After a lot of time thinking, I decided that I did the right thing by showing myself's capabilities. Elina and Albert were doing their best and helping me, even if I was a jerk to them.

Not only did they not abandon me, but they also closed their eyes on many of my wrongdoings, be it my misconduct, or other unexplainable stuff.

But I was no less anxious than before: I may have saved them, however, what if they decide I am too dangerous, or they get mad that I was lying to them for quite some time?

I was fearing this outcome so much, that I did not turn around to face Elina and Albert.

What the people don't understand, they start to fear that. What the people fear, they want to destroy. What they want to destroy, they hate that the most.

[Maybe it it is better to make them hate me to the point they will leave? People are sincere only in love and hatred, or so some say. At least I won't have to see them tremble in front of me.]

“You know, that I indeed was near your comrades that day? I didn't help them even though I was close.”

“Knowing how bad you are with that spear?” (A)

"HEY! Do you know that I found that village and knew about what was happening before we arrived? Yet..."

“I heard a weird sound while I was fighting there, which means you helped them. How can you be blamed for what happened there?” (E)

[Such a childish reasoning. You are two naïve fools. Why do I like you two so much?]

"Why are you still here? Do you not think I won't silence the witnesses?"

"Would you~?" Elina giggled, which made me turn around.

The two of them were standing behind, and smiling. They were not trembling, and neither they were appearing to be disgusted by me.

"At such moments in fairy tales, the 'villain' should start to cry in repentance, you know?" I showed a fist to the clown guy. But I still was not ready to keep talking.

"Can I have some time alone? I myself need to calm down."

"You don't need to act tough. We'll set up a campfire, and you can rest all you want. Just don't run off." Elina frowned, and immediately smiled again as she walked away. Albert followed her.

---

Some time later I approached their campfire.

"Here she comes. The lost child has returned. Ho! Instead of pointing those fires at me, how about you bake the potatoes?" (A)

"Am I an oven to you?!"

"Stop this, you two." Elina stood up, and approached me.

"Huh?!" Then she hugged me, and lifted me up.

Her embrace was warm, and nice. It was so good, that I felt sleepy.

"Looks like someone is about to doze off~. Sleep well, little fox, because tomorrow we will continue travelling." I made myself comfortable on an improvised pillow (that pillows), and fell asleep.

---

Even when I woke up I was still being hugged. Elina was already awake, and stirred something in a small pot.

"Good morning." (E)

"Morning... Can you stop hugging me...?" I rubbed my eyes.

"No." Somehow her tone suggested she was mad at me.

"Come on! I am not a little...!" I pushed myself out of her bosom, and sat down on her lap.

What I saw when I separated from her was closer to a hannya, than a human face.

“I can begin the interrogation, right?” She started to sound much more intimidating. Her attitude started changing exactly when I tried getting away from her, so I pushed myself back into her bosom.

“Good girl. First, why the hell do you have 3 tails?” (E)

“What? I only have two.”

“I know better then. Count them yourself.” 1, 2, … … … 3.

If there is a direct relation between my foxfires, and my tails, then it was a must to test that.

“WOW! STOP!” (E)

[YES! The foxfires are much better. And I can make even 3 of them.]

I turned my head and smirked at a certain someone.

“You have something to say, little fox? Maybe something about the reason this happened?” My smile immediately was replaced with shivers, as hannya looked at me with a 'gentle' smile.

“I have no idea how that happened.”

“I guessed that much, but you should be knowing why it happened.” (E)

“Did I never mentioned that I am a demon fox?”

“… You are joking. Right?...” (E)

“You think?”

“What are you two shouting, can't you just let me slee… sorry to disturb. Elina, can you finish breast-feeding her faster?” Commencing the first test fire in 3, 2, 1…

“I-I am not! It's just…” (E)

“Why are you blushing?” It was a great opportunity to distract her and run away.

“Sit. Down. Right. Here.” [Actually, coming to think about it… her lap is not so bad… right?

Remember for the next time, that she returns from the kingdom of distraction faster than I can run away.]

“…” Suddenly, Elina's embarrassment reached the point when she would be releasing pillars of steam. However, the way she looked at me was... weird...

“Fuji, do you want to… you know…” She started acting all bashful.

[If it's running away – yes.]

“Why am I even asking…” What she did afterwards was beyong ridiculous. It all started with untying the leather armor on her chest...

[WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!]

“STOP RIGHT NOW!” It was my turn at becoming as red as a strawberry syrup. It did not last long, since the sight was also replaced with my face being pressed into...

“It is not that bad actually…” [Just what the hell is going on...? Where am I...? What happened...?]

“Test your own medicine, you little ba… Ahhh!” [You want this? I won't refuse the offer then! Itadakimasu!]

“I got it! I am wrong! Let go of my nipple!” She awoke the beast. A fluffy little fox to be exact.

---

After the things calmed down we started to discuss our next course of action.

“So, we will continue the quest even after all of that?” Albert was sitting near a pot and kept stirring whatever was there.

“We now have the great fox with us. Why should we stop on what we accomplished?” Elina was sitting a bit further from him, on a couple of wolf furs.

“Maybe we should be going already?” Said this humble me, turned into her hugging pillow.

“First I will feed you the soup, than we will be going.” (E)

“Yes, mother.” [S*, I am in trouble.]

“SAY THAT AGAIN!” (E)

“Yes, mother.” [Just kill me already.]

“So good…” I noticed that she was melting…

Why the F* did we become a father-mother-fox family?

"The hot pot is ready!" At Albert's notice, my fate was sealed...

"Say 'Aaa'~!" ... as the spoon approached my face...

A lot of painful memories of spoon-feeding later.

“It's time to go, you two.” (A)

[YES!]

"Yeah, let's get going." Said Elina, and stood up. With me still caught in her hands.

She was radiating happiness, and her fuel was my suffering.

Being embraced, kissed, and other stuff, by a girl is nice and I would be ecstatic to have it in my previous life. Exactly because I would feel it as the one who receives it, and not as the one being a girl's teddy fox...

“Can you put me down on the ground?”

“Ne-ve-r~.” She happily chirped.

Her affection was like a poison, and I started having regrets that I decided to stay here, with them...

[I should have just ran away while I still could.]