Chapter 48: Ch 48. Serious Discussion

"Did that woman raise a fox and turn it into a half-monster?" asked Jhon, who had also helped capture Briella yesterday.

Vylen sighed softly. "I don’t know for sure, but it’s very likely she’s the one who did it. Her method might be the same as when she controlled my father—using that powder that Selena said was a drug," he said, glancing at Selena, who was listening quietly.

"What’s her goal?" Stevan muttered, looking curious. "Is she forming an alliance to stage a rebellion?"

"On what grounds would she want to rebel?"

Vylen shook his head at their questions. "I don’t know her intentions or goals either, which is why I wanted to talk to Selena today—maybe she knows. It’s highly likely she does want to rebel, but I have absolutely no idea what the rebellion is about or what’s actually wrong," he said, taking a deep breath.

Selena leaned back casually, falling silent for a moment to think. "I can’t be sure of his motives either, but maybe it has something to do with the family you massacred a few years ago," Selena said, causing Vylen to raise an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, Stoner, Jhon, Dorven, and Stevan listened in silence as the conversation grew increasingly serious.

"Our family was slaughtered? By whom?" asked Vylen, looking confused.

Selena narrowed her eyes. Did Vylen not remember because they’d slaughtered so many, or did he actually not know which family had been slaughtered on his father’s orders back then?

But if he didn’t know, that was somewhat understandable—though strange, since how could that be possible when he was the heir who was supposed to manage everything and know everything related to the Fox Clan?

"I heard that long ago, one of the high-ranking families of the Fox Clan was found guilty, and then their entire lineage was slaughtered. Is he one of the remaining members of that family? That’s why he intends to stage a rebellion as an act of revenge," said Selena, drawing a conclusion even though it wasn’t yet clear.

Since she was quite experienced—back in the human world, she’d often watched movies with plots like this—she recognized the pattern: a survivor from a family that had been massacred coming to seek revenge against the royal family or those who had destroyed them.

No matter who was actually at fault—even if it was indeed their family’s fault—that person still insisted on seeking revenge, even if they ultimately lost and met a tragic end. Here, Selena also didn’t know what would become of Briella, because she didn’t yet know which side of the issue was more serious.

"I’ve heard about that too—the massacre of a high-ranking Fox clan family. But that happened a very long time ago; it doesn’t really make sense that this woman would be connected to today’s events. Maybe she’s seeking revenge because the Fox King destroyed her family," said Stoner, causing them all to look at him.

Vylen let out a heavy sigh. "If that’s true, why go to all that trouble? He poisoned both my father and me—did he really want to stage a rebellion by destroying both of us and then seizing the throne?" said Vylen, looking at Selena, who was already smiling slightly.

"It’s possible. After she executes all the descendants of the Fox King who killed her entire family, she’ll likely do the same to you two. That makes perfect sense," he said, folding his arms casually.

They had already finished breakfast; now they were just chatting to discuss what had happened.

"She really went to a lot of trouble to do that," said Jhon, causing the others to look at him.

"Oh, really? Why does it seem like such a hassle?" asked Selena curiously.

She wanted to know how far these men’s thinking could go, since this was the first time Selena had discussed a case with them. It had never happened before, so she wanted to see if they were capable of analyzing it like she did; she wanted to gauge their abilities at the same time so she’d know what to do.

"She went to quite a lot of trouble and was also too perfect in carrying out her plan. She even used the Old Fox King as a pawn to kill both the Old Fox King and his son at the same time. She was able to do that without getting her own hands dirty—that’s pretty extraordinary. She’s no ordinary girl, since she can think everything through that meticulously," Jhon said, explaining his thoughts.

Selena smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That’s right. On top of that, she’s also started targeting Selena by getting close to Selena’s own close friend, Amena Cots. She hired that girl from the wild cat race because she knew Amena was Selena’s friend and that the girl would open up another path for her. If she manages to get Amena to carry out her mission, that would be truly remarkable. It’s just that I don’t know what Amena’s mission is—has she told you yet?" asked Dorven, looking at Selena, who shook her head.

"She hasn’t said anything yet, but it seems like she’s a victim who was deliberately lured with a promise. That’s why she dared to claim she’s the Fox Queen-to-Be—maybe that’s what Briella promised her, which is why she’s willing to betray me," Selena replied, then took a sip of water.

"That seems right. I wonder what Briella’s intentions are if that’s really what happened. Basically, she wants to kill me—she’s even gathering monsters from the Fox clan to use against my territory. Why would she promise that girl the title of Queen-to-Be when she wants me dead?" said Vylen, causing Selena to shake her head slowly.

"It is a bit odd; there’s still a lot to investigate regarding all these connections. Have you sealed off the isolated area she used to turn the fox people into monsters, Fox King?" Selena asked, looking at him, and he immediately nodded.

"It’s already been done. Coxy has also arranged for other senior Fox guards to stand watch there to make sure they can’t escape. It’s just that there seems to be some kind of effect in the area that makes it impossible to stay there for too long, so they have to take turns to stay conscious," said Vylen, causing Selena to nod in agreement.

"I’ll go there today," she replied, then stood up, followed by all her husbands. "I need to see their condition with my own eyes to gauge just how far the effects of the powder he’s using go—enough to turn them into monsters."

"I’ll go with you," said Vylen, and Selena nodded.

"You have to, but before that, I’ll meet with Kav and Kev first. You go see your father, ask him a few things, and tell him this. You’re his son; he’ll feel more comfortable talking about this with you than confessing under interrogation by my men," Selena said, causing Vylen to let out a soft sigh and nod.

"In that case, is there any hope I’ll recover? The poison in my chest has been there for years, hasn’t it? Is there a potion I can drink to counteract it?" Vylen asked, looking at Selena hopefully.

"Every poison in this world has an antidote. After this, I’ll begin examining you more thoroughly. I’ve been destined to be your Healer of Extinction; perhaps I’ll soon figure out how to make an antidote for you after examining you further."