"Ralph, did you see the people? Their faces? Or clothes?" Irene felt immense guilt as she questioned a patient.
"Sadly not," Ralph spoke with a sad smile.
Irene was angry, why did they attack innocent people?
I must go back to where the attack was and check it out myself, but only myself.
Irene felt as if something bad was going to happen soon.
They might come back to finish what they started...
Irene looked at Ralph pitifully, she clenched her fist from anger and sadness.
After a short conversation with Ralph, they bid farewell.
"Rest now," Irene smiled gently as she carefully pushed Ralph to make him lay down on the bed.
"Thank you, Lady Irene."
Irene smiled, "Anything for family," Ralph's eyes widened and softened afterward, "Yes, I would do anything for you as well, Young Miss."
Irene felt herself turn red from embarrassment watching Ralph smiling from such a comment that slipped out of her mouth.
She hurried herself out and closed the door.
Even though Irene's eyes sharpened as soon she closed the door. She checked her surroundings and summoned Gnomes and Salamander.
"You two, protect Ralph while I'm gone."
The two nodded knowing this was serious.
"We will not disappoint you."
Gnomes spoke in a deep tone.
"I'll do my best."
Salamander spoke softly.
Irene now only had Undine and Slyph to accompany her on the dangerous trip.
It's one step toward catching the culprit of the lives lost.
Ralph knew his close friends had died from the trip and was deeply depressed about the situation, but he still, put on a brave face for his lady.
The Countess, the Count, and Ralph's friends. I don't want any more bloodshed.
"Let me deal with those bastards," Irene said fuming like thousands of burning fire.
"Are sure about this?" Sylph worried even Undine seemed a bit worried by Irene's decision.
Irene smiled confidently, "We'll be fine," Irene reassured them.
"I just want to retrieve the bodies for Ralph and hold a funeral for the families."
Irene spoke.
"Nobody wants an empty casket or any," Irene said sadly.
Sylph and Undine looked at one another with uncertain eyes but agreed in the end.
"We'll follow what our master says," they said.
Irene was touched.
"Irene, you are very powerful with the amount of mana and elemental energy in your body," Sylph said to Irene.
Irene knows that Sylph had mentioned to her that many many times. She first thought Sylph was just saying that to make her feel good when Irene was failing.
Sylph did say that to make Irene feel better, but it was only the truth.
Irene then decided to walk back to the office to see if Sasha or Josiah was still there, then her body froze.
Should I really return?
Irene debated if she should just return to the mansion leaving the siblings here to sleep in the Grand Duke's residence.
But then again, she felt kind of bad leaving Sasha in such a depressing place.
Irene paced back and forth and heard screaming from down the hall. Irene was startled to see Sasha running towards her screaming 'Irene'.
Irene sighed and greeted Sasha with a bright smile, Josiah was walking behind Sasha with a rather serious face.
"Irene, I missed you so much!"
"I wasn't even gone for that long."
The two girls laughed and Josiah looked at them then smiled.
"I feel rather sleepy and tried," he said.
Irene quickly agreed, "Yes, I agree," she said.
Sasha just agreed with whatever Irene agreed on. The three decided to head back to Irene's mansion around night.
Irene expected Alice to be asleep.
And her predictions were correct, Alice did wait for Irene but got tired in the end.
Irene felt touched when she heard that Alice had waited for her.
The three arrived home and went their separate ways to go to bed, Irene took a nice long bath.
She had dismissed the maids from helping her since it was late, Irene did this on purpose.
So she can escape the mansion and go on a short mission.
The lights were dimmed, and Irene whipped her long white hair with a towel and stared at herself.
Then called out for Sylph, who then dried her hair in an instant then Irene got dressed wearing a white loose shirt and blank pants with a black belt.
Irene grabbed a mask then covered the bottom half of her face then put a black cloth over herself.
She then headed for the sword in her closet, she grabbed it and slipped in beside her belt that had a sword holder.
Irene grabbed her comb and tied her hair into a ponytail then looked at it, "It's quite long," she said.
"Hm?" Undine looked at Irene and then was shocked to see Irene's sword getting close to her head.
"What are you doing?" Undine asked in frantic.
"What's on your mind?" Sylph asked curiously about what is going to be Irene's next move.
In a swift action, Irene cut her long hair into a shorter length, long enough more like a ponytail.
And short enough for no one to grab her hair in battle.
"We know that they are going to return," Irene spoke in a serious tone with her sharp eyes fluttering.
"Why not just be prepared?"
Irene smiled slyly.
Undine was proud of Irene, "We choose an amazing person," Undine said praising themself and Sylph.
"Thanks," Irene said kicking her hair away and then putting on her hood.
"Let's go hunting."
Irene had always rode a horse to travel, but Irene wanted this to be a quick journey and asked Sylph to give her a ride.
"You are quite comfortable," Irene commented as she played herself down on a fluffy transparent cloud-like creature.
It was Sylph.
"Thank you, how kind."
Undine was just giggling.
Before Irene left Ralph, she had asked him a question.
"Which forest was it?"
"The nearest one from our residence."
Irene looked down at the forest underneath her.
"The Yorkth Forest," Irene scanned from above, looking for the crime scene.
Ralph mentioned that it could be easily noticed since some trees had fallen from battle and bloodstains.
Irene gulped when she heard Ralph's description, but now she is heading towards it.
The possible danger that can lead to her death, but she shouldn't underestimate herself.
"Irene! There!" Undine pointed out a big area with fallen trees, Irene's eyes became dull and sharp.
"Sylph, proceed to land, not far from the place but enough for us to walk there," Irene ordered then Sylph nodded.
Irene got off Sylph and quietly walked towards the scene with her hand grabbing the hood and the other one near her sword.
She was only thirteen, but she is old and trained enough for a sword battle if of any possible attacks.
Irene looked around and asked Undine to be her eagles' eyes.
She slowly walked there then looked at the fallen trees and walked over them, then she was greeted with a foul smell.
"Hello," Irene said.
"Oh, you seemed to notice me," an amused mage said.
"You seem quite weak," Irene mocked the old mage or should she say, a dark mage.
"Excuse me?" he was on defense now.
He seemed to be pissed off easily.
"Sorry old hag but could you move aside, I need to see what the smell is coming from," Irene spoke then smiled.
"Oh, I apologize, I didn't know you were the cause of the smell."
The dark mage's face was now red.
"You pest."
Irene smiled as she said her words.
"How dare a mere female insult me," he spoke with his voice shaking in anger.
Mere female?
~Author's Note~
OMGG FIGHTING SCENE?? WIWHRFOWRG BEAT HIS ASS
- ANMU