Volume 1 Chapter 38 - Flames of the Western Region
The sunlight shimmered across Aelbourne's rooftops as Cindy and Puff left the guild building, the silver pendant from Guildmaster Elandra glinting faintly against Cindy's chest.
"Guess it's official now," Puff said, stretching. "We're trusted agents of the guild."
Cindy smiled softly, holding the pendant between her fingers. "She's a good person. I never thought someone would accept us so easily."
Puff grinned. "You kinda shine when you're in your butterfly form. It's hard not to trust you."
She blushed a little, shaking her head. "Come on. Let's focus on the mission before you start teasing me again."
?
The Western Region
The western district of Aelbourne stood on the edge of civilization — where the cobblestone roads gave way to untamed grasslands and scorched plains.
The aftermath of the fire serpent attack was still visible: blackened soil, collapsed fences, and charred remains of trees that once sheltered small farmlands.
Cindy and Puff traveled in their humanoid forms to avoid drawing attention, though the faint magic aura around them was enough to make animals scatter.
The air was hot, dry — the faint smell of ash still lingered.
Puff crouched down, brushing a clawed hand against the ground. "It's been a few days, but this heat hasn't faded."
Cindy knelt beside him, her eyes narrowing as she touched the ground. Her fingertips glowed faint green — the color of her Gentle Breeze skill mixed with healing energy.
"The soil's still burning with residual mana," she murmured. "This wasn't ordinary fire. It's like the flame itself had a soul."
Puff tilted his head. "A soul of fire? That sounds dangerous."
"Or controlled," Cindy added quietly.
?
The Investigation Begins
Cindy activated her Appraisal skill.
[Appraisal – Lv. 5]
A shimmering blue overlay filled her vision. The burned area glowed faintly — mana residue dancing like ghostly embers. At the heart of the devastation was a crater, its edges blackened and glassy.
"There," Cindy said, pointing. "That's where the serpent was summoned."
They approached cautiously. Cindy knelt near the crater, brushing the soil away until she uncovered faint runes etched into the earth — now half-erased by the explosion.
"These are summoning marks..." she whispered. "But they're not from any school of magic I've seen."
Puff leaned closer. "Can you read them?"
She shook her head. "No. The structure's too old — like something from before the current magical age."
Suddenly, a faint glow pulsed beneath her palm. The runes shimmered once before fading completely.
Puff tensed. "It reacted to you."
"I felt it," Cindy murmured. "Just like at the ruins. It's... calling to something inside me."
?
The Forest Edge
They followed the mana trail leading away from the crater — into the burned outskirts of the western forest. The once-green trees were now blackened husks, yet faint traces of red mana floated in the air like embers.
Puff sniffed the wind. "Smells like sulfur and metal. Maybe a nest?"
Cindy nodded. "Or a lair."
They pressed deeper. Birds were silent. The only sound was the crackle of cooling ash and their own footsteps.
Then — a faint movement caught Cindy's eye.
Something small, bright red, and trembling beneath a fallen branch.
She knelt — and gasped.
It was a young serpent, no longer than her arm. Its scales were dull and cracked, its tail burned, and its breathing shallow.
Puff blinked. "That's... one of the fire serpents?"
Cindy nodded slowly. "A hatchling. It must have been left behind."
The creature hissed weakly, curling in fear.
Cindy extended her hand. "Easy... I'm not going to hurt you."
Her palm glowed softly with green light — Gentle Breeze infused with healing energy. The serpent blinked, its trembling slowing as the burns began to close.
Puff looked worried. "You're healing it? What if it attacks you?"
"If I don't, it'll die," she said simply.
He sighed. "You really can't help yourself, huh?"
Cindy smiled faintly. "Maybe that's why I'm still me."
?
A Hidden Message
Once the small serpent stabilized, it let out a faint, echoing chirp — not a hiss this time, but a sound that carried a strange resonance.
Then, its eyes glowed faint orange, and an ethereal symbol appeared above its head — the same swirling rune of Soleris that Cindy had seen before.
Her pendant began to glow.
"Cindy," Puff said, his voice serious now. "That mark again."
She nodded slowly. "It's connected to the ruin... and the summoner."
Before they could react further, the hatchling suddenly dissolved into motes of light — fading into the air, leaving behind a single crimson scale floating down into Cindy's palm.
[Item Acquired: Ember Scale Fragment]
Contains sealed mana trace from the Fire Serpent lineage. Resonates with ancient spirit energy.
The scale pulsed faintly with warmth, almost like a heartbeat.
Cindy looked toward the horizon — the direction of the capital's farthest forest line. "Something — or someone — is using ancient magic. The serpent wasn't a random attack."
Puff nodded grimly. "Then our next step is clear."
?
The Unseen Watcher
As they turned to leave, the ashes stirred slightly.
From the shadows of the burned trees, a faint silhouette watched them — a cloaked figure with glowing crimson eyes.
"Interesting," the voice murmured. "The spirit-butterfly and her hare familiar have found the ember."
The figure raised a gloved hand, revealing a mark glowing with the same rune of Soleris.
"Then it's true. The lost spirits of the old world have returned."
The wind shifted — and the figure vanished like smoke.