"What kind of wind blew such a busy man like you over here?"
Yae Miko was lying on her side beneath the Sacred Sakura, posture completely relaxed. When she saw Koji arrive, she didn't even bother sitting up; she only lifted her eyes and glanced over in greeting.
"I felt like petting a fox, so I came," Koji said bluntly.
"Transform. Now."
Hearing that, Yae Miko rolled her eyes. This guy really was straightforward; had he ever considered her feelings?
"No way. And I'm not the only fox around here. Why should I be the one who has to turn into a little fox just to let you pet me?" Yae Miko sounded unusually firm this time.
"Are you talking about me?"
A white-furred fox stepped into view with dignified grace—Kitsune Saiguu making a grand entrance. It had been many years since she'd last taken on her original form.
"Of course. I'm your lifesaving benefactor who helped you revive. What's so wrong with turning into a little fox and letting someone pet you a few times?" Yae Miko nodded earnestly as she coaxed Kitsune Saiguu to transform so she herself wouldn't have to.
Kitsune Saiguu narrowed her alluring eyes. With all her years of cultivation, how could she not see through Yae Miko's little scheme?
…
Koji hugged two little foxes in his arms, one white and one pink.
Only children made choices. He wanted both.
The white furball was Kitsune Saiguu, and the pink one was Yae Miko. The two fox spirits of the Hakushin clan were both nestled in Koji's embrace.
"Rrrr~…"
Koji's technique felt far too comfortable. Both foxes were enjoying it so much their eyes were about to roll back.
This sensation really was addictive. Kitsune Saiguu finally understood why Yae Miko had made that kind of face before—she couldn't help herself either.
"There's no fox musk. Is that natural, or do you bathe every day?"
Koji sniffed lightly. There was a faint fragrance of cherry blossoms. He couldn't tell whether it was their body scent or the aroma of the Sacred Sakura.
"We're from the Hakushin clan. How could we possibly be like ordinary foxes and have a fox stink?" Kitsune Saiguu said helplessly.
"Exactly. Ordinary foxes do have a musky smell, but the Hakushin clan doesn't. Besides, we've cultivated for who knows how many years," Yae Miko added lazily.
With virtually no impurities left in their bodies, it was only natural there wouldn't be any unpleasant odors.
"If you did smell like fox musk, I wouldn't want to touch you," Koji said with a grin.
The two foxes were speechless. It wasn't like they'd begged him to pet them in the first place.
"It's been so long since I've seen you in fox form, Saiguu."
Raiden Makoto walked over, grabbed the loose skin at the back of Kitsune Saiguu's neck, and lifted her into her own arms.
So soft and comfortable. Kitsune Saiguu was no younger than she was, so back in the day she'd hardly ever had the chance to hold her like this.
Now she could finally make up for it a little. She was no worse than the "Yae Miko-brand hand-warmer."
"Makoto, no work today?"
Kitsune Saiguu didn't struggle. She'd already been seen in fox form anyway; letting Makoto hug her a bit wouldn't kill her.
Raiden Ei, on the other hand, scooped up Yae Miko—only, her fox-handling skills were a little rough, making Yae Miko bare her teeth in protest.
"You're not continuing your journey?" Makoto asked.
"The crises in Sumeru and Fontaine have been resolved, but we haven't really taken the time to properly explore these nations. So we're slowing down for a while," Koji said with a shrug.
With his involvement, Lumine hadn't gone through her travels bit by bit like in the game. Wherever they went, it turned into a speedrun.
They'd avoided a lot of danger, but they'd also lost some of the fun of traveling.
Every nation had its own unique landscapes and culture. They didn't plan to head straight for Natlan; they wanted to wander these countries for a while before setting off for Natlan again.
"I heard about what happened to Nahida. Back in the war with Khaenri'ah, Great Lord Rukkhadevata didn't take part. Her duty was to guard the World Tree," Raiden Makoto said with a sigh.
Both were female gods, and the relationship between them had been quite good. After all, Great Lord Rukkhadevata's temperament was similar to hers—very gentle—and they had interacted a fair bit in the past.
"Makoto, if Great Lord Rukkhadevata was guarding the World Tree, how did she fall?" Raiden Ei asked, frowning.
"Did something invade the World Tree as well?"
Raiden Makoto shook her head. "Honestly, I don't really know. I died on the battlefield in Khaenri'ah. As for the World Tree, aside from Great Lord Rukkhadevata, almost no one truly understood it."
"At the beginning, it was related to the Scarlet King," Koji explained. "He brought in forbidden knowledge—essentially the power of the Abyss. Great Lord Rukkhadevata had to clean up his mess and was exhausted by it. Later, during the Khaenri'ah war, the power of the Abyss began invading every nation on the continent, including the World Tree."
"The World Tree is too important to Teyvat. Great Lord Rukkhadevata sacrificed herself to suppress the Abyss."
Koji gave them a simple explanation. Everyone could follow it.
"Good grief, is that Scarlet King some kind of idiot? He actually went and dabbled in the power of the Abyss," Kitsune Saiguu complained.
She'd died five hundred years ago and naturally knew very well how terrifying the Abyss was.
Makoto and the others all traded looks. The Scarlet King really hadn't been thinking straight; the power of the Abyss possessed an extremely strong corrosive force.
"Scarlet King Al-Ahmar became intoxicated by the charm and tenderness of the Goddess of Flowers Nabu, and that's how he came into contact with forbidden knowledge," Koji continued.
"The ending the Goddess of Flowers sought was a brilliant death. The Scarlet King didn't understand her philosophy. In the Queen of Flowers' calculations…"
Koji recounted, in detail, the story between the Scarlet King and the Goddess of Flowers.
Everyone present sucked in a sharp breath.
"If you put it in light-novel terms, that Scarlet King is just a complete simp, isn't he?" Raiden Ei said in a low voice.
The Goddess of Flowers was a scheming woman; the Scarlet King was a brainless simp.
Tsk, tsk. And what did the Scarlet King get for all of that?
His own death—and the ruin of his kingdom.
"I've heard of Scarlet King Al-Ahmar," Raiden Makoto said, her tone turning oddly nonplussed. "Supposedly he was a god who descended from Celestia. I didn't expect him to be that kind of deity…"
Because he chased after the Goddess of Flowers and touched forbidden knowledge—wasn't that just being hopelessly love-brained?
Seeing what Makoto was thinking, Koji chuckled. "It's said the Scarlet King already had several wives. He only developed feelings for the Goddess of Flowers because she was so astonishingly beautiful."
Everyone looked even more disgusted. They really didn't know how to evaluate that.
"What about Great Lord Rukkhadevata then? Weren't the three gods on pretty good terms? Did she get involved in all of this?" Yae Miko asked. She despised the Scarlet King, but she was still happy to hear the gossip.
"Rumor has it the Goddess of Flowers liked Great Lord Rukkhadevata, but Great Lord Rukkhadevata never accepted her," Koji said.
"Hiss…"
Everyone drew in a cold breath. Was this true, or just wild gossip? A love triangle among gods was certainly stimulating.
"Your circle really is a mess," Kitsune Saiguu couldn't help saying.
If it were true, women liking women wasn't unheard of. But for it to happen between gods—it was actually pretty entertaining.
"This is even more interesting than the light novels you recommend," Raiden Ei remarked seriously.
"Indeed. Gossip between gods," Yae Miko admitted.
After all, the drama among Archons was bound to be more exciting than those light novels.
"If I ever get the chance to meet Great Lord Rukkhadevata and Nahida, I absolutely have to ask them about the whole process in detail. That's all creative inspiration," Yae Miko added, eyes gleaming slightly at the thought.
(End of Chapter)
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