Chapter 67

I plan to post again tonight, but I wanted to try posting at this time as well.

It's about 3,000 characters, making it a quick read.

"Is it really this light!?"

"Yes, that's right. What do you think? You probably didn't expect it to be this... light, did you?"

Ain's voice echoed in surprise through Professor Oz's room. While reading the first document as per Oz's instructions, Ain was taken aback by the surprising fact, along with Oz's explanation.

What he was looking at was a map showing the past distribution of the red foxes.

"Almost the entire continent, you could say."

"This was the most time-consuming part of the research. However, I can't really say it was hard work... since I relied on the guild."

"Relying on the guild, huh?"

"Yes. Actually, the method mainly involved using the guild. No matter how much it was for research, I couldn't possibly travel all over the vast continent of Ishhtar. So, I paid and asked the guild for help."

The content was to "refer to the past records of monster material handling." Valuable materials brought to the guild are meticulously recorded with their properties and characteristics. Considering the red foxes as valuable monsters, I had them check the past records.

"I see. Indeed, that's more efficient."

Impressed by Oz's research method, Ain looked at the document again.

The investigation revealed that "distinctive" materials had been found in many places. This was confirmed not only in the past capital guild but also in Magna and Isto. Of course, the same was true in the adventurer town of Balt. Seeing that the material was also confirmed near rural areas, it was impossible not to be surprised.

"To be honest, I thought they were living more hidden."

"They have a hedonistic nature, for better or worse. Perhaps because of this, many of them lived quite freely... as if they were observing humans and other races for research."

"...What's the reason for that?"

"There is no reason. They were intelligent monsters, and they had a rich thirst for knowledge. But their curiosity was mixed with a lot of playfulness. For example, they would half-jokingly investigate cruel things like what would happen if a monster's brain was transplanted into a human body."

Rich curiosity + a lot of playfulness... this combination often led to cruel actions from the perspective of the other party. However, the mix of these two feelings probably meant that the red foxes felt no guilt.

"This is very helpful."

"That's good. So, the red fox, a high-ranking officer of the Demon King that the Crown Prince is pursuing, might be different from the red fox I described."

"...Because they were free, right?"

Oz nodded sincerely at Ain's words.

"Yes. The sense of camaraderie was only among some of them, that's my conclusion."

Not all red foxes shared the same consciousness or purpose; they were merely a collective. That was Oz's conclusion.

It was good to learn new things, but knowing such important information was gradually tiring Ain's mind. Many thoughts were floating in his head.

For a few hours until mid-afternoon, Ain received instructions from Oz.

"I apologize, I talked for too long, Your Highness."

"No, not at all. I really appreciate it."

Even with several breaks, such conversations were tiring. Among Ain's group, only Katima was still energetic.

"Will you be staying in Isto for a while longer?"

"Yes, about ten more days."

"That's perfect. I'll inform the gatekeeper. Please feel free to come whenever you have any questions or find something puzzling. So, let's call it a day today. Overloading yourself won't be effective... I'm always here, so please don't hesitate to come."

Oz must have noticed that Ain and his group were tired. Feeling apologetic, Ain honestly expressed his feelings to Oz.

"...I'm sorry. As Professor Oz said, I need some time to organize my thoughts."

"Hahaha. That's only natural. Don't worry... even we researchers feel the same way sometimes. Right, Lady Katima?"

Katima nodded, saying, "Yes, of course."

Feeling apologetic, Ain decided to take a break for today and come back another day to continue the conversation.

"Then, Your Highness. I look forward to seeing you again. ...But don't forget, foxes have always been known to deceive humans. Be cautious of both the 'research-minded red fox' and the 'playful red fox'."

With the documents they received today, Ain and his group decided to return to their inn.

Oz's final words carried the weight of years of research. The two types of red foxes, both fundamentally troublesome creatures.

After thanking and bidding farewell to Oz, Ain and his group left the room.

The hallway was still warm, probably due to the central heating, but the cool outside air soothed Ain's heated head. The slight breeze felt pleasant on his cheeks.

"Hmm, but he's impressive, isn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Even though we only mentioned that the red fox was a subordinate of the Demon King, Professor Oz immediately guessed that it was a close aide. I thought he was impressive."

"Ah, I see. You're right."

It wasn't that he was hiding anything, but he had only mentioned that the red fox was a subordinate of the Demon King. But from such limited information, he could make a guess and hit the mark, which was impressive.

"Both the research-minded and the playful ones... they're both troublesome."

In the end, both would cause problems. If they acted as they pleased out of curiosity, it would be a headache for us.

"Hmm..."

"What's wrong, Chris?"

"Oh, no, sorry. I was just thinking about something..."

"I see. But I have a lot of questions too, so let's sort them out when we get back to the inn."

"No, it's not that... No, never mind. It's nothing."

It wasn't a big deal, and Chris backed down without saying more. She must be tired too, Ain thought, smiling quietly at her and starting to walk back to the inn.

"Hmm... but, Lady Katima didn't mention that the red fox was a 'woman'..."

The words Oz said, "The red fox, a high-ranking officer of the Demon King. She might be different from the red fox I described." Chris couldn't get this line out of her head.

—Her question, whispered in a small voice, was carried away by the cold wind blowing through Isto.

I plan to post again when I get home tonight, so please look forward to it.