Chapter 15: Charred Rewards

The morning sun glinted off the high peaks of Blackrock Mountain as Ryuto, Roland, Celeste, and their newest party member, Nina, made their way up the steep trail. The air grew colder with each step, and the eerie silence surrounding them only added to the tension. Ryuto had his reservations about this quest from the start, and Nina's boundless enthusiasm wasn't helping.

"Can't believe we're doing this," Roland grumbled as he adjusted his sword strap. "Dire Wolves. Do you know how dangerous those things are? They've taken down C-rank parties."

"I've read the quest details, Roland," Ryuto replied with a sigh. "But we're already here. Let's just focus on not getting killed."

Nina, marching ahead of the group, was practically bouncing on her feet. "We'll be fine! You guys are underestimating me, this'll be a piece of cake! Just wait 'til you see my fire magic in action!"

Roland muttered under his breath, "I've seen it. That's what I'm worried about."

Celeste, walking silently beside Ryuto, cast a wary glance toward Nina but said nothing. She'd seen enough of Nina's chaotic tendencies to know better than to get her hopes up.

As they neared the wolves' territory, Ryuto opened his Giggle Maps app, checking the magical coordinates. The system showed they were getting close. He turned to the others, his tone growing more serious. "Alright, the wolves should be nearby. Stay on guard. These aren't your average monsters, they're faster and more coordinated than what we've faced so far."

"Got it," Roland said, drawing his sword.

"Ready," Celeste added, gripping her enchanted blade.

Nina twirled her staff, a confident grin on her face. "Let's do this!"

The forest around them grew denser, the trees tall and foreboding. A low growl echoed through the mist, and Ryuto's heart skipped a beat. He motioned for the group to slow down, his eyes scanning the area. The atmosphere shifted, becoming thick with tension. They were being watched.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a hulking Dire Wolf leaped out of the underbrush, its glowing yellow eyes fixed on the party. It snarled, baring its sharp teeth as saliva dripped from its mouth.

"Here we go!" Ryuto shouted, raising his hand and conjuring a barrier of wind to keep the wolf at bay.

But that was just the beginning. More wolves emerged from the trees, four, then five, then six, quickly surrounding them, their fur bristling and their eyes locked on their prey.

"This is bad," Roland muttered, gripping his sword tightly. "We're outnumbered."

Ryuto cursed under his breath. He had expected a few wolves, but not a full pack. These weren't just normal wolves either, Dire Wolves were nearly twice the size of their lesser kin, with razor-sharp claws and the ability to coordinate their attacks.

"Nina, stay back and, "

Before Ryuto could finish, Nina charged ahead, swinging her staff with wild enthusiasm. "Let's light 'em up!" she shouted, her staff glowing bright with fire magic.

Ryuto's eyes widened. "Wait, Nina, don't, !"

But it was too late.

Nina unleashed a massive fireball, sending it hurtling toward the nearest wolf. The spell exploded on impact, the flames roaring to life and spreading rapidly through the surrounding trees. The wolf was incinerated, but the explosion sent shockwaves through the area, knocking several trees down and sending splinters flying.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Roland ducked as a tree limb crashed to the ground beside him.

Celeste barely had time to block a wolf's attack, swinging her sword to parry its claws. "Nina, control your magic!"

But Nina, lost in the excitement, was already preparing another spell. "Don't worry! I've got this!"

The pack leader, a massive alpha wolf, growled and charged at Ryuto, its eyes burning with fury. Ryuto dodged, conjuring a blast of wind to push the wolf back. But the alpha was relentless, darting between the trees with unnatural speed.

"We need to take down the alpha!" Ryuto yelled, preparing a spell of his own. "It's controlling the pack!"

As the battle raged on, Nina's reckless use of fire magic continued to wreak havoc. Flames licked at the forest, setting trees ablaze and filling the air with smoke. The other wolves tried to close in, but Ryuto, Celeste, and Roland held them off, barely managing to keep the pack at bay.

"This is insane!" Roland shouted as he parried another wolf's attack. "We're gonna get burned alive!"

Ryuto gritted his teeth, trying to think of a way to contain the situation. But before he could come up with a plan, Nina fired off one final, massive explosion. The spell ignited with such force that the entire area shook, a deafening boom echoing through the forest.

When the dust settled, the wolves were gone, obliterated by the sheer power of Nina's attack. The charred remains of the Dire Wolves littered the ground, smoke rising from their scorched fur.

Ryuto, Roland, and Celeste stared at the aftermath in stunned silence.

"Well…" Roland said, brushing ash off his shoulder. "At least she got them."

Ryuto groaned, rubbing his temples. "Nina… you can't keep doing this."

Nina, still beaming with pride, skipped over to Ryuto. "See? I told you I could handle it! We totally crushed those wolves!"

Ryuto stared at her, utterly exasperated. "You nearly crushed us, too."

Nina's smile faltered slightly, and she gave him a pleading look. "I'm sorry! I'll be better next time, I promise! Please let me stay in the party. I'll do better, I swear."

Ryuto hesitated. She had destroyed the Dire Wolves, but her reckless magic had nearly killed them all in the process. Still, she had saved the day, sort of.

"Fine," Ryuto finally said, sighing. "You can stay. But you have to get control over your spells, or we're going to be in serious trouble next time."

Nina's grin returned full force. "I promise! You won't regret it!"

Roland, covered in soot, rolled his eyes. "She's your problem now, Ryuto."

As the group gathered the remains of the Dire Wolves to bring back to the guild, a messenger arrived at the base of the mountain, out of breath and eager to deliver news.

"The war," the messenger gasped, "it might be coming to an end. Negotiations have begun. Word is, the fighting could stop soon."

Ryuto's heart skipped a beat. If the war was ending, that meant his brother Edwin and his father Alphonse might be coming home soon.

"That's good news," Celeste said, smiling softly. "Maybe life will finally return to normal."

Ryuto nodded, though his mind was already racing. If the war ended, things might change dramatically for the Velclair family. He would finally have a chance to reunite with his brother and father, but at the same time, it would bring new responsibilities.

With the wolves defeated and news of the war spreading, they made their way back to town, unsure of what awaited them next.

The trek back to town was quieter than usual, despite the earlier chaos. Ryuto's mind buzzed with thoughts about the news they'd just received. If the war was truly coming to an end, his father, Duke Alphonse, and his brother, Edwin, would finally return home. It had been over a year since they'd left, and so much had changed in that time. Ryuto had grown into his powers, and the responsibilities looming over his head were starting to weigh him down.

He glanced over at Celeste, who was lost in her own thoughts, her brow furrowed with concern. She had said nothing since hearing the news, but Ryuto knew the idea of the family being reunited was both a blessing and a burden for her too. She would be expected to return to her duties as a noble, something neither of them relished.

Roland broke the silence with a grunt, looking over at Ryuto. "You think they'll make it back before the month's over? I heard the Eastern Front is still a mess."

Ryuto shrugged, the weight of his satchel digging into his shoulder. "Hard to say. Negotiations are a good sign, but we all know things rarely go smoothly when it comes to ending wars."

"Yeah, especially when we've been at it this long," Roland muttered, his tone grim. "I bet Alphonse will have a thousand things waiting for us when he gets back."

Celeste finally spoke up, her voice quiet. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on making it back to the guild in one piece."

Ryuto couldn't help but nod. There was no point in worrying about the future until they dealt with the present.

By the time they reached the guildhall, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the bustling streets of the town. Ryuto pushed open the door, the familiar scent of ale and grilled meat filling his senses. The guild was as lively as ever, adventurers swapping stories, handing in quests, and planning their next ventures.

As the group approached the counter, Elena greeted them with her usual bright smile. "Back already? I wasn't expecting you for a few more hours."

Ryuto sighed, placing the bag of Dire Wolf remains on the counter. "Let's just say the quest went… quicker than expected."

Elena raised an eyebrow as she opened the bag, her eyes widening at the sight of the charred fur and singed bones. "What happened? Did you roast them?"

"Not me," Ryuto said quickly, pointing a thumb at Nina, who stood proudly beside him, a satisfied grin on her face.

"Me! I took care of it. A little fire magic goes a long way," Nina added with a wink.

Elena blinked, her surprise clear. "Well… I guess that's one way to handle things." She glanced at Ryuto with a hint of amusement. "Seems like you've got your hands full."

"You have no idea," Ryuto muttered under his breath.

Elena tallied up their reward, handing over a pouch of coins and some experience points. "You guys did great. Taking out a pack of Dire Wolves isn't easy, even if you did, uh, burn everything down."

"Not everything," Nina protested. "Just the wolves!"

Ryuto rolled his eyes but accepted the pouch. 300 experience points flashed in his mind, bringing him closer to his next level. It wasn't enough for another rank-up yet, but it was progress.

As the group started to walk away from the counter, Nina tugged at Ryuto's arm, her expression suddenly more serious.

"Ryuto, about earlier…" she began, her usual enthusiasm slightly tempered. "I know I went a little overboard with the fire magic. I just, well, I really wanted to prove myself. I didn't mean to put everyone in danger. It's just… when things get intense, I guess I get carried away."

Ryuto stopped, glancing at Nina. For all her chaotic energy and reckless magic, he could tell she was genuinely trying. There was no denying she had talent, if only she could control it.

"Look, Nina," Ryuto said, his voice softer than before. "You did take out the wolves, and I appreciate that. But you can't keep going overboard like that. We can't afford to lose control in every fight, especially not when things get more dangerous."

Nina bit her lip, her usual bubbly attitude fading for a moment. "I'll do better next time, I swear. I don't want to screw this up. Please, let me stay in the party. I'll work on it, I promise."

Ryuto sighed, his shoulders relaxing. She had a point. For all her faults, Nina had taken down the wolves, and despite the chaos, she had gotten the job done.

"Alright," he said finally. "You can stay. But seriously, we need to work on your control. We're lucky no one got hurt this time."

Nina's face lit up instantly, her excitement returning full force. "You got it, boss! I won't let you down!" She gave him a playful salute before skipping off to talk to the other adventurers.

Roland, who had been standing nearby, let out a low chuckle. "She's all yours, Ryuto. Good luck."

"Thanks," Ryuto said dryly, rubbing his forehead. "I'm going to need it."

As they settled down at a table to relax, a group of adventurers nearby was discussing the latest rumors about the war. The talk of peace negotiations seemed to be spreading quickly, and more voices joined the conversation.

"I heard they're really close to signing a treaty," one adventurer said, leaning over his mug of ale. "The Eastern front's been a mess for years, but it sounds like they're finally calling it quits."

Another adventurer nodded. "Yeah, I heard the same. They're saying the Duke and his forces might be back before the next moon."

Ryuto's heart skipped a beat. If the war was ending, it meant his father and brother would be coming home sooner than expected.

Celeste, who had been sitting beside him, caught his gaze and offered a small smile. "Looks like things might change sooner than we thought."

Ryuto nodded slowly, unsure of how to feel. The return of his family was something he had wanted for so long, but now that it was within reach, the weight of responsibility felt heavier than ever.

"What do you think it'll be like when they get back?" Roland asked, leaning back in his chair.

Ryuto stared at the bottom of his mug, his mind swirling. "I don't know… but I have a feeling things are going to get a lot more complicated."