Murmurs rose, but no one met my eyes.
"Secondly," I went on, "we will require reinforcements from the central nobles."
"That's absurd! " Deyran's chair scraped loudly as he stood. "You expect us to send men into a war that might not even happen? "
"Oh, it will happen," I said, voice low but sure. "The Federation will make certain of it."
The Prime Minister frowned. "The King has given orders to avoid war at all costs."
I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. "At all costs? Then perhaps we should just surrender in thirty days. I'm sure you'd all enjoy becoming Federation slaves."
Gasps and mutters of disbelief rippled down the table.
Baron Varric laughed humorlessly. "As if they could enslave us all."
"Have you ever been to the Federation, Prime Minister? " I asked, ignoring Varric.
"...No."
"They have over eight billion people. Twenty-five percent are slaves. Another twenty-five percent are bound by government contracts that are only slightly better than slavery. Adding a billion more bodies to their control would barely cause them to blink."
The prime minister's mouth closed with an audible click.
"Enough." My palm slammed into the marble with a sharp crack, silencing the last of the whispers. "This is not a debate. Contracts will be sent after the funerals. They are not negotiable."
I let my gaze sweep across the table, lingering on the ones who avoided my eyes. Too many of you are rotten to the core. The Duke can dig out the rest.
"With that, this meeting is adjourned. Prime Minister-stay behind. And you as well."
[Ten Minutes Later-War Table, Now Empty]
[Dean POV]
The room felt bigger without the crowd, though the air was still thick from the arguments. The Prime Minister lingered near his chair, shoulders stiff. Anne leaned casually against the far end of the table, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"The King will not be happy about this," the Prime Minister said at last. His tone carried that particular brand of irritation nobles get when they've lost a fight they thought they could win.
Ann smirked faintly. "If Dean says it's happening, it's happening. Who's going to stop him? "
The prime minister's head jerked toward her. "We have two gods-"
"Two young gods," An interrupted straightening. "And they'd be dead inside five minutes if Stacy took them seriously. You know as well as I do they're still green."
His jaw tightened. "You-"
I stepped between them, voice level. "So what do you want from me, Prime Minister? "
He hesitated before answering. "Support. I'd prefer to send as many forces as possible, but with the risk of the Beast and Demon Kingdoms joining the Federation, our seas become vulnerable. And the Federation might sail around the world to strike from behind."
A short laugh escaped me. "You won't have to worry too much. I'll send forces when they're needed."
His reply was curt. "Thank you."
Ann pushed away from the table. "No worries," she said, her tone clipped as she started toward the door.
"Not so fast," I said, turning my gaze on her.
She paused, one hand on the doorframe. "What now? "
"Who's been getting close to the King?" I asked, watching her carefully.
She arched her brow. "What do you mean?"
"Someone's been influencing him," I said, my voice casual but my eyes fixed on hers. "Or is it you? "
Her lips curved into a humorless smile. "...Dean, you really do hate me, don't you? "
I chuckled. "You're my closest special general. Don't take it personally."
She sighed, dropping her hand from the doorframe. "This assignment is the most annoying one yet. Why do I have to play politics? "
"Because you're the only one I trust to sniff out the truth," I said simply. "So-who is it?"
"A young lady the King calls Rose. Not her real name, but that's what he uses. She's from a small noble house in your territory."
I tilted my head. "Which one?"
"Haven't found out yet. She's only been in public for a few months. Between her and the Duke's nonsense, I haven't had time to dig deeper."
"The Duke's mostly sorted now," I said. "His daughters stepped up-helping in better ways than expected. She even has a boyfriend from our Black Ops unit. Good kid... though his taste is a bit..."
We both grimaced. "Right," she muttered.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was heavier than before.
[Dead Forest — Sloth's Cave]
[Kitsuna POV]
The cavern air was damp and faintly metallic, the walls glowing faintly from the phosphorescent moss clinging to the stone. I shifted in the shallow pool, the warm "healing goo" sticking to my fur in an unpleasant film.
"Gran, this goo isn't helping at all!" I snapped, splashing water up toward her perch.
She stretched lazily, her massive feline body taking up half the ledge. "Shut it, Kit. I told you not to overdo it. "This"-she gestured with her tail-"is "why."
I scowled. "I only went three minutes over the time limit."
Gran's amber eyes narrowed. "And your clone backlash hit you too. Don't pretend you didn't know that."
I froze. "...Wait-it does?"
Her ears flicked back. "Don't give me that 'wait, really?' look. I told you after the first time."
"Right, right..." I muttered, sinking deeper into the pool until only my head was above the surface. "So... how long?"
She rolled onto her side, yawning. "Months."
I shot up in the water. "Months?! I don't have months! School's starting soon! "
"Pah," she huffed. "Your little war will start in days anyway."
I frowned. "Days? No. The Federation needs a proper reason to break the treaty. Dean won't let the Kingdom be the one to break it."
Her gaze slid toward me, heavy with something I couldn't read. "They might not need a reason. They have deep pockets. A noble family could be... persuaded to start it for them."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But even then, it'd still take months for them to maneuver their forces around the Dead Forest."
Gran's tail went still. "Around? "
The way she said it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "... You're saying it'll be more than just the four kingdoms?"
She didn't blink. "Of course. It will be a world war."
I stared at her, heart pounding. "...The world's bigger than these four kingdoms, Gran."
Her eyes slid shut. "Exactly."
[Draig Border Mansion]
[Stacy POV]
The war room in our border estate smelled faintly of parchment and oil from the lamps. Maps covered the main table, marked with colored pins for every patrol, unit, and supply line. Kayda stood across from me, her posture straight, her voice sharp.
"As ordered, patrols are now in two-man squads. Shifts have been reduced to four hours to keep them alert. Trackers are on every soldier," she reported.
"Good," I said, nodding. "And the rest of our preparations? "
The white-haired fox-kin standing beside her-Kira-stepped forward. "Most forces from the other noble houses in the central area have returned. They've been reassigned into active squads. Drills are more intensive, but we're keeping them short enough so energy isn't burned out before deployment."
"Glad to hear you're handling the new post well," I said with a small smile.
Her ears flicked, and she smiled back. "Thank you. The twins are doing well too."
I leaned back in my chair, grinning. "You mean your girlfriends."
A blush colored her cheeks. "Y-yes."
"How's Nekro? Haven't seen her in a while."
Her smile dimmed. "Still... angry at Apricot for leaving so suddenly."
I sighed. "Right. Those two..."
"Other than that, she's improving. Her demon powers are stabilizing," Kira added.
"Good. We'll need every edge we can get," I said. "Let's keep tightening our readiness. Assume war will come."
Kayda glanced toward me. "When's Amari leaving for school?"
"Soon. My mother should arrive in a few months to take both of them. Hopefully Kitsuna's back by then."
Kayda's eyes narrowed slightly. "If she's not? "
I smiled thinly. "War or not, I'll drag her back myself."
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Chapter 206 — Leaving Granny Fran
The smell of moss and steel hung in the air. The cave was quiet again, the way it always became after the morning ritual-water dripping from the ceiling into the shallow pool near the entrance, each drop loud enough to echo across the old dungeon walls. Light bled through the crack above us, thin and dusty, painting lines across the bedrolls and the half-finished tea on the stone table.
I'd packed everything already. My gear leaned against the wall-two sword cases, a folded jacket, and the sealed crate that held the demigod weapons. They were mine-made from divine-grade ice, born of my own hands and temper. Their runes were dull now, sleeping until I was strong enough to feed them again.
Fran stood across from me, arms folded, eyes half-closed in that way she did when she was thinking three things at once. The old woman didn't look like much-barefoot, hair tied in a messy knot, apron still stained from breakfast-but the air around her always felt thick, like the cave itself bowed a little to her mana.
"Are you sure you can walk that far?" she asked. "Two days to the edge if you don't use shortcuts."
"I've walked farther with worse," I said. My voice sounded steadier than I felt. "And I can't stay here forever."
Fran's gaze drifted along my forearms. The veins under the skin pulsed unevenly, dim lines of pale red against the white. Even so, my breathing stayed even, my body calm and steady.
"You still have a month before those veins finish knitting," she murmured. "Push too much mana and they'll tear again. You remember what that felt like?"
I did. Like swallowing fire backwards.
I nodded once.
She sighed, ladled a cup of dark liquid from the cauldron, and handed it to me. "Drink. It'll keep the pain quiet until night."
The brew smelled like burned herbs and copper. I took a sip and winced as it clawed its way down my throat.
"It tastes worse than the last batch," I said.
"Means it works better." Her mouth curved into a smirk. "You'll live."
"That's debatable."
Fran's smirk faded as quickly as it came. "Kitsuna," she said softly, almost carefully. "You've healed enough to move, not to fight. The world's different now-louder, crueler."
"I'm not surprised, seeing what happened in the capital."
"You don't have to prove anything."
"I'm not trying to." I slung my jacket over one shoulder. "But they'll need me."
"Stacy's army, or your lover?"
"Both."
She snorted. "Same answer every time."
Silence stretched. Only the dripping water and faint hum of the runes carved into the cave walls filled it.
I tightened the strap on my pack. The movement sent a faint throb through my wrists-annoying, not crippling. At least it's honest about it.
Fran stepped closer and pressed two fingers lightly against my chest, just over the heart. A spark of warmth spread through my ribs-her mana, gentle but firm.
"Your core's stable," she said. "That means you can live normally. No combat spells, no Wrath, no channeling. Not until the veins realign. You can use those weapons; you use them like steel, not magic."
I nodded. "Understood."
"Good." She drew her hand back. "Then I have nothing else to teach you-until you break something again."
"Give me a week."
Fran actually laughed. "I'll be here. Don't make me fetch your corpse out of the forest."
"No promises."
She rolled her eyes, rummaged through a shelf, then handed me a small charm-two interlocked rings of silver and glass tied with red string. "Keep it near your wrist. It'll dull mana pressure if you wander into another cursed zone."
I turned it over in my hand. "Didn't you say these were unstable? "
"They are. But it's better than nothing. They stay dormant unless you start channeling-which you're not allowed to."
I slipped it onto my left wrist. The glass ring shimmered faintly, catching the weak light. "You always give the prettiest death traps."
"Flattery won't prevent it from exploding if you disobey."
"Noted."
Fran leaned against the table. "Before you go, there's something else."
I waited.
"The Black Ops are active," she said. "I picked up chatter-squads moving through the eastern routes. Looks like they're hunting something for Stacy."
That made me pause. "You listened in?"
"I listen to everything."
"Of course you do." I retied my braid, mostly to stall. "So they're close."
"Close enough that you'll cross paths if you follow the ridge. Whether you should... that's another question."
"They probably think I'm dead."
"Then they'll be very surprised."
"Maybe that's good." I checked the latch on the crate, making sure the seal held. "They need a reminder: the fox still breathes."
Fran shook her head. "You've been quiet for weeks, and now you want to make an entrance. Typical."
"Would you rather I sent a letter?"
"You could barely hold a pen."
"Touche."
She smirked again, but the humor didn't last. "When you see them, keep your temper in its cage. Wrath might be sealed, but your tongue isn't."
"I'll behave."
"You've never behaved."
"Then I'll improvise."
"Stubborn girl."
"Teacher's fault."
She walked me toward the cave mouth. Outside, the forest waited-trees black with age, roots coiling over broken stone. Morning light barely touched the ground. Mist clung to everything like breath on glass.
I paused at the threshold. The air smelled different after so many months underground-cleaner, sharper, and full of noise. Birds somewhere far above. The low rumble of distant beasts. The world was alive and indifferent.
Fran stopped beside me. "If you hear the forest singing, turn around."
"That old myth again?"
"Not a myth." She glanced toward the treeline. "Something's wrong with the north sector. Even the corrupted beasts avoid it. Stay away."
"I will." Probably.
She must've sensed the hesitation because she clicked her tongue. "Kitsuna."
I looked at her.
"Promise me."
The weight in her voice wasn't anger-it was fear. That alone made me nod. "I promise."
Her shoulders eased. "Good. Then go before I decide to chain you back to the bedroll."
I stepped out. The ground was damp beneath my boots, soft moss giving way to stone. Pain flickered once through my calves where the veins hadn't fully settled, but it passed easily. My stamina held steady; whatever limits I had left, endurance wasn't one of them.
