"Ugh, did I die?" I mumbled, waking up to a headache. Putting my hands over my head, I groan in pain.
"Aah, welcome to the living once again." Said a very familiar feminine voice to the right of me.
Peeking at Kayda through my hands, I raised an eyebrow at the background.
"Where the hell are we?" I said, dropping my hands. I was about to stand up but felt straps around my chest.
"We are in the aircraft Lady Draig came here with." Rachel said that she was sitting to my left.
"I see," I said, looking around. Seeing Amari sitting across from me next to Zagan, I nodded, getting one in return. I looked for Mom, but she wasn't sitting anywhere. Looking back at Amari, I ask. "Where is Mom?"
"She is in the cockpit," Amari said, smiling nervously.
"Makes sense. So, is this aircraft a smaller version of a cargo plane?" I ask, looking around again.
Up close, the cabin smelled like cold metal and oil and a faint trace of ozone from mana conduits. The walls were ribbed with reinforcement struts, rune-etched plates humming softly where a real plane would've had wiring panels. Each seat had a wide harness and, blessedly, a cutout for tails—someone in procurement actually had a brain.
"Yes, it is a military cargo plane." Amari slipped into her tour-guide voice, proud and a little smug. "A smaller version than Earth's ones and faster as well. I think the top speed should be close to a jet aircraft or higher. It has 20 seats for everyone, excluding the two pilot seats. Only the Black Ops has aircraft like these. The other armies have larger aircraft to accommodate more soldiers.
"Wow, how many of them do we have?" I ask again.
"About 200. They also use mana to fly." Kayda explains.
Her tone was matter-of-fact, but I could feel a drag of heat at my temples where her aura brushed mine—restless, watching me too closely. I filed it and pretended not to notice.
"Is that so? By the way, are you still mad at me?" I ask Kayda, curious.
"No, why?" Kayda said, confused.
Her expression was open—no fake curve to the lips, no tightness around the eyes. Real. Huh.
"That sounds great! Can you teach me about magic?" I said, making her chuckle.
"Sorry, I can't be your teacher," she said.
"Aah, I see. Well, worth a try." I said, sighing in defeat.
"I said I couldn't be your teacher, but when I have spare time, I can help you," Kayda said, making me confused.
"Huh? Wouldn't you like it more to use your spare time on your research?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"For the type of research I want to do, I need to travel the world, and I can't do that," Kayda said.
"Isn't that why you want to retire from the black ops?"
"That was the idea, but something came up, changing my mind," Kayda said, beaming.
'She isn't fake smiling, huh.' I thought, confused. The smile altered her face—less sharp, more human. Pretty, if I'm being honest. I looked away first.
"What happened?" Amari asks.
Kayda looked at Amari and said, "Your mother persuaded me to teach you magic."
"What!? I will learn from Kayda the sage!?" Amari said excitedly, voice bouncing off the metal.
"Wait, does that mean you are going to stay in our mansion from now on?" I ask hopefully.
"That's a yes for both," Kayda said, smiling.
"Awesome, I can easily ask you then about magic. Do you have the money for me? I want to heal myself up." I ask, extending my hand at Kayda.
"Am I only a mana battery for you? I can, but I am not touching that hand," Kayda said, looking at my hand. As I looked at my hand, I realized it was full of dried blood.
"You are the only one who can transfer mana here," I said, freezing my hand over with ice before dispelling it again and cleaning it. Frost hissed, red cracked to gray, then flaked away. "Happy."
"Haha, fine," Kayda said, taking my hand and transferring mana.
Warmth threaded from her palm to mine, thick and steady like honey poured through a funnel. It wasn't just mana; dragons always tasted a little like their element. Hers rolled like embers under ash—contained heat, disciplined and bright. It slipped into me, and the aches unwound, ribs knitting, bruises fading from black-violet to nothing. My curses simmered, relishing the fuel; I kept them leashed.
"How do you feel, Kitsuna?" Rachel said, a bit concerned.
"I am fine," I said, smiling at her. Her wings flexed in relief, feathers whispering. She didn't realize she did that—tells like that to get people killed on battlefields. I made a note to bully her about it later.
"Ooh, and is your back okay?" I ask Kayda, unstrapping myself.
"Don't do that," Rachel warned.
"I will be fine. Thanks for the chase with Kayda. I understand my body more, so I should be fine." I said, stretching my arms. Tendons popped; the cabin creaked with the movement, or maybe that was my imagination. Being big in small places always made me hyper-aware.
"Is that so?" Rachel said.
"Are we really landing in 30 seconds?" Mom said over the intercom.
"Is that so?" I said, sitting down again. Luckily these seats have holes for tails, and they are big enough to accommodate my own. This allows me to sit comfortably and happily in the seat.
The aircraft dipped. Many engines whined down to a softer note; you can always tell when a bird is settling—everything goes quiet around the bones.
(While later)
The ramp kissed the stone with a metallic thud, and the air traded machine breath for the city's mix of greenery, baked-stone heat, and distant market spice. We filed out in a stagger, everyone suddenly busy pretending we hadn't just torn up half a district.
"Hey, Kayda, you still didn't answer me," I said, walking next to her toward the mansion.
'I wanted to ask her again on the aircraft, but I thought she didn't want to talk about it when Rachel was close. Luckily we are alone, with Rachel going to her brother. Zagan and Amari went to the garden again, and Stacy is still on the ship. Hopefully, she answers this time.' I thought, watching heat shimmer off the paving.
"About what?" Kayda asks, confused.
"You're back? Mom said something about your back. I couldn't hear what she said because of all the blood in my ears. I said, not looking at her.
"Ooh, it is fine. It is nothing to worry about." Kayda said.
"That is pleasing to hear. I thought you might have hurt it because of me." I said, chuckling in relief. Part of me meant it; part of me prodded at boundaries to see how fast she'd bristle.
"Haha, don't worry about it. It is nothing that serious." Kayda said. "So, you were adopted by the Draigs 3 years ago."
"Yes, or more; they were ordered to do so. My mother should have told you that already, right?"
"That's true. She did mention you survived Duke Vermillion's experiments. She didn't say anything about the order, though, but knowing her, she would have done it whether she had an order or not." Kayda said.
"Did she also tell you what I am?" I said, ignoring the last part.
"She didn't have to. I saw you change into a fox in front of me." Kayda said, looking at me like I was dumb.
"Haha, how careless of me," I said, laughing.
"Yeah, wasn't it you who said, 'I am not like you going around telling people about myself,' hmm?" Kayda said, amused.
"Yeah, I wanted to have fun with you while you chased me, but I was a bit careless and forgot that your speed is seven times faster than mine," I said, rubbing my head awkwardly.
"You are a weird one. You know that." Kayda said, smiling.
"You should smile more like this. It makes you look prettier. That fake smile of yours grosses me out." I said with a serious face.
Bang!?
"Sorry that I gross you out!?" Kayda shouted after she kicked me into the bushes. Snorting at me, she walked away, leaving me on the ground.
Leaves in the face. Dirt in the mouth. Dignity: zero. I spat out a twig.
"Why do I always get kicked by people?" I said with crocodile tears.
It wasn't entirely for show. Getting booted into foliage loses its charm after, say, the third time in a week.
I stayed put, letting the bed of shrubs hold me. Sun filtered through the canopy, turning my hair into a patchwork of red, black, and white. The cool earth seeped up into my spine, easing a tension I hadn't noticed I was carrying. I could've napped there, honestly, if the day stopped throwing people at me.
Footsteps approached, a familiar cadence—heels that didn't quite click because she always stepped like a soldier first, noble second.
"What happened to you?" Mom asks, looking at me still on the ground.
"I angered the dragon again," I said, still not moving.
"Again? You don't even know her for a day, and you made her angry more than once." Mom said, laughing.
"Haha, that's true. She never really has bad intentions, so it's fine. Additionally, it is enjoyable to provoke her or tease her. I said, smiling at Mom.
"Just don't push her too far. She might be a special kind of dragon, but she still has her limits." Mom said, warning me.
"I know."
"So, what are you thinking about?"
"My future, I guess."
Mom's shadow shifted, blocking the sun. She crouched down, her expression shifting from that of a battle-wife to that of a mother. That still felt warm in my chest in a way I pretended not to notice.
"What about your future?"
"I want to control it but also make the people around me happy at the same time."
"You don't have to worry about it. You're still young."
"I know that, but what will you guys do when all the noble houses team up against our house in a political battle to take control of me?" I am not that naive to think I can't get everything I want if I don't make a deal with someone." I said.
Mom's lips thinned; she hated politics like she hated dull blades. "Fine, that might work if you pick the right person to make a deal with."
I considered making a deal with other Marquis houses, especially since we have the Anlits supporting us. But seeing how the capital looks, I don't think it will be a bad idea to make a deal with the king." I said, waiting for an answer.
"Especially for you, making a deal with the remaining marquis houses is out of the question." The Kunis are too arrogant currently, with their twins being high dwarfs, and the Anabalds are justice freaks. Why don't you make a deal with the reincarnated twins in the royal family?" Mom asks, sitting next to me.
I would have made a deal if they weren't from my peaceful world.
"What do you mean?"
"They would most likely ask me to use my powers to bring the world to peace."
"You mean you want to leave this world in constant war." Mom said, confused.
"In a way, yes. Think about the last 13 to 14 years of your life. No battles or wars need to be fought. You enjoy it, right, the peaceful time?" Seeing her nod, I continued. "Now think how it would be if you never knew about it and the world was as peaceful as our original world. How would you act then? Would you still enjoy these years to their fullest?"
"I don't know how I would have acted, but I would definitely not have enjoyed it as much as I am doing right now."
"Humans are greedy by nature. They always want more. Like you saw in my memories. My father reached the top of the medical world but never stopped experimenting with me. He always wanted more. Any human or demi-human will be the same in this world. It will differ for each person, but the main thing is they would like to have more."
"Huh? What are you trying to say here?" Mom said, confused.
"I am saying if this world became like ours, it would end up like it. You are born to go to school for 18 years and then college for 4 or more years. After that, obtain a job, marry, have kids, and then die. They won't enjoy their life to the fullest. Here, having a war every 10 to 15 years would make people enjoy their lives more in peaceful times. Civilian or not, a war always influences people."
I could hear the hardness in my voice. It wasn't bloodlust; it was the cold logic of someone who had been caged too long and learned to count the bars. Peace is beautiful. Peace makes people soft. Soft people make poor decisions. And then the world breaks in sharper ways.
"So, are you saying you would go to war every 10 years to make people understand what peace really is?" Mom said this while raising an eyebrow at me.
"Gladly," I said, smiling.
Her mouth twisted into something between pride and worry. "I see. I never really thought about it, but it makes sense. So, is this why you want to make a deal with the king?" Mom asks, smiling back.
"Yes, I already told him I would stay with the kingdom 3 years ago. I just think it is time to make a proper deal with him. However, I would like to learn more about him before making that decision. I explain, standing up.
"Learn the man behind the crown," Mom murmured, following me up. "Good. Don't sell yourself cheap."
"True. Now let's forget about depressing things. Are you ready for tonight?" Mom said, smirking.
"Tonight," I said, confused.