Ryubefuo is a city in the northern part of the Wudon Kingdom, known for its beauty and elegance. Its culinary delights, fashion, and breathtaking architecture attract imports from surrounding nations: textiles from the Holy Nation of Jadaluk, food from the Republic of Set, and other luxuries from the Free State of Hamelin to the north.

“Master, look at this!” exclaimed Tin, sporting a pair of tinted glasses that lacked any actual prescription. The lenses were heart-shaped, clashing humorously with her maid outfit. Beside her, Namari wore star-shaped glasses, and even the normally stoic Nepora and Graphira were in on the joke, donning similarly silly eyewear.

“Tin, please don’t embarrass me too much,” sighed Marifa, as she found herself once again lecturing the group, unable to keep count of how many times this had already happened.

Currently, Yuu and his group were en route to Ryubefuo, taking their time to stop and enjoy the sights along the way. They had just entered a small town nestled in the mountains, about 100 kilometers south of Ryubefuo, famous for its sweet shops and as a crucial trading hub. The glasses the girls wore were a trendy item they picked up during a brief stop in the capital.

“Everyone’s really enjoying this trip, huh?” said Nina, adjusting her glasses with a playful flick and licking an ice cream cone as she spoke to Yuu.

Though each of the girls was an exceptionally skilled individual, most of them were still teenagers at heart. Before being taken in by Yuu, they lived in harsh, unforgiving environments where survival was their only concern. Now, clad in fashionable attire, their playful excitement at experiencing city life for the first time was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Why’d you all have to come along?” Yuu grumbled, feeding ice cream to Momo, who pouted because she couldn’t wear glasses.

“...There’s no way we’d let you leave us behind,” said Rena firmly.

“Exactly! Like Rena said, there’s no way we’d stay behind and let you have all the fun without us!” Nina chimed in.

Although the original purpose of the trip was to discuss business in Ryubefuo, a negotiation that Victor had requested, the journey had turned into an impromptu vacation for the group. Yuu had reluctantly agreed to bring the girls along since they hardly ever got the chance to travel outside of the mansion.

“Master, I apologize for Tin's behavior,” said Vanamo, a member of the dark tribe, who tried to offer a serious apology—despite also wearing a pair of the ridiculous glasses.

Yuu nearly burst into laughter but managed to hold it back. Seeing Vanamo act so serious while sporting such absurd eyewear created a comical contrast that was too much for him to ignore.

“Ni-Nina, did you capture that moment?” Marifa frantically asked, tugging at Nina’s sleeve.

“Capture? Capture what exactly, Mari-chan?” Nina asked, playfully licking her ice cream.

Marifa’s eyes gleamed with urgency. “I’m talking about Master’s smile. Did you capture it with your magic camera?”

The magic camera was an item Yuu had bought for Nina at an auction in the capital. It allowed the user to take pictures and print them directly onto paper, with Nina’s camera being a high-grade model capable of capturing images in full color.

“There’s no way I could catch something so quick. Besides, I’m eating ice cream right now!” Nina protested.

“Useless,” Marifa muttered coldly.

“H-Hey! That’s mean, Mari-chan!” Nina cried, shuddering under the frosty glare Marifa gave her.

“Master, are you alright?” Vanamo asked Yuu, who was still trying to stifle his laughter.

Not realizing she was the cause of his struggle to keep a straight face, Vanamo’s continued seriousness only made the situation more amusing for Yuu. To his dismay, Tin, noticing his silent battle to contain his laughter, began making exaggerated movements as if concerned for him.

“Master, is everything okay?! Tin is worried about you!” she declared, flailing her arms dramatically as she inched closer.

“Stop. Nothing’s wrong. Don’t come near me,” Yuu grumbled.

“Really? You seem so off, Master! Tin is seriously concerned!” she said, inching closer still.

With a sigh of relief, Yuu finally broke free of the silly chase, thanks to Marifa, who captured the mischievous Tin. Rena then approached, breaking the lighthearted atmosphere with a practical question.

“We’ll reach Ryubefuo tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, we should be there by tomorrow,” Yuu confirmed.

Traveling 100 kilometers in a day, especially over rugged terrain, wasn’t normally feasible. But with Yuu’s undead familiars pulling their carriage, the journey was far from ordinary.

“Do you want to go ahead and fly there on your broom?” Yuu offered.

Rena, who had been complaining earlier about the bumpy ride hurting her rear, had taken to flying alongside the carriage on her mithril broom.

“...I’ll stay with you this time. It’s nice to travel slowly every now and then,” Rena replied, settling back in.

“Wow, Rena’s being thoughtful for once,” Marifa remarked.

“...I’m always thoughtful,” Rena muttered in response.

As the banter between Rena and Marifa continued, the group noticed a commotion up ahead on the road. People were shouting, and some shopkeepers seemed distressed.

“What’s happening?” Nina asked, eyeing the scene as travelers and merchants screamed.

In the distance, a tornado—no, not a natural one—spiraled horizontally, wreaking havoc as it moved through the street.

“Get out of the way! Clear the road!” a squirrel beastman yelled as he skillfully dodged through the crowd, trying to escape the advancing vortex.

Before Marifa could issue an order, Tin and the others were already moving, positioning themselves to protect Yuu from the impending chaos.

“Uwaaah!” a loud scream pierced the air.

The tornado, carrying not just dust but also stones, twigs, and even shop signs weighted down with heavy stones, hurtled through the street. One such sign and its stone weights plummeted toward a group of children playing nearby. They froze in fear, unable to move, and it looked like a disaster was inevitable—until...

"Damn it!"

The squirrel beastman noticed the children and changed course, landing two swift kicks that sent the stone and sign flying away, saving the children just in time.

"What are you doing? Run—ugh!"

Before he could finish, the tornado seemed to come alive, swallowing the squirrel beastman whole and launching him high into the air before slamming him back down with brutal force. The sound of his body hitting the ground was so loud that the people who had been watching in horror instinctively covered their ears.

"Ugh... Damn it... How could I be so careless..." the beastman groaned, blood dripping from his mouth, likely from internal injuries caused by the violent impact.

"Foolish cultist! Did you really think you could escape from me?"

The tornado suddenly vanished, revealing a man dressed in a blue cape and light-green armor. Though his face was concealed by a hood, the sword at his waist was unmistakable to anyone familiar with legendary weapons—it was the holy sword Wind Ring.

This man was none other than Isidoro Larila Costantini, the Hero of the Storm from the Kingdom of Canomune.

"You're one to talk, hiding your face like a coward," the beastman retorted, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at Isidoro with eyes full of defiance.

"Unlike you, I have a position to uphold. I can’t simply waltz around in another nation."

"Ha! A position? You’re just causing havoc, aren’t you? Isn't that right, ‘Hero of the Breeze’—urk!"

Before the beastman could finish, his head snapped backward violently. Isidoro had unleashed a spell, Wind Suppression, a first-tier spirit magic that compressed air into a small projectile. In Isidoro’s hands, though, the spell’s power was amplified, and even though he held back, the blast was still the size of a human head and devastatingly strong.

"Ga... gh... I... I’m not... dead... yet...!" the beastman sputtered, his teeth shattered, his nose nearly severed, and one of his eyes ruptured. But even in his mangled state, he continued to stare at Isidoro with undiminished hatred and a fierce will to fight.

"Hmph... Impressive, for trash. Tell me where the Death Disciples are, and I’ll grant you a quick death."

"Y-you... bastard... I’ll die... but only after... I’ve taken you down with me!"

The crowd of onlookers was stunned into silence by the beastman's tenacity, even as he stood on the brink of death.

"Lord Odon! That guy’s evil! He hurt the beastman even though he was saving children!" Namari cried out, ready to charge forward. But before she could, Yuu grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Why?!" she protested, her eyes wide with frustration.

"Something's coming from above," Yuu said calmly.

At his words, everyone—including Nina and the others—looked up to the sky. There, floating ominously, was a massive fireball.

"W-what the hell is that?!"

"It’s falling! Run!"

"Get out of here before it hits us!"

The panicked crowd scattered as the fireball descended, crashing between Isidoro and the beastman. Upon impact, the fireball blossomed like a flower, its flames spreading out like petals in a mesmerizing display. Despite the danger, the onlookers couldn’t help but stop in awe of the spectacle.

"Ki ki ki!"

From the fiery bloom emerged a figure—a monkey.

"Ta-da! I'm here, folks!"

It was, unmistakably, a monkey. Walking upright, its body was covered in gray-brown fur on the upper half and orange fur on the lower half. It had red eyes, wore an elaborate golden crown adorned with bird feathers, and sported armor far too grandiose for its size.

"Master, a monkey just appeared!" Vanamo exclaimed in disbelief.

"Vanamo, stop saying nonsense! Even Tin is too embarrassed to—wait, it is a monkey!" Tin blurted out in shock, dropping her usual carefree demeanor.

Namari chimed in, "Lord Odon, that really is a monkey."

"Yeah, I see it," Yuu replied, though his mind was focused, analyzing the monkey’s capabilities.

(A beastman... And not just any, but a near-pureblood...)

Despite its absurd appearance, Yuu remained cautious, sensing that the monkey was no ordinary foe.

"Hey! You still alive, right?" the monkey called out.

"Y-yeah... s-sorry..." the squirrel beastman croaked.

"Good, good! As long as you’re still breathing, I can keep my promise."

The fear that had gripped the crowd earlier was now replaced by curiosity and amusement as they watched the eccentric monkey. Some whispered to each other, laughing at its strange behavior.

"Ah, being popular is tough," the monkey said, basking in the attention.

"State your name!" Isidoro demanded, drawing his holy sword, Wind Ring. Despite the monkey’s playful demeanor, Isidoro couldn’t find an opening to exploit. His instincts told him to stay on guard.

"Hah? You don’t know who I am? Man, you must be some shut-in who never leaves home!"

The monkey taunted Isidoro, mocking him with exaggerated gestures.

"Isn’t it obvious? I’m the one you’ve been looking for!"

"What!? Don’t tell me... you’re—"

With a dramatic flourish, the monkey spun the staff slung across his shoulders, striking a pose that made even Rena and Namari gasp in admiration.

"That’s right! I am the Fifth Disciple of the Immortality Cult, known as the Flame God, Seiten!"

While everyone else was impressed by the monkey’s flashy introduction, Yuu remained unfazed, muttering under his breath, "You're the one calling yourself that, you know."