The outskirts opened into a clearing, and what appeared was a civilization that was completely different from a human one. The kingdom was surrounded by a wood wall that might have been over a hundred meters tall and stretched far to the horizon. As we approached the ginormous tree wall, I noticed that carvings of unknown symbols were engraved into its wood unless you squinted both your eyes at certain parts. It was as if this horizontal tree was meant to protect this kingdom and have a sense of self. I even heard its sort of heartbeat that only I could hear, and the ripples became more apparent, whereas I couldn't find its heart anymore. The beats grew faster and louder as we got nearer and nearer to the main gate, though it hadn't caused any trouble so far. No one notices its peculiarity, as if it doesn't allow me to enter its protectee. The wood wall became a radiant green color the farther up you looked and stood without any gaps in the natural structure, all of which resulted in an imposing and awe-inspiring mass before my eyes. Furthermore, the wall was surrounded by a myriad of thorns that stretched all the way down to the base of the wooden wall and roots. I tried to touch it, and its thorns were pulsating, ready to pierce my hand. No matter how you look at this grotesque entity, it's basically a monster, disguised as a wall. Thanks to all of this, the wall appeared to be deadly for climbing. This murderous aura! I immediately returned to Captain Alcina's side. She's furious hehe. The huge gate I saw earlier was a ruse. The real deal here is the arched gate. The arched gate in front was wide enough for multiple carriages to pass through at a time and wasn’t that high. I don't exactly know what kind of pulley mechanism was installed above the gate, but it seems like it would take quite a hefty force to carry it upwards. It was a pretty weird design if you ask me. Atop the gate was what seemed to be a watchtower, but the roof was rounded like a flat cylinder, which gave the thing an overall mushroom-like appearance. And if you look closely, you'll notice it's a special tree in its natural structure. "... " Can fox people have the ability to customize trees as their homes? If so, they're all awesome people! Even with this abundance of resources, it is reasonable enough and more surprising that industrialization isn't their thing. Just trade goods and stuff of their kind only. They have excellent leaders, in my opinion. How fortunate they are. I may consider becoming a farmer for the rest of my life here. Well, save it for later. "..." "People here seem livelier. I thought there was an incident here yesterday, right? " Shame on me, no one's responded. The four girls began to joyfully run towards the gate when it came into view. Just from here, the figures of the two fox men who stood guard in the watchtower could be seen. I bet normal people can see their hand gestures from where I stand. You know, raising their middle finger towards us. Is it a waving gesture? Funny. "Haa, we’ve finally made it." "I’m quite exhausted." Miss Shenshia and Miss Sammia shake their tails right and left and show relieved expressions as they finally return to their home. "... "; I want to go back too. "Open the gate!! I am Alcina Fracess! This is Loriem Makota! We're returning with people who have been kidnapped by humans! I need to request the Gran Elder! " Oh, I forgot. Back in my country, the norm of calling a person by his or her name, either first name, surname or both, is considered disrespectful, except when you are best friends or have the same social status as you. Miss Alcina, Big Sister Alcina, or Ma'am Captain? To me, since she is older than I am, I am conflicted with the idea of calling her by name alone or by her surname. Captain Alcina is just fine, right? Hmm... forget it. Captain Alcina took an upright stance before the gate and shouted the self-introduction before calmly waiting for a response. Before long, the pulley mechanism started to rise with a creaking sound, followed by a wooden groaning as the grandiose, huge doors behind it were also opened. Why not use the open gate on either side that common fox people use now? Just so you know, Alcina is the captain of a special platoon and is very famous around the kingdom for her achievements. Doing so would cause misunderstandings among the populace. "Wow, I want to become like her mom! Fox heroine! " Outside their treehouse, the little fox girl, accompanied by her mother, said this cheerfully. Both pink foxes including the father. "Almighty fox hero, please step on me!" Let's forget that one. "I’ll try to gain permission from the Gran Elder, so young fox lady, you’ll have to wait out here for a while." She leaves after saying so; Loriem, Shenshia, Sammia, and the four girls follow through the nearest common gate, and two gatekeepers, both bulky men, come out to replace them. After they disappeared beyond the gate, the two gatekeepers stepped in front of it. One of them was glaring at me while the eyes of the other one behind me wanted to stroke my tail. "One touch or I will kill you." I doubt you are on my side, my listener. It was irritating and embarrassing at the same time. "Troubling my guest?"

My anger somehow faded away by Alcina's calming voice and the fox man, who, before I noticed it, hid behind his partner. "Captain Alcina, wh-who is this fearsome foreign fox girl?" he asked stuttering and shivering. "She's one of those humans slaved and traumatized by them, so I hope you two understand." The two of them asked for my forgiveness and continued their talks with Alcina. I moved a little bit away from the gate and put my small bag containing a few fruits aside while I settled in to wait for Alcina. I wonder if I could live my life to the fullest. Should I consider this a fun game like those RPG games I played? Status boards, heroes, knights, and other such things... Is there no respawn, resurrection, or restart option? No, stop imagining horrible things! You must treasure this body of hers! But I have already failed that now since Captain Alcina broke my limbs earlier. While I was thinking about such trivial things, I eat some fruits left and watched over the fox people, the sky became dark. It’d been about thirty minutes. From within the watchtower, an orange light cast away the surrounding darkness. It made me think of the possibility that, unlike in human cities, there were magical light sources here. Eventually, Captain Alcina appeared from the illuminated front gate. "Fox lady! I got the elder’s permission! Come! " Following her call, I stood up and placed the pouch containing two or three fruits over my shoulder before making my way towards the gate. Under her guidance, I made my way beyond the bigger gate. The walls were about ten meters thick and I ignore its rapid heartbeats. After passing, I finally entered the Gaia kingdom of Foxendom. What I saw inside the kingdom left a strange impression on me. There was a field of crops stacked on top of each other like vertical plantations. Open farm buildings are tall enough for the tallest person to slide in and harvest. I saw these concepts in the sci-tech books. More organic and varied and the same beyond the wall, were spacious stacking pastures to allow domestic unknown animals to graze in multitudes of buildings, and wooden houses were sprinkled across the area. A lack of sunlight in some parts is provided by some kind of bright bulbs or orbs, perhaps. You could tell all sorts of things were healthy and blooming. I am speechless. This is beyond my expectations! Interconnections by using trees' limbs and branches as bridges for easy access. Women foxes tend to water those farm buildings from water sources such as rivers and harvest fruits, herbs, and vegetables cheerfully for free, including industrious kids helping them while adult foxes tend animals and other manual labor. This is insanely cool! And more than that, they build all these plantations and animal farms without using concrete, cement, or any sort of building materials. Even cutting down trees is illegal! Alcina tells me everything that's on her mind while my glittering eyes roll in every direction. "Young fox lady, as a foreigner, watch your tongue or else you will regret it. As a fox person and a future resident of the kingdom, since you're a lady, you are obligated to cultivate plantations near where you live. Know your neighbors and treat them well. Hoarding here is a crime, and installations are made against that. Don't take more than you need and do your part for at least an hour as this society expects you, so you can enjoy the free harvest daily and limited meat if you are well-known in the community you belong to. Neighbors have their own community group, or in other words, "neighborhood," and each has a limited number of farm buildings permitted by the authorities, so you can ask one of your nearest neighbors and ask to join them first. You look appealing and beautiful, which makes it unthinkable for anyone to reject you. They will give you an N-Id to access buildings under their control. Every neighborhood has its own particular set of rules to follow, but most likely, all the same, so you must read some important things beforehand. Most plantations' times of harvest are one to two days. Nobles, on the other hand, have their own lands and plant rarities that are hard and long to cultivate for ordinary folks and need exceptional chefs to prepare them, but of course, those cultivations are better than common ones. As you saw, space-saving is critical for us. And for animals, adult foxes are the ones who decide on provisioning meat. Meats can be used to barter for items such as clothing and accessories, and they can also be used as currency if desired. It all depends on the kind, freshness, meat quality, rarity, and volume. Regarding the neighborhood, if you don't like the nearest one's rules, just go to the next neighborhood." I'm pretty convinced everything around here must be abiding by the rules, and a collective share of minds will kick you out of the group if all agree you're not contributing enough. So every fox person here expects you, and that's how fox society functions till this day. As I ask her some questions, the fox people make way for the two of us and murmur about who I am and why I have been accompanied by their hero. "Thank you, Captain Alcina." She just walked away, and I followed her. "Hmm..." Unlike the homes of humans, some of the houses here were mushroom-shaped. Each one had a slightly exposed wooden deck and eaves that stretched to the top. A unique pattern was molded into the supporting pillars of the houses, allowing a glimpse into the culture of these people. Despite the quiet scenery, the sidewalk was made of beautifully laid cobblestone, flowers, creatures like butterflies, and thin street light trees were placed at regular intervals, so there was no need to be anxious about where you walked. When viewed from a distance, the combination of the lights and the night sky created a fantastic scene, with fireflies adding to the effect. Ohh, the rivers too overflowing with colorful fishes. From what I’ve seen, the quality of life here was superior to that of humans. All I felt and sensed here was happiness and hope, and few were concerned about the latest kidnapping incident. Beautiful, beautiful. Now that I mentioned it, every fox person I see is beautiful regardless of age, status, and gender, as if they were blessed by the heavens. I bet any human will like anyone. In appearance, yes, but their perversion towards tails is so obvious that their attractiveness is overshadowed by such carnal desires. If Captain Alcina didn't face their direction, their lust would pollute the air I breathe and suffocate me a lot. I wonder why she didn't get annoyed by that. There's even a young fox boy who is eager to clutch my tail, but thanks to my instincts, I dodge his shameful act as if he tipped over accidentally. Well, forget about that. With Captain Alcina leading the way, I advanced through the noble domains while two fox soldiers in full gear from a guard post close to the entrance silently followed behind us. They’re probably here to watch for suspicions about me as a foreigner. According to my observations, I am the only white fox in this kingdom. I do wonder if I meet one someday. After a while, we finally seemed to have arrived at our destination. We stood in front of a super huge tree... no, it was all wood buildings combined with a large tree. But it is a baby compared to that giant. Wow! Nestled between the large tree’s thick roots was a mansion, no, a palace. The residence was a mixture of the natural and the artificial, and I had no clue how it was made. I bet they used particular spells to create such a wonderful nature-blend masterpiece. However, lights were leaking out from the multiple windows in the trunk, illuminating the entire area and giving it all a dignified appearance in the night. "This is the Gran Elder’s house, Gaia Palace, or the King's Domain. Enter. " Saying so, Captain Alcina opened the wooden front doors and prompted me to enter. However, I had already slipped inside at the earliest possible second. I smell something appetizing and my stomach is grumbling now. "But will I meet the Gran Elder? Why? " I asked her and got no answer. Passing through the palace’s entrance, I entered what appeared to be the atrium hallway. Huge natural pillars lined the center of the mansion, and I could see various pathways that connected to the third floor. I thought I'd be able to get to them by taking the stairs on the left or right side of this floor. Throughout the palace were lampstands with crystals installed in them, which illuminated the rooms with a warm light. Even the intensity of the light was different compared to the oil lamps used back in my country when a brownout strikes. Two fox people were in the center of the hall, while Captain Alcina was off to the side. One of the foxes had golden hair and appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She was closely observing me while skillfully raising both golden eyebrows. This fox woman was dressed in attire similar to that of the main antagonist in the White Flower series, except that the sexy, revealing outfit was adorned with the peculiar symbols of the foxes and it showed her intricately designed red tattoos. You will know the definition of the word "exotic" just by seeing her. And a fox-carved statue behind her makes this woman hotter than ever. Don't think negatively about me. I can tell this person is scorching in power. This makes me soaked with sweat just looking at her golden eyes. Her strong, burning passion and enthusiasm are too much for me to handle! Hey, this is not an exaggeration! Remember what I told you? I can perceive anyone's hidden emotions and desires! But in her case, that overflowing positivity is just too abnormal! Hhha hhha hha hha hha... I'm having trouble breathing normally. Shut your eyes. Breathe in... and exhale... "Hoooh!" "Hmm... hehe, how fascinating. You're the strange one" At least my eyes remained closed and I bowed to show my respect. I never want to face her again. It shook me to the core. By the way, she belongs to the golden fox race. I shifted my gaze to the opposite side. The other person was a silver fox like Captain Alcina and had her long shiny silver hair set behind the nape of his lilac neck. She was dressed in traditional attire—a kind of stylish military outfit with some details in the Fox traditional clothing style, more likely the same pattern as mine without crosses, and I noticed her hair had a tinge of black concentrated mostly at the tips and was even more imminent than Captain Alcina's. Both these foxes are freaking gorgeous, way above the average, one is overflowing with positivity, and the fox woman I look at is a pretty upright person. If nothing else, she appears to be pleased to be meeting such an unusual visitor. "May I know the name of the foreign fox lady? I welcome you to our home. I am Izzalla Fracess, the Gran Elder of the Gaia Kingdom, one of the five legitimate kingdoms of Foxendom. It seems that my daughter was causing you some trouble." The silver fox woman introduced herself while holding out her immaculate hand. At her words, I could feel that Captain Alcina was slightly uncomfortable. I kind of agree with Captain Alcina; her posture is that of a gentleman. Though Captain Alcina's only reaction was that her shoulders slightly trembled. She certainly said that she belonged to Gaia, the name of this kingdom, but she didn’t say that it was her birthplace. I take the right hand of her mother and shake it. "I am Alcina’s mother, Sarissa Fracess. I am also 253 years old. " Wait... two mothers? After I turned my eyes to Captain Alcina after her two mothers' introduction, I saw that she was shaking her head. Well, it seems that her age was different from what she said, and perhaps I don't need to ask them about the personal stuff inside my head. They may have strong familial relations regardless of who is the biological mother. I guess I need to get accustomed to this country. Sarissa Fracess, a golden fox, But it didn’t make much of a difference if she lowered it a little, since it still exceeded 100 years or so. It was difficult to react to such an intimate family introduction and the awkwardness that ensued, but I somehow managed to squeeze out a response. "This is my first time meeting a gran elder, as well as a cheerful madame. My name is... uhh." Wait... What was her name? Urgh... I don't recall any in her memories. "Dire circumstances, I see. We shouldn’t be speaking here. Let’s talk on the second floor while we’re having dinner. " The Gran Elder of the Gaia Kingdom, Izzalla, suggested that we take this meeting to the second floor. I agreed to that and followed them upstairs. Both of them have a distinctive scent, kind of heavy if you ask me, and not as much as addicting as their daughter. There was a large room on the second floor that served as a dining room; chairs were placed around the wooden table, and the kitchen seemed to be located further back in the palace. Several fox women, each wearing a good-looking green uniform, leave one by one. They seem the ones responsible for keeping this place clean and tidy. Delicious smells were drifting into the room from the kitchen. I sat down in the seat recommended by the Gran Elder and placed my dirty pouch at my feet. The cheerful mother, Sarissa, said that the stew had warmed up, and she went back towards the kitchen. Once Captain Alcina had taken her seat, Izzalla sat down and slightly lowered her head. "My daughter told me the gist of the situation: On behalf of all of the Fox people, you have our sincerest gratitude and apologies. I never imagined that there was a fox person outside Foxendom and new kin that we had never seen before. Although this may sound like disrespecting your privacy, may we inquire what kind of fox you are? And is there a fox-like you outside? Why is it that we don't smell you at all? We only know silver foxes but not the pure white hair color, and your bloody eyes are pretty scary. " Gran Elder Izzalla smiles wryly while scratching her right cheek. The person in question looked away with an unhappy expression on her face. But... "Please forgive me, your majesty; I have many possible answers to each of your questions. I'm afraid those are mainly personal issues that even I have always bothered with uncertainties regarding my true nature. But if it were my home's location, this one come from the mountain ranges of Maryland. " "Even your name? Uh... you said Maryland?! the highest mountains?! Do you live alone there? How did you manage to live in such a harsh environment as a kid? Wow, you are so amazing! Hehe..." Lady Sarissa appears to be very interested in an outsider, me. She shouldn't get ahead of herself and... I noticed it. I can confront her now without being frightened. Perhaps I misinterpreted that overflowing positivity in her inner heart instead of simply high excitement and eagerness to meet her "daughter's friend"? "Still, Gran Elder Sarissa, you shouldn’t be so shameless when protruding into someone's conversation." "Hehe, my mistake!" She's also a gran elder?! Or a gran elder from a nearby fox kingdom? But if that was the case... "Mmm...... I have to ask, how did you go this far and meet my daughter on her mission?" To answer this question, I summarized my encounter with the knights. "The people... I mean the fox people of all forest lands. Do humans call us "beastmen"? Our kin is one-sidedly being hunted and turned into slaves by the humans." "Hey, young fox lady! Mind your words! We are not born as mere animals but as fox-people! Such audacity! You dare to ridicule our kin and pride? " "!!!" Captain Alcina's eyes boiled with anger, which made my hair stand up in absolute fear. She moved wildly fast and unsheathed her blade in no time! My whole body suddenly felt cold and my vision darkened as I managed to get a momentary glimpse of the God of Death. Here in front of me! That murderous intent is far more than that of her mother's overflowing positivity!

At that moment, I felt hopeless for the second time.

Then, why did you save me in the first place?

Did my words hurt you so much?

And before I noticed it, another person was standing in front of me blocking my vision with her multiple tails.