The witch

"That girl's life has been deeply entangled with fire and flames since birth?"

At Alaric's baffled question, the waiter leaned closer and whispered an explanation. 

"Yeah! Well, erm, I'm nearly the same age as her so I don't remember much about when we were kids, but the things that the others say indicate that she was an odd child since the first day. I only remember my parents not letting us play with her. She has her unique eyes and hair shade, so the townsmen were wary of her.

"They say every time a fire broke out somewhere, she was close by; thus the 'Wherever there is fire, there is Doris.' spread out. Uhh, I'm sure that's a little bit exaggerated though... This city's people are like that. Anyway, The rumors got more wild once her family house burnt down a few years ago alongside her mother. The people started calling her a witch since then and cast her out. They also call her murderer and possessed. Overall, her reputation is at rock bottom."

"Oh..."

"...Ah!"

The people sitting around the table gasped and glanced at each other with widened eyes. The information was bizarre and new. 

'Her house burnt down alongside her mother?'

Positioned in between Kieran and Alaric, Ian sharpened his ears as he sipped on his water, which was ordered instead of his so-loved coffee, and listened to the man's words with the utmost attention. It was true that he didn't plan on getting involved with the matters related to the strangers, but now that someone was explaining the situation to him for free, there was no harm in hearing them out, right? 

It's not like he was concerned about some random girl or something. 

'But how can they think she'd killed her mother? Well, I can't say it's impossible as I don't know her well enough, but I doubt her unique mana would be that powerful.'

The young waiter looked at the faces of the four people sitting around the table and then at the surrounding tables. Everyone was engaged in a conversation, mostly related to the incident in the theater. 

"But to be honest, I feel like the rumors do her dirty. I've been working here alongside her for more than a year, and haven't seen anything wrong with her actions. I was on alert against her at first, but her only flaw is her speaking too little and in too low of a voice."

The young man shrugged after adding more explanations, saying that the most the girl did in her interactions with the others was to smile at them, which to him, was cute. Was he trying to improve his friend's image in front of the few strangers who weren't yet affected by the rumors?

"So, what'll happen to her now?"

The waiter shook his head.

"I don't know for sure, but I don't think it'll be anything nice."

"I see..."

After seeing the four customers deep in thought, the waiter also retreated, heading to the kitchen to prepare their orders. 

"Um... So what are we going to do now?"

Three pairs of eyes, glued on Ian's face.

"Nothing. Why would we do anything?"

Right. Was he worried about that teenager? Not even the slightest. Then why did he ask for her home address while paying for the food? Out of curiosity, of course. 

-And why are we moving in this direction?

Which direction? It might be a little bit close to that girl's house, but he was leading his group toward the nearby mercenary guild contact point so that they could discuss their payment and the issues that had occurred. 

'But what's wrong with him?'

On his side walked the golden-haired young master of his, who, unlike every day, was oddly silent. He had his head bowed down and his lips were puffed out slightly. Ian scanned his face for a second before nonchalantly beginning to speak.

Why was it that now that Alaric had finally shut his mouth for once, Ian had to break this long-awaited peace of mind by starting a conversation? Anyhow, there was no helping it.

"By the way, you did great."

"...Huh?"

The boy's head snapped up. Did he have to repeat himself?

"Today, I mean. You did a good job."

"...."

Blink Blink Blink

"...I did?"

...What's with that expression? 

"Do I look like someone who's joking?"

"Uh..." Alaric gave a tilt to his head and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Ian's face here and there. It took him a few seconds to give a response, "No, I don't think so."

"...."

Did he really need to scan Ian's face like that to come up with an answer?

Ian withdrew his hand, which he had reached out to ruffle the young man's hair for no apparent reason, and instead patted his shoulder when he suddenly felt disappointed in him.

"Keep it up."

Even after Ian turned around to leave, Alaric's eyes lingered on the spot his hand had lightly tapped a few times. His steps came to a halt for a brief second.

"...But I don't think that's true."

Ian, who had walked a little bit ahead, had to turn back to find Alaric standing a few steps away. Miss Eleen and Kieran were busy conversing behind them, so they didn't seem to have noticed or heard anything. 

As Ian helped Lior climb up his arm, he listened to the young man's low-pitched voice. 

"I mean, if I'd acted a little bit faster, that man... Uh... He..."

Alaric clenched his fists and lowered his head. 

"He wouldn't have burned to a crisp?"

Ian finished the sentence that Alaric was unable to and then shrugged his shoulder once faced with the boy's battled expression. 

-Master, can't you speak a little bit gentler? I've told you Alaric is the sensitive type!

'Why? What did I say wrong?'

Ian ignored the child's voice in his head. 

"Is that why you've been making such a face since later?" Ian shook his head with a sigh, "If so, then you've been overthinking uselessly." 

It was true that Alaric managed to put out the fire the second time it appeared and save that madam's life, but the actor's case was different.

"In the first place, that man wouldn't have died if he was hit by any ordinary fire. His death wasn't due to your slow reaction and late rescue, but the flames that had burnt his insides in the span of a few seconds."

The fires of an elemental were different from the ordinary. They were the closest fires to nature, thus the strongest ones and the hardest to deal with. 

"That's why I'm saying you did a great job because putting out such a fire is no easy job. You learned very quickly."

"....."

Ian turned around, not minding Alaric's widened eyes and agape mouth. 

"Anyway."

Wait, this was probably Alaric's first time failing to save a life, right? He'd probably seen others deaths a few times up till now but there hadn't been any case where someone has died right in front of him. 

'Hmm... Should I do something about it?'

What could he do? One or two words of consolation? Something like, 'No worries, you'll see more of such stuff from now on!'?

'No, forget it.'

"Umm, soooo...."

Tap Tap Tap Tap. The halted steps broke into a sprint.

"Did I really do a good job?"

"...."

"Really actually seriously?"

What's wrong with him this time? What's with the sparkling gaze?

"I told you once."

"Say it again!"

"Are you a kid? Don't cling to my arm, eww, go away?"

"Whyyy??!!"

"Let go of my arm! Oy!"

-Hehehe, praise me too, master, praise me too!

A smile bloomed across the bluehead's face.

"Hmm? Sure, my little wolfie. But how should I praise you? My words come short in front of you. They're lacking. Literature needs to improve a little bit before I can form proper praises for my Lior. What should I do? Do you want me to carry you around instead?"

Ian pushed the young boy aside and hugged the giggling tiny wolf pup instead.

"Hey, wait, isn't this clear discrimination?"

"It is? So what? Who do you think you are to be on par with Lior? Do you have any rights to protest?"

"...Eh.."

Lior's head suddenly popped out of Ian's arms.

-Huuuuhh?? You can hear my voice without applying mana on me? 

"Uh?"

"Hmm?"

That was true. No mana was applied to the child yet Alaric seemed to have heard his words. Was that even possible?

Before any of the three of them could think of a response, a shrill cry from not too far away shattered the night's peace. 

"Aahh!"

It was a girl's scream. Somewhere in one of the nearby dark ally's, haste footsteps and pained gasps moved closer and closer.

Among the frozen group, Kieran was the fastest to react. He dashed to stand in front of Ian upon noticing a figure rushing through the shadows of the night. 

No, it wasn't one shadow but two; one running fast while the other chased behind.

"Isn't that..."

The first shadow left small trails of red wherever it passed, just like a hot cinder being tossed in the air.

"Stop there you bitch!"

Following the hoarse male voice came a crash and then a thud. Something hit the girl in the front and she fell to the ground right away. By the time she turned around, the bulky man was already standing in front of her. 

"You were trying to run away just now, huh? YOU WERE RUNNING AWAY?"

The girl wasn't allowed to answer. A handful of her short hair was grabbed and pulled up. Her body yanked forward helplessly. 

"You weren't educated enough, it seems. That good-for-nothing mother of yours knew nothing but how to be a bitch! And that's the only thing she's taught you. Piece of shit! Whore!"

While dragging the girl with one hand, the man swayed a bottle of alcohol in the other grip, staggering and cursing as he walked back the way he'd come. 

"Hahaha! Don't make such a face. You'd be grateful to me later, hahahahaha, you'll thank your father for his hard work, not like that cowardly brother of yours. Heheheh! Isn't that right? Isn't that right?"

"...f-father-"

"ISN'T THAT RIGHT?"

BAM

With a flick of his hand, the teenager was slammed to the ground hard. She quivered on her spot upon noticing the man's feet moving towards her at a high speed.

"R-righ! T-that's right, f-father. Thank you! Thank you!"

Her trembling voice was weak and dry, akin to the barely spoken words of the severely sickly near their last breath. Her condition didn't look any better. Through the torn clothes, her swollen and bloody skin was exposed, clearly indicating the things she'd gone through in the past few hours. 

"Hehe, yeah, that's how it should be!"

The man laughed out loud, his joy visible in his curved eyes, yet malice clear on his deeply wrinkled face. He reached out a hand once again as he staggered in a drunken state. 

"Hey, wait up a minute!"

However, something blocked him this time when he attempted to grasp a handful of his daughter's hair. 

"Don't touch her, scumbag! Get away!"

A feeble young man, his face hidden under a hood, was standing in between him and the girl, pointing a hand at him. Ian pushed the person back once, yet he was the person who slipped backward. He didn't seem to be a match to him in terms of strength. 

"Huh? Who the fuck?"

The middle-aged man didn't even wait for a reply. He raised the bottle in his left hand almost immediately.

"Get lost!"

BANG

The bottle that was swayed like a club burst apart in midair. Small and large shattered glass spattered around as alcohol splashed everywhere. Only its tip remained intact inside the man's grip.

The person glanced once at the broken bottle and then at the people surrounding him. None were hurt yet his hand stung from the scratches. His swing didn't manage to hurt anyone. It was stopped as soon as he moved his hand. 

It was the doing of the tall black-haired youth who just shattered the thick bottle of liquor with his bare hand.

"You dare..." The black-haired youth growled through gritted teeth akin to a savage beast. It was uncertain when he appeared in front of the cloaked youth, as no one saw him move.

"...."

The man closed his half-open lips. Even he, in a drunk and half-awake state, could sense the unconcealed murderous intent leaking out from the black-haired youth. The curses that were ready to jump out of his mouth were swallowed dry. His gaze shifted back between his daughter and the four people who'd appeared out of nowhere. He took a step back. 

"Hey, Doris? Are you awake? Look at me!"

A woman was kneeling beside her, checking on her condition, while another young man was assisting her to sit up. Doris too, seemed perplexed, bafflement written all over her expression.

"Who are you people? What's your relationship with my daughter?"

The middle-aged man's chilly voice came after a brief observation; face and tone drenched in suspicion, akin to a policeman who's caught the criminals red-handed. Ss if he'd strike anyone if he didn't receive the desired answer.

"Our relationship with your daughter?"

In a flash, the cloaked youngster was in front of him, and without him noticing, his collar was gripped tight. 

"You dare question us when you beat her like that? You call yourself a father? Filth! Trash!"

Ian huffed out a hot breath and pushed the man back, yet his lacking strength failed to make that bukly man move much. He was even shorter than the person, making him seem like a child threatening an adult. 

It made him feel even more furious. 

"Do you want to kill her?"

The sight of this man pissed him off so much for no reason. It wasn't like he knew this Doris girl or something. He hadn't even met her in his previous regressions. But just watching this scene unfold, remembering the girl from a few hours ago and seeing her state now... It all made Ian feel like a piece of metal thrown inside a furnace.

"Huh? What does that have to do with you?" The person calling himself a father tasked with a disgruntled face, "Who are you? One of her routine night customers?"

"...."

What??

A brief silence descended.

'This person... Did he just insult both me and his own daughter at the same time?'

And referred to this child as a whore? Huh? He really has a death wish, doesn't he? He really has! Every drop of Ian's blood was screaming at him to beat this man up.

However, he wasn't given the chance to do that.

"Move. Aside."

A restrained deep voice from behind made all his billing blood go cold in an instant. Ian didn't dare resist the order. As if a machine, he instantly took a step back. It was all his instincts.

POWW

A fist moved past his head as fast as the wind and landed on the center of the man's face. Ian shuddered on the spot. He just heard the sound of bones shattering due to impact.

Blood spilled out of the man's nose. He couldn't even scream. He staggered backward before falling down to the ground, motionless.

"....."

"....."

"....."

Another deadly silence.

"F-father..."

"....."

Ian painfully forced down his saliva. 

'Erm.... H-he isn't dead... is he?'