Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 6] Ch. 6 Inari's Followers

Sebas

"I do just fine on my own!" I turned and yelled back at her.

"Oh nya? Name one?" she leaned in, daring me.

I can't just say you, can I? You're playing dirty, Boots. "I hit it off with girl named Belle at the bookstore just yesterday."

"Nyahahah. Are you going to invite her to the festival?" Julie dared and then I realized just how close our faces were and I leaned back in my chair away from her.

"I-I can't be bothered with trivial things like that." I stammered.

"Nyuuuh~?" She leaned closer and poked me in the cheek playfully. "But you're blushing."

"That's because you're too close, have some shame. You have a boyfriend!" I place my hand over her face and push her away to arms-length. "You're the school Idol. Everyone is watching you and the last thing I need is to get on Flint's bad side over a rumor."

Julie grabbed my hand and pulled it off her face. Then she pouted, "that doesn't mean I can't have friends nyah." She threw my hand away. "Besides, it's not like anyone is really watching. Nyah."

That was when my sixth sense went off. It was a self-preservation technique I brought over from my life. I could tell when someone was watching me.

"I'd agree with you except..." I turned to look at an empty place in the corner over my shoulder and blew a raspberry at the person who was using magic to spy on me. At the same time, I activated a barrier spell that blocked perception magic that might be able to read my mind, check my magic, or otherwise gather information on me. "... we are being watched."

"Someone is scrying us? How can you tell? Nyah." Julie turned and tried to find what I was looking at.

"You aren't the first pervert I've had to be on guard against. Let's just say I've gotten really good at tossing bars of soap into the dark and hitting someone." I took in a deep breath and blew a cloud of fog into my hand creating a sheet of ice. Then I did the mature thing and drew a vulgar part of the male anatomy on it and held it up to the peepers while making a mocking face at them.

Julie giggled, "that's real mature. Nyah. Why are boys all the same?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, but it appears they're too professional for that. Soooo..." I blow a frost over the sheet of ice and draw a curse with a snicker. Then I held it up to the peepers and I began to get weird looks from those around me. "...Inari, god of tricksters, accept those sacrifices for your entertainment. Bring me luck at their expense." The glass glowed white and then shattered in my hand and I knew it had taken effect. There was a loud crash at the other end of the building a moment later. It was followed by laughter and another few crashing sounds.

"Inari doesn't mess nyaround." Julie exclaimed.

"On the contrary, all he does is mess around." I chuckled.

"But won't nyou get in trouble for cursing someone in the station?" Julie asked.

"It was a counter curse. It wouldn't take affect if all their feelings for me were pure." I smirked.

"But nyou just mocked them, of course they wouldn't have pure feelings." Julie observed.

"Exactly, that's why it was so powerful. Inari respects that kind of deviousness. Which multiplies the effect that much more." I nod even though we had our share of trouble in the past. Like the time he shot me down at Marsanth, but it was for good reason. I came to understand that after my head cooled down. "He's my kind of god. Not as good in a fight as some others, but always good for a laugh and payback."

"Being more clever than the other person has it's strong points. Not every contest can be won with strength. Nyah." Julie nodded sagely. "He's been very good to me over the years."

"You're a follower of Inari? What about the cat Goddess, Nikeco?" I asked. Every race had at least one patron god or goddess. Since the humans were the most plentiful race, they had the most gods followed by the elves who lived the closest with the spirits who would eventually become divine spirits/gods. That said, it wasn't unnatural for a race to worship a god of a different race. Usually they followed the local god over their patron god. Inari was the patron god of foxes and was one of the less popular ones for cross-worship since he was the God of Tricksters and just as likely to pull pranks on his followers as their enemies.

"Well, I contracted his daughter as one my most powerful summoned creatures. She's told me a lot about him, he was a nyoble and powerful warrior in his time. He's powerful enough to be feared by the other gods when he fought in the War of Spirits back in the day." Julie smiled.

"Eh?" I made a noise.

"What's that look for Nyah?"

"Nothing, it's not like I care about a war forever in the past." I tried to hide my interest. Not very well since Julie snicker knowingly.

"Nyah~, you are so obvious." Julie teased, poking me in the cheek.

"I bite, you know." I snapped at her finger trying to bite it.

"So scary~, Nyah." She giggled playfully.

"Edward Hyde." A middle age Magic knight approached with a clipboard.

Dang it, go away! Can't you see we are busy! "That's me." I grouse.

"Watch the attitude mister warlock. You're one strike away from being arrested." The older mand groused back. He had a square jaw and a rectangular frame built of pure muscle. With short black hair and a cross shaped scar over his cheek he didn't lose in the intimidation game.

"I understand, sir." I said with only a bit more politely.

"Do you?" He asked skeptically.

"I'm at your command, sir." I respond.

He huffs at me. "You've only been here a day and you have two accounts of public disturbances, two accounts of impeding investigations, and two curses against Magic Knights. It isn't looking good for you." He frowns.

I sighed. "Sounds like I might have done a lot of things wrongs. Just show me the proof and I'll pay the fines or whatever."

"You're a cocky little shit, aren't you? This is why I hate dealing with Warlocks." I saw him roll his eyes.

He walked me through the dirt he had on me. A demon eye user confirmed my participation in sovereign bout yesterday. When we ran away it was a part of the first public disturbance and impeding investigation. Using magic on Julie when she ran into me was the second disturbance. When I used magic to block them spying on me and was the other impeding investigation infraction. And then using a curse on the investigators was a strike against me.

"So you admit that I caught those perverted voyeurs spying on me." I clarified. I wasn't going to fight it with semantics it was much sweeter to hear him admit that I had gotten the better of their scrying team.

Scrying, or using magic to spy on someone from afar, was a very niche magic specialization due to its difficulty to master. It usually involved some medium like a crystal ball, mirror, or pool of water. The standard ways for blocking scrying usually involved a barrier set up beforehand. I hadn't set up a very strong barrier beforehand. Techniques used mid-scry were very rare since the nature of scrying was a stealth ability that shouldn't have those kinds of openings.

"It's troublesome, why don't you just take your lumps, and let's get on with our lives." He pressed.

"Okay, but don't come crying to me when the perverts start having trouble getting it up. It's in Inari's hands now." I warned.

"Goddamn Warlocks," he ground his teeth.