79 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

Freeing the Enslaved: Chapter 79 A small village, unusually bustling and noisy. The sharp-eared members of the Fox Tribe listened closely and whispered among themselves. "They're saying we'll die. What nonsense is that?" "Do you believe what the Humans say? It's obviously rubbish." "But with all these ominous happenings lately..." "It's all because the Nameless Fox disappeared. We're bearing all her misfortunes." The news of their impending doom had the Fox Tribe split. Some reacted as if the world was set on destroying them, while others believed the misfortune was transferred due to the disappearance of the Nine-tale fox. Their reactions were mixed because, even among them, they lacked the complete story. Only the Fox Elder knew the full truth, as information was deliberately restricted. In a distant past, when Rin's identity as the Nine-tale fox was openly known, discord was common. Receiving the command of Heaven yet living like celestial dogs was not feasible. A faction advocated reviving the seal of the Nine-tale fox to rebel again. Another insisted it was foolish, a mere repetition of history, and firmly opposed such folly. In a tiny village with no place to run, rises in division rather than unity spelled disaster. The path taken by the elder of that time was to lay all the blame on the Nine-tail fox. Over generations, the Heavenly Command was erased from the foxes' minds, imbuing them with the belief that the Hongho was a curse-bearing monster. They believed their purpose in living in the White Cloud Valley was due to the Hongho. What remained were the unsealed and guilt-ridden Nine-tail foxes, without any power, serving as a shield for the village, which temporarily restored peace. Karami clicked his tongue internally. "Certainly not to my liking." A fox similar to the third Hokage. Walking with a cane like a ninja. A fox, so maybe it’s some sort of magic? Anyway. Unlike Herald, who had his reasons, the Fox Tribe of White Cloud Valley were unquestionably trash. Karami, left to his own inclinations, would rather leave them to their fate, but he knew he could not live as he pleased. “So, what will you do? We're busy people and have to leave soon. If you keep avoiding it, we’ll just leave.” “What is it that you want?” The elder cautiously probed, wary of Karami. But Karami shook his head exaggeratedly, indicating that wasn't the case. “It seems you still don’t understand the situation. If we leave, it’s clear you’ll all become food for the monsters. Instead of asking what we want, you should be begging, ‘Please, save us.’” “……” He was right. Since the Nine-tale fox's disappearance from the White Cloud Valley, the Fox Tribe faced daily threats to their lives. Moreover, Rin had returned empowered as a Five-tailed fox, so there was no way to prevent her departure. If she left, they would be defenseless. They lacked the ability to escape to the outside world to evade external monsters. To save the tribe, there was no other solution. After long contemplation, the Fox Elder lowered his head at last. “Please, I don’t want to die. We never wanted this. Why must we bear the burden of distant ancestors' sins, despite our innocence?” Had their ancestors not rebelled against the heavens. Had they lived satisfied without greed, they wouldn't have needed to be trapped in White Cloud Valley. The elder tried to solicit sympathy, blaming the ancestors, but Karami only scoffed at such a pathetic excuse. Being a fox, they were exceptionally good at pretending to be pitiful. “Don’t try and play the victim now. Didn’t you also shove everything onto Rin, who knew nothing?” “There were no options. If we didn’t, we would have been doomed.” “An abhorrent justification. I would have achieved far better results.” “Back then, you─” “Enough of the excuses. Let’s just get to the main point.” Even when faced with overt insolence from the young Human, the elder had no other choice. Silently, he listened to Karami's words. “The entity threatening the Fox Tribe. Is it indeed the Bear Demon from the outside?” “Yes, it is.” The Bear Demon. Meaning a bear ghost. It was considered a guardian deity of White Cloud Valley, forming the fundamental reason the Fox Tribe couldn’t venture outside. The Bear Demon, a being that thrived on the mountain’s energy, was colossal, standing at 40 meters. Its breath held a peculiar power and lingered in the air without dissipating. That breath became the mist enveloping White Cloud Valley. ‘This feels unsettling.’ The thought of inhaling the bear’s breath with each breath disturbed Karami. Nonetheless, if Rin defeated the Bear Demon, it would end. This would liberate the Fox Tribe from their impending fate. However, there was no intention to perform this service for free. “I will capture the Bear Demon for you. But there are two conditions.” Here came the main point. The elder, unable to fathom Karami's demands, gulped in anticipation. “First. Reveal Rin's true nature to everyone here, along with the Heavenly Command they shoulder.” “…And the second?” “I believe there is a shrine underground that only the Fox Elder knows of.” “How on earth did you…?” The elder was astonished almost to the point of gasping. Wasn’t it strange? Claiming only the Fox Elder knew of the shrine while the external Human appeared to know. Indeed, there was a hidden shrine beneath the Fox Den, known only to the elder. “To allow Rin access to the shrine. That is my second condition.” He seemed to grasp the reason for the shrine's existence completely. How on earth? Initially viewing the man before him with suspicion, the elder's feelings now shifted towards unease and fear. Accepting his proposal might lead to irreversible consequences. “Will you do it or not? There’s no time.” However, the elder wanted to live. He followed his survival instincts. “I accept the first condition. But the second….” “Why? Is it impossible?” "In its current state, the Nine-tail fox's power is insufficient. Even if you were to locate the shrine now, there's a risk that the power might drive you out of control instead of embracing it. Accepting your proposal in such circumstances would be meaningless." "So, you're saying you won't show me?" "It's not that I won't show you. First, defeat the Bear Demon. If you can do that, it will prove you possess the minimum qualifications." The elder's expression was resolute, his sternness unwavering—even though his life hung in the balance and he had earlier seemed pliant under that threat. 'Just as expected.' Karami had anticipated the elder’s refusal. To raise Rin as a proper Nine-tail fox, she had to return to the White Cloud Valley, where her power had been restrained, before they perished. It was a so-called time attack. Rin needed to mature before then. Once she became a Five-tailed fox, her growth reached a standstill, and she returned to White Cloud Valley to accept the elder's request to vanquish the Bear Demon. Only then was she permitted entrance to the shrine as a reward. Knowing the information beforehand, with much higher freedom than in the game, brought new choices. He thought that perhaps getting a fortuitous encounter in advance might make capturing the Bear Demon easier, but it wasn’t meant to be. "Hmm, if you're so adamant, there's nothing I can do. Fine, then I'll accept the first condition now, and the second one after everything is settled." *** The Fox Elder gathered all the Fox Tribe members in the village's small square to reveal the truth. Rin's true identity. Why they were in the White Cloud Valley. The reasons behind the recent spate of misfortune. What would happen if Rin disappeared. With their lives and fate in Rin’s hands, the Fox Tribe was thrown into a whirlpool of shock. “Is that a lie...?” One fox, particularly known for bullying Rin, looked at the elder, lips twitching. The elder, avoiding eye contact, glanced downward, signaling that it was the truth. Realizing this, the Fox Tribespeople naturally shifted their focus to Rin. "Rin? You're not going to abandon us, right?" "Aw, come on! We're family now, aren't we? You wouldn’t do that, right? Let's start sharing meals together, even! Animal liver, it’s so tasty." "She’s going to take down the Bear Demon, isn't she? That means she’ll get us out of here." With smiles dripping with insincerity, resembling sycophants before a king, the foxes approached Rin, now ingratiating themselves. As Rin watched them grovel, her heart felt chaotic, a tumultuous mix of emotions swirling uncontrollably within her chest. Those who once treated her as a calamity now acted as if she were their savior—merely because she had a few more tails. Was perception that capable of flipping on a whim? It disgusted her. She wanted nothing to do with them. With a leap, Rin disappeared into some corner of the village. "What's happening? Where’s she going? She won’t leave without catching the bear, right?" "She better not! We only survived this long because we didn’t kick her out and kept sharing potatoes, didn’t we? We should help each other if there’s any conscience." "Of course, right? She wouldn’t sever family ties, would she?" Karami sighed as he watched them drum up their self-serving justifications. Living in such a tiny village, only among themselves, seemed to have precluded any sense of self-awareness. Karami followed in the direction Rin had vanished. He found her huddled quietly in an empty part of the village. “What’s bothering you? Is something not to your liking?” Even with Karami right beside her, Rin’s gaze remained fixed on the cold ground. “Those who ignored and tried to push Rin away now need her. She holds the lives of those who tormented her in her hands. Isn’t this gratifying?” “That’s not what Rin wanted. Rin wished to be treated as a peer, as family.” Rin had always watched from a distance. The foxes, smiling and enjoying each other's company. She envied them and dreamed of one day being treated similarly. But now, their attitude wasn't that of treating a member as family. They saw her only as a tool to sacrifice herself for their benefit. Having her hopes dashed, expecting them to genuinely change, Rin felt an indescribable disappointment. “Hmm, it seems that Rin is caught up in the concept of family.” “Yes, but…” “Rin, family isn’t much, really, you know?” “Hmm?” Rin pricked her ears up. With a sly smile befitting a slave trader, Karami laid out his hidden schemes. “Did Rin choose to live with them? No. You simply found yourself with them upon waking. It’s the same for them. Family is a relationship independent of individual will, much like the Heavenly Command.” Children can’t choose their parents, nor the parents choose the child. The child is theirs simply upon birth, not by specific choice. “We often refer to these as bonds we can’t sever. Despite not choosing them or even liking them, we’re tied together. Isn’t that uncomfortable just to imagine?” “……” “But the people we meet in life are different. We can choose who we want to stay with, and those who want to be with us choose us back. ‘Ah, I want to be with this person.’ Just like I chose Rin.” Rin slightly lifted her head. “A bond made by mutual choice, not fate. Isn’t that beautiful? I find that closer than family. What does Rin think?” Rin pondered briefly. Karami, a stranger who cared for her. The Fox Tribe, family in name but self-serving. The decision was simple. “Rin feels the same as you, Master. I prefer being with you over them. I want to stay with you.” "Then why bother seeking recognition from them as family? You only need to look good in my eyes. After all, Rin is my slave. A slave only needs to please their master." It was a perfectly logical statement. She only needed to meet the expectations of the master who had taken her in. The well-being of the Fox Tribe was never her concern to begin with. More important than family ties is the master-slave relationship. With her thoughts aligned, Rin got up, dusting herself off. "Rin will catch the bear." Everything, for her master.