“If I will serve as your slave, at least promise me two things!”

“You think you could bargain in this situation? With a snap of finger, I could guarantee that your head will roll.”

Scratching the black choker around her neck, Yassi behaved like an enraged lion... well nope, like a spoiled brat. She thrashed and turned around on the ground while she was constantly bickering. How uncouth of her status as a 14 year old teen, much less the daughter of a general.

“Okay, okay... Goodness. You sure are a handful. Let me guess... You want me not to kill your father and you want me to kill your mother, Am I right?”

“Eh?! How did you know?!”

Astonishment colored Yassi’s face as she faced ‘Requa’. Herebia on the other hand is pondering over the request of this kid and ultimately... shrugged it off.

“All right. I wont kill him... but as for your mother I will think twice. Killing the King’s sister this early is not good for me.”

“... How did you know all this?”

That’s right. Ycarus’s new wife, Faye is the sister of the Ignis King, Zeal. Herebia was confused at first about this arrangement but she easily deduced many reasons or possibilities.

“Let’s just say that I ‘stole’ information from that guy right there.” Herebia turned her head and pointed at the shriveled corpse which was targeted by her [Zera : Scanner]. “If you don’t want to end up like that, spit out real information and don’t try to lie on front of me.”

Yassi looked at the shriveled corpse’s direction and she couldn’t help but shiver. She retreated backwards but she looked like a worm as Herebia still did not free her from the [Chaos Threads]. Seeing her unsightly action, Herebia snapped her fingers in order to disperse the threads.

The black threads around Yassi’s ankle and wrist slowly disentegrated into black motes of light. Yassi checked her wrist as she found out that not even a trace of being bound was visible. It was like she was never tied up in the first place.

While the two women was establishing their slave-master relationship, Hilroy was lying on the ground like a dead dog. He was breathing raggedly and his eyes was wide open. Although he killed of the snakes and was not bitten, he was still suffering from injuries.

His butt was burnt, his head had a bump, his fists was a bloody mess, his body was riddled with hornet stings, and his skin was full of scratches. One could mistake him for a dead person if it wasn’t for his rising and falling chest.

Hilroy felt that this was his most unlucky day ever. Even if before, he was still unlucky, he was not this unlucky. Normally, he would only step on dog shit or trip on his own foot. Now though, It was like his misfortune intensified and if it had a gauge-o-meter, Hilroy was sure that his misfortune level would break the gauge.

He wondered what the cause was and he couldn’t help but stare at the two women who was currently bickering to each other. One was a extremely curvaceous beauty while the other was a budding one.

Hilroy was only 24 this year, and he couldn’t help but admire Herebia’s assets. This mysterious woman was quite powerful and unfathomable.

But... Herebia’s assets was not the one he should be yearning for right now. What Hilroy needs is...

Immediate medical care!

What do you think this bro for, An immortal?!

“Requa! I beg you! Please... Please at least give me some herbs!”

The two women stopped bickering as their attention was diverted into the fellow that they almost forgot. They both jumped in fright as they saw the state Hilroy was in.

“Your still alive? I thought you were dead!”

The both of the women couldn’t help but exclaim. Their voice sounded out at the same time, almost sounding like a heavenly resonance. They were both suspicious of how could someone still be alive in this situation. Are you in the lineage of cockroaches?

“F*ck both of you! Of course I am alive! But... I need medical care or I would be dead!”

Yassi took a sidelong glance at Hilroy and went for her horse. The horse was not far a way, but it’s legs was trembling. It must’ve watched the fight and was scared, almost pissing his... does horses wear pants?

Um... As I was saying, Yassi went to the horse and rummaged through the bag on it’s saddle. She brought out a medical gauze and a circular wooden container. It looked like a can.

Yassi hesitated for a moment and then approached Herebia. “Big sis Requa, should we waste our medicine for that guy? I know that I only have this one left.”

She did not restrain her voice and Hilroy heard what the brat said, making him feel despair. Herebia looked over at Hilroy for a moment, and the placed a hand on her chin. “Apply it on him.”

Herebia was not bothered by Yassi's change of tone as she allowed the brat to call her anything that is at least not disrespectful to her. Being called 'Big sis', Herebia just shrugged it off like usual.

Hesitating for a moment, Yassi could only sigh as she went towards Hilroy’s direction. She applied the medical paste on Hilroy’s hands and wrapped his fingers in gauze. Yassi also reluctantly applied it towards Hilroy’s scratches and hornet stings.

Although Hilroy was hesitant in letting this brat treat him, he only sighed and muttered things to himself. He considered that venting his anger on this girl was not worth it. He was a simple guy and he did not want this girl's death. What he wanted was revenge on Ycarus, not on his daughter. So, his attitude regarding this brat slowly turned back the way it should have been.

After she finished applying it, she threw the container towards Herebia’s direction. Herebia caught it and proceeded towards the direction of a horse. The horse, like Yassi’s horse, was scared of her.

“W-wait!..”

Hilroy got up and staggered for a moment. Herebia glanced back at him as she saw Hilroy’s head bowed down almost in humility. His body was fidgeting almost like a shy girl. This made Herebia’s mouth uncontrollably twitch. She was expecting that this guy was going to spout something dumb.

“Um... Requa... that brat, Yassi missed a spot...”

“What spot?”

“My... my burnt butt...”

Whoosh! Thud!

In her anger, Herebia threw the ointment’s container towards Hilroy’s face. It landed squarely on his forehead and made him stagger back three steps. He caught the ointment, which rebounded off from his forehead.

Hilroy touched his forehead as he felt something amazing happening!

His forehead... his forehead... was swelling in a pace visible to the eye!

“Aaargh! What was that for, Requa?!”

Holding his forehead tightly, Hilroy grimaced in pain. He knelt on the ground and immediately opened the ointment to apply on his forehead. Damn... the thing that gave him this pain was the one who should’ve relieved his pain. Ah... Irony.

Herebia’s face twisted and she turned her head with a swish. Her voice cold, she answered Hilroy with a commanding tone. “Do it yourself! After you are finished, we will depart!”

While applying the ointment on his buns, Hilroy looked at Herebia with a puzzled expression. “Depart? Where?”

Herebia looked at Yassi, and then flashed a glint of decisiveness. “We go to little Yassi’s house.”

Hilroy was surprised and he exclaimed in surprise. But as he considered whose house it was, he didn’t hesitate any longer. His eyes was filled with hatred as he decided to go for the Ignis Kingdom. He was leaving behind his noble status on the Terra Kingdom... Well, every young men wpuld love the prospect of adventure right?

Hilroy was not too much worried about his status. If he left, he will leave no one behind... Those noble friends of his could not really be considered friends, at most acquaintance’s... His family...

“I’m coming.”

Walking towards a horse in a serious manner, Hilroy declared towards the two women. He boarded the horse, much to Herebia’s surprise, without a problem.

She mused to herself, ‘Did this guy’s star of misfortune aura lessen? No accidents this time?’

Looking with a sharp gaze towards Hilroy, Herebia had her eyes squinting. Although Hilroy cant see Herebia staring at him as he was bowed down and caressing the horse, she could still feel the sharp gaze of a woman.

Herebia dismissed this chance as a ‘lucky’ time and she commanded her horse forward, She guided it and went besides Yassi. Herebia looked back for a moment, towards the massacre that she did.

Hilroy had already prepared himself as he stripped one of the guards naked and posed as an Ignis soldier. Herebia nodded her head and couldn’t help but comment that this fool has times when he at least thinks.

“Hey little Yassi, burn the corpses.”

Sighing, Yassi turned towards the corpses and couldn’t help but think about an excuse for his father. As she was thinking about an excuse for a party wipe, she used her hands to form hand symbols as balls of flame was blasted out one by one.

The balls of flames headed towards the corpses, as they exploded one by one. They were burned until not even a bone was left. The remaining horses, those without a master, was also burned. The horses that were been rode by Herebia, Yassi, and Hilroy silently became gleeful that they were chosen to live.

After a minute or so, the corpses was no more as they literary returned to ‘dust’. Herebia looked over once more and then spoke. “Little Yassi, guide us towards your daddy. Don’t misguide us. I have already made my promise... I will not kill him and I will kill her...”

Yassi was silent as she cast a glance at Herebia. She paused for a moment and then commanded her horse towards a direction. Herebia followed behind her, so did Hilroy.

She was not sure if this Requa would keep her promise but she knew that she didn’t have a choice. There is also a confidence inside of her that his father could at least collide with this woman.

The horses galloped inside the forest as the three’s silhouette slowly became a blur.

* * * * *

After traveling an hour or so, the sun was already over head of the group. Yassi was still galloping forward but the group was not in a forest anymore. Rather, they were in a road which was surrounded by farmlands.

This was the farmlands of Ignis and as they passed through villages, the villagers would always salute towards them. Herebia and her group had been traveling for a while now but they were still not tired.

Suddenly, a sound rang out.

“Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr!”

A deep sonorous sound rang out and Yassi’s face showed vigilance. She looked around, alert, as she expecting the attack of a Beast Species. Hilroy also turned solemn as she slowly drew his sword, which he stole from the corpses, from his waist.

“Big sis! Be careful!”

The humans have heard myths about the Beast Species. They were humanoid creatures but they have animal ears with matching claws, fangs, or poison. To summarize it, they were extremely dangerous. Only a powerful Practitioner is qualified to tangle with them.

Yassi and Hilroy looked around but their faces were riddles with confusion. It was because...

They were f*cking in the middle of the farmlands! Of in the distance, you could also see farmers waving their hands in their direction and a kid peeing in a tree trunk.

What Beast Species? They could’ve been partially correct if they were in the middle of the forrest but farmlands?! Seriously?

“Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr!”

The sound rang out again and both Yassi and Hilroy noticed that it was coming behind them. They looked back and a deadpan faced Herebia greeted them.

The sound was like a beast so Yassi deduced that a Beast Species must’ve been sealed inside of her big sis, giving her unimaginable power. Well... at least that’s what those knight novels said so...

Hilroy looked at Herebia and he almost laughed. He clenched his jaw tight but a sound still escaped.

“Pfft!.. Oops.”

Herebia glared at Hilroy and was almost about to decapitate him when her stomach vibrated with a frightening intensity.

“Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr!”

Like the waves of the sea, her clothes rippled around the stomach area. Yassi stared foolishly while Hilroy was trying hard not to let out a sound. Although the star of misfortune was trying not to, Herebia can still hear his stifled laughter.

And came the first problem along the long road to the Ignis capital. Problem No.1: Food.

“I’m hungry.”

* * * * *

As one would probably suspect, commonly, the main character should be a big eater. Sorry to disappoint you but Herebia is concerned about her sexy body and is always on a diet.

Under a willow tree, the three of them ate a roasted bird which is as big as a turkey. Herebia shot this down after she declared her intention to eat. Her companions had no say on the food but they did not regret anything. This was because it was simply delicious.

The meat was roasted brown without a single charred spot. The meat had released it’s oil and it was glistening gold. When you eat it, the meat almost melts in the mouth... Who the hell would believe that?! Meat melting inside the mouth? That’s crazy! Almost like Hilroy winning the lottery crazy!

Yes, the meat is delicious but it does not melt in the mouth. Like regular meat, you chew it. There is no such thing as melting meat.

Enjoying the breast, Hilroy looked at the direction of Herebia. He couldn’t help but voice out his thoughts.

“Hey, Requa, how are you so powerful? What was that black energy like thing?”

“Yeah that’s right, Big sis Requa, what was that black thing? And why are the elemental particles around you always in a frenzy?”

Yassi’s head also raised as gnawed on a wing. Her interest was piqued and she couldn’t help but chime in. She was still little uncomfortable with this ‘toasted buns’ but she already tossed that aside. While they left the forest, she made a silent decision that she will forget about this guy almost making her piss her pants.

Holding a leg, Herebia listened towards both of their bickering. Although this was her first day in here, she had already made some companions. She naturally estimated that they will probably be curious about her Chaos Tome.

“I still cant tell you. What I can assure you is, If you don’t make a mistake and betray me, I would probably teach you this in the future. That said, I am curious about you Yassi.” Dodging the question and offering a new topic, Herebia looked at Yassi. “So young yet you are already this proficient at controlling fire... Don’t tell me you...”

Yassi’s eyes widened and she raised her hand to stop Herebia from continuing. Herebia squinted her eyes and she nodded her head slowly. “So that’s how it is... Huh.”

Herebia continued to gnaw at her leg but found that it was reduced to bones. She threw the bones away and looked at the bird and found out that they have already finished eating it. She leaned back against the tree and burped.

“We rest for a while... Let’s depart after half an hour.”

Her two campions nodded their head as they rested against the tree. This tranquil atmosphere lasted only for a while when... guess... that’s right. Hilroy found out that he was resting besides poop and he almost... um... you know...

It seems that the star of misfortune is at it again...