The women I set free are obsessed with me

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Bolt waited in a safe zone on the outskirts of White Cloud Valley.

Buddy, too scared, didn't even come. She was probably grooming her feathers at the inn in the village below.

"When the hell are they coming out?"

It had been an hour since Karami and Seira entered White Cloud Valley.

The thick mist made it impossible to see inside, and the echoes of thunderous footsteps reverberated through the valley.

Is it okay to just wait here like this?

If that monster comes, they're dead.

Oh well, forget it.

They were both good acquaintances. May they rest in peace.

Just as Bolt finished his 0.1-second prayer and was about to turn around…

"Whew, we finally made it out. If I'd gone alone, I might have been trapped there forever."

"Why am I doing this…"

"You have to monitor, remember? Monitor. You need to take responsibility until the end."

The two figures emerged from the valley, parting the mist as they approached—the scene of their appearance reminiscent of mountain gods descending.

"Y-You finally came out! I definitely wasn't trying to run away alone… Huh?"

Bolt's eyes widened.

Karami was cradling a small beastkin girl in his arms like a baby. Two went in, but three came out?

"Congratulations! What a pretty daughter! I had no idea you two had that kind of relationship. But no matter how close you are, outdoor play is a bit much, isn't it?"

"Please do not utter bullshit."

"S-Seira?"

Seira had uttered harsh words, and it wasn't even directed at Karami. Her appearance was different from usual.

Her hands and feet were those of a monstrous beast, and her limbs were covered in ash-gray fur. It was a sign that she had used the beastkin's unique beast transformation ability.

"I am a wolf. This child is a fox."

"Hmm…? Ah, now that I look closely, you're right. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I was flustered."

It's a cute-looking fox.

And that pink fur…

"…?"

Pink fur?

A fox?

A pink fox?

"A p-pink fox?!"

"That's right. Isn't she pretty? She's my new slave."

"Pretty? You took a pink fox as a slave? Are you out of your mind?"

The pink fox was one of the most notorious yokai, and merely being near one brings misfortune and calamity.

To bring one willingly… It could only be called insanity.

"Take her back where she came from right now! If you don't, you'll face dire consequences!"

"Haha, how could I leave such a cute child in such a dangerous place? Mr. Bolt, you must not know, but inside White Cloud Valley exists a bear yokai called Ghost Bear roaming around. If you go in, it's instant death."

"But─!"

"Miss Seira."

Karami cut off Bolt's protest and turned to Seira with a sly expression. Her eyes were wary, wondering what nonsense he would spout next.

"…What is it?"

"Is it a plus or a minus to leave an injured child to die merely because they are said to bring misfortune?"

"Tch."

Seira answered with a short click of her tongue, and Karami grinned at his desired response.

"You heard that, Mr. Bolt? Leaving her behind would be abandonment. I'm already under suspicion of such an act, so I can't abandon her again, can I? What a shame."

"…I clearly warned you. Whatever happens, it's not my responsibility."

***

We left White Cloud Valley and returned to the small village where Buddy was waiting.

It had been a tiring day, so we agreed to meet tomorrow and went to our rooms.

"Phew…"

I sat on the bed. It wasn't very soft even though I'd gotten the best room, perhaps because it was a rural inn. It couldn't be helped, I suppose.

Needless to say, Rin was sleeping next to me, breathing heavily.

I had already finished treating her. She was wrapped in bandages here and there, but beastkin have excellent recovery abilities, so she should heal quickly.

I stroked Rin's hair. She flinched unconsciously as though this were her first time feeling this sensation.

Ah, poor thing.

The third main slave [The Fox Who Brings Misfortune].

She was one of the most popular characters in TOS. Several factors contributed to her popularity, but primarily, she stood out from other slaves.

Firstly.

In Rin's case, she had no name.

It was slightly different from Mirabelle's circumstance. While she was trying to hide her name, Rin truly had no name.

So where did the name Rin come from?

It's the name I gave her in the game.

In-game, it was [RIN].

The reason it was in English was because of the game rule that names must be 2-8 characters long.

Rin was the only character that the user directly named.

The second aspect was growth.

In terms of physical development, other slaves were already somewhat grown when you met them.

But Rin was small right now. Even smaller than Mirabelle.

However, as you progressed through the story, she gradually grew physically.

In other words, I named her and raised her from the beginning. It was set up in a way that through watching her grow, it was impossible not to become affectionate towards her.

"Hehe, hehehehe."

I was already excited at the thought of raising Rin.

Daddy will raise you beautifully.

***

In a back alley of Vestia following an old path known to no one, was a fortune-telling shop.

It was a musty, old-fashioned smelling fortune-telling shop, with a dim interior, and a white crystal ball resting on a round table.

An old woman moved her wrinkled fingers eerily over the crystal ball, a silver tail swaying gently following her movements.

"Let's see… I can see you running along a path. Others are chasing after you. How thrilling! It looks just like a race."

"A-A race?"

"You came first. People are cheering and congratulating you."

"Really?"

The old woman nodded, looking at the crystal ball.

"And then…"

"And then?"

The girl getting her fortune told swallowed nervously, waiting for the next words. What came out of the old woman's mouth was…

"…Ooh, you're dancing and singing."

"Dancing…?"

"Yes, many men are cheering for you, waving poles."

"So, what you're saying is that I'll run in a race, come in first, then dance and sing? What nonsense of a divination is that?"

"That's not quite…"

"I heard you were a skilled fortune-teller, but you're just a fraud. I'm leaving."

The girl stormed out of the shop, dissatisfied with the result. Her tail swayed back and forth as she left.

After a moment of silence…

"Keke. Keheheh."

A woman who had been watching the whole thing burst into laughter. She tried to cover her mouth with her hand, but it was useless. Eventually, she erupted into full-blown laughter.

"…If you laugh like that, this old woman will get upset, Princess."

Pitch-black hair.

Eyes reminiscent of melted gold.

Perked-up ears and a long tail.

The woman she called Princess was the Lioness of Vestia.

Hilde Brigitta Lioness.

"Kekeke, sorry. But I can't help it. I never dreamed I'd see the day when Yuhwa would be called a fraud."

Yuhwa kept her mouth shut.

The Fortune-Telling Granny.

Most people called the old woman by this common title, but the very few who knew of her existence called her this:

One of the Three Great Fox Spirits who had hidden themselves from the eyes of the world.

The Witch Who Reads The Flow of Fate.

The Fox of Heaven Yuhwa, the Celestial Fox.

A yokai who despite not being an elf, had lived for a thousand years as a beastkin. She was a living witness who had observed the evolution of the world throughout countless ages.

"Has Yuhwa gotten old too? To give such a ridiculous fortune."

Her silver eyes seemed to pierce through to the very truths of the world. Her silver fox tail sparkled like the Milky Way. Or rather, it once did.

Even she, who once foresaw the future, could not escape the passage of time. Yuhwa bore the traces of passing years, having endured for so long.

Her once-radiant tail had faded, its tip bereft of its former luster, and the wrinkles around her eyes bore a testament to the weight of time she had weathered.

The yokai who once embodied the will of the heavens had now fallen to become a mere creature with some magical tricks.

"Hmm, this can't be right…"

Still unwilling to give up, Yuhwa frowned as she looked at the image reflected in the crystal ball.

No matter how much had changed, she was still just reading the fate of an ordinary girl, it wasn't even the distant future. She was confident her divination couldn't possibly be wrong.

The horse beastkin girl dressed in splendid clothes ran through the city to come in first, then danced on the stage with the other horse beastkin she competed against.

Even to Yuhwa, it seemed absurd, but no matter how intently she stared, the scene shown in the crystal ball didn't change.

"Yuhwa, why don't you come to the palace? You could read my fortune every morning."

"I must decline. Not only do I have a merchant group to run, but sometimes fortunes can be inauspicious rather than auspicious. I'm concerned I might upset Your Highness."

"In those cases, you could just tell a white lie. You know I'd believe anything you say, right?"

"If one speaks falsehoods about fate, they will be punished by the heavens, Princess."

"I know. That's why I trust you."

If you know, why are you asking me to lie?

Yuhwa sighed at the princess who loved playing with words.

Shake.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the crystal ball shook.

It wasn't an earthquake or the wind.

"What's this? Yuhwa, was it an egg instead of a crystal ball?"

Yuhwa had no time to react to the trivial joke. She just stared intensely at the crystal ball.

The crystal ball shook unstably, clunk clunk. The vibrations grew stronger, and then a pink light burst forth, filling the inside of the ball.

Her eyes which had been lowered, widened like round fish eyes.

"Th-This is…?!"

"What's wrong?"

Yuhwa's eyes shook violently like the crystal ball.

The soft pink mist gradually began to take shape. From within, nine shimmering flames emerged, swaying gently like a dancing breeze.

Their eerie movements were reminiscent of a fox's tail wagging.

The meaning of this was clear.

"That child… has come out?"

A being that had long been in seclusion, hidden from the world's eyes, was now twisting the heavenly order as it revealed itself once more.

That wasn't all.

There's someone else.

There existed someone who had broken the very laws of heaven to unleash the fox spirit. However, she couldn't see who it was. A massive tree was obscuring them.

Is it an elf?

An elf, protected by the World Tree?

But she sensed no trace of elven energy…

It was impossible to tell.

Eventually, the mist dissipated and the crystal ball returned to its original color. The trembling ceased as well.

It had happened so suddenly that Yuhwa was dumbfounded. For such impossible events to unfold one after another.

"Yuhwa, the hell's going on?"

Hilde's voice snapped her back to reality. Nevertheless, she looked visibly exhausted.

"I think I should close down my fortune-telling business."

It looked like her supernatural powers had really hit rock bottom.

Otherwise, this made no sense.

Yep, let's quit while we're ahead.