Chapter 37: Her cute side
Rhys had no idea that the sudden change in the Annual Hunt was because he had vanished from the perception of a certain nine-tailed fox. Like everyone else in the plaza, he stared at the sky with a horrified expression.
The only difference was that his fear came from a completely different reason.
’What rewards? This monster wants to eat all the participants...’
He swallowed hard.
He had read enough webnovels to recognize this kind of setup. The mysterious powerhouse announces a dangerous trial, offers unimaginable rewards, and sends countless fools rushing to their deaths.
Fuck the rewards. He wasn’t risking his life for this.
For some reason, Rhys had a strong feeling that this fox was far stronger than an Archmage. Even though he currently possessed enough lifespan to unleash the power of an Archmage two or three times with Crown of Force, he wasn’t confident he could fight her at all.
After all, his lifespan would be exhausted after a maximum of three casts. An actual Archmage, on the other hand, could release more than twenty spells before their mana core ran dry.
Rhys almost decided to abandon the challenge altogether.
Then, a crystal sphere the size of a football slowly rose from the fox’s hand.
His eyes widened.
Inside the smooth crystal, thick pink mist churned violently. It slammed against the inner walls of the sphere again and again, like a living creature desperately trying to break free.
"The territory core of the Eighth Peak has already been conquered by me," the fox’s voice echoed through the plaza. "You mages only need to clear the territory."
A brief silence followed.
"What? Are you still afraid of the challenge?" she asked, amusement creeping into her voice. "Then I’m afraid..."
She never finished her sentence.
Because whatever resistance remained in the hearts of the gathered mages had already disappeared.
The rewards had shaken them. The challenge itself had terrified them.
But the moment they saw the territory core, every last trace of hesitation vanished.
"The territory has already been subdued by the Sect Master. Damn it, what’s left to be afraid of?" a burly Enhancement Mage shouted from a few meters away.
Rhys recognized the man immediately.
Just moments ago, he had been one of the first to turn around and prepare to leave after hearing the challenge. Yet now, the same man was thumping his chest with renewed confidence.
"Sure, there’s still a chance of dying," the mage continued loudly. "But have you seen those rewards? They’re worth the risk!"
Murmurs of agreement spread through the plaza.
Rhys narrowed his eyes. The man wasn’t wrong.
The greatest danger of an untamed territory had never been the monsters themselves. It was the territory consciousness.
Nobody knew exactly what abilities a territory consciousness possessed. Some could strengthen every creature within their domain. Others could drive monsters into a berserk state.
There were even records of territory consciousnesses reviving fallen beasts over and over again until they themselves were destroyed.
Against such enemies, even experienced mages hesitated.
But if the territory consciousness had already been conquered...
Rhys glanced at the pink mist trapped inside the crystal sphere.
....then the territory was nothing more than a dangerous hunting ground.
Dangerous, yes.
Impossible?
Not anymore.
He noticed the expressions of the surrounding mages gradually changing. The fear in their eyes was fading. In its place appeared excitement.
Greed.
Determination.
Even some of the young masters and young ladies from powerful families, who had looked ready to faint moments earlier, were now deep in thought.
The challenge no longer felt like a death sentence. It had become a treasure hunt.
A treasure hunt where death was simply one of the possible outcomes.
The three settlement masters exchanged glances. Then Lord Harald stepped forward.
He cupped his hands respectfully toward the woman on the stage.
"Sect Master Azure Lotus," he began with a smile, "we are naturally excited by this challenge. To think that you would go so far to strengthen the younger generation of our Northern Territories. Truly, your foresight and generosity leave us speechless."
Rhys almost snorted.
The flattery was so thick that even a child could see through it. Not far away, several Frostwood mages lowered their heads in embarrassment.
Still, nobody dared laugh.
After all, the person Lord Harald was flattering was a Mystic Mage.
Rhys was certain that if their own settlement masters were standing there, they would be doing the exact same thing.
Lord Harald let out a long sigh.
"But unfortunately, unlike you, we lack such grand aspirations. We have failed to train our younger generation properly."
His expression became one of shame.
"I’m afraid our foolish juniors would only throw their lives away without fully benefiting from the training opportunity you’ve prepared for them."
Silence.....
Rhys blinked.
’That old fox...’
The meaning couldn’t have been more obvious. Give us more time to prepare.
Yet when Rhys looked toward Yuki, he nearly burst out laughing.
Her eyes had widened. Her lips were slightly parted. Even through the veil covering her face, he could tell she was genuinely stunned. She stared at Lord Harald as if he had just spoken an ancient language.
Rhys almost lost control of his expression. She actually doesn’t understand.
For the first time since meeting her, the terrifying nine-tailed fox looked completely helpless.
She already knew humans were cunning. She knew they lied. She knew they manipulated and schemed.
But this...
This level of shameless, indirect communication was clearly beyond her expectations.
Rhys had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.
The mighty nine-tailed fox who could probably destroy an entire kingdom was now being defeated by a middle-aged human’s polite nonsense.
How ridiculous.
[Host, you are also a human.]
Rhys’s smile froze. ’Ahem. I’m a special human.’
[Of course, Host.]
Rhys narrowed his eyes. That sounded sarcastic.
Meanwhile, Yuki remained frozen in place.
Lord Harald continued bowing respectfully, apparently believing his message had been successfully delivered.
Rhys watched Yuki blink.
Once.
Twice.
A faint pink color had appeared on her cheeks. For some reason, the sight struck him harder than it should have.
The aloof, all-powerful Mystic Mage who had terrified thousands of people moments ago suddenly looked...
Cute.
Very cute.
Her slightly parted lips. Her confused eyes. The faint blush on her cheeks. Rhys unconsciously stared.
He suddenly felt that Lord Harald deserved some praise. Without that old man’s shameless performance, he would never have seen this side of her.
[Ahem. Host, you appear to be drifting away from the important topic.]
Rhys jolted.
’Slander!’ he protested immediately. ’I’m observing her weaknesses.’
[Her weaknesses?]
’Exactly. You saw it too. She’s clearly bad at understanding hidden meanings.’
[I see.]
’That’s right. This is valuable intelligence.’
[As you say, Host.]
Rhys frowned.
’...Why do you sound unconvinced?’
[I believe everything the Host says.]
Rhys nodded.
"Good."
A second passed. His expression slowly changed. ’Wait.’
[Yes, Host?]
’That still sounds unconvinced.’
[As you say, Host.]
’You...’
Before Rhys could continue arguing with the system, Yuki finally recovered. She looked down at Lord Harald. Then she spoke.
"If your people are not confident enough to clear an already conquered territory..." Her voice remained calm.
"...then tell me, Settlement Master." She tilted her head slightly.
"Why are they wasting their time being mages?"
"Cough!"
Lord Harald almost choked on his own saliva.
The entire plaza fell silent. Every mage stared at Yuki. Rhys covered his mouth.
Oh no. She really didn’t understand.
Lord Harald’s face twitched. He had expected negotiation. Compromise. Perhaps even some bargaining.
He had not expected to be asked why his people were wasting their time being mages.
For the first time in years, the veteran settlement master found himself speechless. A terrible thought entered his mind.
Had becoming a Mystic Mage made Sect Master Azure Lotus more arrogant?
Otherwise, why was she being so unreasonable? Unfortunately for him, the truth was far simpler.
Yuki wasn’t being difficult. She genuinely had no idea what he was trying to say.
