Chapter 25: Branding the Slave Mark! Martina

"Please, don't, I don't want to be a slave."

"I have many people at home, they will come to find me."

She tried to use lies and pity to move Roko.

Roko's expression was calm, unmoved at all.

He squatted down, took out a magic steel seal, and pressed it gently on Martina's forehead.

Martina's body stiffened abruptly, feeling a scorching energy trying to pierce into her skin.

That was the power of the slave mark!

She instantly understood what Roko was going to do, and her terror reached its peak.

"No! Don't!"

She let out a shrill scream, her body twisting violently.

"Fula, hold her tight."

Roko's voice didn't have a trace of fluctuation.

Fula hugged tighter, closing her eyes somewhat unbearably.

Martina's screams became more and more tragic, like a young beast that had been caught.

The scorching energy forcibly penetrated the skin, leaving a tiny mark on her forehead.

This process, although short, was a great torture for both spirit and body.

Martina's body twitched in pain, her shrill screams stopped abruptly, turning into painful whimpers.

When Roko withdrew the magic steel seal, Martina was already limp in Fula's arms, soaked in sweat, her snow-white fox ears drooping powerlessly.

On her forehead, a red mark in the shape of a Flame Griffin appeared, looking particularly eye-catching on her fair skin.

【Name: Martina】

【Race: Snow Fox】

【Level: None】

【Talent: SS-Rank】

【Status: Weak, painful】

【Favorability: 5 (Forced enslavement)】

【Loyalty: 0 (Forced enslavement)】

Roko glanced at the information on the panel, and the favorability and loyalty were indeed extremely low.

But this was all within his expectations.

The effect of the slave mark was not to bring immediate loyalty, but to establish a mandatory master-servant relationship from the soul level.

Allowing the slave to be unable to disobey the Master's orders, and also unable to harm the Master.

Loyalty and favorability needed to be cultivated and conquered through subsequent efforts.

Fula carefully placed the exhausted Martina on the animal skin blanket; she could feel Martina's pain, but there was not much ripple in her heart.

Instead, because she had completed the task assigned by the Master, she felt somewhat happy.

Moreover, this was the human Kingdom, the human territory.

The slave mark could also be considered a kind of protection for her.

Martina lay on the ground, her body still trembling slightly.

She opened her eyes weakly, those white eyes no longer having the previous terror and begging, only deep humiliation remaining.

She stared fixedly at Roko, as if wanting to carve his appearance into her soul.

"You, you devil..."

She said word by word in a weak voice.

Roko ignored her curses.

He knew that for a proud Snow Fox, being forcibly reduced to a slave was a thing harder to accept than death.

However, this little fox girl being able to fall into Roko's hands, wasn't it also a good thing?

That Baron Carter who reserved Martina didn't seem like a normal person!

If Martina had really fallen into the hands of that Baron Carter, it would have truly been worse than death!

"Fula, take her down to rest."

Roko ordered.

"Yes, Master."

Fula picked up Martina lightly.

Martina's body was stiff in Fula's arms, not resisting anymore.

Only those somewhat resentful eyes were always staring at Roko's back, until she was taken out of the room.

The next morning, soft light shone on Roko's face through the cracks in the window.

He opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing that came into view was Fula's little face carrying concern.

The silver-gray cat ears twitched slightly, and the heterochromatic eyes were full of pure reliance.

"Master, you're awake."

Fula's voice was gentle, carrying a trace of morning laziness.

She had already prepared warm water and a clean towel for Roko.

Under Fula's meticulous service, Roko washed up simply and changed into a clean noble outfit.

Walking out of the room, the fresh air carrying the scent of soil and wood rushed toward him.

The entire Vanguard Valley was full of vibrant scenes, and the clamor of construction was one after another.

Roko nodded with satisfaction and walked toward the largest wooden house used as a temporary study and council hall.

However, when he pushed open the wooden door, he was slightly startled.

A petite figure was sitting upright behind the desk he had pieced together with rough wooden boards.

Snow-white long hair hung down like a waterfall, and a pair of snow-white fox ears were standing up vigilantly.

It was Martina, the little Snow Fox he had forcibly branded with a slave mark yesterday.

At this moment, she was lowering her head, holding a rolled-up piece of animal skin paper in her fair little hands, seemingly reading something earnestly.

That was some rough draft of Roko's future planning for Vanguard Valley.

Hearing the door open, Martina raised her head, those pure white eyes looking at Roko, her eyes complex.

There was vigilance, there was unwillingness, but it seemed there was less of yesterday's terror and despair.

Roko's gaze stayed on her for a moment, then looked at her attribute panel.

【Name: Martina】

【Race: Snow Fox】

【Level: None】

【Talent: SS-Rank】

【Status: Thinking, evaluating】

【Favorability: 30】

【Loyalty: 10】

Both favorability and loyalty had significant improvements.

It seemed that after a night of calm thinking, plus the information obtained from those drafts, this smart little fox had already roughly understood her current situation.

She knew she would have originally been sent to that notorious Baron Carter.

By comparison, falling into the hands of this young Lord who was young to an excessive degree didn't seem to be the worst ending.

At least, this guy named Roko didn't look like a pervert.

"You understand these?"

Roko walked to the desk and asked casually.

Martina put down the animal skin paper in her hand, her small chin raised slightly, carrying a trace of the Snow Fox's innate pride.

"These... are too rough."

Her voice still carried some childishness, but her tone sounded old-fashioned.

"Full of loopholes, low efficiency."

"Oh?" Roko raised his eyebrows, looking at her with great interest: "Then what high opinion do you have?"

Martina straightened her small body, her white eyes meeting Roko's gaze without showing weakness.

"I can help you."

She said, her tone certain.

"Make this Vanguard Valley better."

"The condition?"

Roko's mouth curled into a faint arc.

He knew that this little fox wouldn't show goodwill for no reason.

"Remove my slave mark!"

Martina almost blurted it out, her eyes flashing with a longing for freedom.

The smile on Roko's face faded, his eyes calm and waveless.

"Impossible."

His answer was crisp and neat, without a trace of hesitation.

Martina's eyes dimmed instantly, and her little face also collapsed.

She of course knew that this request would likely be rejected, it was just that the pride belonging to the Snow Fox in the bottom of her heart made her unable to help wanting to try.

Childish, naive.

She silently spat on herself in her heart. ===== CHAPTER 26 =====