Chapter 26: Chapter 26 – The Day After

An overwhelming headache had torn me from what had most likely been a dreamless sleep. I was sweating all over my body and felt as if I would have to puke at any second, but something still hindered me from jumping up and searching for a bucket or restroom.

Not only was there nothing but a single blanket covering my naked body, there was also an ominous looking green screen hovering over it. I had hidden under the blanket, for what had been an hour, without being able to gather the courage I needed to read its contents.

There were vivid pictures in my mind, telling me about my tiny adventure in front of the sewer pipe and meeting Mabel in the town, but everything after that, I barely remember. We went into a tavern, that much I knew, but after that, there was only foggy nothingness.

Hiding under the blanket did not help the slightest, on the contrary, it only made me feel even more anxious as my whole body was in pain. I had muscle aches in the legs and arms and even the stomach. It was as if I had suddenly decided to go mountain climbing for hours without a break.

“What happened,” I could only ask myself again and again, “why does my whole body hurt?”

The far more pressing question was a different one. I had avoided thinking of it for the whole time, but it still couldn't forget it no matter how much I tried. With each breath I took and each time I moved in the bed, the thick fabric was touching my bare skin.

“Why am I naked? Did he undress me?”

This was Ofris's bed, I remembered it exactly. Not only was the dark brown color of the mattress and the grayish blanket the same, I also remembered his scent. This new foxkin body of mine told me far more than I wished to know. Its nose was good enough to discover the scent of Ofris' hair and body even on the perfectly clean looking fabric. He had slept in this bed before.

“Did he sleep with me?”

A cold shiver went over my body. Ofris was a nice guy, that much was for sure. And he probably had saved my life, too, but I couldn’t think of him that way. I would never wish to get into his pants. Hell, he could even be my father! I didn't even want to think about a guy touching me, but I couldn't ignore the evidence I felt even in this moment.

“He undressed me! Of course, he touched me!” Tears formed in my eyes. “He slept with me!”
「He didn't,」 Cilia’s rather weak sounding voice echoed through my head, 「I would never let him touch my Rika just like that! It was this Mabel girl who put you in the bed.」
I felt a heavy weight being lifted from me. "Mabel?"
「She helped Ofris bringing you back here.」 She revealed. 「She undressed you and laid you into the bed.」
"So he didn't see me naked ..."

A heavy weight went off my shoulders. Ofris hadn’t done anything to me. But this feeling of sudden panic and helplessness… I would never drink again. That much I swore to myself.

I slowly raised up, readying myself to read that ominous screen that still waited for me.

 

『Quest-Chain accepted: A boozy night

Quest 1/3: A shameful display

Description: Ask Ofris what happened the day before.

 Rewards upon completing Quest-Chain:
⇒Skillset: Intermediate Magic (Fox-Edition)
⇒Title: Cilia's Child』

 

“What's with that title?”
Taken by curiosity, I whispered the command: “Inspect.”

A new window appeared.

 

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『Cilia's Child

Type: Title
Class: Permanent; Passive; Cannot be turned off
Effect: Increases affinity towards nature and light types of magic; Increases affinity towards fox magic.
Description: The daughter of Cilia』

 

"That title seems pretty overloaded ..."
「You are my child, after all!」 The vixen declared with a cheeky voice.
“I don't remember you giving birth to me!”
「I saved your life and gave you a new body! Isn't that pretty much the same than giving birth to you?」

I couldn’t even protest her words. She was right and I knew it. With all she had done to me, she already was something like a second mother to me. An annoying and overbearing mother, sure, but she didn’t mean any ill will. I knew that much.

While thinking of that, a light knock came from the other side of the wooden door. I hurriedly pulled the blanket back over my body, before answering it.

“I'm awake!”

The door was pushed open and Ofris slowly made his way in. He was balancing a plate with a cup of a steaming hot liquid and a bowl on it. It was only when he had placed it on the nightstand next to the bed, that he let his gaze wander towards me. 

“Good morning,” I heard myself stammering.
A sigh left his lips. "It is late in the evening," he explained, “you slept the whole day. How are you feeling?”
“Miserable …”
He let out another sigh before handing me the brew. “Drink this. It helps against headaches and nausea.”

Hesitatingly, I reached out for the cup. Ofris obviously tried to help me, but I couldn't help feeling slightly anxious when seeing the steam rising up from the cup.

“Calm down,” I tried to reassure myself, “it is just tea or something!”

Just as my fingers were closing around the cup, freeing it from Ofris' grip, I felt the blanket sliding down my skin. I became petrified when Ofris quickly avoided his eyes.

It took him a moment to come to his senses, then he sighed and reached out for me. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it back over my shoulders, all of this without even risking a single glance on my body. 

A heavy silence weighed down on us. If it weren't for the cup in my hands, I wouldn't be able to handle it, but the slightly salty liquid made me almost forget the awkwardness I felt.

“Thank you …” I whispered between two sips.
“Don't worry about it.” Ofris took a few deep breaths. “I talked with Risa earlier. They will give you a room in the town hall for now, until you can stand on your own feet.”
I couldn't hide my surprise. “The town hall? It has guest rooms?”
Ofris waved with his hand as if he tried to put more weight to his denial: “It's nothing like that. They are residential quarters for the mayor to live in.”
“You just let random people live in the mayor's rooms?”
Ofris took two deep breaths. “After what you did yesterday, you aren't exactly 'random' anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
A fourth sigh came from him. “By now half the town should know you are a fox …”
「That's great!」 Cilia celebrated. 「Nobody will think you are a dog now!」 

I felt all blood rushing out of my face. Ofris' expression revealed not only pity but exhaustion and helplessness, too. It seems I really did something regretful.

“What did I do!? What happened to me!?”
Ofris answered me with a weak smile: “So you don't remember …”
“It was that bad?!”
“You danced in front of half of the towns' men,” he explained, “Saying vixen this and foxy that whenever you started a new dance with Mabel. Together with your hair being like it is now, there is no chance they didn’t get the right idea.” 

The cup fell out of my hand and onto the blanket, spilling all of its contents over my legs. It was almost boiling hot, but I couldn't even react to it. My eyes were staring at Ofris, unbelieving and shocked.

 “I did what?!”
「You were great, you know?! You enchanted them!」
“I'm sorry!” His answer came instantly. “I shouldn't have let you drink alcohol! I should have known you wouldn't be able to handle it!”
“You gave me alcohol …” I could vaguely remember that part.
“It is a tradition amongst adventurers!”
“Why didn't you do something?!”
“I was startled!” Ofris suddenly confessed. “I didn’t know what to do!”

Ofris' face was long since hidden by a green quest-screen. It hid his shame, his pity and his helplessness, his gaze, however, could reach me without any hindrance. He didn't see the quest, there wasn't any green color hiding my teary eyes and beet-red face. I couldn't help but hide under the now dirty blanket.

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