Wails of pain, sorrow, and defiance. Those were the screams the [Fire Arcanist] Macklemor was currently hearing from behind his carriage, comfortably enjoying the ride as ragged farmers and villagers spouted out pleas in their rickety prison wagons.
From the sides, an unorganized band of human and beastman highwaymen reciprocated the distraught cries of these captured men and women with malice, remarking, “Quiet down, or ya want us to rip your tongues out?” and “Cry some more, bitches. We need ya loud to enjoy winter together, hahaha!” Gleeful crackles filled the cold day, freezing the hearts of the prisoners even further.
Urgh, they are always so lustful … Macklemor thought as he clutched his amulet of Danterno, silently apologizing to the God of Fire for extinguishing the flame he dedicated to him.
Water was the eternal rival of fire, and Macklemor, like most fire mages, hated the sight of pouring rain. For him, it was another demonstration of the tyranny of the Goddess of Water, Plesia, and the God of Weather and Harvest, Kurnal, working together to smother the feeble influence of his god. For he hated nothing more than a flame dying before it could display its iridescent might.
“The other gods have grown jealous of the life-giving fire,” was what most fire mages believed. It was a cult-like belief, to the point an educated mage novice would be warned by family and teachers to avoid any of the Church of Danterno’s delusional fanatics. As a consequence, the image of a fire mage was distorted by this loud group, to the point most only thought of them as war mages or mercenaries.
The God of Destruction, that was the singular domain of the Origin God Danterno, aside from his total control of Peolynca’s fire element. Like the rough and blunt Danterno, most of his followers followed a crude understanding of their god’s doctrine. To allow an inferno to grow to its fullest potential, expressing the beauty of life in the flickering flames of its inevitable demise; such a duty was an honor. Just … whether it destroyed the lives of others was of no concern.
Due to this mentality, the job prospects of a fire mage were quite meager. Due to their training and teaching, most would be consumed by the beauty and power of their flame spells, prompting them to seek out professions which would allow them to satisfy this destructive impulse. The ecstasy was like a drug.
However, in the world of Peolynca, magic wasn’t only there for war or conflict, magic was also prosperity. Earth, water, wind, dark, and holy mages had a place in society with their utility-based spells, allowing their practitioners to assume peaceful lives as construction builders, land cultivators, or add their magical finesse to aid them in mundane tasks.
It should be noted that magicians were a minority. The road to the arcane was arduous, stressful, and long, not to mention it usually revolved around tuition or pledging yourself to somebody, if you weren’t lucky to be born into an influential family. As such, a mage was considered a highly desired person, whether it was in the military or social-economic fields.
As such, while the military and adventurer viewed the normal fire mage as a potential ally, a fief lord or a fellow mage would consider them a potential risk. With their stubborn and one-dimensional philosophy, this couldn’t be helped. For this reason, becoming a pure fire mage or learning from one, wasn’t very popular. This, unfortunately, meant the Pantheon of Fire’s followership was quite meager compared to the other five pantheons.
For what use was destruction and carnage during times of peace?
[Reduce Heat] is a custom spell that helps a fire die out naturally … but how can it be natural when a mage was the one to cast the spell? It hurts so much to see my own fire die out, Macklemor muttered to himself silently.
After the rain from yesterday, the bandit group that Macklemor was currently working for detected the camp of a group of villagers and farmers who were transporting their goods towards a town or city. Knowing that winter was coming, the bandits couldn’t think of anything else but to raid them for their food and water.
Macklemor himself was delighted to hear this news, as it was a chance for him to display his abilities as a mage in front of all these magicless plebeians. For he was an arcanist, a mage considered by the mage’s guild to be experienced enough to become a rank C adventurer. As such, he was seeking an apprentice, somebody he could depart Danterno’s glory onto.
While the faith of Danterno wasn’t exactly dying out, its influence and number of clergymen was waning. While worshipping the Fire God wasn’t frowned upon, becoming a mage was an entirely different case. And through constant spell casting, Danterno would receive power.
Not only could I not convert anyone, like always, but this raid also brought some casualties. Yes, fire consumes life, but my faith does not preach unnecessary bloodshed, Macklemor lamented how some villagers lost their life due to the bandits' over eagerness.
"Oi, Macklemor, watcha making that face for? Come on, we gonna live big through winter with this amount of loot!" Sitting beside him on the carriage, a man with a mullet patted his back with a carefree disposition.
“Jasper … couldn’t you have stopped some of your men from killing them?” Macklemor responded to the man with the mullet. "Those people were unarmed. They didn't even have a guard! There was no need to end their lives."
“Eh? Why are ya complaining about that? Yeah, my boys did some retarded stuff by killing them, but those bastards resisted. We don’t need any strong-willed people trying to rile everybody up. The last thing we need is the slaves revolting, man,” Jasper explained without a hint of regret or sympathy, believing this was just part of business. “Besides, I saw ya enjoy the extra bodies we brought to your fire. Ya smile when it lit up, ahahaha! You fire mages are all fucked up in the head.”
Macklemor couldn’t retort. Jasper’s accusation struck deep with like a dagger, causing the mage to reflect on his actions. After they captured the villagers and put them into wooden wagon prisons, ready to be transported back to their camp by their trusty equerochsen—Peolyncian beasts of burden that were a mix between a horse and an ox—Macklemor created a fire to destroy the evidence of the scene.
The wagons, useless items, the blood on the grass, and the corpses; everything would be turned to ash with Danterno’s purifying flames. Nothing made him happier than to see the fire rise up high, consuming the fuel that laid under it.
But that didn’t mean he felt elated about the dead villagers. He wanted to avoid it, but what could he say when he himself was working for criminals that felt no guilt about ending another person’s life? This was the life he chose for himself.
“Enough sulking around, mate. Let’s share some of that sake we got from that rice village once we get back to camp. We fucking deserved it after what happened three months ago,” Jasper stated, trying to console his brother-in-arms.
… I guess, we have been pretty lucky ever since we got attacked by those Aureolis Knights.
“Aureolis Knights” or better known as the “Knights of Aurena,” an elite order of holy knights in the service of the Holy State Aureolis. The bandit group Macklemor belonged to was ambushed and raided by these elite warriors three months ago, during the month of HarvestBloom.
Ever since they fled in tatters from Aureolis, they have been moving around the Kingdom of Artorias until they finally set camp in the territory of the Lecartiglio Duchy, on the border of the Helvas County which included Carine Village.
“… Jasper, what did the Boss say? We can’t stay here for too long,” Macklemor reminded him with worry. “After what happened with the ‘White Winged Dragoon’ in Aureolis, we’ve just been running around, recruiting lowly criminals or starving farmers. You and I know if mercs have been sent after us, then the Knights of the White Talon, or even Lionhearts, will be sent after us soon enough. Artorias forbids slavers!”
The Kingdom of Artorias was also known as the Kingdom of Griffons and Hippogryphs, a land where its knight orders would tame these flying beasts as mounts. Brave and well-trained, these two knight orders were the elite of Artorias’s military, barring any mages.
“You worry too much mate …” Jasper forced out with a deep frown, reluctantly acknowledging the situation they are in. “The Boss said that we will stay 'ere until the last month of winter, recruit any wannabe fuckheads and then piss ourselves off down south. Atadoro, man. We’ll be away from Shaturein’s influence and can regrow back to a proper gang in that fucked up kingdom. No worries. Those manabloods ain’t finding us, man. We gonna sneak out mama bird’s eggs, ha!”
"… And what about mercs? That village was large and profitable. I tried stopping the Boss, but he still ordered me to burn it down instead of just taking the food. I know it was just there to let out steam, but nobles don’t just forgive bandits embarrassing them!” Macklemor tried to warn his friend, clenching his amulet as he silently prayed for Jasper to consider his words.
“Ya learned that from ya magic school, or was it a university? Whatever, still I can see how stuffy it can be to be with a bunch of manabloods, studying away in your halls of magic. Them nobles will have to give up once we’re south.” However, Jasper only spat at the ground, believing everything was going well. He believed as long as they didn’t cause another large problem, the nobles would simply forget them. "Oh, and ya worry about mercs? Fucking hell, mate, it's winter! Which sane merc would come now, especially after we just annihilated a fuckton of them? Me, you, and the Boss. That’s all we need. The only idiots coming our way are coinless fucks and ‘justice’ fanatics. Toss some coin and food for the fucks, and we got some new boys, hahaha!”
“Uhm, excuse me?”
As the bandits were either laughing or tormenting their captives, the carriages and wagons abruptly halted as a person suddenly appeared in front of their track, waving for them to stop.
Hmm, a girl? Macklemor remarked to himself.
“Uhh, I’ve lost my way in these woods. Could I possibly ask you to direct me towards the ex … it …” the young girl asked, believing these men to be part of a caravan, only to stare in terror as she saw the imprisoned villagers. Her eyes widened and her legs began to tremble, looking as if she was about to scream. “N-n-n-n-nooooo!”
“Catch her, lads!” Jasper commanded, mobilizing all the bandits into action.
Terrified from the sight of these highwaymen, the girl turned around and ran, but immediately tripped over the roots of a tree. Her fair skin crashed onto the ground, ruining her pristine red-white dress with dirt. Before she could stand up the bandits quickly surrounded and captured her.
“No! No! No! Unhand me! Unhand me, please!” the girl shrieked in panic, flailing her still free legs as she attempted to free herself from the grip of these adult men.
Silky-looking crimson hair bound together by a black headband into a ponytail, her clothes are a bit ‘boring’ but it doesn’t seem like they saw a single wrinkle until now, and a pretty well-mannered speaking habit? But … where are her shoes? Macklemor thought as he scrutinized the young girl.
“Treat her well, lads. That girl ain’t looking like a countryside bimbo. We can actually make some goldite after we sell her off! No touching her, ‘ey?” Jasper grinned with gold-staring eyes, flaunting his hands up and down as if to cheer for their success. “Fucking hell, look at us lads! Looks like Lady Luck is on our side today, hahaha!”
“Gahahaha!” The bandits joined in Jasper’s laughter after they shoved the crimson-haired girl into one of the wagons.
She has no tail, no horns, no fangs, no claws, or any other beastmen-like traits. She’s taller than a dwarf woman and her ears aren’t pointy like an elf. If I have to guess, she’s probably a lost noblewoman or a rich merchant’s daughter from either the Lecartiglio or Greenveil Duchy.
Macklemor’s observation was correct. The girl had no defining trait that would link her to the many beastmen races in the world so his conclusion that she was a human was correct. In addition, the way she presented herself, the way she spoke, and how little arm strength she demonstrated compared to a peasant’s daughter made it clear she had to have grown in a well-off environment. To the bandits, she was undoubtedly either a noble’s or wealthy merchant’s daughter.
But for some reason … I-I feel something about her. Something about her spurns my inner fire mage! I-I feel it! I can see her potential as a mage, the warmth she’s emanating!
“Ooooh, Macklemor, ya fancying her? Can’t believe ya tiny sausage finally got excited, ha! Being in that magic school, or whatever, seemed to have made ya like noble girls, huh?” Jasper mocked his friend, interrupting his inner monologue. “Sorry, but that girl is worth more to us pure like a flower. Keep your cock in your pants, mate.”
“Shut up, Jasper!” Macklemor replied in annoyance, diverting his attention away from the crimson-haired girl. “I’m not interested in a girl who’s barely an adult! That girl has potential. Tell the Boss I want some time to convert her, otherwise, this is where we say goodbye. I didn’t just join this band, just to waltz around like a damn slaver!”
Macklemor stared directly into Jasper's eyes, unwavering like an indomitable inferno. He might be trying to cajole his friend, but it was clear to the latter this was a serious matter. "Ok, ok, ok! Where's that sudden backbone come from, mate? If it's only to do ya little sermons, then I don't think the Boss will mind it. I'll speak to him, don't ya worry."
Good, good! I know everything will work out now! She has an amulet of that bitch Plesia, but I’m sure if I show her the potential of Danterno magic, then she will convert immediately! She will realize her potential!
Macklemor was on cloud nine, gleefully imagining and planning whatever he needed for his meeting with the girl in red. As if he was controlled by an unnatural power, every single fiber of his body was telling him that she was the one!
There were many things this mage wanted to do in his life. Level [Fire Magic] up to level 10 to gain [Inferno Magic], receive [Identify], become a master mage, and so much more. However, none of these goals could compare to his desire to convert this girl into a Danterno believer.
Danterno, oh my eternal lord, today I will not fail you. Today, I will make somebody my apprentice. Today, you will have a new worshipper! Today, a new fire mage will be born.
While Macklemor was praying to his god with zealous fervor, a certain girl watched everything that was happening before her. Analyzing each bandit one by one, before showing a cute smirk, waiting for everything to unfold.
*************************************
That girl … I knew she mentioned she and her mother used to roleplay anime characters a lot but that was when she was little. This performance … was extremely believable …
“Unhand me, Mister saurians! Unhand me this instance! My Mistress needs me! I must free her from the clutches of these abominable h-humans! HUMAN SCUM!” Tasianna pleaded in a shrill voice from behind me, as she was effortlessly held back by the carnosilian, Krim-slak.
“Tasianna, please stop struggling, otherwise, they might see us.” I frowned a bit, sympathizing with my fellow party member, seeing as our little idol was being mistreated by actual scum of society. “Hestia’s lingering [Air Shield] is blocking out the sound but these bushes are not large enough to hide Krim-Slak and Grazlahta. Do not force them to stand up.”
“Urgh … I apologize, Miss Saori. B-b-but, we can’t just let those humans touch Lady Hestia with their filthy hands!” Tasianna again tried to argue with me, tears falling down her face as we slowly watched Hestia being transported away as a “prisoner” by the bandits.
“I understand that you are very much distressed, but this is all part of Hestia’s plan, no?” Mister Kushlek’zar tried to reason with our very loyal maid. “Patience is one virtue you must learn as a mage. A cool mind to cast spells consecutively is needed.”
“Hahaha, truly a reckless move from that young scale. Hey, Graz, remember that time we gathered a few eggs without realizing that one of them was rigged by its mother? Nasty surprise, right?” Krim-Slak joyfully retold an old story.
“You nearly lost your arm, Krim. We were careless young scales back then,” the green carnosilian replied with a sigh. “However, I have to agree. Those criminals unwittingly just brought a bomb into their hold. If the young scale’s strength is true, then this should be an easy battle.”
The plan the saurians were talking about was how we just allowed the bandits to capture Hestia and turn her into a prisoner. The idea behind it was to send her into the bandit’s camp where she could locate all the prisoners and help free them from within.
While that went on, Tasianna and I would cause a “distraction” and lead some bandits away from the camp to allow the saurians to lead the main raid into the camp. With Hestia already inside the camp, she could not only protect the prisoners but also aid the saurians in their assault.
Also, yes, these were the bandits that Chief Colwyn contracted us to subjugate. I was sure of it, since I overheard one of them mention they stole sake and rice from a nearby village in addition to burning it down.
There was no questioning it. They were our Quest targets.
I haven’t had any sake in such a long time … I was so excited when I saw those rice plants and you dare steal it from me? I monologued with myself, slightly annoyed about the fact my hope for a good drink was taken away from me.
While my real reason for taking this Quest was to see how I fared against humans and beastmen in battle, I couldn’t deny finally getting something good to drink was another one. And no, I was not an alcoholic, thank you very much. I enjoyed drinking as nothing was more relaxing than some drinks and food after a hard day at work.
After all, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit stressed out right now. Although some reasons like Tasianna’s fierce hatred for humans, Hestia’s recent emotional breakdown, and what that leviathan revealed to me about my “heritage” were quite concerning, what actually bothered me the most was our lack of funds.
Yes, money. The one thing that kept the world turning around. Ever since I first laid eyes on davi, the official currency of the continent Altrust, I quickly came to the realization that our party needed money now that we were inside a human kingdom.
While Tasianna had no real idea what money truly was and Hestia was more preoccupied with her idol performance, this duty rested on my shoulders. Somebody had to care. It really felt like I was the only one who was just a bit scared of our party’s future expenses.
While Hestia’s storage was filled with monster bodies and plants we could sell, it wouldn’t last us forever. Not to mention how much we would have to spend in the future for Hestia’s concert stage. She wanted her dream to come true, and I wouldn’t be a proper friend if I didn’t help her.
However, that required money. It also required us to naturalize into society, which required stuff like IDs and probably also equipment for our adventurer life. Everything required davi. Doing this Quest would give us some spending money until we could understand how things worked.
“Miss Saori, do you have Hestia’s scent?” Mister Kushlek’zar suddenly asked me.
“Of course, she is the only dragonewt around here, after all,” I answered, tapping my nose confidently.
“Perfect, then let us proceed with the plan,” the saurian stated. “Grazlahta, tell Akasht that he may follow us now but that he should keep a certain distance so as to not alert any of our targets.”
With that settled, we started pursuing the bandit caravan. While this was happening, I also kept an eye on Hestia through a hairband I made for her, wrapping it with my [Shadow Armament] and then hiding my [Shadow Snake] in it to allow me to see around her.
Interestingly enough, while I praised her ability to act before, I was now witnessing Hestia throwing all that effort out of the window and simply singing and annoying the bandit guards, showing little concern for any of their threats.
I’ve said it before, but that girl can be a real brat sometimes, heh. Too bad I can’t hear her sing; she has an extremely beautiful voice.
After a while, the bandits finally reached what essentially looked like a campsite surrounded by crudely made wooden spikes, serving as a stockade fence for this large assortment of highwaymen. From a quick glance, I believe there should be around 20 to 30 of them in there. We were grossly outnumbered.
“Mister Kushlek’zar, here are some mana threads, a few of Hestia’s bombs, and venom. I would like you to help us set up traps for the ambush,” I requested to the old saurian.
“Ha ha ha, I would gladly. Do not fret, all raptorsilians know the art of trapmaking, and I’ve been serving as one ever since my birth. I will not waste yours nor the young scale’s trust,” he answered back with a praying bow.
“We two will scout out the perfect angle for our raid onto the camp. Gotta catch these idiots out by surprise,” Krim-Slak stated with confidence.
From a quick [Identity], I understood the average bandit was honestly too weak to contend with any of us. Basically, all of them were around level ten and had the abilities of a weak rank E monster, while possessing an underwhelming skillset. They were “fodder” as Hestia would call them.
“Tasianna, hold it in for just a bit longer,” I told my extremely agitated friend.
“They are dead!” Tasianna announced, holding herself back from jumping straight into the camp.
Alright, we're waiting for your signal, Hestia.
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Wails of pain, sorrow, and defiance. Those were the screams the [Fire Arcanist] Macklemor was currently hearing from behind his carriage, comfortably enjoying the ride as ragged farmers and villagers spouted out pleas in their rickety prison wagons.
From the sides, an unorganized band of human and beastman highwaymen reciprocated the distraught cries of these captured men and women with malice, remarking, “Quiet down, or ya want us to rip your tongues out?” and “Cry some more, bitches. We need ya loud to enjoy winter together, hahaha!” Gleeful crackles filled the cold day, freezing the hearts of the prisoners even further.
Urgh, they are always so lustful … Macklemor thought as he clutched his amulet of Danterno, silently apologizing to the God of Fire for extinguishing the flame he dedicated to him.
Water was the eternal rival of fire, and Macklemor, like most fire mages, hated the sight of pouring rain. For him, it was another demonstration of the tyranny of the Goddess of Water, Plesia, and the God of Weather and Harvest, Kurnal, working together to smother the feeble influence of his god. For he hated nothing more than a flame dying before it could display its iridescent might.
“The other gods have grown jealous of the life-giving fire,” was what most fire mages believed. It was a cult-like belief, to the point an educated mage novice would be warned by family and teachers to avoid any of the Church of Danterno’s delusional fanatics. As a consequence, the image of a fire mage was distorted by this loud group, to the point most only thought of them as war mages or mercenaries.
The God of Destruction, that was the singular domain of the Origin God Danterno, aside from his total control of Peolynca’s fire element. Like the rough and blunt Danterno, most of his followers followed a crude understanding of their god’s doctrine. To allow an inferno to grow to its fullest potential, expressing the beauty of life in the flickering flames of its inevitable demise; such a duty was an honor. Just … whether it destroyed the lives of others was of no concern.
Due to this mentality, the job prospects of a fire mage were quite meager. Due to their training and teaching, most would be consumed by the beauty and power of their flame spells, prompting them to seek out professions which would allow them to satisfy this destructive impulse. The ecstasy was like a drug.
However, in the world of Peolynca, magic wasn’t only there for war or conflict, magic was also prosperity. Earth, water, wind, dark, and holy mages had a place in society with their utility-based spells, allowing their practitioners to assume peaceful lives as construction builders, land cultivators, or add their magical finesse to aid them in mundane tasks.
It should be noted that magicians were a minority. The road to the arcane was arduous, stressful, and long, not to mention it usually revolved around tuition or pledging yourself to somebody, if you weren’t lucky to be born into an influential family. As such, a mage was considered a highly desired person, whether it was in the military or social-economic fields.
As such, while the military and adventurer viewed the normal fire mage as a potential ally, a fief lord or a fellow mage would consider them a potential risk. With their stubborn and one-dimensional philosophy, this couldn’t be helped. For this reason, becoming a pure fire mage or learning from one, wasn’t very popular. This, unfortunately, meant the Pantheon of Fire’s followership was quite meager compared to the other five pantheons.
For what use was destruction and carnage during times of peace?
[Reduce Heat] is a custom spell that helps a fire die out naturally … but how can it be natural when a mage was the one to cast the spell? It hurts so much to see my own fire die out, Macklemor muttered to himself silently.
After the rain from yesterday, the bandit group that Macklemor was currently working for detected the camp of a group of villagers and farmers who were transporting their goods towards a town or city. Knowing that winter was coming, the bandits couldn’t think of anything else but to raid them for their food and water.
Macklemor himself was delighted to hear this news, as it was a chance for him to display his abilities as a mage in front of all these magicless plebeians. For he was an arcanist, a mage considered by the mage’s guild to be experienced enough to become a rank C adventurer. As such, he was seeking an apprentice, somebody he could depart Danterno’s glory onto.
While the faith of Danterno wasn’t exactly dying out, its influence and number of clergymen was waning. While worshipping the Fire God wasn’t frowned upon, becoming a mage was an entirely different case. And through constant spell casting, Danterno would receive power.
Not only could I not convert anyone, like always, but this raid also brought some casualties. Yes, fire consumes life, but my faith does not preach unnecessary bloodshed, Macklemor lamented how some villagers lost their life due to the bandits' over eagerness.
"Oi, Macklemor, watcha making that face for? Come on, we gonna live big through winter with this amount of loot!" Sitting beside him on the carriage, a man with a mullet patted his back with a carefree disposition.
“Jasper … couldn’t you have stopped some of your men from killing them?” Macklemor responded to the man with the mullet. "Those people were unarmed. They didn't even have a guard! There was no need to end their lives."
“Eh? Why are ya complaining about that? Yeah, my boys did some retarded stuff by killing them, but those bastards resisted. We don’t need any strong-willed people trying to rile everybody up. The last thing we need is the slaves revolting, man,” Jasper explained without a hint of regret or sympathy, believing this was just part of business. “Besides, I saw ya enjoy the extra bodies we brought to your fire. Ya smile when it lit up, ahahaha! You fire mages are all fucked up in the head.”
Macklemor couldn’t retort. Jasper’s accusation struck deep with like a dagger, causing the mage to reflect on his actions. After they captured the villagers and put them into wooden wagon prisons, ready to be transported back to their camp by their trusty equerochsen—Peolyncian beasts of burden that were a mix between a horse and an ox—Macklemor created a fire to destroy the evidence of the scene.
The wagons, useless items, the blood on the grass, and the corpses; everything would be turned to ash with Danterno’s purifying flames. Nothing made him happier than to see the fire rise up high, consuming the fuel that laid under it.
But that didn’t mean he felt elated about the dead villagers. He wanted to avoid it, but what could he say when he himself was working for criminals that felt no guilt about ending another person’s life? This was the life he chose for himself.
“Enough sulking around, mate. Let’s share some of that sake we got from that rice village once we get back to camp. We fucking deserved it after what happened three months ago,” Jasper stated, trying to console his brother-in-arms.
… I guess, we have been pretty lucky ever since we got attacked by those Aureolis Knights.
“Aureolis Knights” or better known as the “Knights of Aurena,” an elite order of holy knights in the service of the Holy State Aureolis. The bandit group Macklemor belonged to was ambushed and raided by these elite warriors three months ago, during the month of HarvestBloom.
Ever since they fled in tatters from Aureolis, they have been moving around the Kingdom of Artorias until they finally set camp in the territory of the Lecartiglio Duchy, on the border of the Helvas County which included Carine Village.
“… Jasper, what did the Boss say? We can’t stay here for too long,” Macklemor reminded him with worry. “After what happened with the ‘White Winged Dragoon’ in Aureolis, we’ve just been running around, recruiting lowly criminals or starving farmers. You and I know if mercs have been sent after us, then the Knights of the White Talon, or even Lionhearts, will be sent after us soon enough. Artorias forbids slavers!”
The Kingdom of Artorias was also known as the Kingdom of Griffons and Hippogryphs, a land where its knight orders would tame these flying beasts as mounts. Brave and well-trained, these two knight orders were the elite of Artorias’s military, barring any mages.
“You worry too much mate …” Jasper forced out with a deep frown, reluctantly acknowledging the situation they are in. “The Boss said that we will stay 'ere until the last month of winter, recruit any wannabe fuckheads and then piss ourselves off down south. Atadoro, man. We’ll be away from Shaturein’s influence and can regrow back to a proper gang in that fucked up kingdom. No worries. Those manabloods ain’t finding us, man. We gonna sneak out mama bird’s eggs, ha!”
"… And what about mercs? That village was large and profitable. I tried stopping the Boss, but he still ordered me to burn it down instead of just taking the food. I know it was just there to let out steam, but nobles don’t just forgive bandits embarrassing them!” Macklemor tried to warn his friend, clenching his amulet as he silently prayed for Jasper to consider his words.
“Ya learned that from ya magic school, or was it a university? Whatever, still I can see how stuffy it can be to be with a bunch of manabloods, studying away in your halls of magic. Them nobles will have to give up once we’re south.” However, Jasper only spat at the ground, believing everything was going well. He believed as long as they didn’t cause another large problem, the nobles would simply forget them. "Oh, and ya worry about mercs? Fucking hell, mate, it's winter! Which sane merc would come now, especially after we just annihilated a fuckton of them? Me, you, and the Boss. That’s all we need. The only idiots coming our way are coinless fucks and ‘justice’ fanatics. Toss some coin and food for the fucks, and we got some new boys, hahaha!”
“Uhm, excuse me?”
As the bandits were either laughing or tormenting their captives, the carriages and wagons abruptly halted as a person suddenly appeared in front of their track, waving for them to stop.
Hmm, a girl? Macklemor remarked to himself.
“Uhh, I’ve lost my way in these woods. Could I possibly ask you to direct me towards the ex … it …” the young girl asked, believing these men to be part of a caravan, only to stare in terror as she saw the imprisoned villagers. Her eyes widened and her legs began to tremble, looking as if she was about to scream. “N-n-n-n-nooooo!”
“Catch her, lads!” Jasper commanded, mobilizing all the bandits into action.
Terrified from the sight of these highwaymen, the girl turned around and ran, but immediately tripped over the roots of a tree. Her fair skin crashed onto the ground, ruining her pristine red-white dress with dirt. Before she could stand up the bandits quickly surrounded and captured her.
“No! No! No! Unhand me! Unhand me, please!” the girl shrieked in panic, flailing her still free legs as she attempted to free herself from the grip of these adult men.
Silky-looking crimson hair bound together by a black headband into a ponytail, her clothes are a bit ‘boring’ but it doesn’t seem like they saw a single wrinkle until now, and a pretty well-mannered speaking habit? But … where are her shoes? Macklemor thought as he scrutinized the young girl.
“Treat her well, lads. That girl ain’t looking like a countryside bimbo. We can actually make some goldite after we sell her off! No touching her, ‘ey?” Jasper grinned with gold-staring eyes, flaunting his hands up and down as if to cheer for their success. “Fucking hell, look at us lads! Looks like Lady Luck is on our side today, hahaha!”
“Gahahaha!” The bandits joined in Jasper’s laughter after they shoved the crimson-haired girl into one of the wagons.
She has no tail, no horns, no fangs, no claws, or any other beastmen-like traits. She’s taller than a dwarf woman and her ears aren’t pointy like an elf. If I have to guess, she’s probably a lost noblewoman or a rich merchant’s daughter from either the Lecartiglio or Greenveil Duchy.
Macklemor’s observation was correct. The girl had no defining trait that would link her to the many beastmen races in the world so his conclusion that she was a human was correct. In addition, the way she presented herself, the way she spoke, and how little arm strength she demonstrated compared to a peasant’s daughter made it clear she had to have grown in a well-off environment. To the bandits, she was undoubtedly either a noble’s or wealthy merchant’s daughter.
But for some reason … I-I feel something about her. Something about her spurns my inner fire mage! I-I feel it! I can see her potential as a mage, the warmth she’s emanating!
“Ooooh, Macklemor, ya fancying her? Can’t believe ya tiny sausage finally got excited, ha! Being in that magic school, or whatever, seemed to have made ya like noble girls, huh?” Jasper mocked his friend, interrupting his inner monologue. “Sorry, but that girl is worth more to us pure like a flower. Keep your cock in your pants, mate.”
“Shut up, Jasper!” Macklemor replied in annoyance, diverting his attention away from the crimson-haired girl. “I’m not interested in a girl who’s barely an adult! That girl has potential. Tell the Boss I want some time to convert her, otherwise, this is where we say goodbye. I didn’t just join this band, just to waltz around like a damn slaver!”
Macklemor stared directly into Jasper's eyes, unwavering like an indomitable inferno. He might be trying to cajole his friend, but it was clear to the latter this was a serious matter. "Ok, ok, ok! Where's that sudden backbone come from, mate? If it's only to do ya little sermons, then I don't think the Boss will mind it. I'll speak to him, don't ya worry."
Good, good! I know everything will work out now! She has an amulet of that bitch Plesia, but I’m sure if I show her the potential of Danterno magic, then she will convert immediately! She will realize her potential!
Macklemor was on cloud nine, gleefully imagining and planning whatever he needed for his meeting with the girl in red. As if he was controlled by an unnatural power, every single fiber of his body was telling him that she was the one!
There were many things this mage wanted to do in his life. Level [Fire Magic] up to level 10 to gain [Inferno Magic], receive [Identify], become a master mage, and so much more. However, none of these goals could compare to his desire to convert this girl into a Danterno believer.
Danterno, oh my eternal lord, today I will not fail you. Today, I will make somebody my apprentice. Today, you will have a new worshipper! Today, a new fire mage will be born.
While Macklemor was praying to his god with zealous fervor, a certain girl watched everything that was happening before her. Analyzing each bandit one by one, before showing a cute smirk, waiting for everything to unfold.
*************************************
That girl … I knew she mentioned she and her mother used to roleplay anime characters a lot but that was when she was little. This performance … was extremely believable …
“Unhand me, Mister saurians! Unhand me this instance! My Mistress needs me! I must free her from the clutches of these abominable h-humans! HUMAN SCUM!” Tasianna pleaded in a shrill voice from behind me, as she was effortlessly held back by the carnosilian, Krim-slak.
“Tasianna, please stop struggling, otherwise, they might see us.” I frowned a bit, sympathizing with my fellow party member, seeing as our little idol was being mistreated by actual scum of society. “Hestia’s lingering [Air Shield] is blocking out the sound but these bushes are not large enough to hide Krim-Slak and Grazlahta. Do not force them to stand up.”
“Urgh … I apologize, Miss Saori. B-b-but, we can’t just let those humans touch Lady Hestia with their filthy hands!” Tasianna again tried to argue with me, tears falling down her face as we slowly watched Hestia being transported away as a “prisoner” by the bandits.
“I understand that you are very much distressed, but this is all part of Hestia’s plan, no?” Mister Kushlek’zar tried to reason with our very loyal maid. “Patience is one virtue you must learn as a mage. A cool mind to cast spells consecutively is needed.”
“Hahaha, truly a reckless move from that young scale. Hey, Graz, remember that time we gathered a few eggs without realizing that one of them was rigged by its mother? Nasty surprise, right?” Krim-Slak joyfully retold an old story.
“You nearly lost your arm, Krim. We were careless young scales back then,” the green carnosilian replied with a sigh. “However, I have to agree. Those criminals unwittingly just brought a bomb into their hold. If the young scale’s strength is true, then this should be an easy battle.”
The plan the saurians were talking about was how we just allowed the bandits to capture Hestia and turn her into a prisoner. The idea behind it was to send her into the bandit’s camp where she could locate all the prisoners and help free them from within.
While that went on, Tasianna and I would cause a “distraction” and lead some bandits away from the camp to allow the saurians to lead the main raid into the camp. With Hestia already inside the camp, she could not only protect the prisoners but also aid the saurians in their assault.
Also, yes, these were the bandits that Chief Colwyn contracted us to subjugate. I was sure of it, since I overheard one of them mention they stole sake and rice from a nearby village in addition to burning it down.
There was no questioning it. They were our Quest targets.
I haven’t had any sake in such a long time … I was so excited when I saw those rice plants and you dare steal it from me? I monologued with myself, slightly annoyed about the fact my hope for a good drink was taken away from me.
While my real reason for taking this Quest was to see how I fared against humans and beastmen in battle, I couldn’t deny finally getting something good to drink was another one. And no, I was not an alcoholic, thank you very much. I enjoyed drinking as nothing was more relaxing than some drinks and food after a hard day at work.
After all, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit stressed out right now. Although some reasons like Tasianna’s fierce hatred for humans, Hestia’s recent emotional breakdown, and what that leviathan revealed to me about my “heritage” were quite concerning, what actually bothered me the most was our lack of funds.
Yes, money. The one thing that kept the world turning around. Ever since I first laid eyes on davi, the official currency of the continent Altrust, I quickly came to the realization that our party needed money now that we were inside a human kingdom.
While Tasianna had no real idea what money truly was and Hestia was more preoccupied with her idol performance, this duty rested on my shoulders. Somebody had to care. It really felt like I was the only one who was just a bit scared of our party’s future expenses.
While Hestia’s storage was filled with monster bodies and plants we could sell, it wouldn’t last us forever. Not to mention how much we would have to spend in the future for Hestia’s concert stage. She wanted her dream to come true, and I wouldn’t be a proper friend if I didn’t help her.
However, that required money. It also required us to naturalize into society, which required stuff like IDs and probably also equipment for our adventurer life. Everything required davi. Doing this Quest would give us some spending money until we could understand how things worked.
“Miss Saori, do you have Hestia’s scent?” Mister Kushlek’zar suddenly asked me.
“Of course, she is the only dragonewt around here, after all,” I answered, tapping my nose confidently.
“Perfect, then let us proceed with the plan,” the saurian stated. “Grazlahta, tell Akasht that he may follow us now but that he should keep a certain distance so as to not alert any of our targets.”
With that settled, we started pursuing the bandit caravan. While this was happening, I also kept an eye on Hestia through a hairband I made for her, wrapping it with my [Shadow Armament] and then hiding my [Shadow Snake] in it to allow me to see around her.
Interestingly enough, while I praised her ability to act before, I was now witnessing Hestia throwing all that effort out of the window and simply singing and annoying the bandit guards, showing little concern for any of their threats.
I’ve said it before, but that girl can be a real brat sometimes, heh. Too bad I can’t hear her sing; she has an extremely beautiful voice.
After a while, the bandits finally reached what essentially looked like a campsite surrounded by crudely made wooden spikes, serving as a stockade fence for this large assortment of highwaymen. From a quick glance, I believe there should be around 20 to 30 of them in there. We were grossly outnumbered.
“Mister Kushlek’zar, here are some mana threads, a few of Hestia’s bombs, and venom. I would like you to help us set up traps for the ambush,” I requested to the old saurian.
“Ha ha ha, I would gladly. Do not fret, all raptorsilians know the art of trapmaking, and I’ve been serving as one ever since my birth. I will not waste yours nor the young scale’s trust,” he answered back with a praying bow.
“We two will scout out the perfect angle for our raid onto the camp. Gotta catch these idiots out by surprise,” Krim-Slak stated with confidence.
From a quick [Identity], I understood the average bandit was honestly too weak to contend with any of us. Basically, all of them were around level ten and had the abilities of a weak rank E monster, while possessing an underwhelming skillset. They were “fodder” as Hestia would call them.
“Tasianna, hold it in for just a bit longer,” I told my extremely agitated friend.
“They are dead!” Tasianna announced, holding herself back from jumping straight into the camp.
Alright, we're waiting for your signal, Hestia.
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