"It showed itself." Onyx drew out his sword and aimed at the creature. "That's a repter. It's been bothering surrounding towns. Deaf, but reports say its visual perception has been heightened. The local knights have been having a hard time capturing it."

The creature lifted the fallen carriage and pried into a window. Beneath its feet was a whimpering mossling, slowly dying as green blood oozed out of its crushed body.

"It's also one of our quests."

Faolan hopped to the ground. "Kirin's off."

"What?"

"Kirin's taking care of it."

Illusory hearts wafted from the trap as he loped towards the long-nosed beast. "Here! I! Cooooome! Vampire Magi--!"

"No!" Onyx caught up, shoved his sword into his hilt, and used his hands to cup Kirin's mouth. "I swear, if you taunt all the monsters here, I'll--"

"The Vampire Paladin?" a man's voice popped out of nowhere.

Kirin tried to speak, but Onyx's fingers only stifled his words to incoherence. Had people actually understood him, they would have heard him say, "Ely from the store?"

"Nice meeting you here." The long-haired man waved and then turned to face the repter. "Heightened visual perception, huh? In that case... Squid Magic! Blinding Burst!"

Ink splashed and spread all over the repter's face.

The creature shrieked, dropping the carriage and hurrying to wipe its face as it tumbled on its behind.

"There." Ely performed an elegant bow. "All yours, Harpe."

Teeth clashed beside Kirin's head, then a shout boomed from Onyx's chest. "Are you sure you don't wanna take the credit for yourself?"

"This quest is yours. Not mine."

Onyx scoffed. "Faolan, I can't risk Kirin opening her mouth."

"Yes. I'll handle it." The redhead summoned his wings, launched, and hacked with his weapon. "Sky King's Claws!"

Furious flames painted three lines that soared to sever the repter's body.

The beast shrieked once more and then opted to aimlessly claw the air.

"Sky King's Br--"

"F-Faolan!" Alia called frantically, head poking out the carriage. "You don't have Amethyst Crown!"

Faolan's eyes dilated. He was just preparing to shoot but suddenly grew stiff, stopping just before he finished. He hovered, wings wide open, staring with stunned eyes at the flaming tip of his sword.

"Dier!" Onyx growled, seeing the repter reaching upwards.

"Let!" Kirin wriggled to free himself. "Me!" He succeeded. "Go!" The trap sprinted, straight at the beast. As he went, he collected energy. Then as a magic circle gleamed beneath his feet, he pushed his lungs to their limit and released both his voice and his power. "Thorns...! Raise!"

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Tall stems of cacti sprouted from the soil and impaled the repter!

Red liquid spurted. Then the beast collapsed.

"Phew." Kirin dropped to his knees. "Thank goodness! That was close! ...Faolan?"

The redhead glided and came to land behind the trap. On his face, there was no evident expression. In his eyes, there was a whirlwind of thoughts.

Onyx was looking on with a speechlessness that spoke of his fear. But when he crossed his arms, creases on his forehead quickly conveyed his mockery. "Tsk. Good thing you weren't stupid enough to call all of them at once."

Kirin balled his fists and opened his mouth to retort but was instantly halted by Ely speaking first.

"I'm relieved that you guys were just close behind. Miss Alia?"

"Yes." The fairy fluttered from Fable Eclipse's carriage. "Are there people injured?"

"Just the driver." Ely gestured towards a man lying down in a patch of mud. "I was the only passenger on board."

"Give me some time." Alia headed over and uttered a spell for the coachman.

Ely bowed again and faced Faolan. "So... You guys also heading to Cernunnon?"

Kirin clambered to his feet. "How'd you know that?"

"Uhh. Because Faolan's--"

"Yes." The redhead intercepted, voice stern, but face still empty. "Thank you for lending aid in defeating that creature. If there's anything we can do to pay you back, please, say so."

"Well. You guys have just saved our lives. Really, we don't need payback for anything. But we will be needing some more help. As you can see, that thing's completely obliterated our coach. ...and the mossling. Will you guys lend us a ride? At least to the next city?"

***

Latesi had apparently been constructed in a gloomy, moist jungle just at the edge of Cernunnos wilds. In most aspects, it was a stark contrast to Bladewood. The most notable differences being that Bladewood was dominantly forest and had always been so open to everything that even monsters were free to stroll streets, whereas Latesi had significantly less plant life and was well compacted to a square zone protected by walls of bricks against foreign things.

Had the Kingdom of Swords been a classroom, Latesi would have been that emotionally overprotective kid who liked isolation.

Well, if Kirin was to live where hundreds of monsters spawned daily, he'd want to wall off attacks from his home, too, wouldn't he?

Pfft. Wrong!

He'd not even have a house and just run wildly, day and night, all over!

Ooh, ooh! Latesi!

Monsters will be chasing, wanting to beat him up! If they're too heavy to gain on, Kirin would be running through mud puddles on purpose just to slow himself down. And if that doesn't help them enough, the trap might just probably trip himself over intentionally!

Then teeth, claws, and all sorts of sharp things should be making their way into his skin!

How exciting!!!

Ugh. Unfortunately, none of those fantasies was probably bound to happen that day, as both Faolan and Onyx have forbidden him to step outside Latesi's walls without company.

Party poopers. Such overthinkers! Kirin won't be doing anything too insane!

Not too much.

No matter! It's merely a consolation, but the thought of being virtually leashed by two men was also pumping up Kirin's chest.

On the party's arrival along with Ely, the group brought the injured coachman to a clinic where the nurse gladly let him rest. Afterward, the rest of them toured for a few minutes, searching for Harpe's outpost guild, and then had their carriage parked in front of the building when they finally found it.

"Thank you once again." Ely offered another of his cultured bows. "I'm an outsider. They won't be letting me in there. Better I start looking for a place to stay the night now instead."

"Oh. That's right."

Apparently, Ely was currently a member of Excalibur.

As Sir Bhala was a repeat requester of their guild, that was the reason the long-haired man visited to assist often.

Kirin curtsied. "We'll see you around maybe."

The man waved and began to walk away.

"Now then. This is seriously Harpe too?"

A three-story high rectangular structure had squeezed itself between two others of similar shapes.

It had been built with bricks, the surfaces now darkened by mucky moss and a sticky liquid running from punctured tubes that protruded out the building's face. In front, there was a lawn similar to what they had in Bladewood, but all that Latesi's version had planted were dead sticks and branches.

"Even I find it hard to believe, I must tell you." Alia had cupped her mouth.

"Now, now." Faolan gently wrapped a hand around the rusty knob of the entrance door whose red paint had long begun fading. "The living conditions here are very different from back home. Let's try not to disrespect them."

Onyx raised his shoulders in indifference. "We're here to just quickly get in, choose quests, and get out."

"Your wanting to rush makes you sound like you're disgusted too, you know," Kirin commented, following Faolan's lead in entering.