"Alright then, let's get moving."
The next morning, after breakfast, Fischer pulled the carriage out of the cave again. Behind him, Korriri and the others ca out to see him off.
"Is your next stop Fieron City?"
"Yeah, just passing through."
"Ah, I’ve heard from many demi-humans that the Lord of Fieron is a good human being."
"A good person?"
Fischer’s interest was piqued. Most humans who ca to the Southern Continent were here for wealth, and traditional virtues seed quite far removed from them. Even Fischer himself wouldn’t dare claim to be so paragon of virtue. He hadn’t expected to hear praise for a human coming from a demi-human.
"It's just a rumor. They say he adopted many orphaned demi-human children."
"He could be experinting on them. Or maybe he’s got so disgusting fetish for kids. Or maybe he's just a hoarder or sothing."
Fischer casually tacked on the worst possible guesses about that city lord, half joking. But if it was just a rumor, it probably ca from demi-humans...
Korriri didn’t comnt. She simply bid Fischer farewell again. As Fischer pulled his hat down and whipped the horses into motion, he turned back to the three demi-humans and said,
"Farewell... You should probably find another path in life. And don’t trust humans too easily."
Sia and Famasie, who was still bandaged from her injuries, opened their mouths to speak but didn’t quite grasp what he ant as they watched the carriage grow smaller in the distance.
It was Korriri who first patted them on the back and floated back into the cave.
"Why are you still standing there? Let’s go back... But he’s right. Pack up our things. We should hide away in the mountains. It won’t be long before war breaks out here..."
...
...
Fischer had only been traveling for half a day when those dragonkin got more comfortable with him. They no longer stayed cooped up in the carriage all the ti. Larr especially liked to squeeze onto the narrow driver’s bench with Fischer.
She would point to the open plains outside and tell Fischer what each thing was in the Southern Continent.
Though they lived far in the south, she said traders from the north often ca down—both humans and demi-humans. They brought news from the north with them.
The Southern Continent had native humans. So places were primitive, so less so, but the highest form of organization was usually just a village. When the humans from the Western Continent landed, most of the locals scattered or fled.
Humans were cruel to demi-humans—and not much better to each other.
The mines and city labor camps were full of locals treated like beasts. As for the brothels, they were packed with their wives and daughters. Fischer had heard propaganda like that back in Lord Keken's city—how rchants from the Western Continent had shipped a batch of natives back ho to let their nobles enjoy so "exotic flavors."
Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out in the distance. Fischer imdiately patted the drowsy Larr’s back.
"Back in the carriage. Tell the others to get in too. Sothing’s going on ahead."
"Okay!"
Larr rubbed her eyes and called in the companions who were outside. Raphaëlle was the last one to get in, but the door behind Fischer stayed slightly ajar, and a pair of green eyes watched the outside through the crack.
The carriage rolled on. Soon they saw rows of uniford soldiers in formation, pointing their guns toward a forest ahead.
"Sir, sir, please stop!"
"What’s going on up there?"
A clearly higher-ranking officer with a different uniform and appearance stopped Fischer’s carriage. Seeing how Fischer was dressed, he respectfully took off his hat and explained,
"Ah, we’re soldiers from Hamatt City to the east. This road often gets attacked by goblins. We’re here under the city lord’s orders to wipe them out, but so of the goblins have fled into this area. You can take a detour, or wait here while we deal with them—it won’t take long."
Fischer had taken Korriri’s advice to detour earlier to avoid trouble. This road ahead was the only path to Fieron City.
"I’ll wait here for a bit."
"Understood. We’ll be done soon." The officer gave Fischer a smile, then put his hat back on and shouted to the soldiers ahead, "Flush them out quickly—let’s get back before nightfall!"
"Yes, sir! On my command—set it on fire!"
Behind the line of riflen, a few soldiers hurled firebombs into the woods ahead. A sharp, choking sll wafted over in the wind. Soon, the long-standing forest began to burn with blazing fire.
"Koruv dala, Ula~!"
As the smoke thickened, several towering figures—nearly two ters tall, with green skin and tusks—burst out of the forest. They were goblins. A dozen male goblins, scorched and in ragged clothes, howled and charged the humans with stone axes and spears.
"Fire!"
The result was predictable. One volley of gunfire and those towering goblins fell one by one. The lead one, who had been howling the loudest, ended up riddled with bullets.
In just one volley, the last of them were wiped out.
"Sir! There are more goblins behind!"
"Oh?"
As the flas behind grew fiercer, more figures erged from the woods—more than before. But this ti, they didn’t look the sa.
Out ca a group of goblins only about 1.5 ters tall. They were female. Ragged and half-naked from the fire, they walked forward with arms outstretched. Behind them, children clung to their mothers’ backs.
This... was the last of a tribe.
Fischer furrowed his brows. His eyes darkened, and the air behind him seed to heat up.
The commanding officer, however, chuckled and signaled his n to open fire. They didn’t even wait for the order. The soldiers were already used to it. Before the officer's hand had fully lowered, another hail of bullets flew at the defenseless goblin won.
"Kututu... sst!"
As the goblin won fell, they scread words Fischer couldn’t understand, frantically shielding their children. But like their husbands and sons, their flesh couldn’t withstand bullets for long.
"Reload!"
As the soldiers changed magazines, all the won lay dead. The innocent children, not yet understanding what had happened, stood from their mothers’ corpses and cried, looking around in confusion.
"Fir—"
"Roar!"
A flaming streak exploded from behind Fischer’s carriage, blowing his hat into the air.
Faster than the wind, a red figure spun through the air like a gyroscope, blitzing across the soldiers in formation. Wherever she passed, bodies flew, rifles shattered, and blood splashed the ground.
"Ah!"
"What the h*ll is that?! So fast!"
"Backup squad, move in!"
The front lines scattered in chaos, but under the officer’s command, more soldiers ford up, pointing their rifles at the smoke-filled field where the red cot had passed.
Flas from behind split tall trees in half. Beside the dazed goblin children, a tall crimson dragonkin stood, breathing heavily. Her glowing eyes locked onto the soldiers.
The hat fell back into Fischer’s hand. He dusted it off and silently watched Raphaëlle in the distance. He said nothing, but his cane had already been set quietly by his foot.
"That’s a Dragonkin!"
The officer saw the crimson horns and armor-like scales.
"You monsters even kill children! D**ned humans!"
Raphaëlle roared, releasing a massive cloud of steam, and charged the soldiers like a teor.
"Fire!"
Bullets sparked off her steaming shield with screeching noises. Raphaëlle grunted, but still charged into the crowd. The sounds of bones breaking and blood spraying echoed through the field. Soldiers were thrown in every direction.
"Sir! I request permission to use it!"
"...Mm."
The officer nodded silently, removed a ring from his hand, and whispered, "Fall."
Then he hurled the ring. It lit up with four green rings midair, and as the light touched Raphaëlle, she froze in place.
"Rrgh!"
Her clawed feet hit the ground, cracking it like shattered stone.
Gravitational magic...
She struggled to take a step, but bullets poured down again, striking her steam shield. Even if she’d taken out dozens, this was a battalion. If each soldier fired once, she’d be dead.
"Aaaargh!"
She roared. Several bullets grazed her, hot blood dripping down her wounds, lighting a deeper rage. Her scales began to glow like the sun.
"That’s enough."
A man’s voice rang out, making the soldiers pause.
"S-Sir!"
"Ugh..."
Fischer had silently appeared beside the officer, locking his arm around the man’s neck. Though Fischer looked unthreatening, the officer’s face turned purple like he was suffocating.
"Stop shooting at her. Or he dies right now."
"Uhh... help... help ..."
The remaining soldiers hesitated, but slowly lowered their weapons. Raphaëlle’s glowing scales dimd. She gasped for breath, still glaring hatefully.
"Let her co here. Then I’ll let your officer go."
A path opened up. Raphaëlle walked slowly back to Fischer’s side. He released the officer, who stumbled away.
"You dare side with demi-humans. Do you really think you’ll leave alive, sir..."
The officer rubbed his neck and waved his hand. The soldiers all raised their rifles again.
"It’s fine. I just didn’t want her getting shot by mistake."
Fischer’s cane began to glow—but suddenly, gunfire echoed from the woods.
Bang! Bang!
"More of his allies in the back!"
"Enemy attack!"
Amid a storm of gunfire, soldiers on horseback wearing blue uniforms rode out from the burnt woods behind the goblin children.
Their formation was tight, expressions cold. After a few shots, their leader shouted,
"We’re soldiers from Fieron City, under the lord’s orders to take custody of these goblin won and children. Move it if you know what’s good for you!"
"From Fieron City!"
"D**n, we can’t win this."
"Sir... maybe we should retreat!"
The officer gritted his teeth. More mounted soldiers erged, even cannons and mages. Glancing at the expressionless Fischer and Raphaëlle, he ground his teeth again—but finally shouted,
"Grab the wounded! We’re pulling out!"
Raphaëlle alone had injured dozens. That was just one adult Dragonkin. Their power was evident.
She panted, then turned to find Fischer staring coldly at her.
"Stupid."
That was Fischer’s judgnt.
Raphaëlle clenched her teeth.
"They... they were just kids. Humans..."
"That’s no excuse to charge in without thinking. Without , you’d be dead. Sure, your body grew up, but did your brain?"
His cold tone made her fists clench.
"..."
She looked away, still bleeding down her cheek.
"Raphaëlle."
"...."
"Look at ."
"..."
She turned reluctantly, still avoiding his eyes.
"Even when your heart is on fire, you act with calm and thought. Only deep thinking leads to smart action. Understand?"
"..."
She didn’t reply, clearly unwilling to accept it.
That was enough. Fischer said no more, simply walking past her with his cane.
In the distance, several soldiers gently picked up crying goblin children, wiping their tears and holding them close so they wouldn’t see the corpses.
"Uh... Ku... Kuturu, Badu."
The soldiers clumsily spoke the little goblin they’d just learned, trying to comfort the kids and keep them from seeing the dead.
"Sir, thank you for buying us a little ti... I’m Harry, sergeant of a Fieron City unit. A pleasure to et you."
The mounted young man, seeing no children left behind, rode up to Fischer.
"Fischer."
"Ah, Mr. Fischer, hello. You were..."
"Heading to Fieron City. Just happened to run into this."
Fischer glanced over their forces. Well-ard, far superior in quality and quantity.
All this for a bunch of won and children?
Fieron City...
"If you’re going to Fieron City, why not co with us? It’ll save you so trouble. The gate checks are fair, but could take a while."
"...Thanks."
"No trouble at all. Kind n like you are just the sort of people our city lord welcos most."
Harry smiled, tugged his reins, and turned to order the troops forward.
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