"But aren’t the apprentices of the Church of Justice supposed to advocate asceticism?" Malin asked curiously, while subtly calling out the little fox’s fake donation.
"Matilda, your words are very dangerous," Ms. Pharaoh said somewhat unhappily.
Malin immediately reached out, grabbed the little fox by the scruff of her neck, and picked her up, "No worries, I enjoy Matilda and I making such harmless jokes."
Pharaoh glanced at Malin, then at Matilda, and finally smiled, "Don’t make such jokes in front of outsiders, it could damage the Church’s image."
Malin naturally joined in on the smile, and with some difficulty got rid of her, taking Matilda back upstairs and, with Ms. Pharaoh’s farewell, left the jail.
Passing the street corner, Matilda activated her Brain Biting Skill and hopped onto Malin’s back.
"I’m helping you out here, you stinky fox!" Malin struggled and pushed against the girl’s mouth with his hand.
In the midst of their wrestling, a light cough sounded. Malin and Matilda turned their heads simultaneously and saw Ms. Pharaoh standing at the street corner.
"This, this is also a way to show intimacy," Malin said with a smile, while letting go of Matilda’s arm with his other hand and pinching the little fox’s cheek.
Matilda bit down hard, although she didn’t feel any pain.
"Young people these days are really strange. Here’s a little gift that the jailer’s wife has prepared for you. If you ever meet bad people, remember to tell them to choose our jail," said the big-eared fox, handing Malin a letter before smiling and stepping back to the other side of the street corner, "You two, once you walk out there, you’ll be seen by others, so remember to be decent."
When she had left, Matilda let go of her mouth and then launched a sudden attack, biting Malin’s ear softly, then with a huff, jumped off his back.
Malin turned his head and looked at the big-eared fox, shaking his head, "Are you sure you’re not a dog?"
"What do you mean?" Since he used Chinese, Matilda didn’t understand and asked curiously.
"You’re very cute," Malin replied while shamelessly casting his ninth-level Divine Arts of Romanticism — telling blatant lies with his eyes open.
The little fox proudly puffed out her chest, showing off the breastplate under her coat, "Hmph, it’s not too late for you to notice my good qualities now."
Malin glanced at the letter and realized it was for Matilda. He handed it to the big-eared fox.
Then, a bit absentmindedly, he followed the fox out of the enclosed street and once again felt the lively atmosphere. As Malin turned to ask where to head next, he saw a half-human snatch a bag from a lady’s hand and attempt to make an escape before anyone could react.
Malin then saw Matilda charge out. The little fox vaulted over a cart, darted under a horse’s belly, agilely leaped up, turned, and delivered a 750-degree axe-kick whip to the neck of the half-human, twisting it awry.
The lady only then realized what had happened. She took the bag back from Matilda, with repeated thanks.
Malin watched the half-human get dragged onto a mechanical cart by the medics from the Benevolent Church—in the Central Administrative Province, non-violent bag snatching was a minor offense, not enough to be hanged on a gallows, but still requiring compensation through labor. So, the Benevolent Church took the half-human away for treatment before sending them to a labor camp—the kingdom always needed such quality workers.
"Didn’t you ask the lady to something to the Church this time?" Malin watched the little fox come back and asked out of curiosity.
Matilda fell silent for a moment, then turned her head away, "I’m no longer with the Church."
"What?" Malin was somewhat puzzled.
"Just now... I’m no longer a member of the Church of Justice," the little fox said with a sad expression.
"Why?" Malin was a bit confused.
"Because the Church does not want to see my family line end with me, I am the last member of my family..." the little fox handed over a letter to Malin.
Matilda, your grandfather, the respected High Paladin Kazam, died last night fighting against evil. Your family has shed all its blood for our cause. Out of respect for your family, we must deprive you of your Paladin status. Please live on as a normal girl and do what you can for your family.
Malin rubbed his forehead, "You... you’re left alone now."
"Yes, my grandfather... I always thought he would live, live a long time, live until I got married and had children, live until I couldn’t walk anymore... Even though he always talked about some grand plan and said that the innocent needed more protection, even if he didn’t attend my father’s and mother’s funerals... but I really have never blamed him..." As she spoke, Matilda turned to look at Malin, her eyes brimming with tears.
After a moment of thought, Malin opened his arms and let the little fox hug him.
Matilda did not cry out loud, she just wept... perhaps it was the sand stirred by the wind to blame.
As he stroked her ears and felt the trembling of the big-eared fox, that’s what Malin thought.
He also began to think about how to prepare a dowry for her, even though she was older in years, but in terms of size and strength, she was the one in need of protection.
And, of course, how he could find her a suitable boyfriend.
While Malin was thinking about this, he took off a white glove from his face, turned his head in rage, and saw a young man, a big-eared fox, fuming with anger.
"The scumbag that made lovely Matilda cry! Die!" he bellowed, drawing the longsword at his waist.
Seeing the uniform of a Saint Warrior that the young man was wearing, Malin’s anger disappeared immediately, realizing it was an acquaintance of Matilda’s. With that thought, Malin smiled awkwardly, "You’ve got the wrong idea."
"Then this is..." The young man was about to say something harsh but stopped as he and Malin watched the big-eared fox use the hem of Malin’s coat as a handkerchief.
The young man also fell silent.
After a while, the male fox opened his mouth with an awkward smile, "I’m Dada Pami, a Saint Warrior from the Church of Justice. And you are...?"
"Malin, Malin Gaiate. Can I bill the Church of Justice for the laundering charges of my coat?" Malin asked, holding on to the big-eared fox with one hand and addressing the man before him.
This is high-quality fabric worth several thousand dollars we’re talking about. It’s going to be deducted from your dowry, you know.