Chapter 99
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“Your Highness, please look at this first!”
Calix, who had been hastily chasing after Lea, was forced to stop at Ilion’s words. He briefly glanced in the direction where Lea had disappeared, and where Zion and Derek were running far ahead.
“It’s a letter from the information guild.”
Without hesitation, Calix tore open the envelope Ilion handed him and unfolded the contents. As he quickly skimmed through the letter, his expression twisted strangely.
“Is this accurate?”
“I haven’t read the contents myself, but that information guild is said to possess more information than any other in the Empire. It was established six or seven years ago and handles intelligence not only from the Cantabria Empire, but also from the Empire of Leonis.”
“…Ha. His Majesty the Emperor has pulled off quite the stunt. And I, like a fool, had no idea.”
The letter contained incredibly detailed information. Bianca’s race and the reason she had ended up here.
A werebeast. Specifically, a fox.
Despite the Empire having fought countless wars with the beastkin nation of Leonis, the Emperor had taken one in personally. And not only that, he had kept that woman and her daughter’s identity a closely guarded secret.
Calix had assumed it was simply a magical device disguising her appearance. The truth hit him like a blow to the back of the head.
In many ways, Lea had defied his expectations. But far from disliking it, he was actually intrigued. His once-monotonous life now felt novel, entertaining… He had found something he wanted to possess.
He tucked the letter into the inner pocket of his jacket and leapt into the air using his ability. From high above, he quickly spotted the direction the fox had gone and launched himself from midair.
Ilion could only stare in stunned silence as Calix shot forward like an arrow.
As he fully unleashed his power, Calix felt an overwhelming sense of freedom. He was grateful that he could now use his abilities freely, without restraint.
And there was someone to thank for that. He recalled what the Emperor had once said, that his face didn’t belong to someone who had never received guiding.
The moment Calix realized his fox’s true identity was Lea, the first question that came to mind was: this. Why had she come to him in the form of a fox?
She never visited when in her human form. Not only that, she had gone out of her way to trouble him.
So why, despite that, had she resorted to such a clumsy trick to approach him?
There was only one answer.
She had come to him to provide guiding.
That was why, unlike Ilion, he hadn’t needed holy water. The feeling of improved condition hadn’t been his imagination—it had been real.
He recalled the fox that came to him every night, looked into his eyes with clear, honest gaze, and then disappeared after he fell asleep. In his mind, he pictured Lea guiding him in silence and slipping away quietly.
Then, a question crept in. When werebeasts return from animal form to human… would they be clothed?
At the same time that idiotic thought passed through his head, a dreamlike night flashed before his eyes. The memory of an immaculately snow-like body, not even covered in thin fabric.
“…Damn it. Does that mean when the animal form is undone, they’re naked?”
As the obvious truth dawned on him, a dark emotion writhed deep within.
If that was the case, had the others who knew Lea’s true identity also seen her naked?
The mere speculation was enough to ignite a cold, seething rage.
He had to catch her faster than anyone else.
Mid-run, Calix suddenly dropped from the sky at terrifying speed.
BOOM!
The ground caved in, and the surrounding area trembled. Even Zion, running through the trees, instinctively flinched at the sheer force.
A massive gust of wind surged ahead. The roar of wind rushing through the trees echoed loud. To others, it was just wind, but to Calix, every sound carried by that wind was audible.
With all his senses heightened, he focused. Then, from a current of wind that reached a certain place, he caught the sound of shallow, panting breaths.
There was no mistaking it, the sound belonged to the fox who had been with him every night for the past five years.
Calix raced toward that direction, practically flying.
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