On this day, the atmosphere within Lakeside City was extremely eerie.
The sudden slaughter on the streets during the day, the smell of blood spreading with the wind, caused many people to crawl into their closets in fear.
What on earth had happened?
Why had the fighting suddenly broken out?
Don’t let it come into my house!
Those who had taken refuge at home, seeing that there was no more noise outside, waited a while longer, and when they confirmed there were no further developments, they sent their butlers out to investigate.
Soon after, they received a terrifying piece of news.
Penrose of the Tea Rose Chamber of Commerce had attempted to attack the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce with force, seeking to seize its vast assets.
The Tea Rose Chamber of Commerce, despite being a business association, had secretly maintained private troops.
Their actions were jointly judged as treason by the lord and the Chamber of Commerce Union.
They had been intercepted by the City Guard, who timely discovered and forcefully suppressed the rebellion.
The next day, the news that spread was indeed as had been investigated, with a few additional details: after having his hands and feet bound, Penrose committed suicide in prison.
Furthermore, the lord chose to abdicate, handing over power to Chris, who had left ten years ago after falling out with his father over a fire.
Chris?
When they heard this name, they were first puzzled.
After inquiring, they remembered that this was the eldest son of Lord Cleveland, who had later severed ties with his family due to differences in ideals, and had left for the West Wind Empire ever since.
When the conversation turned to the West Wind Empire, conspiracy theories immediately sprang up.
Soon, rumors spread through the streets!
They said the new lord Chris was a lackey of the West Wind, and that he was loyal to the Empire.
There was also another piece of news that shocked many like a thunderclap: the Chamber of Commerce Union would undergo a complete reform, and afterwards, all the chambers of commerce in Lakeside City would also be reformed.
The situation in Lakeside City changed in an instant, leaving many overwhelmed. Few could quickly adapt to the sudden changes and seek opportunities within them.
The previous news of dragons appearing had already put the entire city on edge, and now it became even harder to relax.
They struggled to find their own way out in a bewildering future.
Enya never considered cutting off all paths for people, nor would she slaughter everyone who opposed the reforms.
Doing so would be far too extreme and would genuinely interfere with the operation of this world—a situation Enya did not wish to see.
She handed actual control over to someone who had left Lakeside City and later witnessed the West Wind Empire reach the dual peaks of conflict and development.
She wanted this city to grow on its own.
Weeding was her job, but growth required the plant to absorb nutrients on its own.
After one last look at the city, Enya removed the Thousand Faces mask from her face, instantly reverting to her original appearance.
She looked down at the magic tool in her hand.
The mask looked ordinary, yet the face on it was exceptionally delicate.
This item contained a strand of the Master of a Thousand Faces’ power, which was the source of its ability to change one’s appearance.
Of course, the cost behind creating such a magic tool was unimaginably cruel.
“A thousand faces, condensed into a single mask. Even though it’s been handled well, there’s still a faint smell of blood on it.”
Enya’s long, curled eyelashes fluttered.
She tightened her grip on the mask, and in the next moment, a silvery light burst from her palm. It was Sword Qi, yet it burned like flames.
Under the “scorching,” the mask opened its mouth in a silent wail, but in an instant, it turned to dust.
Finally, Enya blew it away with a ripple of Magic Power.
“Huh, you’re not keeping it?”
Zeta looked surprised at the sight.
Enya turned to look at her and laughed.
“I think a person should live with their own appearance.”
Zeta walked over to Enya, the graceful Fox Princess pressing against Enya’s side, wrapping both arms around Enya’s left hand.
She tucked the arm into the softness of her chest, rested her head on Enya’s shoulder, slightly raised her charming face, raised an eyebrow, and whispered with a light laugh.
“But… Sister Enya isn’t a human anymore, she’s already a dragon.”
“…..”
Enya’s mouth twitched.
She lowered her gaze to Zeta, who was resting on her shoulder, and directly reached out to pinch the Fox Princess’s nose.
“You’re splitting hairs with me, aren’t you?”
“Waaah~”
Zeta pretended to cry for a moment, then let go of Enya’s hand. She walked briskly to a wall and hung a painting there.
The painting was originally a realistic depiction, but the moment Zeta extended her jade-like hand to touch it, the entire painting transformed as if it had become a real world.
The large ears atop Zeta’s head twitched. She quickly turned to look at Enya, who was not far behind.
Only after confirming that Enya hadn’t run away did she retract that absolutely necessary vigilance.
Enya laughed a little awkwardly. She knew very well how Zeta’s frighteningly strong vigilance had been forged.
Zeta ran over quickly and sweetly linked arms with Enya.
“Sister Enya, let’s go quickly.”
“Fine, fine…”
Enya sighed helplessly and allowed Zeta to pull her into the painting.
In an instant, they arrived in a mountain forest shrouded in mist under the night sky. The mountain was covered in tall red maple trees.
Beneath a giant tree in front of them, there was a path paved with stone slabs. Zeta, holding Enya’s hand, dragged her along. A dragon and a fox strolled through the hazy mist.
“Sister Enya, do you remember that place?”
“Mm.”
“Sister Enya, do you remember here?”
“Mm…”
“Sister Enya, look at this.”
“…..”
Enya was starting to get a headache from being called so much, but Zeta was still enjoying it immensely. Even so, Enya didn’t spoil the Fox Princess’s fun.
She gave at least one response to each of Zeta’s questions.
This misty forest was very ancient, with no other living creatures dwelling here. Only some faintly glowing insects occasionally flew past Enya.
She remembered that she had entered this Realm by mistake while trying to avoid a powerful Magical Beast.
Her encounter with the Elven Saintess Eliv seemed to have been similar, huh?
But, after that…
At that time, Enya had only seen a figure in the hazy mist and heard a voice, and then she was sent out.
She thought it would be a fleeting encounter, but unexpectedly, on the way to the Snow Mountain, Enya met another Fox Clan girl.
She and the fox—one person and one fox—shared a small story after an avalanche on the Snow Mountain, and then she was brought to this forest.
After that time, she had met Zeta and several sisters, and they all became acquainted, but she never heard about the one she encountered that day. Enya still remembered it even now.
Even though five or six years had passed, her memories were as clear as if it had just happened.
Enya stopped by a pool of water and let out a light laugh.
“I remember, I bathed here.”
“Huh?”
Zeta blinked her eyes.
She had no idea about this. Just as she was wondering when it had happened, Enya’s hand slipped out of her embrace as smoothly as a loach.
After freeing herself from Zeta, Enya walked along the edge of the small stone pool, about ten meters wide, to the opposite side where branches hung with vines, and parted the verdant curtain.
Inside was a small path.
At that moment, Zeta looked at her own arms. After losing Enya’s arm, she inexplicably felt a sense of emptiness.
She narrowed her pale blue slit pupils, glanced at Enya walking into the path, and with a leap, jumped directly over the ten-meter pool, dove through the grass curtain, and chased after Enya’s gradually quickening figure. But the more she chased, the farther away she got.
As Zeta chased, she realized she had actually lost the person in her own home. Coupled with the concealment power carried by the mist here, she not only lost sight of her but also got lost.
“Tch…”
She clicked her tongue, feeling resentful inside.
‘It must be some damn sister again, luring Sister Enya’s heart away!’
The warmth and harmony among sisters were real, but so were the scheming and rivalry. Zeta was the youngest and the one most toyed with by her many sisters.
It wasn’t until the innocent Enya was brought in that they all shifted their attention to her.
Zeta looked at the pervasive mist and shouted angrily.
“How infuriating! I was the one who brought her back!”
On the other side.
Enya strolled through the forest, crossing a collapsed giant log bridge. The moss on it was exceptionally soft, and one misstep would cause a slip.
Below was a stream, its babbling sound crisp and pleasant to the ear.
After crossing the bridge, Enya circled upward.
As the path ended, she arrived at a staircase leading up the mountain. Looking up, she saw an ancient giant tree at the top of the hill.
Enya lifted the hem of her black gauze skirt and stepped up the stairs in her high-heeled boots.
Beneath that giant tree on the mountaintop platform stood a simple wooden cabin.
The house had nothing decorative—just a yard and the house. In the yard, many deep blue flowers were planted.
As she looked at these flowers, she heard a childish voice from the side.
“In nature, blue plants are an extremely rare type.”
“…..”
Enya turned her head and looked at the little girl with blue hair who had walked out of the wooden cabin.
Her long hair was already trailing a bit on the ground, and a pair of furry fox ears stood upright on her head.
The blue fox’s tail swayed gently. Though not very fast, it still revealed the owner’s joy at the moment.
Seeing her like this, Enya felt a novel sensation.
“Delta, long time no see.”
“It’s been five years, Enya.”
The blue-haired Fox Princess, Delta, chuckled softly and replied tenderly.
Her smile was gracious. Even though her body had shrunk from transmitting power to Zeta, she still maintained her big-sister demeanor.
The gentle, knowing presence on her now childlike form created an adorable sense of contrast.
Delta, wearing a loose white dress, walked over to Enya. Her current height, including her ears, only reached Enya’s waist.
After reaching Enya, she turned to look at the flowers planted in pots, stretched out her delicate hand to gently stroke the petals, and spoke while doing so.
“She said she likes blue, because it’s the color of the sky. In many contexts, the sky symbolizes freedom. Is she bound by something? Does she also long for some kind of freedom in her heart? What was she thinking that day? I can never find the answer.”
“She… who is she?”
Enya asked curiously.
Delta didn’t answer. Instead, she looked up at Enya.
Enya was taken aback.
“I never said those words…”
“Hehehe.”
Delta covered her mouth and laughed. At that moment, she really looked like a fox spirit.
They liked to say incomprehensible things, using their body language and facial expressions to lure people into imagining things that didn’t exist.