98 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

**Chapter 98: Clinging Freed Slaves** After a pleasant stroll, it was time to part ways. Hilde could finally stand on both legs once they reached near the castle. She brushed the dust off her knees and palms. But she couldn’t return just yet. Though the collar around her neck seemed ordinary, it could not be removed without Karami's permission. There was only one way to release it. "Untie it now." Hilde glared at Karami, her eyes filled with a look that could kill, as if she might tear him apart any moment. Karami, however, was unfazed. He was well aware that so long as the shackles of the soul were bound, dying by Hilde's hands was nothing but a delusion and a vain hope on her part. With a brazen smile, he wagged his finger. "No, no. I taught you to use honorifics when you ask me for something." "You bastard…!" Hilde ground her teeth, clenching her fists tightly. She never even used honorifics with the king and queen, but for a mere human…! "You don't have to do it if you really hate it. But you'll have to enter the castle looking like that. The servants will be shocked." Karami shrugged. Hilde, who had been trembling with rage, bit her lips, her mouth opening and closing multiple times before she found her voice. "Re…release it." "Hmm, seems a bit short~" "Re…lease it… please…." "What did you say? I can't hear you; it's too soft." "Release it, you bastard!" "Hmm." Cursing at one's master was unthinkable. While letting it pass would spoil the slave's manners, Karami was a generous person. Besides, Hilde's eyes were welling up with tears, embarrassed beyond words. Teasing her further might lead her to bite her tongue and end it all right there. Just this once, he decided to let it slide. Karami reached out and unhooked Hilde's collar. Though Hilde had strained to no avail, it came off with ridiculous ease. "There you go." Karami handed the collar to Hilde, who scowled at it, the sight of it angering her just from looking. "Why give this to me?" "Keep it safe and return it when we go for a walk next time. Or hand it to me when you feel like going for a walk first, princess." "This bastard, seriously!" Hilde was about to throw the collar at Karami's face but found her hand unwilling to follow through, as if unable to cause him harm by any means. Reluctantly, Hilde ended up pocketing the collar. --- "O-oh, you're back, princess." The royal castle's corridor. The maid, who met the princess returning late at dawn, bowed deeply. Hilde was notorious even within the castle walls. She tormented servants out of boredom and turned violent if in a foul mood. Thus, everyone tried their best to avoid her. Especially today, she didn't seem in a good mood. A misstep might lead to a disaster. ‘Why today, of all days….’ The maid on duty trembled slightly, praying silently for a safe passage. Hilde glared at the back of the maid's head, her eyes sharp as a sword. Just when the chilling silence became unbearable, Hilde brushed past her and entered her room. Thud, the door closed. ‘…?’ Could she be pretending to have entered, waiting for the maid to lift her head, ready to strike? With Hilde, nothing was too far-fetched. The maid kept her head down for minutes after the door closed. But when nothing happened, she cautiously surveyed her surroundings. Only after confirming Hilde was nowhere in sight did she finally lift her head. Hilde was not lurking anywhere in the corridor. Not even on the ceiling, just in case. ‘What was that?’ All's well that ends well. Thankfully, she got through unscathed. But was that a collar she saw in Hilde's hand? ‘No need to dwell on it.’ She was likely dragging some innocent around with a collar. The maid was sure of it. --- Princess Hilde’s chamber at the royal castle. Hilde returned, unusually exhausted. Her steps were sluggish, as if the life had been drained from her. The collar was clutched tightly in her hand—a precious souvenir from her time with her new master… "Damn it!" Smack! Hilde hurled the collar. The force of her throw left a large dent in the wall as it fell. Hilde's shoulders heaved as she panted heavily. A torrent of indescribable anger and humiliation surged within her. Losing helplessly to a nine-tailed fox wasn't enough; she was now shackled by an insignificant human's binding spell. With power at her level, one might expect her to easily suppress such compulsory commands, yet she couldn’t budge. Because of that, she crawled around like a pet. She was patted on the head by a lowly man. The princess of Bestia. The lioness of Bestia. "I, Hilde Brigitta Lioness!!!" Hilde let out a thunderous roar. Merely by shouting, furniture and clutter shattered to pieces. Yet it did nothing to quell her fury. Unless she tore that man's limbs apart. Unless she ripped his smug mouth, her rage wouldn't subside. But first, she had to deal with this shackle. Unfortunately, Hilde was highly skilled in combat but clueless about magic. Still, with the help of royal court magicians, dismantling that slave trader's enchantment should be easy enough. Once freed from these chains, she would do whatever it took to deal with that man…! Bang! Hilde kicked the door. The entire door collapsed. "Eek!" The maid, startled out of her wits. Ignoring her presence, Hilde stormed off to seek the royal court magicians. It was dawn. --- While Karami was taking a dawn stroll with Hilde, the nine-tailed fox remained at the Heavenly Tower. Fox deity Yuhwa. That was where she had business. This was the main purpose. Tending to Hilde was a coincidental benefit of meeting her. The nine-tailed fox narrowed her eyes, curving them like crescent moons, and beckoned with her fingers. "I won't mince words. Hand over your power." The celestial power Yuhwa possessed as a fox deity. That was the nine-tailed fox’s objective. But of course, she wouldn’t willingly give it up. A fierce battle was inevitable. With seven tails, she couldn’t summon her full past strength, but the same held true for her opponent. As a consequence of defying fate, Yuhwa had been steadily weakening. It was a fight she could definitely take on. The nine-tailed fox conjured a fox marble. "If you won't come, then I'll make the first mo—" "Alright. Take it." "W-what?" "I said you can have it. The power you've long desired." Yuhwa's expression was impassive as she spoke. Calm and collected, she sipped her steaming tea as was customary. The nine-tailed fox was taken aback by Yuhwa's unexpected compliance. Could there be some deceitful trick hidden? The nine-tailed fox's fur bristled as she eyed Yuhwa warily. "What are you up to?" "What do you mean? You wanted it, so I'm giving it to you." "You think I don't know you? There’s no way you’d give it up so easily." As the nine-tailed fox glared, Yuhwa chuckled. For the celestial fox to laugh like that? To the nine-tailed fox’s ears, it was more ominous than the wail of a ghost. "Why are you laughing like that?" "How could I not? You desire power, yet tremble when it's handed to you. The great nine-tailed fox quivering at a mere word." Through the nine-tailed fox's reaction, Yuhwa felt the passage of time. The nine-tailed fox seemed no more than a naive child now. In one way, it was pitiable. With a gentle push, Yuhwa sent the fox marble, a blend of white and blue reminiscent of the sky, drifting toward the nine-tailed fox. "Wondering why? I'm not giving this to you. It's for the young fox within you." "...Why do you care about her?" Even training wasn’t enough, now she was offering her power? From the celestial fox to the nine-tailed fox? She must have lost her mind. "Perhaps being together has addled your mind, but she’s a nine-tailed fox too. When she grows, she will become like me, feared even by the heavens—" "No, she won't. Rin isn’t you, and more importantly, that child is with her. He won't let her rampage unchecked." "Why do you trust that human so much? What exactly are you plotting?" "Plotting..." It wasn’t anything grand enough to call a plot. She simply wanted the fox girl burdened with misfortune to live free from oppression and shackles. To witness someday the seemingly illusory words spoken by that man become reality. "Who knows, maybe you'll be saved as well." "Don't talk nonsense. I’ll seize my own salvation. And she will never awaken. I’ll make sure of it." "Of course." A nonchalant response, unconcerned. That serene smile was deeply unsettling. The nine-tailed fox deliberately averted her gaze. To ensure her heart didn't waver, she nailed it firmly. ‘I am not weak.’ She needed no one's help. She was the nine-tailed fox. A fox that defied fate. The only thing needed was power. The nine-tailed fox reached out to the celestial fox's marble. As she gripped it, cracks formed on the marble. With a shatter! It broke into countless fragments. White and blue wisps spiraled around. The nine-tailed fox absorbed them. The celestial power was siphoned into the nine-tailed fox's marble. A rumble…! The skies trembled. The Heavenly Tower, a space created by Yuhwa’s power, now crumbled as that power vanished. Simultaneously, it confirmed her complete severance from fate. Yuhwa's azure clairvoyance dimmed and her divine essence in her white fur dispersed. In its wake was a completely ordinary, aging member of the fox tribe. Yet, despite losing all her power, Yuhwa's presence remained enigmatic. The spectacle, reminiscent of a sage attaining enlightenment, etched an indelible turbulence in the nine-tailed fox’s mind. *** Several days passed after the skies of the Heavenly Tower collapsed, leaving it a mundane structure. After absorbing the celestial fox's power, the nine-tailed fox’s tails eventually numbered eight. With the celestial fox's influence gone from guarding Bestia, monsters began to run rampant. The misfortune of the red fox spread, twisting the fates of countless beings. Soldiers tirelessly devoted themselves to repelling the monsters, day and night, but it was no easy task. Monsters were not simple creatures; each had bizarre abilities. Without knowledge of these, capturing them was difficult. Thanks to the nine-tailed fox following Karami’s commands, the damage remained minimal. But this could not continue indefinitely. Realizing this, the nine-tailed fox subtly suggested to Karami. "These monsters are appearing frequently, just catching them won’t be enough." "And what do you suggest?" "The root needs to be eradicated altogether." Having absorbed the celestial fox’s power, it was now time to seek out the other. It was time to hunt the black fox.