(Kayda POV)
It was supposed to be a normal day. Peaceful. Quiet. Just me, Kitsuna, and a smooth departure for our six-month journey together. The start of the day was normal. I woke up, had tea, made a checklist, then headed into town.
That all changed the moment we came back from that damn quest.
Those goddamn orcs had ruined everything—my time with Kitsuna, our plans, our calm. And now she'd learned about her shifting personality, all thanks to that angel's big mouth. Damn that winged nuisance. I'd kill her if I could.
But, presumably, I should thank her too. Because of her meddling, I now had six uninterrupted months with Kitsuna. Time alone, time to help her, time to just be with her.
All I had to do now was prepare everything.
And so I did.
I bought all the supplies, packed what we might need, arranged for some gear checkups, and even had a few scrolls enchanted just in case. With my list complete and bags full, I took to the sky again, heading back to the mansion to let Stacy know everything was ready.
That was the plan.
Until I landed.
The first thing I noticed was the main gate—or rather, what was left of it. The giant iron frame was bent inwards like something had crashed through it. Parts of it were crumpled and scorched, and the enchanted wood paneling was splintered all across the lawn. A crater lay a few meters beyond, broken stone and dust scattered in chaotic spirals.
I nearly dropped my bags as panic surged through me.
I was about to dash inside—when I froze.
Dean and Earl Everstern stood at the top of the front steps, pale-faced, unmoving. The earl's wife was clutching his arm, eyes wide in disbelief. But they weren't looking at me.
They were staring to my right.
Confused, I slowly turned my head—and my heart nearly stopped.
Kitsuna was locked in a full-on brawl with three Stacy duplicates, trading brutal blows in the scorched courtyard.
"What the hell is going on here?!" I shouted, eyes darting between the clones.
One of the Stacys hurled a punch at Kitsuna's side, but Kitsuna twisted mid-air and kicked off one of the duplicate's arms, flipping into a counterattack.
The real Stacy—judging from her expression—landed a fierce right hook directly at Kitsuna's face. Kitsuna barely managed to cross her arms and absorb the hit.
Even then, the force sent her flying like a ragdoll.
I gasped and nearly rushed to catch her, but before I could move, a massive slab of ice erupted from the ground in the trajectory of her flight. Kitsuna twisted her body mid-air, skidding across the top of the ice wall like a snowboarding fox. As she launched herself back toward Stacy, the impact from her jump shattered the wall behind her into glittering ice shards.
The shards slammed into the surrounding area—toppling flowerbeds, smashing new garden ornaments, and completely uprooting several newly planted trees.
A vein popped in my forehead.
Enough was enough.
With a flash step, I appeared between them mid-charge. My hands shot out and grabbed both of their wrists as they swung at each other.
BOOM!
I slammed them both into the ground, cracking the stone pathway.
"That's enough!" I shouted, glaring down at them. "This is not a training ground!"
Stacy blinked, only mildly fazed. "Oh, Kayda! Welcome back," she said casually, sitting up and crossing her legs like nothing happened.
Kitsuna winced beneath me. "Ugh… Why'd you have to ruin our fun?" She groaned, looking up at me with an exaggerated pout.
"Fun? You call this fun?!" I pointed around at the destruction—the crater, the flattened hedges, the half-collapsed statue of the founder. "You guys destroyed half the entrance! Do you know how long the damage will take to fix without a self-repair spell?!"
"Eh…" Kitsuna muttered, averting her eyes.
"OW! OW! OW! KAYDA—." Kitsuna suddenly yelped as I grabbed her by the ear and twisted.
"You're going to rip it off!" she whined, kicking lightly at the air.
"Hehe, get her, Kayda! She started it!" Stacy cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
"I started it? You called me dumb first, you ancient hag!"
"What was that? You want to feel a scorch spell up your ass?" I growled, a small flame igniting in my palm.
"NO THANKS!" they both screamed at the same time, instantly sitting straighter, the color draining from their faces.
"Good." I let go of Kitsuna's ear and shook the scorch spell away. "Now sit. And explain."
Kitsuna didn't hesitate—dropping to the ground like a soldier reporting to a general.
Stacy was a bit more casual. "Well… when you told me about Kitsuna discovering her personality shifts, I panicked. I was only a few hours away from the capital, so I came straight here."
She tilted her head, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "When I got here, I saw Kitsuna walking toward the main gate. I thought Kitsuna was trying to run away, so I jumped in front of her. Turns out, she was heading toward your room."
I raised an eyebrow. "My room?"
"She said she wanted to talk to you," Stacy said, grinning.
I felt my cheeks warm. "Oh…"
"Anyway, we talked a bit… Then some insults flew, and the next thing I knew, we were throwing punches," Kitsuna added with a sheepish shrug.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "So it wasn't major…"
Then I glanced at the wreckage again.
"…I take that back. This is major. Look at all this destruction."
They ignored me.
"Kitsuna, I loved that fight," Stacy said, giggling like a child. "You're way more enjoyable when you're not all serious and tactical. That wild side? Loved it."
Kitsuna smiled faintly and leaned forward on her knees… then collapsed face-first into the ground.
"It's wonderful that you enjoyed it. I did too," she mumbled, voice muffled by the dirt. "But I'm out of juice. G'night."
"She's asleep already?" I blinked.
"She's always been like this," Stacy said fondly, brushing Kitsuna's hair back. "Though usually it's her fox form passed out in a sunbeam. Not quite the same."
"She sleeps on the ground either way," I said dryly.
"I meant it to be like this," Stacy said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, help me get her into a bed."
"Why should I?" I asked, crossing my arms. "This is your fault."
"Whose wife is this?" she countered smugly.
"…Tch."
I said nothing but bent down, lifting Kitsuna's arm and wrapping it over my shoulder.
"Thought so," Stacy said, moving to grab the other side—only to realize she was too short to be any help.
"Are you going to help or not?" I asked, annoyed.
"Hehe. I think I just saw Kitsune's ear twitch. She might've heard me call you her wife. Guess I'll be going now."
And with that, Stacy bolted, vanishing down the corridor in a blur.
"Kitsuna… Are you really awake?" I asked, staring at her face.
She didn't move.
I sighed. "Making excuses because you're too short to help carry your daughter… unbelievable."
(Kitsuna POV)
"Can't believe I slept for two whole days," I said, stretching out my arms with a groan. My muscles still ached. "Was the fight really that draining?"
"Yes," Lily replied curtly. She stood at my bedside like a nurse, arms crossed.
"What did I miss?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Well, you delayed your departure with Kayda. Catrina is currently bedridden due to overexertion. And one non-important thing—Earl Everstern asked for forgiveness."
"Non-important?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "He probably watched my fight with Mom. Bet he saw me fly through a wall or something."
Lily nodded. "He and his wife walked home. Couldn't even bring themselves to get in their car."
"Didn't they have a car?"
"They did. But the driveway's covered in your ice. The walls and boulders create a frozen battlefield out there.
I chuckled. "Cars are that useless, huh?"
"Nothing with wheels could get through that mess. Honestly, not even horses could."
"I'll clean it up later," I said, waving my hand lazily.
"You will clean it up," Lily said firmly before bowing and leaving.
"…That was her plan from the beginning, wasn't it?"
I sighed and walked into the bathroom to splash some water on my face.
Then I froze.
"CRAP!" I yelled, dashing back out. "I forgot to interrogate Brad!"
I changed into combat clothes mid-run, using dimensional storage to slap on my gear. I leapt off the balcony, angling toward Apricot's location to borrow her illusion eyes.
[Two Hours Later]
"To think the list would be this long…" I muttered, flipping through a stack of paper with Brad's confession.
"Don't tell me they're all black ops," Mom said, her voice tense.
"Not all. Some are underground soldiers and shady operatives. However, at least thirty individuals have been confirmed as black ops operatives.
"Thirty?" She looked genuinely disturbed. "From one man?"
"Yup." I handed her the stack. "Oh—and you guys can use the ice dungeon while I'm gone to interrogate more. I reinforced the walls. They can now withstand up to 6000 strength."
"Impressive."
"Yeah… I finally remembered how I used to do it in my old world. Built it using layered compression. It should hold fine unless someone brings a divine weapon.
"And Apricot?"
"She'll keep up the illusion if needed. Furthermore, I've made sure the Duke doesn't die while I'm gone."
Mom didn't look up from the list. "Are you sure these are all traitors?"
"No. Brad gave me the names. It's up to you to verify."
Her eyes narrowed. "I recognize all of them. Three are Commanding Specialists."
She looked up at me.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
She stared at the papers again. "Alright. Thank you. Take care on your trip, Kitsuna."
She turned, walking away without another word.
"Poor bastards," I mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Apricot asked.
"Your mom isn't kind to traitors. And now that she has the dungeon? Let's just say… It's going to be a difficult week for them."
"Btw, why do you always call me Mom?" I grumbled. "Just call me big sis or something. I'm not that old."
"No," Apricot said simply, walking away.
"Stubborn dog," I muttered, walking toward the main gate.
It was time to leave.
Kayda was probably waiting.
This time, there would be no orcs, no angels, and no interruptions.
Just six months.
Her and me.