Counting money is an incredibly satisfying activity—of course, that is, if the money is yours.
Luckily, Allen met that condition perfectly, so he took his time filling the bags. By the time he was finishing the third bag, the fox had already woken up.
Same familiar place, same familiar position, and her head hurt like crazy—only now she wasn't in front of the apple stand but by the fire. Regardless, the first thing she did upon waking was check her pockets.
Fortunately, everything she had painstakingly acquired was still there, which brought her some relief. Then, as if remembering something else, she began checking her clothes.
Everything was intact. No bizarre phenomena happened—so she relaxed.
The fox spirit didn't even realize she had unconsciously emitted her innate charm abilities earlier—like a charm doll, but far more terrifying. "Exquisite beauty capable of destroying nations"—that was the only way to describe her allure.
It was unavoidable. She was too happy, and subconsciously, she assumed Allen was a harmless companion. Since she had just awoken from unconsciousness, she couldn't fully control her abilities—but fortunately, Allen knocked her out before the charm could fully manifest, preventing even bigger consequences.
Mm, I really need to thank him—what a gentleman, she thought as she finished checking herself.
Then she noticed Allen happily counting his money. The pile looked strangely familiar.
Naturally, she checked her own pockets. Of course, a lot of her money was gone—well, at least she hadn't lost everything. That counted as a small victory.
Joking internationally, the fox nearly leapt in anger.
"Allen! What did you do to me?!"
Allen, tying up the fourth bag, turned his head, raised his arm, and waved his hand downward with a gentle, cheerful smile.
"Hey, you're awake! You must be hungry. There's tableware and cooked food over there—I washed everything thoroughly. Feel free to eat as much as you like. I'll finish putting away the money and then eat. If you're really hungry, you can even have seconds—please, don't hold back."
As he pulled out another money bag, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back.
"Oh, I also prepared hot water. You can wash up a bit, and if you need help setting up a tent, just let me know—I saw your bag already has what you need."
Mm, so considerate.
This only pushed the fox's anger to its peak.
Sensing the fox's fury reaching a critical point, Allen calmly looked back.
"I took my payment first. Any issues? Or… are you planning on refusing to pay me?"
Bold, righteous, and completely unapologetic—Allen knew he was in the right (from his perspective). The money was in hand, and he wasn't about to give up a single Galleon.
His shameless confidence stunned the fox and temporarily confused her. Wait… maybe I should pay him? So it's my problem, not his?
Poor fox. Her remaining wit, already reduced from being dazed, was completely tricked. She obediently rolled over to eat, while Allen used the opportunity to quickly stash the rest of the money—pockets were safer than leaving it out.
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Though hastily prepared, Allen's cooking was excellent. A Hufflepuff student with well-stocked ingredients could still make delicious meals, and with the joy of receiving his payment, he used the most expensive supplies available.
The fusion of culinary styles perfectly suited the fox's taste. She not only took seconds, she ate everything with delight—Allen truly feared she might have been stunned silly from before.
Unfortunately, after eating, her intelligence returned. Supporting her chin with a finger, she lazily watched Allen clean up and suddenly asked:
"So, Allen, what are you planning to do next?"
"Feed the horse, chop wood, live happily, face the sea, and enjoy spring flowers," he replied casually.
Fox snorted.
"Don't joke—are you still planning to act?"
Of course. Earlier, he had held back because she was with him. If he had acted recklessly, she could have gotten herself killed and dragged Allen into trouble. Now that the contract was fulfilled, there was no way he would let anyone else benefit from the situation.
"Don't dream! I admit you're stronger and successfully tricked those three, but you won't be the fisherman! You have no idea how strong the others are!" she said, rolling her eyes. She thought Allen must be crazy to even consider robbing so many people.
Allen simply returned her eye-roll with his own. Three days apart and suddenly you're seeing me differently, got it? You know what it means to dominate, right?
"First taking the money, pretending the deal is done, and trying to chase me away? Dream on! Tell me—did they have something you needed so badly you had to risk it again?" the fox exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. Her imagination was wild enough to impress Allen.
He couldn't explain, You're just dead weight; I couldn't risk full force with you along! That would have been insulting.
Unexpectedly, before he could respond, the fox's eyes sharpened, her earlier laziness vanished, and she said seriously:
"Guard me for the night!"
Before Allen could react, she swallowed the snake orb she had fought to retrieve and collapsed. Allen was utterly confused.
Then, something extraordinary happened—a blue flame erupted around her. The vines Allen had conjured instantly turned to ash. The flame expanded, forming a three-meter radius circle around her. Behind her, five hidden tails appeared, eventually forming a spectral tail shape in the blue fire, gradually becoming clear.
No doubt—her power had advanced, her rank upgraded.
Damn, that's a huge favor!, Allen thought with a helpless smile. He ignored the sudden system demand—the request involved the fox in front of him. He couldn't possibly betray her.
No wonder she fought so desperately for the snake orb—it was to surpass her innate limits. If all went well, she would return to base, pick the right time and conditions to break through, and then assist Allen in the next mission.
Her reckless approach reduced her chance of success and put her safety entirely in Allen's hands—a huge favor he couldn't refuse.
Allen could only smile wryly and reinforce the concealment magic. Fine, you win!