Flames of the Fox
The fox had her own innocent days once. A time when she was pure and naive, unable to even suspect others. A time when she fell easily for adults' lies and would laugh foolishly even after being deceived. Even she carried the regret she hated most of all.
-Irene.
In a village turned into a living hell, amid burning rice straw, acrid smoke, and endless screams, a white-haired elder stood silently. He gripped only a single sword.
-I can no longer stay by your side… and I must not.
-So this is farewell.
The wrinkled corners of his eyes curved into a gentle smile. Even with nightmares closing in, his pupils held not a single tremor. He simply offered a faint smile.
The elder murmured what would be his final request.
-Please… live.
Right after, the frail body turned away. He would face the pursuing hunters alone, buying time so the other foxes could escape. For a long while, the clash of steel rang beneath the darkened night sky.
The fox ran, weeping. In her arms clung young foxes who still needed protection. She swallowed her falling tears and kept running. Within a heart filled with despair, only a blazing red hatred spread.
The ones who had dragged the girl's daily life into hell.
-I run a small business in the capital.
-I happened to be passing near the village for work, so I thought we might as well get along.
-I want to become friends with all of you.
Humans. If only she hadn't fallen for those lies, she wouldn't have lost everything.
The girl suffered nightmares every single day. An eternal iron cage that trapped her life. She scratched at the walls, cursing and vowing. She swore she would never trust humans again. In a world full of liars, she vowed never to open her heart once more.
Thus the fox was consumed by distrust.
-I don't believe in anyone.
That was how it had always been. The girl was always alone.
"How ridiculous."
Irene muttered to herself. Perhaps it was because of the slave traders she had suddenly encountered. A bitter memory had resurfaced. She bit her lip hard. Shaking off the hazy thoughts, she focused on the scene before her. A faint tremor lingered at her fingertips. The more it did, the wider she opened her eyes and gripped her sword tighter.
"······."
Irene had already jumped down from the carriage. The moment its speed slowed, she leapt out and quickly hid herself in a nearby alley. She was quietly observing the situation.
The carriages had stopped at a deserted dock. In a place with not a single passerby, soldiers were busily transporting slaves. Occasional shouts reached her ears. Irene held her breath and listened to those sounds.
-Stop sniveling and move faster!
-If you get caught trying to run, you're dead. Better drop any stupid ideas.
-We're setting sail soon! Check that nothing's missing!
The soldiers bustled about, tidying up the area. The atmosphere was one of frantic activity. Slaves dragged along in chains. Irene calmly scanned her surroundings. It seemed they were preparing to depart somewhere. From the word "sail" she had caught, they were likely moving by ship. In that case, there had to be a vessel waiting nearby.
As she mulled over her deductions and surveyed the dock—
"······Huh?"
A shadow particularly jarring to the eye caught her attention. A colossal shape impossible to miss. Even floating on the sea, it radiated an overwhelming presence. It was a vessel of such staggering scale that it looked as if several luxury passenger liners had been fused together.
The fox found herself staring in awe without realizing it.
"What the…?"
Its size was so immense that even seeing it with her own eyes, she could hardly believe it. Had she not looked closely, she might have mistaken it for a seaside hotel and simply passed by. Just what was this monstrous ship?
All the slaves were heading toward the vessel.
'This is his doing.'
Irene realized it instinctively. The underworld tycoon who moved enormous capital through countless illegal ventures. Commonly known as the Businessman. She had heard of it once. Back when she had been locked in an iron cage. She remembered overhearing the guards boasting among themselves. They had spoken of a transport vessel that carried illegal slaves, weapons, and gunpowder all the way to other countries.
-This big brother of yours has ridden that ship before, you know~!
-It's a trade ship run by the boss. At first glance it looks like a damn building, the scale is insane.
-It must cost a fortune. No comparison to buying a hotel.
-That's why the boss said he only has three of them.
At the time she had thought it was just bragging. But the idiot had been telling the truth. The Businessman's capabilities were far beyond what she had imagined.
The fox's momentum, which had seemed ready to burst forth at any moment, faltered. An unexpected wall had blocked her path.
'This… is way beyond what I can handle.'
She was not the type to overlook injustice, but that didn't mean she charged in like a moth to a flame. Irene knew how to assess a situation according to her own limits. This was an opponent far too overwhelming for a single individual. Moreover, with an operation of this scale, they were surely carrying at least one Hunting Dog. Retreating now was the wise choice.
'I'd better ask for help instead.'
The fox slowly stepped backward. She needed to get away from this place. As she held her breath and tried to slip out through the dark alley—
A sudden presence appeared out of nowhere.
"Whoa~ Look who it is."
A voice brushed past her ear. Someone was standing right behind the girl.
"······?!"
Irene drew her sword and spun around, but it was already too late. A powerful impact struck her head.
Crack—!
At the same time, her consciousness rapidly faded. Her body lost strength and collapsed. As her blurry vision flickered, she caught sight of a man in a gray robe. He wore a sly smile.
"The runaway fox came back on her own two feet?"
A Hunting Dog. The fox realized it too late.
'No way.'
She had been played from the very beginning. From the moment she had climbed onto that carriage, the Hunting Dog had already sensed her presence.
The man roughly grabbed the fox by her hair.
"Nice to see you again? You fucking bitch."
Her fading consciousness. Her vision went black. In the end, the fox lost consciousness completely.
How much time had passed?
What woke the fox from her blackout was nothing other than a bucket of cold water.
Splash—!
Icy cold liquid drenched her face. Forced back to her senses, Irene blinked her blurry eyes and looked around. It was a wide space packed with cargo. It seemed she had been brought inside the ship she had seen earlier.
"How about it? Feeling wide awake now that you've had a nice splash?"
A grating voice reached her ears. In front of Irene, who lay sprawled on the floor, stood the man in the gray robe. The Hunting Dog looked down at the girl with a chuckle.
"Where in the world do you find luck like this? The one who ran away from home comes crawling back on her own."
The man offered a mocking greeting.
"I've been dying to see you, you shitty little fox bitch."
"······."
Irene recognized him at a glance as well. The Hunting Dogs. They were the Businessman's direct subordinates—mercenaries who handled all the dirty work. The fox struggled against the ropes binding her body and glared at him.
"Oh? Not gonna look at me nicely?"
Apparently finding her reaction amusing, the Hunting Dog snorted and pressed his foot firmly against the girl's face.
"You should be grateful you're considered top-grade merchandise. If the boss hadn't given specific orders, those pretty eyes of yours would've already been gouged out."
"Ugh…!"
Even as she let out a groan, she refused to lower her gaze. Instead, it only burned hotter with hatred. The man before her was the enemy who had turned her village into ruins and eagerly led the fox hunt.
His characteristically sneering voice rang out.
"Our boss is pretty pissed off because of you. He never imagined you'd actually manage to escape from that place."
"······."
"Honestly, I'm curious too. Just how did you escape? Breaking out on your own doesn't make sense. I heard the iron cage door was opened cleanly too. Like someone had used a key."
"······."
"Did you have help from the outside? You sang so loudly about how much you hated humans, yet in the end you went and got help from one?"
"Go eat shit."
Ptui—!
Instead of answering, Irene spat at him. The Hunting Dog's eyes nearly rolled with rage for a moment, but he soon let out a steady breath and calmed himself. He was making an effort to follow his employer's instructions.
"······Well, it doesn't matter. Since you've kindly let yourself be caught again."
No matter how much she struggled, she was still in the palm of his hand. The Hunting Dog gave orders to the soldiers waiting nearby.
"Throw this bitch into a cage. I've got an appointment with a guest, so I need to go."
"Yes sir!"
The soldiers answered energetically. They forcibly dragged the fallen fox to her feet and hauled her away. Her crimson hair hung limply.