"Well, what did the king want from us? We aren't in trouble, are we?" Eron shifted nervously in her chair. "Those guys attacked us first..."
"No, no, don't worry. We aren't in trouble. The king has asked us to take care of the gang those men were part of. They've recently been terrorizing the countryside south of here, near Shella."
"Shella..." Milena recoiled at the name.
"Yes, and I think you all know who's responsible."
"It's them, isn't it?" Fio seethed with rage. "The ones who took us and killed Kito and Kita."
"The very same. I was going to deal with them at some point, but now that they've decided to redouble their efforts, we've been asked to take care of them. All the other adventurers turned down the request because they have connections to Orenna."
"Orenna?! Isn't that dangerous?" Lucy exclaimed.
"Yes. I'm not going to lie to you. This could make us enemies of the most powerful nation in the world. In the worst case, we may have to spend the rest of our lives running from them."
"I don't care if they're backed by the gods themselves..."
"I'm with Fio. I want those men to pay for all the suffering they've caused, not only us but all the other slaves," Lucy agreed.
"I-I don't wanna go, Master Lia... I'm scared..." Milena chimed in, visibly shaken.
"Milena, there's nothing to worry about. They can't hurt you anymore."
Kalia placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"You have all of us now."
"B-but what if they capture us again...? I can't go back to that life... I won't..."
"You won't. This is why I taught you how to fight. You five handled those men at the inn without either Astra or me stepping in. This time, though, we won't be sitting back and watching."
"You promise? You won't let them take us?"
"I promise. Right, Astra?"
"Don't you worry, Milena! I would never let them hurt my students!" Astra beamed confidently.
"O-okay..."
"Do I have to go too?" Sarah asked quietly. "I still don't want to fight..."
"We can have you stay in Shella and keep an eye out for any of those men causing trouble. If things get bad, you can always get the local guards. Do you think you can do that?"
"Mm-hm, I can do that."
"So, what about the rest of us? Do you have a plan, Master Lia?"
"I think the best option is to ask around the city and figure out when and where the raids have been happening. If we can capture some of their members alive, we should be able to learn where their base is."
Kalia paused.
"I want to avoid fighting in the city if possible. All I know is what Harl told me. He mentioned some ruins, but he could've just been trying to throw me off."
"If they've been using magic, I can trace the lingering mana. I might even be able to track it back to their hideout."
"Excellent idea, Astra."
Milena raised a hand.
"What if they won't talk?"
"Hmm... Fio, do you have any summons that could be useful for reconnaissance? Something small that can fly or has camouflage?"
"Yeah, Uuro. It's a swarm of tiny fly-like creatures that are great for surveillance. Why?"
"Perfect. If they won't talk, we'll let one of them escape and have Uuro follow them back to their hideout. Once we know where they are, we can make a proper plan."
Kalia looked around the room.
"That's all I've got for now. Does anyone else have any ideas or concerns?"
"No, I think it's a solid plan, Master Lia," Astra said, earning nods of agreement from the rest of the group.
"All right, then. Off to bed, everyone. We leave tomorrow for Shella. Goodnight, girls."
"Goodnight, Master Lia!"
One by one, the girls headed upstairs to their rooms.
All except Astra.
"M-Master Lia?"
"What is it, Astra? Did you have something you wanted to add?"
"W-well, not exactly..."
"C-can I sleep in your room tonight?"
Astra asked shyly, staring at the floor.
"Of course," Kalia replied with a gentle smile. "But... why ask?"
The question caught her slightly off guard. Normally, Astra would wander in to chat only to drift off to sleep. This was the first time she'd actually asked.
"Mmm... I-I don't know. It just feels... weird being alone now. I-it's not that I'm scared or anything, but... what if you get hurt? I... I don't want you to leave me..."
Astra's face turned beet red.
She still wasn't very good at voicing her emotions.
"You can always stay with me, Astra..."
Kalia pulled the flustered girl into a warm hug.
"I can? Always?"
"Always," Kalia said, hugging her a little tighter. "And don't worry—I won't be going anywhere. It'll take a lot more than a bunch of slavers to bring me down. Besides..."
She smiled.
"With you by my side, I'd say my chances are pretty good."
"You promise?"
"I promise, Astra."
Kalia leaned forward and gently kissed the girl's forehead.
"Eep!" Astra squeaked.
Astra still didn't know if what she felt was love.
All she knew was that the only place she wanted to be was by her master's side.
"Let's get some sleep, Astra."
Kalia took Astra's hand and led her up the stairs.
"Mm-hm..." Astra mumbled, following Kalia to her room.
"Goodnight, Astra."
"Goodnight, Master Lia..." Astra murmured, snuggling close beneath the blankets.
"We got a good haul tonight, boys!"
Hurgol shouted, holding his chalice up to the cheers of his gang.
"By my count, that's thirty-five new products for the auction house, and Harl's group is on the way back with another five! We're going to be raking it in this month!"
"It's all thanks to you, Boss! If you hadn't made that deal with Graland, the guards would've been all over us."
"Yeah! Having one of Orenna's top parties backing us has scared them right off!" another added with a cheer, glancing at a heavily armored man sitting at the table beside Hurgol.
"Thank you, thank you. I know I'm amazing."
Hurgol laughed with a bow.
"And speak of the devil, here's Harl now! Welcome back, brother!"
"Hey, Boss! Look at the merchandise I brought for you!"
Harl sneered.
Five frightened demi girls stumbled after him, iron collars locked around their necks. One harsh yank sent them sprawling across the floor.
"Well done, Harl."
Hurgol's eyes slowly wandered over the terrified demi girls.
"I'm sure they'll provide me with some quality entertainment this evening. Take them to my room, would you?"
"C'mon, ya filthy demis."
Harl viciously jerked their chains, dragging them across the floor.
One girl fell to her knees in front of Harl.
"P-please let us go..."
She pleaded, grabbing the bottom of his trousers.
"Get off me, you wretch!"
Harl drove his boot into the girl's stomach.
"You belong to us now. Once Boss has his fun, you'll be going straight to the auction block."
Harl's mouth twisted into a malicious grin.
"Provided you survive the night, that is."
"N-no..." another whimpered as the door to Hurgol's bedroom slammed closed behind them.
"You there, get Harl a mug of ale," Hurgol barked to a subordinate as Harl took his seat.
"Yes, sir!"
Hurgol leaned toward Harl.
"So, I heard the chief over in Shella has put out a bounty on us."
"Yeah, it seems that way. Not like anyone would be stupid enough to take it. Not when we have this guy around!"
Harl laughed.
"Isn't that right, Graland?"
"They wouldn't dare. Those fools wouldn't risk going to war with Orenna!" he agreed. "And there isn't a single guild in this backwater country that would dare challenge me!"
"Good man!"
Hurgol slammed his chalice onto the table.
"Once we sell this month's stock off, you'll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts!"
"Excellent! I trust you'll seek me out should you need any more help in the future? If the pay is good, I'll offer my services anywhere!"
"Of course. With you around, we're going to be rich, and then we can finally get out of this stinking hellhole. I'm sick of living in demi country."
Hurgol rose to his feet.
"Cheers! To our newfound partnership!"
"Likewise!"
Graland agreed, taking a long swig of his ale.
The cries of despair were drowned out by the clinking of mugs and drunken laughter.
"Is everyone ready to head out?" Kalia asked the group as they finished breakfast. "The carriage should be here any minute now."
"Spire, notebooks, pens, mana reader... spare notebooks..."
Astra rummaged through her pack.
"Yup! I'm all set, Master Lia."
"Umm... Astra?"
"Hm?"
"Clothes..."
"Oh... I almost forgot! Thanks, Master Lia!"
Astra dashed off to her room.
Never change, Astra...
Kalia laughed.
"What about you girls?"
"Yup. I made sure to check the girls' bags before breakfast. We're all set," Fio answered.
"Mm-hm! Big Sis Fio helped us pack!" Sarah chimed.
"Thanks for getting the girls ready."
Big Sis...
Fio couldn't help but smile.
Kalia peered out the window.
"Looks like our ride is here."
Kalia ran to the bottom of the stairwell.
"Astra, hurry up!"
"Coming, Master Lia!" Astra called back. "I can't decide what to bring!"
"Clothes, Astra! Clothes!"
"Wow! This isn't just any old cart..." Eron gasped. "It's so fancy!"
"No kidding, Eron. That's a royal carriage!"
"His Majesty thought you might appreciate traveling in something a little more comfortable. Said he couldn't let a group of pretty young ladies ride around in that old wreck you call a cart."
"Of course he would..."
Kalia sighed.
"So much for keeping a low profile..."
"Whew!"
Astra panted as she dropped an overstuffed pack at Kalia's feet.
"I couldn't decide, so I brought everything."
"Good Lord, Astra..."
Kalia shook her head with a laugh.
"Well, let's get this stuff loaded."
One of the guards held up his hand in protest.
"Please, Lady Kalia. Allow us to handle that. You ladies can wait inside the carriage."
"Thank you."
Kalia bowed slightly.
"Come on, girls. Let's get you settled in."
As the others climbed into the carriage, one of the guards approached Kalia.
"There is one small complication, Lady Kalia. His Majesty apologizes that he wasn't able to spare a driver. They're all assigned to a trade caravan heading to Orenna."
"That's not a problem. Astra can handle it."
Astra's shoulders slumped.
"But... that means I won't get to ride with you, Master Lia..."
"Then I'll ride up front with you."
Kalia cocked her head toward the girl.
"I'm sure they can keep each other entertained."
"Yay!"
Astra jumped into the driver's seat.
"Everyone ready to go?"
"Mm-hm!"
Fio poked her head out the window.
"All good, Astra."
"Then off we go!"
Astra snapped the reins.
The day passed peacefully. Astra happily chattered from the driver's seat while Kalia listened with an amused smile. Inside the carriage, the girls played games, napped, and occasionally poked their heads out the window as the scenery drifted by.
By the time the sun began disappearing beyond the horizon, Kalia spotted a small clearing beside the road.
"This looks like a nice spot, Astra," she said. "Let's make camp for the night."
"Okies, Master Lia!"
Astra guided the horses toward a small stand of trees and tied them off.
"I was getting hungry anyway."
"Yeah, me too."
Kalia jumped down beside her.
"Fio, could you help me get the tents set up?"
"Already on it, Master Lia," Fio replied, unloading the canvas from the back of the carriage.
"I'm gonna take a look around, Master Lia."
Eron scanned the tree line.
"Make sure there aren't any monsters lurking nearby."
"I'll go get some water."
Milena hefted a bucket over her shoulder.
"Be right back."
It's like I didn't even need to ask.
Sarah tugged on the hem of Kalia's skirt.
"Can I help with something?"
"Hmm... how about you and Lucy go gather some firewood?"
"Okay! C'mon, Lucy!"
"I'll make sure she doesn't wander too far, Master Lia."
Before long, the smell of dinner wafted through the camp.
"Mmm, it smells amazing! What are you making?" Lucy asked, dropping a bundle of wood next to the fire.
Kalia lifted the lid.
A rich, savory aroma washed over the group.
"Nothing beats a nice warm stew on chilly nights like this."
"Ooh, stew!"
Astra exclaimed, sticking a spoon into the pot.
"Astra, wait!"
They all reached to stop her.
"Ow! Hot! Too hot!"
Astra fanned her bright red lips.
"Of course it's hot, Astra. It's a boiling pot of soup."
Kalia laughed.
"Meanie..."
Astra pouted, sticking out her tongue.
"It'll be ready shortly. Go sit down and wait for me to bring it to you."
"Okay..."
"As usual, no one can cook better than you!" Sarah mumbled with a spoon sticking out of her mouth.
Milena shoveled in another mouthful.
"Mm-hm!"
"Seconds, please!"
Astra beamed, holding her bowl out toward Kalia.
"Sure thing, my little vacuum!"
Kalia smiled, spooning out another serving.
"What's a vacuum?" Astra inquired, her curiosity winning out over her bottomless stomach.
I have to stop making references to my old world...
"It's a tool used for cleaning. It sucks dirt off the floor. It's a joke from my home country we use when someone eats a lot."
"Hey... I don't eat that much..."
"Ha! Coming from the girl who's always hungry! That's richer than this stew!" Fio laughed.
"Pfft, good one, Fio..."
Kalia nearly spat out her food.
"...It's not my fault I'm always hungry..."
Astra pouted, carefully setting her bowl down.
"We're just playing with you, Astra."
Kalia reached out to pat Astra's head.
"I'm sor—"
Astra pulled away.
"...ry."
"I'm going to bed..." Astra muttered before disappearing into her tent.
"Astra, wait! I... I really didn't mean it," Fio called after her.
"I'll go talk to her, Fio. Don't feel bad. Astra's never really had people she could joke around with before."
"I really didn't mean to hurt her feelings. Tell her I said sorry... just in case..."
"I'll be sure to tell her. Can you get the other girls to bed for me? I'd like to get to Shella before tomorrow night, so we're going to have to get moving early."
"Okay. Goodnight, Master Lia."
"Goodnight, girls. Make sure you get some sleep."
The camp grew quiet.
Only the soft clink of spoons against bowls broke the silence as everyone absently stirred what remained of their stew.
"Goodnight, Master Lia," the others replied sullenly.
"Astra? Can I come in?" Kalia whispered through the tent door.
"Go away..." Astra sniffed, trying to muffle her tears.
"Listen. I'm really sorry for making fun of you back there. I really didn't mean it like that."
"That wasn't like your normal teasing... it hurt..."
"I know I took it too far. Can I at least come in and apologize properly?"
"Fine..."
Astra rubbed her eyes as Kalia entered.
"I'll say it again. I am really sorry for what I said... I won't tease you like that anymore. I promise... Fio says she's sorry too."
"You mean it?"
"I swear... I didn't mean to hurt you. You don't hate me, do you?"
"Hate you...? I couldn't hate you, Master Lia. You just hurt my feelings, is all."
"Do you forgive me?"
Kalia sniffled, overcome with emotion as she wrapped her arms around Astra.
"Mm-hm."
Astra wiped her cheeks dry.
"We're family, Astra. Sometimes families tease each other because they love each other. They don't do it to be mean."
"Okay."
The pair sat in silence for a brief moment, letting the tension melt away.
"If you're okay, I think we should get some sleep. We still have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Kalia said, breaking the silence as she stood to return to her own tent.
"Where are you going, Master Lia?"
"To my tent?"
"You don't wanna stay here? I thought you said we could sleep together?"
"Oh... uh, I didn't think you'd still want me to..."
Kalia mumbled, absentmindedly fidgeting with her tail.
"I was just a little hurt."
Astra tugged at the hem of Kalia's sleeve.
"I still want you to stay with me, though..."
"O-okay, then."
Kalia slipped back into her place beside Astra.
"...and you can still tease me a little... just not that much," Astra murmured, nestling against Kalia as she closed her eyes.
"Girls! Rise and shine!" Kalia called through the campsite. "Time to get on the road."
"Already..." Eron groaned, burying her face in the blankets. "The sun isn't even up yet..."
"C'mon, get up."
Fio nudged Eron.
"We need to start packing up camp."
"Ugh, fiiine."
She grumbled, stretching her arms.
"You heard her, Milena. Go pack up camp."
"Wha..." Milena mumbled, pulling her blankets over her head. "Sure..."
Moments later, she was snoring again.
"...Really?"
Fio pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Both of you, up. We can sleep in the carriage."
She yanked their blankets away in a single motion.
"Okay, okay. We're up!"
Both girls slowly rose to their feet.
"Good. You two can start packing up the bedrolls. I'll get the others up."
She gently knelt beside the last bedrolls.
"Lucy, Sarah, time to wake up."
Sarah slowly opened one eye.
"...Okay..."
Lucy nodded sleepily before sitting up with a tiny yawn.
Satisfied that the camp had finally come to life, Kalia poked her head back into Astra's tent.
"You too, Astra."
"...Five more minutes..." a muffled voice returned. "...or ten..."
This'll get her up.
"Astra, breakfast!"
"Huh? Food?"
She shot out of her bedroll.
"I'm starving!"
"I knew that would get you up!"
Kalia laughed.
"I'll make us a little something while you get the carriage ready."
Astra narrowed her eyes.
"No fair, you played dirty!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just get the horses ready. I wanna sleep in a real bed tonight."
Before long, the group was back on the road toward Shella.
Astra and Kalia chatted about the mission while the girls napped.
As the carriage rounded the next corner, a thick haze of smoke swallowed the morning sun.
Kalia's smile faded.
"Astra, you smell that, right?"
"Yeah..."
Astra gripped the reins, slowing the horses.
"...smoke."
"This is way too thick to be a campfire..."
Kalia stood, pointing toward a small farmhouse just off the road.
"Astra! Over there! A house is burning!"
Astra yanked the reins, and the carriage shuddered as it came to a halt.
"We need to help them, Master Lia!"
Kalia instinctively leapt from her seat and whipped the carriage door open.
"Fio!"
"What's the matter? Did something happen?"
The girl jumped awake, noticing the panic in Kalia's voice.
"Eron, Milena, get up! Trouble!"
"There's a house burning! Fio, stay here and guard the carriage. Eron, Milena, get your weapons ready in case I call you."
"Yes, Master Lia!"
The pair were already pulling their weapons from their packs.
"Wh-what's going on, Big Sis Fio?"
Sarah rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Lucy nodded, scooting closer to Fio.
Fio smiled gently.
"Nothing to be afraid of. You two just stay in the carriage for now. We'll take care of it."
Fio tightened her grip on The Lights of Tal.
"Go. I've got things here."
"Astra, let's go."
Kalia broke into a sprint toward the flaming building.
As the pair approached the farmhouse, they noticed signs of more than just an accidental fire.
"Something isn't right here..."
Kalia paused at the broken gate.
"...Where is everyone? It's too quiet... Astra, be on your guard."
"Got it."
Astra moved around the side of the blazing farmhouse.
"Master Lia! There are wagon tracks over here!"
"Same here, Astra."
Kalia knelt beside a broken iron collar lying half-buried in the mud, a snapped length of chain still hanging from it.
Her expression darkened.
"...This wasn't a house fire. This was a raid."
"Should we follow them, Master Lia?"
"No. If we chase them now, we'll only alert them and lose our best chance of finding their main base."
Kalia rose to her feet.
"Let's go, Astra. The sooner we get to Shella, the sooner we can eliminate these bastards."