"Mr. Fate, what just happened outside?" Loraine returned to the church after her trip beyond the city walls—luckily, the calamity had struck precisely during her absence.

"Some unrest. Likely linked to cultists," Fate replied simply, seated on a bench with hands clasped.

"Unrest?? Cultists??" Loraine froze, toolkit still in hand. In this peaceful, remote border town, such words were utterly alien.

"Anyone injured?"

"Hmm. Several houses collapsed in the town center."

"........That serious?"

"Worrying won’t help. Not our concern—leave it to the Inquisition Tribunal’s knights."

"Just stay here in the church. The city isn’t safe yet. Monsters or cultists could still be lurking."

The unrest had been confined to the town center, sparing the church.

Hearing this, Loraine hurried before the deity’s statue, palms pressed together, praying devoutly.

"O Grand Knight Commander, comfort the sorrowful souls and guide them to the painless sanctuary of the holy hall.........."

".........." Leaning on his sword, Fate silently turned his head toward her.

*Stop praying already. I’m right here—what’s the point of praying to a stone statue?*

But that’s just how people are. Some pray not from faith, but for solace.

"Mr. Fate... did you come straight from the town center?" Observant Loraine noticed scuffs on his armor, nicks on his blade—as if he’d just fought.

"Hmm." Fate nodded.

"You... fought those monsters?"

"Hmm."

"Are you hurt??"

Fate shook his head.

*Just shoved back a few steps by the monster’s force—hardly an injury.*

Rolling his neck, he realized the transformation from the Nine-Tailed Fox’s blood wasn’t all bad. Old wounds from battling the Demon King Dragon had vanished—perhaps healed by the fox’s blood.

"I’m perfectly fine." Seeing Loraine’s doubt, he repeated firmly.

No sooner had he spoken than a sharp pain shot through his arm. He instinctively gripped his right forearm.

"Really okay?" Loraine’s gaze turned deeply skeptical.

"Mr. Fate, remove your right gauntlet. Let me see."

".........." Moving slowly and deliberately, Fate peeled off the armor, revealing a smooth, unblemished arm.

After thorough inspection, Loraine finally relaxed.

"If anything feels off, tell me. As a nun, I know basic medicine."

"Hmm." Fate nodded.

Loraine retreated deeper into the church. With the priest often away and guards perpetually slacking off, all duties fell to her.

*Was it her imagination?* Fate’s arm seemed unusually slender and fair for a man.

Only after she vanished did Fate shift his gaze to his own arm.

A vivid mark shimmered faintly there—a colossal Nine-Tailed Fox, pure white, nine tails blazing in cherry-red flames. Its eyes sparked with living fire, as if ready to leap free.

————

Jiuzhou, Exiled Immortal Province, Qingqiu’s Tianyue Peak.

At the mountain’s summit stood a pavilion of breathtaking grandeur, gold and jade gleaming like a celestial spear piercing the clouds. Intricate carvings adorned every beam; even strangers to Jiuzhou architecture felt its artistry and nobility. White fox statues, lifelike and elegant, crowned the eaves. Forged entirely of crystalwood, the palace defied fire and water—built to endure millennia.

Rain poured in torrents, drumming crisp rhythms on ancient eaves. Thunder split the sky.

Two fox-eared maids closed umbrellas, shook rain from their ears, wrung soaked hems, and bowed before the white fox woman guarding the hall.

"Guard Captain, the clan assembly begins soon. Might you inform Her Majesty the Heavenly Maiden?"

"No need." The white fox girl—shoulder-length hair, three red whisker-like marks on each cheek, expression unreadable—shook her head before they finished.

"This.........." The maids faltered. "Guard Captain... is Her Majesty unwell?"

"How so?"

"She hasn’t attended court in half a year. The royal house and elders worry deeply........"

"I stated clearly last time," the girl said firmly, "Her Majesty is in seclusion for cultivation. She sees no one. She wishes no disturbance."

*What cultivation needs six months locked away?*

The maids exchanged glances. Everyone knew the Heavenly Maiden’s power—she’d long surpassed this world’s limits. What more to cultivate?

The white fox girl knew better than anyone. After years of service, she recognized the truth: "seclusion" was just an excuse. Her mistress simply avoided people—and dreaded tedious court sessions—so she slacked off at home, inventing reasons.

To the Heavenly Maiden, court matters were trivial. She’d doze off without effort—but duty bound her.

Yet this silence felt odd. Half a year shut indoors... *Impolite to think, but has cobweb grown on her?*

Slacking off wasn’t rare—but this stretched too long. Something deeper was amiss.

*Maybe she’s in a mood. You know... that time of the month.*

*Ugh........* The girl facepalmed, cutting the thought short. *Don’t linger—what if she reads my mind? I’d be in for it.*

Just as the maids turned to leave, defeated, the hall doors creaked open.

A voice drifted through the hall—delicate as a heavenly melody, serene as a valley orchid. Soft, yet reaching every ear.

"Wait."

The bewitching tone washed over them. All three froze mid-motion. The maids stood spellbound, steps halted, eyes glazed, cheeks flushed rose-pink.

The white fox girl glanced inward in surprise, then knelt swiftly on one knee. The maids followed a heartbeat later.

"Pay respects to the Exiled Immortal Heavenly Maiden, Her Majesty Yurou Jiushuang!"