Chapter 1- Previously Known as Edith Myars

'Adventurer's Guild'

That was the sign above the door they went through.

The Aznozian Empire, Edith's home.

The place he was taken into when the Gods foolishly forced their will to reincarnate him and his sister from his paradise on Earth onto them.

The place reeked of sweat and blood as the air was filled with the fierce atmosphere of adventurers, both newbie and veteran making their rounds accepting quests and selling gathered materials. Edith was just there to rent a room to stay.

He went up to the guild and took out his guild card.

"Welcome back, Edith, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked. She beamed him a friendly smile, "You don't need to show me your identification card, you've been working with us for four years now. It's best to drop formalities."

"Is a room available?"

"Yes." She went under the desk and took out a key marked '3,' "That'll be seven copper."

"Thanks." He paid up then took the key, "By the way, I'm travelling alone from here on out."

"Oh?" Concerned, she tilted her head, "What about Lloyd, Lucy and Aster?"

"We disbanded." He said.

"I see…" Her smile disappeared, but quickly returned, "...Well, at least they're not dead. You have my best wishes for the future."

"..." Edith remained silent.

He was about to go past the receptionist desk to his room when something clicked in her mind.

"Oh, by the way, you have a commission."

"A commission?" Edith questioned.

"Yes. It was from an unknown sender."

"Let me see." He was handed a black envelope with an unknown seal. It appeared to be the insignia of a foreign nation, one he didn't know about.

"I haven't peaked, if you're wondering."

"I already know that."

He carefully opened it and revealed a note. It was written in black ink on a sheet of scented paper. He scanned the sheet for any hint of poison or other negative effects, but found none. That told him it was safe to read.

…

…

An assassination?

The request's details were direct. He was tasked with assassinating someone known as Count Rowall from within this Kingdom. It had a small image of his face, his location, and his deeds. If Edith got an assassination request…this must've meant something sinister was lurking inside the walls. He stared at it for a few more seconds then stuffed the note back into the envelope. He looked at the receptionist once more with a nod,

"Who sent you this? Did they say where they were from?"

"Unfortunately, no. All they did was hand me the note, saying to deliver this to the S-Rank Mercenary, Edith. They wore a dark cloak around them and hid their face.

"I see. Thank you." He slightly bowed, "It'll be over by sundown tomorrow."

"Much appreciated. Don't push yourself too hard."

His room was on the second floor down the wooden hall. Upon entering, Edith stopped at the door, leaning heavily onto it as he caught his breath.

"Haah…haah…" He heaved. Beads of sweat rapidly poured down his face like a river, dripping onto his pure black boots and long black cloak. His ragged short black and blood stained hair got in his face and blocked his beady blue and green eyes. His mouth was widely opened as he held back tears, reflecting on his actions.

"Lucy…Lloyd…Aster…" He muttered. Then the Sword Spirit appeared in front of him.

"Edith…" She walked up to him and cupped his face into her hands, "...Don't cry."

"Cry?" He looked at her. His face was beet red-not from embarrassment-but from exhaustion.

"Heh…" He sourly chuckled, "...You're a fool for thinking I would."

"Don't say that." She smiled at him affectionately, "Even warriors like yourself need to cry sometimes. So release the magic holding back your emotions. It's only us here."

"..."

He accepted. Taking another breath, he uttered an incantation,

"Release me, oh Alastor. And let my Emotions run Free." Then, as if on cue, everything came rushing out of him all at once. He felt as if a load had been taken off his shoulders. He couldn't hold anything in. Grabbing Ashe by the waist and pressing his face into her shoulders, he sobbed. Silently, but Ashe felt the immense sadness pouring out of him at that exact moment. Even she shed a tear.

"Lucy…she was like a sister to me…She could never replace Elzia…but she reminded me of her so, very much…it was as if she was still alive…"

"I know, I know." She hugged him and he returned it, "You did it for their own good. When you finally gain enough strength to kill that bastard Achlys, you will see them again."

"And Aster…she was so kind…She's the one who accepted me when no one else would. And Lloyd…that guy is the most loyal companion anyone could ever ask for…I'm going to miss them so much…" He tightened his grip around her body, pressing himself even more into her already strong embrace, "...Ashe…please tell me I did the right thing in leaving them alone…please…I need to know…"

"I can't answer that for you, Edith. Only you could." She muttered, "If you think it was for their own good, then it was. If you don't, then maybe you could've done something differently. Either way, don't regret anything you have done today. That'll only hinder you in the long run."

"..." He sobbed even more, "...I understand. Thank you, Ashe…"

Soon, he finally calmed down. When they released themselves, she placed a gentle hand onto his tear-stained cheek,

"We still need to slay the Beast King, that's the only visible threat to Aster, Lloyd and Lucy. Should I send a servant after him, or do you want to do it yourself?"

"I'll do it myself after extracting information out of that bastard." He replied with a serious look, "First is the commission. I don't know who this guy is, but if he's a threat to the Aznozian Empire, our home, he has to die."

"Alright." She took her hand away, "I'll fetch us some food. Stay here and recuperate." Then she turned around and left the room.

***

Edith, previously known as 'Edith Myars,' was a boy reincarnated from planet Earth to the world of Ixtal after being 'deemed fit' by the five Elder Gods. He was the Elder Goddess of Eternal Night/Marionette's #1 disciple, aged sixteen, the youngest adventurer ever to reach S-Rank in all of recorded history. His abilities, learning capacity and adaptability surpassed everyone around him.

Sixteen years ago, the unthinkable happened. Creation God Amasterasu, Marionette Goddess Alastor, Death Goddess Achlys, Sorcery God Magus and Afterlife God Osiris all had their eyes on both him and his sister and decided it to send their servants down to Earth in an attempt to capture-kill him-and reincarnate them to Ixtal into their own factions. Marionette claimed Edith after some struggle and Sorcery claimed Elzia with ease. Both were reincarnated to separate parts of Ixtal-Edith to the Badlands inside of the Inari Faction's territory as a Fox, and Elzia, as a human, to a more peaceful area. They didn't meet until six years had already gone by.

However, on the day they were reunited, Achlys struck. She sent her Disciples to assassinate them both and almost claimed the life of Elzia, nearly killing his beloved sister right in front of his eyes. She lived, but never again opened her eyes. At that moment, Edith felt his soul split. He would never be the same again without her by his side. He swore to himself that he'd survive no matter what-for the sole purpose of getting his vengeance.

He set out on a journey to get stronger, abandoning his fox lineage and left his family. Four years later, he found Ashe, a Sword Spirit, within a mountain he was exploring. The sword was a beautiful crimson with a massive blade spanning 1 metre in length and 50 centimetres in width, a curve at the end. It was made from pure obsidian, including its blood red hilt. She deemed him fit to be her master and allowed him to wield her. From then on, his growth rapidly increased.

Another two years passed, and he joined up with a party after rescuing them from certain doom. The party was a band of novices who had just started out as adventurers, their names were Lloyd, age 8, Lucy, age 6 and Aster, age 8. He found them while inside of a dungeon near the Aznozian Empire, which was his next destination at the time. They were wary of him, especially because of his giant sword and stoic demeanor, but Aster quickly accepted him. Lloyd was more skeptical, and Lucy was just plain frightened. They soon became inseparable as friends.

Now…

Edith held out the palm of his hands and used the skill 'Identify' on himself, which allowed him to see his own status.

NAME: Edith

RACE: Evolved Fox; Kitsune

AGE: 16

LEVEL: 100/200

WEAPON: Sword Spirit Ashe

CLASS: Battle Mage

RANK: S-Rank

AFFLICTION: Marionette

ROLE: Mercenary

HEALTH: 200,000

MANA: 356,000

STRENGTH: 567,000

STAMINA: 200,000

TITLES: Godslayer, Dragonslayer, Friendkiller, Spirit Tamer, Summoner, Necromancer, Assassin, Hero of the Elders, Disciple of Alastor, Cheater of Death.

ABILITIES: Dark MAX, Void MAX, Fire MAX, Ice MAX, water MAX, wind MAX, lightning MAX, earth MAX, Stealth MAX, Summoning MAX, Necromancy MAX, Sword King Mastery MAX, Telepathy, Resist All MAX, Teleportation MAX, Dimension Shift, Magic Mastery, Advanced Fire Technique, Advanced Ice Technique, Advanced Dark Technique, Advanced Void Technique, Advanced Ice technique, Advanced Ice technique, Advanced Water Technique, Advanced Wind Technique, Advanced Earth Technique, Advanced Summoning Technique, Advanced Lightning Technique, Advanced Healing Technique, Instant Regeneration, Instant Heal, Rapid Recovery MAX, Contract, Sword God Mastery, Evolution MAX, Danger Perception, Trap Sense, Eye of Truth, Identify Protection, Identify, Perfect Thought Protection, Physical Nullification, Mental Nullification, Cooking MAX, Dimensional Storage, Perfect Shield, Manipulation MAX, Mind Reading MAX, Hypnotism MAX, Hunting MAX, Speed MAX, High Jump MAX, FoxFire MAX , Flight, Intimidate MAX.

EXTRA SKILLS: Blessing of Creation God Amaterasu, Blessing of Marionette Goddess Alastor, Blessing of Sorcerer God Magus, Blessing of Afterlife God Osiris. Blessing of Fox Goddess Inari, Blessing of the Dryads.

He kept staring at it all, unsatisfied. He still wasn't strong enough.

"I'm still weak…" He said to himself, "...Achlys is so much stronger…But there's only so much a mortal like myself can do…if only I was a God…"

If Edith was a God, or at least a minor God, then he'd stand a chance against the Elder Goddess of Death. But he was only a mortal, a Kitsune. And a Kitsune was the closest a mortal could ever get to being a God. His black fully fox-like ears twitched at the top of his head while his 5 large black fox tails stood on edge. His body shivered as he recalled the immense intimidation he felt on the day Achlys appeared to him in person. Her aura, her strength, the feeling of Death being just inches away from him was etched into his memories. He would never forget that day.

Suddenly, the door to his room was opened. Ashe returned with two bowls of monster meat stew and some water.

"I have returned." She said, she sat next to him and handed him a bowl, noticing the shivers in his body, "Edith, eat up."

"Alright…" He took a spoonful and placed it into his mouth. The mixture of sweet and sour herbs coupled with the fried satisfying taste of the meat calmed him down. He noticed a minor healing effect appear on his status.

"This stew has a healing effect?"

"Yes. I added it myself. I thought it'd do you well, given your exhaustion." He was surprised-but calmly smiled,

"Thank you Ashe. You're always so thoughtful."

"It's nothing. You're my user after all." She gave him a happy grin before taking a bite of her meal,

"It's good. Food in this kingdom is so different from what I expected it to be."

"What did you expect it to be?"

"Well…I don't know. This is a human kingdom so I wasn't sure what to expect."

"Fried fox meat?"

"F-Fox meat?" Her eyes shot open at the thought, "N-nothing of that sort! Humans are known to be cruel to beastmen like yourself, but by the Gods, I doubt they'd ever do such a thing!"

"Hahaha." He smirked, "You're right. It'd be the Heavenly War all over again."

"Nnn…" She growled a little, but ended up giggling along with him, "...What'll you be doing after this?"

"Since it's late, I'm thinking I'd rest for a bit then start the assassination of Count Rowall. After that I'll slay the Beast King and his daughter then return here to plan my next move."

"You know you will be making an enemy of the Beastmen Nation, do you not?"

"I don't care. He betrayed me even after me, Lucy, Lloyd and Aster rescued his daughter from the hands of the Theocracy. This is my vengeance."

"I see." She smiled at him, "I will help in any way I can."

"Thank you, Ashe." He gave her a small nod, "I think I'll visit the Dryad as well. It's been over a month."

"She'll be mad at you."

"Hahaha. That'll be fine." He heaved a sigh, "I honestly didn't think things would turn out this way for me. If only Elzia got to meet you…" Then his smile turned into a frown and tears formed within his eyes, "...She would've loved you."

"I'm sorry…I'm sure she would have." She remarked, "But don't dwell on it. You were probably reincarnated here for a reason. I believe you should use your time here to the fullest despite having lost her. It's what she would want." After, she sank into a lower tone, "It's hard to believe you lost her on the day you were reunited though…thinking about it makes me sick."

"Achlys is responsible for that. I believe she purposely did this to provoke me. Or she thought I would've let my guard down because Elzia was there. Either way, I will kill her."

"Well you certainly have the potential to. Maybe that's why Achlys wants you dead so badly." She snickered, "Just don't push yourself too hard or you might break."

"Like that'll ever happen." He mouthed, taking another bite of his stew, "Wake me at midnight. That'll be when the assassination begins."

"Yes Edith." She bobbed her head, "I'll keep a lookout for the meantime."

"Thank you."

***

Midnight.

Edith stopped on the rooftop overseeing the Count Rowall's mansion. It was huge, spanning about one thousand square feet of land. He had a prosperous royal garden at the front with dozens of flower bushes, complete with a stone pathway and large fountain in the middle. There were guards posted around the property, all humans wearing plates of iron and silver armour, wielding swords, shields and spears. They looked weak, but Edith's mana sense told him that some of them were indeed magic users. However, a quick identify cast aside all his worrisome thoughts.

He unsheathed the Sword Spirit and crouched down. He needed a plan if he wanted to go unnoticed.

"Ashe, see anything?"

"Scanning." The Sword Spirit spoke, "Yes. Inside the mansion, to the far end of the second floor, the Count Rowall is sleeping. However, I advise you to visit the basement as well. I sense a dungeon with one beastman trapped inside, a fox."

"A fox?"

"Yes."

"What's a fox doing all the way out here?" He inquired, "Thanks Ashe. I'm going in."

"Be careful."

He hopped forward, moving to the next rooftop. The guards all seemed half-asleep, so he was certain no one would hear him. He continuously moved until he finally reached the courtyard, where he quickly hid in the corner of the mansion's exterior.

"Nnn…" Two guards came out of a side door in front of him. They both held jugs of what appeared to be alcohol. Their demeanour told him they were drunk.

"Ahhhh what a haul today! Didn't think we could nab a dumb fox so easily!"

"She'd make us some fine gold! Five million, tops!"

"Hahahahaha! Looks like we're in for a raise tomorrow! That son of a bitch sure pulled through!"

"The moronic King would never know about this!"

"..."

'So they're catching beastmen and selling them off?' That made Edith's blood boil. The air around them suddenly grew heavy with blood lust, making the intense coldness grow hotter.

"Hahahahahaha!" But the two men were too drunk to even notice. They just continued on and walked off like it was nothing. Afterwards, Edith came out of the shadows.

He could've interrogated them, but he didn't bother.

He silently crept forward and opened the door they walked out of. Foolishly, they left it unlocked.

Inside, there wasn't much security. Everywhere reeked of booze. Even the guards here were dead drunk, unconscious, even. He was disgusted. The polished wooden flooring was stained and sticky with both vomit and alcohol. The walls and ceiling appeared to be made of concrete, and the bodies of unconscious knights were littered across the floor. They all had their armour on and weapons sheathed. He had no idea how they even managed to sleep in such attire. All he had to do was calmly walk forward.

Then out of the blue, someone grabbed hold of his ankle.

"!"

"Huhhhhh?! Ish thahta fohxh?! Hash dod ya esahpe?!" The knight grabbed it with both his slimy, sticky hands and shouted out, but his speech was so slurred that not even Edith understood him.

"Tch…" He took his sword and stabbed it into the knight's neck, cracking through his windpipe and completely decapitating him with one move. Blood spewed out of the wound and stained his black boots red.

"Pathetic."

He moved forward.

The next room he found himself in appeared to be a hallway with a grand staircase splitting into two directions. One to the east wing and one to the west wing. All was crafted from marble, even the floor and walls. The area was dimly lit by a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Count Rowall should be asleep in the west wing, Edith. Go there."

"Yes." He acknowledged. Effortlessly, he walked up the stairs and opened the wooden door at the end, leading to a dimly lit, eerily silent passage. He couldn't see much. He didn't want to risk being spotted if he used fire to light his way.

He soon arrived at a locked door near the middle. He leaned forward and peeked through. Laying in a woolly mattress with a cloth covering was a man dressed in a noble's attire-a neatly ironed blue cloak with a white undershirt and a pair of long gray jeans. He silently snored while his chest rose and fell with each breath. His face was round and skin was white. He had a bushy beard and mustache to complete the look.

Appearing in his forties, Edith could only guess why he was a target for assassination.

The drunk guards probably wouldn't even care if a loud noise erupted from this room. He raised his sword and cut the door in two, successfully carving an entrance. This didn't even wake the noble, so he was most likely in a drunken sleep too.

He crept over to his side and stared down.

"Target acquired." He said. Then he plunged his sword deep into his throat. A loud groan erupted from his lungs…then he was dead. His head was hanging onto his deceased body by only a thread now. His once clean bedsheets were stained with his rapidly oozing life energy. The metallic scent of fresh blood took over the atmosphere.

"Mission complete. Let's check out the dungeon now."

"Go to the room you were just in and head to the east wing. A flight of stairs leading to the dungeon should be behind another locked door."

"Got it."

Ashe was right. Edith found another locked door and carved it open. He doubted there'd be any guards in the area so he used a ball of flame to light his way. Soon, the air hung heavy with the scent of dried blood, and the walls narrowed.

There wasn't much of a dungeon. Just a small square shaped room filled with small black cages big enough to fit a twelve year old. Blood stained the walls and mossy stone flooring. In the middle of the room was a tiny bowl of water, Edith assumed it was the prisoners' only source of drink. He waved his fire around until he found a single individual hidden within a cage.

The light startled them, but when they saw Edith's face, they immediately beamed.

"A-a Black Fox? No…you're Evolved!" They voiced. Her voice was young and feminine in nature. He assumed they were only fourteen years of age, "Please get me out of here! They're going to sell me off to the Theocracy tomorrow! You have to help me!" She banged on the iron cage, creating a loud crackling noise.

She was a short girl reaching up to Edith's chest in height. Her long orange wavy hair was covered in dust and grime. Her gorgeous white skin was tainted with red. She had a slender body and chocolate brown eyes, coupled with a lengthy flowing white gown, resembling that of a priestess's. Her fingernails resembled claws, and her teeth were like fangs. He wondered how she even got captured in the first place.

"Stand back." He said to her. Then he aggressively shoved his sword through the iron bars and cracked it all open, creating a massive noise which he was certain the guards heard. When the hole was big enough, he reached into the cage and carefully pulled her out. Her body seemed stiff, but after a mid-healing spell, she was back on her feet.

She stretched out her arms and legs in front of him.

"Ahhhhh it feels good to finally be out! Thanks! What's your name?"

"Edith. I'm an adventurer, Marionette Disciple, S-Rank. And my sword is Ashe. She's a Sword Spirit. You?"

She appeared both shocked and excited at the same time. Clenching her fists to her chest, she twinkled at him with sparkling eyes,

"Whoaaaaaa, you're a Marionette Disciple, S-Rank AND you have a Sword Spirit?! That's awesome! You're even Evolved! Just look at those tails! I only have 1!" She turned around and showed off her big bushy fox tail, waving it around for him to see. Her little fluffy orange ears twitched with eagerness.

Upon regaining normal composure, she held out her hand,

"My name is Nuro! Good to meet you, fellow fox!"

"Likewise." He shook her hand, smiling slightly.

"Is Count Rowall dead?"

"Yes. I was tasked with assassinating him by an unknown sender."

"Really?" She tilted her head, "You took care of all the guards too?"

"They're all dead drunk. I slipped past them like it was nothing."

"Huh, neat." She laughed, "Anyway, let's get outta here. This place gives me the creeps."

Edith agreed. He kept the girl behind him as he looked outside the dungeon. Just as he expected, the foolish guards were nowhere to be seen. He waved back at Nuro and signaled her to follow.

They silently climbed the flight of stairs back to the hallway. Then they arrived at the area Edith first entered.

Some of the guards had gotten up and started drinking again. So he drew his sword and kept it by his side. All of them were singing praises to the Count as if he were their God.

"Ahahahahaha! Tomorrow, we're gonna be rich men!" One of them exclaimed, then another followed,

"Three cheers for Count Rowall!"

"Three cheers!" Five of them hit their wooden cups together and gulped down the wine. When finished, they all smacked the empty containers onto a wooden table they sat at.

"Nnrng…looks like there's no other way…"

"You gonna fight them Edith?"

"I have to." He aimed his sword toward them all, their senses were so dull that they didn't even notice him,

"Ashe. Hang them."

"Yes Edith." Then suddenly, ropes of ice surrounded the five knights and grasped them by the neck, constricting them and lifting them off their seats. They all struggled, their cups dropping to the ground with a thud. But they were no match for the grip of the Sword Spirit. They all lost their lives by suffocation at that moment. Their bodies gently swayed to and fro as a look of utter helplessness was permanently framed upon them.

"Wow…" Nuro stared at them, baffled and terrified, "...You truly are an S-Ranked adventurer…"

He lowered his blade and glanced at her without a word, then escorted her out of the room. Outside, the moon moved from overhead to west, which meant about an hour had passed. He probably wouldn't be getting much sleep that night…

"Come on. Hold my hand."

"Y-yes." Nuro took his hand. He jumped onto the mansion's rooftop with her following. And from there, they stealthily fled.

***

The receptionist at the guild was not present. There were only knights guarding the insides. When they saw Edith walk in, they drew their spears, but quickly lowered them.

"Edith. S-Ranked adventurer, is there an emergency? For what reason have you awoken so late?"

He walked up to them with a stern look in his eyes.

"Alert the king of illegal capture and sale of beastmen going on in Count Rowall's mansion."

"The Count?!"

"Yes." He stepped to the side, pushing Nuro forward, "This girl is a fox I free from their clutches."

"..." Her face suddenly glowed a deep red while she averted her gaze, "Uhh…hello?"

"I see…" One of the knights said, "...And what's the situation with the count?"

"He's dead. It appears as though someone cut his throat open as he slept. It wasn't me, if you're wondering."

"Should've known…we'll alert the King of this immediately after sunrise. Thank you, Edith."

After alerting them, the two entered Edith's room. He sat on the mattress and laid his sword down. The Sword Spirit took the shape of a human once again.

"Get some rest, Edith." Ashe said to him. She calmly sat beside the boy and held his hand, "You've got a long day tomorrow."

"I know…" He looked toward Nuro, "...Take my bed, Nuro. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, no, I couldn't let you do that. You rescued me, you should sleep there."

"Take it." He smiled, "How long were you trapped in that cage?"

"Well…" She paused for a moment to think, "...About half a day. I-I'm not hurt or anything, if you're wondering."

"Then use it." He stood up, "It's best if you get some rest. As soon as I can, I'll be bringing you home. You're from the Inari Faction, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then that's where we'll go after I kill the Beast King." He walked up to her and put a hand upon her shoulder, squeezing it slightly. The squishiness surprised him.

"The Beast King? What did he do to you?"

"He betrayed me and my party after we rescued his daughter from the hands of the Theocracy. I will not forgive him."

"I see…" Her face promptly sank into a frown, "...Did anyone die?"

"No…" He averted his gaze, "...It's…personal. Frankly, I'd rather tell you about it another time."

"Okay!" She perked up, "Well then, if you insist…I'll be taking your bed tonight. Don't forget to wake me before you go."

"As if I would. Goodnight Nuro."

"Nighty night!"

***

Morning came.

Edith opened his eyes to find himself laying on what felt like a cushion. But upon closer inspection, it was the lap of his Sword Spirit. He felt a gentle hand stroking his cheek and playing with his hair. It was comfortable…he almost didn't want to get up.

"My apologies, did I wake you?" Ashe questioned. She noticed the small opening and closing of his little eyes.

"No…what time is it?"

"Sunrise. You can sleep more if you deem it necessary."

"Okay…" A small groan escaped his lips. His body felt as light as a feather, "...Did you get some rest?"

"I don't require any rest, Edith. I'd much rather ensure that you yourself are comfortable."

"..." He turned on his back and looked up at her face, silently glaring, "...What about your mana? Doesn't this human form require magic to maintain?"

"Yes…but do not be concerned about that. My mana is constantly regenerated due to your 'Rapid Regeneration' ability. So it is unlikely I will ever be depleted."

"Good." Then, he shut his eyes once more, "Thanks for caring for me, Ashe."

"You need not thank me. I am fond of you, I'll do it even if you don't want me to." She cupped his cheeks and squished them slightly, bringing a blush to his cheeks.

"Your sleeping face was cute. I couldn't keep my eyes off of you."

"Is that so? I'd like to see yours then."

"Edith…" She scowled at him for a second before chuckling to herself, "...You're silly. There's no way you'll ever see me like that."

"We'll see." He turned to his side and pressed his face into her thighs even more,

"Did anything happen while I was out?"

"Yes." She nodded, "An hour before you awoke, the receptionist was calling for you, but you were asleep. She reported to me that the guild master would like an audience with you."

"The guild master, huh…been a while since he's called on me. I'll go see him now."

"Now, Edith?"

"Yeah. Better not keep him waiting." Reluctantly, he sat up, "Wake Nuro. Wait for me in the receptionist area afterwards."

"Yes, Edith." Ashe came up behind the boy and hugged him, "Be careful. Call on me if you get into a fight."

"Of course." He melted into her embrace in a loving silence.

The air was cold as he headed toward the guild master's lounge. He was a tall, well-built man wearing a large plate of adamantite armour. He had white skin and a deep red scar on his left eye. His eyes were both dark blue, and the aura about him was enough to frighten anyone who wasn't at least an A-Rank. When he saw Edith, he grumbled to himself.

"So you are here, Edith Marionette…"

"For what reason did you beckon me, guild master Zorin?" He stood just inches away from his large wooden desk, on which were dozens upon dozens of neatly organised papers.

"I hear you freed a prisoner, a beastwoman, from Count Rowall's mansion. Is this true?"

"Yeah. Her name's Nuro."

"Whatever could be the reason for your unlawful infiltration of a noble's home? Do you not know charges could very well be placed against you if he was still alive? If you were not on good terms with the King and his daughter, I would've expelled you from the guild right here and now."

"Tch…" His brows furrowed at his words. Zorin had always hated Edith for some reason, ever since he first entered the guild six years ago. He took a step forward and slammed his palms onto the wood and raised his voice at him,

"...So, you would have rathered the fox be sold off as a slave instead? Where would she would have suffered at the hands of these filthy pigs you call nobles of this kingdom or even the Theocracy?!"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH! DON'T YOU DARE BAD-MOUTH THE KING'S COURT!" Zorin shot up to his feet and yelled out, "The next time you do something this rash, I'm putting your guild card on hold until further notice. No questions asked. You WILL be dismissed from the Aznozian Empire's adventuring guild!"

"Tch…" He scowled even more, "...You son of a bitch. You really are a pig, aren't you?"

"Nnn…" Zorin shot daggers in his direction. The atmosphere around them both grew fierce. The average adventurer would have fainted if they even stood within ten feet of them at that moment, "...If you weren't an S-Ranked adventurer, much less a Kitsune, I SWEAR I'd beat the shit outta you."

"Hmph. I'd like to see you try, you fucking A-Rank. Unlike you, I have the power of four out of five of the Elder Gods on my side, the Dryads, and the powers of an Evolved Fox. Even if you were an S-Rank, you'd still be no match for me. How else do you think I ranked up so quickly?"

"Shut it." He commanded, "Get out of my fucking office and don't come back."

"With pleasure." Edith turned around. The wind caused by his movements was enough to send Zorin falling to the ground.

He immediately walked over to the receptionist area, where he found a sleepy Nuro and a stern Ashe talking to the receptionist. When they saw him, they all smiled.

"Good morning, Edith." Receptionist said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…somewhat." He approached her, "Does Zorin have some sorta grudge against me or something? He literally just scolded me for rescuing Nuro from the slavers last night, saying he'll suspend my guild card or something if I do it again."

"Oh, he's always been like that. Truth is, your actions have been noticed by other guild masters, they say they'd like to commend you for your efforts of freeing her."

"Oh?"

"Your mission was to assassinate Count Rowall, was it not?"

"Yes…how did you know?" He stood on edge. He wasn't expecting her to ever find out.

"Turns out, a neighbouring country got wind of the situation at Count Rowall's mansion and the guild from that area, after getting permission to do so from the other guild masters, sent a spy to check it out. When it was proven that Beastmen trafficking was indeed going on, they informed the King, and since you have the assassin title, King Aznozian decided to hire you in secret to assassinate the Count."

"The King was the one who commissioned me?"

"Yes!" Receptionist shouted in excitement, "He sent me a reward for you. A total of one hundred thousand gold coins."

"One hundred thousand gold coins?!" Nuro yelled out in shock, "N-no way!? That much!?"

"Mhm." Receptionist took a large bag of gold coins from beneath the desk, "Here is your reward for completing your mission. One hundred thousand gold coins."

"Gosh…" He smiled. He took the bag and opened up a small portal just in front of his hand. There, he stored the coins, in his dimensional storage,

"Give the king my thanks." Edith stated, "We'll be off."

"Safe travels!"

His party's next stop was the Beastman Nation, which was far north east of the Aznozian Empire. The quickest way to get there would be via summoned transport. So after leaving the kingdom, Edith stuck his sword into the lush green grass and focused his mana on his summon ability. Soon, a giant blood red pentagram formed beneath his feet, spanned about seven metres in length, five metres in width.

His options were mainly land beasts such as wolves, land dragons and monster turtles, he chose an Ice Wolf.

"Everyone, stand back." He announced. He too, stood aside as the summoning proceeded. An audible roar sounded for all to hear, even reaching the knights guarding the kingdom gate's ears.

A giant wolf about the size of seven humans put together appeared. Its ice cold fur was the colour of snow. Its eyes were deep blue, one look at them would instantly send an image of a frozen sea to your mind. The wolf howled, then bowed to Edith, who stroked it in return.

"I'll name you…Zack." He said, "Everyone, get onto his back. He'll be our transport."

"The wolf?" Nuro tilted her head in bafflement, "I've never ridden a wolf before!" She was the first to jump up, then followed Edith and Ashe. The wolf ensured they were properly balanced before sprinting off. His running speed was much faster than any carriage they could've rented, it was guaranteed they'd reach the kingdom before sundown the next day.