— Celestia’s POV —
The victorious cries of the warriors still echoed in the air, the weight of battle slowly lifting as exhaustion gave way to relief. But just as our hearts began to accept the reality of our survival—
“Help! Help! I have an urgent report!”
The desperate voice cut through the cheers like a dagger.
The celebration halted instantly.
All eyes turned toward the rider charging into the square, his horse frothing at the mouth from exertion.
The people stepped aside, clearing a path for him as whispers spread like wildfire.
He rode straight to the wall where the Earl stood, his face pale, his breath ragged.
As he dismounted—
I recognized him.
An uncle from our village—a coachman who often accompanied us between Aster Village and Lavender Town.
The sa man who had taught us how to ride a horse.
My stomach twisted.
Why was he here?
“Pardon ! I bring urgent news!” he shouted up at the Earl.
The weight of his words pressed down on my chest.
My fingers curled into my sleeves, my breath caught in my throat.
The Earl’s expression darkened. “What happened?”
The ssenger swallowed hard, his voice shaking.
“Aster Village was attacked and burned by bandits!”
For a mont—
I thought my heart had stopped.
““What!?””
The shock in Daisy’s and the Earl’s voices mirrored my own.
The ssenger pressed on, his words tumbling out, each one heavier than the last.
“I fled on horseback the mont I saw them approaching. There were too many—at least a hundred, maybe more. When I looked back, I saw smoke rising from the village. I… I think they set it on fire.”
“I rode as quickly as possible, so…” He clenched his fists, his voice breaking with guilt. “Maybe it happened about an hour ago.”
I couldn’t breathe.
My heart pounded, the sound of it drowning out everything else.
My vision blurred, the world around becoming distant, unreal.
Our village. Our ho.
Mom. Dad. Freed.
A burning village. A hundred bandits.
Were they still alive?
Were they trapped in the flas?
Were they—
No.
No, no, no, no!
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
My hands trembled at my sides.
Since this morning, an uneasy feeling had gnawed at , whispering fears I couldn’t put into words.
I had even asked Freed to check on the village.
And now—
“Freed…” I barely breathed his na, my voice lost in the chaos of my mind.
A hand gripped mine. “Why are you just standing there, sis!?” Daisy’s hand tightened around mine. “Let’s go!”
She turned to , her eyes blazing with urgency, her whole body trembling with unspoken fear.
“We have to save Freed, Mom, and Dad!”
Her words broke through the fog in my head.
Daisy didn’t wait for a response.
She yanked forward, dragging down the stairs, her grip so firm it hurt.
My legs barely moved fast enough to keep up.
We reached the horses.
Daisy wasted no ti.
She swung herself up onto her steed, and I followed, barely securing myself behind her before she spurred it into motion.
“W-Wait! Daisy! Celes!”
Sowhere behind us, the Earl and Karin shouted after us, but I couldn’t hear them.
I didn’t care.
The world blurred past us.
The only thing I could see was the distant horizon.
The only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat.
The only thing I could feel was the terror clawing at my chest.
— Karin’s POV —
“All adventurers! This is an urgent request! Head to Aster Village imdiately! For every bandit you capture or kill, you will be rewarded with one gold coin!”
My voice rang out across the battlefield, still thick with the scent of blood and sweat.
There was no ti to waste.
Daisy and Celestia had already vanished into the distance, their desperation fueling their reckless charge southward.
The mont my command echoed, the adventurers stirred, exchanging glances before their expressions hardened with resolve.
Their exhaustion, their lingering wounds—
All forgotten in an instant.
“My knights! Hasten to Aster Village!”
The Earl’s voice carried the weight of both duty and urgency, his authority unshaken despite the long battle he had just endured.
“I shall dispatch my own knights to aid in the endeavor,” Count Ronan declared. His tone was calm, but the intensity in his golden eyes betrayed his concern.
The Earl nodded. “I appreciate it, Ronan.”
With that, the forces mobilized. Adventurers, knights, and even the Count himself set off toward Aster Village.
Those who could use aura-enhanced movent or wind magic pushed ahead, their bodies flickering like phantoms against the fading light.
The rest followed on horseback or on foot, moving as swiftly as they could.
anwhile, the Earl and I remained behind.
He had to prepare for an urgent journey to the royal capital to report the stampede to the king, while I would stay in Lavender Town, ensuring its defenses remained secure.
As the last of the reinforcents departed, I turned to the Earl. “I have to ask—why did the adventurers agree to help so quickly?”
The Earl exhaled, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Because Daisy and Celestia saved them.”
I frowned. “I really did miss sothing interesting, didn’t I?”
What exactly happened?
I couldn’t imagine what they did to save them.
A few months ago, their youngest brother also saved Esta and Hazel.
And now, Daisy and Celes saved those adventurers?
What interesting siblings.
He chuckled. “You can ask them yourself when they return. But right now, I’m more worried about them. Especially Daisy—she’s reckless. And their parents…” His voice trailed off for a mont before he continued. “Glacius and Sheryl once saved my sister and . I owe them my life.”
His words struck harder than I expected.
I had known the girls were from a family of forr adventurers, but I never realized how deep their ties ran.
“They were B-Rank and C-Rank adventurers, right?” I said, more to reassure myself than anything. “They should be able to hold on.”
The Earl’s expression darkened. “I hope so.”
A chill ran down my spine. Sothing about this attack—its timing, its scale—felt off.
“The arrival of so many bandits at once seems too convenient,” I murmured. “This isn’t a random raid. It’s coordinated.”
I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
The Earl’s gaze sharpened. “Yes. I suspect they’re not re bandits, but soldiers in disguise. Those clowns ntioned being hired. It’s highly likely the sa individual is behind both attacks.”
“Or two separate factions working together,” I added, my voice grim.
“That is also a possibility.”
The implications were troubling.
Whoever was orchestrating this chaos had resources, strategy, and impeccable timing. The stampede had nearly wiped us out, and now, just as we regained our footing, an entire village was under siege.
This wasn’t over.
— Freed’s POV —
Three hours on horseback had left weary, but the village was close. Ten minutes more, maybe twenty at most.
【Master! Look above! There is a smoke there!】
My gaze snapped upward, my breath hitching.
A faint column of smoke curled into the sky, then another, and another.
My pulse quickened.
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