Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

The visitor appeared tall and slender, possessing an androgynous charm reminiscent of Enkidu that transcended conventional gender norms.

At this moment, they were gazing at him with a brilliantly sunny smile, appearing exceptionally warm and friendly.

Souma nearly froze on the spot.

Qin Shi Huang is in my house???

Must be... seeing things, right?

Absolutely must be seeing things!

It's been so long since I last read lips—must be misreading them!

Souma swept his gaze over the other's face.

Having walked through human history, interacting with powerful Heroic Spirits and even the Evils of Humanity, he had long cultivated an unshakable composure that remained steady even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

Absolutely must not panic!

What if it's just like Gilgamesh—trying to trick him?

Souma remained perfectly calm, lowering his voice to ask: "Did you bring this person home?"

Good grief, first it was Gilgamesh, and now Qin Shi Huang—have you broken free from the seals or something?

Back then, we were locked in a love-hate battle that nearly ended in mutual destruction—we don't owe each other anything!

Souma suddenly wondered if he should add a few more seals, just to be safe.

If they really broke free, humanity would be doomed!

"This Mr. Qin said he wanted to hand it to you personally. Didn't you buy the fox scarf?"

Roya was even more puzzled.

What did this have to do with her?

Originally, it was him who said he wanted to buy a fox scarf—she had assumed it was just an ordinary knitted one.

But judging by this situation, it seemed like it was genuine fur worth at least several thousand!

"Seems like there's been a misunderstanding."

Souma found it hard to believe.

The kid actually didn't screw me over this time???

Heavens, is the sun rising from the west?

Looks like I'll have to reward her properly tonight, giving her exactly what she craves.

Now the question was—how to deal with this person?

Souma walked over calmly, feigning confusion as he asked: "Are you here to deliver the fox scarf?"

"Yes, I came specifically to bring you this fox fur scarf. Please take a look at its quality."

With a smile, the other person took out the gift from the leather bag they were carrying.

A golden, luxurious fox tail.

About one meter long, it looked incredibly smooth and soft, exuding a dreamlike beauty.

"Wow, is this a real fox tail?" Roya was utterly astonished.

Her eyes sparkled with little stars as she was completely captivated by the fox scarf, unable to look away.

Just one glance was enough to tell—this was definitely a top-tier luxury item she could never afford!

Could it cost thousands?

So why on earth would Souma buy her such an expensive fox fur scarf?

A slight nervousness suddenly crept into Roya's heart.

He had always been critical of her before—could it be that he was saying one thing but meaning another?

Maybe he actually liked her so much that he wanted to be with her forever, but deliberately criticized her flat chest, her petite, childlike figure, and so on.

And now, he had splurged on a genuine fox fur scarf to win her over completely?

So, are we really stepping into the adult world tonight?

What should I do? Suddenly feeling a little nervous—she wasn't prepared for this at all!

This is too... too fast!

"Yes, this is a genuine fox fur tail," Qin Shi Huang's smile deepened.

This seemingly somewhat silly child had an identity that appeared anything but ordinary.

Just looking at them evoked a sense of vastness, mystery, and overwhelming power—as if facing the entire world.

Even the gods seemed utterly insignificant before them, completely incomparable!

This feeling was akin to when, in his guise as a heroic spirit, he had been summoned from the past to the present by the collective will of China and had caught a fleeting glimpse of that mysterious human collective consciousness—Alaya.

And yet.

Despite being such a formidable and terrifying existence, they were now obediently playing the role of an ordinary little girl.

Every movement exuded innocence and charm.

How fascinating!

Under their gaze.

Roya reached out cautiously, her fingers trembling slightly as she touched it, unable to hold back her amazement. "Wow, the texture is incredible! I've never felt anything so smooth and soft before!"

This was undoubtedly the finest fur—so luxurious she didn't want to let go.

Her eyes shimmered with tears as she turned to look at Souma beside her, deeply moved. "Souma, isn't this... too extravagant? It must cost at least ten thousand, right?"

Their lives were actually quite modest, relying mostly on savings and the odd jobs Souma took during holidays.

Along with her scholarships and such.

Her phone was a budget model, and she only splurged on in-game purchases occasionally when she got too into a game.

A fox fur scarf this luxurious was equivalent to several years' worth of her allowance!

"Ahem, I don't think it's that expensive..."

Souma feigned composure as he studied the fox fur scarf.

Even without using any magical energy or touching it, he could sense an incredibly subtle yet overwhelmingly powerful magical pulse.

What looked like a simple fox tail seemed to contain the explosive force of a missile—or even a nuclear bomb!

Instantly, a bold thought flashed through his mind—

Could this be Tamamo-no-Mae's tail?

Just last night, he had used Platinum Dragon to pummel Tamamo-no-Mae, and now her tail was being offered as a scarf?

Suppressing his shock, Souma had to admit—this person was most likely Qin Shi Huang.

Most importantly.

If they were willing to gift something so precious, was their intention to drag him back into the grind of 24/7 work as China's true Imperial Tutor?

Your Majesty, this subject cannot comply!

At this thought, Souma nearly burst into tears.

After toiling through thousands of years of human history, working who-knows-how-long for Alaya, leaving traces across countless timelines and worlds...

Now that he had finally broken free from the contract with that black-hearted capitalist, was he expected to dedicate his life to China until his last breath?

Absolutely not!

Working is out of the question.

You already have Zhuge Liang—the ultimate workaholic. For the sake of all the effort I put into protecting and teaching you day and night back then, please let me off the hook!

"It really isn't that expensive. Consider it a New Year's gift."

Qin Shi Huang's smile grew even gentler.

A stark contrast to the domineering figure who had threatened Tamamo-no-Mae into surrendering her own tail.

If he wanted to give a gift, what could please his lord more than the tail of the fox who had dared provoke him?

"Huh? A New Year's gift?"

Roya grew even more astonished.

This kind of precious gift could just be casually given away—could the other party be as wealthy as Mr. Gold?

Gulp~

She couldn't help but swallow hard.

Her luck lately had been nothing short of extraordinary, with people practically lining up to shower her with gifts.

Earlier, Mr. Gold had merely asked her to be a campus tour guide, yet she'd made a small fortune of over ten thousand yuan.

Then he'd given her an incredibly rare ticket to the Fuyuki Grand Hotel—something so exclusive it was practically unheard of—allowing her to meet Heroic Spirits directly.

***

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