🦊 🦊 🦊
JANUS was waiting for us inside the castle. He and Embert had a meeting with the Prince of Bragioga coming up. The two men offered to carry me back to my room, as they were worried about leaving me alone. However, I declined their offer and opted to wander around by myself.
My friends were exploring the city, and Custode had returned to his volcano. Thus, I decided to roam the castle since I had nothing but free time on my hands. Past the courtyard, I found a large pond. Past the pond, I found a villa detached from the castle. Somewhat intrigued, I wandered around the area. Apparently, people lived there since I spotted servants working the grounds. Despite being mildly curious about the residents, I turned around without investigating further. In the end, I circled the pond in the opposite direction from which I came.
Seriously, how long am I going to stay a fox? I grumbled to myself. I don’t have anyone to talk to without Custode around. It’s boring me senseless.
As I continued walking, I caught voices in the air. What could that be? I wondered casually, heading in their direction. Before long, I stumbled upon a gazebo on the edge of the pond, where two men were speaking. At a glance, the man in front wore the garments of a merchant. Unfortunately, he was blocking the other man from view.
This seems like a suspicious place to conduct business.
I drew closer, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Did you hear me?” the unseen man asked. “…must not… under any circumstances…”
I couldn’t quite make out the conversation.
Maybe I should get a little closer.
In all likelihood, nothing would happen if the men spotted me since I looked like a fox. Even so, I hid in the grass as I skulked towards the gazebo. It felt exhilarating, like being a secret agent. Surprisingly, however, the grass around the pond wasn’t tall enough to hide me.
I still can’t see the other guy.
As that thought crossed my mind, I picked up more fragments of the conversation. Despite being closer than before, I still couldn’t hear them well, as their voices had lowered even more.
“During… sword… kill… Kin… son… of everyone…”
Can’t you hear better with those humongous ears of yours? Still, I couldn’t miraculously improve my hearing, no matter how much I scolded myself. Guess I have no choice but to get closer.
And so, I walked past the gazebo, pretending to be a wild animal.
The merchant reacted to the sound of rustling grass and looked in my direction. “What’s that?”
“A fox?” the other man asked loudly enough for me to hear.
“Kyun,” I yipped, playing up my cuteness.
The merchant approached me, and as a result, the other man came into clear view. He was unmistakably a nobleman, clad in an ornate coat and jabot. He looked somewhat familiar, but due to present circumstances, I had other things to worry about.
“What an unusual creature,” the merchant said while scooping me into his arms. “It could probably fetch a good price.”
“What a marvelous coat,” the nobleman added, joining the merchant’s side. “Give it here. My daughter would adore it.”
“Surely, you don’t expect me to give it away for free, milord. I’m the one who caught it.”
“We spotted it together, didn’t we? And now would be a good time to buy your way into my good graces, no?”
Are they fighting over who gets to own me?! Fat chance! I don’t belong to anyone!
Yet, no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t break free of the man’s grip.
Oh, fudge. He’s actually going to sell me at this rate. Worse, I might even get skinned alive! Calling for Custode might be risky, though.
I tried to bite the man’s hand, but my teeth didn’t reach due to how he held me.
Yikes on a supersized bike! This is bad!
At that moment, a dull gray ball bounced straight toward us from the castle. After leaping high into the air, it plummeted towards the ground like a comet. With an ear-splitting WHOMP, a crater formed near the merchant’s feet.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed, his eyes widening at the sudden impact and crater. “What in the world is that?!”
His grip relaxed due to surprise. Seizing the opportunity, I slipped out of his arms and bolted away. Meanwhile, the dull gray ball rolled along behind me.
Thanks, I tried communicating telepathically. You’re a lifesaver.
Yep, you guessed it. The dull gray sphere had been the object to fall at the merchant’s feet. Somehow, it had sensed my predicament and come to my rescue. The sphere bounced up and down behind me, seeming pleased with my thanks.
This thing’s kinda cute.
When I returned to my room, Mary was waiting for me with a look of concern. “Thank goodness,” she said. “You made it back safely.”
After the dull gray sphere leapt out the window, Mary had worried about my safety. “I’m perfectly fine,” I conveyed with a gesture, nuzzling Mary’s legs. Smiling, she bent down to pick me up.
“Oh, were you rolling around in the grass?” she asked. “There’s a green tint on your fur.”
Well, that’s what I got for skulking around. In any case, Mary placed me in the bath, and for some reason, the dull gray sphere joined me. Was it not worried about rusting?
This feels nice. I walked around quite a bit today, huh?
As the warm water soothed my fatigue, I drifted off to sleep.