The Fluffy Baby Fox Only Bites the Crazy Villain - Chapter 48
Even though I had despised him just moments ago, seeing him captured by the slave traders made my heart ache.
“Ugh, this is a magic net. Hurry and escape!”
Franz shouted at the foxes to run away. When the one-eyed fox tried to rescue Franz, other foxes held him back.
“We must save Franz!”
“Master, it’s dangerous! You must escape quickly!”
The foxes scattered and disappeared into the forest. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn’t do anything for fear of being discovered by the slave traders.
All I could do was hide in the bushes, trembling as I watched.
When the thugs tried to chase after the foxes, the slave trader stopped them.
“Don’t go into the forest. There are monsters. And we can’t delay any longer.”
The slave trader looked back anxiously.
“The Northern Castle garrison will be patrolling soon. It’s over if they come, so let’s just take this one and leave.”
The thugs brought out a carriage hidden in the forest. The slave trader approached Franz trapped in the net.
He stroked Franz’s fur with his rough palm, his eyes gleaming with greed.
“Hehe. I look forward to seeing what this one looks like in human form. He’ll fetch a high price as a top-tier slave.”
“Grrrr!”
Franz bared his fangs in rage but seemed unable to use his strength due to the magic net.
Franz struggled to break free from the net, but the more he struggled, the tighter it constricted.
“Struggling will only hurt you more, beast. Stay still.”
The slave trader took out a vial and poured it over Franz’s face. Franz thrashed wildly after being doused with the purple powder from the vial.
“Kaang!”
Within seconds, Franz collapsed as if unconscious. The thug attached a collar-like shackle to Franz’s neck and heavy chains to his ankles.
Click, the sound of the shackles made my skin crawl.
The slave trader turned to his men and shouted.
“Get him in the carriage.”
While the slave trader’s attention was elsewhere. This was my chance.
I ran with all my might and jumped toward Franz.
I know it’s foolish and crazy. But I couldn’t just watch as Franz was sold into slavery.
I burrowed into Franz’s luxuriant tail and curled up into a ball. His tail fur was large and thick enough to hide my body completely.
Soon, several thugs lifted Franz like a sack and loaded him into the carriage. I desperately held onto Franz’s tail to avoid falling.
The carriage looked like a narrow, dark prison with small barred windows.
Inside the carriage was the nauseating smell of blood and beasts.
The dark floor was covered with straw stained with blood. Clumps of torn fur were scattered about.
This isn’t fox fur. Could it be from other shapeshifters?
The thugs shoved Franz into the carriage and closed the door. Darkness fell instantly. The only light came from sunbeams through the window bars.
Through the closed door came the click of a lock. My body instinctively curled up tighter. I hugged Franz’s tail.
“Move quickly! We’re departing!”
With the slave trader’s shout, the carriage began to rattle forward. I looked up at the palm-sized window.
Your Grace. I’m sorry. I won’t be able to keep our evening appointment.
Would Karden be able to find me? All I could do was hope Ron’s tracking magic would work well.
Until then, I have to prevent Franz from being sold into slavery. I looked down at the unconscious Franz, suppressing my fear and trembling.
Please, open your eyes, Franz.
***
Karden’s brow furrowed as he was signing documents at his desk with a quill. The pen tip had suddenly broken, causing ink to smear.
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
Maildra hurriedly offered a handkerchief and cleaned up the ink-stained desk. Karden stood up while wiping his hands with the handkerchief.
He had an ominous feeling that left him uneasy. He approached the window and asked while looking outside.
“Has Shushu returned?”
“I’ll check right away.”
Just as Maildra was hurrying to leave the office, Owen burst in without knocking, his face pale.
“Your Grace, it’s an emergency!”
Owen reported quickly, still catching his breath from running.
“Shushu and Franz have been captured by slave traders.”
Karden rushed forward from his desk. His expression twisted grimly.
“What do you mean! How could Shushu, who should be outside the castle gates, be captured by slave traders?”
Before Owen could answer, a massive gray fox entered through the office door.
The one-eyed fox bowed his head to Karden in respect.
“I am Ark of the Ulpes tribe. I come before you, Your Grace.”
Karden glared at the one-eyed fox with cold contempt.
“Why has the Ulpes tribe come here?”
“I’ve come to tell you about Ruel and Franz’s whereabouts. They were kidnapped by shapeshifter slave traders in the birch forest.”
Maildra was startled by one-eyed fox Ark’s words and asked:
“Is that true? How did the Ulpes tribe know about this?”
“Our tribe was gathering in the birch forest to move. That’s when Franz brought Ruel, and the shapeshifter slave traders launched a surprise attack. They seemed to know our location beforehand. Franz was captured while trying to protect us, and Ruel was taken with him.”
“How dare they……”
Karden felt his guts twist and his blood boil.
A beast-like groan escaped between his tightly clenched teeth. He clenched his fist so hard it nearly drew blood.
An enormous tsunami-like magical power burst from his body in an instant.
“To dare kidnap Shushu in my borderlands, I’ll tear those slave traders to shreds!”
Karden’s blue eyes darkened dramatically.
Ark looked up at Grand Duke Karden with fearful eyes, breaking into a cold sweat.
After Franz was kidnapped by the slave traders, the Ulpes tribe sought solutions.
That’s when one fox suggested asking Karden for help. Though Ark was skeptical, he came to the Grand Duke holding onto a thread of hope.
‘Franz was telling the truth. He said Grand Duke Karden cherishes Ruel deeply. A human with magical power that transcends both ill-fated shapeshifters and humans… Would the gods allow this?’
Karden’s red eyes were burning with rage.
“Deploy all forces immediately! Find them even if we have to search to the ends of hell! We must rescue Shushu at all costs.”
***
Poke. Poke.
I was pressing Franz’s face with my rice cake paws in the swaying carriage.
I tried stepping on his tail and jumping up and down on his body to wake him up, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Franz, wake up, okay?”
I pressed down with my front paws enough to squish his whiskers, but he didn’t move.
He’s not dead, is he?
Startled, I put my ear to his heart and thankfully, it was beating strongly.
“Franz, you act so tough usually, but you faint from mere sleeping powder? Just wait until you wake up. I’ll tease you endlessly about this.”
My anxiety and worry made me more talkative. I could only chatter in a tiny voice since we couldn’t let the slave traders outside hear us.
I patted Franz’s cheek with my front paw.
At first, it was out of desperate hope for him to wake up, but as I kept slapping his cheeks…
This is kind of squishy and fun.
“Ugh… stop hitting me.”
Franz groaned and slowly opened his eyes. When his silver eyes focused on me, tears of relief finally welled up.
“You idiot! What were you doing sleeping all this time!”
When I hit his body with my front paws, he flinched.
“Stop that. You’re tiny but strong.”
I sniffled and examined the shackles on Franz’s neck. The chains attached to the shackles clinked and clanked against each other.
“Are you okay? Do the shackles hurt?”
Franz shook his head and frowned when he saw the shackles on his neck.
He tried to remove them with his claws, but they wouldn’t budge. He tried swishing his tail, but nothing happened.
“I can’t use any of my powers because of these shackles.”
“Then how do we escape from here?”
Franz examined the small window. The sun had already passed its zenith.
“How long has the carriage been moving?”
“It seems past afternoon, judging by the air smell and sun shadows.”
Thanks to becoming a shapeshifter, I became aware of natural senses I never noticed as a human.
Franz looked at me, raised all his fur, and growled lowly in anger.
“You fool, are you trying to get yourself killed? Why did you follow me?”
“What else could I do? Watch you get taken away by slave traders?”
I shouted back at Franz, refusing to back down. Franz snorted, trying to suppress his anger.
“This has nothing to do with you.”
