Ch.70Crimson Flame (1)

Even foxes have such times.

Innocent and pure.

Times when they couldn’t even suspect others.

Times when they easily fell for adults’ lies, and stupidly smiled even when they knew they were deceived.

She too had regrets she hated the most.

-Irene.

The village transformed into a scene of chaos.

In front of burning straw, acrid smoke, and screams, the white-haired old man stood silently.

Holding only a single sword.

-I can no longer stay by your master’s side… nor should I.

-So this is farewell.

The wrinkled eyes smile calmly.

Despite the approaching nightmare being so close, his pupils held not even a trace of trembling.

He merely showed a faint smile.

The old man murmured as if making a final request.

-Please, survive.

Immediately after.

The aged body turned its back.

It was her master, facing the pursuing hunters alone, buying time for the other foxes to escape.

For a while, the sound of metal tearing echoed in the night sky.

The fox ran away crying.

In her hands were young foxes who still needed care.

She ran, swallowing the tears that fell drop by drop.

In her heart full of despair, only bright red hatred was spreading.

Those who had turned the girl’s daily life into hell.

-I’m a businessman with a small business in the capital.

-I came near the village for work, and since we’re here, I’d like to get along well with you all.

-I want to be your friend.

Humans.

If she hadn’t fallen for those lies, she could have lost nothing.

The girl suffered from nightmares every day.

An eternal iron cage imprisoning her life.

Scratching the walls, she cursed and vowed.

That she would never trust humans again.

She swore never to open her heart again in a world full of liars.

The fox was thus consumed by distrust.

-I don’t trust anyone.

It had always been that way.

The girl was always alone.

***

“How ridiculous.”

Irene muttered.

Was it because of the sudden encounter with slave traders?

Bitter memories had surfaced.

She bit her lip firmly.

Erasing the vague distractions, she focused on the present scene.

A slight trembling remained at her fingertips.

All the more reason to widen her eyes and grip her sword tightly.

“……”

Irene had already gotten off the carriage.

She jumped off when it slowed down and quickly hid in a nearby alley.

She was quietly observing the situation.

The carriages had stopped at a secluded dock.

Against a backdrop with not a single passerby, soldiers were busily transporting slaves.

Occasionally, shouts reached her ears.

Irene listened to those echoes while holding her breath.

-Stop whining and move quickly!

-Try to escape and you’ll die. Better not try anything stupid.

-We’re departing soon! Everyone check if anything’s missing!

The soldiers were noisily organizing the surroundings.

The atmosphere was busy.

Slaves being dragged away, chained in handcuffs.

Irene calmly surveyed her surroundings.

Were they going somewhere?

From what she briefly heard about “departure,” it seemed they were moving by ship.

If so, there should be a vessel waiting nearby.

As she was scanning the dock, pondering these deductions.

“…Huh?”

There was a shadow that particularly caught her eye.

A massive form that couldn’t be taken in at a glance.

Despite floating on the sea, it displayed a striking presence.

It was a vessel boasting an overwhelming scale, as if several luxury passenger ships had been joined together.

The fox found herself unconsciously dumbfounded.

“What is…?”

A ship of unbelievable size even as she beheld it with her own eyes.

If she hadn’t looked carefully, she might have mistaken it for a hotel situated by the sea.

What on earth was the identity of that monstrous ship?

All the slaves were heading toward the vessel.

‘It’s his doing.’

Irene instinctively realized.

A figure in the underworld who moved vast capital through numerous illegal businesses.

Commonly called “the Businessman.”

She had heard about it sometime before.

During the time she was caged.

She remembered eavesdropping on the guards’ conversations as they shared their exploits.

-I’ve been on that ship, brother~!

-It’s a merchant vessel run by the boss, and it’s so huge it looks like a building at first glance!

-Must be fucking expensive. Can’t even compare to buying a hotel.

-That’s why the boss said he only has three of them.

At the time, she thought it was just boasting.

But the fool had been right.

The businessman’s capabilities were far more formidable.

The fox’s momentum, which had seemed ready to charge out at any moment, waned.

She was blocked by an unexpected wall.

‘This… is beyond what I can handle.’

Though she had a character that couldn’t ignore injustice, she wasn’t one to rush in like a moth to a flame.

Irene knew how to assess situations according to her position.

The enemy was too overwhelming for a single individual to face.

Moreover, with an operation of that scale, they would surely have at least one “hunting dog” on board.

Retreating was the wise choice now.

‘I should seek help instead.’

The fox slowly backed away.

She was trying to leave the spot.

As she was trying to slip out of the dark alley while holding her breath.

Suddenly, she felt someone’s presence.

“Well~ Look who we have here?”

A voice brushed past her ear.

Someone was standing behind the girl.

“…?!”

Irene turned around while drawing her sword, but it was already too late.

A powerful impact struck her head.

Whack-!

Simultaneously, her consciousness rapidly faded.

Her body lost strength and collapsed.

As she blinked through blurry vision, she saw an assailant wearing a gray robe.

The man was wearing a sinister smile.

“The runaway fox came back on her own feet?”

A hunting dog.

The fox belatedly realized.

‘No way.’

She had been played from the beginning.

From the moment she boarded the carriage, the hunting dog had already detected her presence.

The assailant roughly grabbed the fox’s hair.

“Happy to see me? You fucking bitch.”

Consciousness spreading dimly.

Her vision went dark.

The fox ultimately lost consciousness.

***

How much time had passed?

What awakened the fox’s darkened consciousness was none other than a splash of water.

Splash-!

Ice-cold temperature drenched her face.

Forced to regain her senses, Irene looked around, focusing her blurry vision.

It was a spacious area with loads of cargo piled up.

It seemed she had been brought inside the ship she had seen earlier.

“How is it? The water woke you right up, didn’t it?”

An irritating voice in her ear.

In front of Irene, who was sprawled on the floor, stood the assailant in the gray robe.

The hunting dog looked down at the girl, snickering.

“Where else in the world would you find such luck? A runaway asset returning on her own feet.”

The man greeted her with a sinister tone.

“I’ve fucking missed you. You damn fox.”

“……”

Irene recognized her opponent at a glance as well.

Hunting dogs.

Known as the Businessman’s direct squad, they were contractors who handled all sorts of dirty work.

The fox glared at him while struggling against her rope bindings.

“Oh my? Not going to look at me nicely?”

Finding her reaction amusing, the hunting dog snorted before stepping on the girl’s face firmly.

“Consider yourself lucky that you’re a premium item. If it weren’t for the boss’s orders, those eyes of yours would have been gouged out already.”

“Kugh…!”

Despite groaning, she didn’t lower her eyes.

Instead, she only burned with hatred.

The enemy before her had turned her village into a wasteland and actively led the fox hunt.

His characteristic sneering voice echoed.

“Our boss was very angry because of you. He never imagined you could escape from that place.”

“……”

“Honestly, I want to ask too. How did you escape? It’s impossible to break out on your own. I even heard the cage door was cleanly opened. Just like someone used a key.”

“……”

“Did someone help you from outside? After singing about how much you hate humans, did you end up getting help from another human?”

“Go to hell.”

Ptui-!

Instead of answering, Irene spat at him.

The hunting dog’s eyes almost rolled back for a moment, but he soon calmed himself with a steady breath.

He seemed to be deliberately following his employer’s instructions.

“…Well, it doesn’t matter. Since you’ve been caught again.”

It was all within his palm no matter how much she struggled.

The hunting dog ordered the soldiers waiting nearby.

“Take this one to the cage. I have an appointment with a guest, so I need to go.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers responded energetically.

They forcibly lifted the fox who had collapsed on the floor and dragged her away.

Her crimson hair hung limply.