I smirked. "I wanted to make my sister like me, so I told her everything."
He let out a shaky breath. "That... makes sense. In a way."
I leaned lazily against one of the stone pillars, scarf brushing my chin as I tilted my head. "Word of advice: whatever my mother said, listen to her. Don't go against her word. I would rather not see that demon again." A shiver slipped down my spine at the memory, and I rubbed my arm.
"I'll remember that," Zagan said, coming to stand next to me.
"Hey, guys! We're ready to go!" Amari's voice called from the doorway. We turned to see her stepping out, dressed in a deep red dress that hugged her form in a way that screamed confidence. Beside her, Rachel appeared in a white-and-pink one-piece dress, her soft pink hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her white wings framed her like a painting.
"Wow, Rachel, you look cute," I said without hesitation, a smile breaking across my face.
"C-cute?" Her eyes widened, and she quickly looked down, cheeks flaring crimson as she turned her face away.
'Well, that's a thing,' I thought, a chuckle rumbling low in my chest.
"So," I said aloud, "how are we getting to our destination, Amari?"
"We'll be taking a car until the subway, then using trains for the rest of the day," she explained with brisk clarity.
"Huh? Cars and trains? Wow, public transport's really advanced that far?"
"Yeah," Zagan cut in, his expression tight. "Shino and Yami focused on transport first, before they started pouring resources into modern weapons." His jaw clenched slightly, the conflict in his eyes plain.
'I see. He doesn't like the idea of modern weapons either, I thought, glancing at him.
"Yeah! The capital's changed so much in the past seven years. They even have scrolls now!" Amari's voice lifted with excitement.
"Scrolls?" I echoed.
"It's a phone," Zagan explained, pulling a thin glass device from his pocket.
"Ooh, I need one of those." I crossed my arms, grinning.
"That's why we're going out today," Amari said. "We need to get you new clothes and some tech. If we're lucky, we can even get you one with our house emblem."
A low hum filled the air. The ground vibrated faintly beneath my boots.
VRRRR.
The sound grew louder, coming from the side of the mansion, rushing toward us.
"Aah, the car's here," Zagan said, already moving down the stairs.
I turned my head and blinked as a sleek, silver shape appeared, gliding smoothly toward us without wheels. It hovered about thirty centimeters off the ground, moving with an almost arrogant grace.
"Cars can float now?" I muttered as it came to a stop in front of us. Its design reminded me of a luxury limo, except without the roof and without any bulky engines. The seats were arranged like in a Japanese limo: the driver in front with a passenger seat and two plush couches facing each other in the back with enough space to stretch your legs out.
"Yes," Zagan said with a forced smile. "They call it the float moto." He stepped aside, opening the door for Amari and Rachel.
"Shino and Yami are bad at naming things," I commented as I strolled over.
"Not their fault. Their older brother-the King-decides the names," Zagan replied, climbing in.
"There's something wrong with the King, then."
"I wouldn't say that in public if I were you," Amari warned. "The commoners love him. He was the one who made sure all these advancements reached everyone, not just the nobles. In his head, there's no difference between nobles and commoners."
I scratched the back of my head. "Alright, I take it back. Just his naming sense is awful. He actually sounds like a noble king."
Amari leaned forward. "Un. Daren, can you take us to the subway?"
"Ooh, Daren, is that you?" I teased Daren without even looking at the driver.
"Yes, young miss," he said flatly, voice devoid of emotion.
"Aah, are you still upset at me for kicking you? Come on, that was yesterday. Old news."
"You left a giant bruise on his stomach," Amari cut in, giving me a sharp glare. "What do you think?"
"Tsk, you're no fun," I muttered, glaring right back.
"Daren, just ignore her and take us to the subway," Amari said, still ignoring my look.
"I will, thank you, Amari," he replied, his tone noticeably softer with her.
"In her defense, he did attack first, and for no reason," Rachel chimed in quietly.
Zagan turned, intrigued. "Rachel, can you enlighten me about this incident?"
"Umu." Rachel nodded seriously, wings twitching as she began to explain everything that happened yesterday.
I have good news.
I think it's good news. I have finally figured out what I want to do with my novel.
Yes, I never really have a plan for my novel, but now I do.
Though I have Kitsuna where I want her to be in power, all she needs is a bit of experience and how to use her powers properly. I have plans for that though. I am also not planning to give her any more powers or evolutions until her class but that also won't make her OP just yet.
The release dates will stay the same for now-every 2 days. I just don't have enough time to write a lot of chapters into the future.
I will check if I can work it out to make it one a day, but at the moment, it will stay as every 2 days.
Ooh, and if you want a comment, tell me what sort of girl you want to have for the Mc's love interest. You can also say Rachel, but I have something plan for her, hehe. You might hate me for it.
TheRealSkolliecreators' thoughts
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Chapter 37:
"Let me get this straight. When I went out of the room, he locked you up inside Amari's room and left you," I said, blinking at Rachel in confusion. My brows furrowed as I shifted my weight against the Moto seat, scarf hanging loosely around my neck.
"Yes. He said it was to protect me." Rachel's tone was soft, but her lips pressed together like she was unsure whether to defend him or not.
I turned toward Daren, staring at the back of his head. "You locked your sister in a room that isn't even hers. What is wrong with you?" My voice was flat, but my tail flicked once, betraying my irritation.
"I didn't think everything through. My priority was to catch you," Daren replied without turning, his jaw tight.
"Kill," I corrected, leaning forward slightly. "Not catch. To kill." My eyes narrowed, voice deliberately sharp.
Rachel winced, her hands wringing at the hem of her sleeve, but she didn't speak up for him this time.
"Wasn't it you who said this happened yesterday, and it's old news?" Daren asked, his tone defensive, almost desperate for me to let it slide.
"Yes," I admitted, my voice softening a notch before I tilted my head and smirked faintly, "but I'm just making certain Zagan here knows the entire truth."
"Sure you are," Daren muttered sarcastically, even as he tightened his grip on the wheel.
"Haha, don't worry, Mister Grumpy Pants," I teased, leaning back lazily and resting my chin on my palm. "I'm not going to do anything to Rachel's brother." I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, lips tugging upward when she flushed faintly.
Daren's voice darkened. "I don't care what you do to me. But if you hurt my sister, I would hunt you down to the depths of the world to kill you." His words carried steel, heavy enough to make Rachel's shoulders twitch.
I tilted my head, scarf sliding to one side, and gave him a bemused look. "Wow. Sis-con much?"
Rachel blinked, tilting her head curiously. "What's a sis-con?"
I smirked, lips parting as I lifted a finger. "Hmm, a sis-con is a brother that-"
"Don't taint the innocent," Zagan cut me off smoothly, folding his arms and giving me a sharp glance.
"Fine," I muttered, shrugging with exaggerated carelessness, coat sleeves hanging loose past my wrists.
"But you, mister-Miss Fox," Zagan said, clearly still tripping over the words, "I still need to get used to you also being gender-bent. Why did you encase the entire dining hall with an ice wall?" His eyes narrowed, suspicion threading his tone.
"We were talking about some imported things, and I didn't want other people to know." I waved a hand dismissively, the corner of my mouth twitching. Then, with a sly grin, I leaned in. "How did you react when you found out you changed genders?" I asked, trying to divert the subject.
"Don't try to bypass this. Zagan, we were talking about you and her, you know what I mean. That time how you domi-" Our panicked shout strangled Amari's words into silence.
"We were drunk!" Zagan and I exclaimed at the exact same time, voices overlapping in frantic defense.
The car went still for a beat. Then, realizing what we'd just done, Zagan and I turned toward each other, horror dawning, and our eyes widened with mirrored embarrassment. My cheeks warmed despite myself, and Zagan's ears twitched.
"Haha! That reaction was priceless." Amari's laugh rang out, loud and delighted. Rachel tilted her head, utterly lost.
Zagan cleared his throat, trying to recover dignity, though the tips of his ears remained red. "The first time I found out about my gender, I was happy... but also not happy. I don't know how to explain it." His brows furrowed, his voice softer now. "I was happy that I could go after girls without a problem. But I was unhappy to lose a woman's body. And you?" He glanced at me with a look of wariness.
I exhaled slowly, scarf shifting with the breath. "Mine was the same day I woke up before my hell started. We went to the church to see my status, and that's how I found out."
"By reading it on your status?" Zagan asked, frowning. "Didn't you feel anything different with your body when you woke up?"
I shook my head slightly. "Remember, I was a demi-fox, not fully human anymore. I never had the chance to examine everything new about my body. Everything moved so fast I didn't even know what was really going on until five years later. I understood that I had died and been reincarnated, but that was the extent of my awareness. My voice softened on the last words, and for a moment the hum of the road filled the silence.
"That must have been difficult. "I guess we're lucky to have a family that helped us," Zagan and Amari said together, their expressions dimming with quiet sympathy.
Rachel leaned forward suddenly, brows furrowed. "Excuse me, before you go on, what do you mean that you two are gender-bent?"
I glanced at Amari, one brow raised. "We can tell her about us, right?"
Amari sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. "Yeah. Most people already know about reincarnation by now. All thanks to Hugo, sigh..."
"Hugo?" Rachel echoed softly, but I continued.
"Well, Rachel," I said, shifting to look her in the eyes, "Zagan and I were the opposite gender in our past life before we were reincarnated here."
Rachel's lips parted in shock. She blinked, then whispered, "I see. So... you were a boy before?"
I nodded once, calm.
Her face grew red as she hesitated, then asked, "Now that you are a girl, what is your preference?"
I smirked, the playful glint in my eye returning. "Girls all the way."
Her blush deepened, spreading down to her neck. She ducked her head slightly, clearly flustered.
Seeing her reaction, Zagan and Amari both looked at me with identical frowns.
"We are going to need to talk, sis," Amari said sternly.
'It took you this long, really?' I thought, biting back a grin. Tilting my head innocently, I widened my eyes just a fraction. "Okay?"
"We have arrived at your destination," Daren interrupted, voice flat, as he pulled the moto to a stop outside a three-story building.
I leaned out, noting the white and gold marble facade-far too polished for a common station, marking the proximity to noble districts.
"We'll talk about this later, in private," Amari added, her tone commanding now.
"If you say so," I replied lightly, slipping out of the vehicle. My oversized coat swayed around my cargo pants as I held the door open for the rest of them.
"I will go get our tickets," Zagan said, straightening his cloak before striding into the building.
I turned to Amari. "What's the layout of the capital even?"
"The capital consistsof three circles, with the castle in the middle," she explained while walking. "The inner, middle, and outer circles. Each circle is divided into districts-South, North, East, and West. There are only two entrances: the North and South Gates. The subway system can access all of this easily."
"How big is the capital?" I asked, curious, tugging my scarf tighter as we stepped inside.
Rachel answered this time. "If it weren't for the subway system, it would have taken a week to go from the North Gate to the South Gate for normal citizens. But now, it takes a couple of hours."
I whistled, eyes widening. "Wow. That big, huh?"
"Yeah. The capital has grown a lot in the past eight years. We live in the Inner North district. We'll be going to the Middle North district to do our shopping," Amari said, opening the last door to the main hall.
Inside, the roof arched high above us, three stories tall. Bridges crisscrossed the space, spanning over multiple train tracks. Gates lined the floor, glowing faintly with runes.
"Amari, can we go to the bathroom really quick?" Rachel whispered.
"Un, Sis, we are going to-"
"Un, I heard," I interrupted before she finished, offering a small wave. "I'll wait here for you guys."
"Okay, we'll be right back," Amari said with a nod, guiding Rachel away.
Left alone, I moved to the wall by the entrance, leaning casually with my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my baggy coat. Closing my eyes, I focused on my hearing. Conversations overlapped in waves, a dozen snippets at once. Since last night I had learned to dull and sharpen my senses with effort. Right now, my smell remained muted-no sudden nausea from sweat or rot. Hearing, though, I sharpened, letting the details wash in.
Time slipped by until a sudden slam of the main doors echoed, sharp enough to draw my frown. I didn't open my eyes, but I listened-seven sets of steps. Three light, arrogant strides. Four heavier, armor-clad. Nobles and guards.
'Please don't tell me they're going to bother me,' I thought, sighing inwardly.
They stopped in front of me.
"What is a disgusting commoner like you doing here?" One of the nobles sneered, his arrogance dripping like rot. His entourage laughed behind him.
'What is it with me and trouble...' I sighed silently, still not opening my eyes.
"Don't ignore me!" he shouted, voice grating.
My frown deepened. "Please, don't shout like that. It hurts my ears," I said politely, eyes still closed.
"Is that so?" His voice turned mocking. I heard the inhalation in his lungs. Just as he was about to bellow again, my hand shot up with inhuman speed, seizing his jaw and snapping his head toward me.
