As we walked back to my shabby apartment,
My stomach growled in protest, reminding me that I'm hungry i have no Money and couldn't buy something since my herb gathering was interrupted
i sighed thinking I'll Be starving tonight again
While She was curled up lazily in her small fox form, her fur as white as snow. Her tail occasionally flicked against my neck, warm and soft. Then, in her deep, soothing, yet teasing tone, she asked:
"Anyway… what's your name?" Her voice carried an odd combination of seductive curiosity and genuine interest—even in this miniature form.
"Raven Nash," I replied after a pause, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. "Just call me Raven."
She nodded without comment, but I could tell she was satisfied with the answer. She nestled deeper into my shoulder like a housecat that had claimed its favorite perch.
As we walked through the streets, the smell of grilled meat and roasted Chicken filled the air. My eyes involuntarily wandered toward the vendor stalls filled with skewers, pastries, steaming rice buns, and unfamiliar fruits. My stomach tightened painfully.
I tried to hold back the drool and looked away, but of course—she noticed.
Without saying a word, Hannah's tiny fox body shimmered with subtle magic. Her golden eyes glinted mischievously as she flicked her paw, and with stealth and grace no ordinary thief could dream of, she swiped a half-dozen dishes straight off the stands, vanishing them into her storage ring in a blink.
No one noticed a thing.
I looked at her, stunned. She didn't even smirk—just yawned, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
When we finally returned to the apartment—a small, creaky wooden room with one desk, one bed, and barely enough space to stretch—she leapt onto the desk and looked around with a dissatisfied frown.
She wrinkled her nose slightly. "This is… underwhelming."
But after a moment, she waved it off with a sigh. "No matter. As long as you're here, it'll do."
Before I could respond, she conjured a spread of food before me. Plates of fragrant white rice, glazed pork belly, roasted Chickens
My eyes widened. I gulped visibly.
She shifted back into her human form without warning, sitting beside me with her legs crossed. Her short white hair flowed down her back like silk, and her silver eyes gleamed. She smiled—seductive, yes, but there was something else in her expression.
She leaned over and gently patted my head like one would an abandoned kitten. It was comforting… and deeply strange.
"Hmmm~ Eat as much as you can," she said softly. Her voice was low, affectionate, and filled with something close to maternal warmth.
I didn't know what to say. So I just nodded, picked up the chopsticks, and devoured everything.
While I ate, I glanced up at her. "You're not eating?"
She shook her head. "I don't need to eat human food," she replied, "Your essence nourishes me enough."
That made me choke slightly on a piece of pork.
Still, I kept eating. I hadn't eaten anything this delicious in years. On Earth, it was always instant noodles, frozen pizza, or plain rice with salt. And here in this world, I barely managed potatoes and foraged herbs.
This… was heaven.
Once I finished, she stood and waved her hand. A gentle cleansing spell enveloped me like warm spring water. My body tingled. The aches faded. My sweat vanished. Even the grime under my fingernails was gone. My eyebags disappeared, my skin was refreshed—it was as if I had just walked out of a full spa treatment.
I sat there, stunned. Clean. Full. Safe.
My heart still remained cold, distant. I could feel myself holding back. I didn't want to get attached.
And yet...
She suddenly embraced me from behind.
I froze.
Her arms wrapped around me with delicate strength, her warmth melting through the icy wall around my chest. She pulled me gently against her, and I could hear her heartbeat—steady, strong.
She looked down at me with a soft smile and gently patted my head again.
"Rest now," she whispered. "You've had it rough, haven't you?"
Those words shattered something in me.
My chest tightened. My breath hitched. I clutched her arm with trembling fingers, burying my face against her shoulder as sleep overwhelmed me.
She didn't speak again.
She just held me, her expression unreadable, her emotions complex and tangled.
---
The Next Morning
When I awoke, everything was still. For once, I didn't feel dread the moment I opened my eyes. She was curled up beside me in her fox form, watching me silently.
Eventually, she stretched and transformed back into her humanoid form, brushing her hair with her fingers.
"We should head to the Guild," she said. "It's the fastest way to earn coin in this world."
I hesitated. "The Guild…?"
She nodded. "Adventurer Guild. People take quests—monster hunting, protection, delivery, bounty work. You'll need it if you want to survive here."
I wasn't thrilled about it. Especially the part where I'd have to walk through crowds.
She noticed the hesitation and wrapped her tail gently around my waist.
"Don't worry. I'll keep them away," she whispered, giving me a reassuring nudge.
It worked.
The Guild wasn't as crowded as I feared. We quickly approached the request board and browsed for quests. Most were basic—but one caught Hannah's eye immediately.
A bounty mission. Thugs had taken control of the forest road leading toward the Royal Academy. They had been ambushing merchants and kidnapping noble girls. The reward was 25 gold coins.
That was… a fortune to me. I had never made more than a few silver coins from selling herbs.
But when I saw the difficulty rating—5-6 Tier targets—I hesitated. I was not even a 1 Tier Knight or something
"I'm not ready," I muttered.
She smirked and flicked my forehead.
"I am."
Her confidence wasn't arrogance. It was certainty.
As we argue i helplessly and reluctantly agreed in her forcefull tone
We accepted the quest.
---
A Few Hours Later
We reached the forest road by midday. And what we saw made my stomach twist.
Dozens of men—thirty or forty—lined the Forest Thugs, bandits, all of them burly and covered in tattoos. They wielded clubs, axes, and crude swords. Their faces were stained with blood and cruelty.
But worse—there was a carriage in the middle of it all. Broken and blood-splattered.
A young woman was inside, handcuffed to the carriage frame. She was breathtaking—silver-gray hair that flowed like moonlight, golden eyes that burned with defiance even through tears.
Nothing happened too her yet since her clothes and body still flawless and clothes extremely clean and refined
And surrounding the carriage… were the bodies of her knights. Beheaded. Slain in cold blood.