IBHJ Chapter 946

On a forest path in Zaun, three riders ambled along on horseback.

"Wow~! This place is a mess!"

At the front, a girl dressed like a Western cowgirl looked around, taking in the ravaged landscape with an amazed shout. She had short, sun-bright golden hair and ruby-red eyes. A small felt hat perched on her head, giving her the air of a dashing bounty hunter.

"Looks like this place could use a talented real estate developer to come in and fix things up," said a female fox beastkin riding beside the girl. She was dressed in a sharp business suit, gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, and two golden balls clicked together in her hand. Her nine pink tails swished idly behind her, and a shrewd glint shone in her eyes, marking her as a ruthless businesswoman.

"Don't you think so, President?" the fox beastkin smiled at the blonde girl.

"Eh? I don't know anything about land development," the girl scratched the back of her head. "You can talk to whoever's in charge of Zaun about that later. I'm just here to see who got the God Brain. If I can, I'd like to buy it."

"Huh?" The fox beastkin looked at the girl. "I think it's going to be really expensive. Did you complete some quest with a huge QP reward without me knowing?"

"No, I don't have much QP," the girl admitted.

The fox beastkin asked, bewildered, "Then where are you getting the money?"

"Isn't your money my money?" the girl asked, just as confused.

"..." The fox beastkin's face froze. "I-is this why you brought me along?"

"Of course, where else would I get the money to buy the God Brain?" the girl asked in return.

The fox beastkin's face froze even more. While she was well aware of this person's nature, being treated like an ATM machine... she really regretted coming along.

"Um, senior. You didn't call me here just to haul stuff around, did you?" A disgruntled voice sounded nearby.

The fox beastkin turned her head to see a girl pulling a large wagon.

"Of course not. Zaun's just been through a war, so there's a shortage of supplies. It's the perfect opportunity to make a profit," the fox beastkin said with a pleased smile. "Doesn't the sound of money pouring in make you happy?"

"Not at all, because I'm the one doing all the hard work. Besides, if the President finds out you've been slacking off here from the start, have you thought about how to explain it?"

Hearing this, the blonde girl at the front turned her head and looked at her, puzzled. "I've known all along, why would it be hard to explain to me?"

"I wasn't talking about you!"

"Is that so?" The blonde girl's red eyes looked at her in confusion for a few moments, then she saw a beautiful butterfly fluttering past in the grass ahead. Her eyes lit up. "Look, a butterfly!" Then she chased after it.

The fox beastkin glanced at the blonde girl chasing the butterfly like a child, then turned back to the girl laboring with the wagon, a smile playing on her lips. "They're not here, so as long as you don't say anything and I don't say anything, how would the President know?"

"I will report it."

"No way? This senior is being so kind, bringing you on a paid vacation, and you want to report me? Be careful, or this kind senior might make things difficult for you, little Kiara," the fox beastkin said with a smile.

"Even so, I will report it. My loyalty to the President is unwavering," Demonic Bodhisattva said very seriously, patting her chest.

"Don't you know?"

"What?"

"In this world, there are vampires, humans, fairies, beastkin, and survivors of ancient civilizations. The flavor of those men is something you can't taste in reality," the fox beastkin said with a smile, looking at Demonic Bodhisattva.

"W-what do you mean by that, senior?" Demonic Bodhisattva gulped as she stared at the fox beastkin.

"If the goods sell well, I'll give you a discount. Then you can taste them however you like. So, how about helping your senior out? How about not tattling to the President?" The fox beastkin's tail reached out, the tip playfully hooking under Demonic Bodhisattva's chin. "This senior will teach you some special knowledge unique to the Middle Kingdom, how about it?"

"I-I understand, senior. I won't say anything. Please make sure to teach me that special knowledge," Demonic Bodhisattva said earnestly, now pulling the wagon with renewed vigor.

"But even if I don't report, won't someone else?" Demonic Bodhisattva looked at the fox beastkin. "The two seniors who don't get along with you seem to have come in too."

"Hmph. Just a brainless scholar who thinks too highly of herself and a brat who sold her soul, nothing to worry about. Besides, more importantly," the fox beastkin looked at her teasingly, "that brat you love so much seems to be coming in too."

"Even though it's Chaldea's business, senior seems to know so much about it. I wonder why?" Demonic Bodhisattva's gaze turned cold.

"I wonder why?" the fox beastkin threw back with a smile.

Tch. I don't really like this woman, Demonic Bodhisattva thought.

"Hey! What are you doing dawdling back there? Come over here quick! I caught the butterfly, and it's got seven colors! I'll even let you take a peek!" the blonde girl shouted from up ahead, waving her hand.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming, President."

The fox beastkin rode her horse over. The blonde girl opened her hands with a bright smile, revealing the seven-colored butterfly she had captured.

"It's really beautiful," the fox beastkin said with a smile.

"Isn't it pretty? You've seen it now, right? So hand it over—"

The blonde girl held out her hand to the fox beastkin.

"Hand what over?" the fox beastkin asked, looking completely confused.

"100,000 QP. One look, 100,000 QP. Are you trying to get out of paying? If you try to cheat me, I'll beat you to death," the blonde girl said with a smile on her face.

The fox beastkin's smiling face instantly froze.

...

Chaldea.

"What are you up to now, Morrigan?" Hinako asked, setting her book aside and looking over at Morrigan, who was in the midst of packing her luggage.

"I'm heading off to the South American connection point," Morrigan replied, still trying to cram her clothes into the suitcase.

It was truly a sight to behold. Gao Changgong watched the suitcase bulge like an overstuffed bun, ready to burst, then glanced at the pile of clothes scattered around. He couldn't help but speak up. "Lady Morrigan, if you don't mind, please allow me to assist you with your packing."

"Oh? Really? That would be wonderful, Changgong," Morrigan said, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "I'm not very good at packing."

"Not just 'not very good.' It's getting worse the more you pack. If this were back home, which young master would even consider marrying you?" Hinako said sarcastically.

"Mu. Can't you find something nice to say?" Morrigan pouted.

"Is there something nice to say about you?" Hinako raised her eyebrows.

"For example, gentle, kind, generous, cute, charming..." Morrigan counted off on her fingers.

Hinako, unable to bear it any longer, handed her a mirror.

"What's this for?" Morrigan asked, puzzled.

Hinako said coldly, "Look at yourself in the mirror and say that again."

"What's so hard about that?"

Morrigan picked up the mirror, but after a long silence, she couldn't utter a word. She said dejectedly, "I give up."

Hinako snorted, "At least you have some self-awareness."

Gao Changgong asked curiously, "By the way, why did Lady Morrigan suddenly want to go to the South American connection point? Is it to retrieve Miss Miyu's intellect and age?"

"You're wrong, Gao Changgong," Hinako snorted. "This NEET has already submitted information that the King of Knights and the Hun Emperor have been captured and taken to the South American connection point, and Eternal King has followed there to save them. In other words, this NEET is going to fish for men."

"Ah, ah, m-my lady, please use more refined language. Otherwise, if the King finds out, I'll be in trouble," Gao Changgong said with a headache. If one day his King were summoned and found out that Lady Yu Mei-ren had become like this, he would surely blame me.

"Don't you know? The King's blood only yearns for strong women," Hinako said.

"Uh..."

Gao Changgong felt he had learned something he shouldn't know, and hurriedly lowered his head to help pack Morrigan's luggage. He found that Morrigan hadn't brought any change of clothes at all, but only magical tools or sharp alchemical weapons like magical knives and scapels.

Among them, Gao Changgong also saw many alchemical tools specifically targeting souls and Heroic Spirits, which made cold sweat break out on his forehead.

"Lady Morrigan, this is..."

"Oh, these? There seem to be some special existences at the South American connection point, I, I want to... you know..."

Morrigan's breathing became rapid, her body trembling with excitement, the smile on her face looking exactly like those mad scientists, making Gao Changgong's skin crawl.