In the small garden at the center of the square-shaped corridor, dedicated solely to the Saint…
Splash splash splash…
The gentle moonlight was breaking on the water’s surface.
And the fountain, heavy with this moonlight, was once again dispersing a veil of water toward the night sky.
This series of processes felt quite mystical and beautiful.
Not simply because this place was considered sacred.
…
Perhaps it was because a girl, Aria, who had become somewhat accustomed to sadness, was exchanging glances with a little fox that subtly stimulated her heart.
…
Yip yip…
As the gray fox lightly yowled, as if saying it was okay to come closer, Aria slowly approached it.
“… How did you get in here?”
With a cute appearance, she smiled faintly, and the fox seemed to respond by yowling once more.
Grrr!
Just as Aria was about to embrace him, a voice from behind interrupted her.
“Saint! Where have you been…!”
“Sorry, Sophia. I heard that the students had come…!”
“!”
It was Saint Psyche who had returned.
Immediately, Edwin and Yeriel greeted her properly.
Psyche walked slowly towards Aria.
“Aria, do you remember… my voice?”
The voice that had come to her whenever she was struggling, warm and comforting.
There was no way she could forget the sound that had uplifted her.
“Yes, I… was saved by you, Saint…”
“Thank you.”
Hug.
!
Without a word, Psyche held Aria close.
“Thank you for being safe…”
She understood it all too well.
Awakening as a Saint was generally accompanied by no choice of one’s own and quite a burden.
‘…I’m glad.’
In fact, that feeling was 99%.
But there was another reason, about 1%.
Aria’s gaze was on the little fox at her feet.
“Saint, it seems there’s another lost child besides me.”
“Oh, no. This child is one I brought with me.”
“Ah…”
Psyche gently bent down and picked up the gray fox.
This ashen-colored little fox…
‘Thinking of the one who saved me like this is wicked…’
For now, it was a young boy around Aria’s age…
“Saint, this way please.”
“Give me your hand. I’ll escort you.”
When he was human, he was unhesitant and skilled in handling women, evidently representing his looks.
It wasn’t to say he was a rogue, but since the saint had to maintain a single life,
‘Sorry, Aria…’
If someone like Aria, with such a pure heart, were to get swayed by him, it might just happen.
‘Like me…’
Therefore, it had to be prevented in advance.
At that moment, Sophia, who had been observing the atmosphere, cautiously interjected.
“Um, Saint? About this child…”
“Excuse me? Is there a problem?”
“Well… since you’ll be absent for the Sacrament from tomorrow morning, I think we need to find someone else to look after him until then.”
“Ah…”
The personal temple where Psyche stayed was quite far from the place where the servants and trainers lived.
And the truth was, this fox was not an animal, but a human.
‘Once the blessing wears off, he might be in danger…’
Since it’s a fact that it’s concerning when separated if anything were to happen.
While Psyche was deep in thought, Aria stepped up.
“Psyche, if you don’t mind, can I take care of him?”
“Aria…?”
As Aria stroked his head, the fox closed its eyes, appearing to enjoy it.
‘Oh…!’
Psyche quickly recalled her schedule.
“That’s not possible. Tomorrow, Aria must go places with me…”
“Is that so? I understand…”
Suddenly, Aria made a disappointed face, but soon smiled as if she understood.
Thud.
Instead, Psyche moved closer to the man with the greenish hair.
“Um, you’re Edwin Gwynn, right?”
“Yes! It’s an honor that the Saint remembers my name!”
With clear features and a kind expression.
Though not as strong as the swordmaster he’d met a few times for baptism… he radiated a notable holy aura.
‘Perhaps this person might be okay…’
Since they all had to visit the sanctuary together, they would also be staying in this annex today.
Even if something were to happen, being near the sanctuary would allow them to notice quickly.
“Could you…”
As Psyche gently grabbed the waist of the fox and slightly moved it forward,
Achoo…!
He turned his head to the side and coughed loudly.
“I’m sorry… I have a hypersensitivity to fur…”
…
…
*
Finally, the one who ended up taking care of the little fox was the pure white girl, Yeriel.
Once the schedule at the sanctuary was finished, it had already become deep night, and she brought him to her personal room in the annex.
“Um, if the Saint has a name for this child, could you please let me know…?”
“W-Well, since it hasn’t been long since we met, I’m still thinking about it… And it’s better to be cautious…”
“Yes?”
“That’s… Ah, never mind. Are you really okay to take care of him?”
Though the saint looked concerned until the end, Yeriel loved to communicate with animals, so she gladly accepted the request.
‘Of course! Since he’s the Saint’s companion… I’ll cherish him… carefully…!’
Kindhearted, she placed the fox on a chair, looking into his eyes and softly began to converse.
“Are you scared of me?”
Ar.
The fox seemed to nod as if understanding Yeriel’s words and then,
!
Quickly acted as if it was a coincidence and started to look away.
That sight was so cute that Yeriel tickled the fox’s cheek with her finger.
“… You’re incredibly cute…”
How long had it been since she felt this way?
Since Lev had disappeared, a part of her heart had been aching sharply all the time.
Vowing not to forget him, whenever she recalled his face, tears would flow endlessly.
Because of this overwhelming wave of emotions, it had not been easy to control her heart.
“What a little baby fox…”
But perhaps it was because she was looking at such a small and precious creature…
In this moment, she felt she could manage it quite well.
After a long while of patting the fox’s head and back, Yeriel gradually stood up and began to take off her outer clothes.
Swish.
Ar…
Every time Yeriel’s clothes peeled off one layer at a time to hang on a hanger for her bath, the fox’s cries grew louder.
“Hey, what’s wrong…? Are you hurt anywhere?”
As she approached, with only her white underwear remaining, the fox*
Grrr!
The fox’s growl became tense, and it immediately froze.
Yeriel carefully picked up the fox, checking every corner of its body.
It didn’t seem to have any injuries.
However, perhaps because it had been near the fountain, the area where its fur had tangled felt a bit matted.
“I guess it needs a little wash…”
Argh?
The fox’s stiff body froze again.
Yeriel, moistening her pinky with the water in the cup, gently caressed the fox’s neck and paw.
“Are you perhaps afraid of water?”
…
Every time her touch grazed, the fox seemed to shiver with pleasure, but other than that, there wasn’t any significant reaction…
Even so, being a baby, it was necessary to be cautious.
“How about we wash together, cute little one?”
As Yeriel pulled the fox into her arms and stood up, it began to weakly struggle.
Ar…! Ar…!
“Yeah, it’s okay. You’ll feel good really soon.”
Yeriel softly stroked the fox to calm it down as she headed toward the bathroom.
*
‘This might be overstepping.’
The scent of lavender bath soap gently filled the bathroom.
In front of her, Yeriel was busily preparing to wash.
‘Ah.’
Just moments ago, I had a hard time enduring the assaults of touch, sight, and sound, and now the sense of smell was added.
A familiar and longed-for fragrance.
The one that had made my senses explode every time I was physically close to Yeriel.
I didn’t want to cross the line.
I had always thought of myself as an outcast, an outsider, believing that whether this world was created or belonged to another dimension, someday… I needed to return to Korea.
As I drifted into other thoughts, a small bathing tub that seemed to belong to me, and Yeriel filling the bathtub with water, asked me kindly.
“Are you uncomfortable a lot…? Do you want to go out?”
By now, her tone resembled that of someone addressing a baby.
Grr…
And from my throat, Grr, and urgh.
Just a little bit more, to argh~ kind of sounds came out.
Technically, I could manage other sounds if necessary, but most others fell into the realm of comical fox sounds.
Swish.
At that moment, with a Ujjuuju sound from Yeriel’s mouth,
“Come here, little one.”
With arms wide open, the softly inviting voice reached me.
As I semi-consciously took a step forward, her delicate hands wrapped around my waist once more.
We were facing each other.
For some reason, I felt her fingers between mine, and it felt nice.
“What a good child… You’re not too hot, so… can I go in?”
Ugh…
Splash…
The pleasant warmth greeted me at the end of my back legs.
Through the fox’s eyes, looking at Yeriel…
‘Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen her for a long time…’
Or perhaps because she seemed a bit sad,
She was beautiful.
No need to describe it further.
‘I want to hold her tightly…’
As I was blissfully intoxicated in happiness…
!
A foreboding feeling always comes without a sound.
Ding dong.
———————————————————
[Time until transformation reversion…:116 hours 01 minute]
[Time until blessing reversion…: 1 hour 00 minutes]
[Not detected by magic due to the blessing of Saint Psyche]
———————————————————
