment.

"How did you-"

"Where would the fun be in revealing the trick?" Saizo interrupted while thumbing his nose. I smirked at the taunt, "Now, shall the lovely lady care to join me for an evening rooftop meal?"

"With such an elaborate presentation, it would be rude of me not to." I said before taking a seat in front of one of the plates as Saizo sat down before the other. After that, we began to eat, and I took notice of how good the food was. It tasted as if it had been flavored to perfection and seemed to just crumble in my mouth.

The carrots and potatoes were a perfect blend of sweet and sour which were very filling. As for the wine, it was a sweet flavor that lacked any kind of bitterness. Honestly, I've never tasted anything like it, and this was with all the samplings of wine that Celly let me try since I started working at her restaurant.

Swallowing the food in my mouth, I asked, "Where did this food come from? It's delicious!"

"I've got a friend that knows how to cook, while the snowberry wine is from my homeland. I'm happy to see that you're enjoying it so much." Saizo answered in a happy tone.

"My compliments to your friend." I said and took another sip of wine before adding, "By the way, with what little you've mentioned about it, what is your homeland like?"

The gray-haired man rested his chin in his hand for a moment before replying, "It's a beautiful land full of seas of grassy plains. The skies are always in the state of an aurora while the cities and villages are architectural marvels. Then, there's the food that has so many different varieties and flavors alongside all the wondrous crafts and magics that can be seen just traveling the streets. By all means, we would be a relatively peaceful people if not for the defensive wars we've fought to repel invaders." Saizo's eyes seemed to be lost in his recollection until he finally focused on me once again.

"Yet, even with the hardships my country might go through, almost nothing beats laying on the grass at night and staring at the beautiful sky and its ever-changing patterns." Saizo said with utter sincerity.

"Sounds like a wonderful place to live. I would love to visit it." I remarked at the thought such an intriguing land.

Saizo warmly smiled as I said this, "Who knows? Maybe you might have the chance to do so in the future. I'd love to take you on a personal tour of my hometown of Ishimura to experience all the sights and smells. The people there are famously friendly and welcoming, and you'd no doubt be treated like you were one of their own family with their hospitality." The gray-haired man explained excitedly with a joyous twinkle in his green eyes.

"If that's the case, then you'll have to promise to give me that tour if I ever do go to Ishimura." I said in amusement.

"It's a promise, Tuare." Saizo vowed, earning laughter from me. "So, how have you enjoyed tonight?" Saizo asked while gazing into my eyes, his food completely ignored at this point. It was an action that I shared with him while smiling.

"It's been pretty amazing so far." I replied and leaned closer to him, prompting Saizo to follow suit.

"Good to hear that I've been adequate in providing you a good evening." As this was said, Saizo's face moved closer towards mine as my heartbeat sped up. Just as our lips were about to meet, a golden pillar off in the distance shot up into the sky, ending anything further as Saizo and I were transfixed just looking at the event.

When it had finally ended, I turned to look at Saizo and saw…worry on his face. After a few more moments of what seemed to be silent deliberation for the man, he looked at me and stood up. "I need to get you home, Tuare." Saizo said with utter seriousness.

I quickly joined him in standing up without question as something in the way he acted told me that something was wrong. "Okay."

"Mind closing your eyes again for me?" He asked as he gently grabbed me by the waist. I nodded and complied to find us back on the street a moment later after I was told to open my eyes. From there, Saizo quickly began escorting me down the street as I saw all the commotion occurring from the citizens outside that had just witnessed the pillar.

Additionally, I could see that the Magician's Guild was a hive of activity as people seemed to be entering the doors in a surge. Likely a bunch of curious or scared people who were turning to the only authority in the city that knew about magic.

I didn't get long to observe as we had already passed by and were making a fast pace to the Hero's Respite.

Upon finally arriving, Saito gave me an apologetic kiss before pulling away, "I'm so sorry that our dinner ended so abruptly. I promise that I'll make it up to you."

Giving the gray-haired man an understanding nod, I consoled him, "It's alright. I had a fun time while this lasted and we'll see each other soon enough." That got Saito to smile and I kissed him one more time before walking to the inn.

---

Opening the door to our room with Meepo right beside me, we entered and I closed the door behind me as Meepo dropped his invisibility once again. It was so strange. That golden pillar that shot up from the sky which could be seen from miles around was one thing. Especially with how familiar it felt to me.

But then, there was the way that Saizo seemed spooked. That was something which I had never seen from the man before. He was normally so relaxed and at ease, but that pillar made him immediately take me back home. Did he know something more that I didn't?

Or was he afraid that this random act of magic would be dangerous? Due to how serious he had been, I didn't argue with his decision to take me home, but I would ask him about it tomorrow when I saw him again.

"Good evening, Princess Tuare and Retainer Meepo." The female voice behind me cause me to jump as I turned to Meepo standing protectively in front of me while a woman in an odd blue dress stood in the middle of the room looking at us.

She was quite beautiful, with midnight-blue hair tied into a knot and a pair of blue eyes with slitted pupils. Yet, it was when I took notice of the two additional features at the top of her head consisting of a pair of long fox ears that held a few ringed piercings in them, alongside the four tails which were the same color as her hair, that I knew what she was. Another kitsune.

This kitsune wore a strange blue dress of silk that went to her knees, with a pair of long loose sleeves that held her clawed hands inside them. Her legs were covered in metal guards of black armor at her thighs, knees, and shins while a strange armored footwear covered everything but the claws of her toes that stuck out from openings in the armor.

"W-Who are you?" I asked. The woman seemed to put on a smile, though I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"My name is Yuriko, a devoted servant to your mother, Princess Tuare." Yuriko replied before two of her tails pulled up a pair of chairs, one of which she sat in. "Would you care to sit down? We need to have a chat, your Highness."

Meepo glanced to me with an unspoken question of what I wished to do. After a moment, I gave him a nod and looked back up to Yuriko. "I'm willing to hear you out." I answered as I took the proffered seat and sat down, "But why is it that you need to speak with me?"

"I've planned to have this conversation with you for a while now, all of which has to do with your connection to Princess Kashia alongside your safety." The midnight-blue kitsune explained.

My heart thumped a tad faster at the mention of my safety. "Why would my safety be a concern?" I asked aloud.

"The Princess and your protectors have kept silent about it to spare you any worry, but I feel that you should be aware of dangers to you in addition to a method to help protect yourself. Due to the events of tonight, it only reinforced my belief that we needed to have this conversation now."

Mom's been hiding something from me? "What danger do I need to be aware of?"

"A few weeks prior, a group of monsters of a, currently unknown, faction planned to kidnap and replace with you with a fake for some unknown reason. Were it not for a guardian that had been assigned to you, these monsters would have taken you without issue." Yuriko replied, making me think about how I hadn't even known about this until she told me. Was this plot thwarted while I was working at the restaurant, walking to or from home, while I was at the inn?

Would Meepo have been able to stop it or would he have been killed trying to defend me?

Yuriko was correct when she said that mom kept this knowledge from me to prevent worry. "Because of this, your mother increased protections around you, Princess Ninya, and all others that she is close to. Even if it is to spare you worry, I see this as a detriment that only serves to give threats a greater chance to take you unaware, especially as greater threats will eventually appear." Yuriko continued.

"What other threats could I expect?"

The kitsune's blue eyes hardened for a moment before she answered, "Other beings and factions, some of which shall be gods, will eventually take notice of Princess Kashia. Some of them will be hostile, and shall wish to hurt or control her Highness in any method possible. Princess Ninya and yourself are one such method."

A feeling of guiltiness sprouted in my mind as I considered how much of a liability that made me to mom with this being the case. Unlike Ninya, I didn't know any magic to protect myself, nor did I have any physical skill in combat. At most, I could try running away, for all the good that would do.

I found myself slightly surprised when Yuriko put a hand on my knee in sympathy, causing me to look up to her as she gave me an understanding nod, "There is wisdom in knowing one's own shortcomings, but that doesn't mean that it must be permanent."

"Then how would I even do anything to change it?" I asked, earning a smile from Yuriko as her hand reached into some dark portal and pulled out a glass vial containing a glowing golden liquid inside. From how Ninya had told me about it before, I knew what this was. It was mom's blood.

"Were you to drink this, Princess Tuare, it would give you multiple benefits to make up for your doubts and worries." Yuriko gently handed it to me, and I carefully took the oddly warm vial from her hands and examined it. "You would gain a complete connection with your mother like Princess Ninya currently has, also allowing your mother to more easily find you were you to be in danger. And, it would give you a potential to use magic as compared to now."

So many benefits for essentially no cost. I would be lying if I denied that I hadn't considered the idea of asking to drink mom's blood, once or twice. The thing that always held me back was…

I've never had any history or ability with magic like Ninya has. Really, aside from the people around me, I was extremely mundane in comparison. And then, there was also my hesitation to ask mom for anything when she's already given me so much.

But because Yuriko was just giving this vial of blood to me, there wasn't any need to just ask. Maybe I could be selfish just this once. "Drinking this would truly help my family and I?" I pondered aloud as a hesitant part of my mind still held me back.

"All that and more, your Highness." Yuriko answered for me with a smile while motioning me to drink. I glanced over to Meepo who had been silent since the beginning of this conversation.

The red kobold gave me a nod, "Meepo goes along with whatever choice Medium Mistress makes."

That was all the further confirmation I needed as I pulled the stopper off the vial and drank it. As the warm liquid went down my throat, I felt a pulse of power burst out from me.

My vision darkened for a moment as all my senses left me and I found myself momentarily weightless in a dark void. A moment later the darkness became illuminated by the form of a massive white tree. Just from where I floated, it seemed incomprehensibly large as ten limbs branched off into different directions with what seemed to be entire worlds on the end of each branch.

Then, I felt a pull, and my consciousness was pulled to the tree at a speed I could never even dream of achieving normally. I got closer to the tree as I found myself dragged to an area between two branches where it seemed another, smaller world was held in place by vines and tiny branches.

I grew closer and closer to this tiny world at a speed that caused my vision to blur until I finally breached through to a sea of silver. Moments later, as it seemed like I was about to crash into the ground, I found myself standing on top of a hill covered in silver grass.

And there, a few yards across from me, I saw mom sitting on the grass next to a woman in a strange white dress with long white hair, silver slitted eyes, and a pair of matching white-furred ears and ten tails.

Oddly, it was a feature that mom shared with this woman as mom now had one more golden tail than she did before.

With my eyes flickering between the pair, I could almost assume that they might be sisters. Yet, mom said that she didn't have any living sisters left. That could only mean that I was looking at Inari, the adopted grandmother of Ninya and I.

"Mom?!" I called out, and watched the blonde kitsune turn to look at me in shock and confusion.

"Tuare?!" She replied before rushing onto her feet and running towards me until my vision of her faded.

I found myself sitting in my chair once again looking at Yuriko with surprise as I tried catching my breath after what I saw. "W-What just happened? There was a giant tree, and a hill of silver grass, along with mom and grandma!" I questioned as Meepo was already at my side patting my leg worriedly.

"What you saw, along with what I see now, confirms that your body took to Princess Kashia's blood exceedingly well." Yuriko answered, making me look at her in confusion. She responded by pointing to the nearby mirror.

Giving Meepo a shaky pat on the head to reassure his worries, I stood up from my chair and walked over to the mirror to see that my eyes had changed! Half of the blue in my eyes had been taken over by bright golden rings, just like Ninya's.

My sister had said that those who got eyes like these were known as Maidens by the Order of the Fox Princess. But was that the only thing that changed? "I-I have so many questions." I said while turning to look at the smiling kitsune.

At the same time, my eyes quickly became attuned to the numerous golden motes that floated around the room, with quite a few being emitted from Yuriko's and Meepo's bodies. Some went towards a random direction north-east, others gathered at random areas or floated into me. Yet, all I felt upon them entering me was warmth alongside a…strength that felt hard to explain.

What were these things?

"Sadly, your Highness, I'm not as qualified to answer the questions you have compared to your mother's priestesses. If you wish for more answers, I advise that you go there at the start of the morning. This is all I can currently do for you now, your Highness." Yuriko replied as she stood from her chair and gave me a solemn bow.

A moment later, she vanished before my eyes.

"What will you do, Medium Mistress?" Meepo asked me.

Thinking about it, since mom and Ninya were still off on their job together, I didn't have anyone else to really ask except for those priestesses at the Magician's Guild. I felt slightly wary of this, considering how they forced Ninya to drink mom's blood, but they had been thoroughly reprimanded over it.

Technically, they should be safe to go to. And there was also the protection I had, since besides Meepo, there were some guardians watching over me.

"I need to go to the Magician's Guild." I answered.

---

[Yuriko, the Guardian Shadow]

---

As I arrived on the rooftop of the inn, I was satisfied that Princess Tuare willingly consumed her mother's blood. It prevented me from being forced to resort to a more drastic method of doing so.

With good fortune, the young princess would be able to quickly adapt to the new influx of power coursing through her body. From there, it wo-

I found myself tackled to the roof as angry growls filled my ears. From the smell, I already knew who it was. "Get off of me, Saizo." I said calmly as Saizo held both me and my tails to the roof. I likely could've escaped from his hold, but doing so would cause far too much noise and property destruction.

I was flipped until my back hit the roof and found myself staring at the vulpine form of Saizo baring his fangs to me while both of his paws held my arms down.

"What the fuck did you do, Yuriko?!" The gray-furred kitsune demanded.

"I did my duty to protect the royal family by giving the Princess' blood to Princess Tuare to drink. That's more than can be said about what you're doing by courting the Princess' daughter instead of protecting her." I snapped back, earning further growling from Saizo as he snapped his jaws in an attempt at an intimidation display less than an inch from my eye.

"Just because Tuare and I have been on a few dates together, it does NOT mean I haven't been protecting her, you uptight bitch! And who said that you were allowed to give her the Princess' blood without her permission?"

"The Princess never banned her daughters from consuming her blood, only that they couldn't be forced to. Besides, I hurried things to the logical conclusion as Princess Tuare would've done so sooner or later." I replied calmly.

"We have no idea how Tuare could react to consuming the Princess' blood considering that she isn't a mage in the first place alongside the fact that the Princess just ascended and has become a full goddess! Goddesses like her run on conceptualizations and there's no telling what may happen with a magic goddess' adopted daughter who couldn't use magic until now!"

"She will be fine, you idiot!" I spat back to the buffoon as I had already predicted how she might react, especially now that she has consumed the Princess' blood and I saw how she took to it with my own eyes, "You're letting your emotions get the better of you because you decided to get romantically attached to her instead of following your duty which was to watch and protect her! Now, kindly get off me."

Saizo maintained a glare on me for a little longer before he finally let up and padded away from me, "Princess Kashia will hear about this when she returns. Stay away from my Tuare until then."

Standing back on my feet and brushing any dirt off of my kimono, I glared at the gray kitsune. "And you think that the Princess won't hear about you fraternizing with her daughter? Which sounds worse; me adding needed protections for her eldest daughter or you trying to bed her? Besides, I wasn't the only guardian of E-Rantel who was thinking of what I just did."

That made Saizo pause as he looked at me before giving a huff, "Whatever. We'll find out what happens when the time comes."

"Have you even bothered to inform Princess Tuare that you're not human?" I gave one more shot back as I readied myself to leave.

"Good night, Yuriko." The idiot growled back to me, signaling me to take my leave as he maintained his watchful vigil. No doubt the other guardians nearby heard our argument, though I was quite certain that all of them agreed with me.

At this point, it didn't matter. Like Saizo said, we'll find out what will happen when the time comes.

---

[Tuare]

---

Day 33:

Since both Ninya and mom were still gone, it was a little quieter this morning as I readied myself for the day. A large bout of nervousness and anxiety filled my stomach as I thought about the events of last night.

I drank mom's blood and was changed because of it. Now, I needed to get answers that only one group had which I could currently reach. The Magician's Guild was to be my first stop of the day. Thankfully, I was off work for today from the restaurant, but that brought with it other issues.

My eyes being changed was extremely noticeable by anyone who looked at me. It didn't help that in addition to being gold, they were also glowing. I'd need some method to deal with that before I went to work tomorrow and started getting questions about it. Meepo might have a solution for me, but I would do that after I finished this business. I didn't want to hide my eyes from the worshippers at the guild.

As I walked down the mostly empty street, I could only spot a few people out an about at the early dawn. Most of those consisted of the city guard.

What was so strange to me as I walked were those golden motes that seemed to travel from multiple buildings towards the same direction I went, if they hadn't gone north-east or into my body. That sensation was still so strange to me.

It wasn't bad, actually, it felt pretty nice. It's just that I wasn't used to feeling a constant warming comfort from just walking around due to whatever magic this was.

Just another question to the growing stack I already had.

"Meepo asks if Medium Mistress is certain about this?" Meepo asked as he walked by my side invisibly.

"Yes. This is something that I have to do with mom and Ninya still gone." I replied calmly, unworried that anyone might see me talking to the invisible kobold. Though, he wasn't exactly invisible to me because of the golden motes constantly being emitted from his body which not even invisibility could hide.

"Then Meepo will keep Medium Mistress safe as she does this."

I smiled at Meepo's promise. "Thank you."

Not long after, we found ourselves standing before the steps leading up to the guild. The stone walls of the guild's building were completely covered in those motes, turning it gold as more motes continued to converge onto it, making the building seem more like some mythical beacon than a guild of mages. All the while, I felt reminded of a blizzard of snow from all the gold that fell around me or went into me.

As I continued up the steps, I received a better look at the petrified form of E-Rantel's high priestess, Verona Margrost. It was an ominous feeling to know that the woman was still alive in this imprisonment, just unable to do anything but stand there.

At the base of the pedestal that she was bound to, I saw numerous symbols and effigies dedicated to the Four Great Gods that were either a way to honor or mourn her. I couldn't muster up much sympathy for the woman considering how she had apparently tried to murder everyone in the Magician's Guild due to a difference in religion.

Looking away from the statue, I was about to continue my trek when the voice of a woman spoke to from ahead of me. "High Priestess Tuare, it is my honor to welcome you to the Magician's Guild!"

Looking up ahead, I saw a woman in a white outfit similar to mom's goddess outfit approaching Meepo and I. What astonished me were the number of golden motes that covered her outfit and body or swirled around and into her like a storm.

"Who are you? And how do you know who I am?" I asked, suspecting that she might know who I was if she already knew Ninya.

"I am Priestess Evelyn, and I know of you, High Priestess Tuare. It would be a failing as my duties to my Lady to not know who Her daughters were." Evelyn answered, allowing me to recall that she was specifically the one that had forced Ninya to drink mom's blood. It made me slightly wary of her, but I tried calming myself with the knowledge that she, and the rest of the mages, had been personally warned by mom to not try any of their extreme behaviors again. That, and I had multiple protections in place against anything bad that she could possibly try.

But I had to keep in mind that I'm here because I wanted answers, not so that I could pick a fight… Even if I did have some personal opinions on my mind that I'd love to just tell the redhead right now. "I'm here because I have a few questions that I need answered." I told her.

"Of course." Evelyn said with a bow, "While I might not understand how it happened, you have become connected to the Fox Princess. If She has not informed you of all the changes that have occurred to you, then us Maidens are obligated to help you in Her stead. Especially one that appears to lack any mage background that we are aware of."

"You are correct about my lack of a mage background. All of this is exceedingly new to me, and because mom and Ninya are currently away, the Magician's Guild is my only resource I can go to." I confirmed.

"I can understand any of the hesitation you might be feeling by coming to the Magician's Guild and the Order due to our previous overzealous interaction with High Priestess Ninya. We thoroughly regret our callous disregard for her opinion in the matter and have done much to change our ways and atone." Evelyn apologized with deep sincerity. That was a little surprising to hear come from the woman, but the thought behind it was appreciated.

"While I may not fully forgive you, I appreciate your apology." I replied, earning a smile from the woman that I was able to see through all the golden motes that covered her veil.

"One question that I do have, High Priestess, is if you're aware that there is someone invisibly following you?" Evelyn asked while pointing to Meepo.

So, she can see him as well. Then again, since I could see those motes coming off his invisible body, that it had to mean that she could as well. "Yes, he's my protector." I answered.

"That is good to hear." Evelyn said in relief, "High Priestess Tuare, I desperately wish that I, myself, could tell you about your changes, I have little time myself to do so. But if you were to come inside, two of the other Maiden within the Magician's Guild will be able to tell you everything that you want or need to know."

I nodded in reply, "I'm willing to do so." Evelyn then gestured me to the entrance of the guild and I began walking to it, with Meepo silently at my side while Evelyn walked with my as soon as I passed her. She opened the door to the guild for me, and I stepped in to see two more women standing a few feet ahead that were dressed just as Evelyn was, with golden motes covering and surrounding them just like her.

"High Priestess Tuare, this is Maya," Evelyn pointed to a woman with blue hair, "and Liesa." She then motioned to the woman with black hair. "They will be the ones to tell you everything that you wish to know."

With how all of them were waiting here, I had to ask, "Were all of you expecting me to come here this morning?"

"Yes, High Priestess Tuare." Liesa replied, "All of us Maidens know when another has ascended to our status. This was in addition to one of our Lady's servants informing us of your arrival today." I see, so Yuriko to let them know ahead of time that I'd be coming.

"That's good to know." I remarked.

"If you may, High Priestess, can you please follow us?" The black-haired priestess, Liesa, asked as she gently took me by one hand while the blue-haired woman, Maya, took me by the other and led me through the Magician's Guild as multiple mages all bowed before us in respect as we passed.

I noticed how those gold particles seemed to flow out of them as we did, either floating towards me before entering my body, the same being said for Maya and Liesa, or they floated off into a random direction.

Yet, we didn't have much time to examine the phenomenon as the priestesses brought me up the stairs and into a room.

I was surprised to say the least as I looked at a large statue of mom dressed in that goddess guise of hers. In addition to this, I could also see so many of those golden particles floating around the statue, clustering onto it, or floating away. "So, what is it that we're doing?" I asked a little nervously.

"We shall perform your fitting and dressing for your ceremonial dress, High Priestess Tuare. After all, it wouldn't do for the daughter of our Goddess to be dressed in anything less." Liesa replied just as we went behind a changing screen where I could already see multiple sets of those white ceremonial dresses already created, with more likely stored away.

This guess was proven correct when Liesa let go of my hand to walk over to a chest that she opened up and pulled out one of the two outfits stored in there. What I found strange about these two outfits were the golden motes of energy that just seemed to cover and permeate them, turning them a pure gold, even if I somehow knew that these clothes were actually white. At the same time that this happened, Maya was already undressing me, and I thought about if I should stop her. But then, the thought came over me one how I might look dressed similarly to mom?

It wouldn't hurt to try.

Putting on the underclothes, followed by the dress, a soothing warmth seemed to enter me the second the dress touched my skin. I noticed how, in comparison to the dresses that the normal priestesses wore, this one was edged in gold while the symbol of a blue flame with nine golden rays on the front of all of the other dresses also had a golden circle in the center of it. To be honest, I found myself blushing at how revealing this outfit was, especially when the red-haired priestess, Evelyn, entered the room and began praying to the statue of mom.

"Could you straighten out your arms and raise them, please, High Priestess?" Maya asked. I complied as she slid the mote-covered and saturated white sleeves edged in gold up my arms before tying them in place, causing the golden motes on the cloth to jump about like disturbed snow before they settled on the cloth and my skin once more.

Following this, a translucent white veil edged in gold was brought to my face, allowing me to see all the golden motes caught on the material, making it look in this Priestess-Sight like a thick cloth of pure gold. It was soon tied in place by Liesa. I found myself inhaling entire mouthfuls of these golden motes on the veil which continued replenishing as more took their place. Yet my breathing wasn't being impacted by them nor did my mouth feel like it was being filled by the motes. In fact, as the warmth of the energy created by those golden motes went down my throat, my breathing felt even easier, stronger almost, along with the rest of my body.

Still, it was a bit of a strange feeling to have this cloth slightly flutter on my face whenever I exhaled, but apparently both mom and the priestesses were able to get used to it easily enough.

My eyes glanced over to see golden particles coming off of the statue before they surrounded and entered Evelyn. Then she looked over to me and smiled before walking away from mom's statue and out the door of the room. Why was it that those particles entered her like that?

Maya took me out of my thoughts as she tied a long strip of golden cloth against my waist before letting the loose ends fall to the front of my dress. To finish the process, a conical white hat edged in gold was placed on my head before a pair of golden heeled sandals were put at my feet which I stepped into.

Liesa then took my hand with a smile under her veil and led me to a mirror allowing me to see how I looked in these clothes. It was strange to see how different I looked compared to my normal clothes. My glowing golden eyes added to how I looked, giving me a striking appearance. Then, I took a pose or two, considering what Saizo might think were he to see me right now?

"You look very beautiful, High Priestess Tuare. Just like your mother, the Fox Princess." Liesa complimented me, making me think that I really did look like that. "We pray that, one day, High Priestess Ninya will allow us to garb her as we did you."

"Yeah, Ninya would definitely look cute dressed like this, though I think she'd be a little too shy to even attempt it." I said with an amused giggle.

"For what reason would High Priestess Ninya need to be shy? She is, like you, one of our Lady's daughters. She deserves to be clothed in the finest gold and silks for that alone." Maya asked curiously while I felt a small amount of embarrassment at being told what she thinks Ninya and I deserve.

"Ninya isn't the most confident about her appearance. And with how revealing this outfit is, she'd be very hesitant about wearing anything like it." I replied.

That earned a giggle from Liesa, "I wouldn't worry much about the confidence High Priestess Ninya may feel for wearing these holy vestments. A few of your mother's Maidens were shy at first, but they quickly grew out of that."

"I see." I remarked before asking, "So, Liesa, is there a reason for these golden motes everywhere that seem to cling to me? For instance, they're all over us and what we're wearing along with mom's statue." I pointed over to said, mostly golden, statue.

"Priestess Evelyn has left us much to teach you, but that is something that most Maidens end up asking upon their ascension." Liesa said with a nod of understanding, "From what we have discovered after enough study, it is the accumulated worship of the Fox Princess in the form of mana only visible to those who have been chose as Her Maidens. While they do float away to wherever our Lady may be, quite recently, they have also started to gather upon objects of great worship."

"And clothes are one of said objects of worship?"

Both Liesa and Maya nodded together, "Us Maidens have prayed upon these ceremonial vestments in addition to blessing them with the holy elixir. As such, they are as worthy as these mortal hands can produce for the daughters of our Lady." Liesa elaborated.

That elixir was mom's blood. And yet, even with the macabre knowledge that mom's blood had been used in the creation of these clothes, it didn't take away from how comfortable they felt.

Taking another glance at the mirror, I couldn't help but wonder if my eyes looked more gold than they had a minute ago? Maybe it was just me seeing things.

"As for us Maidens, much of the worship towards our Lady is directed through us. In essence, we are all walking objects of worship towards your mother, especially you and your sister." Maya explained.

It felt odd to hear that I was the equivalent to the idols I'd see at the tiny temple in my home village. "And does that do anything to us? I've seen this golden mana entering me, which you say is from worship."

"From what we Maidens have surmised, it increases our reserves of mana beyond that of those who normally take in our Lady's blood in addition to enhancing the power of our magic." Maya said.

"Is there a limit to this enhancement?"

"Not that we know of. But it does take time for its effects upon our bodies to become noticeable. At least, in comparison to you considering how much the holy mana is being absorbed into your body since it is considerably higher with you than it is with us." Maya replied and added, "I surmise that it may be a long time before we find any limits to this process considering the rate it takes."

Wonder why that must be? Is it because of how close I am to mom? And would the same process be occurring with Ninya as well? Those questions would have to be saved for them when they got back. I decided to turn to a different, but related, question.

"What about the blood that everyone else consumes? Does it follow the same process that we are going through?" I asked.

"Not exactly. While the Fox Princess' blood increases their mana and the strength of their spells, there is a limit to it. What we have discovered is that there are diminishing returns if our Lady's blood is taken too often." Maya replied before making a silent prayer that caused a small cloud of this holy mana to emit from her body and float away, "I believe it's our Lady's way of trying to prevent us from being reliant upon Her for power.

Her teachings when She arrived at the guild said that She saw us like Her children, and wished for us to grow strong and be better. Like any parent, the Fox Princess nurtures and helps us to grow. But She also wishes for us to find our own path and not become reliant upon her like a crutch, while also utilizing what gifts She gives us to help others."

I found myself smiling at what Maya said. To be honest, that is something that mom would want. I know that mom has mentioned that she is still worried that this Order might misinterpret what she says, which is why she has been keeping a closer eye on them. But this is probably one of those interpretations that she would actually like.

"That's something mom would be happy to hear." I said, voicing my thoughts to the two priestesses, earning happy looks from them.

"Thank you for those kind words, High Priestess Tuare." Liesa said appreciatively. Then, she gently took my hand in her own, "Shall we show you around the Magician's Guild now, High Priestess?"

Liesa's question made me feel a little bit of panic and nervousness at the thought of others seeing me like this. It's one thing for just these two and Meepo, lurking invisibly by the doorway to make certain that I was safe, to see me like this. But for the public to do so?

"A-Are you certain about that? Maybe I should change back to my normal clothes if we did this." I said with hesitation clear in my voice.

"It will be fine, High Priestess Tuare. You look perfect, and none will say anything in disagreement within the halls of this guild." Liesa said in reassurance. I didn't exactly feel fully confident at hearing this, but I let the woman pull me along with her, apprehension still clear in my mind. Funny that I was acting like Ninya had a few weeks ago.

Just as Liesa opened the door to the room, I found myself feeling a mixture of surprise, shock, nervousness, and embarrassment at the familiar gray-haired man who stood at the doorway with a lazy grin and a wave, "Tuare, can we speak privately for a bit?" Saizo asked.

---

After Saizo's appearance, I convinced Liesa and Maya to let me go with him, to which the pair had been kind enough to give us a spare meeting room of the guild where the pair of us could speak. I was still immensely surprised on how he had even known that I would be here. Was he also a worshipper of mom and had just spotted my arrival at the guild while he'd been here?

Once we had been left alone in the room with the door closed behind us, with even Meepo opting to remain outside instead of following us into the room like he normally would, Saizo was quiet as he gave me an appreciative look. I took off the hat and veil I was wearing and set them on the table.

"How did you even know I was here?" I found myself blurting out.

Saizo was quiet for a moment as he approached me, then he replied, "It's part of the reason that I wanted to speak to you…"

I watched as an inner conflict filled Saizo's face as he contemplated what he further wanted to say. Putting a hand to his cheek, I gave him a smile, "If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I'll listen." Saizo gave me a soft smirk and rested his forehead against mine.

"It's nice to hear you say that. And there's a lot that I have to say to you, but just know that the first thing I have to tell say is that I really like you a lot." Saizo began, getting a giggle from me as I kissed him on the lips.

"And I feel the same way." I said back.

"The second thing I have to say is that I haven't been fully honest with you." I was about to ask what he meant by that until I watched his, once round, pupils suddenly turn into slits. There was movement out of the corner of my eyes, and when I went to look, I saw multiple gray-furred tails swaying around us. "I'm a little furrier than you expected."

It took me a moment to process this before I burst out laughing. "Even when trying to be serious, you still make jokes!" I remarked as I now knew that he was a kitsune.

"If there's any positive trait one could say I have, it's my consistency." Saizo admitted with a chuckle, "And before you ask, I planned to tell you about this eventually, just wasn't exactly sure on when to do so or how you might react."

"I get it. But now I need to know if the man I've been interacting with the past few weeks is real or not?" That was a question that did worry me. Was everything he had told be during all of our talks a lie?

As I ruminated on this, I felt Saizo gently lift my chin up so that I could look at him, "The only lies I told you were mostly ones of omission. My name is Saizo and I'm a seven-tailed kitsune. I have an annoying brother, my hometown is Ishimura in the Realm of Foxes, and I was brought to this realm by your mother to protect you. That's something I've personally really enjoyed."

My thoughts went back to yesterday and when Yuriko had told me that I'd been protected from a kidnapping attempt. Hearing what Saizo said now, I wondered, "Were you the one that stopped the kidnapping attempt that Yuriko told me about?"

"Guilty as charged." Saizo admitted with a grin. Without much thought, I pulled him into a kiss and we remained like that until we needed to catch our breaths. "Not that I mind, but what was that for?"

"Just a way of thanking my rescuer, even if I didn't know about it until recently." I answered.

"You're welcome, but what kind of protector would I be if I let anyone nefarious take you under my watch? And that was before I began falling in love with you." Saizo said with a measure of pride as a smile broke out on his face. "But that also leads up to the last two things I have to tell you."

"And what would those be?"

Saizo's expression turned into a wry grin, "I am definitely going to die once Princess Kashia returns. It's a 50-50 that she is either fine with us or that my pelt is going to be mounted on a wall."

Now that made me break out in laughter, "Mom's not going to kill you, I won't let her." I reassured the worried kitsune.

"Regardless of dying or not, that leads to the final thing I have to tell you. You really fill out that priestess outfit well." My face was crimson when Saizo said that.

"Y-You think so?" I asked a little shyly. Saizo pulled me in by the waist until I was against his body.

"I know so." He huskily whispered into my ear. Moments after that, we both began kissing one another again.

---

Day 37:

Since the day that I had gone to the Magician's Guild for answers, my daily schedule had altered. I still went to work at Celly's restaurant during the day, and Meepo had been helpful in giving me a magical ring that could disguise the glowing gold in my eyes so as to not cause any alarm amongst my friends and coworkers. But my nights had been spent with Saizo or observing what Maya and Liesa did at the guild.

I observed their rituals, which didn't seem as extreme compared to what Ninya had witnessed before. They would make a few prayers to mom, drink from a chalice filled with her blood, something which I still found a little grotesque even if I had done so myself, and then read scripture that was more like instructions for casting spells.

If there was one creepy thing I had to take note of during this entire process, it would have to be the large bowl that Liesa or Maya would scoop out mom's blood out of. It was held up by the arms of a metal statue in the crude shape of a man prostrating before the entire congregation. The entire statue was seamless, if not for the pair of eyeholes that I was able to see a pair of human eyes within.

When I had asked Liesa about it, she told me that it was a punishment inflicted by mom on a murderer. I avoided asking any further questions about it, especially because of how…dark and angry the statue felt to me.

Statue aside, I did find a few things about the Order which I liked. They had been doing a lot of charity work, by healing all those who came to the Magician's Guild for free. As they were still learning from the book of healing spells that mom gave them, they were only able to help others with healing potions. And yet, that was still more than enough to bring people to the guild more often than they went to the Church.

As for my potential to learn magic, Liesa and Maya had both offered to teach me as soon as I wished. Yet, I delayed learning any magic until mom and Ninya finally returned to E-Rantel with the others. Since one was a magical goddess and the other was her student, it would probably be best to learn from them.

All of this led up to right now. I didn't have work today, neither was I heading to the Magician's Guild. Instead, Saizo and I were having a relaxed day in the Sanctuary while Meepo was doing some work on the lower floors of the magical realm.

We were out in the garden laying on an empty spot of grass talking to each other…among other things. I was currently resting on a few of his tails like comfortable pillows.

"-and with a final clash, I finally slew the terrible wyrm that terrorized the village of Winterfable. The people of the village were so appreciative that they made me a small feast utilizing meat from the wyrm." Saizo told me while a hungry look appeared in his eyes while his mouth slightly watered, "Trust me when I say that Migardian Wyrm meat is absolutely delicious. I think it has to do with the fires they produce being infused into their flesh, making any dish using it have an amazing warmth that could keep you toasty in the midst of a terrible winter."

Since I wanted to know more about Saizo, I was having him tell me more about himself and his history. He'd been quite enthused to elaborate about the many different adventurers he'd undertaken back in his home.

"Of course, you'd be utterly enthralled recalling food in your story." I teased with amusement. Something I learned quickly about the kitsune was his adventurous pallet and love of good food.

Saizo used his tails under me to roll me until I was resting on top of his chest, "It was a very good meal, Tuare. Even if an adventure might not be good; either it ended terribly or the road getting to the conclusion was unpleasant, the memory of good food lasts forever to me." The gray-haired kitsune answered. I smiled at the mentality.

"That's an interesting mindset to have. Was it always like this for you or did you embrace the mindset later on?" I asked with interest.

Saizo smirked, even if it didn't fully reach his eyes, "Not always. It was during the war the Realm of Foxes had with the dwarves of Svartalfheim that I changed. The war was terrible, with friends and loved ones dying or being taken away during the course of it. It was after a terrible battle, one which put me on the verge of snapping, that my commanding officer, Yuudai, gave me advice that has stuck with me for all these years since."

The look I saw in Saizo's eyes was the same that I remembered many of the older war veterans had as they recalled the memories of their battles on the Katze Plains. It was one that had seen so much and was so tired. It was so odd to see it on Saizo's youthful face. "What was that?" I asked.

"Find at least one good thing which happened that day and latch onto it." Saizo replied as the tiredness slightly cleared his eyes, "With all that I'd gone through on that day, the only thing that came to mind was how the breakfast we had that morning was very good. Next day, after another battle, I recalled that we were given extra potatoes with breakfast. Each day, I kept myself from breaking by choosing that one good thing, and most of the time it was food."

"I'm sorry that you needed to go through all of that." I said with sincerity. Saizo warmly smiled at me before cupping the side of my face with his hand before brushing his thumb against my cheek.

"It's ancient history for me now, but I appreciate the thought, so thank you." Saizo said warmly, "Besides, since then, I've been able to find more than a single good thing for each day. For instance, laying on the ground with you, just talking to each other, has been a good moment today."

My heart slightly sped up hearing this before I smiled. "How about I give you another good moment today?" I asked before kissing the kitsune and eventually separating. Saizo's tails wagged as his eyes became brighter.

"That's definitely another good moment today." He replied before kissing me back. We continued like this for a while longer until he suddenly separated as his ears twitched. "Shit." He said before looking away to the side.

I followed his gaze as the door to the Sanctuary opened and mom and Ninya both entered and looked at us in shock due to the compromising position that Saizo and I were in…