I was Betrayed then Reincarnated as a Kitsune

Chapter 177: Hunt One: Complete and Nighttime Pondering

[Luna POV]

After several hours of tracking, we finally started to get to more recent signs of the chimera.

Hmmmm. (Mio)

Whats up, Mio? (Luna)

The area weve traveled is too big an area for a chimeras territory nya. (Mio)

How much bigger? (Velvet)

Double the size nya.  That either means there are a pair of them, or it conquered another monsters territory nya. (Mio)

Hmm.  Its somewhat close to the end of the year, so its more likely to be the first of the two.  Its around this time of year that chimera usually mate. (Skadi)

Nyaaaaaaaaaaa.  Annoying nya.  This is the worst nya.  Stupid chimera nya. (Mio)

Whats wrong, Mio? (Luna)

If what Skadi said is true nya, then that means we will have a harder time than a usual chimera hunt nya.  They are even more aggressive than normal nya.  Theyll continue to attack without paying attention to any wound they receive nya.  Theyll even go for the kill if it means they die as well nya. (Mio)

You seem to have something against chimera. (Soleil)

I do have a little vendetta nya.  A long time ago, I almost lost my tail to a chimera nya. (Mio)

Should we go around and commit chimera genocide? (Luna)

Im tempted nya. (Mio)

No, Mio, dont encourage her.  Shell actually do it. (Velvet)

Sorry Velvet, but I think Im going to side with Mio and big sis on this one.  You dont go for someones tail like that. (Soleil)

Grrr. (Luna)

Now what Luna? (Velvet)

Speaking of people going after tails, that reminds me of something that dad told me a long time ago.  The saint(lol) wanted his tail as a scarf.  Maybe I should have gone harder on them after all. (Luna)

Skadi, Ophidia, please help. (Velvet)

Im conflicted.  Do I agree with master since I also have a tail, or does that not count since, in serpent form, my whole body is like that? (Ophidia)

All of you stop.  I get that this isnt really going to be a threat and youre all just bored looking for our quarry, but you all need to calm down. (Skadi)

Thank you. (Velvet)

No problem, but you need to work on this, Velvet.  You need to put your foot down or things like this will only continue to happen.  As Lunas Apostle, you need to be able to stop her before she makes impulsive decisions out of boredom. (Skadi)

Youre right.  But how do I go about doing that?  I cant physically stop her you know. (Velvet)

Sorry, but youll have to figure that out on your own. (Skadi)

{If its any consolation Velvet, Ill help out as well as its my job too.}

Thank you, Goddess. (Velvet)

The same goes for you, Ophidia. (Skadi)

Alright.  Ill try to work on it. (Ophidia)

If youre going to talk about stuff like this, isnt it normal to do it somewhere I cant hear you? (Luna)

Luna, where exactly would we go?  Not to mention that even if we did go somewhere else near here to discuss this, youd be able to hear it anyway.  Furthermore, you need to hear this so that you realize that youre impulsive and- (Velvet)

I get it already.  Sorry that I am the way I am and Ill try to reign it in.  Not to mention that some of what I said was a joke.  I wont actually go on a chimera genocide yet. (Luna)

Luna. (Velvet)

Tch, fine.  No chimera genocides at all. (Luna)

*Sigh* (Velvet)

Nyahahahahahaha. (Mio)

So, you good now, Mio? (Luna)

Yeah nya. (Mio)

Huh? (Velvet)

I was getting caught up in the hunt and stuff nya.  Its a bad habit of mine to get caught up in it and I let my nature loose a bit nya.  Your whole interaction just nyow was just what I needed to snap out of it nya. (Mio)

Beastkin and their natures are so troublesome sometimes. (Velvet)

I agree. (Luna)

Really? (Velvet)

Yeah.  I was human at one point, remember?  Its weird sometimes having the urge to do things that I normally wouldnt.  For example, its really difficult sometimes to hold back from jumping head-first into piles of snow when I see movement out of the corner of my eye, or when Im really bored, its annoying to have the itch to mess with people.  Dont get me wrong, its fun to do that, but it also makes me feel the same as Atmos, and she isnt the best example to follow. (Luna)

{Hahahahahahahaha.  Thats so true.  Atmos isnt always the best role model.  She can be at times, but those times are so rare, youd have more luck finding a mountain made of pure mithril.}

Is that even possible, Tamamo? (Luna)

{Of course it is.  I mean, hardly anyone but mermaids and other races that live primarily in the sea actually know whats under the water.  I bet theres all sorts of things like that out there.}

I can corroborate that.  I have found a somewhat large hill made of mithril under the sea before. (Skadi)

Cool. (Luna)

Indeed.  I wonder what its like under the sea. (Ophidia)

I can take you one day if you want.  Its no problem for me to help you breath under the water for some time. (Skadi)

Then its a date. (Ophidia)

How did this turn into flirting for them? (Soleil)

No idea nya. (Mio)

Just leave them be. (Luna)

Can we just get back to finding the chimera now? (Velvet)

Yep. (Luna)

Mio then got back to work tracking the chimera.  We followed the tracks for several more hours when we came up to a thicker forest that had smoking embers here and there.

I guess were close now. (Soleil)

Yep nya. (Mio)

Luna, do you want to handle it since this is for you to level up? (Skadi)

I mean, sure, but is everyone else ok with that? (Luna)

I wouldnt have asked if we werent.  The only other person that this would benefit is Soleil anyway. (Skadi)

Soleil? (Luna)

Go for it, big sis. (Soleil)

I nodded my head and started moving closer to the forest.  As I approached the treeline, I started to hear growling from two different places.

Looks like there are two of them after all.

Shortly after I heard the growling, two chimera burst out from the forest and started running at me.

You know, this would be intimidating of if this was anyone else probably.

I raised my hand in front of me and froze the ground under the chimeras feet.  They lost their balance and fell down.  Before they could get back up, I made the ice start to encroach on them.  In seconds, they were frozen solid then shattered.

*Sigh*  You would think that two would be enough, but apparently not.

{Its alright Luna, youll level up soon enough.}

Youre right, we still have to find that bear.

I walked back over to everyone.

You dont have to look that disappointed. (Velvet)

Eh, its just anticlimactic.  We spent so much time getting here just for it to end in seconds and I didnt even get a level out of it, so of course Im going to be disappointed.  Now Im banking on this bear we have to find. (Luna)

Where is it we have to go to find that? (Soleil)

Hmmm. Well have to back tack for a bit then head west. (Skadi)

Ugh.  How far? (Luna)

Not sure, but we can go faster since we dont have to really pay attention ton tracks yet. (Skadi)

*Sigh* Ive gotten too used to teleportation.  Though Ive also always hated back tacking in games too. (Luna)

What are you talking about, master? (Ophidia)

Dont mind me.  Lets go and see if we can find the place we need to before dark. (Luna)

We started going back in the direction we came.  After four hours of walking, the sun started to set.

Are we going to teleport back nya? (Mio)

Lets just camp out.  If were lucky, the bear will come to us if were near its territory. (Luna)

We started setting up camp and when we were done, we all sat around the fire.  I didnt feel like cooking anything tonight, so I pulled something out of my inventory for everyone to eat.  Once we were all done, Mio, Velvet, and Soleil went to sleep.  Skadi and Ophidia were joining me on watch.  I was sitting there and staring into the fire.

{Whats wrong, Luna?}

Nothing really, Im just bored.  I want something exciting to happen.

{What kind of excitement are you talking about?}

You know, something like what happened with the kraken or something.  Like, this bear turns out to be something close to becoming a mythical beast or whatever and I get to fight it even if it wont really be a fight.  Or maybe we find the bear, and its in the middle of fighting something like a wyvern or whatever and we get to watch it before killing whatever survives that fight.  Or it turns out that this bear is some kind of escaped specimen from a mad mages lab and killing it leads to some grand world-spanning quest to defeat the mage before he makes an army of unstoppable abominations.

{I really hope that last one doesnt happen.}

Yeah, though if it was a novel, Id read it.  No matter if it turned out to be clich or not.

{Well, I cant do much but talk with you to alleviate your boredom.  Of course, you could set up a domain, but youre on the job right now, so it wouldnt be a good idea.}

*Sigh*  I never realized being strong like this would be like this.  I mean, earlier the chimera were so easy to beat that it was funny in a way.  Dont get me wrong, I like being able to steamroll stuff like this as much as the next person, but sometimes it just makes it boring.  Though it was fun tracking them down, so its not all bad.

{Sounds to me like your love of fighting is waning.}

Eh, it probably is, but even so, Ill still fight stuff.  Not like Ill lose anyway.  Speaking of which, didnt I have a bet with Tonya about something that we tied on?  I wonder when shell come over to fight me?

{Now you just sound full of yourself.}

Ah.  I didnt mean to come off that way.

{I know, I was just saying that it sounded like that.}

I stretched my arms and fell onto my back.  I focused on the blank sky with the lonely moon.

Tamamo.

{Yes?}

Nothing, I just wanted to say your name.

I continued to stare at the moon for a while before looking away.  I looked around at the surroundings before my eyes landed on Skadi and Ophidia.  They were looking out over the area while sitting next to each other and their heads leaned against the others.

Well, they seem happy.

{True.  If this was in the past, people would think we were crazy if we said Skadi was like this.}

Was she really that anti-social?

{Pretty much.  Though she did open up to her mother, but I thunk thats natural.}

I think so to, though Im happy she became our friend as quickly as she did.

{}

Tamamo?

{Sorry Luna, I just got a letter.}

Oh.  Whos it from?

{Its from Fenrir.  She said she wanted to come and visit me sometime soon.}

Interesting.

{Give me a second to send a reply.}

As I waited for Tamamo to finish her business, I looked back at the fire and started to stoke it again.

{Im back.}

Hi back, Im bored.

{}

Lets both agree that I never made that joke.

{Alright.}

Time passed slowly as I sat and talked with Tamamo.  At some point, Skadi walked past me carrying Ophidia in a princess carry.  She laid her down in their tent and came back and sat next to me.

She fell asleep huh. (Luna)

Yeah. (Skadi)

Skadi. (Luna)

Hmm. (Skadi)

How do you keep yourself occupied all the time? (Luna)

What do you mean? (Skadi)

Well, you are really strong.  So strong that not many people can match you.  How do you keep yourself from getting bored of things like hunting monsters and whatnot? (Luna)

Ah, that.  Lets see. (Skadi)

She sat there with her hand on her chin in a thinking posture for a bit before answering.

I just try to enjoy the leadup, I guess.  I mean, I get what youre asking, but thats the best I can answer.  I mean sure, I can beat most monsters give or take a few that will give me trouble, most of which larger than a leviathan.  But anyway, its not the fight with the monster you have to look forward to.  If you do that, then you will be disappointed more often than not.  However, the leadup to the fight is enjoyable.  Like today for example, you enjoyed the tracking part, right? (Skadi)

Yeah.  I was telling that to Tamamo earlier. (Luna)

Then you are already on the way to the right mindset. (Skadi)

We sat in silence as we both looked into the fire.

Hey Luna, mind showing me what you wish to do with the sky once you ascend? (Skadi)

I dont mind, but why do you want me to? (Luna)

No real reason, I just want a change in the scenery.  Ive done this so many times before that I want to change it up for once. (Skadi)

Without another word, I raised a hand to the sky and snapped my fingers.  Instantly an illusion of a starry sky appeared above us.  Skadi laid back like I did earlier and stared skyward.

Breathtaking. (Skadi)

Glad you like it. (Luna)

Quick question, how big is this illusion exactly? (Skadi)

Enough to look like it does now, but not big enough for other people to see it. (Luna)

I see.  For a second there, I thought you made it so that it covered the entire world. (Skadi)

Nah, too troublesome.  Not to mention that itd ruin the surprise for the rest of the world if I did that.  I want to be able to witness others faces when I make the real thing. (Luna)

{That will surely be a fun time.  Though the uproar will also be massive.}

Lady Tamamo is right. (Skadi)

Hehe.  But itll also be amusing.  Just think about it, people all over the world go about their normal lives, then one day, someone looks up to the night sky and bam, stars everywhere.  They then tell everyone to look up and the reaction spreads faster and faster.  Shock, awe, wonder, excitement, maybe a bit of fear.  All of these things at the same time.  Then the people that have stellar magic find out that it started to work for them when these appeared and a magic revolution will happen.  Meanwhile, diviners also get a small boost as well as any other stuff like that causing people to go and see them more which might lead to other things down the line.  Who knows, maybe thousands of years from now, people will be trying to fly to them and learn about them leading to them expanding outside of this world. (Luna)

{Youre starting to sound like Crate.}

Sorry, I went and got caught up in the moment. (Luna)

Its fine.  Honestly, I didnt think that you though all of this out that much.  Going by your personality, I thought your reason would be making stars so the moon wasnt the only thing in the sky at night. (Skadi)

Thats also a part of it.  Everything I said just now is a side effect in my opinion. (Luna)

Still, itll be wonderful witnessing that happen. (Skadi)

{I agree.}

I smiled at their words.  Shortly after that conversation, the sky started to lighten up.

Chaos Realm:

Tamamo: Where did Payto go?

Atmos: No idea.  The only one here when I got here was Order.

Order: Nice to meet you, Lady Tamamo.  I am Order, I heard you are a friend of In-chan, or Tonya, I should say.

Tamamo: Nice to meet you, Miss Order.

Order: Now, to answer your question, Payto stepped out for a bit to get some stuff.  He should be back before too long.

Tamamo: I see.  I wonder what he's getting.

Atmos: Tamamo why!?

Order: Hehe.  You see-