Chapter Six: Sia’s Proposal

Including the woman who had fainted, a total of eight captives were rescued. Chu Yun led the prisoners to the riverside to avoid the raging fire, and the filthy captives hurried to wash their dirt-covered bodies. Chu Yun found a large stone to sit and rest on, intending to meditate, but the young fox woman followed him once again.

“I still don’t know your name,” Chu Yun said, his curiosity about the girl evident.

She answered respectfully, “Master Mage, my name is Siya, from the White Fox Beastkin tribe of the northern ice fields.”

Chu Yun knew little of this world and had no knowledge of the ice fields or what beastkin were. Seeing the mage’s puzzled expression, Siya looked a little disappointed, though it was understandable. This world was not like Earth in the age of information explosion; the wilderness was perilous, and many people lived their whole lives without ever leaving their hometowns, ignorant of the outside world. Even on Earth, only a few decades or centuries ago, before education became widespread, most common folk had a very vague understanding of the world. Even today, street interviews sometimes reveal people pointing to America and calling it China.

Siya herself had only learned after leaving the ice fields how vast the world truly was.

“You don’t need to keep calling me ‘master’. My name is Chu Yun, a wandering mage from the Nameless Wilds,” said Chu Yun, somewhat uncomfortable with the honorific.

From the wilderness—she had heard this term from a druid once, a powerful dragonborn druid who could even transform into a great dragon. With this thought, Siya began to regard Chu Yun as the same kind of reclusive sage, feeling even greater respect.

“Master Chu Yun, it’s considered very rude not to use honorifics for a mage. Even if you don’t mind, others will criticize me,” Siya said, sounding a little aggrieved.

“Do as you like… By the way, how were you captured? Were you traveling alone?” Chu Yun asked curiously.

Siya shook her head. “I don’t have your strength, Master Chu Yun, and wouldn’t dare travel alone. I was with my mistress.”

“Mistress?”

The term surprised Chu Yun.

“My mistress is a female sorceress…”

Siya began to recount her story, and Chu Yun gained a deeper understanding of this world. Many races existed here; besides powerful ones like humans, elves, and dwarves, the beastkin were also numerous. However, the beastkin were divided into many tribes with vastly different temperaments, often scattered and unable to form a unified force. They were frequently bullied by other races, and in some countries were even reduced to slaves.

Siya originally lived in the ice fields, but during a hunting trip with her companions, they were ambushed by humans, and she was unfortunately captured. Fortunately, her appearance was considered appealing to humans, and she was eventually purchased by a noblewoman mage.

To be precise, her mistress was not a traditional mage, and Chu Yun, with his spell identification abilities, could tell from Siya’s description that she was a sorceress—a wild-blooded sorceress.

Sorcerers derived their magic differently from mages, not through the traditional magic web. For them, this primal magic was an innate part of their being, a power hidden deep within their bodies, minds, and souls, ready to be unleashed at any moment. When sorcerers cast primal magic, uncontrolled forces were released alongside the spell, producing random effects. Sometimes these effects benefited the sorcerer; sometimes they caused great trouble. The stronger the sorcerer, the more uncontrollable the power became.

Siya’s mistress had likely been secretly training as a sorceress, and after acquiring Siya as a slave to cook, clean, and wash, she chose to leave home. She often hid her identity, so the goblins didn’t notice her magic staff and assumed they were attacking two weak women.

Unfortunately, Siya’s mistress used her sorcerer’s magic to slaughter the goblins, but the uncontrolled magic caused her to vanish. Siya was then captured by goblins who came to investigate.

“You mean your slave contract disappeared?” asked Chu Yun.

According to his knowledge from spell identification, slave contracts were not sorcerer magic but traditional magic web enchantments. There were only two ways for such a contract to disappear: either the master died, or the master left this world and lost contact with the magic web. From Siya’s description, it was likely the latter.

“I don’t know, but the bond is gone, and the slave mark on my forehead is fading. I hope my mistress is alright,” Siya replied.

Chu Yun thought for a moment, then smiled. “If I’m correct, she’s probably been transported to another plane. Your contract should completely vanish in three days, and then you’ll be free.”

At the mention of freedom, Siya’s eyes lit up, then dimmed.

Although her mistress’s temper wasn’t the best, truthfully, life as a slave had been happier than her days in the tribe. All she needed to do was cook and clean, and in return she could travel with her mistress, taste all kinds of unique foods, see the world’s different sights, and, with her mistress’s protection, not worry about her own safety.

Now, without her mistress, Siya didn’t know what to do. In human society, a beastkin with no strength was very vulnerable; if she encountered slave traders, she might be sold to cruel people. The ice fields were far away, and returning home seemed impossible. She couldn’t deal with the dangers she might meet along the way.

She was already hungry, her stomach rumbling. Siya looked at Chu Yun, lowered her head, and cautiously asked, “Master Chu Yun, would you allow Siya to follow you? To be your servant?”

“Huh?”

The sudden request startled Chu Yun. What was all this about?

In truth, it was because Chu Yun didn’t understand this world. For the strong, followers were never lacking. More importantly, Siya felt Chu Yun was a good person—he had saved her life. Repaying kindness was a traditional virtue among fox beastkin.

If it had been an ordinary person who rescued her, perhaps she would have offered herself in gratitude. But Chu Yun was a powerful mage, and, having been educated as a slave, she felt too humble to be anything but a servant.

Chu Yun didn’t understand Siya’s thoughts, nor would he have cared much if he did. The fox girl before him was quite attractive, with a certain anime-like charm that matched his preferences. But he didn’t want his abilities to be known by others; a newly met beastkin girl could not be trusted. Traveling together would inevitably risk exposure.

Chu Yun shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t need any followers right now.”

Siya hung her head even lower, her ears flushed, her tail drooping almost to the ground. She felt ashamed for her audacious request and was left uncertain about her future.