The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

The situation was becoming dire.

The most critical element in defeating the Twelve O-Wi Ghost, the blessing of the unicorn Iris, was no longer an option.

‘There’s still Pegasus...’

Pegasus, the Western mythical creature that formed a pair with the unicorn.

Given the timeline, she would still be enrolled at the Bestia Academy. The problem was that she wasn’t a Pegasus yet. She’s one of those cases where she’d fall into debt trying to pay off her academy tuition and end up being sold as a slave.

In order to help her, I would have to aid her awakening into Pegasus form, and then I’d be able to get a blessing with a similar effect to the unicorn’s.

But when would I have the time to raise her and wait for her awakening? That was something for the future, not now.

"You look like you're getting more haggard by the day."

It had been several days since the Twelve O-Wi Ghost appeared.

I was lounging on the sofa, enjoying the soft, fluffy sensation of stroking Lin’s tail, when Seira suddenly made that remark. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard such comments lately.

"Yeah, I’ve been feeling pretty tired recently..."

I was constantly sleepy at night.

It was hard to wake up early in the morning.

No matter how much I rested, the exhaustion wouldn’t go away.

"Is it really that noticeable?"

"Maybe not to a passerby, but to those of us who see you every day, the change is obvious."

"Hmm..."

If I had to guess, it was probably due to the influence of misfortune. Ever since the appearance of the Twelve O-Wi Ghost, sightings of yokai at night had increased.

They would sneak into people’s dreams to drain their life energy or kidnap those wandering alone at night.

Of course, yokai wouldn’t dare approach me with Lin, a Gumiho, by my side. But being so close to a Gumiho might be what’s causing these effects on me.

If I had to consider another possibility...

I glanced down at Lin, who was licking the back of my hand on my lap. For a moment, our eyes met.

"What’s wrong, Master?"

"Nothing, I was just admiring how cute you are."

Right. No way Lin was draining my energy, right? It wouldn’t even taste good to her.

If it were that Gumiho, maybe, but Lin? She was someone I raised with my own hands. There was no way she would do something like that. Even considering it would betray the trust I had in her.

I’d probably recover after resting a bit longer.

I didn’t give it much thought.

"Hmm?"

Lin, who had been lazily rolling around, suddenly summoned her fox bead. It flickered intermittently.

"Master, the old lady is calling."

"The Cheonho?"

Though Lin trained in magic at Cheonsangru every day, Yuha sometimes reached out like this. It was likely related to Hilda.

I needed to check it out.

I immediately headed for Cheonsangru with Lin.

"Huu..."

Yuha let out a deep sigh.

It wasn’t just her body, worn out from the passing years, but the clear repercussions of defying the heavenly mandate to suppress the Gumiho.

She had used so much power trying to calm Hilda’s rage. In the past, it would have been nothing, but now even that was overwhelming.

If this continued, she might lose all her strength as the Cheonho.

Flicker, flicker.

Yuha glanced at the fox bead.

The bead flickered, constantly receiving signals from the heavens. It was a late offer but still a chance to undo everything, a sign of mercy from the gods.

But Yuha easily turned her gaze away from the bead. If she were going to back down now, she wouldn’t have helped the Gumiho in the first place.

She was no longer afraid of divine punishment.

She had lived too long to care.

She had been deeply moved by her experiences.

She sensed the presence of two troublemakers approaching Cheonsangru.

With a wave of her hand, a door opened in the air. On the other side, as expected, were the two she had been waiting for.

"We’re here."

"Hi, old lady~"

Karamir greeted her politely, bowing his head, while Lin waved her hand freely. Yuha was impressed that Karamir had managed to enslave a Gumiho, but it seemed he hadn’t taught her any manners.

If he had been able to do that, he wouldn’t be a slave merchant; he’d be a god. Yuha stifled a bitter smile.

"You came earlier than I expected..."

Yuha started to greet them, but the moment she saw Karamir, her bright blue eyes widened in shock.

"You...?"

"Haha, do I look a bit gaunt? I’ve been working too hard and haven’t had time to take care of myself."

Karamir smoothly responded, as if expecting her reaction, but it wasn’t nearly enough to convince Yuha.

Not taking care of himself?

No, that wasn’t it. This wasn’t a physical issue—it was something entirely different.

With her Cheonryeong eyes, Yuha could see it clearly. Karamir’s life force, his jeonggi, wasn’t intact. A part of it had been consumed, just as when a yokai siphons off energy.

But which yokai would dare do that with a Gumiho right by his side...?

As Yuha’s gaze shifted, she noticed it. Karamir’s life force was flowing inside Lin’s body. The moment she realized this—

Old lady.

She heard Lin’s voice in her head.

Standing just behind Karamir, Lin smiled, her eyes and mouth forming thin crescents. As she met Yuha’s gaze, she raised a finger to her lips.

Shhh.

She let out a soft breath.

You...?

Master doesn’t know. So you can’t tell him.

...Why did you do it? Are you planning to betray him?

Don’t say things like that. I did it because I love him too much. And besides, his life isn’t in any danger. He’ll just feel a little tired, that’s all.

It was true that Karamir’s life wasn’t in danger. The amount of energy Lin had absorbed was small. Given the careful control she exercised, it didn’t seem like she intended to harm him.

But even so, losing one’s life force, even a small amount, would inevitably lead to fatigue. His quality of life would deteriorate drastically.

Even beyond that, it was still something that shouldn’t have been done.

Why had Lin done this?

Yuha’s Cheonryeong eyes could see even deeper. In the depths of Lin’s being, the Gumiho lay in wait, biding its time.

It was waiting for Lin to cross that final line.

To cross the point of no return.

For the moment when Lin’s own hand would harm her master.

It was subtly pulling her down the path of corruption, manipulating her from within. Rather than persuading her with words, which could provoke resistance, it was gently nudging her thoughts in the wrong direction.

"Cheonho?"

After being summoned only to be met with silence, Karamir finally spoke up, unable to contain his curiosity. He looked at Yuha with a puzzled expression.

Karamir seemed to have no idea what was happening to his body. Should I call him foolish, or simply overly trusting? In this case, it seemed more like the latter.

"...It’s nothing. The reason I called you was to discuss Princess Hilda."

This... I would have to deal with this soon. Quietly, without letting the Gumiho notice.

"I assume you’re aware that your true identity has been exposed. Princess Hilda is determined to eliminate the Gumiho."

"Yes, I’m well aware. Did the Cheonho ask for your cooperation?"

"That’s not it. My stance has already been decided, but persuading Hilda is proving to be difficult."

I tried to explain that the Gumiho wasn’t as dangerous as the legends made it out to be.

That it wasn’t that harmful.

That we could resolve the misfortunes affecting the city.

But Hilda refused to listen. She was fixated on the idea that the Gumiho had to die.

If we recklessly fought in the middle of the city, the destruction would be catastrophic, so I offered her a different solution: to hold the duel in Cheonsangru.

"Here at Cheonsangru?"

"Yes, if the battle takes place here, the aftermath won’t reach the outside world."

In other words, Yuha had taken on the role of facilitating a duel between Lin and Hilda. It was an offer Karamir was willing to accept.

A one-on-one fight between Lin and Hilda was something they could win. It was a hurdle they had to overcome eventually anyway.

"I’ll do it. Lin, are you okay with this?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then I’ll notify Princess Hilda. When the day is set, I’ll send you a message, like today."

Just as Karamir was about to leave, Yuha called out to him.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you. Take this."

Like a grandmother handing her grandson candy after the holidays, Yuha placed a white bead in Karamir’s hand.

The glowing bead was clearly not an ordinary object.

"What’s this?"

"You said you were feeling weak, so I’m giving it to you. Keep it on you. It will help invigorate your energy."

"Old lady, this isn’t anything strange, is it?"

"There will be even more difficult times ahead. You need to stay sharp. If your master suddenly collapses, it will affect you as well."

"Well..."

That would indeed be a problem for Lin in more ways than one.

"Then I’ll gladly accept it."

Karamir took the bead and placed it in his pocket.

That night.

As usual, I lay down in bed with Lin to sleep.

I wasn’t given a blanket or pillow. Lin’s tail served as my pillow, and the rest of her tails covered me like a blanket.

It wasn’t something I had asked for. Lin had taken all the bedding for herself, so I had no choice but to adapt.

‘Not that I mind.’

Her fluffy fur was warmer than any blanket. What man would refuse to be embraced by a beautiful girl like this? There was only one concern.

‘Maybe I’ve spoiled her too much?’

It was a sudden thought.

With my other slaves, I’d usually release them once their affection reached its peak, and we’d part ways amicably. But Lin had been with me for so long that her affection had long since maxed out.

As a result, I was seeing behavior that crossed the line between master and servant.

I might care for my slaves, but only as long as they remained slaves.

If I released them, that was one thing, but a slave trying to become equals with their master? That was unacceptable. It went against my principles.

The master treats the slave with kindness, and the slave reciprocates with unconditional loyalty. That’s the most beautiful and healthy relationship.

But now it was too late to be strict, and I feared that being too harsh would lower her affection.

‘I’ll have to maintain a balance of authority as her master from now on.’

If the affection level gets too high, even with NPCs, they might stop listening to orders. It was another lesson learned.

I felt sleep creeping up on me. Every night, I became inexplicably sleepy, sleeping soundly without waking, but waking up still tired.

It was an irony.

"Lin?"

I snapped awake when I felt something strange. It felt like something was being drained from my body. My mind, which had been foggy as if drenched in cold water, suddenly cleared.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Lin sitting on top of me, her hand resting on my chest.

"M-Master?"

Lin looked startled, as if caught in the act of a crime.

A faint cracking sound echoed as the bead in my pocket shattered.

"What are you doing?"