Chapter 8: Caught in a Sticky Situation
Naga's "safe house" was a modest, ivy-covered cottage on the edge of the village, but the tension inside was anything but cozy.
"Listen up," Naga said, her usual playful tone replaced by a sharp, commanding edge. "Stay out of trouble. This is a small village; a high-level vampire and a Fox Spirit walking the streets would cause a total mess of a panic. Rin, that goes for you too. No flashy skills, no talking about your past life, and for the love of the Gods, do not mention your rank."
Rin nodded, still getting used to the way his long gray hair tickled his shoulders. "Got it. Discreet. We're just... travelers."
Milim, however, was already bored. After a few hours of hiding, she decided she needed "supplies", mostly local sweets and a new ribbon. She draped a heavy hooded cloak over her white hair and tucked her tails tightly against her back, slipping out into the village market.
The shopping went well enough until she turned toward home. A prickle of ice ran down her spine. Someone was watching her. Not with the curious gaze of a villager, but with the cold, calculated focus of a predator. Hoping to lose them, she ducked into a narrow, damp alleyway. She stopped, her back to the brick wall, and channeled a sphere of condensed green mana into her palm. Her Fox Spirit instincts were screaming at her.
She whirled around, ready to strike. "Whoever you are, back off!"
The words died in her throat. Standing at the mouth of the alley was Finn. His cold blue eyes stared directly into her soul, radiating a level of authority and power that made her knees tremble.
"A demon? No... a spirit," Finn said, assessing Milim. "Who is your master?" His tone was deadly serious as he stepped closer. "How did you get here?"
"I'm not telling you anything," Milim said, her voice shaky. "So back off, or else!"
"Or else what? You'll run away?"
"I might hit you!" Milim stammered.
"Please, don't be so rash, woman. You can barely stand," Finn said, stepping closer, his presence flaring with overwhelming pressure.
"I'm not joking!" Milim shouted, forming a ball of energy in her hands. "I don't know who you are, so leave me alone or I will kill you!"
"Oh? Go ahead and try," Finn remarked. "I don't know where you think you're going to run. Stop retreating and cooperate, or I will use force to restrain you."
Tsk. Milim knew she was no match for him in a head-on fight. "Fine, I'll talk. I'm from a small, remote village in the hills north of here. I came to visit a friend who moved here a while ago."
Finn stared at her, assessing her words, not believing a word she spoke. "Have you been to a Labyrinth around here?"
"A Labyrinth...?"
"Yes."
"No, I haven't been to one," Milim lied.
"I see... I apologize for interrupting you. Dangerous monsters escaped from a nearby Labyrinth, and I am tracking them to ensure no one is hurt. I hope you can forgive my rudeness."
"Um... it's fine. Things happen. You were just doing your job."
"Thank you," Finn said, bowing slightly. "Oh, just one thing before I go."
"Yes? What is it?" Milim asked nervously.
"Are you a user of holy magic?"
"Yes, I am."
"I see... then you should be careful. When you cast your magic, it can have serious drawbacks," Finn said, pointing at her arm.
Milim looked at her arm, wondering what he was talking about. "There's nothing on my—" Before she could finish, Finn was directly in front of her.
Click.
A metallic collar snapped shut around her neck. "What?! Hey, wait!"
"Well, that was easier than I thought," Finn remarked. "Now, follow me. If you resist, that collar will shock you. Don't play games with me; someone had to let you out of that Labyrinth. Who was it?"
"I told you, I don't know anything!" Milim shouted angrily.
"Covering for your master won't do you any good, Fox. Having an unregistered monster of Rank C or higher walking around is highly illegal. According to regulation, I could kill you here and now without any issues. So, cooperate."
"Eat shit!" Milim spat.
"Tsk. Stubborn little..." Finn extended his arm to grab her, but Milim lunged forward and bit into his palm. With a loud snap, she pulled back, a smug expression on her face.
"Just let me leave and we can forget this ever happened!"
Finn stared at his hand with a dumbfounded look. Did she just bite me? She... she actually bit me. He inhaled and let out a long, weary breath. "Why do they always do this? Gods i hate this job." he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
The situation was baffling to him. Why would she hide her master? He wasn't going to kill the person; they would simply be arrested for breaking imperial law and sent to a labor camp... or executed, though that rarely happened.
"All of this could be avoided if you would simply cooperate," Finn said. "Now I have to do things the hard way."
"Do your worst, you asshole!" Milim snapped.
"This day just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? This is just the cherry on top."
Finn walked over to Milim and pinned her against the wall, binding her hands. Milim sat there, spewing insults, but Finn ignored her, scanning her body for a Soul Seal.
A Soul Seal is the vital mark used by masters to command and maintain their servants; it is used for everything from mana transfers to healing.
Eventually, he found it. It was placed... well below her belly button, right above her private area.
Finn looked up at her, disappointment written across his face. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," he said, shaking his head. "You are one perverted woman."
"Excuse me?! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!"
"Well, if you aren't, then why is your Soul Seal there? You and I both know your master has to touch it to do anything significant—like draining Void Corruption from your body."
"It's... it's not like that, you creep!" Milim spat, her face turning bright red. "I put it there to hide it from creeps like you!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure you did. Now, tell me where your master is, or I will remove your clothing to scan the seal myself. I can assure you, the process is quite painful—and in such a sensitive spot, it will hurt.... a lot."