Chapter 172: The Eldest Son of the Ragloi Family
“Ivan! Stay with me!”
As I rushed over, calling out to him, Ivan lay motionless on the ground, not even twitching. Nearby, a bloodied rapier lay abandoned, its blade glistening ominously.
“Damn it!”
I clicked my tongue in frustration and decided to assess Ivan’s condition.
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Name: Ivan
Race: Bear Tribe
Class: Hunter
Status: Subjugation, Near Death
Status: HP 1
MP 109
Strength 355
Endurance 374
Agility 276
Dexterity 108
Willpower 87
Magic Power 67
Luck 45
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This is bad! He’s on the brink of death!
“Don’t you dare die on me!”
I hurriedly cast Healing Magic on Ivan, but it seemed his consciousness wouldn’t return just yet. Checking his HP, I saw it had increased, so I wanted to believe he would be alright, but…
“W-What… who are you all?!”
A man with a pale face stumbled backward, supported by his butler, pointing at us in a panic.
“Y-You’re not one of those filthy beasts, are you?!”
As the man shouted, a fox with five split tails froze in place, its body trembling. Despite its apparent pain, it glared at the man as if recalling something, stepping protectively in front of Ivan.
“Yiiiieee!”
The man, who had been so bold just moments ago, let out a pathetic scream and retreated once more. Upon closer inspection, he was cradling his left arm, likely injured by that fox. But where was Phonia? Could this fox be her?
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Name: Phonia
Race: Mystic Fox
Description: A highly rare beast-type monster resembling a fox.
Skilled in transforming into human form and capable of speech,
some individuals can blend into human society.
The number of tails exponentially increases their strength.
A Mystic Fox with only one tail can be mistaken for a mere Foxkin.
Status: Subjugation
Status: HP 4987
MP 10287
Strength 5098
Endurance 3876
Agility 7534
Dexterity 9843
Willpower 8309
Magic Power 8943
Luck 233
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Yeah, it’s definitely her, but let’s hold on for a moment. It’s confirmed that she’s a Mystic Fox…! And her stats are quite impressive! I remember her having multiple tails when we first met, but who would think a Mystic Fox was a monster? Nil has three tails too, and in this Otherworld, I never paid much attention to tail counts!
“Mellow-sama…! What on earth happened here?!”
“…We want to know that too.”
There were plenty of things to question, but now wasn’t the time. Ivan was on the verge of death, the man was injured, and Phonia was defying her Collar of Subjugation to protect Ivan. That was the situation laid out before me.
“That’s right… Even if they are slaves, it should be a crime to harm or kill them indiscriminately.”
A master must take proper care of their slaves. There’s no way it’s acceptable to injure them without reason. Especially since Ivan was nearly dead. Just looking at this situation…
“Did you do this to Ivan?”
I asked the man, almost certain of my accusation. Given that the fox was Phonia, the chance of her attacking Ivan was nearly zero.
“I don’t care who you are! More importantly, do something about that fox monster! I can’t believe that Foxkin was a monster…!”
Ignoring my question, he only spewed out what he wanted to say. We were technically guests here, yet he was giving us orders right off the bat.
“They are adventurers who accepted the designated request issued by Mellow-sama.”
“What…?”
When the butler spoke, the man seemed to regain some composure. He turned to us, scrutinizing us from head to toe.
“A request…? Oh, that one. …Then this works out perfectly.”
He seemed momentarily confused but quickly remembered.
“These ones are no longer needed. Dispose of them.”
“Huh?”
What is this guy saying? Dispose of us? His own slaves?
“Did you not hear me? I said to dispose of this trash that makes me sick just by being in my sight.”
“Trash…?”
I simply couldn’t comprehend what this man was saying. Even if they were slaves, they were sentient beings. To call them trash and order their disposal? Isn’t that outright criminal?
“Honestly… A tool meant for stress relief becoming a source of stress is nothing but a nuisance, not trash.”
I couldn’t tell if this man was particularly special, but I simply couldn’t understand nobles like him. However, if he wanted us disposed of, it might actually work in our favor.
“Isn’t it a crime if a master fails to provide for their slaves’ food, clothing, and shelter?”
“Hmph. There’s no way a marquis family could be held accountable for such things.”
“…Is that so?”
I suppressed my irritation and forced the words out. In the end, it seemed like he intended to crush any dissent with his power.
“Make sure to retrieve the collars properly.”
“Ah, understood.”
I didn’t want to share the same air as this unpleasant man for a second longer. I had questions, but Ivan was still on the brink of death, and Phonia seemed confused about the situation. It was best to retreat quickly.
“Phonia, calm down. …Ivan is still alive.”
I approached Phonia, who was still on high alert, and spoke softly so the man wouldn’t hear. Despite her excitement, she seemed to retain her reason, quickly settling down.
“Ku-oon…”
It seemed she finally noticed we were there. Her eyes widened, and she let out a weak whimper, her tail and ears drooping sadly.