NOVEL WEB Chapter 17
The fox’s fur is burning. The white fur scatters like ashes, screaming in agony.
“Keuh keuh…!!!”
The first move was snatched away.
With a squeaky sound, the fox bounces around wildly, struggling to attach its magic to its tail to speak.
“Heh… heh heh…”
The condensed spell flows and spreads. Saliva protrudes from its mouth and drips down.
Thud.
“Huh huh huh.”
A mischievous smile spreads across the young dragon’s face. The fox that was shedding tears shivers.
“This… this is real…!!”
The corners of its eyes turn red as it sniffs back tears.
Raising its crumbled body, it shakes off the remnants.
Glaring down at the little dragon with bulging eyes.
It raises its hackles and shows its fangs.
The scales turn a dark blue, and its pupils are torn like a predator’s. Spells trickle from its nine tails. It’s like magic, but since it’s lighter than that, it won’t be called magic.
It reveals its true form and enlightens its nature.
“Y-You dare to toy with a nine-tailed fox?!!!”
The words that popped out are cold, thickening the air.
The fox had planned to have a little fun. However, if it turned out like this, there was no reason to decline.
“I was trying to be nice… but are we going to end this properly, huh?”
The fox elongates its words.
Of course, it doesn’t mean to imply anything about rank. It’s just about determining the hierarchy for sure.
“Huh huh… let’s see who is A rank and who is B, lizard brat.”
“… is that so.”
The strange voice makes the fox’s appearance split in two before its eyes.
Mixed with jealousy, the dragon has no intention of backing down.
It’s a dragon that loves its father more than just some fox. There’s no reason to step back.
Shash—
The claws of the two beasts dig into the ground. Under the pull of instinct, they become eager to bite each other.
With poisoned eyes, the dragon looks down at the reptile.
With its fiery gaze, the heated dragon opens its mouth to devour the wild beast.
Such rivals for sure. There’s no separation between them.
“… ha.”
It can’t bear to watch, and it smiles bitterly at the dreadful sight.
Clap clap—
At a distance, the elf who had been slaying monsters clapped its hands.
A refreshing breeze echoed through the dungeon, causing both beasts to react. The fox lowers its tail and glares. The dragon takes a step back, retracting its murderous intent towards its opponent.
“How about we stop there? We’re in a dungeon right now. It’s fine to establish a hierarchy, but you can deal with that later when you two go outside, right?”
The elf clears its throat.
“And…”
The absolute decree.
There are mere seconds before the command settles in their ears.
Instinct told them what the elf was going to say.
“The master… no, the captain has commanded. Fighting between guild members is prohibited. If you really want to establish ranks, do it secretly outside.”
The command. The captain. There couldn’t be a more effective phrase to diffuse the situation.
For the two beasts, it was like an unavoidable destiny.
For the elf, it must have been the most excellent divine acknowledgment.
“… So you sent me up here in preparation for this.”
*
The dragon’s destination was the lowest floor of the dungeon. Truly, it was a land teeming with nothing but the weakest monsters.
It was too cramped to be called rare.
It was too spacious to be a cave.
Whoooosh—!!
“Krahah…!!!”
Looking up at the stone pillar, the opaque sound erupted throughout the area.
Boom—!!
When the earth was lowered, what illuminated the area was a golden flame.
The bright sphere held a whitish sheen, like a jewel.
“Take this, you rabble!”
“Keeahhh…!!”
The innocent laughter overlapped with a roar.
As the fox crossed its fingers, the ground began to crumble.
That was no flame.
It was magic.
“Fire can’t unleash such power…”
Even advanced magic wouldn’t create such a spectacle with mere flames.
No, that’s not mana; it’s a mass of spells.
When the spirits of the sky erupted, winds blew, and a gust served as a medium to strike down.
As the fox scattered its tail, the envisioned foxfire transformed everything into a return gift.
What would the dragon do?
Flapping its wings majestically, would it soar into the sky and spew fire?
No.
“Heh… heh…”
All it could do was block the fleeing lackeys taking advantage of the chaos.
Even that was filled with exhaustion and injuries.
Taking a deep breath, it limps to staunch the bleeding.
Closing its eyes, it chants an incantation, envisioning spring water and imagining the pooled stagnant water.
The small, detailed image of a puddle of spring water.
A main branch extends and bears fruit, dispersing seeds.
The nature of the entire world.
It spreads the vastness of nature and distributes its nutrients.
Wounds begin to heal, and the bleeding stops as vitality is restored.
“Uh? Huh… huh, what am I doing~?”
The dragon heaved a sigh of relief.
“ぷぷ…ぷぷぷぷ…”
On the other hand, in the distance, someone was desperately enduring their fate.
The cunning fox smiled widely.
Shaking off the major wounds with its hand, its flesh quickly grew back. It flinched, vanishing into thin air.
Boom—!
“Heh heh~!”
Suddenly appearing with a burst of stone-colored smoke, it showed itself.
“Puh…”
“Puh… Puh?”
“Puh… Puhhahaha!!”
The fox, grinning as if to mock, made the dragon dumbfounded.
“Puuhh~ Didn’t you know I would be a bother? Now I see you’re just some third-rate fry~???”
The slender white tail wrapped around her, lifting her into the air above.
“……”
“Hey, coming in here acting all high and mighty, calling our leader ‘Daddy’, and now you’re getting tossed around by these little minions. What kind of confidence did you have to take me on~?”
As the master of the circle mocked, the tails began to dance as if they were alive.
“Huh!”
One tail wrapped around her and dashed through the mountains, disrupting the maze. Somehow, the lowest floor area began to take the position of a mid-level area.
“What… what are you doing…!”
With a grim expression clashing with her own, the fox responded.
“Sad, but let’s finish this outside~? I’m starting to hit the brakes, you know.”
With a swift leap, the nine-tailed fox darted towards the portal.
Following closely, the elf gracefully moved.
The dragon, caught in between, swirled through the chaotic mix of thoughts about what was happening.
*
The three heroes who emerged from the chaotic maze at the lower levels of the dungeon welcomed their captain.
“Heh heh! We’re back~!”
“We have returned, Master.”
“…”
Unlike the pristine appearance of the two ladies, the little dragon was a mess, clinging to the fox’s side, covered in dust.
It seemed like a lie that they had entered the dungeon in such high spirits. The young dragon’s expression was dead—no, it seemed utterly crushed.
Keyal scrunched his expression and turned away.
“Hmm…? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…You’re the shadiest one here.”
“Eh~ shady? What’s shady about me? I didn’t do anything.”
He shot her a sharp look. The fox denied it while waving its hand in the air.
“Then… why is Libera here?”
“I’m just taking this little squirt outside. Can’t let the maze be broken, you know.”
Pointing at the dragon, whose self-esteem was shattered, the fox played dumb, as if saying ‘not my fault’.
“Don’t you trust me~?”
Puffing its cheeks angrily, the fox began to act mischievous.
“Oops! I saved the captain’s precious daughter myself, you know. If I hadn’t caught her, she might have ended up 20 floors up, you know?!”
“You should be thanking me! Thanks. Thank you!”
The fox boldly thumped its chest.
“…Ha.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Keyal opened his arms, and the white fox leaped into his embrace.
…Look at this brat.
“Hehehe!! I did good, didn’t I?”
“……No.”
His gaze drifted towards Libera, who had been ignored.
“Please, can I have Libera? Just let me take her with me.”
Tsk.
“What? So that’s what it was…?”
The fox clicked its tongue.
The dragon shook itself off and stood up.
“Eleina, can you get me something to drink?”
Nod.
The silent elf nodded and moved from her spot.
The fox, stomping its feet in anger, kicked the door open and headed somewhere.
“Well… now it’s just the two of us.”
An unexpected intimate space was created.
“…”
Keyal, leaning back in his chair, looked rather unrefined.
The casually seated Libera didn’t seem to mind at all.
“What happened?”
“…No, nothing happened.”
The smiling Keyal asked Libera a question. However, Libera remained emotionless in response, offering no further explanations.
“…”
“…”
A fleeting silence fell.
Yet,
“Daddy. I did well, right?”
This time, it was Libera who spoke first.
“…”
She opened her mouth, hoping to be praised for her accomplishments.
“I… I can become stronger than that fox, right?”
She muttered so softly that it was hardly audible.
Having her worth denied, Libera questioned the father who had for the first time opened a place for her.
“…Yes. Libera will grow even more.”
The response she received was more than enough to comfort the disgraced dragon.