My Pet Fox Is Actually A Demon Prince-Chapter 44: The Fox Emperor

Prior to the time the days of trial were still in session...

The Celestial Dominion had not healed yet.

Within the Beastly realm, the sovereign Dominion of the fox clans was known as the veil of Aurelieth— the loftiest and most sacred realm in all of beastkind. It drifted high above the lower worlds upon floating continents and fractured skies, so distant and radiant that lesser creatures often mistook it for Heaven itself.

The fox clan, however, did not call themselves gods.

Instead, they named themselves those ’closest to the sky’

Yet, to the beings of the lower realms, there was little difference between the fox sovereigns and the divine.

The Beastly realm was divided into three great heights.

The first was the Lower Wilds, where the mortal lands of beastkind lay scattered across the forests, rivers, mountain kingdoms, and the territories of lesser creatures.

Above it stood the Ascendant Territories, the middle realm. There, the ancient clans, immortal districts, and powerful beast nobles made their dwelling. It was within these lands that the governors, generals, and noble houses of the fox clans ruled over their vassals in the Emperor’s name.

And above all else...

The Veil of Aurelieth— Calhoun’s home.

The Veil of Aurelieth was the upper realm of the Fox Emperor, a celestial dominion suspended beyond the clouds. Only the highest-ranking foxes, chosen immortals, and the most ancient of spirits were permitted to enter its Sacred Order.

It was here that the Auriel Citadel drifted, suspended amidst the heavens.

The reigning bloodline was known throughout the realms as the Aurelian Fox Dynasty, and from the Auroral Citadel the imperial family governed all beneath the sky.

A man with flowing silver-white hair stood before the vast window of the Imperial hall, his hands clasped behind his back.

Beyond the crystal panes stretched the wounded heavens of Aurelieth. Veins of dimmed gold ran across the twilight firmament like shattered glass hastily mended, splitting the skies with long, fractured scars. The Veinlights current, once flowing in radiant rivers through the Celestial dominion, now faltered and broke, their glow flickering in uneven pulses.

Nine silver-white tails moved languidly behind him, while a pair of fox ears remained sharply atop his head. He was robed in the ancient vestment of the Aurelian, the garment woven in purple and gold, regal and unearthly, as though he himself had stepped forth from some forgotten land.

Behind him, a voice broke the silence.

"Your Imperial Majesty."

But the Emperor did not turn around.

The fox scholar swallowed hard before dropping to his knees upon the jade floor.

"Your Imperial Majesty," he said carefully, lowering his head, "I bring grievous tidings. The Veinlight weakens with every passing moment. The Sacred barriers are beginning to fracture, and even the spirit beasts can no longer be restrained, as though the gates of hell have begun to stir. The corrupt creatures that continue to invade the realms are due to the Veinlights’ instability. We need more time to create another barrier."

At last, the Fox Emperor’s eyes narrowed. Violet irises, cold and sharp, like amethyst, gleamed within the dim light.

The pressure of his aura alone was enough to leave the scholar trembling where he knelt.

For a long while, the Emperor said nothing. Then, at last—

"Has there been any word of Calhoun?"

The scholar lowered his head further, shame flickering across his features.

"No, Your Majesty. He is far more cunning than we realize. But the clans continue to search. He shall be found soon."

A long silence followed.

Then the Emperor finally turned.

"Where is Master Caelion?"

"I’m right here, Your Majesty."

Another figure stepped forth from the shadows of the hall, imposing and austere. He lowered his head respectfully before the Emperor.

The Emperor turned slightly, his gaze settling upon the masked, dark-haired fox lord.

"Are you prepared to depart for the Sacred Order?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the man replied. "I shall first procure several transportation stones to make my journey easier, and afterward I would leave at once."

The Emperor gave a faint nod.

Then his gaze shifted to the kneeling scholar, who still did not dare raise his head.

"With the humans now entering the Sacred Order, there will soon be more than enough warriors to hold back the corrupt beasts. At this rate, even their realm is not safe. Their potential is not to be underestimated."

His voice remained calm, yet it carried through the chamber like the weight of a decree.

"While the Sacred Order continues to resist the creatures beyond the barriers, you are to devote every effort toward restoring the Veinlight. If the currents continue to weaken, more monsters will pour in, and no army in any realms will be enough. Do you understand?"

The fox scholar bowed lower still.

"As you command, Your Majesty. We are doing all within our power."

After assuring the Emperor, he was casually dismissed with a slight motion of his hand.

The scholar rose at once and quietly withdrew from the hall, leaving only silence behind.

The ones left within the vast imperial hall were Caelion and the Emperor.

"Caelion," the Emperor addressed him. "You know why I’m sending you to the Sacred Order, do you not? I do not trust that unfilial son of mine, so you must see if you can track him down over there. He has created a huge problem, and this matter must be settled by my own hand."

He turned toward the window, and the fury in his violet eyes was difficult to conceal.

"I do not know what offense I have committed for the Heavens to punish me so cruelly," he said bitterly. "They took from me the one son who might have set all things straight... and left me with a demonic one who is hellbent on raining hell on his own people."

His expression hardened.

"It is because of him we stand upon the edge of ruin. Had I acted sooner, perhaps none of this would have come to pass."

Caelion lowered his head further.

"Your Majesty is grieved," he said carefully. "But I beg you to calm your heart. Matters have not yet reached their end. Perhaps His Highness Calhoun will finally understand the weight of what has happened."

"He does not," the Emperor replied at once, with troubled certainty.

"If he understood, he would already be here, kneeling before his Emperor and begging for forgiveness. He should be able to learn to atone for his mistakes."

The air within the chamber grew colder.

"He desires nothing but the throne. That desire is what led him to turn against his elder brother in the first place. He is a stain upon this dynasty, a mistake I have never been able to erase. There is only corruption within him. And someone like that is not worthy to be called my son. One thing is certain, he will never ascend the throne. I’d rather give it to someone else than him. A demon cannot be destined to rule."

For a long moment, the Emperor said nothing more. The faltering glow of the Veinlights shone through the fractured heavens by the window, and even Caelion came to the conclusion that he could no longer protect Calhoun from the wrath of his father if he were to ever return. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He hoped Calhoun would remain wherever he is, and not do something stupid.

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Hello readers! I know so much is going on right now and there’s barely any Kyva × Calhoun moment but I promise it’s coming and it will be worth the wait. So please bear with me as this scenes are also very essential for story story. <3