“But of us three, I am certainly the weakest,” Fen said, and closed her eyes. “It is said that a kitsune’s power is revealed by their tails. A many-tailed fox is faster, quicker, and wiser than those that have few. It’s why we grow tails as we age.

“But I was born with a single tail, and though it’s been 300 years I’ve garnered none. Even my little sister split tails before me, and that was what hurt me the most.

“My little sister never criticized me. Not once. But I could see the contempt in her eyes. I could hear her thoughts— ‘why do I have to be siblings to this useless wretch?’

“The Kitsune Clan’s first Lord is Fradrus, the God of Culture and Love. But Gardalria is one of the five Gods kitsune believe in. So each night, I would leave home and go to Gardalria’s shrine. To her, I’d pray and pray and pray. Lend me your power, I’d ask. Make me strong. Just one more tail would be enough. I’d count my prayers till I drifted off.

“When the goblins attacked, Gardalria finally gave me her answer. She showed me how powerless I am, how easily I’d be abandoned. And that I will always have one tail most of all.”

“That’s so sad,” Pern murmured. She stroked Fen’s head, and Fen nipped her.

“But I am still grateful; Gardalria grants me sanctuary even now. The goblins do not believe I am a Goddess, but they wonder that I might be a vessel, and with my voice and mask they leave me mostly alone. Except—”

“LEAVE!” A goblin guard had peered into the temple, and was promptly driven out by Fen’s command.

“—they’re on constant watch. Whether I’m a Goddess, vessel, or fox, for them I make a fine caged bird.”

“When we kill all the goblins we’ll help you escape,” Pern said. “I swear it on my honor as an adventurer!”

Fen smiled. Water bubbled into the altar, and the moon shone down from the open roof. Despite being a shrine to a ‘War Goddess,’ it was tranquil; and Fen’s tail swished against Rick.

“Honor, pride, greed, regardless of whatever motives you might have, I am happy two adventurers have come to save me. I think anyone who can return this town to ‘normal’ must be quite powerful.”

Fen smiled wider. And wider.

“Ah… but… aren’t we also trapped?” Pern said. “Aren’t we unarmed? Nothing’s actually changed!”

“A temple’s better than a cauldron,” Rick said, standing. “Fen, is that really everything?”

“That’s all our food,” Fen said, nose twitching “Though you seem harmless enough. And the S-Rank is scary, but kind.”

She closed her eyes, and buried her face in Pern’s hair. Then she snuffled Rick, from his hair to his face to his clothes. “Your scent… it’s woodsy, but there is something familiar there too. It pleases me.”

She walked behind the altar, bare feet tapping on stone tiles. She gripped the man statuette, twisted it, and a hidden door ground open.

“This stairway leads to the plateau. I can guide you to the surface, but it’ll take an hour to run through the village, and the goblins are fleet of foot. We’re sure to be caught.”

“Why so sure?” Rick asked.

“I’ve been living off offering scraps and sparse fruit,” Fen said. “So, I’m not only someone who's weak, but I’m weaker than usual at that.”

Their situation was certainly grim.

While the temple had holy water to drink and they could use spider-sacs for emergencies, the goblins had confiscated their wolfmeat loot. The gobs did grant Gardalria food sacrifices, but they left them all outside the door.

Meanwhile, the trio were held captive by a rotating guard. While Rick and Pern were both great fighters, the gob’s numbers were sure to overwhelm them if they escaped unarmed. They would also have trouble protecting Fen; it was well-known among Adventurers that escort missions are hellishly hard.

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Goblin mobs aside, the goblin sage himself also possessed a strange aurora. His presence felt similar to Matthew’s, though Rick hoped he wouldn’t find out why.

But even with all this…

“Ah… I know that expression by now,” Pern said. “Look! That’s the expression Rick has when he’s undressing something in his brain.”

“Unraveling,” Rick said. “I’m unraveling a problem. Aren’t you the one who always ends up undressed?”

“You have a problem with that now?” Pern adjusted her armor.

“Focus, Rick…”

A trap. A presence. Goblins. No food. No Thunder Sword. And no R— that was the wrong ending; time to start again.

Food, arms, escape, Fen, Gardalaria and the goblin tribe, a secret passage and some leftover loot. That was the right line of thought. That was enough… and maybe there’d be a bonus for Fen too at the end, based on something Constance had said.

“I got it,” Rick nodded. “I’ll tell everyone what to do when the time comes.”

His eyes fell on Pern, who was pouting. She was cute even when she was mad. She really was like candy. Sweet on the outside, though spending too much time with her gave him an ulcer.

“Alright,” Pern said “I trust you.”

“Hm.”

This would be the last quest Rick and Pern would undertake. After this, he’d be free to go back to the Four-Leaf Inn to his elf-wife-lender-innkeeper, away from Pern’s shameless adventuring. She was a young woman who had no sense of boundaries, privacy, or space.

He didn’t want her to think he’d share everything with her in the future, but if they had no future together, then wouldn’t it be okay to speak?

“On the second thought—I think I’ll tell you now. But remember, it’s not a promise but a plan.”

Pern grinned. “This I swear: as long as an S-Rank Adventurer is at your side, our success will be assured!.”

“Sure. Now come here and listen; this is how we might escape—”

Rick, Pern, and Fen huddled together, using tree leaves and sticks as props on the altartop . Fen’s stomach grumbled all the while, and they had to pretend to argue whenever a goblin guard peeked in. Rick finished explaining after the goblins had cycled two shifts:

“...and that’s everything. Of course, the gobs would have to fall for it, but I trust both of you.”

“Are you sure I should take on such an important role? Even an E-Rank is above a one-tailed fox, and I can’t help but know that I’ll fail.”

“No, no,” Rick said. “You’re the Goddess’s best disciple, aren’t you…? You’re the strongest…”

But Fen was unconvinced. Rick came up with the plan’s final step on the spot and whispered it to Pern.

“Bow!” Pern said, straightening.

“Pardon?”

“Bow!”

Fen got on her hands and knees, quivering.

“Huhuhu. Being worshiped really does feel nice—”

“Pern.”

“I’d normally do this with a blade, but…” She tapped Fen on the head, then once on each shoulder.

“Congrats Fen. You’re an E-Rank Adventurer.”

“I am?”

“It’s not official, not yet, but I’ll send a letter to the Guild. And it looks like you’ve already got a weapon, too… l think this mask is made from manasteel, like the Thunder Sword. Manasteel overheats in just a half hour if magic’s channeled through it too harshly, but it’s still usable at A-Rank and higher. ”

“Oh…” said Fen. “But I cannot cast any magic. And I lack any skills. Are you sure they shall accept me…?”

“If they reject it, I’ll overrule it!” Pern said. “An S-Rank wants you to be a member of their party. Be proud.”

She was lying. Whether Pern knew it or not, she was lying. There was no way that the Guild would accept a one-tailed kitsune exile who had no special skills.

But even so —

Pern took her Adventures Card, and a particularly sharp-tipped branch.

PERN, S RANK ADVENTURER

She scratched out the ‘R’, distorted the ‘P’ into an ‘F’ and the ‘S’ into an ‘E’. One had to squint to understand it, but to Fen the words were clear.

FERN, E RANK ADVENTURER

“S-Rank! I cannot take such a gift!”

“Now you’re just as strong as Rick,” Pern said. “And that’s… well, I think that’s also something to be proud of too. Just a little bit.”

An S-Rank Warrior, an E-Rank Man, and a ???-Rank Fraudster Goddess. This was certainly an adventurer’s party of all time. They didn’t even fill a full four slots.

But while Pern may have been lying, her heart was true. She really did want this foxgirl to be included. When Rick suggested she ‘recruit’ Fen he didn’t think she’d go as far as to give away her badge to a stranger; it was as if Pern actually was a mentor.

Fen’s stomach growls intensified.

“I won’t let you down.” Fen nodded. “And as for the plan, if you two really do trust me…

“...I’D LIKE TO PROPOSE A SLIGHT MODIFICATION.”

She had put on the mask, and the slashed grin leered. Fen—or rather, ‘Gardalria’ leaned in close.