Wails of pain, sorrow, and defiance. Those are the screams that the [Fire Sorcerer] 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 beastmen highwaymen reciprocated the distraught cries of these captured men and woman 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, ha ha ha!”

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 that 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 can display its iridescent might.

“The other gods have grown jealous of the superior potential of fire,” was what most fire mages believed, as it was widely known to many aspiring mage novices that becoming a fire mage, was akin to sacrificing their future career. For no mage received so little requests as a fire mage.

The God of Fire and Destruction, that is the epithet of the mighty Origin God Danterno, and no one expresses these values more than human and beastmen fire mages. Almost like a doctrine, all Danterno worshippers are made to believe that preserving a beautiful inferno until it naturally dies out is the only way to show reverence towards the fire god, regardless of how much that flame will destroy.

Due to this mentality, the job prospects of a mage who only focused on fire magic was meager at best. Compared to earth, water, wind, and holy mages which have found a place in society with utility-based spells to allow their practitioners to live a peaceful life, fire mages could only seek out Quests that enabled its destructive impulses.

One could view this philosophy as stubborn and one-dimensional, restricting an otherwise high potential magic element, but it was only common sense among fire mages. For this reason, in mage society, fire mages ranked the lowest, mirroring their God who was the weakest among the Origin Gods.

For what use is 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 silently.

After the rain from yesterday, the bandit camp 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, hoping that he could impress one of them into becoming his apprentice.

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.

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 carefreely patted his back.

“Jasper…couldn’t you have stopped some of your men from killing them?” Macklemor responded to the man with the mullet named Jasper. "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. “Besides, I saw ya enjoy the extra bodies we brought to your fire. Ya smile when it lit up, ha ha ha! You fire mages are all fucked up in the head.”

Macklemor couldn’t say another word. Jasper’s words struck deep with undeniable accusations, 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 Equerochs, 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 will 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 that 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?

“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 that 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 said with worry. “After what happened with the ‘White Winged Dragoon’ in Aureolis, our group has been in tatters. Only mercs have come for us until now, but we know why the Kingdom of Artorias is also known as the Kingdom of the Griffon, and once their knights find us, we’re doomed.”

“You worry too much mate…,” Jasper said with a deep frown, reluctantly acknowledging the situation that 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, or something was the name of that kingdom, but if we can get out of this place before our fucking kingdom sends their Hippogryph and Griffon knights at us, then we fucking snuck the egg out of mama bird’s nest.”

"…And what about mercs? I burned down that village under the Boss' command and looking at how big it was, it was probably one of the larger and more profitable villages. Nobles don't give up once you embarrass them," Macklemor said, as he continued clenching his amulet, biting his lips from concern.

“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 mana bloods, studying away in your halls of magic. Them nobles will have to give up once we’re south,” Jasper said as he spat on the ground from all this talk about nobles. "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 that will even consider taking that Quest at this point are the coinless and ‘justice’ fanatics, ha ha ha!”

“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 towards what she thought was a caravan, but upon realizing the imprisoned villagers, she quickly became silent with an agape mouth and widened eyes. “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 began running away but immediately tripped over the roots of a tree, crashing onto the ground as 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 hairband into a ponytail, expensive-looking clothes in pristine condition, 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 coins after we sell her off!” Jasper shouted out with a huge grin. “Fucking hell, look at us lads! Looks like Lady Luck is on our side today, ha ha ha ha!”

“““Ha ha ha ha ha ha!””” the bandits joined in Jasper’s laughter after they stuck 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 the Lecartiglio 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 that she had to have grown in a well-off environment, leading the bandits to presume her for 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 monologuing. “Sorry, but that girl is worth to us more when she hasn’t been deflowered yet. 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 fucking a girl that’s practically still a kid…Tell the Boss to give me some time with her. I haven’t been able to convert anybody into a fire mage in all my time with this group, but I think I finally found somebody with potential. Tell him to give me a chance to convert her, otherwise, this is where we say goodbye.”

Macklemor stared directly into Jasper's eyes, unwavering like an indomitable inferno, cajoling him into doing what he wanted, "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!

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], achieve the Job [Arch Inferno Sorcerer], 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 that 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 behind me, as she was effortlessly held back by the carnosilian, Krim-slak.

“Tasianna, please stop struggling, otherwise, they might see us,” I, Saori Segawa, scolded my friend. “Lady 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.

“Please, I understand that you are very much distressed, Miss Tasianna, but this is all part of Hestia’s plan, no?” Mister Kushlek’zar answered, trying to reason with our very loyal maid.

“Ha ha ha, truly a reckless move from that young scale. Hey, Grazlahta, 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,” Grazlahta 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 that the saurians were talking about was how we just allowed the bandits to suddenly capture Hestia and turn her into a prisoner. The idea behind it was to send her into the bandit’s camp where she will 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 know it because I heard one of them mention they stole sake and rice from a nearby village in addition to burning it down.

There is no questioning it. They are 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 that not getting a drink was a reason, too. And no, I am not an alcoholic, thank you very much. I enjoy drinking as nothing is more relaxing than some drinks and food after a hard day at work.

And 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, I couldn’t help but feel like I was the only one who was a bit scared about our party’s future expenses.

While Hestia’s storage was filled with monster bodies and plants that we could sell, doing this Quest to receive some before we head to a town was necessary, especially when I assume issuing an ID will cost money just like on Earth.

“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 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 that 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. How unlucky that I cannot hear it, 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 that 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.