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Animal Identities
◇ Fennec Fox — Lucia
◇ Red Panda — Seraphine
◇ Otter — Alice
◇ Rabbit — Lapis
◇ Penguin — Sabrina
◇ Meerkat — Edward
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"Usually, we split the gathering into discussion first, then leave the trade section to the end."
The otter glanced around the fire before settling her gaze on the three newcomers.
"Since you are new to this, I will go first to demonstrate how the discussion section works." She folded her small forepaws together. "The rules are simple. We share what we are comfortable sharing, and ask what we want to know. And most importantly... nothing disclosed here leaves this forest unless the one who shared it gives permission."
The meerkat nodded once, while the penguin listened without moving. The rabbit's only reaction was to angle her ears forward.
"I will start with the Wrath Domain," the otter continued in a calm tone. "The Kingmaker is still stationed in Solmara. He has not returned to the inner regions, and given how long he has remained there, it seems intentional. There are also persistent rumors that he has lost his power entirely, though the source of those rumors is difficult to pin down."
The meerkat's posture did not change, but the way such sensitive information was delivered with such nonchalance drowned every trace of skepticism in utter solemnity.
A group meeting in what appeared to be a divine sanctuary, behind animal disguises, had just disclosed his condition as if it were an obvious fact.
He kept his breathing steady and stored the information away.
'Just how high is their position in Seravelle?'
"Thank you," the fennec fox said, taking the handoff smoothly. "I will add to that. There have been irregular Narkal movements in the Wrath Domain over the past two weeks. The pattern is subtle, but consistent enough to have reached the ears of refugees moving toward the inner domains. The rumors are small and scattered for now, but they are all moving in the same direction. If the pattern continues, a larger wave of panic is not an unreasonable expectation."
Now it was the penguin's turn to be under the fire, even though she felt pity for the Kingmaker back in Solmara for having his information leaked so casually. Of course, she did not react visibly. Blowing her cover would be catastrophic in such unknown circumstances.
'But she said two weeks... the Ashbastion's intelligence apparatus had begun allowing information leaks for exactly two weeks now.'
The fire crackled. Rain dripped steadily from the canopy above.
"My turn."
The otter's voice carried a thread of curiosity now. "There is a rising figure in the Bloodhounds worth noting. A woman by the name of Lapis Hart, the war hero's younger sister. She has been stationed in one of the regiment's underperforming regions, and by most accounts, the change has been considerable. The region's soldiers have gone from disengaged to something closer to zealous, which, by Bloodhound standards, is remarkable. The general consensus is that she accomplished this largely through force of personality."
The rabbit made no sound.
She did, however, have to apply conscious effort to stop her ears from swiveling toward the otter like two large, embarrassing antennae. She settled for sitting very still and staring at the fire, hoping that counted as a neutral reaction.
'...They actually brought that up...? I don't know whether I should be proud or embarrassed…'
The red panda, who had been sitting patiently through the previous disclosures, perked up noticeably.
"Oh, my contribution is from the Lust Domain." She clasped her small paws together. "It seems the Everlasting Covenant's Saintess candidate is still refusing to return to her post. The higher-ups are reportedly displeased, but the Sin Lord continues to indulge her regardless. Quite the dilemma."
She delivered it like someone sharing light gossip at a tea table, which was a specific and impressive register for information about one of the continent's major religious institutions.
The otter tilted her head. "I had heard the same. Though I wonder what is keeping her. A Saintess candidate abandoning her post is unusual enough on its own."
"They say," the red panda answered, dropping into a more confidential pitch that somehow managed to sound both playful and wistful at once, "that she has become completely taken with the Wrath Domain's war hero and follows him around like a devoted puppy. Apparently, he has quite a reputation for collecting devoted followers." She sighed. "What a sinful man."
"...Right," the otter agreed in an even tone.
Though if one were to remove her disguise at this moment, they would get to witness the most sarcastic expression Alice was capable of making.
The meerkat looked between them and sighed in relief as he confirmed something.
'At the very least,' Edward thought, 'everyone here is human. That much is clear.'
"Any other disclosures?" the otter asked.
Silence was the answer, except for the rain.
"Then we move to trade."
The otter reached into nothing, produced a small wrapped bundle from the air with the ease of someone who had done it many times before, and set it on the ground between them.
"I have mithril for sale. A workable quantity. I am open to offers."
The campfire light caught the edge of the wrapping where it had folded back slightly.
No one spoke.
The rabbit stared at the bundle, then at the otter, then back at the bundle, looking utterly clueless.
"..."
"..."
It was not the same for the other, more informed newcomers, however. The meerkat's careful composure held, but his eyes had stopped moving the moment they settled on a piece of metal that had appeared out of nowhere. The same was true for the penguin, who had gone very still, as if afraid any movement would shake the reality before her.
The otter did not press them. If one paid attention, she was making quite the effort to conceal the faint satisfaction behind her composed expression.
None of them had what it would take to make an offer, and she had known that before she unwrapped it. The three newcomers suddenly realized that they had arrived at a gathering whose weight they had perhaps not fully understood.
When she saw everyone's reaction, the rabbit, in the privacy of her own mind, asked herself a very sincere question about what exactly she was doing here and whether someone had made a mistake in the selection criteria.
When it became clear that no offers would be forthcoming, the otter rewrapped the bundle without comment and tucked it away.
The fennec fox spoke next.
"I am looking for a list of available mercenaries with clean records. Length of service, domain of operation, and known specializations. Current availability preferred."
Finally, a reasonable request appeared.
The meerkat considered it for a moment.
"I can compile that."
"What would you require in return?"
"Nothing." His voice was straightforward. "You demonstrated how this gathering functions, brought us in without obligation, and disclosed information freely. That deserves a return gesture." He paused briefly. "Mercy, it seems, is not only the Lord's defining trait."
The fox regarded him for a moment, then inclined her head.
"Thank you. I accept."
"How would you like me to deliver it?"
"Here." She settled her forepaws in her lap. "Imagine writing the list on paper. Hold the intention of that paper becoming real, and extend your paw."
The meerkat did not argue with the fantastical method. He already knew he was no longer in reality, but within the realm of a godlike being, so he simply gave it a try.
Closing his eyes, he focused for less than a minute.
For a few seconds, nothing happened except the sound of rain and the quiet pop of the fire.
When he opened them again, a sheet of paper rested in his paw.
He inspected it briefly and found it identical to the one he had imagined.
Inwardly marveling at a place capable of turning imagination into reality, he approached the fennec fox and handed her the paper.
She accepted it with a small, composed nod. "Thank you."
"Of course."
*
The otter looked around the clearing. "That concludes the trade section. From here, the forest is yours until your bodies wake naturally on the other side, or until you choose to leave. Walk, sleep, talk, whatever suits you." She rose to her feet, brushed off her fur, and glanced up at the great branch overhead. "Lord Mercy's domain tends to make that easier than usual."
With that, she padded away from the fire toward the base of the ancient tree and lowered herself into the roots, back against the bark, eyes closing with ease.
The red panda had already found her way to the fox's side. She rose on her hind legs and cupped her paws around the fox's ear, whispering something. The fox turned to look at her with an expression that read as skepticism, then, with visible reluctance, allowed herself to be led further into the trees. Their retreating shapes, one bright and bouncing, the other precise and unhurried, disappeared between the trunks.
The pair looked as though they were off to plot something terrible, sneaking away together with suspicious timing and even more suspicious expressions.
In reality, it was simply the red panda wanting to play around with her new form and dragging the fennec fox along with her, since the otter, her best friend, seemed content to relax on her own.
The meerkat and the penguin exchanged a brief glance, then separated without discussion, each finding a quiet spot to settle.
The rabbit sat by the fire alone for a moment.
Then she got up and walked toward the tree.
The otter opened one eye.
"Hello," the rabbit said.
"Hi."
"Is it alright if I rest by your side?"
The otter considered this for roughly one second.
"Sure."
The rabbit, pleased with the answer, did not waste time settling beside her. They basked in comfortable quiet while the rain continued its slow work on the canopy above.
"Is there a particular reason you chose to stay here?" the otter asked eventually, without opening her eyes.
"Not really." The rabbit's ears shifted. "If I had to give one, though... you feel somehow familiar, even though we've never met. And also," she added, with a sheepish tilt of her head, "you're very cute."
"...You realize this form is a disguise."
"Yes, of course. But you must be even cuter in real life, right?"
The otter opened both eyes and looked at her.
The rabbit smiled, unhurried, apparently quite pleased with how that argument had landed.
"...No comment," the otter said, and closed her eyes again.
The fire burned low and steady. Above them, the great branch held its two sleeping figures in the dark. The forest breathed around the clearing, wet and green.
For a while, everything was very still.
***
***
***
When he reopened his eyes, it was already the next day.
'Hmm... That was a good night of sleep,' Ashen remarked inwardly.
"Huaam~"
Right after, Seraphine stirred beside him, followed by Alice, who was clinging to his other side, and then Lucia, who was using his lap as a pillow.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Mornni' hubby~" a melodious voice answered from the blonde's side.
"Good morning," came a more composed tone from his black-haired beauty, though she followed it with a loving kiss.
Chu~
His dear partner down below opted for a pat on a certain part of his body as a greeting instead, which made him twitch his lips.
As he snaked one hand to caress her hair while returning the kiss to Alice, Ashen remarked relaxedly, "It seems the attempt was a success...?"
"Hmm... yeah, we had them completely fooled, hihihi~" Seraphine tried to laugh evilly. She did not seem to realize yet that everything aside from sexy defaulted to cute for her, though.
"Good. Now we gotta keep the ruse going." Ashen grinned in satisfaction. "I'll rely on you guys for that."
"Sure," Lucia's lazy voice drifted. It seemed she had not yet brushed the lulling comfort of sleep out of her system.
"You can count on us, Ash." Chu~♡
"Hey! I want a kiss too~"
"Alright, ladies... don't fight... I've got kisses for everyone."
As they remained tangled together on the wide sofa, exchanging morning kisses and caresses, the atmosphere gradually went silent.
Ashen noticed the strange shift and looked around with a raised eyebrow.
Seraphine looked like she was holding something back, her cheeks puffed and her eyes twinkling, while Alice wore that faint smile she usually did whenever she was planning to prank him.
"..."
"..."
Ashen glanced between the three of them before settling on Lucia, the weakest link, since she could only obey when he asked.
"Lucy, what's with that smirk?"
The moment he asked, she shot him a glare for using her curse for such a cheap tactic. She tried to resist, but it was a lost battle from the start.
Thankfully, the mischievous blonde on the other side could not hold back anymore.
"Welcome, children... to my humble abode."
Ashen froze.
Alice, from the other side, added in the same grand voice they had heard not long ago:
"I am the Guardian of the Last Sanctuary of Respite. Bringer of the Inevitable Salvation…"
With each word she uttered, Ashen's expression darkened another shade.
It was his dear partner who delivered the coup de grâce.
"I am... Mercy."
"..."
"..."
"Pff... hahahahahaha..."
"Hehehe~"
"I... I... just can't! Hahahahaahaha!"
"A child who does not yet know to be afraid. Pfft!! Hahahahaha."
Ashen's cheeks reddened, and then his ears followed, as he did his best to keep himself from exploding.
"...You girls... stop it."
"Ashen... Haaah... I can't believe you actually said all that with a straight face," Seraphine wiped a stray tear from her eye and looked at him with something almost proud.
"That was great... and incredibly cringy. Pfft!"
"Stop it, sis, he is already dead... hehe." Alice shook her head in amusement.
"Don't worry, girls. He is Lord Mercy. I'm sure he won't mind some teasing, right? O Lord?"
That did it.
"Darn it all!"
"Kyaa!!"
"Ahn~ Ash... not there!"
"Come here—! You minxes..."
"Ashy... don't come closer!"
"Ohh~♡ Lord Mercy, don't touch there, it tingles..."
"Fuck! Tonight, there will be no MERCY!"