[The Release of the Misfortune-Bringing Fox Completed]
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There is no restraint in misfortune.
In a small pink fox that resides deep within a foggy gorge, there lives a saying.
The fox girl does not have a name. Without a name that a sentient being ought to have, the only words to refer to her were derogatory terms.
The calamity-causing Huayo.
The misfortune-bringing Hongho.
Just because she was pink, she had to bear all kinds of false accusations. She was mistreated by her kin and couldn’t even take care of herself properly. To survive, she had to play a deadly game of tag.
Even when she did the right thing, all she received in return was reprimand, rendering her no different from a despised little fox.
However, the girl didn’t care.
A girl who only knew misfortune didn’t know what ‘good’ was. Being mistreated was a normal part of life for the fox girl and something she had to bear.
But you, who came to find that fox girl, were undoubtedly her fortune.
You carefully combed her pink tail, which she had thought of as a stigma, and gave a lovely name to the nameless girl.
The name of the despised fox girl is Lin.
Lin learned what affection was.
A girl who is loved tends to transform beautifully. The small child grew, discovered how to smile, enjoyed the taste of food, and learned how to play.
Overcoming countless hardships and adversities, she bloomed like a flower, awakening from a delicate girl into a proper Gumiho.
Though she may cause accidents and have many problems, the fact that these were expressions of affection towards her dear one remains unchanged.
The girl overcame misfortune and was able to determine her own fate.
The name of the fox girl is Lin.
The Gumiho who twists fate.
That day, you twisted the fate of the Gumiho.
You were the four-leaf clover that belonged solely to her.
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Lin’s release completion rate is 100%.
Reward: 50,000 pts will be granted.
The skill [Spirit Chain] will be strengthened.
The skill [Generous Master] will be greatly enhanced.
You have acquired a new skill [Animal Lover].
※ Additional rewards are available.
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The King of Youkai, the Fox God Gumiho.
The absolute being is always lonely.
However, you made the Gumiho, who only hoped for ascension, look to the side, reaching out to convey the warmth of friendship.
Even if the meeting was brief, precious connections are hard to sever.
The Gumiho winks at you with affection.
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New item: ‘Dice that Twists Fate’ acquired.
Item effect: Roll the dice. The Gumiho’s power twists fate in proportion to the number on the dice. The higher the number, the more good fortune comes, and if the number is below a certain threshold, misfortune descends.
(This item can be reused after 7 days of use.)
[Completely free the main slaves. Current number 3/5]
Every time I see the freeing completion window, I feel good. It feels like collecting them all, like achieving a feat.
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I closed the screen and attentively stared at the dice in my hand.
The dice that twists fate.
An active item acquired by completely freeing Lin, not just a passive one that’s insignificant. It was a dodecahedral die.
With a pink color base resembling the Gumiho’s fur, the numbers on the indentations had a dreamlike twilight glow with a mix of daylight and moonlight, originating from her odd eyes.
‘This definitely belongs to her.’
The higher the number on the dice, the more good fortune comes, and the lower it is, the more misfortune hits. It resembled the dice rolled in TRPG sessions.
I had tried it before.
I have a rough understanding of what kind of item it is, but seeing is better than hearing. I needed to grasp exactly how good fortune and misfortune would manifest.
That way, I could decide when to use it in critical moments.
The first time I used the dice was when I left Vestia and arrived in the next city.
When I rolled the dice, the number was three. With a six-sided die, it’s an average roll, but having twenty numbers changes the game.
It was more than enough for misfortune to strike. The result was that I got swindled at the city’s checkpoint.
The perfect storm where a knight, trembling at the mention of a slave dealer, was sadly at the checkpoint slacking off.
I was told to choose between dying or losing, so I gave him money. Once I paid, options I didn’t have suddenly appeared. In total, I lost 30 gold.
That guy earned more than a paycheck in just a single night.
The next time I rolled the dice was when a noble girl in a passing carriage decided she wanted me for her family.
It seemed I caught her fancy, but I wasn’t particularly interested. I’m not a type that gets intrigued unless it’s not about being a slave.
But rejecting the command of a noble lady as a mere commoner? If the escort knight said, ‘Kill that guy,’ I’d be done for.
I could have escaped with my stealth robe, but frankly, I couldn’t resist gambling. It was a rare opportunity, so I rolled the dice again.
This time, it landed on twelve.
A fairly high number.
As a result, the incident concluded with the lady’s sudden need to go to the restroom. Completely disregarding me, she vanished into the luxurious mansion along with her escort knight.
It was misfortune for others but good fortune for me since I was the one in control.
In other words, the current situation can also be skillfully resolved if the dice give a good number.
‘What if it rolls low?’
In gambling, it’s always my future self’s responsibility. Not my present self.
Of course, even if it rolls a 1, it’s merely an increase in the severity of misfortune; it’s not the end of the world. It’s fully surmountable.
It’s a gamble worth taking.
“Are you lucky, by any chance, friend?”
“I… don’t know. I don’t think I’m particularly lucky or unlucky.”
“A neutral stance on luck can be interpreted as positive. Then, Lady Asies… no.”
“…….”
Well. If you were truly lucky, you wouldn’t have been caught by a dragon.
“I’ll roll it.”
“Huh? Aren’t you supposed to pass it to me here?”
“I was just asking. Why would I pass this fun thing to someone else?”
After all, you can only use it once a week.
And I wouldn’t dare use it casually during ordinary times; if not now, when else would I?
Perka looked at me with a bewildered expression, but even so, I absolutely wouldn’t give it up.
“Alright, then I’ll roll it.”
I threw the dice high.
The dice, spinning in the air, landed on the ground.
It rolled and ultimately came to a stop.
Let’s see. The number on the dice is….
“Seven.”
“It’s a seven.”
The die glimmered with a twilight hue.
When the light faded, the dice vanished. This meant that the dice had utilized its power to twist my fate.
“What in the world was that just now?”
“Just wait; the reaction will come soon.”
A seven is not a high number on a die with numbers up to twenty, but it isn’t purely bad.
Lucky seven, right?
Just like in cards where the Joker is the wild card, a seven might just be worth a hidden reward even if the number is low, right?
Kyaaaak──!!!
The reaction came immediately.
A loud booming sound threatening to burst my eardrums.
As I stepped outside the tent, a massive black shadow loomed over the ground. Numerous flying objects were soaring above. A swarm of Wyverns was gliding through the sky.
“Wow, Wyverns!”
“Yikes? Why are those monsters here?!”
“Turn off the lights!”
The Dwarfs hurriedly put out the fire and crouched down on the ground, wrapping their heads tightly.
“Carami! What on earth did you do? The Wyverns just dropped from the sky out of nowhere!”
“Dropped? They are flying just fine.”
“Is this really the time for jokes?!”
If there’s a Drake on the ground, then a Wyvern’s up in the sky.
The Wyvern, being a close cousin of dragons, is often referred to as the sky’s tyrant, replacing the reclusive dragons who hide in their lairs.
It is a miracle if even one or two survive when confronted by a veteran adventurer party. And now, a flock of Wyverns was heading towards Lake Fortress.
It’s uncertain if they can be stopped, but even if they can, massive damage is inevitable.
‘I see what this is.’
Figuring out the twisted fate from the dice wasn’t difficult. I spoke to Asies, who was gazing at the sky.
“Asies?”
“…?”
“It’s time to give a disease and then the medicine.”
*
“Don’t panic! Women and children, take refuge in the tent, and all Northguard warriors, prepare for confrontation!”
Yorn, the chief of Lake Fortress, calmly gave orders. The northern tribesmen hurriedly followed his command.
“Chief! There’s a Wyvern over there!”
A Northguard warrior, shooting arrows into the sky, pointed desperately at one direction.
Unlike the other Wyverns circling above, a curious Wyvern descended to threaten the ground.
Its powerful wingbeats made the tent flutter as if it would come crashing down at any moment. A woman shielding children inside the tent was rendered helpless.
Kyaaaak!
The Wyvern lunged with its drooling mouth wide open. Yorn sprung into action, grabbing a pair of tomahawks and leaping into the air.
He stepped on a pole anchoring the tent and scaled the wall, diving towards the Wyvern.
Like a saber-toothed tiger.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yorn mounted the Wyvern’s neck and drove his tomahawk into its skull.
The scales covering the Wyvern’s skin wouldn’t even be scratched by an ordinary weapon, but Yorn was a warrior representing his clan.
Kwaak-!
The sharpened blade of the magic-enhanced tomahawk crushed through the Wyvern’s skull.
Kieeeek!
Though it was a devastating blow that would have killed any ordinary beast, the Wyvern did not fall. It struggled with all its might to throw off Yorn.
Yorn gripped his legs tightly, resisting, and shoved the axe in deeper.
The Wyvern, staggering haphazardly, finally collapsed to the ground.
He caught the Wyvern.
The Wyvern’s skin and teeth were precious loot that could make high-quality gear, but right now, they didn’t catch his eye. Yorn quickly stood up and surveyed the situation.
“Don’t back down! The moment you do, your precious ones will become the prey of that beast!”
All Northguards were veteran warriors. No one faltered in the face of the Wyvern’s ambush.
However, merely having courage wasn’t enough to solve the situation, for their opponent was the aerial beast, the Wyvern.
The Northguard, unaccustomed to aerial battles, could only shoot arrows. Magic was a privilege for the learned intellectuals of the city.
Darka could handle some magic, but given her current state, there was no hope for assistance. Yorn bit his lip tightly.
Just as Yorn was contemplating a solution.
“Chief! The Wyverns…!”
The main force of Wyverns had completed their reconnaissance and was now descending en masse. They began a coordinated dive, their overwhelming mass comparable to carpet bombing.
This cannot be stopped.
At that moment, Yorn envisioned the scene of his village being decimated.
Puffububuk!
A barrage of ice spears flew in from somewhere.
They intercepted the Wyverns.
Injured Wyverns shot back up into the sky.
‘Magic…? Who’s doing that?’
Yorn turned his head.
Approaching with leisurely steps that didn’t match the frantic battlefield was a figure.
In the dark night, she radiated white light and scattered ice crystals; she was none other than Snow White.
