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I took Mr. Gaff's hand and held the mask in mine. His rugged hands were damp with cold sweat. I wondered if he was surprisingly small-minded despite his bold appearance.

'You wanted it, didn't you? I've been waiting for the right moment.

'Yes, that's true, but I'm still halfway through a job that's worth inheriting...'

You sound confused and incoherent.
I nodded my head yes, yes, yes, and said something appropriate in a hard-boiled manner.

'No,......, that's enough! Gaff-san has shown enough talent to inherit this!

'!

Looking back on it now, I feel that this mask was the beginning of a stingy relationship. I shouldn't have had anything to do with the Fox Mask Lovers' Association.
If I had, I wouldn't have had the Key of the Earth, and Citri wouldn't have created the false Empress. Luke wouldn't have become a random manslayer, he wouldn't have been forced to be a hunter even though he had no talent, and Tino wouldn't have been tortured by Lise.

'I hope you'll continue to work hard for the Fox Mask Lovers' Association! I'd be happier if someone who wanted that mask had it too! I'm just a guy who happened to get the mask, but as your predecessor, I'm counting on your efforts!

'But what are the future guidelines and succession--'




'The guidelines ...... will be taken over by-- no, ......, from now on, you are the guidelines!




'?


Mr. Gaff's eyes widened to the limit and he was in a panic.
I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to be free of this fence. What did I do to deserve this? What? What's wrong with not doing anything? Hahaha .......


'.................. After that, if you have any problems, you can talk to Sora. For now, you should just keep doing what you're doing.


After a few moments of silence, I pushed everything to Sora.
You know I'm a fake, but you insisted on being the real thing, so you should at least take responsibility for that.

Well, I guess it's ....... Mr. Gaff seems to be one of the top members of the enthusiasts' group, so I guess he can do whatever he wants. At least, it's healthier than having me, who doesn't know what's going on, at the top.

Mr. Gaff looked at me for a while in silence, but then nodded gravely.


'Respectfully--I accept your order. Boss.

Good, good, good. Everything's settled now. All that's left to do is to surround it with rooks, protect the key to the land, and return it when the country is ready.
I don't know anything about the bad fox, but I'm sure the old lady will burn it.

'What are you going to do now, boss?

'Well, I guess I'll just relax and watch the game on .......'

I'd like to see what Krahi, Luke, and the lights are up to. It's a good idea to have a good time. That's why I came here in the first place.

It might be better to stay at home, but unfortunately, I am not safe at all if I stay at home without guards.

Mr. Gaff nodded as if he was greatly convinced by my words, and looked at Sitri, who had been smiling and silent up to this point.

'By the way, who is that guy next to you?

By the way, this is the first time I've met Citri, isn't it? How should I introduce him?
I'm not sure. He claps his hands with a big smile and says.

'My wife.


I think he's just saying that to get a pat on the back.










[Cleat] Some place. Three figures wearing fox masks were gathered in a room in the basement.
One of them is a slender young man. He's not huge, but he's got a tight body and a calm, yet airy appearance. His body did not have the intimidation that a strong man would have, but his figure had a strange charisma that made me bow down to him naturally.
His face is covered by a white fox mask, so it is impossible to tell.

He is one of the leaders of the Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox, the largest secret organization in this world. The man who is called the boss says in a voice that contains a rare hint of irritation.

'The forces around here are already in shambles. We can't let this happen.

The two fox-faced men facing him - his beloved subordinates - don't say a word, but accept the boss's words with awe.

'The members are all frying with the certainty that they are following orders. Other organizations that had been useful pawns were thinned out before long, and the center was in chaos. As if that weren't enough, other white foxes are even suspected of intervening. It's outrageous.

I understood that the intelligence network was unique. I also understood that too much secrecy can sometimes lead to conflicts. But no other situation in the history of foxes has been so screwed up.
Where on earth did the intervention occur? Where did the intervention come from? By what means? Is there really a traitor inside?

It's only the foxes in the vicinity that have been invaded, and while the organization itself is not yet in danger of collapse, it cannot be overlooked, nor can it intervene in the Martial Emperor Festival under these circumstances.

The timing may have been good, and we were able to recover the key to the earth, which is the key to the operation, but this operation is not so light that we can go ahead with it on that basis alone. The first thing we need to do is to rebuild the organization.
Looking at the box containing the Key of the Earth, the fox-faced man said in a cruel voice.

'We're moving out. But we won't leave without it.

The fox's name will be tarnished if we back down like this.
I don't know how he got the organization into this mess, but I know what to expect from the underlings.


A level 8 hunter, the Thousand Transformations. And the Zebrudia Empire that must have commissioned it.


He was one of the best mages in the foxes, and he was the man who perfectly prevented and repelled the assassination of Radric Atrum Zebrudia by the Stopwater and the Dragon Call.

I've already found out that he was called in by the council to fight the foxes. If we don't destroy him now, he will continue to stand as an enemy of the organization.

Even in the organization, there are very few people who are capable of defeating a level 8 hunter. We can't wear out more personnel for nothing, and we can't allow them to do what they want.
I'll crush him myself. On the big stage. We'll retaliate against Zebuldia.

The fox is vindictive. The fox is vindictive. The name that was known only in the underworld until now will reverberate throughout the world.





'I'll take care of the Thousand Transformations. You two, kidnap the princess. I'll carve the fox's mark on the Emperor's Festival.