Since ancient times, foxes have been famous as cunning animals, irrespective of East or West.
Just like the idiom “A fox borrowing the tiger’s authority” or “The Old Lion and the Fox” from Aesop’s fables, the demon fox clan was no different, and of course, the nine-tailed fox (Gumiho) was included. She didn’t feel the need to hang out with Hilde.
Furthermore, this proud fox looked down upon associating with anything lowly.
Therefore, the moment Hilde stepped into the Celestial Pavilion, she cast an illusion spell.
“Flowers in the Mirror, Moon in the Water,” a spell named after the reflection of flowers in the mirror or the moon on the water.
With her moonlight eyes and her limited strength, she infused spirit power into the illusion, making it easy to cast. Though Hilde’s roar had nearly shattered the illusionary space created by the spell.
If Hilde had realized it was an illusion and shattered it deliberately with her roar, it would have broken. Though in the end, she failed to detect the illusion completely.
Hilde paid dearly for being trapped within the illusion, collapsing, unconscious, without putting up any resistance.
The nine-tailed fox pressed down on the back of Hilde’s head, pondering what to do next.
“Should I suck out her vital essence?”
Though crude, this girl seemed quite powerful. Absorbing her essence might significantly help in recovering strength.
Right as the nine-tailed fox was about to suck the essence out of Hilde,
“No, you can’t do that.”
Carami’s voice rang out, stopping the fox’s movement. The fox shot a glance at Carami, clearly dissatisfied.
“Why? Wouldn’t it be better for you if she’s gone?”
“No matter how reckless she is, if a princess disappeared overnight, the kingdom would descend into chaos, right?”
“Even if I let her go now, she’ll just come after us again. Sorry, but I don’t like meaningless fights.”
“In any case, I’ll have to give her orders eventually. Still, I do have other plans prepared.”
Carami smiled meaningfully at Hilde.
“Urgh…”
Hilde finally opened her eyes, groggily waking up. She felt dizzy as if she had seasickness. She pressed her hand against her head.
“What…?”
She clearly remembered going to the Celestial realm for a duel. However, when she woke up, she found herself lying on a bed, in what appeared to be a guest room of the Celestial Pavilion.
“Did you wake up?”
A voice came from beside the bed. It was Carami, sitting on a chair, deep in reading.
“Cafe Proprietor…?”
“You’ve awakened sooner than I anticipated. Linn thought you wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow. Guess princesses are made of tougher stuff, huh?”
Hilde’s puzzled eyes flickered, then she abruptly sat up. The faint memories that seemed dreamlike started to return vividly.
Caught in some bizarre sorcery hitting the air with punches and suffering for it.
“Where is that nine-tailed fox, that wretch?!”
“She’s probably in a conversation with Tenho. They seem to have a lot to discuss.”
“How dare she leisurely chat after playing tricks on me! You’ll pay, you bastard.”
In anger, Hilde flung the covers away and prepared to dash out of the room.
“Uh-uh, you can’t move recklessly.”
Click.
Hilde’s movement froze, standing mid-stride like a statue, one hand outstretched towards the doorknob, the other foot lifted off the ground. Confused, she examined herself.
“What…what’s going on?”
Could the nine-tailed fox have done some mischief? Her body felt as if it were under some kind of binding spell, not obeying her commands.
“It’s troublesome if you thrash around too much. Sit down calmly.”
“You little brat! Who do you think you’re talking to– Wait?!”
Despite her foul-mouthed protests, Hilde sat down obediently, albeit in an awkward and uncharacteristically submissive posture.
Her body wasn’t listening to her but was following the commands of something else, which gave her a strange, alien sensation. Her panic deepened.
“What’s happening? Why can’t I control my body?”
“Why wouldn’t it obey? It’s unheard of for a slave not to listen to its master.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I be your slave? You’re the one who’s lost it, you brat!”
“Hmm, this slave has high strength but maybe a low intelligence stat…”
“This lower-class piece of…!”
At the moment Hilde tried to swing her fist and bash Carami’s head,
“Wait.”
Once again, Hilde froze mid-swing.
“Sit.”
Slowly, she lowered herself and crouched on the floor in a waiting stance.
“Wha… What is this?!”
Hilde struggled with all her might to break free but found that her body wouldn’t budge. Carami, lounging with her legs crossed and a serene smile, extended her hand.
“Give me your hand.”
“How dare you…! Who exactly do you think you are!”
Click.
Hilde placed her hand on Carami’s, who smirked.
“Use the other hand.”
Click.
“Wha…what…?”
Just then, Hilde realized something was seriously wrong. Carami nodded in satisfaction.
“She swears a lot but her body’s quite honest. Clearly a tsundere type of slave. Still, I’ll have to train her to reduce the cursing as I prefer not to hear such words.”
The method to subdue Hilde without taking her vital essence.
‘Nothing beats making someone a slave, of course.’
By chaining the soul, it was merely a matter of giving a command to make her obey.
In truth, Carami dislikes coercing people she dislikes into slavery unless they’re essential to a story. Otherwise, she avoids using her powers recklessly.
But Hilde was an exception.
‘Just thinking about my beloved pet café she shut down brings tears… snif.’
There was also another reason.
‘You’ve never properly raised a slave, have you?’
Though Hilde was merely the princess of Bestia and an extra who interfered with Linn’s liberation, she was still far from being someone who could never be enslaved.
As a slave enthusiast who has raised all kinds of slaves, how could Carami let this golden opportunity pass?
The princess of Bestia, Hilde, found herself abruptly reduced from royalty to a slave and couldn’t comprehend the reality of her situation yet.
“You don’t seem to grasp the situation fully yet. But no worries! I know exactly how to strengthen the bond between a master and a slave.”
Carami pulled a leash from her pocket.
Hilde eyed it anxiously.
“Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”
‘Shit, shit, shit, dogshit!!!’
On a quiet late-night street when most folks were asleep.
Hilde swallowed her curses and wandered through the silent streets.
There was nothing unusual about it. Hilde was restless by nature and used to roam the city whenever she got a chance.
She’d beat Hyena Shapeshifter Scavenger like a dog and occasionally dangle a soundly sleeping sloth from the top of the tower for morning entertainment.
But tonight, her walk felt strange.
Firstly, the vision. It felt like a toddler’s first steps, looking out from such a low perspective.
Secondly, the posture. Her body wasn’t supported by two but four limbs, walking around on all fours, more animal than human.
Lastly,
“It’s so refreshing, isn’t it with this morning breeze?”
the fact she had a companion.
Naturally, it was Carami. In his hand was a leash, connected to Hilde’s neck.
Princess Hilde was crawling on all fours through the lively marketplace.
A slave. Of which the most effective way to improve the affection between a beastman slave and their master is walking—strengthening the master-slave relationship and embedding it firmly in the mind.
“You wait for this magic to wear off! I’ll tear you apart alive when it does!”
Of course, some slaves were wild, but that was all the more thrilling to Carami. After all, the essence of raising a slave was the act of taming, wasn’t it?
Hilde’s growls delighted Carami immensely.
“Should you yell like that? You might attract attention. Oh look, there’s someone ahead.”
“What?”
In front of an inn.
A human man stood, smoking a cigarette, seemingly unable to sleep. Unlike them, he lacked both a tail and ears.
“Urgh!”
Showing this humiliating posture to anyone was unthinkable. As Hilde tried to turn direction, Carami tugged on the leash.
“Why, where are you heading? This way please?”
“Hey! Just a second…!”
Without regard for Hilde’s resistance, Carami pulled her toward the man. The man, who was gazing at the moon turned his head at their approach.
“Who’s there?”
“Apologies for startling you. I’m just out with my slave for an evening walk.”
Carami proudly held up her leash. The man’s eyes followed the leash down to a beastman crawling on all fours on the ground. Although its head was pressed against the floor in apparent modesty, one couldn’t see the face.
“A shy slave, I presume?”
“Yes, I recently acquired her, and we’re getting to know each other.”
“What’s its species? It looks like a cat but closer to a lion upon inspection…”
The lion, known as the king of animals, ruled Bestia. If it were a lion beastman, it would be royal blood.
So, would this mean the royal lineage?
Impossible. There’s no way such a scenario could be real.
However, female, with black fur, it somewhat resembled Princess Hilde of Bestia, who appeared to be approximately in her 20s. Perhaps a lion beastman after all…?
As the man stared, Carami laughed.
“Haha! Lion? No way! This is a cat.”
“Hmm, probably.”
The man quickly accepted the explanation.
Hilde’s notorious reputation was known even in foreign lands. How could someone like her be a human’s slave? That’s absurd!
“Would you like to stroke her head?”
“I like beastfolk too, but does she claw?”
“Haha, don’t worry. My cat doesn’t bite.”
“Hmm, in that case…”
The man crouched down and gently stroked Hilde’s head, appreciating the glossy, soft hair that suggested good maintenance.
“Ah, it seems her master cherishes her quite a lot.”
“A true master should, indeed.”
“Good fortune meeting such a great master. Now you listen to your master well.”
The man chuckled, absent-mindedly patting the head.
It was fortunate that he didn’t see the enraged expression on Hilde’s bowed head.
