Haruki's relentless attempts to convince the others to check out the reason for the flaming inferno were met with a beating from his superior and a mocking chuckle from his companions. Even then, as he kept trying to warn his company about the lurking figure in the dark, they were all unfazed, almost as if they knew they had no reason to fear them.
"Mariya, let me go!" Bound to a tree with binds of flame, he kept fidgeting around trying to free himself. "You're a fire mage, right? I'm a flame swordsman too, so I think we both know those flames are unnatural."
"I know," stretching backward, she cracked her spine before looking back down at Haruki. "But honestly, I do not care."
"Why do I expect any better?" Haruki whispered, yet Mariya heard exactly what he'd said.
Getting down to her knees, she made the binds on Haruki's arms tighten up further and then pulled back so he'd suffer even more throughout the night.
"Next time you say something like that I'm gonna cut your tongue out like that demi-human boy you tried to save last week," placing her fingers under his chin, she dug her nails over his throat. "Remember him? Or have you been trying to repress it since I didn't see a new report about it on the brass's desk?"
Jerking his head to the side, Haruki freed himself from her grasp. Turning to look back at her, he wanted to kick her right in her pretty face, but bound on all limbs, he couldn't do it.
"Just go," looking away from her, he didn't give her any attention so she'd leave him all alone.
'We're heading in that direction in the morning anyway, so there's no point pushing the matter now unless I have a death wish.' Being surrounded by second or third offspring of nobles, he had no doubt in his mind that if he was killed by the three, the matter would be swiftly swept under the rug by their parents. And so the best option, as well as the only option he had was to lay quietly by the tree and wait for the three bastards to start the journey again. 'I'll just pray that nobody gets hurt.'
Closing his eyes, he kept on chanting prayers for the safety of anyone who might be caught in the inferno. After not too long, however, his eyes grew heavy and his mind drifted off to slumber. The burning ties around his hand kept him in an uncomfortable position, and yet somehow managing to get some sleep in, he only woke up when the binds were taken off by the very mage who'd conjured them up.
"Wake up, idiot," slapping Haruki awake, Mariya stood in front of him in a shambled state.
Her white mage robe with amber stripes on the edges was dirtied all over, and the look on her face was that of pure exhaustion. Sitting by the tree, Haruki noticed a fiddle in her bare legs, slipping out of the robe. Having a general idea as to what may be the cause of her disheveled look, Haruki got to his feet and began looking for Quint.
Instead, he saw Grimm wearing an eye patch over his left eye, and much like Mariya his green camouflaging clothes were in absolute tatters with dirt all over them.
"OI, don't waste my time, and get in," stepping out of the carriage, Quint had the anger of a demon riding on his face. "And you, commoner, don't make me break your legs, just get here!"
Unlike the other two, Quint was in impeccable form. His snow-white clothes still seemed ironed and the stolen badges of valor were pinned in the same order as yesterday. Whatever kind of altercation had happened after he'd fallen asleep had caught Haruki's attention, but trying to figure it all out wasn't on top of all agendas.
"Y-yeah, I'll get the horses ready," following the command of the battalion leader, Haruki began the preparations for their departure, all the while in his mind, he can't help but think about how easily he could knock some sense into all three of the privileged idiots.
Being raised in a town where monsters often tried to ruin their crops, Haruki had the most experience in real-life battles where one's life is always on the line. So if it ever came down to it, he'd be more than ready to defend himself from the other members of the battalions. The only reason he hadn't rebelled against them yet was due to his drive to do what's right and serve his community just like he'd served his village up until the death of his mother.
'I…I've been trying to do everything the right way, but the corruption makes all my efforts useless.' Wondering if he should try another strategy to bring attention to the crimes plaguing the kingdom, Haruki pulled in the reins and had the carriage move forward.
With everyone sitting inside, the only thing keeping him company was his own thoughts, and with each passing second they became more and more radical. The smell of the ashes in the air as they came closer to the site of the fire was corrupting his judgment and the gentle cackling of the leftover flame made his heart soar up the closer he got to the place.
"No…" He whispered, turning at a fork in the road, leading up to his town.
Passing by the burned crops, as well as his own abandoned fields, his heart kept racing and his lungs were squeezed tight with anxiety. Wishing it to be a dream he moved the carriage forward. Bringing the carriage to a halt at the entrance of the village, his eyes glanced about trying at the carnages while his mind kept trying to escape this reality.
Getting down on his foot, he noticed countless bodies still burning with the flames. The houses far from recognition were but a pile of ash resting over the once bustling village where Haruki himself lived.
"What happened?" Falling down on his knees, Haruki's mind was pushed into a state of denial.
"What needed to happen," hearing those words from behind him, Haruki turned around to look at Quint stepping out of the carriage. "Now go and gather up the valuables, the king needs this land and all of its riches."
'What?' Lost as to what he meant by his words, Haruki stood back up and turned to face him.
"The fuck did you say?" He uttered, reaching for his sword.
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