A talking cat in distress

"Myaster! Please help!" came a sudden cry.

Reader tried to find the source of the cry, the only person nearby being an older, powerful looking woman in white and gold armour. The grin she gave him when she noticed his attention was rather... cocky. The scared, mewling voice he'd heard seemed completely incongruant with the dangerous looking adventuress passing by.

"Claim ownership of me Myaster! I'll be a useful familiar! I'll do whatever you want if you claim me as a pet!"

Ah, not the adventuress but something she was carrying. On her back, tied to the outside of a heavy pack, was a small iron cage. And from inside that cage, a cat with two tails was doing its best to make kitten-eyes at him while also yelling desperately for his attention.

The adventuress noted the direction of his gaze and sighed, rolling her eyes a little. "Pay no attention to what she says cutie. The Kitsune lies like a corpse."

"Half-Kitsune! My father was a Wizard's familiar! I'm a familiar too, technically! Please Myaster, make me your pet!"

Something about the two-tailed cat was compelling, but Reader had an inkling about the various ruses monstergirls used to steal the life-essence of men in a world like this. He remembered a detail he'd seen in the dossier on this world, and ventured,

"I'm not... an expert in these matters, but there's a goddess's shrine just behind me. Am I right that if she's really a lying kitsune, she won't be able to touch it?" Reader ventured.

The adventuress looked annoyed. "You're partially right. A tamed monstergirl would still be able to touch a shrine to θANA. Has something about this one caught your-"

"Yes! Tamed! I'm tame! That's my Myaster right there! Thank you for returning me to him!" interrupted the katsune.

Reader looked into her big, kittenlike eyes as the adventuress shook the cage and had to admit...

"she has caught my eye, yes. Maybe there's something about encountering her so soon after getting here" he admitted. "Would you be open to-"

"Selling her? I would" the adventuress said, "there wouldn't be much of a bounty from the witch's college if they take her for experiments like I'd planned. What would you give for her?"

Reader considered. "It would have to be an exchange of labour of some kind" he ventured, "I don't have any possessions right now..."

The adventuress grinned with a mien that raised the hairs on Reader's neck. "I was hoping you'd say that".