/
The fox’s eyes, which had been wrinkled in a rebellious glare, grew as large as a lantern.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
‘Ran’
A forgotten voice came to mind.
‘There will be a human being who can call your name.’
Ran.
It was the name that the Heavenly Fox, his deceased mother, engraved directly on his soul.
Scyllia gave Ran his name back.
‘If you meet a person who calls your name, never lose them. Because it’s someone who can see your true nature. ‘
‘What if it’s a coincidence that they guessed my name?’
‘Whether it’s a coincidence or not, your soul will tell.’
“Ran. How is it? Do you like it?”
Scyllia looked deep into Ran’s eyes and asked. He couldn’t deny it. He couldn’t say he hated it. It was the name of his soul. It went deep into his heart and spread inside.
“You seem to like it.”
What the hell are you?
She was weird from the start. How did a mere paladin notice the power of the spirits flowing through the blood of a monster? Being neither a goddess nor a saint of the western continent, how on earth could she do it?
“I thought it suited you. I don’t think anyone would match this name but you.”
‘It’s a coincidence. It must be a coincidence.’
Ran gave strength to his eyes and refused. But In Scyllia’s eyes, the kitten looked to be sulking with a pout as he kept his mouth shut.
‘Why is he sulking?’
She cooked the sweet potato the villagers gave her and cooled them down before pushing it in front of the fox’s snout. Ran turned his head quickly, but

‘His nose is twitching.’
After Scyllia bit into her mouth to hold back her laughter, she mashed the sweet potato together on the tip of her finger.
Then she shoved it into Ran’s snout without notice.
The fox groaned.
‘Crazy Human!’
Although still a cub, Ran is a monster. If he puts pressure in his snout, her fingers would be cut off clean. Ran, who had been cursing inside while reproaching that she had no fear, licked Scyllia’s finger involuntarily.
Slip. Slip. Slip.
Sweet.
After the fox licked it frantically, her fingers smashed the sweet potato and went into his mouth again.
“Whing
whung
whau
”
Ran grunted in dissatisfaction and licked her fingers, pretending not to win. Eventually Scyllia burst into laughter.
“How can you be so lovely?”
She muttered with a fluffy, loosened face and kissed Ran’s head and snout.
“Why are you so cute?”
‘What is she saying now.’
Phump!
Blowing his nostrils hard, he chewed on the sweet potato chunks. Scyllia wanted that little sweet snout to lick her mouth instead of the sweet potato. She didn’t know that she would like the fox this much.
It was as if a dam of affection that had been stagnating up until now, was waiting to freely burst and overflow only for this little fox.
I don’t know what to do because it’s lovely, pretty, and precious. I felt like I was holding a small nugget of silver in my arms because of his silver fur.
Ran’s eyes are also such a splendid golden color. Inside the golden goblet, diamonds seemed to glisten. There were no golden bars or jewels who twinkled such a lively color as his eyes did.
The thought of letting him go someday already made her heartbroken.
‘But I have to let go. What if he gets hurt because of me? If that happens
’
Scyllia forced a laugh.
‘I’m overwhelmed just protecting myself.’
She put all her anxieties and fears behind her.
‘Let’s love him to the fullest now. So that I don’t have any regrets when we part ways, plenty of

.’
“Cute. Pretty. Lovely.”
As Scyllia rubbed her cheek against Ran’s fur and muttered in happiness, Ran struggled as he ate all the sweet potatoes.
He was captured by humans and abused for nearly 20 years. If he collapsed like this, he couldn’t forgive himself.
Ran rejected Scyllia with determination.
It was hard to accept the fact that it was getting harder and harder to push her away, and that it was nice to hear her call his name.
She couldn’t have come into my heart so easily.
It can’t be.
“You don’t like it?”
Scyllia asked in a sullen voice, but Ran just struggled. She decided to put Ran back into his cage and closed it with upset eyes.
Although it was a cage, it was quite comfortable as there was a soft duvet made of high-quality fabric inside.
Ran retreated to the corner and crouched down.
“Good night, Ran.”
She said as she put the cage down near the bed.
“If you have a nightmare, I will wake you up. So don’t worry.”
Ran didn’t even pretend to listen. However, Scyllia was a paladin who always kept what she promised. She woke Ran from his nightmares all night, gently petting his back and putting him back to sleep over and over again.
“Shh, it’s okay. No one will hurt you once again. Sleep well
.”
With her sweet, singing-like voice.
So much so that Ran’s refusal was overshadowed by her gentle touch.
* * *
As Celia headed for her garrison, she was troubled.
‘What’s the matter?’
Ran, who seemed to open his heart, had become strange these days. He reacted wildly, just as if he was doing it on purpose and didn’t hesitate to attack.
It was no use in teaching him not to do so.
‘Will it get better at some point?’
Scyllia told herself not to rush. She was sure it was a wound in his heart. It wasn’t something to be solved for a day or two even if she puts all her heart into it. There was nothing she could do but treat Ran with a consistent caring attitude.
Ran needed time.
‘The problem is the wounds on my body.’
As the scratch wounds were increasing day by day, the eyes of the other paladins were unusual. Scyllia was a cold commander and the rest couldn’t talk easily to her, but they couldn’t manage their puzzled faces.
“Captain!”
Shortly after she left the leader’s quarters, a tall man found Scyllia and ran to her. She opened her eyes wide.
‘Eric?’
“Sir Eric. What’s going on here?”
Erik’s eyes narrowed as he glanced over her body once. Not only her neck, but also her cheeks and the back of her hands were covered in bright red lines.
Not knowing that there was a deep frown in Eric’s forehead, Scyllia calmly opened her mouth.
“Aren’t you speaking? What is going on?”
“Captain.”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing these days?”
In the end, the question fell.
Scyllia was perplexed and kept her silence. On the inside she was startled, but on the outside she looked as cold as someone who had heard a presumptuous question.
It goes without saying that Eric was very nervous.
Her pale jade eyes gleamed.
Swallowing the dry saliva, Eric added hastily, like a thief with numb feet.
“Don’t you keep getting hurt these days? All the members are worried.”
“Did you come all the way here to say that?”
You don’t have to worry so much.
That was what she meant, but it sounded like this to Eric’s ears.
Dare to come near my office for such a business?
If Shula was nearby, she would have said that anyone who saw her right now would think she was trying to eat Eric.
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
A blunt answer fell. Eric wanted to give up, but he put strength into his feet.
“But you also have a lot of scratches on your face? It’s worse than yesterday.”
“

”
“Why don’t you go to a doctor?”
As Scyllia stood still like a stone sculpture, Eric’s voice became desperate.
“Aren’t you overdoing it because there are still monsters in the Empire?”
“There’s no need for you to mind it.”
“Hey, don’t do that. Huh?”
When Eric quickly noticed, two large knights who were wandering nearby cautiously approached. Viliato and Launer looked into Scyllia’s eyes and swallowed dryly. It looked like they wanted to quit right away, but Eric was glaring.
“Aren’t we all vessels of the Holy Power that Solar has bestowed on us?”
Eric, who put oil on his tongue, rushed with sweet talk.
“The bodies of the ordained priests are all temples, so how could the commander’s temple be this devastated?”
“The foreword is long.”
“Have you ever had a fight with Priest Shula?”
Viliato and Launer looked at Eric with startled bunny-like eyes. It was a gaze wondering if he was truly crazy.
But Scyllia was one who would usually took care of her body. No one knew where the hell she was getting hurt like that. They had never seen her injured in battle, so it seemed like a personal matter.
‘Are you raising a wild animal or something

’
Scyllia was a capable and strong commander, but she was sometimes strangely vulnerable and kept drawing attention.
Anyway, he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know.
The hierarchical order of the Paladins was milder than that of ordinary knight orders. This is because the only being they swear loyalty to is Solar, the god of the Western Continent.
It was thanks to that fact that Eric was able to take care of Scylia like this.
“It’s been more than a week since you’ve been to the priest.”
Either way, Scylia had no intention of moving from her seat.
‘I’m uncomfortable with Priest Shula.’
She had never shared a secret with anyone, because she endured all her difficulties alone. But when the little nine-tailed fox came, Shula was the first person she ever shared a secret with.
Whatever it was, she was uncomfortable and awkward.
‘What should I say when we meet? Should I just pretend I don’t know?’
Shula is the leader of the Healing Unit.
When the Commander stopped by the treatment center, the healer priest in charge of Scyllia would unconditionally be Shula. Even just thinking about it made her feel choked, but Eric didn’t delay any further.
“Villiato, Launer.”
The two knights trembled and grabbed Scyllia’s left and right arms to force her to the treatment center.
“Forgive me, Commander.”
“You know, I’m doing this because I’m worried, right?”
They feared she would be angry, but Scyllia was surprisingly unresponsive, like a large wax doll.
‘She’s surprisingly gentle.’
Eric thought it was unusually strange, but hurried his pace.
Maybe it was because they were in a hurry, but the blue-haired Launer missed his step.
“Ahh!”
Scyllia was startled and tried to balance him.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh! Y-Y-Yes! It’s okay

.”
As Launer answered in a panic, he looked at Scyllia who was too close and took a deep breath.