The Bond of the Fox

Chapter 15: The Bond of the Fox

The first word that left the fox girl's lips—

"Master."

Silence.

Alicia's eyes widened in absolute disbelief. "H-Hey, hey… What are you saying?!" she stammered, taking a step back.

Even Father, still rubbing his cheek from Mother's earlier slap, blinked in surprise. Magnus remained frozen, speechless.

Safina, standing close to me, tightened her grip on my sleeve, her expression unreadable.

The fox girl, however, remained composed.

Mother stepped forward, her usual calm, confident smile on her lips. "So?" she asked, folding her arms. "What do you think now?"

The fox girl, still gazing at me, responded, "Your son… He is truly more superior than you."

A brief moment of silence followed before Mother chuckled, completely unfazed.

"Well, of course," she said with pride, placing a hand on her hip. "He's my son, after all." Then she threw a glance at Father and smirked. "And my blood as well."

Father coughed. "...That's right."

Meanwhile, I was still processing everything. A legendary being had just acknowledged me as her master?

Before I could even form words, the fox girl approached me and gently placed a hand on my chest.

"Look inside yourself, Master," she said. "Tell me—what do you see?"

I hesitated, then closed my eyes, focusing on my inner energy flow.

Immediately, I sensed the three energies swirling inside me, rotating in a circular motion—forming three separate cores.

The first two, the ones I had awakened earlier, were calm, their power steady. But the third one, the one I formed while summoning her—

It was different.

A fierce, black energy surged through me, wild and dangerous, like a raging storm barely restrained.

When I opened my eyes, she was watching me closely.

"So?" she asked, a knowing smirk on her lips.

I parted my lips to answer—

But before I could speak, she raised a finger and gently pressed it against my lips, silencing me.

Then, leaning closer, she whispered in a low, breathy ASMR voice, her lips almost brushing my ear:

"No, Master. Speaking about it now will only bring you trouble."

A strange chill ran down my spine.

Her voice wasn't just seductive—it carried a warning, a quiet, intimate secrecy that sent a shiver through my body.

Before I could react, another voice cut through the air.

"Meet me in my room tonight," Mother suddenly said, her voice firm yet casual, as if discussing dinner plans.

I turned to her in surprise.

She didn't explain further, simply shifting her gaze to the others. "Alright. Everyone, back to your duties."

Alicia, still recovering from shock, frowned as she turned to me. "Edric."

Her tone was serious.

"Mom favors you. She'll always do everything to protect you." She crossed her arms. "But in the outside world, there will be no Mom to shield you. Remember that."

I was about to respond—

But the fox girl cut in first.

"Oh, little girl," she said with a playful smirk, "you don't need to worry. I will protect him."

Her voice suddenly turned colder, sharper.

"And maybe you should worry about yourself instead." She tilted her head. "If I were to attack you right now, you'd be dead before you even realized."

The entire training ground fell into a tense silence.

Alicia's expression darkened.

That was too much.

I clenched my jaw and snapped, "Shut up."

The fox girl blinked at my sharp tone.

I turned back to Alicia and said, genuinely, "I'm sorry. I'll remember your advice."

She stared at me for a moment, then scoffed, flipping her hair as she walked away. But I could tell from her stiff shoulders—her mood was not good.

Magnus followed suit, not saying a word, but I could feel his lingering gaze.

Soon, everyone had left except for—

Safina.

The succubus.

The orc girl.

The elf.

And, of course, the fox girl.

She turned to me, her tails swaying. "Now," she said, stepping closer, "let's make a bond."

I frowned. "How?"

"Simple," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Name me."

I raised a brow. "That's it?"

She smirked. "If I acknowledge the name, the bond will be formed."

I paused, thinking.

If I'm naming her, I should choose something fitting…

After a moment, I finally said, "Talia."

Her crimson eyes lit up.

"…Talia," she repeated, as if tasting the name on her tongue. Then, a slow smile spread across her lips. "Good name."

Then—before I could react—she suddenly pressed her forehead against mine, our faces dangerously close.

Her warm breath tickled my lips as she whispered:

"I, Talia, a Nine-Tailed Fox, accept Edric Von Ainsworth as my Master and pledge my loyalty to him."

A sudden glow enveloped both our bodies.

A strange tattoo appeared on her hand—

And an identical mark formed on mine.

Talia leaned back, studying the new mark. "This," she said, lifting my hand, "is proof of my loyalty to you, Master."

I exhaled, still overwhelmed by everything.

But then I glanced at my other harem members—and realized something.

I haven't even named them yet.

Turning toward the succubus, I said, "Well, it's your turn."

She straightened, her dark wings fluttering slightly. "Oh? You're naming me too, Master?"

I nodded. "Let's see… Nia."

Her lips curled into a pleased smile. "Nia… I like it. Thank you, Master."

Suddenly—

Warm arms wrapped around my back. Soft, heavy breasts pressed into me.

Talia.

Her tails coiled around my waist as she purred, "Oh, Master~ You already have some loyal subjects under you, don't you?" She smirked, glancing at the other women. "And quite the… diverse taste, too."

I ignored her teasing and turned to the orc girl.

She folded her arms. "No need to name me," she said proudly. "My name is Guru."

I shrugged. "If you like it, then I'll respect it."

Finally, I faced the elf MILF.

She sighed. "I already told you my name before you bought me."

"…Remind me."

She rolled her eyes. "Alia Eryndor."

I nodded. "Got it."

As the naming session ended, Talia let out a satisfied hum, resting her chin on my shoulder.

"Well then," she murmured in amusement, "this is going to be fun."

I had a feeling she wasn't just talking about the bond.