Chapter 494 – The Next Generation
Ast’s first thought after his flashy display was of slight awe at how pretty a melting mountain looked on the horizon. Then, the second one came, shoving aside his draconic instincts and replacing them with a slightly more pragmatic approach. He quickly sent a polite request to his mates, answered right away by Tina and Silvia. The noble pair was equipped with the best tools to scout the area and stop the flow of the glowing-red liquid rock before it turned nearby forests into an inferno.
That might have created a fascinating legend in one or more cultures around these parts that rivaled Kaguya’s stories, but Asterios was sure that enough would be made about him without having to scar the land too much. Whatever the vulpine folk were going to call their new tourist attraction already overshadowed the old Mount Fang by a multitude.
The issue of the aftermath left in capable hands, Asterios was able to refocus on the Foxkin gathering. Lerisse was in the middle of her speech again, introducing both of them even more intimately. Mostly him, though, as Selene’s influence on their clan was fairly well-known. Bit by bit, numerous improvements were registered under his account and the crowd’s excitement only grew.
When she finally finished, it was time to interact with the audience and the beastly pair descended from the temple’s roof. People immediately made space for their giant forms, backing away in a hurry.
It intrigued Asterios how different the reactions of the Foxkin were when compared to the Lesser Dragons, who had gone through something similar not that long ago. Back in Nestmother Rhufija’s settlement, he had been met with boundless curiosity which had morphed into joy and playfulness in no time. Here, no one dared to approach their new divine guardians, instead falling to their knees and onto their hands, bowing and kneeling reverently. Want it or not, there was no doubt Asterios and Selene were at the center of worship amongst the fluffy-eared kin.
He briefly considered trying to bridge this gap but decided to leave the entire event in the hands of his more knowledgeable mate and her good friend and old mentor, staying in line with their designed plan for the grand introduction. His tiny improvisation might have turned out great, but there was no guarantee he would get it right the next time too. There were so many unique cultures with their specific traditions and customs that it was unbelievably easy to mix them up. And that wouldn’t be good for his image.
Therefore, no one approached either of them to climb onto their backs or use his neck as a base for a swing and the crowd interaction segment wrapped up relatively soon. Unanimous, harmonic chants filled the peak as the Foxkin began singing prayers to the Fox Goddess and praises to their new guardians. Asterios and Selene watched the populace sway mesmerizingly for a while, then slowly retreated behind the temple, where they shifted back to their everyday forms and slipped into Lerisse’s office through the balcony.
“That was great quick thinking, my Lord.” She graced him with a gorgeous smile, spinning around to face him. “I underestimated our people and the whole presentation almost fell flat because of that.”
“I just hope no other tribe inhabited that mountain.” He chuckled awkwardly, his mind partially focused on Tina’s and Silvia’s efforts to reduce the destruction to a minimum with their respective elements.
The Matriarch approached them from the side with a soft laugh on her lips. “You do not need to concern yourself about that. After Kaguya’s little landscape redecoration, no one risks taking up nearby peaks anymore. They fear that what happened once might happen twice. And they seem to have been right. Give or take a few centuries.”
The fox ladies snickered together.
“It’s a bummer you didn’t aim for Kaguya’s monument.” Selene smirked impishly. “That would have been a statement.”
“It might be for the better, though.” Lerisse hummed. “People will now be able to see both of them and compare their greatness. And the last time I checked, your mountain was missing over one-third more volume than its sister.”
“True that.” The new Eternal Guardian nodded in agreement. “Perhaps we should ask Tina and Silvia to spice it up a bit while they are at it.”
“I think this much is enough.” Asterios snuck a hand into her tail and started brushing through it, evoking a blissful moan from his sly mate. “Let’s not be dishonest about it. You wanted to be different from Kaguya, remember?”
The Matriarch looked at the caresses with a faint note of envy before getting caught by her younger friend who gazed back smugly, forcing her to turn away.
“Your mate’s words are wise beyond his age and you should do well by listening to them,” she replied, unhurriedly moving towards the window, joining her hands behind her back. “I hope you’ll continue reigning her in, Asterios. I’m afraid that without you to keep this roguish kit in check, we would end up with Kaguya’s second coming.”
“It’s Venerable Patron for you, Matriarch.” Selene squinted her way, getting chopped on the head right afterward.
“I guess that’s my duty now, isn’t it?” Asterios ruffled through his naughty lover’s hair. “I think I’m starting to understand why you needed me in a higher position. Someone has to watch over you guys or this realm might suffer a complete makeover when your disciples start following all those guides and manuals you are going to redistribute soon.”
“Don’t let that old hag deceive you. She’s the first one you should exhaustively observe at all times. Fox Goddess knows what she’s doing in private with all those invaluable cultivation materials.” His beloved continued squinting while enjoying his fingers.
That got another laugh out of Lerisse. “Please, like I have any chance of catching up to you with all the resources in the world at my disposal. Your kids are going to surpass me before I achieve half your level. Speaking of which, when can I expect some new talented acolytes? I’m not getting any younger, you know?”
Selene became suspiciously quiet, and when the other female glanced back over her shoulder, she found the younger Foxkin gazing away with a shadow of rosiness splashed over her ladylike cheeks, the tip of her tail wagging noticeably. Snorting to herself, the Matriarch shook her head.
“So, are you sure this is going to be fine with the festival? A lot of people saw my true form today.” Asterios attempted to change the topic.
“Keep faith in your mates and attendants. They know what they are doing.” Lerisse smiled at him confidently. “Besides, the moment our people see all those draconic themes in your city, they are going to lose their minds. No one is going to take them seriously while they gush about the simplest decorations and trinkets.”
A knock sounded at the entrance to the office and they all turned to the sizable double doors. A silver-haired head poked in afterward, and Ronye met Ast’s eyes, quickly averting her gaze.
She slipped inside and respectfully bowed with her palm against her fist. “All the matters outside have been handled, Matriarch, Eternal Guardian, Venerable Patron.”
Both Lerisse and Selene had a knowing smirk on their lips and it didn’t seem like either was going to free the young girl from her polite posture anytime soon. Sighing heavily, Asterios retracted his palms from his mate’s fur and hair, approaching the short lady. The effort she put into keeping her tail still as he neared was visible to the naked eye, the light gray cloud of fluff almost shivering in place.
“You don’t need to be so stiff, Ronye. As you know, it’s mostly all for show. Things don’t have to change between us or anything.” He brought her up by her shoulder.
“Okay…” Ronye took a peek at him, a tiny curl adorning the edges of her mouth. “Teacher.”
“Thank you for your assistance during the ceremony.” Asterios gently patted her on the head, breaking the stasis on her tail, which began swaying merrily. “I’d like to show my appreciation for your support so feel free to let me know if you would like something from me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Teacher,” she whispered, her eyes closed as she took in his physical gratitude.
“That said, how are your studies going recently?” he asked, raising a curious brow at her.
Ronye stiffened, her lashes lifting in a blink. “There is something I need to show you!”
Her tail was a blur as she gleefully exclaimed, turning a bit redder when she noticed her sudden outburst.
Asterios turned to the other two.
“We are done here.” The Matriarch shooed him away. “I’ll close things with Selene. You two are free.”
He returned his attention to the thrilled girl. “Lead the way, then.”
“Thank you, Matriarch!” Ronye bowed quickly and grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of the room like a hurricane.
Selene chuckled amusedly. “I can’t believe people can change this drastically in such a short time.”
Lerisse snorted. “You should look into a mirror sometimes. No one would have ever expected one of our coldest High Priestesses to constantly walk around with her head in the clouds and bend-me-over eyes.”
The other vulpine lady smacked her on the shoulder and they both giggled.
※※※
After taking a few turns through the temple’s spacious corridors, Asterios was brought to an open cloister with a small square arena in the middle. It didn’t take him long to recognize it as one of those training spots he had previously stumbled on Ronye or Ronye and Selene in the past. Perhaps it even was the same one where the younger Foxkin had first glimpsed his might.
As soon as they were in the middle of the tiled stage, the silver-haired lady spun around. “I finished studying the manuals you gifted me last time, Teacher, and finally comprehended the notes and pointers I have received recently. Thanks to them, I came up with a new technique that is based on Summoning Magic, but is more suitable for the affinities of our kin. Would you like to see?”
“Now you got me really intrigued.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Show me what you got.”
A beautiful grin formed on Ronye’s lips and her tail wagged happily before she calmed her emotions and gradually achieved peace and tranquility. Four more tails sprouted from behind her, bringing their count up to five, then began trembling and glowing with a greenish glow. She went through several complex hand signs, a staple element of many spells amongst their kin, and stopped at one with her hands vertically inverted to each other.
Asterios didn’t know if he could set his palms like that without experiencing discomfort.
With a wave of spiritual energy originating from beneath the foxgirl, five miniature summoning circles appeared all around her, flashing with bright jade light. He watched as five ethereal foxes of the same shade climbed out of them as if climbing out of their dens. The spectral images stood almost as tall as their mistress, forming a fairly affectionate protective wall in front of her. They stared Asterios down impassively, staying in wait for their commands or his actions, whichever would come first.
Ronye dropped the sign and ran her palm along the closest fox’s back, showing that it wasn’t just a ghost. “What do you think?”
“Interesting.” He began walking around and examining her familiars with his draconic sight. “How does this work?”
“It’s something akin to Evanescent Summoning. I call a fitting entity for help, shaping up an image in my mind. But, instead of bringing it to me for the whole contract, I simply offer a trace of my essence for a one-time assistance. With many interdimensional steps skipped, it’s impossible to manifest its true form, but using one’s close affinity with spiritual energy, it’s possible to form up a simple representation of it with tightly controlled mana, then transfer only the soul into it. The body remains safe in its original realm and welcomes back the soul when the technique ends, either intentionally or not,” she explained proudly.
With a flick of her finger, the ethereal animals spread out, forming a circle around them.
“It’s a fresh and unrefined technique, so you currently need one tail for each summon as it functions as an anchor for the soul. But, as long as I have enough spiritual energy in my reserves, I can rebuild the apparitions infinitely when they get destroyed in a fight, letting the souls inhabit them again. Their power greatly depends on the caster’s strength and proficiency, but they retain all their experience and main characteristics. It might not be an overwhelming technique with just a few summons, but when I polish it down in the future, it will be possible to borrow the aid of dozens of entities at once, and not only of one kind at a time. I’m trying to focus on variety and ease of use so that it can be used responsively in battle, changing according to the situation,” Ronye added, sneaking a few anxious looks at Asterios.
“If you get it down where you want to, it has the potential to become something incredible.” He nodded with an impressed expression. “The absence of true physical bodies allows for much bolder and riskier plays. And if you can make your temporary familiars understand that, they are going to act even more ferocious than they would if they were summoned forth the old way. The fact that they can regenerate constantly is a game-changer too. Not to mention the versatility of such a group when you succeed in mixing the summons together.”
She preened under the praise, letting the two nearby foxes lick her cheeks with their ghastly tongues.
“You really delved deep into my notes, didn’t you?” He smiled fondly. “To come up with something of this caliber, you have to be really special. I now understand why Selene and Lerisse hold you in such high regard. You aren’t just blessed with talent but also an incredible mind. Looks like I’ll need to revise the materials I was preparing for the next delivery.”
The phantoms flickered slightly as Ronye’s tails broke from their trembling rhythm to wag slightly without her intention.
“This is something that could help those who struggle with classical Summoning Magic. I might have to ask you to pay a visit to one of our academies after they are fully established and give a presentation or two now and then. Or even oversee a full course. You’d get your own class of disciples to lead through the mysteries of mana.” Asterios smirked at her.
“M-Me?” Ronye’s pupils shrank into thin slits as she froze. “Teaching?”
Her spectral familiars winked out of existence since her tails ceased to tremble too, cutting the connection between the realms off, breaking the spell.
He walked up to the stunned beastfolk lady and ruffled through her soft hair. “Only after you help me fully understand the intricacies of this technique and we fine-tune it together, but yes. And only if you will feel comfortable to.”
“I’ll work hard, then.” An adorable smile snuck onto her cute face.
“Pretty sure you are already working hard.” Asterios chuckled, pausing his caresses. “I think I’ve heard something about a certain Spiritual Fox paying a visit to Miria’s village and returning with a full force to help build the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Ronye tensed under his palm. “I was simply nearby and decided to stop by… And my friends were curious where I got my last souvenir from so I decided to show them… It’s a coincidence that our free week turned out to be during their construction… It’s not like I made time specifically for that…”
Seeing her shift as she escaped with her gaze to the side, he knew better than to confront the shy girl on her half-truths. If she was too shy to openly admit her efforts, he would gladly acknowledge them indirectly. Fortunately, there was no Selene around to tease the poor lass. His mate would definitely not let her off the hook with such an expression.
“Well, knowingly or not, you’ve been of great help, and I’m grateful for that. With so much going on, every pair of hands counts as ten or twenty. You can be certain that I’m not going to miss any little thing someone does for us.” Asterios stepped back. “So, as I said, let me know if you need or would like something. As your teacher, I’m supposed to reward your progress. As Glimmervale’s lord, I’m supposed to reward the favor my nation now owes you. And, as the Venerable Patron, I still need to repay your kindness of immaculate assistance. Or are you collecting those for something bigger, hm?”
She was in the middle of scoffing and waving her hand dismissively when she paused, her mouth half-open. “Ummm… Actually… I do have a question…”
“Oh?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m listening.”
Biting her lip, Ronye started twiddling her fingers. “After everything is processed with the guild in both realms, could we get permission to register as adventurers?”
“We?” Asterios tilted his head.
“Zoe, Atra, and myself,” the vulpine girl said quickly. “Having our abilities and specialties in mind, we thought it would be a decent idea to form a party together. If you don’t mind bringing her here for that. Of course, the two of us from Eabiarhia can always wait a little bit longer until the transfer archway for the valkyrjas is finished. We just thought that with the upcoming festivities, there must be so many minor tasks that newbies like us could help with. Zoe said that Miria said that new adventurers who just started their journey begin by helping with such requests and slowly work their way up. This way, we could get some adventuring experience, the organizers of the event would get more things done, and the guild could use us to promote its services in either world. Isn’t that perfect?”
After getting barraged by the deluge of hasty words, Asterios could only blink absently at the shorter lady. He knew that the trio formed a decent friendship, but it looked like they had gotten even closer than he had assumed. And perhaps Ronye was much more cunning than he had first thought. Her actions might have been part of a bigger objective that was emerging from the shadows just now.
In the end, all the Foxkin women were crafty as hell.
“I’ll talk with Suanori and Oria about it.” He shook his head with a wry smile. “If they have nothing against it, consider it done.”
“YES!” Ronye jumped into the air before recollecting herself into a respectful martial bow. “Thank you, Esteemed Teacher! We promise not to disappoint!”
That part he didn’t doubt.
The question was, what kind of shenanigans would the three of them get into?