“?”
The opponent’s movements were agile, which to be honest, was a bit beyond Violet’s expectations. After all, Leila, a true legendary-tier warrior enhanced by her white-winged race heritage, possessed speed far beyond that of ordinary foes.
Despite appearing somewhat disheveled, this individual had indeed evaded the strike purely through sheer strength.
What struck Violet even more was the familiarity in their reaction, as if they recognized someone on their side.
“Wait, hold on.”
The priestess spoke again, prompting Leila, who had been preparing to follow up with another move, to pause and withdraw swiftly. Rene, readying her sky magic, also ceased her incantation, turning with surprise and confusion.
However, Theresa’s summoned vines wouldn’t vanish so easily, they were actual plants she had quietly nurtured from the ground using her life magic when they had entered the alley. Even with the interruption of her magical supply, they would persist for quite some time.
At this moment, these dark plants acted like sentinels, blocking off the alley’s entrance, sealing any normal escape routes, and shielding the scene within from outside view. In the darkness of night, an ordinary person wouldn’t notice the situation here without careful scrutiny.
Having temporarily halted her companions’ attacks, Violet, her silver-blue eyes beneath the mask meeting the figure’s remarkably human-like form in the shadows, spoke calmly.
“Who did you just call ‘Miss’? Who are you people? What’s your intention in following us?”
As a member of the divine race with exceptional night vision, the priestess had already discerned the appearance of the figures when they met, which was one of the reasons she decided to temporarily halt Leila and the others.
They were a group of fox people.
Well, calling them fox people might not be entirely accurate. In the Beastman Kingdom, the difference between fox people and humans was quite distinct. The males generally resembled true foxes in appearance and body, covered in fur, with heads and torsos more akin to wild beasts.
The females, like Mevis whom Violet had encountered several times, although their appearances leaned more towards humans possibly due to their roles within the race, still exhibited numerous distinct fox-like features.
These included notably elongated and fluffy tails, as well as fur and claws for warmth that were distinctly different from those of humans.
These were the true fox people. As for half-beastmen, even if their bloodlines were diluted, they would still possess basic fox-like characteristics such as ears, tails, and vertical pupils.
But these individuals were different. Though they might appear somewhat like half-beasts at first glance, careful observation revealed that they only had a pair of fox-like pointed ears on their heads, lacking tails or claws, with eye pupils shaped similarly to those of humans.
If one were to say, they were more similar to... Violet herself, who currently wore the “Mask of the Fox Spirit” and had transformed her appearance.
Upon hearing Violet speak, the leader among them, who had evaded Leila’s strike and wore nothing more than a thin black evening dress in the midst of winter, stepped forward cautiously under the moonlight. He appeared somewhat like a merchant with fox ears. He glanced carefully at the masked white-haired girl in front of him and spoke softly.
“It’s me, Miss, I’m Minglan. Has it only been this short while and you’ve already forgotten me?”
“Ming... Lan?”
Violet furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment over the antiquated-sounding name that seemed out of sync with most people in this world. Though feeling somewhat puzzled inwardly, she maintained a calm exterior and shook her head gently.
“My memory serves me well, but I’ve never seen you before, nor do I know anyone named Minglan. Are you sure you haven’t mistaken me for someone else?”
“Haven’t seen me? Are you joking? This... this...”
Seeming unable to accept the unfamiliar attitude displayed by Miss White Fox, he turned back to his companions—both male and female, all young fox-eared youths around twenty years old. They exchanged glances before he turned back, seemingly scrutinizing the girl before him carefully.
His gaze, while not disrespectful, carried a sense of reverence akin to how one might treat a noble. Even her little dragon remained silent beside Violet, observing coldly.
But honestly, Violet was a bit puzzled by what this self-proclaimed Minglan guy was studying. She was currently wearing a semi-divine artifact-level mask—could he really see through its concealed features?
However, he didn’t keep them waiting long. Soon, he pondered and spoke with a certain assurance in his voice.
“There’s no mistake. This is indeed the sacred item passed down in our clan. Your figure and tone are almost identical to Miss’s. Miss, if you claim not to know us, then may I ask if you’ve heard of the name ‘Dawn’?”
“What did you say?!”
A wave of extreme absurdity and eeriness swept over Violet like lightning, nearly causing her to lose control of her shocked expression. If not for the strong mental resilience typical of her divine heritage kicking in at the critical moment, the girl might have let out a startled cry.
How could this Minglan know the name ‘Dawn’?!
“Master?”
The girl’s intense agitation almost instantly transmitted to Xiao Guang through their contract. She moved closer to Violet with concern, as if wanting to comfort the priestess.
Even Little Dragon Girl, who had been with her all this way, couldn’t fully grasp the impact of hearing such a name from a complete stranger on Violet.
“Phew... I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. It’s just... a bit surprising, that’s all.”
Taking a deep breath, Violet slowly calmed her tumultuous inner thoughts and regained her focus.
It’s hard to say for sure right now. After all, she appeared once before with the same appearance and name when she rescued over a hundred enslaved girls in the Demon Suppression City. Many of those girls have since returned home, possibly spreading the name “Dawn”...
Even if... even if it’s not really like that, panicking blindly serves no purpose.
“Minglan... right. May I ask why you believe I am your family’s young miss, and where did you learn the name ‘Dawn’?”
“Uh, Miss, are you... what’s wrong? Could it be that you’ve been away from the clan for too long, and can’t even remember your own name? You are 【Dawn】, or more precisely, called 【Bright Dawn】. Of course, everyone is more used to calling you Dawn directly. And what you wear on your face is exactly the artifact from our clan, the 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】, which disappeared with you. This is the one thing I could never be mistaken about.”
“Hah... Even the name 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】... How is this possible?”
If the other party had only heard rumors, they wouldn’t be able to accurately reveal these hidden details one after another, let alone the fact that the 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】 is an equipment from the ‘Illusory World’ that ordinary people in this world have no way of knowing about.
Moreover, in a certain sense, what the other party said wasn’t entirely wrong. Although the surname puzzled Violet a bit, but...
“You’re right about what you said. I... indeed go by the name Dawn. However, I truly don’t know you all, so what exactly...”
“Wait, Master, there are many creatures approaching rapidly outside. Judging by their aura, they should be those fellows from this country who call themselves the Knights Templar. How should we handle this?”
The prompt from her dragon echoed in her ears, accompanied by the intensifying sound of footsteps that also began to register in Violet’s hearing. Beyond the alley sealed by vines, the distinctive golden glow and chanting of faith-based magic lit up.
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The Knights Templar... They’ve arrived so quickly.
Taking another deep breath, the young girl wearing the white fox mask slowly calmed her turbulent emotions.
It seems she’ll need to take some time to figure this out.