I need to move first. Just being with a girl with yellow hair at this hour is suspicious enough. I can think later.
“Hey.”
So I call Yoho.
“Kheh!”
She growls at me as if having a seizure, glaring at me. This crazy fox demon! Now that I think about it, she was probably gnawing on some human arm when I first saw her.
She looks like a cute beauty with yellow hair, but the fact she’s munching on human flesh is horrifying.
It’s normal for demons, but not for humans… It’s absurd to get along with a monster that eats human flesh.
Come to think of it, isn’t this worse than the Four Fairies? At least they don’t eat human flesh… or do they? Damn, I don’t know. Anyway, how do I deal with a woman who looks like a human but has fox ears and a tail and eats humans?
“What are you so wary about?”
“Shut up! It’s because of you that I’m like this!”
“Because of me? Hey man, it’s because of your master! Did I say to do that? Your master ordered it.”
“I can’t deny that, but if you hadn’t shown up, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“You’re the one who went to report and then blame me.”
“Kheh!”
She’s barking aggressively; is it because she’s a demon?
After this conversation, I feel like she might be dumber than humans.
Anyway, let’s set a strategy.
“Okay. There’s no point in arguing with you here. Hey, didn’t the Gumiho tell you to escort me? What are you planning to do?”
“Escort? This Yoho is going to escort a human like you? That’s ridiculous!”
“No… It’s a command from the Gumiho.”
That’s an order.
Honestly, I don’t want to follow it either. But if I don’t, the Gumiho might get mad at me later. I don’t know what will happen then.
Even if just now I managed to reason with her and come to a somewhat peaceful conclusion, what if I realize that peaceful plan isn’t going to work?
Things would get drastic.
“What, you’re not going to follow orders?”
“That’s…!”
“If we both don’t want to get in trouble, we have to. Right?”
“K-kheh! I know that much.”
The problem is if a demon like her is hovering around me, other people will notice.
Especially my wives, who are the closest to me, Serin and Hayoung. Unlike the Four Fairies, this isn’t something I can hide… The Four Fairies told me to hide it and didn’t do anything that would attract attention.
But orders from the Gumiho will naturally get exposed.
So what can I do?
For now, I have no choice but to tell the others.
“Anyway. If a fox is roaming around in this humans’ city, we’ll definitely get caught. Do you have a plan?”
“What do you think I am? I can disguise myself as a human. Deceiving humans is child’s play.”
“What about those ears and tail?”
“I just hide them.”
—Zap!
A current shot through her, and Yoho’s ears and tail disappeared. With that, she fully turned into a human woman.
The bright yellow hair might be a bit suspicious, but honestly, people here in the Central Plains have surprisingly diverse hair colors.
Hayoung has pink hair too.
“Okay, I know you can disguise yourself as a human. Now, you have to stay around me while maintaining that disguise. How will you do that?”
“…”
Yoho frowned, looking troubled at my words.
Seems like she knows there’s no good solution.
“Fine. Then let’s do this.”
“Huh? Why are you trying to conclude this on your own? You’re just a human!”
“Ao! This jerk is really testing my patience!”
“What did you say, you insolent brat!”
Yoho pulled out her claws, but it was more funny than threatening.
“Hey! You think that’ll hurt me? The Gumiho will be very pleased!”
“You cowardly threat…!”
“Shut up and listen. Do you know about the human world better than me? Are you confident you’ll do well here?”
“Of course! The fox’s wit surpasses humans!”
Yoho puffed out her chest as if stating an obvious truth, but I felt like collapsing from frustration.
This girl must be genuinely stupid.
What should I do?
“Stop blabbering… Just do as I say. It’s for the best.”
“Kheh. I’ll listen to you. I have a mission to fulfill too.”
That mindset is enough for now.
“First off, you’re not thinking about rushing in to escort me right away, right? You should gather some info first.”
“What then?”
“Just pretend to be a human and hang around somewhere else for a bit. Then naturally join me at my private chamber.”
“My private chamber?”
“Yeah. I’m the host there. If you come into my private chamber, it’ll naturally be easier to stay close.”
Hearing what I said, Yoho suddenly doubled over in laughter, pointing at me.
“Puhaha! You’re the leader of a group? Humans really are at a low level!”
Damn this brat!
“Shut it… Just do it like that. If you want to follow the Gumiho’s order.”
“I have no choice. Since there’s no other way, I’ll do as you say for now.”
This girl is seriously infuriating!
Why is she acting like she reluctantly accepts it?
“Come by soon.”
But it’s foolish to get worked up over a demon. I have more pressing matters at hand.
“Alright, disperse. Spend some time alone and learn about the human world a bit. I don’t know if you can handle it.”
“Yoho is superior to humans. There’s no way I can’t adapt! Just don’t run away! Our master sees through everything!”
After shouting that, Yoho quickly dashed out of my sight.
“This is really driving me crazy.”
Yoho really seems a bit dim.
Can we really keep the Gumiho satisfied?
I’m more worried about telling the girls.
“Let’s go.”
The night air is cold.
* * *
After returning home, I explained to the two sleeping women what happened.
The story about how the Gumiho called me and gave me a crazy order last night. After a lot of nonsense, we settled on a somewhat better plan—it’s a kind of heroic tale, I suppose.
“No way, this sounds way too funny… Wait! Geunhyeop, did you have a nightmare or something?”
“It’s not a nightmare, it’s an ‘unusual’ dream! Who dreams of a woman with breasts that size!”
“It’s true, I’m telling you! It really happened!”
I didn’t think they’d believe it.
But Hayoung, are you really pointing out the Gumiho’s breast size?
“It sounds amusing that you overcame the crisis with your quick wit, but this sounds way too absurd. How could the Ten Great Demon Beasts of the World like Gumiho suddenly appear…”
“Because I’m the master of the Lightning Demon Fox! Look! This is the item I received from the Gumiho!”
“What’s in this box?”
It was an instantly recognizable luxurious wooden box.
“Uh… we don’t have anything like this at home?”
“…I’ve never seen this before.”
When I presented the evidence, the two women started eyeing each other cautiously.
“Could it really be true?”
“It is! I was just as surprised!”
“And what’s inside?”
“I haven’t checked it yet. Let me see. Open it.”
I opened the wooden box the Gumiho had given me.
“A Gok Ok?”
Inside was a single expensive-looking Gok Ok.
“This is indeed a Gok Ok. It’s not commonly used here in the Central Plains.”
“Right. This is a treasure related to those pesky foreigners.”
“I told you! The Demon Fairy Gumi mentioned that she used to operate in Japan under the name of White-Faced Gold-Masked Demon hundreds of years ago. This totally fits.”
“…”
From the Gok Ok, a mysterious aura was clearly emanating. How should I use it? I glanced at Hayoung, but she seemed flustered since it wasn’t in her area of expertise.
If I don’t know, I’ll just keep it for now.
I can figure it out later.
“Wow. It really seems like it’s true. So Geunhyeop, you mean that the Lightning Demon Fox we dealt with last time is now your escort?”
“It turned out that way.”
“And the Demon Fairy Gumi thinks that based on Geunhyeop’s body constitution, she might be able to create a half-demon and has ordered the union with Yoho.”
“That’s what I heard.”
…
Heavy silence.
Serin’s demeanor sharpens.
“How dare you say such ridiculous things about another’s husband…!”
“I won’t forgive that!”
Hayoung’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the Gok Ok. I feel good seeing the two women angry for me, but at the same time, I feel anxious.
“Thanks for getting mad. But the opponent is the Gumiho. For now, we have to pretend to follow her orders.”
“Yes, that would be best.”
“Hey. You’re not actually developing feelings for that fox girl, right?”
“Absolutely not!”
Objectively speaking, it’s true that Yoho is pretty. She has bright yellow hair and an attractive body.
But does being pretty and having a good body mean everything?
She’s a fox demon!
And she enjoys eating people!
That’s a combination I could never like. Besides, I’m a married man with two beautiful wives; why would I look at a mere fox?
“Wi Hayoung. Geunhyeop wouldn’t do something like that.”
“I know. I’m just frustrated. Anyway, now that Yoho is coming to escort you, have you thought about what to do?”
“I told her to enter through my private chamber, but… she also must have something to think about. I’ve already sent her off.”
“Then we need to prepare to welcome her.”
Serin stood up from her seat.
Whatever the case, we need to be ready to accept Yoho.
* * *
A few days later.
I found Yoho crouching in an alley in front of our house.
“What’s this jerk doing?”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“…I’m hungry.”
What?
“Kheh! I’m starving to death! Please save me, human!”
“This brat isn’t saying she’s starving because there’s no human flesh?!”
Is she starving because there’s no human flesh?
What the hell!
“I don’t need human flesh! I can eat other things too!”
“You’re a demon and you don’t need human flesh?”
“Human flesh is just a means to enhance my power! More than that, please give me food! I’m starving to death…!”
“No.”
What kind of demon is starving because it can’t eat?
“What have you been doing that you can’t eat?”
“I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
“I don’t know how to eat here! Please! Just give me food! I’m so hungry!”
Hmm.
Well.
“Okay… follow me.”
I’ve got to feed her.
This kid really seems dumber than I imagined.
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