Chapter 172 - Reuniting with the Fox Girl (Part 2)

Navigating the academy without getting lost was tough. The place was divided into different areas, and we’d been restricted in where we could go until we got familiar with it. Now that the restriction period was over, there was someone we wanted to see.

“It’s been two years. Do you think she’ll even want to see us?” Chloe asked, a bit nervous.

“Of course she will; she’s our friend.”

We arrived at the library area, and we didn’t have to search long. In the center of the place was a girl browsing through some books. She was blonde, with fox ears and a bushy tail.

Chloe took off running.

We’re in a library, and she does this…

“Kinue!” my cousin called out, startling the girl, who turned around with wide eyes.

When I saw her, I was surprised at how much she had changed.

Over the years, we grew up together, enjoying a childhood that the old Icarus never had, and that Kinue wouldn’t have experienced if she had stayed alone in the village. Even Chloe wouldn’t have had a normal childhood if I hadn’t come along, and later, Kinue too. Our unlikely friendship allowed us to enjoy the best parts of life.

Despite the assassin training, or Kinue’s struggles with controlling her emotions as her bestial form began to awaken, it was still a normal childhood.

“Chloe?” Kinue exclaimed in surprise, her ears perking up, showing how delighted she was.

It had been two years since we last saw our friend. She had to leave when she was fifteen because of the signs her bestial form was starting to awaken. We wouldn’t have known how to help her through the transformation or teach her how to stay lucid. Kinue also had to prepare for the entrance exam, unlike Chloe and me. Not being a high noble, she had to compete for a spot, even though the professor covered her tuition. News of her acceptance into the academy brought a mix of happiness and sadness. Chloe had been devastated by Kinue’s departure, but now, finally, we were together again.

“Wait!” Kinue tried to protest as Chloe pulled her into a tight hug.

We know how deadly Chloe’s hugs can be…

“You’ve grown, Kinue, and you look so different,” Chloe commented with a smile.

I saw Kinue blush as she replied, “You’ve changed too, Chloe. You even look like you’ve grown a little.” She gave a playful wink, stifling a laugh.

Chloe made a face, a bit annoyed. She hated any mention of her height.

I approached our fox friend. “It’s been a long time since the three of us were together,” I said, smiling at seeing her up close again.

Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Nate! You’ve changed a lot.”

“Can I give you a hug too?” I asked, a bit shyly.

“S-sure!” she replied, with a slight stammer.

I pulled her into a hug and felt her tense up, but then she relaxed. Her ears twitched slightly, and, unexpectedly, her tail started wagging rapidly.

“Ahem!” Chloe cleared her throat behind me, with a jealous smile.

I let go of Kinue, who now seemed more at ease, and I noticed how much she had grown. She had become a very beautiful woman. Her blonde hair was longer too.

“You know, I was so happy when I heard you both were coming to the academy,” Kinue said, with a sparkle in her eyes.

“It’s kind of inevitable for us. As soon as we reach the right age, we have to come,” Chloe replied, laughing.

We sat down at a table filled with books. “Are these yours?” I asked, curious.

“They are… I ended up picking up the professor’s reading habits after all the times I helped her buy and fetch books,” she replied.

They’re all romance novels…

I noticed my cousin had a delighted expression on her face.

“I waited so long to see you both again. When you stopped replying to my letters, I got a bit worried,” Kinue said.

“We wanted to surprise you, but when we got here, we found out we couldn’t move around the academy without permission,” my cousin replied.

I nodded.

“I was pretty shocked too the first time. First-year students are confined to a single part of the academy for a few days, and only after that period are they allowed to move around more freely,” the fox girl explained.

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We continued talking, reminiscing about the old days and what it was like growing up in the castle. Once, we even took Kinue to scare Carnellian, and as soon as she saw the giant panther in the garden, she went pale and didn’t want to walk around the castle anymore after finding out there was a murderous beast living within its walls.

Moon panthers are indeed notorious for killing anyone who bears ill will toward them. They’re animals that can sense human malice.

When I told Sifu I’d been guided by moon panthers while I was lost in the forest right after I received the Celestial Eyes, he shared this with me.

“So, where have you been staying, Kinue? Did they put you in a regular dorm?” I asked, noticing her shy demeanor.

“I was eligible for a shared room in the dormitory, but I chose to stay in the professor’s apartment. I’m not very good at making friends…” She looked away, her ears drooping in that old familiar sign of shyness.

“You don’t have any friends?” Chloe asked, surprised.

“I have a few classmates I talk to, but I don’t really socialize much. And, after getting some… offers, I pulled away from everyone…”

“Offers?” I asked, frowning.

Chloe seemed to understand right away. “The vultures?” she asked, and Kinue nodded.

I was confused. “What kind of offers?”

“I’ve been asked to date, get engaged, even marry… all sorts of things. Once people found out I had the light element, a few nobles started showing up.” She gave a timid smile. “Some even said it would be disrespectful to turn them down since I’m just a commoner.”

So these guys see a beautiful, talented mage from a commoner background and try to take advantage? What idiots…

I’m going to get the names of every single one of them…

“Who said that? I’d like to have a word with him…” I said.

Kinue blushed, a soft pink coloring her cheeks. “No need. Professor Adrihna stepped in when she found out they were trying to use their authority. That’s prohibited here since the city is neutral.”

Chloe clenched her fists. “If I’d known about this sooner, I’d have plenty to say to those nobles!”

It looked like Kinue had been dealing with a lot of pressure. Her shyness made everything harder, and the advances from those nobles only isolated her further. She seemed more confident now, but handling situations like that was still difficult for her.

“Come live with me, Kinue,” I declared without thinking twice.

“WHAT?!” Kinue exclaimed, surprised, while Chloe stared at me with wide eyes. Both of them looked at me, shocked—they clearly hadn’t expected that offer.

WAIT! I need to fix what I just said!

“What I meant is that we can go back to living like before, at the castle, sharing a space. We can share an apartment. Our high-noble dorm has more than one room, unlike the regular dorms. We have an apartment with three bedrooms. If you ever feel lonely, you can live with us.”

Chloe, always direct, jumped in. “I’ll move into your apartment too!”

I blinked, realizing that maybe I hadn’t thought this through completely. After all, Kinue is a girl, and it might be a bit strange for her to live with me.

“On second thought, it’s probably better if she lives with you, Chloe.”

Kinue stood up, surprising everyone. “I accept—I’ll live with you, Nate!”

WHAT?

Chloe, however, wasn’t going to give in so easily. “I’ll live with you too!”

I looked from one to the other, trying to figure out if this was even possible. “I don’t think that’s… or can it be?”

“Of course it can,” Chloe assured me with a smile.

It seemed like the best solution. Kinue could reclaim some of the old closeness we used to have and would be safer, with the company and presence of high nobility by her side. Even if we were in different classes, we could help her.

“Alright, then. Starting today, we’re living together,” I announced, finally deciding.

Hmm… Wait a minute. Why are both of them blushing?

***

“Hey, Nate! Did you forget you already have a woman living with you? Why’d you invite two more?” Cylla asked, a hint of irritation in her voice as she nestled into the bed beside me.

“But which one of them shares a bed with me?” I replied, a playful grin on my lips.

“D-don’t say it like that, you’ll make me embarrassed…” Cylla murmured, shrinking a little but quickly settling back down.

“But it’s true. Every night, you’re right here by my side,” I answered, reaching out to stroke her head, the softness of her fur bringing a familiar comfort.

She purred softly, seeming pleased. “Fine, I’ll allow the two of them to live here. After all, I’m the one who lies next to you every night,” Cylla said with a possessive air, her claws kneading the bedspread as she made herself comfortable.

“Let the bird-girl know I’m the one who sleeps beside you every night, too,” teased Athena, the Goddess, appearing suddenly next to the bed with a mischievous look.

I ignored Athena, used to her sudden appearances by now. Cylla, however, narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why did you just glance at empty space?” she asked, already wise to Athena’s visits after all these years.

I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. “Just ignore it. I’m going to rest for a bit; I’ve got class later,” I replied, trying to shift the focus and relax.

Cylla drew closer, her golden eyes fixed on mine. “I’ve noticed you’ve started using the Celestial Eyes again. Don’t push yourself too hard, Nate. You know how much they drain you. You’ve got a long way to go before you can use them naturally. Even I, with the Aspect of the Body, get exhausted if I overdo it. Be careful.”

Her words, full of concern, echoed in my mind as I thought about the last time I could really train intensely. Since entering the academy, those moments of deep practice had become rare. Back in those days of freedom, I could isolate myself in Cylla’s cave, where the silence and darkness allowed me to focus and develop each aspect of my powers. Now, training was done clandestinely, in the shadows of the early morning, and I couldn’t afford to overdo it.

Each aspect—Body, Soul, Time, Space, Life, and Death—carried its own unique challenges and a crushing weight. I hadn’t even unlocked all of them, only a few.

The Aspect of the Soul was the easiest to master, but Time, that particular aspect seemed to toy with the very fibers of my being, leaving me exhausted each time I tried to manipulate it. Yet knowing it could suspend seconds, manipulate the flow—was too tempting to ignore.

The true enigma for me has been the Aspect of the Body. Unlike the Aspect of Time, which drains me physically and mentally, the Aspect of the Body works in a much more complex and peculiar way, making its mastery a genuine challenge. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, focusing on the persistent ache throbbing in my mind.

Every time I get close to understanding an Aspect, it’s as if something inside my head fractures—an invisible crack that deepens with each step forward. I feel that crack widening as my mastery of the Aspects grows, each new achievement bringing a sharper sting, a deeper ache. It’s as if something is breaking open, forcing its way through. The pain burns, constant but bearable, although it seems to grow more acute as I progress.

I suspect it’s connected to the creature that rests somewhere within my mind, like a dormant presence, lying in wait. This guardian, or whatever it is, seems to be a crucial piece of the puzzle I’m trying to solve. With every mastery, I feel like I’m awakening something—a distant, unsettling echo that stirs with each step, as though the Aspects and this creature are intertwined in ways I don’t yet understand.