Lin Gui looked at the fox-girl.
He watched her for a long time.
He watched for so long that the fox-girl became visibly uncomfortable, the tips of her ears twitching twice.
Then, she suddenly turned bold, puffing out her chest to deliberately show off her somewhat meager figure.
"What are you looking at? Have you never seen such a beautiful fox-girl before?"
She winked at Lin Gui, a sliver of a devious smile curling the corners of her mouth.
"Little brat, why don't you consider staying? Big Sis can give you some special treatment, you know."
As soon as she spoke.
The people nearby who noticed the situation began to cheer and heckle wildly.
"Oho—that move again!"
"How many times has it been? How many times is our Lady Fox-girl going to chase after the little mage?"
"Didn't you say last time that you’d never talk to him again? It's only been a few days!"
"The little mage isn't even paying attention to you, and yet you’re throwing yourself at him. Have you no shame!"
The fox-girl's face turned beet red instantly.
She turned around, waving her small fists and shouting at the group of hecklers:
"Shut up! Everyone shut up!"
"I’m trying to retain talent! What do you lot know!"
Her fluffy large tail flared out in anger, looking like a puff of blue cloud.
The people around her did not talk back.
Because what she said was the truth.
Even though that little mage was only a High-tier Mid Rank.
He had managed to do many things that even they could not accomplish.
To this day, they couldn't understand.
How he managed to smuggle out the Demon's Poisonous Kiss, which was being watched by countless factions, without any protection.
How he managed to obtain classified information that only the high nobles themselves were supposed to know.
He had achieved many things that even they, Transcendent experts, could not do.
If possible, they also hoped Lin Gui would truly join them.
Unfortunately.
This little guy, who the exploration team had picked up from the Red Clay Desert.
Aside from getting along relatively well with the members of the exploration team...
He was usually quite cold and solitary.
And according to the exploration team, the boy seemed to plan on going to the City of a Thousand Towers to further his magic studies.
He likely wouldn't be coming back.
If it were up to them, they wouldn't want him to leave either.
At the very least, he was a vital contributor to this revolution.
Therefore, regarding the beautiful fox-girl throwing herself at the mage...
They didn't feel a hint of jealousy.
They even kept dropping hints to the fox-girl with their eyes.
One distorted face after another winked and nudged, their mouths moving in exaggerated gestures.
Put some effort into it!
Why are you just standing there showing off that body that’s as meager as a brat’s?!
Throw yourself at him already!
The fox-girl looked at the group of guys, their expressions distorted to the point of being deformed, and was stunned for a moment.
Then, she understood.
A devious smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
She turned around and naturally pressed herself against him.
She looped her arm through Lin Gui's.
Her body leaned in slightly.
Her fluffy large tail gently brushed past his leg.
In the past, he would have dodged.
Or he would have uncomfortably pushed her away, refusing to let her get close.
However, this time...
Lin Gui did not move.
He just stood there, letting her press against him.
He let her body heat radiate through his thin shirt.
The fox-girl was taken aback.
She looked up at Lin Gui's profile.
On that pale face, his expression remained as faint as ever.
But in those eyes...
There was something... different.
The hecklers nearby were also stunned.
"What the heck?"
"The little mage actually didn't dodge?"
"Is the sun rising from the west today?"
"Little fox-girl, did you drug him?"
The fox-girl ignored them.
She just looked at Lin Gui, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes.
It felt as though he had become a different person.
Some people wanted to keep heckling, but they were dragged away by others.
"Alright, alright, stop being an eyesore!"
"Come on, let's go drink!"
"Today is a big day. We don't stop until we're drunk!"
A group of people pushed and shoved, laughing and cursing as they were swallowed by the tide of the celebration.
Meanwhile, the fox-girl pulled Lin Gui along as they squeezed through the cheering crowd.
Along the way, farmwomen constantly held out trays of freshly baked bread.
"Fox-girl, try some of Aunty's latest batch!"
"Young man, have a piece of demon jerky!"
The fox-girl smiled and waved them off, declining one by one.
"No, no, you guys eat!"
"We'll come back later!"
She pulled Lin Gui through those familiar streets.
Past the low walls piled with mining waste stone.
Past the shacks that, though crude, were draped with colorful cloths.
Finally, they arrived atop the wall of the city-state that had just been renamed Spark City.
The wall stood tall and imposing.
It was built from excavated blue-gray rock, still bearing fresh chisel marks.
The fox-girl let go of his hand and leaned over the battlements, looking down.
Below them lay the entirety of Spark City.
This city, which had once been a city of mines, was currently immersed in a wild celebration.
Countless torches were lit, looking like a galaxy that had fallen to the earth.
In the crude streets, the crowds surged.
They danced, sang, and embraced one another.
Those faces that were usually stained black with coal dust were now flushed red by the firelight.
Those backs that were usually hunched over were now held straight.
The doors of the taverns were wide open, the scent of cheap ale wafting out, mixed with the smell of roasted demon meat.
Children carried homemade flags, weaving and running through the crowd.
The elderly sat on their doorsteps, tears glistening in their cloudy eyes even as smiles touched their lips.
In the distance, the entrances to the mine shafts were also draped with colored lights.
Those dark holes that had once swallowed countless of their comrades were now illuminated.
Even further away were the continuous mountains of slag.
Those waste piles that had accumulated over decades glinted with a grayish-white light under the moon.
But now, they were no longer a gloom weighing on their hearts.
Instead, they were the proof that this city was alive.
The fox-girl turned her head and looked at Lin Gui.
Under the moonlight, his face remained pale.
But his eyes were watching everything below.
Watching the cheering people, the dancing fires, and the city that was burning with life.
The fox-girl asked:
"Is there something on your mind?"
She tilted her head, her amber eyes looking at Lin Gui earnestly.
The moonlight fell across her face, highlighting every trace of emotion on her exquisite features.
Her brow was slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with concern.
Her fluffy large tail swayed gently, the tip brushing against the stone bricks of the city wall.
Lin Gui did not speak.
He watched the lanterns and the joy below the wall.
Those flickering flames, those cheering figures, those illuminated, crude streets.
Then, he lowered his head.
He looked down at the fox-girl who, at some point, had rested herself on his lap as he sat cross-legged.
She lay on her side, her head pillowed on his knees.
Her fluffy large tail was curled beside her, and her ears occasionally twitched.
Like a real fox.
Her name was Sivir.
She was the leader behind the Spark Revolution.
She was also the last Star Fox on the Akara Continent.
And in the Golden Age, the Star Fox race had another name.
They were known as the Time Guardians.
Once a Star Fox reached adulthood, they would each awaken an ability.
By observing the stars, they could foresee the future.
Because of this ability, the Star Fox race had been exterminated.
Only Sivir remained.
She had not told anyone else her true identity.
Normally, she disguised herself as a member of the Blue Fox tribe.
Only a few core members of the Spark organization knew her real identity.
And Lin Gui.
Lin Gui looked at Sivir.
For a long time.
Then, he spoke.
His voice was very soft.
"Did you... already know that this revolution was destined... to fail?"
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