"DAMN IT! WE NEED MORE MEN!" a man shouted in desperation. "Captain! Where are the reinforcements? We can't fight this fire alone!"
The captain's face twisted with a mix of rage and despair. "I don't know! I sent that damn boy to get help, but he hasn't returned!"
Another guard, hauling an empty bucket, cursed. "Did that pesky piece of shit get himself killed, or what?"
The captain clenched his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath, when suddenly he saw his lieutenant and two sergeants, Orson and Pilos, rushing toward him with Lieutenant Owen. They saluted hastily.
"Where the hell have you three been while the entire prison is burning?" the captain barked.
"Sir, I apologize! We were—" Owen began.
"Enough!" the captain cut him off. "No time for excuses, we need more men!"
Sergeant Pilos stepped forward. "Captain, did they not hear the bells?"
"I don't know! I even sent a guard to get help, but aside from a handful from the secondary walls, no one has come!"
Before he could finish, he noticed a movement on the drawbridge. A group of twenty, maybe thirty men, marched forward carrying barrels of water and buckets. A lieutenant from the shore patrol called out:
"Captain Lewis! We heard the bells and received word from the guards at the portcullis. We've come to aid!" He turned to his men. "Move! Put out that fire!"
Captain Lewis exhaled, some of the tension in his chest easing. So, the boy did get help. But it's still not enough. He addressed the shore lieutenant. "Thank you. But where is the boy now?"
The lieutenant replied, "Men in front of the portcullis informed me that he went to find more aid, sir. Likely he'll return with more men. I have also sent some of my men to get help. For now, we must—"
A sudden eruption cut him short. All eyes turned toward the source. The barracks were in flames, the explosion tearing through its walls. Soldiers inside had no chance of survival, whether claimed by the fire, the blast, or the choking smoke, they were gone.
The fight against the fire grew more desperate, but even with reinforcements, it was hopeless. The inferno consumed everything. All was lost.
And then, they heard footsteps. Slow, heavy, deliberate. Getting closer. Every head turned, and what they saw stunned them all.
Two men and a woman walked toward the flames. Their armor was unlike anything the captain had ever seen, making his own iron plate look like little more than scrap. Pure steel, edged with gold, it gleamed even against the smoke and fire.
The woman's armor was black, trimmed with golden sunflowers. Her gloves were dark as coal, her knee guards slim but strong. At her side hung a sword, its sheath marked with the winding design of a golden rose.
She removed her winged helm, letting her hair fall loose as she lifted her head. Black strands framed her face, smooth and sharp, she turned her deep golden eyes towards the burning buildings.
Some of the men, including the captain, regained their senses after a few seconds. The captain took a step forward and called her name.
"L-Lady Leisel, what are you…"
"Tell your men to step away from the fire, Captain." Her voice was soft, yet carried a cold authority that left no room for question.
He straightened his back and puffed his chest as he answered. "Y-yes, ma'am!" He turned to his sergeants and barked, "You heard Lady Leisel! Go, tell the men to step back!"
Pilos and Orson saluted and ran to the others, ordering them to fall back. Once the men had retreated, Leisel advanced toward the burning buildings, now a mountain of fire.
"M-my lady, are you sure?" the captain dared to ask.
She walked past him, ignoring his words entirely. The two men at her side remained behind as their superior strode toward the inferno.
Leisel gazed at the towering flames, sighed, and muttered under her breath, "Incompetent fools. I will make you answer for this mess… later."
She drew her sword from its sheath. It was a magnificent weapon, forged of pure steel, its pommel shaped in a gold circle, the grip long enough to grab with both hands, and the curving chape was crafted with gold as well. The blade itself was a longsword, nearly one hundred and thirty centimetres in long.
She raised it with both hands before her forehead, closing her eyes as she began to whisper. Her voice grew louder with each sentence:
"O sacred relic, Lamdri! By mine own will, and by the strength bestowed upon me, I summon forth the mighty waves of the icy winds."
Mana surged into the blade, and it flared with an icy blue radiance. She opened her eyes and swung with a fierce cry:
"Moon Art! Stage One! Winds of Estel!"
From her strike erupted a vast arc of light, the same glacier color as the mana collected on her blade. In less than a second it hit to the burning buildings, and the men watching held their breath. Upon impact, the flames died at once as cold winds and ice swept through the structures. Her control was so precise that she froze the buildings without trapping the few remaining guards inside.
The captain and his men stood stunned as Leisel extinguished the fire. One of the heroes stepped forward beside her, speaking in a cold, commanding tone:"Captain, send your men to search the buildings and see if anyone survived. We need witnesses, and any information about this fire."
The captain obeyed immediately. "Y-yes, sir!"He turned to Sergeant Pilos. "Sergeant! Take five men and search the barracks!"
"Yes, sir!" Pilos replied. He quickly chose five men and led them to the barracks, scouring the building from top to bottom.
The captain then turned to Orson. "Orson! Take the rest of the men and search the prison block. See if anyone survived inside."
"Yes, sir!" Orson answered sharply, gathering the remainder and moving at once toward the prison block.
Leisel slowly approached the captain, her companions following. Her voice was cold, edged with scorn:"Captain, do you know how this fire started?"
Captain Owen swallowed hard before replying."No, ma'am. I don't know how it began."
Her eyes narrowed. "No theory? No hypothesis at all?"
Though snow now drifted down and the air was chilled by her earlier spell, sweat clung to his brow."W-well, perhaps some drunk guard accidentally set fire to the hay in the stables, and it spread? O-or maybe spilled liquor—"
"Enough!" she cut him off, raising her hand. "Are you telling me you are so incapable of discipline that your men get drunk in the daytime and spark fires that consume half a fortress?"
The captain fell silent. His lieutenant spoke up, voice trembling."M-ma'am, with all due respect… it isn't the captain's duty to watch every man in this prison. The sergeants are responsible for the behavior of the guards."
She turned a sharp gaze on him. "Your captain is responsible for everything in this prison, including the conduct of his men. If his sergeants cannot enforce discipline, then that failure falls upon the one in command. The man in charge is accountable for every soul under his authority, and your captain's negligence has cost countless lives today."
The lieutenant fell silent at once.
Leisel then turned to the two men who had accompanied her. One of them was tall, standing a full six feet, with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes. Slender yet powerfully built, he wore gleaming steel plate armor, its polished white surface marked only by thin golden stripes along the joints. The design was simple yet elegant, crafted to grant both strength and agility, like all armor of Leisel's unit.
"Luther," she commanded, "bring the investigation team. I want this fire examined thoroughly, find out who or what caused it."
Luther nodded. "Understood. I will be on my way." With that, he vanished in a blur of speed. Though it was known that heroes surpassed human limits, seeing such power firsthand still left the men watching awestruck.
Leisel turned to her other companion, a younger man with light-blue hair and eyes, who regarded his captain with deep admiration for her strength, discipline, and poise. His armor was similar to Luther's, except for the golden sunflower emblazoned at its chest, matching Leisel's own insignia.
"Travis," she said, "stay here. Ensure these incompetent fools don't tamper with the scene or destroy evidence. Question the men and record every detail until I return. I will search the forest, if someone caused this fire, they may already be trying to escape through it."
She turned to the captain. "Did anyone leave and fail to return shortly before this incident?"
The captain hesitated. "W-well… there was a boy I sent to fetch help from the shore patrol and anyone nearby."
She raised an eyebrow. "And did this boy return?"
"N-no, not yet. The men from the shore told me he was still trying to gather reinforcements."
Her suspicion deepened. "I see." She turned to Travis. "I want every detail on the survivors, and especially about this boy the captain mentioned. Understand?"
Travis nodded firmly. "Yes, my lady. I will compile a full report without omission."
"Good. I will be on my way then." She paused, fixing him with a firm look. "Oh, and I want you to search for a prisoner named…"
Travis froze at the name. "M-my lady, I can't—"
"I am not asking. I am ordering. Do as I command."
With that, she strode toward the forest.