Terminally-Ill Genius Dark Knight
Chapter 228

228. Red-Spotted Fox

This isn’t the first time.

So….

Back when Eleanor once tearfully told me a story like this.

She said to me.

— I’m sorry.

— For misunderstanding you. For trying so hard to hate you all this time, for everything.

Thinking about it now, it’s the same this time, too.

Eleanor was worried about me, and so were Zitri, Thalia, Paracelsus, and Leon. Because they cared about me as much as she did, they could show me such consideration and even cry for me like this.

I realize now just how irresponsible my words to Zitri and Rona were.

‘When I said, 'Who would even be sad if I died?'… That’s why they made such sorrowful expressions.’

If I were in their place, I’d have felt the same.

In the end, it was a matter of my own mindset.

Despite having a body like a ticking time bomb, I recklessly pushed myself to the limit.

‘I can’t even complain if they scold me for it.’

“Don’t cry. If we go to school together like this and my infamy grows even more, will you take responsibility?”

“…Do you even have any infamy left to grow?”

Eleanor suddenly struck a nerve. Wait, hasn’t Nox’s reputation improved quite a bit lately?

After some thought, I calmly replied.

“…Guess not. A ruffian and a lecher. Just those two alone are pretty much ruinous enough.”

“You’re quite self-aware.”

“….”

“Don’t misunderstand. I meant that in a good way.”

What?

Before I could even respond, Eleanor strode ahead of me. Then, she turned back, gesturing for me to hurry up. Her pale neckline fluttered with her hair, and the pendant around her neck glinted softly.

“A sly fox who only cares about gold. That’s my nickname. People would say it’s a perfect match, wouldn’t they?”

“…Who says so?”

What kind of situation is this, bringing up something like that?

Here I am, with my life hanging by a thread.

I trust my companions and hold deep affection for them, but these emotions are still awkward and unfamiliar to me.

It’ll take a long time to fully understand what this is.

That’s why I can’t respond to Thalia’s feelings or Eleanor’s words.

By the time this story reaches its climax, it’ll be either my death or the annihilation of the demons. One of the two will remain, so there’s no harm in thinking about it then.

It’s unfortunate for the others, but at least that’s how I feel now.

“I have a gift for you.”

Whether she knew my feelings or not, Eleanor suddenly said that and gestured to her new servant to bring something over.

Unconsciously, my eyes narrowed. What the servant brought wasn’t an object.

“…A fox?”

“It’s a rare species called the ‘Red-Spotted Fox,’ native to the northeastern part of the Empire. It has innate superior mana detection and even buffs, so it’ll be a great help to you on the continent. Though we’ll have to raise it to find out what kind of buffs it has.”

“Even so… suddenly a fox?”

It’s such a transparent strategy.

Isn’t the meaning obvious? To remind me of her whenever I see it. Just as I was about to wave it off, I felt the gaze of a small predator staring intently at me.

The owner of that gaze was, of course, the ‘Red-Spotted Fox.’

It stared at me silently before.

Kiing?

Suddenly letting out a sound.

“…Damn.”

An impulse surged.

Its pure white fur was similar to that of Arctic foxes from another world, but its uniquely clear, large eyes and the reddish-orange fur beneath them drove me wild.

I wanted to pet it.

Its pointy ears, the differently colored fur under its eyes…

Seeing me flounder in the face of this overwhelming urge, Eleanor whispered as if she’d expected this.

“If you touch it, you’re raising it, no take-backs.”

This was a critical moment. Would I raise the fox, or would I abandon this shockingly adorable creature and return to my dull, dark life?

The answer was already decided.

“…I’ll raise it.”

“Good. By the way, I’ve already named it.”

“…..”

Even though I was already holding the fox and couldn’t hear her well, Eleanor continued firmly.

“Ellie von Reinhaver. I gave her my childhood nickname. How is it?”

“Ellie….”

Damn it, I surrendered.

Having made up my mind, I smiled while holding Ellie.

Eleanor made a slightly displeased expression.

“You never smile like that for me….”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. It won’t be long now.”

Eleanor, Nox. Two who rarely smiled, but for this moment, they were both people who had achieved their goals.

**********

“How to raise a Red-Spotted Fox…”

After finishing classes at the academy.

I immediately went to Professor Lars and borrowed a book.

How should I raise Ellie to make her grow up well?

That was my greatest concern.

‘There’s still time before the final main story begins. Besides, Ellie doesn’t just have mana detection, she can directly strengthen me.’

When I first saw Ellie, I was worried because I’d never seen a Red-Spotted Fox even in the game Inner Lunatic. What kind of buff would this adorable creature provide?

In Carl’s case, he lived up to his reputation as Obsidian, excelling in speed and as a warhorse. He performed brilliantly in the battle to reclaim the imperial throne, unfazed even amidst bloodshed.

Anyway.

When I showed Ellie to Professor Lars and my master Astrid, they quickly figured out her buff.

“A buff that temporarily increases physical strength…!”

It was nothing short of shocking.

What kind of person is Nox? No, what kind of person am I?

Someone who can’t raise his physical strength stat past 15 no matter what.

A half-baked failure who keeps stacking other stats instead.

For someone like me, who relies excessively on [Genius’s Time], Ellie’s stamina buff?

Its importance is beyond words.

And most importantly… she’s cute.

There’s no reason more important than that.

“She’s so cute….. Young Master, I, can I hold her just once?”

Even Zitri’s voice trembled as she asked.

I put on a benevolent expression and said, Of course.

Zitri stroked Ellie’s fluffy fur and smiled more happily than ever.

“…This time too, why am I?”

Naturally, Rona was ignored, just like with Carl.

It seemed she had terrible compatibility with animals.

“At this point, don’t you have some kind of inherent trait that makes animals hate you? Like, do you torment them or something?”

She bristled at my words and snapped.

“Th, that’s not it! I treated Carl so well…! But this one won’t even let me touch her! This has to be the continent’s curse!”

“Who’d curse a mere maid?”

“But everyone else is fine! This is unfair!”

Even Erina, who visited after a long time, and Prim, who had briefly returned to the family, got along well with Ellie. Mei was the same, and the ultimate winner was Paracelsus.

Ellie even went up to him first and rubbed her head against him.

— Annoying. Go away.

Despite his words, Paracelsus petted her quite skillfully.

Maybe it’s because he’s handled many animals while wandering the eastern regions. As for Rona…. I don’t know. Honestly, she might want to reflect on whether she’s done something wrong herself.

“Young Master, you did well in taking this task. You’ve come to understand what happiness is.”

Zitri said this as if deeply moved.

I almost flared up but barely held back.

Aren’t I a generous employer?

Getting angry over something like this would be unbecoming of a magnanimous person.

“Red-Spotted Foxes eat a variety of things. From lizards to insects, even wyverns. Out of these, we should feed her the best…”

“I, insects? Lizards? You’re not thinking of taking me, are you?”

“You’re baggage.”

I shut down Rona’s panic and continued reading. After much effort, I found something that would make excellent food for Ellie.

“‘White Lizards’ from the polar regions have the effect of maximizing a pet’s special abilities… This is it.”

Convinced, I immediately contacted Grain.

But the reply was disappointing.

— Sigh, I’m afraid White Lizards will be hard to come by.

— They live so deep in the polar regions that they rarely come above ground.

— Besides, pets are just pets. Horses don’t eat lizards, so there’s hardly any demand.

— You’d probably have to catch one yourself…

Just in case, I checked with Eleanor, but she gave the same answer.

— Yes. Just as Mr. Grain said.

— White Lizards are so rare that even if you inquire, you might not find one in a year.

— Besides, we’d have to go back to that northern region, which I’d rather avoid.

“I’ll have to go myself, huh. Thanks. Then…”

Muttering with enthusiasm, Eleanor’s urgent voice from the communication crystal rang in my ear again.

— Wait, you’re going to the northern region yourself?

“Of course.”

— I get that you want to raise… Ellie well, but foxes need a lot of food…

“Since you went to the trouble of bringing her to me, I’ll take good care of her.”

Honestly, White Lizards are hundreds of times rarer than Ellie.

There’s a difference between something you can get if you grit your teeth and something inherently rare. But Eleanor entrusted Ellie to me without hesitation. That must be her way of showing trust. I’ll raise Ellie to be the best buffer and the cutest animal.

This is a completely rational decision, free of any personal bias.

— …..Haa, couldn’t be helped. Then I’ll go with you.

“Ng? Aren’t you busy with merchant work? I can get Ellie’s food myself.”

— Hmph! Hic!

I heard Eleanor hiccup. What’s that?

Did she choke on her tea?

She usually acts so meticulously that seeing her like this, so childlike, is always surprising.

But that aside, this is a different matter.

“…So, what’s the reason?”

— To catch White Lizards, you have to pass through Winterbridge in the northern snowfields. I heard a dungeon recently appeared nearby, and the Eleanor Merchant Group has been eyeing it.

“Are you planning to use me?”

I said it in a deliberately serious tone, but Eleanor snorted.

— You’re going anyway.

“It’s for Ellie.”

— Hic!

I could hear Eleanor hiccup again.

— Well… Finding the way will be hard. It’s the northern snowfields, after all.

“True.”

The northern snowfields are infamous for getting lost, even in the game.

Not to mention whiteouts and frequent avalanches.

No matter how much of a game veteran I am, finding my way in real life would be tough.

In that case….

“Let’s go together. We leave tomorrow.”

— W, wait! Tomorrow’s not good for me….

I cut off the call and focused on stroking Ellie’s fluffy tail.

Watching it sway gently, I felt my heart slowly melt. Isn’t this what life’s about?

Finally, thinking that, I felt motivated.

“I’ll feed you the most delicious things.”

Ellie let out a soft 'Kiing’ while smiling.

“Did you just call me 'Appa’ (Dad)?”

Touched, I looked at Zitri, but her reaction was icy.

“…At what point did you hear that voice?”

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