episode_0079

The dawn when we promised meaning to each other.

Even the night that seemed eternal gave way to sunlight, and the morning of a new day arrived.

“You’re awake.”

“……Mm.”

We woke up from sleep, lying side by side.

Was it cold because the blanket wasn’t pulled up?

The fox had burrowed into my side while sleeping.

Her warm body temperature, soft tail, and even the frank sensation of her flesh pressing against my chest.

The girl, leaning into my embrace, spoke.

“Yesterday… we just fell asleep like that.”

“We were both tired.”

“There was a lot going on, one way or another.”

“Today is going to be even busier than yesterday. We should get up early and prepare.”

“Alright.”

Irene nodded obediently.

It was an immediate answer, but her black eyes hadn’t shaken off the sleep yet.

She was a girl whose appearance was dishevelled from being half-asleep.

I chuckled softly and stroked the fox’s head.

“Hehe.”

“……”

Was it because of her much more docile reaction?

Now, she didn’t resist even when stroked.

She simply accepted my touch quietly.

I suddenly remembered our sharp first encounter.

-I don’t trust humans. I know how despicable and cruel your race is.

-You said you would tame me… but I have no intention of submitting to humans. If such a moment comes, I will bite my tongue and die.

-I am merely following you to protect my siblings.

Hatred, resentment, revenge against humans.

All sorts of negative emotions.

Pupils filled with venom.

The girl rarely let down her guard.

‘At first, I wondered how we’d ever get close…’

I chewed on the idle monologue.

As I continued stroking her head, Irene suddenly moved and grabbed my wrist.

I raised an eyebrow as if asking what was wrong.

“Irene?”

Had I bothered her?

Just as I was about to pull my hand away.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Instead of my head… you can touch my ears.”

The fox said, expressionless.

Immediately after, the girl moved my hand and placed it directly on her perked-up ears.

A soft yet squishy sensation touched my fingertips.

“You kept avoiding them when you stroked my head. It looked uncomfortable.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Hmm.”

I tilted my head.

I had tried to touch them a few times before and been rejected.

While the fox would casually let me touch her tail, as if annoyed, she absolutely refused to let me touch the ears perched on her head.

It was a genuinely displeased reaction.

And I couldn’t just force it.

I had more or less given up, so I didn’t expect her to suddenly allow it.

-From now on, a lot will change.

-The one and only existence to each other.

-Please continue to take care of me.

The conversation from last night, remembered.

Perhaps things had changed starting from the promise we made then.

It might be that a little trust in me had accumulated, allowing her to permit it, albeit belatedly.

I smiled gently.

‘Right… I just needed to approach slowly.’

That’s how taming always is.

Patience was required.

Even when sitting a little apart in the grass, not speaking, looking out of the corner of one’s eye, holding the awkward air and scent, becoming aware of the other’s presence, and thus, drawing closer little by little each day.

When one finally reaches out after a difficult decision, the other won’t run away, as if responding to the time invested.

Perhaps, for me, this was such a moment.

“Then I won’t decline.”

I happily fiddled with the girl’s ears.

They were very thin, yet soft and squishy, with a sensation of gently crinkling their shape that was addictive.

A faint warmth transferred to my fingertips.

The fox, nestled in my arms, was twitching her body.

“Ugh, haa… Hmph.”

Her breathing seemed subtly ragged.

Her cheeks, now flushed red.

Even the hazy focus of her eyes.

Had I touched them too painfully? I asked, worried, but the only reply was that she was fine.

The girl, burying her face, let out heated breaths.

“Don’t, worry… Uh, it’s nothing.”

“Can I continue?”

“……Mm.”

The girl nodded.

I loosened the grip on my hand from before and gently stroked her ear cartilage, as if rubbing it.

The continuous breathing filled the quiet room.

“Haah… Ugh, haa…”

The air, saturated with the scent of skin.

Bodies intertwined as if embracing.

Even our body temperatures, stickily mingling.

We lay on the bed, letting a little more time pass like that.

***

A slightly late morning.

We were finishing preparations to return to the school trip.

As we stood on the open deck, facing the sea breeze, blue sparks suddenly shot up in the air.

Crackling-!

The glittering light soon drew a circle.

Space warped, and a paradox occurred, piercing through distance.

A portal created by ability.

Stepping out from within the shimmering shadows was none other than Lena.

Her long black hair fluttered.

The woman, meeting my gaze, immediately knelt.

“Captain-nim. I have come at your summons.”

“Thank you for coming. We don’t have much time, so let’s start with a quick explanation.”

“Understood.”

Lena, who had flown here immediately upon receiving the telegram.

I calmly summarized the situation.

The woman, who had been listening quietly to the explanation, soon nodded as if she understood.

“So you mean for me to handle the aftermath of this ship. Are the two of you returning to your academy schedule?”

“The school trip isn’t over yet.”

“I will also open a portal for your return. Since I have a memory of visiting Heiron sometime, I should be able to take you to a more precise location.”

“You truly are a capable subordinate.”

As expected, she was a reliable person to have by my side.

When she appeared as an enemy in the original story, there was no opponent as troublesome, but having brought her to my side, her usefulness excelled in various aspects.

Her loyalty, in particular, was also appealing.

It was as if taking in someone who was starving to death on the street had paid off.

A satisfied smile spread across my lips.

“I trust you to handle the detailed processing well on your own.”

“After erasing any remaining records on the ship, I will summon engineers to refurbish it. Its basic performance is excellent, so it seems it will become a useful asset.”

“Good.”

“As for those who were captured as illegal slaves… as we did last time in Belzen, I will first transport them to a hospital to check their condition. Once their identities are somewhat clear, they will be immediately released.”

“Handle them carefully. They are people who suffered unreasonable pain.”

“I will proceed in a way that provides maximum convenience.”

The conversation, sorting out complex procedures.

As the general flow concluded, I lowered my voice and brought up a new topic.

It was about the ill-fated encounter from a few days ago.

“As I said before, it’s quite a complex situation.”

“Unknown… Since the First Sword moved, it’s highly likely that the Monarch’s will was involved. We will investigate the reason for its sudden activity.”

“Please be careful not to let the Vice-Captain-nim hear about the Monarch. It seems her heart might waver in many ways.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Was it because of the mention of Neria?

The woman nodded with a somber expression.

While I held a bitter smile, I also posed a question that had just occurred to me.

“Come to think of it… the Vice-Captain-nim didn’t come with you?”

“She is temporarily away.”

“Hmm?”

“She has been dispatched near the border. A report came in that traces of dark magic were found in that area.”

“There seems to be a lot of news from that region in particular.”

“Recently, the atmosphere among dark mages has been unusual.”

“Oh my~ Does this mean everyone is stirring up trouble? We should start preparing ourselves soon too.”

“I will give separate notice to the squad members.”

“I will join you immediately once my schedule is finished.”

“Understood.”

Lena replied crisply.

After patting her shoulder a few times, I turned my back and stepped onto the deck.

The explanation was over, so it was time to return.

Irene had approached and was now standing by my side.

When I gave a light nod, the woman stretched out her hand into the air, creating a portal that pierced through space once again.

This time, it was a passage leading to the hotel building.

“We’ll be leaving now.”

“I will await you, Captain-nim.”

“Those are pleasant words.”

“Everything according to your will.”

The woman knelt on one knee and murmured.

Her head bowed as if offering worship.

Leaving behind the diligent subordinate who was seeing us off, we moved our feet towards the portal, where sparks surged.

The moment their steps crossed the shadows.

Crackle-!

We were standing in front of the building.

***

We naturally returned to our lodgings.

Although we had deviated from the travel destination for three whole days, there weren’t any particular problems.

Selena had promised to take care of our attendance.

Thanks to that, we could enjoy the rest of the schedule without worry.

“You!”

“Young, Young Master-nim…?”

Of course, we had to face a bit of questioning from those close to us.

We had clearly made plans to go around together, but we hadn’t shown ourselves for several days.

I chuckled awkwardly.

“Haha… I’m ashamed.”

Standing before me were two girls.

The villainess and the protagonist.

“You. Where have you been these past few days?”

“I, I was worried… You weren’t in your room, and I t-tried looking for you, but no one knew where you went, and I thought, w-what if something had happened to you…”

“Even setting aside breaking school rules… it’s alarming when you suddenly disappear! What on earth were you doing for three days?”

“B-But it’s a relief. Since you said it was nothing serious.”

The two welcomed the young man with different reactions.

It seemed I had caused them worry.

I laid out the lie I had prepared.

“I apologize. I was asked by Professor Selena-nim to go somewhere for a bit. I didn’t realize it would take this long.”

“I-I’m fine… I was just worried.”

“Thank you for understanding, Regia.”

“……I wasn’t particularly angry either. It would have just been nice if you had said something before leaving.”

“I will certainly do so next time, Young Lady-nim.”

The girls understood when Selena’s name was brought up.

As expected, perhaps because of her position as head assistant, she could easily get out of such situations by using her supervising professor’s name.

“Let’s move together starting today.”

“You do know today’s the last day of the school trip…?”

“Then we should hurry even more.”

“The, the wind is cool, so I think walking around the b-beach would be nice…!”

“Alright. Then let’s go.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Haa…”

The Pilot, the Vain One, the Snake, the Fox.

The children all walked out of the lodgings together.

Whoosh-.

As we walked along with the blowing wind, the sensation beneath our feet soon changed to sand.

The sea, filled with blue, resembling the sky.

“What splendid weather.”

And so, the children enjoyed the last day of their vacation.