Nyaruko sighed with palpable regret. "The Vile Deity form is so wonderful. It's a pity Darling didn't choose to walk that path."
Toya ignored Nyaruko's grumbling.
Just from the appearance of the Vile Deity capability—radiating gloom, darkness, and eldritch horror—it was clearly a path aligned with the Cthulhu Mythos.
Why would he ever choose that?
He traveled across these worlds to enjoy life, not to embrace such dark, corrupting power.
"Four unexpected abilities." Toya's eyes flashed with satisfaction.
If difficult enemies appeared in the future, having four distinct abilities to choose from would give him plenty of tactical options.
As twilight gradually descended, Toya stretched lazily. "Everyone, get ready. We're heading back."
"We enjoyed the daytime scenery on the way here, so let's appreciate the night view on the flight back."
"Eh? We're going back already?" Sora looked at him reluctantly. "Onii-chan, can't we stay for a few more days?"
Beside her, the other girls also expressed their desire to extend the trip.
Toya smiled calmly but shook his head. "No."
"Most of you have classes tomorrow. We absolutely cannot interfere with your studies."
"It's time to depart."
Two full days of playing were enough for a short trip.
Besides, apart from the Genesis Disc, there was nothing else in the Emerald Spire.
The only scenery left to admire was the endless snow and the distant peaks of Mount Kunlun.
Reluctantly, everyone packed their luggage and took the private car to the temporary airstrip.
"Kawashima, will I still get to eat fried tofu when we go back?" Ran asked expectantly, still in her Fox form.
Toya nodded with a smile. "Rest assured. I promised to provide for your daily necessities, and that won't change."
"It depends on your mood. Whether you want store-bought fried tofu or homemade, you can have whatever you like."
"Thank you!" Ran's lingering reluctance vanished instantly, replaced by infinite anticipation for the future.
She wouldn't have to endure Yakumo Yukari's exploitation every day. No more mental anxiety, no more shedding fur from stress.
Toya led everyone onto the Trash Fox private jet and set course for Japan.
Tohru and Kanna, in their dragon forms, flew alongside the plane like escorting bodyguards.
Yukino and Eriri sat by the window, realizing the true face of the world for the first time.
So dragons really do exist in this world.
"Land directly on the rear field of the Estate."
After giving the command, Toya closed his eyes to rest.
Not far away, Gabriel stared wide-eyed in shock, her understanding of "rich" being refreshed once again.
"Even the plane is fully automated? That's practically cheating."
Two hours later, the Trash Fox landed smoothly on the designated field at Toya's estate. The entire flight had been so smooth there wasn't a single bump.
Under soft, ambient lighting, the steady breathing of the passengers filled the cabin.
Although they had planned to go back to their rooms to sleep, the boredom of the night flight had lulled everyone into slumber.
As a jet designed for ultimate comfort, the resting area was in no way inferior to a luxury hotel.
Quiet, soothing music played in the background, ensuring everyone drifted into a peaceful dreamland.
Tohru and Kanna landed softly nearby, the two dragons leaning against each other as they fell asleep on the grass.
.....
The next morning.
Toya rose from the soft tatami mat and looked out the plane window, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Is it morning already?"
"Seven o'clock?!"
Seeing the time, Toya immediately woke everyone up. "Wake up, everyone! Hurry up and get ready for school!"
"Eh... school already?"
Sora sat up slowly, her silver hair a mess. "Onii-chan, can I skip school today?"
"No. If you have school, you go. Don't waste time!"
Toya righteously rejected Sora's request and proceeded to wake the others who were still deep in dreamland.
Eriri opened her beautiful eyes, looking around at the plane's interior before realizing how bold she had been.
"I actually slept on the plane?"
"But the beds here are too comfortable... more comfortable than at home."
Walking by, Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded in agreement. "Indeed, much better than home."
"The plane landed without any turbulence. We slept through the whole thing."
Yukino walked off the plane with a cool expression, though a shy blush crossed her cheeks.
"Thank goodness I didn't do anything embarrassing in my sleep."
Growing up, she had never slept in the same room as others, let alone on a plane. She was relieved her sleeping face hadn't been exposed.
Since they were running late, the girls were all groggy and didn't even have time to wash their faces properly.
Toya cited the lack of time and immediately arranged cars to send them to school.
"That's the spirit."
Toya stood on the straight driveway, watching the cars drive away with a satisfied expression. "Studying is the most important thing."
"Washing your face isn't a big deal. Can't you just do it at school?"
In an instant, the population of the estate was halved.
Even so, it was still quite lively.
Jashin-chan dragged Medusa and Jiangshi-chan toward the dedicated gaming room in the estate.
Toya glanced at Tohru and Kanna playing in the distance, then looked at Nyaruko and Kuuko, who seemed to be waiting for him to say something.
"Nyaruko, you and Kuuko go play."
With that, he decisively picked up the Fox and headed back to the castle.
"Ran, let me familiarize you with your duties as a maid."
Toya looked at Ran with a beaming smile. "We already have a Dragon Maid at home, so your duties as a Fox Maid are very simple."
"You only have one job every day: prepare tea when I need it."
"As for your room, pick any unoccupied one you like."
He couldn't assign Ran too much work. After all, she was Yakumo Yukari's Shikigami.
It wouldn't be appropriate to overwork her.
Yukari had paid such a high price in Origin Points; he couldn't actually treat Ran like a servant.
Besides, even if he wanted to, Tohru probably wouldn't be happy about someone taking her job.
Toya chuckled. "Ran, any questions?"
"Eh? Just preparing tea?" Ran was stunned, asking in disbelief, "Shouldn't a maid handle all sorts of housework?"
"Kawashima, you don't have to worry about my competence."
"In Gensokyo, I handled far more work than you can imagine."
"I even took care of Yukari-sama, the Youkai Sage. You really don't need to hold back."
Toya smiled and pointed to the green dragon, Tohru, who was still sleeping in the distance. "Tohru has already monopolized all the housework."
"You just need to be responsible for the tea. You can rest freely the rest of the time."
"Go familiarize yourself with the environment. I have something to set up."
With that, he left Ran to explore the castle on her own.
Ran stared blankly at Toya's retreating back. "Is this really what a maid does?"
"No work at all... isn't this just freeloading?"
With her heavy workload suddenly gone, leaving only the task of brewing tea, she found herself extremely unaccustomed to this new life.