Miss Vulpo's Life as a Rhodes Island Operator: Chapter 44

Fengling's eyes had lit up the moment she saw the hot springs here.

She truly hadn't expected this journey to bring such an opportunity.

"But... what about FrostNova?"

Fengling still remembered FrostNova's unusual sensitivity to temperature.

FrostNova skillfully used a shaped stone to block off the flow into one small section of the pool.

A flash of icy light passed through it, and the water in that small pool rapidly cooled until it could only be described as freezing.

"I can soak in this pool. Don't worry too much about me. You all go ahead!"

It seemed FrostNova was quite familiar with this place too!

After setting down her spare clothes and toiletries, Fengling began taking off her outfit.

Soaking in the Hot Springs

"Mmm! Finally, I can clean myself properly!"

Sitting alone at the lower end of the hot spring, Fengling thoroughly cleaned herself from head to toe.

Especially her tail.

The contrast between the freezing surroundings and the scalding pool water gave bathing here a unique charm.

Ordinary heat and cold did not affect Fengling much, though, so she could leisurely sit there, soaking in the water as she slowly groomed herself.

In any case, the spring water from the lower pool would flow along the mountain and seep into the earth, forming streams before entering nature's water cycle, so it would not dirty the other hot spring pools.

She soaked her tail, then lathered it with special shampoo and gently rubbed it clean.

The bloodstains and other filth clinging to it were finally washed away after Fengling cleaned it over and over.

As for the small patch singed by flames, Fengling had put it out in time, so the damage was minor. She would not become a bald-tailed fox.

She only needed to trim away the blackened fur.

"Using my tail to stab people... I really shouldn't do that again unless it's an emergency..."

Stabbing people with her tail felt great in the moment, but taking care of it afterward was such a pain!

"Ah... is this really the only thing I think about now...?"

Fengling reflected on herself for a moment.

If it happened again, she would still take those people's lives, regardless of the method.

Joking about stabbing people with her tail did not mean she disrespected life.

Fengling had to learn how to regulate herself.

There would surely be many more incidents like this in the future.

"I must not stop thinking. I must not become numb to this. I must not forget my principles."

And it was precisely because she respected life that Fengling reminded herself of these things. She would continue doing so in the future.

"Splash~"

Fengling stood up from that pool.

Now that she was completely clean, it was time to go upstream and enjoy a proper soak.

Talulah did not have a difficult-to-maintain tail like Fengling's, so she had already finished washing and gone upstream.

Wading through the hot spring water, Fengling climbed the naturally formed steps toward the upper pool.

The others seemed to have been waiting for her for quite some time.

"Oh, oh! Looks like our little fox finally finished up." Blaze lounged in the hot spring, waving at Fengling. "Hurry up! Rosmontis has been waiting for you forever!"

"My, you really can't tell at first glance. I didn't expect Fengling to have such a nice figure." When Alina saw Fengling, her eyes could not help lingering twice on Fengling's eye-catching chest.

Not far away, FrostNova also cast envious glances in her direction.

At this moment, they were all just ordinary girls.

There were no responsibilities to keep in mind.

There was no future to worry about.

They sat together, chatted about topics between girls, and discussed how to care for their bodies.

Even Talulah, even FrostNova, could reveal dazzlingly beautiful smiles once they let down their guarded sides.

After Fengling sat down in the hot spring, Rosmontis quietly walked over and sat with her back against Fengling's legs.

Fengling wrapped Rosmontis in her arms. At last, she could peacefully pet Rosmontis's cat ears.

Of course, she still had to be careful not to get water into Rosmontis's ears.

Thankfully, Felines were not as extremely afraid of water as most actual cats.

And for Rosmontis, she could finally relax and enjoy Fengling's embrace.

Among the Feline Blind Boxes Fengling received during her daily naps, Rosmontis had indeed appeared the most frequently. In a sense, they had grown accustomed to this slightly intimate contact.

During this mission, some of the Feline operators aboard Rhodes Island's landship had instead become a little unaccustomed to it.

"How nice. When has Rosmontis ever clung to me like that? Boo hoo hoo!" Blaze put on a crying act as she watched Fengling and Rosmontis being close, teasing them.

Rosmontis rested her head against Fengling's chest, seemingly quite pleased by the soft warmth.

"Blaze often... smells like alcohol... It doesn't smell nice." Rosmontis said quietly. "And... don't lead Fengling astray."

"Ah." Blaze had never expected the reason to be so simple.

Rosmontis rarely expressed such subjective opinions, too!

Who would have thought that Rosmontis would actually voice her opinion about Blaze over something like this?

Blaze felt as though she had suffered a devastating blow!

"No, no, I can't accept this! Alcohol has hurt me so badly that even Rosmontis dislikes me now." Blaze slapped her thigh hard, splashing water everywhere. "From today on, I'm quitting drinking!"

"Blaze." Rosmontis's calm eyes were full of disbelief. "Even though I easily forget many things... I clearly remember that after Dr. Kal'tsit scolded you last time, you said you would quit drinking... and then it didn't even last a week..."

"It's fine. Right now, I'm full of determination!"

"Then... should we have Ace and the others take away all your stash?" Rosmontis nudged Fengling's chest and tilted her head as she suggested, "I don't remember where it is, but I wrote it down in my notebook."

"I'm sorry, please spare my treasured liquor. Please, absolutely don't do that."

The hot spring pool was filled with the girls' laughter and playful chatter.

"Rhodes Island really is quite an interesting place." Talulah could not help sighing as she watched everything before her.

"Usually, we're fairly serious. And things are much better now than they used to be." Blaze recalled some old memories and smiled. "When Rhodes Island had just been founded, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy. But more and more people joined later, and there were more and more interesting people, so it gradually became what it is today."

"How should I put it... although most people who come to us carry some kind of story, everyone has gradually learned to live with a smile. One day, the Infected will fight for the rights they deserve and walk beneath the sun like ordinary people."

"Is that Rhodes Island's goal?" Talulah asked.

"Not entirely. Some of that is just my personal view, but everyone is working toward that direction."

"Then... why did Fengling want to join Rhodes Island?" Talulah asked curiously as she watched Fengling playing with Rosmontis.

"Me?" Fengling shyly twirled a lock of her hair, but did not hide anything. "At first, my reasons were simple. I just wanted to find a job and get treatment while I was at it... You probably know something about Lungmen's situation. But my thoughts have changed a little now. I think Rhodes Island is doing the right thing! And everyone has been so good to me. I'd be willing to contribute to something like this!"

"Mhm, what admirable resolve, young lady!" Blaze grinned at Fengling. "Maybe you're already on the path to becoming an Elite Operator. I've got high hopes for you!"

"No way... I still have a long way to go."

Whenever Fengling thought of the absurd combat strength Rhodes Island's Elite Operators displayed in battle, she modestly waved her hand.

Blaze did not continue the topic.

Time would provide all the answers.

Kal'tsit's Arrival

"Meow..."

One should not soak in hot springs for too long.

Other than the heat easily making one's blood rush, soaking in this kind of water for too long was also bad for fur!

The younger Rosmontis was already a little dizzy from the soak, her face flushed red.

"Looks like that's enough for today."

Fengling picked up Rosmontis and stood from the hot spring pool.

"All right, Rosmontis, wake up a little. We need to dry ourselves and get dressed quickly, or we'll catch a cold."

"Fengling... help me..."

Rosmontis's soft, sweet voice sounded as though she were acting cute.

"Of course, of course!" Smiling, Fengling signaled to the others that she would leave first. Then she hurried ashore with Rosmontis in her arms, quickly dried the water from Rosmontis with the towels they had brought, and dressed her to keep the cold wind from making her sick.

The temperature difference between the pool water and the surrounding environment was still quite large, so they had to be careful.

But Fengling was actually the hardest one to take care of. Her three fluffy tails absorbed water far too easily, and after the bath, they had become one giant soggy clump. They were... slimming, one could say.

Fortunately, Fengling's Originium Arts were wind-based and her body was strong, so she could ignore the surrounding temperature difference and use a sustained gale like a hair dryer to dry her tails.

"Then apply some fur conditioner and rub it in~ All done~"

Her glossy, fluffy tails had returned!

Fengling's mood brightened considerably as well.

They walked more slowly on the way back. As the saying went, climbing a mountain was easy, but descending was hard.

For safety's sake, the girls did not hurry as they had before.

The sunset had already crossed the horizon.

Night was about to fall.

Traveling at night would be somewhat dangerous, but the girls here could handle it well enough, especially with three locals among them.

For Talulah, this kind of easygoing outing with many friends was something she had not experienced in a very long time.

She gazed into the distance through the forest.

The setting sun cast its final ray of light across the horizon.

The light filtered through the trees and fell upon Fengling.

Her freshly groomed fur and tails seemed to gleam brilliantly.

As though sensing the gaze upon her.

The fox-eared girl turned her head and looked back, giving Talulah a bright smile.

That smile froze in Talulah's eyes.

Though they had not known each other long, the fox-eared girl before her had already become someone Talulah considered a true friend.

She was clever and understood how to read the situation, never offending others when she was unfamiliar with them.

She was kind. Whether it was the children of the Reunion Movement, Alina, or FrostNova, she always instinctively offered them a measure of care.

She was strong. When the Reunion Movement encountered trouble, she chose to remain despite the danger and face it together with them.

And it had to be said that during the time Fengling had been here, the Reunion Movement had laughed far more often than before.

The playful and adorable Vulpo girl had won the affection of many people here.

The last trace of light vanished from the sky.

"Ah! It's completely dark already!"

Fengling looked at the dim surroundings with a hint of anxiety.