Sweetness accumulated within the fruits of many trees and shrubs. Many foragers entered wilderness to gather as many produce as they could while farmers harvested their agricultural products to be processed.
Aria, Scarlet and Marion traversed the vast wheat field on their steeds, taking in the breathtaking scenery. Along with them were carriages carrying materials and people, escorted by knights and adventurers.
"We will soon reach the border town of Bisconti Earldom, Lakmea."
"Have you been there, Scarlet?" Aria turned to her left. "Is there anything special about this town?"
"It is a bustling commercial city that thrives on trading. As you know, the north have better armaments and gems productions, but the region of Lacus has abundance of food due to the fertile land. Since this border town acted as the buffer point between the 2 regions, trading becomes very lucrative."
"Fjall has harsh weather, especially when winter comes, but the region of Lacus has milder weather, allowing for abundance of flora and fauna to bloom." Marion gazed at the vast fields of golden wheat. "The fact that we can see these sceneries means that we have officially stepped into the region of Lacus, where many water bodies spread throughout the land."
The large number of carriages moving along the well-paved road to and from Lakmea proved the bustling commerce of the city as stated by Scarlet and Marion. Large numbers of goods and people were transiting through the large town, boosting the economy.
As the travelling group entered the city, large crowd flooded the streets, creating a sea of people as far as the eyes could see. Many stalls were set up along the vast road, selling an array of products ranging from exotic arts to common foodstuffs and Aria found everything wonderous, as if cultures merged into a colourful dish that flavoured the diners.
"The night is still young. Why not explore a little bit and buy things that you like? However, do remember that we will set out tomorrow early in the morning. Make sure that you do not stay up too late." Count Ponterim told Aria, Scarlet, Marion and Alfred to explore the city. "I will be resting in the inn. All you young people should take this time to enjoy the night walk."
The quartet explored the markets where goods were displayed for customers to purchase. Despite the night, the streets were still bustling with vibrancy as the medley of voices resonated all around.
"The fact that merchants set up lanterns and candles to keep their stalls open at night shows that there is a lot of demand for their products." Alfred looked around for any interesting goods that caught his eyes. "This city almost never sleeps due to the large volume of merchants coming in and out of the town regardless of the time."
"If there are profits to make, merchants aren't hesitant to do whatever it takes, even traversing dangerous regions to get into isolated places."
"And that is why I admire some merchants." Alfred smiled upon Scarlet. "Merchants are often associated with greed, but I think courage also plays a great part in their work. If you are not greedy, you are not going to have the motivation, and if you are not courageous, you will not be able to take the first step into the abyss where deceits and dangers lurk."
"Do you read some poetry as well? I guess your thirst for knowledge stretches wide, huh." Scarlet let out a small grin while nudging Alfred's arm with her elbow. "Why don't you read about being eloquent with sweet words as well? You could charm a lot of girls with those honeyed words, you know."
"Ehehe... That is not my intention at all. Poetry is something that I picked up along the way as I grew up since my mother collects a lot of books written by famous poets."
"Hey, Aria. Should we leave these love birds alone and go on a date? Just the 2 of us- ghuek."
"Didn't I tell you that someday this fist is going to connect to your face?!" Scarlet punched Marion's face while having her face flushed with redness.
"Marion, I think you should stop with the teasing, lest you want to get burn by her magic." Aria stared down upon Marion who was squatting down in pain while holding her face.
"Ahaha... all of you get along really well, huh."
The quartet continued exploring the market and Alfred spotted an old leather book being displayed on a silk cushion within a wooden box. Curious, he asked for the price of the book from the vendor, only to be told that it was an exorbitant amount of 5 gold coins; it was almost 5 months' worth of salary for an average commoner.
"Why does it cost so much?"
"It is apparently some kind of diary written by a famous merchant who unfortunately died quite some time ago." An old man puffed out a smoke after inhaling from an ornate pipe. "I am planning to retire soon and stay with my daughter in the countryside village. This book here is the most valuable item I have; there is only 1 copy in the entire world and I want to ensure I get the most from it, so that I can retire with better finances."
"That seems fair... hmmm..." Alfred scrutinised the book cover and read a small written text at the bottom of the page. "Sir, please let me buy it!"
"Oh, sure..."
Alfred took out 5 gold coins and handed it to the seller, excited about the book as the latter closed the wooden box with the book safely locked inside. However, Alfred told the old man not to lock the box and took it with its content towards Scarlet who was still red from embarrassment and was trying to punch Marion again.
"Hey, Scarlet. This... I think you will like this." Alfred beamed a satisfied smile.
"What's that thing?" Scarlet approached Alfred and opened the box. She froze as her eyes widen in shock. Looking at the leather book, she closed the lid as her face casted a pained gaze. "I don't want to see it."
"Eh, wait. Scarlet!" Alfred tried to chase after the retreating Scarlet. "Why? I thought this is something precious to-"
"It's not! Throw that thing away!"
"Scarlet..." Alfred stood dumbfounded at Scarlet's retreating figure.
"What is that? Why is she so agitated by it?" Marion looked inside the box and saw the old leather bound book with an engraved name at the bottom. "Fragos... Sirius Fragos... Is this Scarlet's father?"
"Yes, sir Sirius was a prominent merchant back in the days where he boldly travelled to dangerous locations in order to gather the most exotic goods and established trades."
"Perhaps, she wishes to forget about her past..." Marion picked up the book from the box. "Anyway, what is the content?"
"Do you not think it is a little impudent, looking at someone else's book?"
"Well, she said to throw it away, so it is all fair. You are curious as well, right Aria?"
"Well, you are not wrong..., but I still feel it is better to be more prudent."
"Too late to be prudent. I am opening it...!" Marion read the content of several pages and tilted her head to her right. "These are just diary records about his travel across the continent. Hmm... there seems to be a story about meeting his wife... about Scarlet and his final big work of introducing the flower called Amour to the empire from the war torn Southern continent."
"It seems to be something that sir Sirius did out of habit. He seems to enjoy travelling and loves to record a lot of things" Alfred took the book and read several pages that detailed everything that Sirius experience when travelling around the Southern continent where he met his wife. "Hmm... it says here that Scarlet's mother was a high-born... a part of a royal family!?"
"! A royal family!? Well that does explains why she has such a strong magic prowess and a lot of reserve." Aria was a little dumbfounded from the sudden turn of event. "However, what kind of event lead to them getting married? Is it written?"
"Hmm... There are a bunch of flowery words that describes her... Apparently she frequently sneaked out from from her palace and enjoyed the activities of the populace." Marion flipped through pages rapidly, ignoring the excessive adjectives that positively described the subject. "Sir Sirius met her during one of those outings where he seems to be mesmerised by her beauty. Umm... he tried talking to her and she apparently gained an interest in him. She tasked him to find the most beautiful flowers for her if he intended to marry her."
"That escalated quickly. Is it the Amour flower?"
"Apparently not, Aria. It appears to be a rare flower that has blue petals twisting with each other, making it difficult to pluck out individual petals without tearing the others." Marion flipped through the pages that described Sirius's adventure across the unknown land of the Southern continent. He searched high and low for the rare flower until he stumbled upon it by accident after praying to the stars. "He escaped a monster attack and took refuge inside a rocky cave where he found a large collection of the said flowers thriving in massive colonies within the cave. He grabbed a bunch and was rescued by some merchants who happened to be crossing the area."
"He was really lucky." Alfred was in awe at Sirius's bravery. "He prayed every day and his prayer was answered. Even after a seemingly terrible situation where he lost his supplies due to the monster attack, he found what he had been searching for and was rescued the very next day."
"He never lost hope, huh. What is the name of the said flower?"
"It is called Anima." Marion answered Aria's question after flipping to the next page where descriptions of the flower was written in details. "Local legend said that the flower has an ability to merge souls, eternally binding lovers together. 'Even death cannot undo love is what was written here."
"I do not know if it is romantic or just obsessive."
"I think it is very romantic, miss Aria."
Both Aria and Marion were worried about Alfred's interpretation of love and decided to pray for Scarlet's safety.
"I think the fact that sir Sirius is willing to lose everything else in order to get his hand on the love of his life shows just how greedy he is, but at the same time, he is very brave to traverse unknown lands in order to search for the phantasmal flower."
"Is that why you believe that a merchant's greed is justified if coupled with bravery?"
"Indeed, miss Aria. In the end, his gamble was rewarded and he even earn a whole lot more from selling the excess Anima flowers that he took. However, above all of the gold and recognition he had earned, being able to wed a princess he loves is his biggest reward."
"Umm... I am sorry to dim your light, but apparently the royal family rejected the marriage proposal." Marion continued flipping through pages that described the anguish that Sirius felt. "He kept on pleading to no avail, but the princess, being rebellious, and being true to her words, snuck out and eloped with sir Sirius. She threw away her identity as a princess and took on another identity. Both of them escaped to the empire where they, with the funds sir Sirius gathered from selling the Anima flowers, built a successful company and family."
"That is... until tragedy struck, huh."
"Indeed, Aria. Apparently, Scarlet's birth was complicated and her mother did not survive." Marion flipped through the pages that described the depression that befell Sirius. "Sir Sirius only bounced back after Scarlet smiled for the first time; grabbing his right hand and looking straight at him, he saw images of his late wife embracing him."
"From that day onwards, sir Sirius dedicated his mind into raising Scarlet and making her happy, ensuring that the vestiges of his late wife remains alive. He worked hard to build his company and returned to the southern continent where he brought over many items, including the Amour flowers that he is still well-known for to this day." Alfred took over the narrative. "He managed to accumulate enough wealth to be categorised as a mid-sized merchant firm and gained many connections, including high ranking nobles who were avid collectors."
"Well, having been through hell in the southern continent, I would assume that he would be familiar with all the exotic items that would incite curiosity amongst noblemen. I believe that he had made some connections with the locals as well, making it much easier to establish trading routes and contracts."
"Spot on, miss Aria. Sir Sirius is among the first to establish trades with those living deep within the southern continent. Exotic items, herbs, spices and many others were traded, improving the economy of the empire."
"Yet, before the company could flourish, he perished in the hand of some unruly people; leaving Scarlet alone in a cruel world..." Marion closed the book after the last entry where Sirius described the grand celebration in Elsyrium and how Scarlet enjoyed hanging out with Alfred. "Sir Alfred, I think it would best if you keep this and pass it to her when the time is right. I do not know what happen to Scarlet after the death of sir Sirius or what caused her to hate this book."
"Right... I will, miss Marion."
Aria, Marion and Alfred decided to return to the inn, and despite the mystery surrounding Scarlet's past, they decided to wait until Scarlet was ready. Alfred visited the Count to discuss their travel routes while Marion and Aria retired for the night; when they entered their room, Scarlet had apparently went to her bed, facing the wall.
Aria and Marion silently changed their clothes and got on their bed.
***
The traffic along the road was rough as many merchants, nobles and commoners travelled under the cool autumn wind. Goods were transported in bulk as the harvest season was still on-going. However, as night fall, the traffic disappeared.
Aria returned from her patrol alongside Marion and Scarlet to their camping site, switching with another group of adventurers. Dinner was served early: a bowl of hearty soup and hard bread coupled with fresh fruits they had picked along their journey.
The stars shone amongst the 2 full moons and Scarlet stared upon them with a sense of melancholy. They had officially entered the region of Lacus and was camping within the territory of Earl Desiderium where wilderness stretched across the land, forming a large interconnected forest known as Cupido.
"I think it would be best if we made our way out of this forest as soon as possible. Wild animals and monsters in this area are known to be particularly ferocious, especially during autumn where they compete for mates and resources."
"I agree with you, Alfred. However, we must not rush, for we do not want to attract the attention of the forest's inhabitants."
"That may be true, Count, but we need to arrive before winter fall upon us. Looking at the current progress, we may be ahead by a few weeks, but we must always be cautious for the weather can be unpredictable. In fact, the winter this year had lasted longer than expected and the summer was not as warm as the previous few years. I am afraid that the winter will come fairly early in the upcoming year."
"I see... It could be due to the recent volcanic eruptions from the western region of Montagne." Riinol pondered and turned towards Aria, Marion and Scarlet, asking for their opinions.
"I do not have much to say other than having to be more vigilant, especially if there is a possibility that those new monsters may be lurking around."
"I am more inclined with Alfred since I do not mind fighting against any incoming beasts. I am more concerned about the weather."
"I don't have an opinion... I'll follow what is decided..."
"... I see..." Alfred felt uneasy seeing Scarlet's lugubrious mood. "Nevertheless, I still think that it would be best if we can get out of Desiderium Earldom as fast as possible. We can take the route with lesser traffic. In addition, being a large group, we will inevitably create more noises to warn the animals and monsters, making sure not to startle them and prompt an attack."
"Fine point. In that case, we will try to go through this wilderness as fast as we can while increasing the range of our scouting. Always go in a group and never go out alone." Riinol informed the knight commander and each leaders of the adventurer parties about the need to increase their pace.
The group kept watch in rotation throughout their journey across the forest. They would occasionally exited the vegetation into the sparsely populated cities and villages, only to enter the dense forest again for shortcut.
"We are now entering the largest patch of vegetation of Cupido forest." Alfred looked out of the carriage window and saw the oppressive atmosphere of the dense vegetation swallowing them. Despite having a clear road paving the way through the forest, the nature appeared untamed as the cacophony of roars and rustling echoed around them. "Hey, miss Scarlet, do not wander too far from us."
"I know..." Scarlet had unknowingly steered her horse a little left from the main group and tried to veer herself back. However, the sudden appearance of a large maw startled her and she fell off her steed.
"Scarlet!" Alfred shouted in panic, alerting the entire group on the appearance of a monster.
Aria hopped off her horse and rushed towards Scarlet with her Steel Blade. The large beast was towering above Scarlet while baring its long fangs, drool dripping on her as she struggled to stand whilst being pinned by the beast's paw. Aria charged in and slashed at the monster, allowing her to scoop up Scarlet who was strangely trembling while readying her glaive.
"Scarlet?"
"I am fine... That monster... is the Giant Black Wolf. The same beast that killed my father..."
The beast had an entirely jet black fur covering its entire body. Its maw opened up wide with gnarly rows of teeth baring themselves out. The blood-red eyes stared fiercely into its preys as it crouched down, ready to lunge.
Marion jumped in from behind and slashed at the beast, breaking its stance while it let out a fierce growl. Aria, Marion and Scarlet readied their stances and when the beast pounced, they managed to counter, dealing some damage towards the monster. The Giant Black Wolf let out a powerful roar in anger and wildly lunged forward with extreme aggression.
"Why is that monster here?!" Alfred was trying to assist, but was stopped by Riinol. He could only watched as the adventurers and knights surrounded the beast, trying to contain it.
"Young man, let them handle it. If I am to make a rough estimation, that grade B monster would be around 4 stars, similar or weaker than the Khezu found in Ponterim Viscounty. They have had experience taking down that level of threat. Be at ease- huh?!"
"What happen-!?" Alfred saw a bunch of knights being taken down on the right side of the carriage. "Hey! We are also being attacked from the right side!"
Aria, who heard Alfred's voice, looked at Marion and nodded before using her glaive to vault over to the other side. As she approached the source of trouble, she spotted a few people fighting against the knights who were protecting the supply carts. "Tch! Bandits! Why now?!"
Aria came in and unleashed a wind spell towards the large bandit crowd, throwing them off and giving the knights some room to reorganise from the ambush. Several bandits got back up and started attacking again, but Aria created a wind barrier while running along the arena. "Wind! Flow away to repel my enemies! Outflow!"
"Thank you, missy!"
"Do not thank me yet! We need to repel them!" Aria swung her Steel Blade in large wide sweeps, keeping the enemy away as area control. The knights, who had recovered, followed Aria's example and kept the bandits in check.
Meanwhile, on the left wing, calvaries charged in to put pressure on the rampaging beast, but the agile monster leapt around to escape its encirclement. The wolf jumped around and pounced onto some knights who were unfortunately stomped and bitten. Marion came in with iai slash, freeing the knights from the clasp of the beast while she continued the pressure.
Scarlet circled around and unleashed several fire spells that burned the thick fur of the wolf. However, the ferocious beast shrugged off the damage as if driven by madness and launched itself towards Scarlet. The latter vaulted away while slashing mid-air, but the wolf followed and tackled her, making her smashed against a nearby tree.
"Scarlet!" Marion came in and slashed the wolf, parrying its attacks and keeping it distracted until Scarlet recovered. She noticed that the beast was relentless and attacked without a care for its own well-being. "Scarlet! I think something is not right with this one! It is completely ignoring the damages we deal and running around attacking everything!"
Scarlet drank a bottle of health potion and entered the battlefield with determined eyes. She attacked with heightened aggression, completely burying her fear with hatred while unleashing powerful spells that scorched the forest. The nearby knights, adventurers and Marion were nearly caught up in the inferno.
"Hey, Scarlet! Calm down! We are here as well!" Several dried up trees were burning violently as the fire began to spread. Marion leapt in to assist Scarlet as much as possible amidst the fiery spells that Scarlet unleashed.
The Giant Black Wolf salivated with every damage it received and continued to attack until its body gave out; it slumped down amidst the burnt patch of greeneries, still growling and roaring.
Scarlet got down on her knees, tired from the fight and exhausting her mana reserve. She breathed heavily with beads of sweat covering her face, trembling with rage and fear. The bloodshot eyes she gave towards the wolf spoke volumes of her emotion running rampant and she hoisted herself up with the Blizzard Glaive to approach the wolf. She reached the incapacitated beast and began wailing on it. With every strike, the wolf growled, trying to retaliate, but was too weak to do so before its voice faded into faint whimper.
"Scarlet! Calm down!" Marion reached Scarlet and stopped her hands, dragging her away. "Is this how you want to end this grudge?! That thing is in pain as well! It can no longer fight! It must have been given some kind of medicine that made it berserk!"
"I don't care! I need... I need to kill it! Or else... I..." Scarlet struggled to free herself from Marion with tears running down and tension running high.
Alfred got out of the carriage despite Riinol's protest and ran towards Scarlet. He tried to calm her, but to no avail as her mind was still racing high on adrenaline. Without a choice, Alfred struck Scarlet's head with his fist, similar to how Scarlet did to him years ago. Marion and Scarlet were stunned and the latter regained some level of control as she looked at Alfred who had a stern expression.
"That is for you who let your emotion get the better of you."
Scarlet took a deep breath as she calmed herself and loosen her grip. She stared wide-eyes at Alfred who grinned after giving her a wake up punch and stared upon the broken beast who was breathing irregularly with saliva drooling uncontrollably; its eyes were unfocused and with every gasp of air, its body trembled in pain.
"It is not worth it, Scarlet. There is no honour in killing a beast like this while blinded with anger. It is practically on death's door. There is still another battle that we have to attend to, but it seems you are tired, so rest before joining." Marion left Scarlet in Alfred's care and headed towards the other side of the road.
"Here, Scarlet. Drink this mana potion and eat this to restore your stamina." Alfred handed Scarlet 2 bottles of mana potion and a mixture of dried meat, various bitter herbs and insects known for their medicinal properties. "I know it is bitter, but try to endure."
Scarlet reluctantly consumed everything and almost threw up from the bitterness. She instantly felt better and her mind cleared up the fog. Looking back at the incapacitated wolf, she felt rather refreshed and bore no ill will towards the pitiful beast that once haunted her. "Thank you... I... I am rather ashamed, but I think I will be fine."
"That is good to hear." Alfred smiled with caring eyes, making Scarlet blushed a little. "That beast is just a victim of human's cruelty. Perhaps the monster that killed your father years ago was also under the influence of drugs. I suspect that those bandits were responsible for this."
"Yeah... Let's go." Scarlet and Alfred rushed towards the second arena where the tides had began to turn. The bandits, despite having superiority in number, were outmatched and decided to run away.
"No way! The beast's down!"
"Run! The plan's fail."
"Yer all are fools! We have the superiority in numbers! Pressed em hard!" The bandits ran back into the forest vegetations, but a man with a magic staff shouted for everyone to continue the attack. "That beast's old! It's gonna die anyway! We have more than 30 men here! Do not let the drugs I used on that beast go to waste!"
"But... But sir! The wind magic that they unleashed kept us from advancing!"
"Fools! Circle them! Those young girls have yet to even kill any one of us!" The bandit leader raised his staff towards the knights. "Fire! Scorch those who stand before me! Fireball!"
A large fire ball shot straight towards a group of knights who were protecting a supply cart and exploded out. The cart was ignited and several adventurers tried to put out the fire with their water supply while the other knights dragged out the injured.
"Hah! Did ya see that!? Several more spells are gonna destroy em!" The bandit leader conjured up more fireballs, but was immediately quenched by Aria's water magic: Waterfall.
The bandit leader and several of those close to him were flushed away with several of them hitting against trees or shrubs. The ground they were standing on turned muddy and they had a hard time getting back up without slipping. "Curse ya!"
Scarlet and Alfred arrived after Aria's water spell. They rushed in to take out the several nearby bandits still standing. Scarlet hopped in to the muddy ground and spotted the leader of the bandit trying to cast another fire spell by pointing his staff towards Aria who was healing an injured knight. Without a pause, she vaulted over and slashed the arm of the bandit leader, severing it completely as the latter screamed in shock.
"My arm!!! My arm!!! Curse ya!!! It hurts!!!"
"Shut up!" Scarlet kicked the bandit leader's chin and stood atop him with her glaive pointing at his neck. "You... Aren't you the adventurer who was once part of the escorts for my father's merchant carriages 9 years ago?"
"!!! That red hair... Yer still alive!!!"
"I am! So you're the one who lured in the Giant Black Wolf towards the carriages! You killed my father and friends, you bastard!" Scarlet raised her glaive and struck down.
"Scarlet!" Alfred came running and saw that her glaive was embedded on the muddy ground beside the head of the bandit leader. "Are you alright?"
"Hah... hah... I'm fine." Scarlet pulled out her glaive and stared contemptuously upon the terrified face of the man who induced her father's death. "It started with me losing my father and friends that I was taken in to an orphanage. I met with my seniors who taught me the rope of survival and being an adventurer. Despite me losing them as well, I met my current group of riff-raff..."
Scarlet pointed her glaive towards the man's aghast face which twisted with tears and snot. "You are just not worth it. You are just a scum who, after being used by that noble bastard, was tossed away, and instead of learning or being repentant, you stoop low into banditry. You will face your judgement in hell."
Most of the bandits had been subjugated and tied with ropes. Alfred and Scarlet received a bundle of rope and tied the bandit leader who was still grimacing from the pain of losing his arm. Scarlet used her fire magic to cauterise the open wound which made the bandit leader screamed even louder than when he was losing his arm.
As both Scarlet and Alfred finished securing the rope around the bandit leader, several bandits who had managed to escape earlier came running towards them. They readied their weapons, but as the bandits got closer, they saw their terrified faces followed by a guttural scream coming deep from the forest. Aria, Marion, the knights and adventurers perked up their attention and the ground vibrated.
Something flew out from the deep forest and smashed against a carriage, startling the crowd. A large maw appeared from the dark and picked up a running bandit, shaking him up before throwing him towards another carriage; his body shattered upon impact, turning into mangled mass of flesh and bones. The running bandits tripped on the muddy ground with fears painted on their faces.
The monster stepped out of the dark and let out a powerful roar. Each steps it took vibrated the ground and it stomped the fallen bandits without a care. Standing nearly 6 meters tall with length of over 18 meters, its gnarly set of teeth presented themselves as it open its maw. The light pink and black colouration contrasted against each other. Its large hindlegs supported its entire weight as it crushed a fearful bandit and directed its snout towards Scarlet and Alfred; staring directly with its menacing yellow eyes.
"Scarlet, we need to retreat." Alfred grabbed Scarlet's hand which was holding onto the rope. The beast retracted its head and lunged into a wide sweep with its gaping mouth. "Watch out!"
The powerful jaw of the beast gouged out a part of the ground as Alfred jumped away while hugging Scarlet to avoid the attack. The Bandit leader, however, was swept up and caught in the beast maw, crying for help; the monster threw him down and he landed in front of both Alfred and Scarlet.
"Everyone, get away! Move!" Aria shouted with urgency, causing several adventurers and knights to quickly rode off with the carriages, bringing them away from the warzone. Those who stayed behind held up their weapons, ready to face against the monster.
While Aria and Marion were rushing in, the beast unfurled its dorsal sail and nasal crest; breathing in, it unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth.
"Oh no... Water! Draw out of my soul and protect me! Aqua Murum!" As Scarlet finished chanting, balls of water swirled up and formed a thin veil around Scarlet and Alfred. However, before the wall was formed, the fiery burst reached them and Alfred, without hesitation, hugged Scarlet and protected her from the burning liquid headed towards them.
"Graaaahhhh!!!!!" Alfred screamed in agony as his back was brimming with pain from the burning liquid searing through his clothing and into his skin
"Alfred!" Scarlet screamed in horror as she stood up and dragged Alfred away before Aria and Marion jumped in and slashed the head of the beast.
The bandit leader, who was still alive even after being tossed, bore the brunt of the fire breath and was screaming in pain as he rolled around the mud to quench the fire. However, another round of fire breath was unleashed from the angered beast who was damaged by Aria and Marion. He was unfortunately caught up in the attack and burned alive as his soul left his body in agony.
"Alfred! Are you alright!?" Scarlet panic-stricken voice rang aloud as tear rolled down. "Please don't leave me! Please!"
"Hah... Hah... I am not that weak... This is, but a scratch..." Alfred let out a smile while reassuring Scarlet.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I was dazing." Scarlet voice was weakened from fear and guilt. "Just like when my father died, I was powerless. I was too slow to react."
"Scarlet, do not blame yourself... The girl I fell in love with is stronger than this... Even if you fall, I know you will stand up again..." Alfred handed her the book written by Sirius. "You will keep on moving forward, because you are the proud daughter of the courageous man... who fought against the unknown for his love and determination."
Scarlet took the book with trembling hand and looked into Alfred eyes.
"The flower of soul, Anima... The one that your father presented to your mother..." Alfred opened the book towards the last page and peeled off a layer of thin leather. "He preserved it here, pressed and dried... So that he can keep her close... Your father gave this to you before telling you to escape... He wants to be close to you... through this flower... Both of your parents will always be with you... so stand up and be somebody we can be proud of..."
Alfred took the Anima flower and lodged it into the insect-looking ornament on Scarlet's right hand. The ornament glowed and the flower fused into the shiny magic crystal and bloomed while suspended within the translucent crystal. The entire ornament shone as it transformed with mandibles protruding forward and translucent bluish wings unfolded from the main body.
Scarlet and Alfred were befuddled at the mysterious phenomenon, unable to ascertain the next move. The roar of the beast jolted them back. Scarlet sprayed healing potion on Alfred and handed him to the nearby knight, squeezing his hand while nodding in gratitude. She turned back towards the arena and her ornament buzzed to life.
Aria vaulted into the air and slashed the nasal crest, causing it to flinched a little and bit back which Aria managed to narrowly avoid. Marion remained on the ground and slashed the monster's hindlegs, trying to injure it and toppled the beast. The large monster swiped its tail and hit Marion, hurling her along the ground before stopping herself against a tree. Aria landed beside her after being slammed by the beast while airborne.
"I think this monster is larger than the average of its species." Aria got up and saw the gigantic monster looming over her and Marion.
The beast opened its maw, ready to bite, but a blow on its head stopped the attack. Aria and Marion leapt out of the danger zone and saw something flying around before going back. Aria instinctively smiled after witnessing the flying object latching on the right hand of its owner.
"Let's kick this guy's ass." Scarlet's Blizzard Glaive glowed with reddish hue after the insect ornament latched back. "Aria, this brute is weak against water and ice, am I right?"
"Yes." Aria and Marion stood beside Scarlet, keeping their eyes on the angry beast.
"May I have its name?" Scarlet pointed her glaive towards the approaching monster.
"This relentless ruffian is Anjanath, the Savage Jaw Wyvern."