SAFBIAN Ch 145

Chapter 145

The black marks scratched deeply into the floor toward the door. How much strength must have been exerted that the nails broke and the flesh of the fingers peeled, leaving bloody marks.

The corpse that had barely shed the covers was very small. It had failed to escape the heavy layers of clothing worn over the body that had been transformed from human back into fox form, and was burned away to nothing.

Rustle. Suddenly, a gust of wind scattered the thick layer of ash.

One of the foxes hurriedly took off an outer garment and covered the area. However, the wind only scattered the powder further. Such was the pitiful state of the elder, who had been respected by all the village foxes for a long time.

How could this happen?

The village was burned down, the elder died miserably, and everyone was dumbfounded, shoulders slumped in exhaustion, unable to speak for a while.

“…Wait, where is Wonwoo?”

The foxes suddenly remembered another missing red fox from the village. Even with all this chaos, he had not shown himself. What could have happened?

“Wasn’t he home last night?”

The village was already in uproar over Hori’s affairs.

The foxes had lingered all day at the gate of Hori and Wonwoo’s home, knowing that Wonwoo had not left the house.

Could it be that, like the elder, he fell into a deep sleep and never stepped outside?

Their hearts sank as they rushed to Wonwoo’s house. Yet nowhere could they find Wonwoo’s figure or body.

“Not here either.”

A young fox, panting from running to the village entrance and back, said so.

“Maybe he ran away to live alone?”

Then someone muttered carelessly.

Unease grew as whispers among the foxes turned sharp.

“I swear, that guy just doesn’t care about village matters these days!”

“Calm down. We don’t even know for sure yet.”

A strong-looking red fox was hurriedly calmed by a fox disguised as a woman. However, the hesitation in the voice was apparent.

The red foxes born and raised in the village were very different from Wonwoo. Although born outside, he had settled here with the elder’s generous permission.

Even if the entire village burned, there was a Fox Guild on the mountain below where he could stay, so there was little worry.

Still, would there be any reason to flee into the night as soon as a fire started? Unless he had committed some grave wrongdoing.

“…!”

Startled by a sudden thought, they looked at each other with worried expressions.

The unknown cause of the large fire, the elder burned to death, Hori collapsed in the yard, and Wonwoo vanished without a trace.

‘…No, that can’t be.’

The red foxes bowed their heads in sorrow.

Meanwhile, the Wonwoo they were searching for was being dragged away by Moran’s hands.

Realizing the fire last night, Wonwoo dashed to the yard and, after a moment’s hesitation, headed to the elder’s house.

He had planned to trick Yungak with lies at dawn and capture Dori using Yungak’s power, but if the elder suddenly died, it would be a disaster. The elder had grown weaker lately, risking suffocation from the smoke and difficulty escaping alone.

Panicked, Wonwoo hurried to check the burning house, but it was hopeless. Still, the elder had Hori. Though the rumors spreading in the village troubled her, she would surely have tried to get the elder out when the fire began. Wonwoo ran frantically around the house.

When he reached the backyard, he was shocked to see Iyeok kicking the collapsed Hori.

“W-What is this!”

Standing beside was Yungak, shrugging casually.

“You know him? We were startled because he suddenly attacked us. It’s self-defense, so I’m sure you’ll understand.”

Hori’s unconscious hand held a small blade that she had apparently swung before Iyeok hit her. Seeing Hori was truly unconscious, Iyeok gave a hard kick.

“Even though they are the same species, not all have the same skill.”

Yungak muttered while recalling Moran’s report. When Moran fought Wonwoo at a cabin, it was not an easy battle. If others like that resided in the village, a direct confrontation would be risky, so they set the fire.

But if they had known how insignificant they were, they might have killed them one by one to vent their anger at being deceived by Wonwoo.

Yungak’s bright blue eyes fixed on Wonwoo. At the same time, Iyeok lunged at him.

Although equal in skill to Moran, Wonwoo was caught off guard by the fire and the scene and could not respond properly.

“…Guhk!”

Unlike Iyeok, who wielded a blade, Wonwoo was unarmed and weakened. Moreover, Iyeok was much stronger than Moran.

‘Damn it! Those damn humans!’

Eventually, Wonwoo was captured alive and tied with ropes.

Dragged along, they reached the house Yungak had been told about to meet him. Moran occupied the yard, having returned after burning the village.

Wonwoo collapsed to his knees helplessly. The grip at his neck was violent. Soon, two chilling blades aimed from both sides.

“You’re lucky. I intended to come for you anyway.”

Yungak, sitting calmly at a table, poured tea. He brazenly used items Wonwoo had prepared with Dori without permission.

Blood trickled down Wonwoo’s forehead into his eyes. He blinked rapidly and saw Wisol collapsed nearby.

“Ah, worried because you know him? Don’t worry. He’s not dead. We owe much to him for this.”

Surprised by Wisol’s bloodied state, Yungak sipped his hot tea calmly. Despite the serious condition, Wisol’s labored breaths were faintly audible.

Wonwoo swallowed dry saliva.

“Well, now that’s settled, we have business to discuss, right?”

“……”

Yungak’s eyes narrowed into a sharp arc. A faint, casual smile curved his lips, as if inviting a light conversation.

Wonwoo had never felt lacking before. He was the sole heir in the Fox Guild and recognized as the next village elder.

Never needing to leave the company of humans or beastmen, he had lived confidently. This was the first true fear he had ever faced.

“If you don’t answer this time, you’ll have to give up your tongue.”

Yungak’s smile slowly faded. His lips straightened, coldness settling in.

“Tell me again. Where is my white fox now?”

A commotion stirred in a remote mountain cabin.

Originally an empty house, the belongings had grown over time. As they prepared to leave, there was a growing pile of things to pack and dispose of.

Lady Jang, responsibly in charge, wrapped bundles with skillful hands. Everyone was busy packing. Dori alone was leisurely plucking and eating red, round fruits strung on a skewer.

“Eating sweets again?”

“Huh? Uh, only this one left…”

Dori mumbled an excuse.

Lady Jang, who had been packing clothes, straightened her back briefly.

“I saw you sneaking a snack earlier.”

…When did she see that?

In reality, besides the snack, Dori had also gobbled crispy apples and sweet pears from the guards, shrugging his shoulders. Even in a frenzy, Lady Jang’s sharp eyes couldn’t be avoided.

Halfway through his uneaten snack, Dori quietly hid behind Haban’s back.

“Don’t scold him too much.”

“Your Majesty.”

The emperor concealed him with a sleeve in time with the rhythm. Lady Jang found it both endearing and amusing.

“You haven’t recovered yet, so it’s good to eat something.”

“You must only eat the best things.”

Lady Jang, cutting off the emperor’s words, gave Dori a sharp look.

The fox, ears pinned back, crouched like a ball behind Haban’s back as much as possible.

“That’s the last one, Your Majesty. If you eat more, you might even roll to the palace.”

“…I haven’t gotten that fat…”

“You don’t need to add honorifics. And from your fox form appearance, I thought you’d get fat quickly.”

“…!”

Feeling the strength drain from the hand holding the skewer, Dori wondered—had he really gained so much weight in just a few days?

Having eaten without fail no matter the scolding before, this suddenly killed his appetite.

Before returning to reality, he wanted to try everything edible here, but he had been greedy.

Still, he did not want his last image to be a face buried in flesh. Dori looked sadly at the leftover skewer and quietly placed it on the tray.

Meanwhile, the eunuchs opened a drawer of the display cabinet and took out some items. Among them was a jewelry box Dori treasured.

“You shouldn’t pack that…”

“Eh? But…”

Dori poked his head out from behind Haban to stop them. A young eunuch hesitated, holding the heavy jewelry box.

“Don’t pack it; put it on the table. I have to check something first.”