Chapter 63.1

Kevin was entangled in the kiss, but a blank gap in his mind allowed him to come to his senses with a sigh of relief. He took two heavy breaths and pushed Oswald away before he could react.

Oswald was caught off guard by the push, his back hitting the cabin wall heavily. He gasped for breath and frowned in puzzlement, turning to look at Kevin in doubt.

He saw that Kevin was pinching his neck with one hand and untying his hands with the other. Once his hands were free, Kevin put the reins back on them without a word and turned to kick Oswald.

The kick was neither light nor heavy, for the two had just been kissing, and there had even been a sense of unbridled intimacy.

Of course, this may have just been Oswald's own illusion.

The kiss had left His Majesty the Emperor bereft of all reason. Kevin kicked him, and he staggered out of the cabin, half of the previous ambiguity and suffocation blown away by the wind.

Once outside, he was taken aback by the scene.

The wooden boat that had been swept into the depths of the sea by huge waves had undergone a great deal of jostling and rolling. Now, it was hanging upside down somewhere in the sea.

At the moment when the bottom of the boat was facing upwards and the hull was completely stabilized downwards, their positions had been reversed.

The world beneath the waves was inverted, as if in a mirror. The sky was now the floor of the sea, and the sea was now the sky. The wooden boat, which had been overturned by the waves, was now right side up.

Oswald stared in disbelief at the strange scene before him. Fish swam through the air, whales as large as islands floated overhead, and sharks with long, sharp teeth lurked beneath the clouds. Even the animals in the boat seemed to be upside down.

"What is this place?" Oswald asked, his voice trembling.

Kevin emerged from the cabin, his eyes half-closed. "We're on Mirror Island," he said in a hoarse voice. "Now stop being so stupid and follow me."

Oswald took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He had heard stories of Mirror Island, but he had never believed them. Now, he was seeing it for himself.

"Mirror Island... is it the place that the Lord God Feisa created in the legend?" Oswald murmured, his voice filled with wonder. "I thought it was just a legend, but it really exists?"

"How is this possible?" he asked.

Kevin snorted derisively. "You think too much. There are too many things that you think. Mirror Island has always existed, and it happens to be a mirror image of the island where the Spirit Race lives, hanging under the sea. But without Faesa's boat, you won't get there."

To be precise, it cannot be reached without divine help.

Oswald just felt that something was wrong with this statement, but before he could react, Kevin spoke again, his face full of sadness and mockery. "Excuse me, can you see the next time you are in heat? Can you see the time and place?"

"Next time?" Oswald replied subconsciously, and then he understood.

Kevin: "..."

Kevin stared at Oswald, his eyes like chips of ice. He raised his hand and gave Oswald the rein he had been carrying.

"I was going to throw this away," he said, his voice cold as steel. "But I've changed my mind. Put it on and change your appearance, so that I won't be irritable when I see you."

Oswald took the rein without hesitation and put it on his neck. He knew that Kevin was still angry with him for kissing him, and he didn't want to make things worse.

He put the rein on his neck and closed his eyes, willing himself to change.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Oswald felt a tingling sensation all over his body. His fur began to change color, and his limbs elongated. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer a man. He was a huge, white Sirius.

As soon as he adjusted the buckle and transformed back into the form of a Sirius, Oswald stopped as if he had just remembered something.

The huge beast raised its head abruptly, staring at Kevin with its transparent eyes, and said doubtfully, "I almost forgot. What was shining in the cabin just now, and... why are you covering your neck?"

Oswald's attention, which had been drifting, finally returned to the present moment. He recalled the previous situation in his mind, feeling more and more puzzled. He suddenly remembered that Kevin had been covering his neck in the woods before... Why?

A vague idea flashed through his mind, and just as he was about to grasp it, Kevin kicked him again.

The ancestor gave the emperor a sharp kick in the rear, then unceremoniously clambered onto Oswald's back.

He gripped the beast's sides like a vulture on a horse, and slapped its furry head. "Why don't you think while you're flying?" he demanded. "Can't you see that the ship you're chasing is just ahead?!"

Oswald grunted in assent, his wings beating reflexively as he launched himself into the air, carrying Kevin on his back.

He vibrated his massive wings mechanically, his mind consumed by two words: neck...glow...neck...glow.

On the horizon, a wooden boat appeared, its sails billowing in the wind. The boat was filled with people, all of whom stood expressionlessly, their clothes soaked and dripping.

The witch snake totem on the prow of the boat glowed faintly with white light.

The boat was moving at an unnatural speed, as if it were being pulled by some unseen force. It was clear that this was no ordinary vessel.

As the boat drew closer, the island it was heading towards came into view. The island was massive, and it appeared to be made entirely of ice. It glowed with a faint blue light, and it seemed to be floating on the surface of the water.

Oswald, who was flying overhead, circled the boat. As he did so, his gaze fell on the witch snake totem. He stared at it for a moment, then thought to himself: Hmm...it is also shining.