Ifrit was the name of the Scarlet Wind’s airship. The vessel didn’t actually belong to the leader, Sigil, but rather the subleader, Iz, who had been bedridden from illness.
Wings protruded on either side of the ship in lieu of sails, and its red hull was created specifically to journey through the sky. This airship required mana to fly, and was in fact an artifact that Iz’s grandfather—a fellow treasure hunter—excavated during one of his expeditions in the ruins of a remote region. Her grandfather had given the ship its name, and enjoyed traveling through the skies with his comrades as he toured various ruins. This group of treasure hunters eventually named themselves after Ifrit’s color—the Scarlet Wind.
That was how the band of sky pirates had started, and their ship was passed down through the generations, eventually falling into Iz’s hands. Sigil, the leader of the group, was childhood friends with Iz, for his grandfather had been a close partner of Iz’s grandfather when he was touring the world in search of treasure. Both Iz and Sigil were born and raised on Ifrit’s deck.
The two were also close in age and in their early twenties, but they were so close that their bond was less romantic and instead more akin to siblings, with Iz often acting like an older sister. As for the other members like the careful Hawk, Kay the mood-maker, and the powerful Dan, Elma acted as their older sister, though she was not present for this expedition.
These four—Hawk, Kay, Dan, and Elma—were orphans that the previous generation of the Scarlet Wind had picked up. Everyone here had been raised on the deck of this vessel, and as the previous generation made way for the new one, they became proud members of the Scarlet Wind in full. The group had spent much time together, and they were tied by a strong familial bond. Sigil, the leader, would spare no expense in saving the lives of his fellow members, even if it meant entering dangerous ruins and putting his own life on the line.
Naturally, he wasn’t above groveling and kowtowing for the sake of his comrades either.
“I’m so terribly sorry for trespassing into your land!” he shouted.
The group was now in a large room on Ifrit, Sigil scraping his head against the floor while Lofus rested on a sofa with his face on his hand. He looked impossibly bored. The three men of the group—Hawk, Kay, and Dan—stood at the side of the room, while Lilka and the ladies were given a brief rundown of what had occurred. Since Iz was sick, they were waiting in a separate room until further instruction.
When everyone learned that their savior, Lofus, was the eldest son of House Lightless, they froze, petrified with fear. This implied that the Scarlet Wind had trespassed into a ruin of the Lightless fief and been caught red-handed. The lord of the land naturally owned and ruled over everything in their territory, including any dungeons or ruins. Trespassing onto these areas without express permission of the lord to take rare items was an act akin to theft.
The Scarlet Wind knew very well that they were criminals—they called themselves sky pirates, after all—but despite the seemingly ominous title, not once had they committed any act that they considered particularly heinous. Yes, they ransacked and stole from ruins and dungeons, but that was all. They’d never taken a single coin from regular citizens, much less loot or pillage from the common folk if given the chance. While the Scarlet Wind admitted that they were lawless, they were, first and foremost, treasure hunters, and took pride in this sobriquet.
And they’d gotten away with it until now. Even if they trespassed into ruins and dungeons, only to be chased down by the military police and knights, the Scarlet Wind had always managed to escape with Ifrit, leaving their pursuers in the dust. A quick flight allowed them to enter the land of another lord, and the knights couldn’t chase the Scarlet Wind across borders. But this time around, they were in a different situation entirely, as they were face-to-face with Lofus Ray Lightless, the heir of the feared marquess of darkness.
The boy emanated a fearsome aura that seemed almost inhuman. The Scarlet Wind members had caught a glimpse of his magical ability with their own eyes, and they were sure that not even a miracle could let them evade the grasp of the boy in his black coat. He’d exerted power that practically sealed their fate. Since they could no longer flee, the Scarlet Wind leader had no choice but to rub his face on the ground and beg for mercy, while being extra careful not to touch Lofus’s nerve.
“Hey,” Kay whispered to the side. “What’s gonna happen to us?”
“No clue,” Hawk muttered back, his eyes dead. “At best, we’d get whipped and sent to prison. Worst case, we’d be paraded around the fief for our crimes before our heads are mounted on a stake.”
“What?! But we just trespassed into the ruin a little. We didn’t even steal anything this time around.”
“That doesn’t matter. Everything depends on how this little noble feels. Why do you think our leader cast his pride away to kowtow in hopes of receiving a smidgen of benevolence?”
“Seriously? Should we beg too?”
Hawk shook his head. “Nah. Who knows what might piss this kid off? Best to keep quiet.”
“But...” Dan interrupted quietly. “That noble saved our lives.”
“Y-Yeah, I know...” Hawk said pensively. “Maybe we just happened to be around, but I’m pretty sure he meant to save Lilka. And she seems awfully fond of him too, though he clearly doesn’t feel the same.”
Kay’s eyes perked up with hope. “Lilka! Of course! Let’s use her! That mighty noble must be a womanizer, and that’s why he saved us all!”
Dan and Hawk slumped their shoulders and looked at Kay wearily.
“I...don’t think so,” Dan whispered.
“You’re the one who’s crazy about women, Kay,” Hawk muttered.
“Nah, I know I’m right,” Kay insisted. “I can tell. He saved her, but ultimately, Lilka wasn’t his type. She’s still a kid and she doesn’t have the curves yet. So let’s have Elma try to woo him instead. I’m sure the noble’ll be all smiles in no time. Elma’s got a decent rack, and her face ain’t half bad either. She’s perfect for the role.”
Hawk and Dan inched away from Kay, horrified by this suggestion.
“Are you...sacrificing Elma?” Hawk asked.
“You’re the worst, man,” Dan muttered.
“‘Sacrifice’? Hey, don’t make it sound that bad,” Kay replied. “Besides, Elma’s been saying she wants to marry a rich guy. This is her chance.”
Lofus glared at the three whispering men.
“I can hear you lot,” he spat. “And just who are you calling a womanizer?”
His icy gaze petrified the men. They snapped their mouths shut and turned to face the ground. Damn morons! Sigil internally shouted as he kept his head low.
“Hey, guys! Got some tea!” Lilka said cheerfully, disrupting the gloomy room that had started to feel like a funeral.
She brought in a tray and entered the room, but her face turned stiff when she saw Sigil on the floor.
“Whoa!” she said. “What are you doing, Siggy?” She was taken aback by him before she approached Lofus. “Mr. Lofus, want some tea? I’ve got snacks too!”
“No.”
Lilka looked visibly dejected as she turned to the other three men standing in the room. “How about you guys? Want some?”
None of them felt like leisurely sipping on some tea. They averted their gazes and shifted uneasily.
“N-No, we’re good too,” Hawk stammered on behalf of the men.
“Awww...” Lilka groaned, slumping her shoulders. “And after I went through all the effort of preparing this stuff...”
She turned away and pouted. A few moments passed, and Lilka glanced around the room, tilting her head to one side.
“So...what’s going on?” she asked. “Did somebody die?”
Her laid-back attitude made the air of the room freeze with fright.
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