Chapter 669: A Visit To The Zoo

The Solaris City Zoo was one of the crown jewels of the capital, a sprawling expanse of habitats and enclosures that drew tens of thousands of visitors every single year.

Situated in the heart of the city, it was an oasis of green and wonder amidst the towering buildings and bustling streets.

But more then anything place where families and couples could escape the demands of daily life and lose themselves in the beauty of the natural world.

The zoo had existed for over a century, its history stretching back to a time before Blessings had emerged.

In those early days, it had housed only the ordinary animals of their own realm, lions and tigers and elephants.

But times had changed.

With the emergence of Blessings and the discovery of new worlds, the zoo had expanded dramatically.

Creatures that had never been seen before in this realm now called the enclosures home.

A massive lizard from a desert world where the sand itself was alive, its scales shimmering with a glow that shifted colors depending on the temperature.

A bird from a realm of eternal twilight, its feathers so dark they seemed to absorb light itself.

A gentle giant from a world of floating islands, its body covered in soft moss that bloomed with tiny flowers whenever it was happy.

Half the animals in the zoo now came from different worlds entirely, a cultural exchange of sorts and a way to show off the wonders of the multiverse without requiring people to actually travel between realms.

And today, the zoo was busier than ever.

—

The midday sun cast warm golden light across the pathways as families strolled between exhibits.

Fathers puffed out their chests, eager to impress their children with knowledge they had frantically researched the night before.

"Now, sweetie, notice the distinctive markings on this creature’s back—those are actually a form of camouflage that allows it to blend in with the—"

"Daddy, can we go see the penguins now?"

"...Yes, honey. We can go see the penguins."

Young couples wandered hand in hand, the men attempting the same tactics with varying degrees of success.

"Those are Cloud Hoppers." He said, trying to sound knowledgeable. "They’re from the Sky Realm. They can actually float when they’re scared—it’s a defense mechanism. Pretty cool, right?"

His date smiled politely, though her eyes kept drifting toward the crowd gathering in the distance.

"That’s nice." She said. "But what’s going on over there? Everyone seems so excited."

The man frowned, peering toward the commotion.

"I don’t know. Maybe they brought out a new animal?"

But it wasn’t a new animal that had drawn the crowd.

It was something far more rare.

---

In the middle of the zoo, standing near the central fountain, was a pair that made everyone around them stop and stare.

Two women, both of them breathtakingly beautiful, both of them radiating an aura of power that made people instinctively step back.

Both of them shared the same ethereal beauty—long white hair that cascaded like waterfalls of moonlight, pale skin without a single blemish, tall and elegant frames that spoke of strength and grace.

Their bodies, even concealed beneath casual clothing, could not hide their curves. The fabric stretched over generous breasts, hugged narrow waists, and draped over hips that swayed with every step.

Astrid and Nadia.

They looked like goddesses walking among mortals.

And in many ways, they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter.

The only difference lay in their eyes. Nadia’s were a deep, blood-red crimson—the color of sunset bleeding into night. Astrid’s were a brilliant blue, like the sky on a cloudless summer day.

Also Astrid’s several fluffy tails.

The crowd of course noticed. Mothers whispered behind their hands; fathers fumbled for their phones; amateur photographers began snapping pictures of the two of the most powerful beings in the world as if they were the real exhibit.

But no one dared approach.

The aura radiating from two SSS-class Blessed was a tangible thing that made casual conversation feel like walking into a windstorm.

Even the boldest adventurers glanced, then looked away, suddenly fascinated by the gorilla enclosure.

But Astrid and Nadia didn’t notice the crowd.

They were too busy dealing with a far more difficult problem.

Each other.

—

This whole situation had come about because of Mika.

The previous night, he had told Astrid that if she wanted to resolve her own desires, she first needed to repair her fractured relationship with her mother.

Astrid had been stunned. She had braced herself for something impossible, something that would test her devotion to its limits.

Instead, she had been given the very thing she had wanted for years but never had the courage to pursue. The coldness between her and her mother had stretched on so long it felt permanent, a glacier embedded in her heart.

But Mika’s push was the crack in the ice—and more than that, the excuse she had desperately needed.

So she had marched into Nadia’s office.

"M-Mom!"

"A-Astrid!"

Nadia, caught completely off guard, had been staring at her phone—specifically at a dirty photograph Mika had sent her of his face buried, well, somewhere it absolutely should not have been.

"What—what brings you here?" Nadia’s voice was higher than usual, her cheeks flushing as she quickly hid her phone. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

She was on guard because in her experience, when her daughter sought her out, it was never for anything good.

But Astrid’s response caught her completely off guard.

"I, um..." Astrid fidgeted with her tails, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I got two tickets to the zoo. I was wondering if...if you wanted to come with me?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Nadia stared at her daughter, her mind struggling to process what she had just heard.

The zoo?

Her headstrong, distant daughter was asking her to go to the zoo?

Together?

"Mom?" Astrid’s voice was uncertain, almost shy. "Did you hear me? I asked if you wanted to—"

"Yes!"

The word exploded from Nadia’s mouth before she could stop it. The entire building shook slightly, her BLESSING responding to the surge of emotion that flooded through her.

Astrid blinked. "I...what?"

"Yes, I’ll come with you! I’ll definitely come with you!"

Nadia was on her feet now, her hands clasped together, her eyes shining with barely contained excitement.

"I would love to go to the zoo with you, Astridn I would love it more than anything!"

The building shook again.

Astrid stared at her mother reduced to an excited mess by a simple invitation.

Something warm bloomed in her chest.

"Ah, well...good." She managed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I’ll see you later, then."

And then she turned and fled, her tails wagging furiously behind her, unable to hide her own excitement.

And Nadia had slumped back in her chair, exhausted and elated and terrified in equal measure, wondering what on earth had prompted this miracle.

—

The next morning, both mother and daughter had spent hours getting ready.

Astrid had agonized over her outfit, finally settling on a casual dress that was comfortable but still showed off her figure.

Her seven tails had been brushed until they gleamed, and she had even applied a light touch of makeup—something she rarely bothered with.

Nadia had done the same, choosing a simple blouse and skirt that somehow managed to look both professional and stunning.

Her white hair was braided to the side, and she had spent an embarrassing amount of time checking her appearance in the mirror.

But now, standing together in the crowded zoo, the weight of their long estrangement proved difficult to shake.

"So." Astrid said, staring fixedly at a nearby exhibit. "The zoo’s gotten bigger. Since we last came."

"Yes." Nadia agreed, staring equally fixedly at the same exhibit. "More animals."

"Mm."

Silence.

But inside Astrid’s head, a voice was screaming.

’What are you doing?! You’ve been wanting this for years! Mika literally handed it to you on a silver platter—just TALK to her! Forget the past. Start over. SAY SOMETHING!’

Inside Nadia’s head, an identical voice was howling.

’She’s your daughter! The baby you gave birth to! The child you raised with love and care her whole life! Why can’t you even look at her!? Have you really become this pathetic?!’

’No.’ Nadia thought firmly. ’I won’t allow this. I’ve been through far worse with Mika—done things that made my heart race and my body burn—and I survived all of it. I can manage a simple conversation with my own flesh and blood!’

She turned to speak.

"Astrid—"

"Mom—"

They both stopped.

"Y-You go first." Astrid said quickly.

"No, no. You."

"I insist."

"Please, Astrid, I—"

They both fell silent again and looked away, their faces burning with identical shame.

’What is wrong with me?’ Astrid thought. ’Why am I screwing this up so badly?’

’I can address an entire diplomatic delegation from another realm without breaking a sweat.’ Nadia thought, pressing her fingers to her temple. ’Why can’t I talk to my own daughter?’

The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating.

And then—

"ASTRID! ASTRID! LOOK!"

A cheerful, jubilant voice shattered the awkwardness like a hammer through glass.

"Look, look! Look at that cow over there! It looks like a cow, but it has five eyes! Five! Is that normal? Should I be concerned? And look over there—that’s a massive dog with spikes all over it! It’s so cute!"

"Do you think they’d let me touch it? I’m a princess, after all. The princess of the Dragon Race! They have to let me touch it, right? Or else I’ll tell my father to burn down the entire zoo!"

The source of the voice was a small figure that came barreling toward them, her wings fluttering with barely contained excitement.

She was tiny, barely reaching Astrid’s waist with beautiful brown skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight, obsidian horns polished to a mirror shine, and a dragon’s tail that whipped back and forth behind her with infectious energy.

Nuri, Princess of the Dragon Race, childhood best friend of Astrid, looked absolutely delighted to be alive.

She was also dressed to impress. A black frilly outfit adorned her petite frame, complete with lace and ribbons and little bows that made her look like she had just stepped out of a storybook.

Her cheeks had a touch of makeup, her lips a subtle shade of rose, and her red eyes sparkled with an energy that made everyone around her want to smile.

The reason for Nuri’s presence was simple: Mika had told Astrid that if she wanted to earn his reward, she needed to make amends with her mother and with her childhood best friend.

She had been avoiding Nuri for years and the rift between them had been a silent wound that neither had known how to heal.

When Astrid had finally gathered the courage to call Nuri and invite her along, the little dragon princess had been so overwhelmed with joy that she had accidentally set her room on fire.

"I’ll come! I’ll come! I’ll come no matter what!"

Maria, who had been present at the time, had nearly been roasted alive—only her quick reflexes from years of dodgeball with Mika had saved her.

And now, the little dragon was circling Astrid with the enthusiasm of a puppy who had just been let off its leash.

"Look! Look at that one!" Nuri grabbed Astrid’s arm and pointed wildly at an enclosure. "It’s like a unicorn, but it has THREE horns! Is that even allowed? Can unicorns have three horns? Is it a tri-corn? A three-nicorn?"

She didn’t wait for answers.

"And over there—look, look—there’s a cat with polka dots! A POLKA-DOTTED CAT, Astrid! Do you think the zookeeper will let me pet it? I’m a princess, you know. They have to let me!"

Nuri didn’t wait for answers. She was already tugging Astrid toward the next enclosure.

"And that one! Is that a bear made of moss? Astrid, is it a moss-bear? Can I feed it? What do moss-bears eat? Other moss? Or regular bear food? Do they like fish? I brought snacks—"

"Nuri." Astrid caught her shoulder before she could launch herself into the air. "Slow down. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack."

"But there’s so MUCH to see!"

Nuri spun in a circle, her dragon tail whipping around and nearly smacking a passing teenager in the face.

"I’ve never been to a human zoo before! Father always said they were beneath our dignity, but he was WRONG. They’re amazing! Look at that—is that a lizard made of actual fire?!"

"It’s a salamander." Nadia said quietly. "Ember-Tongue. From Drakmir."

Nuri gasped. "We have those at home! Well, not at home-home, but in the volcanic region. They’re much bigger there, though. This one’s so tiny and cute!"

She pressed her face against the glass.

"Hello, tiny fire lizard! I’m Nuri! I’m a dragon! We’re basically cousins!"

The salamander blinked at her and licked its own eyeball.

"She likes me!" Nuri declared.

Watching her, Nadia felt a small, genuine smile tug at her lips.

She was grateful that Nuri had come along. The girl was the perfect solution to social awkwardness, demolishing the terrible silence that had hung between mother and daughter with sheer, unstoppable enthusiasm.

Without her, Nadia suspected she and Astrid would still be standing in the same spot, staring at the same exhibit, drowning in their own inability to speak.