70 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

"To become a true yokai fox, mastering the art of transformation is fundamental. How many times must I tell you?" "Rin doesn't care about that! She likes how she is now!" "It's not about whether you like it or not!" "I don't care! Rin doesn't care! Even if it kills her, she won't do it! Aaaaah—" Rin pressed her ears hard and covered her head, closing her eyes tightly. She swayed her body side to side, incessantly making noise to block out Yuhwa's voice. "Master! The old lady keeps asking Rin to transform! Does Master want to see that?" "Maybe I do?" "Then fine, Rin will do it!" Rin's determination, which seemed unshakeable even by death, flipped like a hand after Karami's thoughtless comment. Yuhwa squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head back, clearly stressed. "Master, why is the old lady so angry?" "With age comes increased sensitivity to minor matters." Rin clicked her tongue in sympathy, shaking her head. "Master, Rin won’t turn out like that when she grows up." "Stop talking back and focus!" "Fine, fine." You cheeky little runt. While she wanted to give Rin a good thunk on the head, the binding contract made it impossible and frustrated Yuhwa. The lesson being taught was transformation magic. Similar to polymorph, it's a type of magic where creatures like fox spirits change their forms. It's crucial for any yokai with beauty, not just yokai foxes, to enchant and possess everything from their targets. "The ability to make my appearance so young, just like when I met Karami." Yuhwa's form reverted to its youthful state. "This too can be considered a type of transformation magic." "Ohhh?" "No matter how Rin grows, if she desires, she can maintain her current form." Maintaining beauty throughout an almost infinite life is a blessing anyone would covet. Yet, progressing step-by-step was necessary. "May I ask something?" Karami, who had been leisurely sipping tea while the two foxes trained, raised his hand. "Go ahead." "Why does your manner of speaking change?" Yuhwa nodded. She had expected this question, having already prepared her answer in advance. "When completely transformed, one must change their behavior to match their appearance. If not, the effectiveness of the transformation weakens significantly." "It's not a hobby, right?" "No, it's not." "So it's a kind of concept. Got it." As if he understood, Karami nodded himself. Since he wouldn't have listened anyway, Yuhwa dismissed it. Yuhwa was teaching Rin the art of transformation. Completely transforming into an entirely different appearance from the start is incredibly challenging. Conversely, the more the form resembles the caster's soul and body, the higher the success rate. The Hoyo race, being half-fox and half-human, means Rin's easiest transformation is into a fox form. Whirl. With a spin in the air, Yuhwa transformed into a pure white fox. It exuded an aura so mystical that one might follow it without realizing if encountered in the mountains. "Try it. Envision the form you desire inside your fox bead." Nodding, Rin held her fox bead tightly and focused. Mystical energy flowed into the bead, which then emitted light to envelop Rin. When the light dissipated, Rin's silhouette hadn't changed much, except her hands and feet were now covered in pink fur. "Eek! Rin's become a fuzzball!" *** Today's lesson concluded. In summary, despite some trial and error, Rin somehow managed to learn transformation magic. Rin, now a cute baby fox, nestled inside my clothes, occasionally poking her head out. "Master. It's really warm here." "Is that so." "Yeah. It smells a lot like Master. Hehehe." Content with her reasons, Rin showed no intention of leaving. She seemed so satisfied that it was hard to chase her away. I decided to think that she had put in a lot of effort. "Shall we stop by a cat café on the way?" "Rin doesn’t like it. Rin doesn't like the 'meow' things." "Why not?" "Those 'meow' ones always cling to Master, rubbing their smell on you. Rin hates that." Knowing foxes are territorial, maybe Rin was wary of other animals' scents. Her rubbing against me might have been the same intention. Though the cat café had been lucrative, it was ultimately secondary. If Rin disliked it, it seemed prudent to refrain. "Understood. Then let's skip it today and buy some meat on the way home, maybe some skewers that Seira enjoys too." "Great!" We visited the market to purchase dinner ingredients. On the way back home, Rin snoozed inside my clothes, exhausted, while I traversed the quiet alleys alone. Seira's house was located on the outskirts of the city. People grew scarcer, facilities more dilapidated, and security wasn't the best. Seira had the strength to protect herself, but it wasn't a place I would recommend otherwise. The immediate reason I bring this up is to highlight that one could become a target at any time. "Well, well, isn’t this the famous cat café owner I see here?" A new voice echoed down the deserted alley. Blocking my way with slouched shoulders and hands in pockets was a hyena beastkin with a crooked gaze. Sensing movement behind me, I turned around to see more hyenas, appearing from nowhere, laughing as they surrounded me. According to Seira, these hyenas were part of the "Scavengers," akin to street miscreants troubling the city. Seira had warned me numerous times to be wary of scavengers, saying humans like me made easy targets. "What's a high-profile owner like you doing in this rundown area? With all those goodies in hand, no less." "With you being a human and tagging along with a Red Fox, finding a place must be quite the task, brother. No wonder you ended up in such a desolate area." "Right, I kind of forgot about that." The one-eyed hyena, referred to as brother, clapped his hands together as if realizing something he had been unaware of. Laughter echoed through the alley but gradually dwindled. His eyes continued to glint slyly, yet his expression lacked genuine amusement. "So, how's business these days?" "It's going decently enough." "Ah, I envy you. You know, when my cat-people friends suddenly disappeared, I wondered if they’d eaten something bad. Turns out they're working at your café. It really surprised me." "They've been working hard. I'm grateful." The hyena, as if continuing a conversation between good friends, pressed on. "Say, any chance you'd consider employing some of us scavengers?" "Unfortunately, all the positions are filled." "Who said anything about employment? Everyone has their role, you know." The hyena sneakily unveiled his true motives. It was clear why they had approached me. "Let's get to the point. What are you suggesting?" "Ah, you’re straightforward. I like it. How about we look after your café? I hear there are troublemakers from among the canines these days? We can keep them away. We don't fancy them either." Though hyenas might appear dog-like, they are actually more akin to cats, belonging to the feliform suborder. Their proposition sounded plausible on the surface. "Your fee?" "Nothing much, just half of your profits. That’s quite fair, isn’t it, folks?" The hyenas erupted into noisy cheers among themselves. Half of the profit? Ridiculous. "If I were to spend that much, I'd rather hire trained security personnel. Why would I need scavengers?" "Hmm, I’m being nice here. You should have more sense in business; aren't you concerned with subtle hints? Do you not want to do business here anymore?" The hyena began licking his claws, hinting at trouble. "I see. I’ve indeed been lacking in subtlety." "That's right. Good thing you’ve realized it now." "I had forgotten there's a more fitting job for hyenas." A new thought had occurred to me— a job perfectly suited for a hyena. "You could manage disposing of our food waste. No need to discuss pay; meals would be included." "What did you just say?" The smile vanished from the hyena's face, contorting into something vicious. Though they intended to be threatening, it wasn't particularly intimidating. They seemed tough, but their bodies were frail, bones protruding through skin. "I have one issue, though— I don't keep male slaves. Are there any female hyenas around? Perhaps they would be suited for food disposal at my café, in which case, I’d be happy to offer a small finder’s fee." Brimming with anger, the hyena's shoulders shook with rage. "This must be a joke! You think just because you’ve got a bit of money, you’re untouchable? Do you think you're in a human city? Guard patrols aren't going to come save you." The hyena glanced around. "And look at that, no Red Fox with you today? I avoided you all this time out of bad luck, but seems my luck turned up today." Confident the Red Fox wasn’t present, the hyena approached with a sinister grin, revealing decayed canines. In this tense standoff, Rin poked her head out. "Master, something reeks here." "The Red Fox?!" "Master, who are these striped people?" "They are the bad ones trying to steal your dinner." "What?! Who dares to take Rin's meal?!" Rin sprang from my embrace and landed in a hero pose on the ground in her beastkin form. "No one, not even Master, can take Rin's food!" With that, Rin charged at the startled scavengers. Heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the alley. *** After easily dealing with the scavengers, we returned home safely. While Seira prepared dinner, I placed Rin, who had returned to her human form, on my lap. ‘Now is the perfect time.’ Since learning the shocking truth that freeing slaves was equivalent to abandonment, I’d been mulling over this. Eventually, I had to free Rin and leave Vestia. I was concerned about the future repercussions of doing so. "Rin, being a slave is not a good thing." "Slave?" Thus, I had an idea to indoctrinate Rin—or rather, to provide her with proper understanding. The phrasing might have a negative connotation, but my intention was to instill the correct values in her. I aimed to teach Rin that being a slave is undesirable, while freedom is beneficial. Rin, being young, hadn’t fully developed her sense of right and wrong. It was my responsibility to instill in her those correct values, so she wouldn’t turn out like those peculiar beastfolk. "Currently, you are my slave, Rin. Slavery is a lowly status, and people mock and bully slaves." "But Master's not like that?" "That's because I’m a kind slave owner. Not everyone is like me. They're more like those hyenas from earlier." Rin nodded, seeming to understand now that I’d compared the situation to the hyenas. "In contrast, freedom liberates one from those things. It’s something very good." "Oh?" "My goal is to free you, Rin, so you can be independent. Freedom is not abandonment but liberation. Do you understand?" "Perfectly understood!" She shot out the same automatic response as always. But that was okay. If I consistently reaffirmed this, the notion that freedom is good would surely solidify in her mind over time. "So later on, please don't seek revenge on me, okay?" ### Comments: SeemingExcitement 2024.09.29 17:28 Given that we've already seen humans, elves, witches, and beastfolk, it’s only a matter of time before dwarves, dragonkin, or even abandoned angels and half-demon species make an appearance. 1 AdmiringSneakAttack 2024.10.21 00:19 I remember a mention of a milk-drinking vampire earlier. Do you think they’ll be a main character too? 0 Desk10 2024.11.07 00:37 I'm really looking forward to it! 0 CosignDividedByX 2024.09.29 21:28 Can we expect a direct confrontation soon? 0 EasternPalaceMaiden 2024.09.29 22:26 Hahaha, I can't wait for it. 0 GoodChild 2024.09.30 02:14 I’m eagerly waiting for the protagonist to face the consequences of their actions. Haha. 0 SubjectivelyExtreme 2024.09.30 09:58 He's slowly testing the waters, isn't he? Haha. 2 Hoshino 2024.10.01 13:55 They seemingly abandon one every 25-30 chapters. Haha. 0 Nore 2024.10.06 16:34 Perfectly understood! 0 --- Please keep in mind that to post comments, you must be a logged-in user. ### Weekly Bestsellers: 1. +2211 How to Live as a Wizard in Magic School 2. +862 Liberated Slaves Cling On 3. +283 I’m Not the Final Boss? 4. +944 Double Agent of the Celestial Devil Sect 5. +305 Only My Skill Tooltips Are Weird 6. +1446 The Medicine-Taking Genius Magician 7. +1507 Childhood Friend of the World's Best ... --- ### New Posts: 1. New American Lottery Winner A person who knows how to use money wisely, impressive! ...