'As expected.'
An hour later, I stood in the shadows of an alleyway across from the Vance Marquisate estate.
It was unbearably hot. The entire opulent mansion and its surrounding grounds were blazing with dark, alchemical red flames. The once-beautiful, manicured gardens burned like a scene ripped straight from hell.
The fire burned so fiercely, fueled by the localized mana stones, that the Capital's water-mages and the Imperial fire brigade had essentially given up on suppression. They were focusing entirely on preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring estates.
'Time to move.'
Turning away from the towering flames, I heard the desperate, agonizing cries of the escaped survivors being treated on the streets. Fewer than a handful were unscathed. Most had severe burns. White sheets were already being draped over bodies.
"…."
I'm sorry I couldn't stop it. That was all I could offer them.
