An overwhelming headache had torn me from what had most likely been a dreamless sleep. I was sweating all over my body and felt as if I would have to puke at any second, but something still hindered me from jumping up and searching for a bucket or restroom.
Not only was there nothing but a single blanket covering my naked body, there was also a several ominous looking green screens hovering over my body. I had hidden under the blanket, for what had been an hour, without being able to gather the courage I needed to read their contents.
The first time I had woken up in this world, I was greeted by those screens, too. They revealed that Ofris had slept by my side and kissed me, luckily only my hand, if he really had told me the truth. Today, however, I knew even less about what had happened to me.
There were vivid pictures in my mind, telling me about my adventures in the forest and meeting Risa in the town, but everything after that, I barely remember. We went into a tavern, that much I knew, but after that, there was only foggy nothingness.
Hiding under the blanket did naturally not help the slightest, on the contrary, it only made me feel even more anxious as my whole body was in pain. I had muscle aches in the legs and arms and even the stomach. It was as if I had suddenly decided to go mountain climbing for hours without a break.
«What happened,» I could only ask myself again and again, «why does my whole body hurt?»
The far more pressing question was a different one. I had avoided thinking of it for the whole time, but it still couldn't forget it no matter how much I tried. With each breath I took and each time I moved in the bed, the thick fabric was touching my bare skin.
«Why am I naked? Did he undress me?»
This was Ofris's bed, I remembered it exactly. Not only was the dark brown color of the mattress and the grayish blanket the same, I also remembered his scent. This new fox kin body of mine told me far more than I wished to know. Its nose was good enough to discover the scent of Ofris hair and body even on the perfectly clean looking fabric. He had slept in this bed.
«Did he sleep with me?»
A cold shiver went over my body. Ofris was a nice guy, that much was for sure. And he probably had saved my life, too. But I still was a man! I would never wish to get into his pants. Hell, he could even be my father! I didn't even want to think about a guy touching me, but I couldn't ignore the evidence I felt even in this moment.
«He undressed me! Of course, he touched me!» Tears formed in my eyes. «He slept with me!»
「He didn't,」 the rather weak sounding voice of the vixen echoed through my head, 「I would never let him touch my Rika just like that! It was Risa who put you in the bed.」
I felt a heavy weight being lifted from me. "Risa?"
「She helped Ofris carrying you here.」 The vixen revealed. 「She undressed you and laid you into the bed.」
"So he didn't see me naked ..."
「He kinda did, you know?」 Her voice sounded slightly mischievous. 「But he seemed quite panicked, actually」
"He was in the room!?"
「He and some others?」
All blood left my face. "Some others?"
「A few dozen men and women,」 she explained with a laugh. 「But don't worry, your dancing was great!」
I felt something die inside of me. "Dancing ..."
A fake pity appeared in her voice: 「Poor Ofris. He did his best to stop you, but you just wouldn't listen.」
"Don't tell me ..."
「Yes!」 Her gleeful voice answered. 「You stripped while dancing in front of dozens of strangers!」
I Just imagining me dancing like that was enough for my face to be assaulted by a fiery heat, but that was only when I had used my own, original body. It was nothing compared to do a strip-tease in a girls body or, even worse, in that of a foxgirl.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
I hadn't really checked myself out, thanks to the goddess who always watched my every step, but my imagination ran wild nonetheless.
«Damn it! They will think I am was some kind of whore!»
「Don't worry! They won't try to touch you.」
"How can you say that?"
「You made it pretty clear that you are interested in Ofris alone. You kissed him, after all!」
The heat in my face was instantly gone. "I- I did what!?"
「You even licked his neck!」 The vixen's voice revealed that she was crying with laughter. 「They all looked at you as if you were his lover!」
"Why- why did you let this happen!?"
「You wouldn't listen to me, you know?! I tried to make you stop, but you even talked back to me! You called me boring!」
"Sorry ..."
「Don't worry about it! It was fun, after all!」
"..."
I slowly raised up. Yes, I had put shame on me, more than ever before in my life, but it was nothing compared with the idea of having slept with Ofris. I could handle a bit of shame somehow, as I could still stay a man, at least on the inside. Neither the vixen nor those other men could take that from me!
After rising up, I began reading the green screens that were still waiting for me.
『Quest-Chain failed: Guardian or Knight?』
«I failed it?»
「You did a lot of things he didn't want.」
"That might be true ..."
「Don't worry! I gave you a new quest.」
The vixen was right. When I closed the first screen, there was a new quest waiting for me. This one seemed a lot easier to complete at first, but the more I thought about it, the harder it got even thinking of doing it.
『Quest-Chain accepted: A boozy night
Quest 1/3: A shameful display
Description: Ask Ofris what happened the day before.
Rewards upon completing Quest-Chain:
⇒Skillset: Intermediate Magic (Fox-Edition)
⇒Title: ???'s Child』
«What's with that title?»
Taken by curiosity, I whispered the command: 『Inspect』
A new window appeared.
『???'s Child
Type: Title
Class: Permanent; Passive; Cannot be turned off
Effect: Increases affinity towards nature and light type of magic; Increases affinity towards fox magic. Changes hair color.
Description: The daughter of ???』
"That title seems pretty overloaded ..."
「You are my child, after all!」 The vixen declared with a cheeky voice.
My protest came instantly: "I don't remember you giving birth to me!"
「But I totally did give your body to you, you know? Isn't that what a mother does?」
"You don't even have a name!"
「I saved your life and gave you a new body! Isn't that pretty much the same than giving birth to you?」
"You killed me, too!"
「Nah,」 she answered without thinking twice, 「I didn't」
"You did push the rafter!"
「I never did that, you know?」
"YOU TOLD ME YOURSELF!"
「I lied,」 she revealed with a voice deprived of all emotion.
"You lied?! Why would you do that?"
「So you wouldn't forget me ...」
The vixen's voice was barely audible. It was the first time I had heard of her being depressed, or at least the first time I could really believe it.
«So she really did not kill me?»
"Vixen?"
She remained silent. Even after trying it a second and a third time, I was left without an answer. I waited another minute before letting myself fall on the bed again.
"Let's make it 'Shiro' until we figure something out. Your hair and fur are white, after all ..."
⊱————- Extra ————-⊰
Shiro: Don't you think your naming sense is a bit off?
Rika: Why do you think so?
Shiro: You named me after my fur color! Isn't that like I were your pet?!
Rika: Didn't you just change Riku to Rika out of convenience?
Shiro: Shiro is a nice name~
Rika: COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST DENY IT!?