I Became a White-Haired Loli v3c52

Chapter 52: Little… Little Fox?

The North Empire’s capital.

Lilia, as usual, sat at her desk, engrossed in her work.

Just like her father before her.

But Lilia was fortunate. The North Empire she inherited was stronger than it had been in centuries.

On Solor, its status now rivaled that of the ancient empire of “Xia.”

Although still far from the ancient empire’s true power, the Bewildering Forest and the Savage Lands were also weaker than they had been.

So, in a way, they were equals.

But this… this was something she had fought for, during the Battle of Vikarn.

If Bai were to see her now, she might not recognize her.

The demure, elegant princess of five years ago was now an empress, her expression one of quiet authority.

Just then, a soft, steady knock came at the door.

“Come in,” she said, without looking up.

Her personal guard and maid, Erlya, entered. She had also changed in the past five years.

The demonic corruption that had scarred her face had been mostly healed with the technology recovered from Vikarn.

Her once-menacing appearance was now almost… delicate, a delicacy immediately shattered by the massive axe on her back.

“Erlya, what is it?” Lilia asked, pausing her work.

“An urgent message, Your Majesty,” Erlya said, placing a sealed document on her desk.

Lilia picked it up, her brow furrowing slightly. “Demonic traces on the border?”

Since the Abyss had sealed itself off, this was the first report of a demon on Solor.

“Commander Arnold has issued a kill order and requests Your Majesty’s approval,” Erlya said, placing another document on the desk. “This is the kill order. Please review it, Your Majesty.”

Lilia looked at the document. A black-haired girl in a cloak, her black eyes unsettling.

“This is…”

Seeing the girl’s face, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Her vision blurred, and she stumbled slightly.

“Your Majesty!” Erlya rushed to her side.

But Lilia waved her away, steadying herself on the desk. “…I’m fine.”

“Your Majesty,” Erlya hesitated, then said, “I must implore you again. Please, have your old wounds treated!”

Lilia had been corrupted by demonic power, had suffered greatly.

And the beastkin curse used to counteract it had been a temporary solution, a poison to fight a poison.

If not for… someone else using blood venom to suppress the demonic power, she would have died long ago.

And the blood venom and the demonic power had reached a delicate balance, freeing her from the curse’s torment.

But that had been then. Vikarn’s research on demons had been extensive; they had even created super-soldiers using demonic power.

The Demon Hunter Salred, who had stumbled into Vikarn, had been imbued with a relatively “safe” form of demonic power.

And now, with Vikarn’s technology, the North Empire could cure her.

But Lilia had repeatedly refused, her resolve unwavering.

“It’s fine. It’s nothing,” she said softly, her eyelashes fluttering.

For some reason, she felt that if she were to lose the blood venom, she would lose something… important.

“Who was it that gave me this blood venom? I can’t remember…”

Erlya was worried. Although the old wound hadn’t caused any major problems over the years, it was still a demonic corruption, a ticking time bomb.

If something went wrong…

“Approve it,” Lilia said, pushing the documents away, the strange black-haired girl’s image now burned into her mind.

“…Yes, Your Majesty,” Erlya said, trying to conceal her concern as she took the documents.

“You may go. If there’s anything else, report to me,” Lilia said, standing up and walking towards her bedroom. “I’m tired. I need to rest.”

Erlya watched her go, a million unspoken words on her lips.

But she simply sighed and left the palace.

“I hope… Your Majesty has a good dream.”

…

“Shadow Demon Commander? Isabelle…”

“Yes, Mother,” Diana said, kneeling, her expression one of reverence.

It was a rare sight.

Only before her mother, Queen Arachne, was she so… submissive.

“Hehe… interesting,” Queen Arachne said, stroking the prey beneath her, inhaling its scent. “Anything else?”

“And… and…” Diana remembered the [Redraw] image. “There was a strange fox-kin… as if infected with demonic power…”

“Just a fox-kin. Infected with demonic power? You know such things are insignificant. You shouldn’t have brought it up,” Queen Arachne said, then, with a shudder, her eight spider legs tightened around her prey.

A moment later, it dissolved into ash, and she let out a soft, satisfied moan.

“No, no, Mother, it was truly strange!” Diana quickly explained. “The fox-kin’s appearance was different from a normal one. Its tail was large and fluffy, its ears upright and furry…”

She wracked her brain, afraid she would become her mother’s next meal, to die in a paroxysm of pleasure and despair.

“And the explosion… she caused it!”

“Hmm?” Queen Arachne’s interest was finally piqued. She extended a spider leg, gently lifting Diana’s chin.

“My cute, delicious child… tell me more.”

Her face was inches from Diana’s, a beautiful, yet terrifying, smile on her lips.

“The explosion… it seemed to put everyone within its range to sleep,” Diana said, her voice trembling slightly. “And they all… dreamt of their deceased relatives…”

Norma had allowed them to question the elven warriors after the incident.

“That sounds… familiar,” Queen Arachne said, thinking for a moment.

Then her pupils constricted, a flicker of fear in her eyes. “Little… little fox?”

The Legend of the Bewildering Forest

“It’s a very, very old story, one my grandmother used to tell me.”

“How old? Can you give me a general idea?”

The little pink-haired girl looked at me with serious eyes. She seemed very interested.

I scratched my head. Grandma never told me that…

“In other words, is it a myth, or did it really happen?” the little pink-haired girl pressed, her large eyes filled with curiosity.

“I don’t know. It’s just a story my grandmother told me,” I said honestly.

The little pink-haired girl nodded. “Hmm, in that case… I have no more questions. Please, continue.”

I had found this little girl by chance. She had long, pink hair, fluffy fox ears, and nine large, swaying tails.

And her accent was adorable. And with her serious expression, I had, in a moment of weakness, fallen for her.

“She’s so cute…”

I looked at the little pink-haired girl, sitting so primly, and I had an urge to pet her ears and tail.

But she didn’t seem to like being touched, so I restrained myself.

“Before I begin—” I said, my voice a bit too loud, “can you tell me your name?”

Although I had found her, she was much stronger than me. She had solved a complex magic circle problem that had been plaguing me for weeks in a matter of minutes.

And when I asked her how, she had just looked at me with a confused expression and asked, “Isn’t this basic?”

I had wanted to be angry. I, the greatest prodigy in the Bewildering Forest, had never been so humiliated.

But she was just too cute…

I couldn’t stay mad at her.

“I… don’t have a name,” the little pink-haired girl said, shaking her head.

“No name? Can I give you one?”

I almost jumped for joy, but I had to maintain my composure.

“…You can, but don’t call me Pink, or Red,” she said softly.

“Ah,” I froze. How did she know? “Alright, I’ll think of something else.”

“Tell me the story first,” she said.

“Oh, right,” I said, remembering, and continued, in my best grandmotherly voice, “This is… well, let’s skip that part.”

“A long, long time ago, there was a promised land, filled with color. Not just elves and fairies, but many other races, countless treasures, and an endless supply of natural power…”

I spread my arms, trying to paint a picture for her.

“Is this related to the Bewildering Forest?” she asked, her expression unchanged.

“Yes, very much so,” I said, dropping my arms and sitting down again. “Legend has it that the Bewildering Forest was created by the promised land, to send some of its races to Solor. But in the end, only we fairies and the elves next door were willing to go.”

“And… besides you, what other races were in the promised land?” she asked.

“Well, there were… dragons, and saints, and demons… and others? Lots and lots of them, too many to count!”

She thought for a moment. “Is there still a way to get to the promised land? Even if it’s just a legend.”

“I don’t think so. Grandma never said.”

I only knew what she had told me.

And after she passed away, no one else knew the old stories.

I had asked the very, very mean, nasty, and hateful Nimora… her mother, but she didn’t know either.

“Hmm, I think I understand,” the little girl said, standing up, as if to leave.

“Hey, you… you’re leaving?”

I panicked, wracking my brain for something, anything, to make her stay.

I just wanted to look at her a little longer… such a cute little fox.

Oh, right!

“I’ll call you Little Fox!” I said.

“Hmm?” she paused.

“I’ll give you a name, Little Fox. What do you think?”

I put my hands on my hips. It was a fitting name. She looked like a little fox, and the “little” made it even cuter.

A stroke of naming genius!

But for some reason, her expression fell, as if she had remembered something sad.

“Wh-what’s wrong? Don’t you like it? I can think of another one…”

I was flustered, wanting to comfort her, but afraid of making things worse.

“No, it’s a good name. I like it. I just… remembered something,” Little… no, Little Fox said, her usual cheerful demeanor returning.

“As long as you like it…” I said, relieved.

But then I saw her turn and walk away, towards the edge of the forest.

“Little Fox, are you leaving?”

I was sad. We had only just met. Would I never see her again?

She turned back, and seeing my sad face, she hesitated, then walked back to me.

She stood on her tiptoes and patted my hair. “Don’t worry. I’m just leaving for a little while.”

“Where are you going? I want to come with you…”

I blinked, trying to look as pathetic as possible.

“It’s not a place for you. I’m going to the Savage Lands… do you know of it?”

The Savage Lands?

I frowned. I had heard the name somewhere…

Grandma?

No, she only ever talked about the promised land…

“I’ll be back,” Little Fox said softly, then paused. “By the way, if you get the chance, I’d like to meet Nimora.”

“Nimora!” I stared at her, then, deflated, said, “If it’s Little Fox’s request, then I’ll do it.”

Damn it, why did Little Fox know Nimora, but not me…?

Little Fox smiled, and it was the first time I had ever seen her smile. It was a clear, warm smile, yet tinged with a deep, hidden sadness.

I was stunned, and by the time I recovered, she was gone, the nine tails of her back disappearing into the forest.

“Goodbye, Little Fox,” I whispered.