"S-Sacred Blood of Rebirth?!" Fox Empress said in a raised voice. Her eyes widened.
"M-Master, even as a request of yours, that is just…" Said Fox Empress. Her voice barely audible. "And you wish for me to do it to revive the child of a mere mortal?"
The elderly midwife was just as stunned when she heard what the man had just asked of Fox Empress.
'Gustav, you old fool! Have you finally gone mad?' She thought. Mouth agape.
'Requesting the Fox Spirit's Sacred Blood of Rebirth for the child of a stranger you just met? If I did not better, I would think she was a lover of yours!'
Of course, the elderly midwife kept her thoughts to herself. She did not dare to voice out her opinions, in fear of inciting his ire.
Instead, despite knowing it was a futile endeavor; she carried on casting spell after spell—hoping to save mother and child both.
The elderly midwife had just met the young woman when Gustav summoned her on a whim, as well. She did not know who the young woman was.
'Hey Liana, long time no see. Birth the child safely, and I will owe you one.' was all Gustav said when he summoned her.
She couldn't help but wonder what made him return. All those years apart and that's the first thing he says when he sees her, again?
No apology for that one time it happened? Even worse, his smug handsome face remained unchanged despite passaging time! She, however, was now a wrinkled old bag unfit for recycling!
It infuriated her that Gustav had no concern at all for the poor young woman. To him, only the unborn child mattered. Because of that, she empathized with the young woman, and felt attached to her.
Meanwhile, Gustav simply smiled as looked at Fox Empress' shocked expression.
"Will you do it?" He said, as he continued, "I know this is not a simple thing to ask of you, Little Fox. I will hold no grudge if you decide against it, so rest easy."
Fox Empress wore a conflicted expression upon hearing his words. She felt relieved that he would harbor no resentment towards her in the case she decided against it. Despite that, the thought of disappointing him did not bode well with her at all.
Had it been for Gustav's sake, Fox Empress would hesitate for a moment only, before inevitably succumbing to her innate desire to help him.
However, for the child of a nameless mortal? That was a thought she would otherwise never entertain.
After all, reviving a mortal with her Sacred Blood of Rebirth would bring her more harm than good.
'If only the child was at least a noble, then maybe...' She thought.
In the Realms of Divinity, Magic and Madness, the Fox Spirit Race was known for their longevity and beauty.
Similar to most other races, Fox Spirits were born with mortal bodies, too. However, they had a high potential to ascend to Divinity because of their cycles of rebirth.
In the case a Fox Spirit failed at achieving something in one lifetime; they could always do it in another.
When a Fox Spirit was born, the number of tails they had determined not only the extent of their talent, but also the number of times they could undergo the cycle of rebirth—with one tail being the least, and nine the most.
In perspective, if a Fox Spirit had nine tails, they could live up to nine different lifetimes with all their accumulated memories, experiences and abilities intact. This was because Fox Spirits were descendants of a mythical, celestial beast—the Nine-Tailed Fox.
The celestial beast's blood gave them incredible boons. They lived longer lives and grew stronger bodies.
Above all, a handful of the beast's direct descendants could even bring the dead back to life—that is why the Fox Spirit Race was so revered.
As one would expect, though; the price to pay for giving a second life to another was a great one—equivalent exchange came into play.
If Fox Empress used her Sacred Blood of Rebirth on the unborn child, she would lose not only one of her lifetimes but also drop in rank once—She'd return to being a 'Fox Queen,' instead.
Losing her Sovereign Rank would be a great shame to her mother, who dedicated a lot of effort into helping her ascend.
Not to mention, she needed that additional lifetime to improve her chances of ascending to the utmost echelon of 'goddess,' as her mother did.
In the grander scheme of things, there was a lot Fox Empress could lose if she conceded to Gustav's request.
It simply wasn't worth it. She had a great deal to lose, and nothing to gain. Not even her innate maternal instinct as a woman could sympathize enough with the mother and child to dispute that fact.
It was like making an investment guaranteed to have next to zero in returns—who in their right mind would want to do that?
Biting her lower lip, Fox Empress steeled her resolve.
Gustav was her master. He had taught her countless things in the past. In fact, part of her personality was because of his teachings.
She hated to disappoint him, but this was something she could not agree to. She looked at him square in the eye and said:
"I'm sorry, master," in a firm voice. Her beautiful face serious. "Ask me of anything else and I will do it to the best of my ability. This, however, is something I cannot do for you."
Gustav smiled in response. He seemed to have expected this outcome.
***
To be continued…