Glitter, glitter many filtering lights shone through the tiny gaps between the tree leaves, filling the forest with many sun rays. A pleasant breeze cress my skin giving me a soothing feeling. We have been making our way back towards the village of which we came. While I had a faint smile on my face from the pleasant weather and also completing the task, the atmosphere behind me was a little tense.
"Hey, foxy do you mind if I use your tails as a pillow from now on?"
"What?! My tails are not yours to be use, why don't you know your place!"
Nikita retorted sharply to Alya's words, her expression turning serious.
"Aww, come on… if we're going to be companions from now on shouldn't we have a mutual understanding?"
Alya asked tilting her head, seeing that Nikita sneered coldly.
"Mutual understanding, you say? You guys were the ones who suddenly attacked my territory out of nowhere."
"And you lost that fight, didn't you? You should just be obedient and let me pet your tails already."
The two continued with their pointless bicker the entire way, of course, I decided not to get involved as it was unwise to get in between an argument between two maidens. So, while trying to find my happy place I continued ignoring their quarrel with much care, as it was a lifestyle I will have to get used to from now on.
While I was thinking such things, Alya suddenly sped up her pace and walked right next to me and asked.
"Say, Haruto what are we going to report to the village chief?"
Alya inquired curiously. Hmm... I tilted my head to the side as I was a bit confused by the meaning of her words just now, what are we going to report to the village head, I wonder? I made a contemplative expression while placing a finger on my lips.
Nikita who was walking one step behind managed to overhear our conversation and cocked her head in confusion.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Well, you know how we came to your territory and launched an attack without warning, right? The truth is that we accepted a request from the village chief living down the mountain near here, to get rid of the nine-tail fox beast who has been attacking them."
Alya said explaining the situation in an eloquent tone, hearing that Nikita finally made an "Ahh" of understanding. However, her face became somewhat complicated as she comprehended the situation.
"So, that village wants me dead, then isn't it going to be bad if they see me entering their village then?"
Nikita said pointing out the possible troubles that await us. I nodded my head with a solemn expression while trying to come up with a reasonable solution.
"Say. Nikita, has anyone from the nearby villages ever seen your human face before?"
I turned my head gazing back at her with an inquiring look, she gazed back into my eyes and spoke.
"No, whenever I would go down from the mountain, I would always make sure to stay in my beast form."
She replied somewhat happily. If that's the case, then maybe we can use that to our advantage. Yep, I think I have a way to resolve the current issues. With that my mouth was upturned into a faint smile. Alya gazed at me with a sidelong glance before eventually a beautiful smile was bloomed on her face.
We continued on our journey towards the village of Yao, and after 30 minutes of nonstop walking we were finally able to see the village within our field of view. The feeble wooden walls look extremely rugged as though a gale could easily blow them away and the field of crops looks like they haven't had enough water for the longest time. Seeing the state once again I think it's a miracle those villagers were able to survive on their own.
"Hey! Haruto! Alya!"
When we finally entered the village, I turned my head to the sound of our names being called out, the one who was calling our names was the owner of bright pink colored hair, even though the clothes she was wearing was old and had torn in many places it didn't hinder her beauty in any way.
"Alice, it's good to see you again."
I greeted her while my mouth was upturned into a faint smile.
"Why didn't you take me along with you?"
She asked as both her cheeks were inflated from the side, how cute I had to hold back the urge to shout such things. I cleared my throat and gazed at those pink colored almond shapes eyes.
"I didn't take you along because of the possible dangers that awaited us, after all we still didn't know what the outcome of our battle could have been after all."
I said scratching my cheeks, Alice glance at me for a second before sighing, it seems like my words had gotten through to her as she didn't press any further. Instead, she turned her pink colored eyes towards the green haired beauty 'Alya' and said with a faint smile.
"I'm glad to see that your back safely, lady Alya."
"Fufu… thank you Alice, though you should already know that my victory was guaranteed."
Alya said letting out a soft laugh. However, Alice observed Alya's tattered clothing and said with a somewhat impish tone.
"Oh? To think the great, you would be walking around in such unsightly clothing, I didn't know your fashion sense was so bad."
"Ah?! It's not what it looks like!! This is the work of that foul beast! It's not like I wanted to look like this!"
Alya retorted swinging her arms up and down in protest. Seeing that Nikita opened her feather fan with a 'Flop' and elegantly place it at her mouth while letting out a soft 'Fufufu', Alya glared at Nikita with reproachful eyes.
"Come on you two, please don't start arguing again, I'm not sure I want go through another one of your back and forth."
I said pleadingly.
while we were having such conversation it seems we have attracted a lot of attention from the nearby villagers, an old man with a slightly long beard came running over. His bald head glittered by the sunlight that reflected on the surface of his head.
"S-Sir Haruto and lady Alya, the fact that your back, does it mean?"
The old man inquired curiously as his forehead wrinkled by the movement of his eyebrows. When hearing his words, I nodded my head softly confirming his question. Upon seeing that the old man widens his eyes in a show of disbelief.
"I see… did you have anything as prove that you had slayed that beast? Many of the villagers are still anxious by the appearance of that beast."
The village chief said. However, I shook my head in disappointment. As I had nothing as evidence that I had eradicated the silver fox beast, of course the fox beast, Nikita is right beside me after all.
Even though she's no longer harmful allowing her to transform into her beast form is not an option, she had caused many death towards the villagers so the chances of the villagers holding a strong grudge against her is high, I want to resolve this without there being any ill feelings towards them, but I understand that many of them had lost their loved ones and there's no way they're going to let go of their grudge because Nikita is no longer harmful so I decided I'll have to mix truth with lie in order to make everyone happy.
"Cough, Alya and I both fought our hardest against that fox beasts, in the end we were able to come out victorious we then burnt the body of the fox beast until not even ashes of it remained. Thus, we have purified the lands of that wicked beast from taking any more of your precious loved ones."
I said eloquently. *Twitch* *Twitch* Nikita's neatly refined rounded eyebrows convulsed repeatedly when hearing my lies, of course my statement was about defeating her and burning her body after all, my brow was drenched with cold sweat. Alya placed her hand against her mouth holding back the urge to laugh out loud.
It seems the chief and the villagers all believed what I had said as they all looked very relieved. Many of them were crying as though remembering their precious lost relatives and friends. Upon, seeing that my face became slightly gloomy if only I had arrived much sooner then maybe I could have protected a lot more of them.
A small sigh escaped my lips while I was thinking that Alya linked her slander hand with mine, while squeezing it tightly, I also squeezed my hands as well. Nikita pursed her lips when seeing the atmosphere within the village, was it my imagination that for a brief moment a look of regret showed on her face. It was probably my imagination, so I told myself.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
I inquired as I gazed at the village chief, a look of contemplation filled his face as he replied in a resolute tone.
"I.... no we shall work hard on our village, with the fox beasts who was the most dangerous beast in this forest now gone, we shall go out and gather the necessities of taking care of our village."
"I see… well I can't help you with that but, maybe we can help you with growing your crops."
I responded.
"Hmm…? How are you going to help?"
The village chief asked curious. With that I turned my head toward Nikita who was standing behind in silence. Feeling my gazed she tilted her head to the side. Since she was standing right behind me it seemed the chief and the other villagers all failed to notice her presence.
"This girl is…?"
The chief inquired. Staring at her fox ears and silver tails curiously, since they only knew of the nine tailed fox as a beast there was no way they would recognize her as a human, according to Nikita no one from the villages as ever seen her human form so there no way for them to know her true identity taking advantage of this, I introduce her with a faint smile.
"She's just a Demi human we ran into on our way down the mountain, it seems she was wondering around and got lost so we ended up traversing here together, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course, not but…. How is this girl going to help with the crops?"
The village chief cocked his head curiously. However, Alya's eyes sparkled as she guessed what my intentions are.
"Nikita, can you manipulate the weather and make rain fall?"
"Huh, of course I can but…"
But how did you know was probably what she wanted to ask, well the reason I happened to come across such information is easy. I happened to notice that mountain where Nikita's shrine was set up had unusually dense clouds compared with the other mountains that didn't have a single rainy cloud in sights. And also, the clouds dispersed when we were preparing to leave that place. So, it was obvious that she had some kind of ability to manipulate the weather in some way.
"So, can you do it just over the crops fields?"
"Yes, please leave it to me."
She replied calmly guessing my intentions from that.
***
We went over to the dried-up crops field and watched Nikita who was standing in the center of the field. She held her hands upwards towards the clear blue skies until her crimson eyes glowed faintly, her nine silver fox tails swayed gently from side to side in a graceful motion, soon after her nine fox tails also glowed faintly as she kept her hands held high.
Suddenly the clear blue skies became cloudy, the cloud soon change colors and became slightly darker electric sparks flashes and soon.
*Drip* *Drip* *Drop*
Rain began pouring down onto the crop's fields. The scent of the wet fields then entered my nose.
"How long has it been since we last had rain?"
I heard such muttering from the villages chief as he wore an expression as though greatly moved, the other villagers also had similar expressions on their faces.
"Well, Haruto it seems like your wish came true, everyone is satisfied."
Alya said a beautiful smile was bloomed on her face. I nodded my head to her. Now then we have accomplished their request our next stop is the kingdom of Albanian.