The Basilisk swung its tail at the cart, making it pop like a bottle cap. Its clawed feet swung toward a blond boy who had been knocked off his feet by the previous attack.

  “Rahhhh!”

  It vibrated its paw, but the claws dug into a large shield, as big as a door.

  “Don't be afraid, friend! I'll protect you!”

  Behind the large shield stood a large, muscular man with a fiery handlebar mustache. Despite his battered shield, it had held off the Basilisk's attack.

  “I owe you a favor, Roman!”

  “No need, Nark! That's what companions are for!”

  “Hey! You two! This isn’t the time to be chatting!”

  The Basilisk let out a cry of pain as its arm was pierced by a sword blow. A red-haired woman stood before the two men. She wore light white armor and brandished a bloody rapier.

  “Nice shot, Fiora!”

  “Thanks, Roman. Now hurry up! Get to the remains of the cart before this thing recovers!”

  “At your command!”

  Roman took his companion under the arm and immediately took cover.

  Can someone tell me where these Basilisks came from?

  It was embarrassing. Their mission should have been very simple; they were just supposed to hunt some low-level monsters and deliver potionts, not three giant lizards with petrifying gazes and toxic gas.

  How had they gotten to that point? Where had those Basilisks come from? They weren't near the forest; what were they doing there?

  “Issssk!”

  She recognized that noise. The wounded Basilisk was trying to use its petrifying gaze. Luckily for her, it required direct eye contact to work, so she simply avoided looking at it.

  “Rahhh!”

  Another Basilisk attacked Fiora from behind, taking advantage of her distraction.

  “Battle Art: Insurmountable Fortress!”

  She managed to parry the claw attack with a Battle Art, but was still knocked back.

  Shit! They're too strong…

  Facing one Giant Basilisk was already suicidal for a Gold-ranked team like them, but three? That was pure madness! They couldn't win, and her energy was increasingly depleted.

  What do I do? We have to escape, but how?

  Fiora managed to avoid a couple more blows thanks to her athletic skills, but in essence she had only gained time, not any real advantage.

  Wait…Where is the third one?

  “Rahhh!”

  A roar caught her off guard. She whirled around and saw enormous jaws open behind her, ready to devour her in one bite.

  Fiora couldn't have dodged it, nor did she have the energy to block it. All the Battle Arts she'd used had almost completely drained her. She braced herself for the end. She wasn't afraid of death; perhaps her companions would have time to save themselves while the Basilisks feasted on her corpse.

  “Fireball!”

  Just as she thought she was dead, a spell flew. A fiery ball hit the Basilisk squarely in the jaw. It hadn't suffered any serious damage, but it had certainly hurt like hell.

  The fireball was thrown by a small, red-haired girl. She was carrying a leather backpack and looked no older than ten.

  “Annie?! I told you to stay hidden!”

  “I won't let you die, big sis! Stone Wall!”

  A small wall of earth formed in front of Fiora, separating her from the three Basilisks.

  “Little sister…”

  Fiora gritted her teeth at the little girl's response, but she couldn't help but be proud of her. Not every child would throw a fireball at a giant lizard. Even the fire part was something not even adults could do, let alone a little girl. But Annie was special, and Fiora knew it well.

  “Isssk!”

  She immediately rushed to her sister's defense when the struck Basilisk returned the attack. It was clear he hadn't taken well the fireball in his teeth well. Who could blame him? No one would have thanked her after a blow like that. Unfortunately, the weak earth wall Annie had erected couldn't withstand more than one blow. It was only a level 1 spell; She couldn't have expected more.

  “Annie! Run! I'll take care of it here!”

  “B-But…Big sis…”

  “No buts!”

  She shouted at her with anger not directed at the girl.

  “Do what I tell you!”

  “No! I'm not leaving you!”

  Annie started to move closer, but a strong arm grabbed and lifted her off the ground.

  “Hey! I'm not a sack of potatoes!”

  “Sorry, little one. The boss spoke!”

  Fiora smiled when she saw Roman pick up her sister and carry her to safety. She knew the man wasn't the type to abandon their companions, but at least he understood and obeyed orders.

  “Now that Annie is safe…”

  She turned toward the Basilisks, who were climbing over the collapsed wall. Fiora could never defeat or seriously injure them; her only hope was to hold them back and give her team time to escape. She would die at the hands of the Basilisk whose arm she had cut off.

  Ironic…

  The woman wasn't afraid of death, but she didn't want to cease existing just yet. She had things to do, a sister to raise, and someone to save. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to; the universe seemed determined to end her right there and then.

  Annie…Sariphi…Forgive me, if you can.

  She closed her eyes, waiting for the end. Even if she wanted to fight, she didn't have the strength. Fiora smiled at the Basilisks, as if to say "I've tricked you." She felt the beast's breath on her, but she didn't care.

  Death was getting closer and closer, when…

  "Uh?"

  …A salty liquid fell on her face. Fiora opened her eyes and wiped it off.

  “What the hell?”

  It was blood, but it wasn't hers; it belonged to the Basilisk. The woman watched as the beast's lifeless body fell to the side, while its severed head lay before her, its jaws still open from the attack. What had happened?

  "Are you ok?"

  “?!”

  The speaker was a hulking knight in black armor, so large he would have towered over even Roman, the muscle of their group.

  “Rahhhh!”

  At that moment, the remaining Basilisks recovered from their stupor and attacked the knight.

  “Attenti- “

  She made to warn him, but two large columns of black fire engulfed the reptiles, incinerating them to the bone. In a matter of seconds, three very dangerous Giant Basilisks had been eliminated like nothing.

  "What happened?"

  “Did you see that attack? That was great, huh?”

  An extremely tall girl approached the group, offering a hand to Fiora.

  “Thank you…Did you use that spell? What level was it?”

  “Level 5!”

  “Level 5?!”

  Her jaw almost dropped when she heard the girl's response. Level 5? She'd never met a sorceress of that caliber. For humans, level 6 was the highest tier, but obly a few sorcerers could use them. Not counting the girl's insane height, she didn’t seem older than twenty years old.

  “Are you kidding, right?”

  “Nope! I'm serious!”

  “Are you really ser-“

  She started to answer her, but…

  “Fiora! Are you okay?”

  “And who are these people here?!”

  ...Fiora's group approached her, confused by the new arrivals. Roman still held Annie tightly, ready to shield her in case of danger.

  "My name is Amon."

  The knight introduced himself.

  "This is my apprentice Alcina. We are Copper rank adventurers. It's a pleasure to meet you..."

  “Copper rank?! And you killed Giant Basilisks like that? Are you kidding me?!”

  “We're new to the Guild. Our assignment was to eliminate these Basilisks specifically. Why are you here?”

  The knight handed her their booklet, proving their identity. Fiora did the same, demonstrating her trust and willingness to open a channel of communication with their saviors.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “We are a Gold rank group. We call ourselves Savior Blade. I am Fiora Goldmary, and these are my companions Roman, Nark and Annie. We were here to deliver some potions to some nearby villages. The latest attacks by the hand of theKingdom have resulted in several injuries…”

  “The Kingdom? Was not the Theocracy who attacked the villages?”

  Fiora raised an eyebrow. What did the Theocracy have to do with that?

  “Er…No. Why?”

  “Nothing, I must have heard something wrong at the town. Sorry for the stupid question.”

  The knight moved his gaze towards the destroyed wagon of Fiora's group.

  “Your wagon was destroyed, I see. We can lend you ours; it's hidden in the forest. Would you like to?”

  “That would be fantastic! But…How are we going to repay you?”

  “Could you share some of your earnings with us?”

  Fiora raised her hand to her chin and nodded. She hadn't given it much thought, but it was the most sensible choice.

  “Okay. But I'd ask you to accompany us on the trip, so we don't have any problems. What do you say?”

  “It's fine with me.”

  Fiora smiled under her breath. She'd immediately realized that the two adventurers before her were truly strong, perhaps the best she'd ever met.

  “Excuse me for asking, but what is a little girl doing here?”

  Alcina pointed to her sister Annie, who shyly hid behind Roman.

  “She's my little sister. She's only ten, but don't be fooled! She can already cast level 3 spells. She's a true prodigy!”

  “Really? Unbelievable!”

  Alcina applauded, smiling. Fiora was surprised by how divinely beautiful this seemingly ditzy girl was.

  Strength and beauty. This girl has it all…

  She gave a mighty cough to regain her composure. The beauty of the tall girl was starting to have strange effect on her.

  “We can set up camp and leave tomorrow morning. Is that okay?”

  “Certainly. We'll give you a hand.”

  “I appreciate it, really.”

  Fiora didn't entirely trust these newcomers, but they had helped them, so she couldn't be rude.

  “Just to know, how many villages are left to visit?”

  “One, but it’s two days’ journey away. Why?”

  Amon shook his head, as if to say “nothing important.”

  “No reason.”

  With that, the knight returned to helping the others. Alcina, however, had gone to retrieve the cart hidden who knows where. They would have to get the head of a basilisk to prove they had actually killed them.

  These guys are insane…And really too tall.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "We're almost there. Hang in there a little longer, Hirashi."

  C said, trying not to laugh as she watched the colossal woman in front of her struggle to sit comfortably in the carriage. They had recently entered the fiefdom of Marquis Eitoma Beligeran Baldur, the owner of the village of Anna.

  I'm grateful to the A.L. Bots for preparing this makeshift carriage, but they didn't take Hirashi's powerful physique into account. Poor thing, I feel sorry for her.

  "I'll have the carriage widened as soon as we get home, I promise."

  She commented, trying to console the giant, who, however, showed no sign of discouragement. She had always been rather inexpressive.

  "Don't worry, C. I'm used to tight spaces..."

  Her voice is as empty and emotionless as ever...Which means she's fine, though it wouldn't hurt to smile more often.

  "Have you activated the device?"

  The red-haired woman asked the giant, pointing to her bracelet. It was less necessary on her, but she still used it to prevent anyone from deducing her true race.

  "Yes, luckily Father made sure that we see ourselves as normal and only others see us disguised..."

  She nodded at those words. Indeed, it was much more comfortable this way. It would create less confusion among their ranks.

  "Listen Hirashi, I wanted to ask you...How do you see this whole situation?"

  She asked, staring intently at the giant. She swallowed slightly when Hirashi stared at her with those empty eyes. C knew the white giant would never attack her, but facing a wall of muscle capable of crushing a mountain with a single punch without even trying made her feel slightly anxious. Mostly because Hirashi had a strange influence on others. Somehow, she always made everyone around her feel extremely inferior, simply by existing. She didn't do it on purpose- it just happened. At the same time, she felt safe with her. Those who could stand up to Hirashi could be counted on one hand with missing fingers. She could only think of her husband and the giantess's mother, Nikusa. No one else. Honestly, she had never seen Hirashi in trouble or on the verge of losing control. She was in complete harmony with the other woman.

  Despite being Almodeus's wife, C wasn't very powerful herself. She was around level 33 and could control ice and fire, but beyond that, she didn't have much else. Racially, she was a sinner, meaning a human who went to hell after death. She had no special abilities, except for the inability to age and immunity to disease.

  "I'm cool. After all, I don't think there are any beings in this world who could even compete with me. I admit that I miss my mother, but I'm sure she's fine. She's the Chaos Queen, considered the equal of Almodeus, after all."

  At those words, C was overcome with solidarity. She knew well how close Hirashi was to her mother. She didn't show it, but the two were very much in tune, despite their opposite personalities. Hirashi was calm, stoic, and direct- while Nikusa, on the other hand, seemed more immature, similar to Almodea, but a thousand times more powerful.

  She remembered her last conversation with Hirashi's mother. The woman had told her how she wanted her daughter to find a husband, found a kingdom and become a queen.

  I don't think Hirashi is interested in ruling…

  She didn't know the woman's stance on love; it wasn't something she often spoke about. Almodea was extremely forthright about her feelings, and Hirashi mostly spoke to her, so her own daughter was likely the only one who knew the giantess's most private things.

  "Don't worry, Almodeus is doing everything he can to find your mother."

  "I know..."

  Hirashi's cold, empty response made C sigh. She was used to the pale giantess's stoicism by now, but feared that sometimes the other woman kept everything too much to herself. She looked outside the carriage and noticed a huge mansion in the distance.

  "We've arrived! That's Marquis Baldur's family villa! You remember your part, right?"

  "Yes, I'm your bodyguard. I'll let only you do the talking, especially since I'm not good at dealing without information..."

  C nodded happily, then looked at a message her daughter Almodea had sent her on her phone.

  Luckily, cell phones are still around in this world, thanks to our technology.

  "We can offer up to five thousand gold coins. I don't think that's a small amount..."

  She commented aloud, then looked up at Hirashi, who answered her coldly.

  "If that village is as Almodea describes it, I don't think it's worth that much. My opinion, obviously."

  I agree with you, but as a good economist, I know they will try to get the best price for themselves, especially for a ruined house like Marquis Baldur's.

  According to C and Conrad's research, Marquis Baldur had lost a lot of prestige due to some shaky business dealings, and was now trying his best to raise money before losing his title or being demoted to a local lord. He would have been very easy prey.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After about ten minutes, the carriage reached the Marquis's villa, a colossal mansion, built of marble and precious materials. It was breathtaking.

  "Welcome!"

  C's eyes widened in surprise when the front door opened, revealing a very tall woman, slightly taller than Almodea, with blond hair and brown eyes. What most caught his attention were her sharp teeth and hands, covered in blond fur and with claws instead of nails.

  "Hello! Allow me to introduce ourselves! My name is Charlotte, but you can call me C. This is Hirashi, my bodyguard! We have an appointment with Marquis Baldur."

  The tall woman, dressed as a maid, bowed slightly and smiled at him, showing her sharp teeth.

  "My name is Frederica! It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady C and Miss Hirashi! Please, follow me!"

  The two disguised women began following Frederica down the corridor. The proximity allowed them to see her better. She was clearly a canine demi-human, but of a type C had never seen before.

  I suspect she's a wolf hybrid. The tail sticking out of her maid's skirt is further evidence of this.

  "May I ask you a question, Miss Frederica?"

  "Of course, Lady C! And feel free to call me informally! I'm just a servant, after all!

  "Okay, same thing for you. Also... I wanted to know what race you are, if you don't mind telling me."

  Unexpectedly, Hirashi approached, towering over C as usual.

  "You can also address me informally..."

  Frederica turned her head towards the two women and answered, further revealing her sharp smile.

  "I'm a werewolf, I think it shows in some of my features."

  The she-wolf proceeded to display her clawed, hairy hands.

  "Ohhh! And what's a werewolf like you doing here working as a waitress?"

  Frederica took her hands away and responded, wagging her tail slightly.

  "Having a human father, I was kicked out of my pack as a child for reasons I won't explain here. I was found by Marquis Baldur's daughter, an eight-year-old girl. She begged her parents to keep me as a pet, and I became the house guard, given my great strength!"

  The she-wolf's physique was not as robust as Hirashi's, but it was certainly athletic.

  "You're a good girl, Frederica..."

  She commented, having taken a liking to the demi-human.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Upon reaching the Marquis's office, C seated in an armchair across from the host, a man in his late forties. The lady of the house was also present, but she didn't seem to be there to participate in the conversation. Hirashi, however, positioned herself next to Frederica. Both were playing the roles of imposing, serious guardians.

  "Well, gentlemen, I'd like to talk to you about business, if that's possible..."

  That said, C began to explain to the Marquis her request to purchase Anna's village, using as an excuse that her husband was a nobleman from a foreign country interested in raising a family in those parts. She answered the man's questions, trying to remain vague and making the choice of the village seem more like her husband's whim than a tactical motive.

  However, the more she spoke, the more it seemed to her that the aristocrat wasn't very pleased with her presence there, much less with her requests. The more they talked, the more it seemed that Baldur was on the verge of shouting something at her.

  Why is he so angry? Did I say something wrong?

  Confused by the host's unexpected reaction, she decided to address the issue immediately. She couldn't ignore it.

  "May I ask if there's anything you don't like? Would you like to negotiate on the price?"

  The man seemed disturbed that his discontent had been noticed and decided to spill the beans.

  "I'm quite disappointed that your husband didn't come to speak to me in person! I consider it disrespectful, to be honest. I'm a Marquis and I demand to speak to the head of the family!"

  C sighed softly, trying not to appear offended by the nobleman's rude words. From her research, she'd discovered that even in that world, women were viewed as inferior to men in some matters, especially politically. She hadn't expected to be told this directly, since according to the lie she'd told, she was there on her husband's behalf. C was acting as his representative, not replacing him; that was the difference that the Marquis wasn't getting.

  "I can understand, but please- Try to be understanding…My husband is very busy and-"

  The man interrupted her, slamming his hand on the table, indignant and furious.

  "So?! I'm a nobleman of the Empire! One of the most influential! You can't treat me like a lowly bourgeois! He should have come in person if he's so interested! He shouldn't have sent me a woman! I would have preferred a butler or a messenger, but why a woman? I know you're his wife, but where's your husband's pride? Sending his wife away from home is like stripping her of her duties."

  C summoned every single cell of her being to avoid instantly killing the idiot in front of her.

  "Please, calm down-"

  She tried to mediate, but was interrupted again by the Marquis's anger, who shouted at her as if he was talking to a servant. That was how he saw C, as someone inferior.

  "-No, I'm not calming down! This is a serious lack of respect!"

  I have to calm him down, or-

  "Will you stop yelling? What difference does talking to a woman make to you?"

  Hirashi asked, surprising everyone present, especially C.

  No! Don't use logic on an idiot! It'll only piss him off even more!

  "Tell your guard not to interfere!"

  The Marquis thundered, irritated at being rebuked by a woman of lower rank. C raised her hands defensively, trying to regain her now-lost control of the situation.

  "C-Certainly, but please calm down! My guard is a little impulsive. She's just doing her job!"

  The nobleman, visibly enraged, stood up and began to rant like a rabid dog. Now she understood why his house was in ruins.

  "I don't care! Put her in place! I want to see her kneel before me! I'm the man of the house, and for a brute like her to speak to me without permission is unacceptable!"

  He wants me to humiliate Hirashi? No... I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to do that, on the contrary! I'm tired of this conversation! I'll talk to Almodeus and he'll decide what to do. I can't stand this guy anymore...

  She sighed irritably, trying to hold back.

  "No.…"

  She stood up, fixing the Marquis with a hard, stern gaze, like a mother scolding her son.

  "I will not punish my faithful guard for doing her job! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business, which requires a woman's presence! Come on, Hirashi!"

  "Yes..."

  The bigger woman nodded and opened the door for the shorter one, after which they returned to the carriage, followed by the Marquis's shouts for their supposed "irreverence." Frederica sighed, embarrassed by her master's behavior, while the nobleman's wife simply shrugged. She didn't care about the house much. As long as she lived well, everything was fine with her.

  Once they exited the villa's gates, C let out a sigh of relief, happy to have left behind that place that was only beautiful on the outside. Inside, it was as rotten as its master's ways.

  "I'm sorry, C. I should have kept quiet, but I couldn't stand the way he was treating you. No one can speak so badly of you for no reason. Not in my presence, at least."

  Even though Hirashi's gaze was as cold and stoic as ever, C could sense that the giant was truly sorry. She felt guilty.

  She thinks she's done something wrong, and maybe she has, but I couldn't be prouder of her!

  "Hirashi..."

  C sat down next to her, which was quite cramped, given that Hirashi's colossal figure barely fit in the carriage. If she moved a single muscle, C would be thrown out of the door.

  "You don't have to apologize! You stood up for me, that's what matters! Also, don't think Almodeus will take it bad. You did your job, now rest until we get home, okay?"

  Hirashi nodded, moving her right hand to massage C’s head. It was obvious she was doing it as gently as possible so as not to hurt the other woman. Patting heads was her way of expressing affection.

  I hope I've managed to reassure her. She's a cold and expressionless girl on the surface, but in reality, she's just doubtful most of the time. It's not easy for her to understand the world and emotions in general. Things like love, jealousy, hate, and so on are unclear concepts to her. Nikusa has often talked to me about it, but I'm glad Hirashi came out of her shell of indifference to protect me; her mother would have been...proud!

  She thought back to Hirashi's childhood, long before Nikusa found her. It was natural for her to be so cold, given how she'd grown up, all alone, treated like a machine.

  “Would you like to help me in the kitchen when we get home?”

  “If I can eat the food you prepare, yes.”

  C wasn't very strong, but no one could beat her on cooking.