Chapter 6- Meeting The Elders

The forest gave way to a clearing, and what emerged was a settlement that looked nothing like a human civilization.

The settlement was encircled by a thick wood wall, and it appeared to be part of a multi-village-in-one, or should I say, a town or a city in size.

As we approached the structure, I spotted unknown characters etched into the wood wall.

It was as though this horizontal tree, a sentient one at that, was created to safeguard the population inside.

I could even hear a kind of heartbeat that only I could hear, and the ripples got more prevalent, but I couldn't pinpoint its heart. As we approached closer to the main entrance, the rhythms became faster and louder, though they hadn't caused any problems thus far.

Its strangeness goes unnoticed.

The wood wall turned a brilliant green color the higher you looked, and there were no gaps in the creation, all of which combined to create an imposing and awe-inspiring mass in front of my glaze.

The walls were encircled by a thicket of thorns that reached all the way down to the wood foundation.

As a result of all of this, the wall appeared to be dangerous to climb.

The huge gate I saw earlier was a ruse. The real deal here is the arched gate.

The arched gate in front was wide enough for multiple carriages to pass through at a time and wasn't that high. I don't exactly know what kind of pulley mechanism was installed above the gate, but it seems like it would take quite a hefty force to move it.

It was a pretty weird design, if you ask me.

Atop the gate was what seemed to be a watchtower, but the roof was rounded like a flat cylinder, which gave the thing an overall cock-like appearance but a stylish architectural design. And if you look closely, you'll notice it's a special tree in its natural structure. Can fox people have the ability to customize trees as their homes? If so, they're all awesome people!

Even with this abundance of resources, it is reasonable enough to be even more surprising that industrialization isn't their thing.

Just trade goods and stuff of their kind only.

They have excellent leaders, in my opinion. How fortunate they are. I may consider becoming a farmer for the rest of my life here.

Well, save it for later.

"People here seem livelier. I thought there was an incident here yesterday, right? "

It's a shame no one responded.

The four little fox girls began to joyfully run towards the gate when it came into view.

Even from here, the figures of the two fox men who stood guard in the watchtower could be seen as they pointed with their fingers.

They clenched both their fists and waved at us.

Even more surprising was that it was followed by raising their middle finger.

I bet normal people can see their hand gestures from where I stand.

"Haa, we've finally made it."

"I'm quite exhausted."

Miss Shenshia and Miss Sammia cleared the forest and showed relieved expressions as they finally returned to their home.

"Open the gate!! I am Arxes Fracess! This is Loriem Makota! We're returning with people who have been kidnapped by humans! I need to request the Elder! "

Oh, I forgot. Back in my country, the norm of calling a person by his or her first name, surname, or both is considered disrespectful, except when you are best friends or have the same social status as you.

Miss Arxes or Big Sister Arxes?

I should ask her about this next time she is free.

Well, I hope that time will come soon.

Arxes took an upright stance before the gate and shouted the self-introduction twice before calmly waiting for a response.

Before long, the pulley mechanism started to rise with a creaking sound, followed by a wooden groaning as the doors behind it were also opened.

Why not use the open gate on either side that common fox people use now?

Just so you know, Arxes is the captain of a special platoon and is very famous around the country for her achievements, as I heard the fox people murmuring behind our backs.

Doing so would cause misunderstandings among the populace.

"Wow, I want to become like her mom! Fox hero! "

Outside their treehouse, the little fox girl, accompanied by her mother, said this cheerfully.

Ah, almighty fox hero, please step on me!"

Let's forget that one.

"I'll try to gain permission from the elder, so young fox lady, you'll have to wait out here for a minute."

She leaves after saying so; Loriem, Shenshia, Sammia, and the four girls follow through the gate, and two gatekeepers, both bulky men, come out to replace them.

After they disappeared beyond the gate, the two gatekeepers stepped in front of it. One of them was glaring in my direction, while the eyes of the other one behind me were fixed on my tail.

"One touch or I will kill you."

I doubt you are on my side. It was irritating and embarrassing at the same time to be stared at.

"Stop!"

My anger somehow faded with Arxes's calming voice, and the man, before I noticed it, hid behind his partner.

"Captain Arxes, who is this fearsome foreigner?"

"She's one of those humans slaved and traumatized by them, so I hope you two understand."

The two of them asked for my forgiveness and continued their talks with her.

I moved a little bit away from the gate and put my small bag containing a few fruits aside while I settled in to wait for Arxes.

"I wonder if I could live my life to the fullest."

Should I consider this life a fun game like those RPG games I played? Status board, heroes, knights, and the like...

Is there no respawn, resurrection, or restart option? No, stop imagining horrible things! You must treasure this body of hers!

But I have already failed that now since Arxes broke my limbs earlier.

While I was thinking about trivial things, eating some fruits, and watching over the fox people, the sky became dark.

It'd been about thirty minutes.

From within the watchtower, an orange light cast away the surrounding darkness. It made me think that, unlike back in my world, there were magical bulbs and lamps in every corner, accompanied by countless fireflies, illuminating the moonless night.

Eventually, Arxes appeared from the illuminated front gate.

"Fox lady! I got the elder's permission! Come! "

Following her call, I stood up and placed the pouch containing two or three fruits over my shoulder before making my way towards the main gate.

Under Arxes's guidance, I made my way beyond. The walls were about ten meters thick. After passing, I finally entered one of the kingdoms of foxendom.

What I saw inside the kingdom left a strange impression on me.

There was a field of crops stacked on top of each other like vertical plantations or open farm buildings large enough for the tallest person to slide in and harvest. I saw these concepts on the internet were more organic and varied, and the same beyond the wall were spacious stacking pastures to allow domestic unknown animals to graze in multitudes of buildings, and wooden houses were sprinkled across the area. Whatever structures are there, each has its own unique environmental design.

A lack of light sources in some parts is provided by some kinds of bright bulbs or orbs. You could tell all sorts of things were healthy and blooming.

To put it bluntly, the place is fancier than most modern cities on earth.

This has exceeded my expectations! By using trees' limbs and branches as bridges for easy access, those bridges are beautiful in their own patterns and designs without being cut or carved. Assisting in the interconnection of structures so you could go from one treehouse to another.

Women foxes tend to water those farm buildings from water sources such as rivers and harvest fruits, herbs, and vegetables cheerfully for free, including industrious kids helping them while adult fox men tend animals and other manual labor.

This is insanely cool! And more than that, they build all these plantations and animal farms without using concrete, cement, or any sort of building materials. Even cutting down trees is illegal!

This night was even more lively than I thought.

Arxes tells me everything that's on her mind while my glittering eyes roll in every direction.

"Young fox lady, as a foreigner, watch your tongue or else you will regret it. As a fox person and a resident of the kingdom, since you're a lady, you are obligated to cultivate plantations near where you live. Know your neighbors and treat them well.

Hoarding here is a crime, and installations are made against abuses. Don't take more than you need and do your part for at least an hour per day as this society requires, so you can enjoy the free harvest daily and limited meat if you are well-known in the community you belong to.

Neighbors have their own community group, or in other words, "neighborhood," and each has a limited number of farm buildings permitted by the authorities, so you can ask one of your nearest neighbors and ask to join them first. You look appealing and beautiful, which makes it unthinkable for anyone to reject you. They will give you an N-Id to access buildings under their control.

Every neighborhood has its own particular set of rules to follow, but most likely all the same, so you must read some important things beforehand. Most plantations' times of harvest are one to two days. Nobles, on the other hand, have their own lands and plant rarities that are hard and long to cultivate for ordinary folks and need exceptional chefs to prepare them, but of course, those cultivations are better than common ones.

As you saw, space-saving is critical for us.

And for animals, adult foxes are the ones who decide on provisioning meat. Meats can be used to barter for items such as clothing and accessories, and they can also be used as currency if desired. It all depends on the kind, freshness, meat quality, rarity, and volume.

Regarding the neighborhood, if you don't like the nearest one's rules, just go to the next neighborhood. "

I'm pretty convinced everything around here must be abiding by the rules, and a collective share of minds will kick you out of the group if all agree you're not contributing enough. So every fox person here expects you to do your part, and that's how fox society functions till this day.

As I ask her some questions, the fox people make way for the two of us and murmur about who I am and why I have been accompanied by their hero or sometimes my hair color.

"Thank you, Lady Arxes."

Unlike the homes of humans, she said, some of the houses here were mushroom-shaped because of their simplicity. Each one had a slightly exposed wooden deck and eaves that stretched to the top. A unique pattern was molded into the supporting pillars of the houses, allowing a glimpse into the culture of these people.

Despite the quiet scenery, the sidewalk was made of beautifully laid cobblestone, and thin street light trees were placed at regular intervals, so there was no need to be anxious about where you walked, and there were countless fireflies too.

When viewed from a distance, the combination of the lights, and the night sky created a fantastic scene, with fireflies adding to the effect.

From what I've seen, the quality of life here was superior to that of humans.

All I felt and sensed here was happiness and hope, and few were concerned about the latest kidnapping incident.

With Arxes leading the way, I advanced through the noble domains, while two warriors from a guard post close to the entrance silently followed behind us. They're probably here to watch me.

After a while, we finally seemed to have arrived at our destination.

We stood in front of a super huge tree... No, it was all wood buildings combined with a large tree.

Nestled between the large tree's thick roots was a mansion, no, a palace. The residence was a mixture of the natural and the artificial, and I had no clue how it was made.

I bet they used particular spells to create such a wonderful nature-blend masterpiece.

However, lights were leaking out from the multiple windows in the trunk, illuminating the entire area and giving it all a dignified appearance.

"Come on in. This is the Elder's house, Gaia Palace, or the King's Domain. "

Saying so, Arxes opened the wooden front doors and prompted me to enter. However, I had already slipped inside at the earliest possible second.

I smell something appetizing and my stomach is grumbling now.

Wait...

"Why am I here for Lady Arxes?"

I asked her and got no answer.

Passing through the palace's entrance, I entered what appeared to be the atrium hallway. Huge natural pillars lined the center of the palace, and I could see various pathways that connected to the third floor. I thought I'd be able to get to them by taking the stairs on the left or right side of this floor.

Throughout the King's Domain, there were lampstands with crystals installed in them, which illuminated the rooms with a warm light. Even the intensity of the light was different compared to the oil lamps used back in my country when a brownout strikes.

Are they?

Two fox people were in the center of the hall, while Arxes was off to the side.

One of the foxes had blonde hair and appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She was closely observing me while skillfully raising both eyebrows. This fox woman was dressed in attire similar to that of the main antagonist in the Dark Flower series, which I love, except that the sexy, revealing outfit of hers was adorned with the peculiar symbols of the foxes and it showed her intricately designed red tattoos.

You will know the definition of the word "exotic" just by seeing her.

And a fox-carved throne makes this woman hotter than ever.

Don't think negatively about me. I can tell this person is scorching in power. This makes me drenched in sweat just looking at her golden eyes.

Her strong, burning passion and enthusiasm are too much for me to handle!

Hey, this is not an exaggeration! Remember what I told you? I can perceive anyone's hidden emotions and desires!

But in her case, that overflowing positivity is just too abnormal!

"Hah... hah... hah... hah..."

I can't breathe normally.

Shut your eyes.

Breathe in... and exhale...

"Hoooh!"

"Hmm... hehe, how fascinating. You're so funny. "

My eyes remain closed and bowed to show my respect at least. I never want to face her again. It shook me to the core.

By the way, she belongs to the golden fox race.

I shifted my gaze to the opposite side.

The other person was a silver fox like Miss Arxes and had her long, shiny white hair set behind the nape of her lilac neck. She was dressed in traditional attire—a kind of stylish pink kimono and some details in the Korean traditional clothing style, and I noticed her hair had a tinge of black, concentrated mostly at the tips, and was even more imminent than Arxes's.

Both these foxes are freaking gorgeous. One is overflowing with positivity, and the Fox woman I'm looking at is pretty, straight, and magnanimous.

If nothing else, she appears to be pleased to be meeting such an unusual visitor.

"May I know the name of the foreign fox lady? I welcome you to our home. I am Armania Fracess, the elder of this kingdom, one of the five legitimate kingdoms of Foxendom. It seems that my daughter was causing you some trouble. "

The silver fox woman introduced herself while holding out her immaculate hand.

At her words, I could feel that Miss Arxes was slightly uncomfortable.

I kind of agree with Miss Arxes; her posture is that of a gentleman. Though Miss Arxes's only reaction was that her shoulders slightly trembled.

She certainly said that she belonged to Gaila, the name of this kingdom, but she didn't say that it was her birthplace.

I take the right hand of her mother and shake it without minding the appearance or their actual age.

"I am Arxes's mother, Sarissa Fracess. I am also 253 years old. "

Wait... two mothers?

When I turned my eyes to Arxes after her two mothers' introduction, I saw that she was shaking her head. Well, it seems that her age was different from what she said, and perhaps I don't need to ask them about the personal stuff inside my head. They may have strong familial relations regardless of who is the biological mother.

I guess I need to get accustomed to this country.

Sarissa Fracess, a golden fox,

But it didn't make much of a difference if she lowered it a little, since it still exceeded 100 years or so.

It was difficult to react to such an intimate family introduction and the awkwardness that ensued, but I somehow managed to squeeze out a response.

"This is my first time meeting a king. as well as a cheerful madame. My name is... uhh. "

Does that saintly fox have a name? There seems to be nothing in her memories.

"Dire circumstances, I see. We shouldn't be speaking here. Let's talk on the second floor while we're having dinner. "

The elder of the Gaila Kingdom, Armania, suggested that we take this meeting to the second floor. I agreed to that and followed them upstairs.

There was a large room on the second floor that served as a dining room; chairs were placed around the wooden table, and the kitchen seemed to be located further back in the palace.

Several fox women, each wearing a good-looking green uniform, leave one by one. They're the ones responsible for keeping this place clean and tidy.

Delicious smells were drifting into the room from the kitchen.

I sat down in the seat recommended by Lady Armania and placed my dirty pouch at my feet.

Miss Arxes' cheerful mother, Lady Sarissa, said that the stew had warmed up, and she went back towards the kitchen.

Once Miss Arxes had taken her seat, Lady Armania sat down and slightly lowered her head.

"My daughter told me the gist of the situation: On behalf of all of the Fox people, you have our sincerest gratitude and apologies. I never imagined that there was a fox person outside Foxendom and new kin that we had never seen before. Although this may sound like disrespecting your privacy, may we inquire what kind of fox you are? And is there a fox like you outside, or a fox-only country? Why is it that we don't smell you at all? We only know silver foxes but not the pure white hair color, and your bloody eyes are pretty scary. "

Lady Armania smiles wryly while scratching her right cheek. The person in question, Miss Arxes, looked away with an unhappy expression on her face.

"Please forgive me, your majesty; I have many possible answers to each of your questions. I'm afraid those are mainly personal issues that even I have always bothered with uncertainties regarding my true nature. But if it were my home's location, this little fox before you comes from the mountain ranges of Maryland.

"Even your name? Uh... you said Maryland? the highest mountains?!Do you live alone there? How did you manage to live in such a harsh, cold environment as a kid? Wow, you are so amazing! Hehe..."

The golden fox lady, Lady Sarissa, appears to be very interested in an outsider, me. She shouldn't get ahead of herself and...

I noticed it. I can confront her now without being crushed by her strong will.

Perhaps I misinterpreted that as overflowing positivity in her inner heart instead of a simple high excitement and eagerness to meet her "daughter's friend"?

Still, Elder Sarissa, you shouldn't be so shameless when protruding into someone's conversation. "

"Hehe, my mistake!"

She's also an elder?! A king as well? Or an elder from a nearby fox kingdom? But if that was the case, why not introduce herself in more necessary detail?

Ohh, I see.

She really doesn't need to without a reason.

"Hmmmm... I have to ask, how did you go this far and meet my daughter on her mission? "

To answer this question, I summarized my encounter with the knights, and we discussed our concerns as well.

"Do humans refer to us as beastmen? Our kin are one-sidedly being hunted and turned into slaves by the humans. and..."

"Hey, young fox lady! Mind your words! We are not born as mere animals but as fox-people! Such audacity! You dare to ridicule our status and pride? "

"!!!"

Arxes' eyes boiled with anger, which made my hair stand up in absolute fear.

She moved wildly fast and unsheathed her blade faster than the blink of an eye!

The entire being suddenly felt cold, and my vision darkened as I managed to get a momentary glimpse of the God of Death.

Here in front of me!

That murderous intent is far more than that of her mother's tremendous aura!

At that moment, I felt hopeless for the second time.

Then Miss Arxes,

Why did you save me in the first place?

Did my words hurt you so much?

And before I noticed it, there was another person standing in front of me.