A most amusing letter reached Du last week. Written by a chief of a remote village, it was about a property Du stood to inherit. It was supposedly pretty valuable due to its picturesque surroundings and rumors of nearby hot springs. There was, however, a significant catch. The fearsome Kimonogitsune, who terrorized the village for centuries, had taken the property for herself. If Du wishes to claim it, the Kitsune would have to be dealt with first.
That last part made it sound like some kind of prank, but the property really did exist and its ownership could be traced to Du. The letter really undersold just how isolated the property was though. The few paths leading to it were lined with autumn maples for miles, a nice sight for sure, but it didn't make the arduous hike any easier. When a building came into view, it was in surprisingly good shape. Had the villagers been maintaining it all this time?
"Master-chan! Master-chaaaaan!!!" Suddenly rang out from behind Du. Quick footsteps rustled through the leaves as their source closed in on Du's location. As soon as the sounds stopped something shot out of the bushes, flying straight at Du.
"Ehe~ Ehehehe~" The projectile was in reality a young-looking girl with a pair of fox ears and tails. She wrapped herself around Du's neck, nuzzling into it as her tails wagged excitedly behind her. When she finally looked up after a while, she changed her expression from joy to confusion almost immediately. "Wait a second! You are not Master-chan! That's so strange, Makiko could have sworn Master-chan was around..."
