“Hmm?”

  I was suddenly woken up by the sound of the door banging. I was sleeping so peacefully after a night of passion with both Heather and Rushka, who’s even bothering so te at night, the sun hasn’t even risen yet!

  “Heather, Rushka, wake up someone is knocking”

  I said a bit tired and sleepy, I woke them up since it would be embarrassing for them given they’re butt naked, same as me it’s-

  “M-MILADY!! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!”

  That’s Doe’s voice, more of a reason for him NOT to see us in this state, fortunately, this is why magic exists, I quickly took a quilt from one of the drawers, and using makeshift created stone stakes, I hammered it to the ceiling, so it’s covering the bed completely, I then just as quickly poured water on top of me to clean as much of sweat and other liquids from my body as possible, and I quickly picked the dress from the ground to dress and open the door, I’m going commando but it should be fine I think.

  “What is it!?”

  I said, opening the door that Doe never stopped banging aggressively even for a second, he’s super agitated and on edge.

  “What is it Doe? It’s really te, you know!”

  “M-MILADY! T-THE TOWN IS!”

  The next words that came from his mouth were quite hard to swallow, for now I hurried with him, quickly heading to the top of the pace, to confirm his cims with my own eyes, I didn’t need to do this since my sense of smell picked up on the situation, but it’s still important to see it with my own two eyes and not trust my nose blindly again!

  The scene was grisly, the orange tint and fmes across town, lighting up the night sky in a dreary and disastrous glow!

  “That’s not good, What happened!?”

  I asked Doe, he was following behind me as quickly as he could, still catching his breath, he responded to my question without a moment of hesitation!

  “Apparently there’s been fires lit across the town, the problem it’s the targets! Every one of the fires seems to be started in orphanages!”

  “Orphanages!? Wait! Lassie!!”

  As I was gonna jump to the first fire, in the direction of Lassie’s orphanage, I stopped for a second and looked back and yelled at Doe!

  “Gather every capable guard and knight! make them focus on the first aid response, and taking care of the popution, if you can help with controlling the fire that’s a plus! But the people’s lives are the top priority!”

  “Understood!”

  My orders were heard loud and clear, I shall help by turning the fires off since I’m one of our scarce magic users in town! Better be quick!

  Or so was my intention but as I was getting ready to jump once again, another voice came to halt me once again! It was Celestial, as she went out of a teleportation portal on the roof of the pace next to me, and yelled.

  “Has anyone seen the fatso pig lord!?”

  “The piggy? Isn’t he in his cell!?”

  “No, he escaped apparently!”

  He escaped!? Weren’t you keeping tabs on him constantly!? How can he just up and disappear like that, I would ask her but now it’s not the time for that!

  “Well we have our culprit for one! But we can’t afford to waste time on him right now! Celestial! Help me turn off all these fires and save as many people as we can!”

  “Marisa the-”

  “The piggy can wait! The townspeople are the priority! Understood!?”

  “R-right away!”

  Celestial then turned into a dragon and soared in the sky, nding near the burning buildings and turning them off by using magic to pour water on top. The same as me, I jumped towards Lassie's orphanage and turned the fmes off as quickly as possible, entering afterwards to see if there’s any survivors, only to find the pce completely empty.

  It’s ominous, this humble pce burnt to a crisp but not even a charred body remains from the fire!

  Or rather, there was no one here when it burned would be the most logical expnation. I don’t detect any presence either. Where is everyone!? Did Lassie manage to escape with the kids!? I hope so, I can’t trace Lassie herself but I should be able to track any of the kids!

  Heading out I start smelling around the street but the only thing overpowering my nose it’s the smell of burnt wood and stone!

  Hnn! I know it’s bad but I can’t wait in a single pce! I need to turn off the fires before looking for them! Or more people would be endangered by it!

  Pce after pce, quenching the fmes to find empty burnt orphanages, not a single body found anywhere! Dammit! What happened to everyone!? Why is no one around!? For now it’s obvious however, that the kids and caretakers at the very least didn’t die in the fires! Let’s pray they’re all ok somewhere!

  I dashed towards the next orphanage getting ready to turn the st fire in town, but I ended up meeting Celestial on the way. With a wave of our hands, we douse it off together in the blink of an eye.

  “*pant* Did you find anyone?”

  I asked desperately, any clue might be able to help! Anything at all!

  “No, there were a couple of burned neighborhoods! but nothing significantly damaged!”

  “Dammit! Wait! There’s one pce that we haven’t visited I think! Did you go to a gothic church looking pce?”

  “Church looking pce? Not that I remember”

  “Those fuckers! Make it more obvious will you!?”

  I said in an angry voice, is this something to do with the piggy and the church working together!? I felt my blood boil and my anger swell! They’re going to get a piece of me, that’s for sure! I should’ve gotten rid of them from the start!

  “What is it, Marisa? Do you know where everyone is?”

  “Probably, More than likely! Follow me!”

  I started my dash towards the church, but Celestial screamed my name, I looked back quickly and she turned into a dragon once more!

  “Hop on! I have a bad feeling, just lead the way!”

  “O-okay!”

  I responded by jumping up and holding onto Celestial’s back, I then pointed with my finger and shot a particle of light towards the direction of the church, it almost looked like a shooting star for a second!

  Celestial then sped up, being delicate enough to not destroy any more buildings with her form, but after a second or two of flying, we were stopped in our tracks by two hooded figures floating in midair!

  “YOU!!”

  Celestial roared angrily at the both of them with her hoarse rumbling dragon voice. It’s the cloaked dude and woman that always seem to appear at the most inconvenient timing!

  “Uwaaa~ Celestial is scary as always!”

  “I should’ve known that you two were involved!”

  You two keep getting in the way as well, this can’t continue, you will pay for messing up MY town this time!

  “C’mon dear, for once this wasn’t our idea, that little father decided to act on his own, we simply followed orders to compensate accordingly~”

  “That still makes you an accomplice regardless! What’s the big idea!?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know, princess~ Still, it’s quite fun to see you struggle, so we are enjoying the current tide of events in all honesty!”

  “Are you making fun of us! Do you have a death wish!? What happened to the people of the orphanage!?”

  “Oh I wouldn’t know about that, why don’t you ask Father Ecir? I’m sure he has the context you’re looking for, maybe even more~”

  “So you are working together after all!”

  “Not at all, that old coot is wary about everyone, he wouldn’t even let us enter the church to begin with, still he’s quite an idiot, so he took the bait as soon as we offered it through a third party~”

  “ENOUGH OF YOUR RABBLE!”

  Celestial opened her mouth ready to bst the two to dust with her breath attack!

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, how many citizens would get wiped as colteral I wonder?~”

  “Ugh...”

  Celestial stopped her attack, it didn’t occur to me but, we’re not on a battlefield, we’re on a city, we can’t pull another little number with a fight, normal people won’t be able to survive that!

  “It’s fine, we’re not here to fight!”

  Said the man raising his arms up, followed by the woman doing the same gesture but in a mocking manner.

  “Then what did you come here for then?”

  “To stall of course~ oh! but not you Marisa, feel free to go right ahead~ We just need Celestial to stay here with us, just for a little while”

  They said, moving to the side in a gesture like trying to let us, or in this case me, to go through!

  “Tch! What are you two pnning!?”

  “That’s a secret~ but if you really want to know the truth princess, there’s only one way to find out~”

  She literally moved her head to gesture to me to continue, leaving them to their own devices would be extremely dangerous, but once again, the whereabouts of everyone else it’s more important right now!

  “Ugh! Fine! I’ll go!”

  “Wait Marisa! It’s probably a trap!”

  “More than likely! But I can’t let people get harmed like this! However, they’re both quite strong. Can you take care of both of them on your own?”

  I asked Celestial with a voice of concern, if they’re too much for her, I can pitch in as support, it would be a 2v1 without me after all!

  “I’ll be fine! These kids are nothing but small fry, I’m more worried about you! Will you be ok on your own!?”

  “I’ll make do! Don’t worry about it, I’m pretty strong!”

  I said pounding my chest, I won’t let someone overpower me, not again!

  “Ok, be careful Marisa, take care and don’t take any unnecessary risks!”

  “Right! Same to you!”

  I jumped from Celestial’s back and continued my way to the church, running on the floor for a hot second. That's when another shadowy figure caught my attention, as it flew next to me managing to keep up with my speed! I instinctively attacked it by shooting an ice spear, but it phased right through it hitting the building behind!

  “Marisa! What was that for!”

  The hooded figure yelled, taking her hood off and revealing her face, It was Adele! Who looked at me with a concerned and surprised face!

  “Adele! Sorry, you really need to change your attire!”

  “Wha!? What’s happening anyways!? I came back from a guild request and saw the town in fmes in the distance. I came as fast as I could but by the time I reached, I saw you running off and the fires turned off!”

  “It’s hard to expin but-”

  “Expnations can wait, you seem in a hurry! Let me help you out!”

  Adele took my hand. It was somehow quite reassuring to have Adele with me, the thought of sending her back to help Celestial crossed my mind but, something tells me she wants to solve this alone, sending Adele would be a hindrance more than an aid!

  “Thanks! For now, let us go to ‘the’ church!”

  I said continuing my sprint, Adele following behind floating gently over the ground surface, it took very little time but we’re finally at the entrance!

  Wait! Couldn’t I have just teleported to the church!? I’m so dumb!! Whatever it doesn’t matter anymore, it’s my fault from panicking! For now I smmed the gate open and entered!

  “So you’ve finally come demon!”

  “Move aside!”

  The angel chick was about to talk and interrupt us but without a moment of hesitation I kicked her aside with a dropkick! She was sent flying a bit, nding on one of the outer gates walls, cracking it with the impact. I hit her quite hard but she’s not the one I’m concerned about right now!

  Dashing through the church, the smell of blood became almost pungent. There's so much I can’t help but worry, I’m looking like a madman, Adele behind me, looking around, I feel different people in the basement, presences I know but they’re disappearing one by one! I would destroy the floor and enter, but if I colpse the ceiling then a lot more people will die!

  “C’mon! Where’s the fucking entrance!”

  As I entered the main chapel and looked behind where the father would give their sermons probably, and by a sense I would call nothing else but a hunch, I kicked the little table at the end and sure enough, a small trap door was ying under it!

  “Here!”

  Opening it with excess force, I ripped it off from the floor and hit the roof with it. What greeted me was a set of stairs heading down, I rushed to the lower floor holding my breath and anger, with Adele behind me following me as best as she could!

  —————————————————————————————————————————

  ***Celestial’s POV***

  I can’t believe myself! I was so focused on my own things I didn’t even notice the piggy’s essence leaving the pace! I’m so stupid! I was gonna follow the trail of his mana but Marisa looked way more concerned about the people and burning buildings than the previous town lord’s disappearance!

  That bastard it’s our only lead to those other two mysterious figures! The only reason I took my eyes off him was to investigate their presence every time I felt them getting close to town! They however are diligent enough to hide their tracks absurdly well!

  I tried interrogating the piggy multiple times but he wouldn’t say a word, and I understand, marked in his body was a silencing spell runes, if he start saying something he shouldn’t say he’d die on the spot and his head would explode, so threatening his life it’s useless as he would die regardless! he still didn’t budge despite deciding to torture him so that he would rather prefer dying! It’s amazing how despite being so pathetic he clings to his life like no other.

  Burning him, fying him, nothing worked, I had no other choice but to try to crack the spell he’s under to get the information straight from his brain!

  I’ve been trying to decipher that spell from millennia ago, back with Hestia even! As it’s still impossible for now, but seeing this, as well as the curse from that time on the desert, the coincidences can’t possibly keep stacking one after another like this! I’ve only seen this level of impeccable work from Maldi!

  I still cannot believe it however! Are the two hooded figures his followers? So many questions and so little to go from, I know Maldi it’s dead! I saw his soulless body in Hestia’s lifeless arms! But if not him then who!?

  Who could do such an incredible replica!? Did he leave his signature spells registered in books as did Hestia? That HAS to be the reason, they shared many traits and paranoias like those, so it’s the most possible answer!

  And now the pig lord is gone! As I was finally giving chase to our lead, the hooded figures appeared once more and, despite my warnings, Marisa took their bait and continued alone.

  I’m worried, more so than never before, what are they trying to get from Marisa, what is her role in all of this!? What is their end goal to begin with!?

  It’s true I can’t fight them here without hurting people however, so while I stare them down, I’m preparing a teleportation spell, one of Hestia’s specialties, a forced teleport and spatial lockdown so no one can leave the battlefield after a little while.

  But it’ll take time! I’m not as skilled as those two, still if it works, not even Maldi himself could shake it off easily, while it’s ready however, I’ll try to squeeze as much info from them as possible.

  “What’s you two pnning?”

  “As if we’ll tell you”

  “Fair enough, then answer me this then, you say that you’re following orders, from who exactly!?”

  “Sharp as always Celestial, nothing eludes you, oh wait! Yes it does! You don’t know that!”

  “Bitch... I’ll rip your head from your shoulders and crush it like a watermelon!”

  “Oh! Scary, scary, how about this then~”

  The hooded girl then created a huge fireball in the sky, and shaped it into an arrow to then point it down towards the city.

  “Move an inch and everyone gets scorched~”

  “Heartless as always, monsters!”

  “Thanks~”

  “It’s not a compliment! Always treating those around you as disposable!”

  “It felt like a compliment~ oh but leaving all that aside! Did you see how pretty dy Marisa looked angry? Haa~ I wish I would’ve brought a recording device to be able to look at her beautiful grimace forever!”

  “You two are twisted, but I won’t let you do as you please! I’ll kill you both! And your master too!”

  “Big words for someone as small as you? What will you do alone? Hestia isn’t around to aid you anymore you know!”

  “I’ll do it! Even if I die! I swear on my name that you demons won’t survive!”

  “How rude! Does that include Marisa then? She’s a demon as well you know~”

  “You...”

  The spell is ready! I activated it and in the blink of an eye we were teleported to a forest on the other side of the kingdom! One I know won’t have casualties outside wilderness!

  “Oh wow! No wonder you’re called the celestial dragon, impressive! I guess it is in the name~”

  “Shut it!”

  I want to end them, I really do, but due to the spell casted, no one can teleport for at least a couple of hours, that means they can’t go to the town as easily, but I can’t teleport there either! I have to make a run for it! Even if it pains me to let them go, Marisa’s safety it’s my number one priority right now!

  And so I flew back! As fast as my wings could carry me, back to the town where Marisa resides! Or so was my intention but!

  “Going anywhere?~”

  Suddenly a pilr of fmes appeared in front of me, I jerked my body to the side in order to evade it, it seems these two will not let me go that easily! Change of pns then, I turn these two into dust and then head back home!

  —————————————————————————————————————————

  ***Heather’s POV***

  “What’s happening!?”

  Asked Rushka, concerned, we barely woken up and Marisa was talking with Doe over something, it seems the cloth covering us was also her doing, thank god I don’t want Doe to see me like this, for now both Rushka and I are hurriedly getting dressed since it seems like an emergency!

  “L-let me help you!”

  “Thanks Rushka, it’s hard with just one arm”

  “What do you think happened?”

  “I have no clue, but it sounds urgent, we better go and help out as well!”

  Cleaning the mess we made with Marisa it’s really difficult. We simply used towels to clean as much as possible to make ourselves presentable, and we got ready to head outside. We took out our very questionable clothes and started putting on underwear. Rushka helped me with the bra clips.

  As soon as I was gonna pick something more to wear, a small glow on the window caught our attention, Rushka screamed in horror after opening the curtain covering the window!

  “W-what is it Rushka!?”

  I said, quickly picking my walking cane and heading to the window as well!

  “T-the town! Look!”

  What greeted me was a scene straight out of hell, with different parts of town burning and smoking, I could see Celestial in the distance, turning off fires, I’m guessing Marisa it’s doing the same more than likely!

  “We have to go and help!”

  “What can we do? You’re not precisely a fighter or mage, and as for me, well, I’ll just be a burden like this!”

  It pains me to say that, but it’s the truth, how can we help? The fires are already getting out of control, more so for simple knights to take care of! If it weren’t for Celestial and Marisa, the town would be done for!

  “Ugh... sitting around at a time like this...”

  “Don’t panic Rushka, think this through, Doe it’s informed which means so are the pace knights, I’m more than certain Marisa gave them their orders, the fires are being extinguished really quickly as well!”

  “Are we going to just sit down with our arms crossed!?”

  “It’s frustrating, I know! But how did these fires started to begin with? Is it an attack? From who? The empire? Or maybe it’s a revolution occurring in town? Either way, as the town lord representatives that we are, we have one critical role in this!”

  “What are we gonna do!?”

  “We'll do our part! And right now holding the fort is our job! let’s just hope everything goes well!”

  “Heather...”

  Did Rushka realize my anger behind my calm words? This it’s frustrating, very much so but! What help can we offer in this situation!? In cases like this it’s probably better to not get in the way! Plus I meant it, if the town pace falls, so will Marisa’s position as a ruler! We cannot allow that to happen either or the town will really enter into chaos!

  “Let’s go to the gates and stand watch, we should get ready for the worst!”

  “O-okay! I-”

  “!! Rushka!”

  I yelled, literally punching her gut with the end of my cane in hand to push her out of the way, I felt a sudden hostility. Good thing I managed to react so quickly, as the slice of a bde on the ground confirmed my wariness, had I not punched her out of the way she would’ve been dead by now!

  “Tch! As expected from the ex-captain of the pace knights!”

  After hearing the ominous voice, a man appeared in front of us. The way he carries himself tells me he’s not an amateur fighter! But!

  “You’re not a mage! Someone else it’s hiding so there’s at least one more person hiding! Keep your wits about you Rushka!”

  She’s coughing on the ground but as soon as I said my piece, she dashed as quickly as she could to my side. They're good at hiding I’ll give them that but they’re nothing compared to Lassie, we can make do somehow! I feel their hostility when they’re ready to strike!

  “Come fight me coward!”

  I said, holding my walking cane as it is the only weapon I have in hand, the only thing I’m worried about it’s Ellie! I pray that she’s safe! Still, the number of enemies it’s unknown and Rushka it’s in danger here as well! We need to act, and now!

  Joanne_carper