"So Kayo, how long are we going to keep traveling? The last time you told all of us that we had a destination... Is that actually true?"
I asked while looking at him with curiosity and worry, because this was something I had to ask him in order to survive in this situation.
My right hand continued to move, feeding him the soup that rested on my lap, only a few spoonfuls left before the bowl became empty.
"Ah... About that... I... was not... lying at all... you know—"
His voice stuttered as he tried to speak while chewing the food I gave him. I didn't know what he was trying to do, but wouldn't it be better if he swallowed it first?
"First of all, swallow the soup. You sound like a sick person when you talk with your mouth full of food, don't you realize that?" I asked while looking at him with disappointment at his childish behavior.
"Ehmm... Sorry, sorry, I'll say it again," he replied as he swallowed what he had been holding in before giving his answer.
"Don't worry, Lin, I wasn't lying about that. Actually, I already found the answer from the map I stole from my father's study, pretty amazing, right?"
He felt proud of his achievement, even though it sounded like he had just stolen something. Is he crazy?
"Not really, so where are we going? You're the only one who can use that map, so you should be able to lead us to a safe place, right, Prince?" I looked at him while slightly smirking, feeling a bit sly for calling him that.
Kayo flinched, then let out a small laugh before rubbing his face upon hearing that nickname again.
"Please don't call me that anymore... I really can't bear something that heavy..." he replied with a voice that sounded exhausted.
With everything that had happened, Kayo must no longer be able to take care of all of us, which is why he suggested that we leave that place and begin a journey to somewhere new.
Kayo said that place would give us comfort and peace, where we could live happily without having to suffer because of others.
Ah... I guess I should think again about how all of this began... Somehow, I feel like I can clearly remember the reason why we ended up like this.
——
Maybe about a month ago, when all of us were in a small town located on the border between the continents of Samatoki and Londerg.
Strangely, the weather there resembled Londerg, I didn't feel like I was in Samatoki at all.
Blizzards occurred almost every day, and even when there was no storm, snow would still fall slowly, covering the streets in thick layers.
For us fox folk, we were already used to living as wanderers. No matter how cold or hot a place was, we would quickly adapt.
All of us were given a place to stay in a multi-story building attached to towering rocks that formed something like a hill.
The design of the building came from Samatoki, characterized by red roofs and elegant tips, truly a city that embraced two cultures from two different continents.
Even though the city was not very large, many people came here. Most of them were wealthy nobles, coming with their desires and seeking to indulge them in this city.
Yes, people like us who were born in this city called this place the Young Palace Hidden in the Mist.
Not without reason, someone gave it that name because its condition could truly be summarized in that single phrase.
The Young Palace meant a special place where there were many young people and girls, with less than one in ten being adults.
If many adults were seen walking through the city, they were undoubtedly nobles who came here to buy us.
The reason why there were only young people and girls in this city was because it was like a place of prostitution, but on a much broader scale, which is why it was so vast.
Nobles who came here would surely go to the auction house to buy women or girls they liked, then take them back to their residences to be treated in inhumane ways.
The human girls and women in this city were mostly the result of kidnappings from other towns, or people who came here themselves to earn money or even seek a kind of satisfaction that could only be found here.
As for us, the fox folk here, we were actually victims of kidnapping by one of the groups in this city.
That group was often tasked with hunting prey and treating them like goods, then selling them at high prices even after using them.
All of us were kidnapped in large groups, from adults to children, especially girls and women. We were brought here unconscious.
Before we knew it, when we woke up, we were already on different floors, with our hands and feet bound so that we could not escape.
All of our memories were erased by them, so not a single one of us remembered our hometown or the reason why we were here.
In the midst of that confusion that slowly eroded our minds, a man named Karos came to explain everything to us.
—
Aside from kidnapping us to be sold and treated like objects, there was another reason why they captured us.
Of course, it was because we were fox folk.
Our kind was known to possess very strong magic, and we were a rare race among beast-men across the world.
Many parties like them had tried to defeat us for a long time, and they were one of the ones who succeeded—every fox in that room was proof of it.
Their cruelty did not stop after kidnapping us; they assigned us tasks so that we could be useful.
With the little awareness we still had, we were swayed by his words, as he said he would release us if we worked and earned a large amount of money before the end of the year.
That small glimmer of hope truly enveloped our frightened hearts, uncertain of what we would face next.
From that moment on, we were no longer fox folk to be admired by beast-men, nor feared by humans who could not use magic.
We became slaves, just like all the humans in this city. There was no significant difference except for our race.
It truly felt like torture in a life that seemed like it would not last much longer.