The Seeker Of The Flames

Adin couldn't help but hit his feet on the ground, folding his arms together. He kept staring straight ahead, where Wendy and Ena were sitting. The air had become uncomfortable, due to Adin's impatient attitude.

"It's been hours! Why's she not returned yet?" he grumbled, rather in an angry, anxious manner. "Didn't Liora say where she's going for that quest?"

"I don't know," Freya replied, "she just got going instantly and didn't explain anything about it."

Ena's and Wendy's eyes were constantly directed to the floor, avoiding to look at Adin in the face, being ashamed of their recent behavior. They had troubled him to the extent that he had to use his powers to shut them up. It was the first time that Ena and Wendy had seen Adin like that.

Adin's relentless hitting on the floor began getting louder as his face seemed to be more annoyed than before. Waiting would be the last thing he wanted to do, yet it couldn't be helped; he had to stay there until Liora gets back.

Eventually, they could hear some steps coming out of the guild and getting close. "Finally, it must be Liora!"

While waiting on their seats, Adin and his party members awaited Liora to enter the guild and join them.

However, nothing like that happened. There was no trace of her entering through the door.

Tens of armored soldiers, holding swords and shields gilded with golden dragon patterns, charged in the hall. They besieged the table, in which Adin and the others had taken, and pointed the sharp tip of their swords and spears toward them.

Everyone looked shocked and confused, standing up from their seats immediately.

"What's going on here?" Adin asked, turning to the armed soldiers.

The soldiers opened a line inside their formation, letting their commander pass through.

A tall male human with a light chain mail started stepping ahead, as another man in a long white towel was walking behind him.

"It's that short redhead girl over there! She's the one who stripped me n.a.k.e.d in the forest and took my horse!" shouted the man in white towel, appearing afraid and anxious. He then noticed Adin who was wearing his stolen clothes. "Ah! And that man over there! Those are my clothes! He's wearing them!"

Another figure moved ahead through the opened line in the formation of soldiers, "That girl in royal dress, she stole my carriage! And that wizard girl, she's the one who destroyed my farm!"

Knitting his eyebrows in exasperation, a frown marred Adin's fake facial expression and showed his intense anger. He then twisted his face into a normal shape, trying to calm himself down.

He closed his eyes shut as his countenance looked shaded, calling Wendy in a smooth voice.

"Is that what you meant by 'don't worry everything will be OK'? Wendy?"

"Ee... well... you see... uhh... hmm..." Wendy looked so upset, finding it hard to talk.

As the shadow still continued to hide Adin's face, he turned his head to the right for a moment, catching a glimpse of Freya and Ena.

"And... didn't I told you two to not make troubles?"

"We are really sorry, my mas—Arian!"

"Y-yes... Arian..."

A moment of silence ruled over the place, although it didn't go further than that as the commander screamed at them. "Surrender immediately or we'll have to use force!"

Adin stepped forward, looking at the commander in the face. "I will allow you to take my party members."

"You're also coming with us." the commander replied, handcuffing Adin's wrists.

"E-eh? Why?"

"Why're you wearing stolen clothes?"

"Oh... uhh... it's complicated. But it's all this redhead's fault!"

"Don't worry, it's our job to find that out. We'll see whether you're guilty or not... during the interrogation of course!"

"Huh? W-what? Interrogation, you said?"

The soldiers also put handcuffs on Freya, Ena, and Wendy, carrying them forcefully while taking their arms.

Adin's body began trembling, using all of his strength to calm down. An emotionless look appeared on his face. He looked as dull as his dark heart, showing no signs of being alive.

What he wanted to avoid all this time had already happened. The troubles were getting in his way one after another.

—It's weird... The human world is weird. No matter how much you try, as long you have annoying comrades beside you, it all ends up like this. Maybe telling Infernal Ten to search the world is actually a better choice. It's too risky, and I don't want to explain things to them. Trying to convince them is also boring. But maybe I should try it?