Chapter 180 - The Fox Maid and the General

  Kinue:

  It was m, and I had woken up early to prepare breakfast for Chloe and Nathan. It had been a few days since we spent that weekend at our family mansion iy. I always got up early to fulfill my duties—a habit I had acquired w as a maid at the castle. I was thrilled that they came to the academy; sometimes, I’d run into Natty and Catty, but they were a bit... different.

  Whenever I entered them, our versations revolved around torture instruments ahods of inflig pain. I guess it runs in the family, since Miss Martha is the same. A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered wheried to give me a lesson about torture.

  I spend two years away from Nathan and Chloe, training with Professor Adrihna to bee a great light mage and with Headmistress Victoria, who helped me trol my beast form. I am a rare demi-human who transform, but I need rigorous training to maintain my sanity. It is too dangerous to use this power without total trol, as I could harm someone.

  Demi-humans who possess a beast form have this ability dormant until they turn 15 or 16. Usually, the transformation happens involuntarily the first few times, which is risky because the demi-human could hurt someohat’s why I had to stay away from Nathan and Chloe and couldn’t visit them during the academy breaks. I might have transformed actally in the underground transport to the duchy.

  In the demi-human kingdom, people are used to it, but in the human kingdom, there’s a lot of fear and unpreparedo handle such situations. That was one of the reasons I had to remain at the academy. Only Professor Adriho the Evenhart territory, and Headmistress Victoria, my master, guided me through this process, which would normally be led by a demi-human's parents.

  Even with my beast form… I think I’d still be afraid of the ellian, I thought, watg the gray kitten staring at me while I prepared breakfast.

  "Good thing you’re just a little bird, right?" I said to Cyl, who tio watch me. I leaned closer to the panther cub and asked, "Are you really Cyl?" She nodded.

  "That's good," I said, relieved. "I know you’re less dangerous than a panther." But she shook her head in disagreement.

  "No? What do you mean?" I asked, fused. "Are you more dangerous than a Moon Panther?" odded again.

  "Alright, silly. I believe you, hehe."

  It’s just Cyl, and I know she’s harmless. The worst she could do is burp a fireball.

  "Meow," she said, pointing with her head.

  "You're the same Cyl I know. Always asking for meat."

  I grabbed the meat from the pan and tossed it to her. Leaving Cyl to eat, I left the apartment to fete eggs from the dormitory kit. The academy stocked the pantry, and we could take whatever we needed.

  "What are you doing here?" a voice asked, startling me.

  “H-hello," I turo greet.

  It was a uniformed student, and I felt fused about how to address her. Everyone living here was a high noble, and there were even two princesses in the dormitory.

  "La-Lady...?" I asked, unsure.

  The student ughed.

  "Don't worry, you call me by my name. I'm Melina. I hope no boy broke the rules by bringing a girl to spend the night in his apartment."

  I blushed.

  "N-no, it’s not like that. I received special permission and moved into this dormitory."

  "Oh! I get it! You’re like Thyra, then. I also live with my cousin Alice, so I uand you."

  What a relief! I mao avoid a misuanding.

  But then I thought a bit more.

  Maybe I should’ve let the misuanding happen—might’ve eliminated some petition...

  Nathan Evenhart:

  We were in css when a strand of my hair fell in front of my eyes. I brushed it aside, feeling relieved to see that my hair was once again pletely bck. I thought back to rofessor Adrihna expined about my dition, though I still felt frustrated with the limitations of my Aspect of the Soul. It doesn’t allow me to see my own mana or uhe true nature of a certain annoying woman.

  “What is it? Lost something here?” asked Goddess Athena, sitting beside me with a teasing smile.

  My ability doesn’t let me analyze myself or this cursed presenext to me. If only this power worked for that, I’d kly what she is.

  Athena pced a hand on my shoulder, her voice ced with malicious amusement. “Tough luck, Icarus,” she ughed.

  I ighe Goddess, trying to foy thoughts.

  My hair is turning silver because it’s abs elven mana from my mana gem. Every human, demi-human, and elf on this ti has mana within them, making us magical beings. Those with a high tration of mana develop a Mana Gem and beages. The tration is so intehat the mana denses into a gem, which then gees and circutes magical energy throughout the body, like a sed heart.

  My Mana Gem likely awakened due to the elven blood in my veins. This phenomenon granted Kinue and my mother the elemental abilities of high elves. Ihe elven mana tration was eveer, and upon awakening my Mana Gem, it began to affect my hair, which also acts as a mana el.

  I grabbed a strand of my hair, tinuing my analysis.

  My hair should’ve started turning silver as soon as I awakeo magic. This didn’t happen immediately because I started cultivating my Special Eyes. Back then, my mana was defective and didn’t circute properly through my body. As I adapted to my Special Eyes, my hair began ging color si was now free to absorb my elven mana.

  I sighed, remembering how Kinue and Chloe seemed quite intrigued watg my mother dye my hair.

  They were so attehat they even insisted I keep my shirt off to avoid stains and stayed with me the eime. At least now I know I ask for their help when I o do it alone.