The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

Karamir tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

A god-like figure had appeared, creating an illusion of a natural disaster. For a yokai to reveal themselves in broad daylight meant they had enough confidence in their power.

This horse yokai was one of the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts.

Like the corrupted monk, it was one of the great yokai sent to suppress Lin, brought forth by the heavens’ command. When the corrupted monk failed, this yokai took over the task and arrived here.

As the name suggests, the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts are yokai derived from the Twelve Zodiac Animals, with this particular yokai representing the horse.

She fit right into the theme of Bestia, the land of beastfolk.

Which animal appeared was random. The most difficult opponent was the dragon (the jin of the twelve), while the others were more or less manageable. The appearance of the horse yokai, one of the Twelve, wasn’t too bad in comparison.

‘Though her appearance now is unexpected.’

Just as Karamir was facing off against Hilda, the sudden arrival of one of the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts threw everything into chaos. The appearance of a yokai, equivalent to a disaster, sent the citizens trembling to the ground in fear.

Even Hilda’s usual confidence disappeared as she sensed the danger.

"Tch. This isn’t just misfortune anymore."

Karamir agreed entirely.

If you counted that as misfortune, getting hit by bird droppings from the sky wouldn’t even make the list.

"Right? There’s no way my Lin could have summoned such a monster."

"If she’s not just a regular fox but a Gumiho, that’s a different story."

"That’s true."

With the growing belief that Lin was indeed a Gumiho, Karamir didn’t bother to deny it any further. Besides, even if he did, no one would believe him now. Fortunately, Hilda was no longer able to focus solely on Lin.

Hilda’s head was pounding with heat.

The recent plague had solidified her belief that Lin was not a simple Hongho but a full-fledged Gumiho. Yuha, that old fox, had hidden this from her, likely because they were both legendary foxes.

She had come to hunt the Gumiho before it was too late, only to find one of the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts here as well. One was difficult enough to handle, but now there were two great yokai.

Could the entire strength of the kingdom stop them? Bestia was on the brink of fading into history, regressing to a time when beasts ruled.

Hilda glared at the horse yokai, but the yokai didn’t even acknowledge her presence, focusing solely on Lin.

"Gumiho, I bear you no personal grudge, but I cannot defy the command of the heavens."

"What are you babbling about?" Lin retorted, summoning flames as she prepared for battle.

A three-way standoff.

Tension filled the air, ready to explode into a fight at any moment.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a whirlwind blew in from somewhere, scattering objects and forcing people to shield their faces. The dark clouds in the sky seemed to be sucked back into the heavens and disappeared.

"This place really is a den of yokai."

Lightly landing on the rooftop of a nearby building, like a feather, was a fox wearing a straw hat with a veil that obscured her face.

For most ordinary citizens, even perceiving her presence was difficult, but those who knew her recognized the figure immediately. It was the legendary fox spirit, Cheonho Yuha.

"Yuha...!" Hilda growled, glaring at her.

Yuha met her gaze calmly, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. A minimal gesture of respect.

"Cheonho, why do you defy the will of the heavens?" the horse yokai spoke.

It was one of the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts.

The role of restraining a Gumiho traditionally fell to the Cheonho, yet despite the Gumiho being right in front of her, Yuha gave no more than a glance. She was going against the divine order.

"Step aside. If you won’t act, then I will take your place."

"I can’t allow that. If you cause trouble here, innocent citizens will suffer. Protecting the lives of the innocent is the role of the Cheonho, is it not?"

"If you had restrained the Gumiho earlier, this wouldn’t be happening."

"This too is part of fate’s flow."

"......"

The horse yokai scanned the area. Two legendary fox spirits, plus the soldiers of Bestia. Hilda’s aura, in particular, was nothing to be dismissed.

Retreating seemed like the prudent choice, but...

"I will retreat for now, but heed my words. Next time, I will not come alone. Other yokai will join me, and it won’t end with words."

"Hmm."

With a burst of flames, the horse yokai vanished without a trace. The remaining warriors kept a wary eye on the sky, just in case of a surprise attack.

When they were sure the yokai’s presence was gone, Hilda alternated her furious glare between the two fox spirits. Her face flushed with anger, and she ground her teeth.

"These damn fox bastards... how dare you mock me!"

"This is a misunderstanding, Princess," Karamir interjected.

"Misunderstanding?! A Gumiho is walking freely in the kingdom!"

"Please, calm down, Princess. I will escort you to Cheonsangru."

Hilda, seething with rage, heaved her shoulders as she breathed heavily. She glared daggers at Lin and Karamir, as if branding them with a mark.

It was as though she was telling them they could not escape her wrath, no matter where they went.

Then, stomping her feet angrily on the road, she stormed off in the direction of Cheonsangru. Yuha sighed deeply before giving Karamir and Lin a brief glance and disappearing as well.

The citizens, still in shock from the recent events, were left in a state of confusion. Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Karamir discreetly slipped away.

After walking for some time, far enough from the commotion, Karamir slowed his pace, lost in thought.

First, there was Hilda.

‘Now that she knows Lin is a Gumiho, she’ll come after her for real.’

He didn’t know what kind of conversation Yuha might have with Hilda, but he was confident that Yuha wouldn’t team up with Hilda to hunt Lin.

As long as that was the case, Karamir thought he could manage.

Then there was the Twelve O-Wi Ghost.

Although it wasn’t the dragon, which was a huge relief, the horse wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly either. As one of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits, it was strong enough to be considered a lesser deity.

Thankfully, Karamir’s database had recorded that each of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits had certain weaknesses that could be exploited.

With that in mind, Karamir headed for the grand cathedral in Bestia.

Bestia’s cathedral, made up of various species without distinction, had one particularly unique resident.

Priestess Iris.

Iris, with her long, pure white hair that glimmered in rainbow hues when the light hit it, radiated holy energy.

But her most distinctive feature was the long horn protruding from her forehead.

She was a unicorn beastfolk.

If the Twelve O-Wi Ghosts were based on mythical Eastern horses, Iris was the Western equivalent—an embodiment of the unicorn.

Iris could bestow a blessing, a buff, that granted additional damage when fighting horse-like monsters.

However, such a powerful blessing couldn’t be earned through ordinary means, not even by making a large donation.

Only those chosen by Iris could receive her brilliant blessing, and the minimum requirement was purity.

Unicorns were notorious for their temperamental nature but were exceptionally kind to virgins. Both the master and the slave had to remain pure for Iris to grant her blessing.

Many players often used her blessings when venturing into difficult dungeons or fighting bosses, as they provided a considerable stat boost, not just extra damage against horse monsters.

But not many players could actually use it. Most couldn’t resist their desires and engaged in... certain activities with their slaves.

‘But I’m different.’

Karamir had never once engaged in any intimate activity with his slaves. In fact, his succubus slave had never been fully liberated because of it.

He cherished his slaves and never laid a hand on them. How could he?

He was sure of it.

"Ugh, it reeks of filth. Get lost."

Until Iris, looking at him as if he were scum, scrunched up her face in disgust.

Her insult left Karamir completely taken aback.

"W-wait, what are you talking about? There’s no one as clean and virtuous as me!"

"You reek of stale fluids. Guards, throw these filthy things out."

"W-wait a second!"

He wasn’t even given a chance to explain or understand the situation. Karamir was dragged out of the cathedral by the guards.

Even after rolling across the ground, he couldn’t bring himself to get up. Lying there, spread out on the floor, he replayed her words in his head.

‘Impure... filth?’

Me?

I, who have never even experienced the slightest hint of sex?

Karamir swore to whatever gods there were that he had never done anything of the sort. But the fact that Iris, a unicorn who could sense purity, had called him filthy was irrefutable.

Which left him with only one conclusion.

‘Damn you, Karamir, you bastard!’

It wasn’t self-deprecation.

He was cursing the original owner of this body.

The body Karamir had possessed had been tainted long before he came into it. He had never stood a chance of receiving Iris’s blessing from the beginning.

How unfair could life be?

It wouldn’t have been as bad if he had at least enjoyed it.

As Karamir lay there in shock, Lin timidly approached him.

"I’m sorry, Master. It’s all my fault..."

Looking downcast, she blamed herself for the situation, thinking it was her misfortune that had caused it. Such a kind-hearted soul.

Karamir forced a smile as he reassured her.

"It’s okay. This has nothing to do with you, Lin."

How could it be your fault?

It’s the fault of this body that led such a debauched, promiscuous life.

Now, I’ll have to face the consequences without the pleasure.