Just as I was idly letting my mind wander, a voice suddenly rang out from the empty side.
"White Fox? Are you looking for us?"
This really gave me a huge fright, as I was completely unprepared.
Of course, compared to that idiot on the other side who actually jumped vertically and almost crashed into the decorative light fixtures on his head, this was just a simple earthquake, which can be considered a very calm performance.
Uh, okay, I was still scared by the person on the other end.
But... wait, why is it that even though I didn't speak or exchange any words with Hikari outside, people know that I'm searching for the White Fox?
Could it be that I was overthinking and unconsciously uttered it aloud? But searching through my past memories, I can't find any record of making a similar mistake…
"Idiot! You were shouting it so loudly in your mind, it was practically like you were yelling into our ears through a megaphone. How can you blame us for hearing your voice?" The voice rang out again, mixed with a few strange whimpering tones.
But when I turned my head, the direction from which the sound came was still the same as before, without any change.
New questions keep emerging, like bubbles rising to the surface of a soda.
Why is the air starting to talk to me?
Why do I feel like the air is talking to me?
Am I finally going to find that legendary "air friend" that everyone has? From now on, if I want to play a two-player game, I won't have to go through the trouble of playing both players by myself anymore?
"Who says we're friends with thin air?! Don't presume to be my friend, you jerk!"
He was suddenly struck hard in the chest, and then everything went black.
A faint, booming noise swirled in my ears, then vanished into a deathly silence and an omnipresent buzzing. When I finally managed to piece together my consciousness from the chaotic darkness and the heavy pain in my chest, I struggled to open my eyes, only to find myself still surrounded by darkness.
Where exactly did the problem go wrong?
I tried to clear away the darkness with my hand, but as soon as I raised it halfway, I felt an unexpected smoothness and softness, as well as a slight warmth, between my fingers.
This should feel like hair. Is something pressing down on me right now?
"Mr. Yumi? Are you alright? Do you need any help?"
Hikari's worried voice came from the side.
After a few seconds, the darkness dissipated as the dull pain in her chest disappeared from her sight. Turning her head again to confirm, she saw Hikari, who was half-bent over, struggling to drag away a large white dog that was about half her size. She was panting slightly and could only express her questions with her eyes.
The dog bared its teeth fiercely and spoke in a human voice: "I've already said, I'm a white fox! I'm not some big white dog!"
Foxes belong to the canine family, and so does the big white dog, so it's reasonable that the white fox is a dog.
I struggled to my feet, and without thinking, that's what popped into my head.
Just as she gave Hikari a look that everything was alright, she saw the white dog, which had been struggling just moments before, pause for a second and then cast a grim glance at her.
"Very good, commendable courage."
The trembling corners of his mouth revealed sharp white teeth. In the midst of the grinding, he vaguely glimpsed the red-hot forged steel clashing against each other, sparks flying, and the lightning that struck down stirred up a burning wind and swirled the endless cumulus clouds.
The next second, my sternum was struck a second time.
...
Because of a minor accident, we were led by the shop assistant to a private room at the back of the shop, which was not open to the public, amidst the strange stares of the crowd. The one walking at the front was the white fox lady who had kicked and bitten me earlier.
Honestly, that dog's teeth are really sharp. Even though I only had time to put on some temporary protection in the chaos, and I could have remained completely calm when faced with the huge explosions caused by those lunatics who frequent the testing grounds, I could have steadily withstood them while casually hanging them all out on the flagpole for all to see. But even so, I was almost chewed through. Not only was half of my sleeve missing, but I also had four obvious canine tooth marks on my forearm.
Fortunately, I reacted in time, so I didn't have to try to look across the river at my uncle who was smiling and waving at me.
"Serves you right! This is the price you have to pay for being disrespectful to your elders."
The white fox hummed and tilted its head back, sitting upright and elegantly as it glanced down at you.
However, given the other person's occasional panting and exhaling, it's more accurate to describe it as genuine naiveté rather than mockery.
As the shop assistant who had just led the way explained in a low voice with a wry smile, the creature in front of them, with its lively and neat white fur and a large, fluffy tail tied with a big flower bow near the base, was none other than the shop's second owner, and also the owner's most beloved youngest daughter, Miss White Fox.
...Well, adopting intelligent animals as offspring isn't anything unusual. Anyway, I'm not the one who'll be bothered.
Understanding, respect, and blessings.
I was more curious about how the other person knew my thoughts: "Do you have some kind of method that allows you to directly read other people's subconscious?"
The white fox suddenly widened its dark eyes and looked at me blankly: "Since you came here to find us, isn't it because of something the all-knowing witch said?"
"What should she say?" I looked back, equally bewildered. "And how do you know that the Omniscient Witch is related to me?"
"In this world, the only people who can carry that authority around without being taken back, besides herself, are that student she exceptionally took in?" The white fox looked at her as if she were an idiot. "Everyone in the world with even a little basic knowledge of magic knows this. Although she does sometimes like to go out in a different form, it's only when she transforms into a woman. You're not a woman."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
