The surroundings became silent.
Only the distant echoes of flames lingered in the air, carried by the restless wind that swept across the charred earth. The embers that once roared with fury had dimmed to a faint, pulsing glow—like dying stars scattered across the battlefield.
The wreckage of the noble's carriage was pitiful.
What remained of its once-grand frame had crumbled into blackened debris, its front half nothing more than brittle ash. The scent of burnt wood and singed metal clung to the air, thick and suffocating.
And yet, in the midst of this devastation—
Like a statue carved from sorrow, the noble girl had not moved.
Her vacant gaze remained locked onto the horizon, staring at the empty space where the Emberwings had vanished. Her hands, once clenching the fabric of her dress, had gone limp at her sides.
She was probably lost in thought.
Or maybe… she had nothing left to think about.
A few feet away, the maid and the two conscious guards busied themselves with the wounded. Their hands pressed firmly against bloodied uniforms, checking pulses, sealing gashes with quick, practiced motions. One of the fallen let out a weak groan.
He was alive. That was something, at least.
The driver, however, hadn't moved from his seat. His knuckles were white against the reins, his entire body stiff as though fear had rooted him in place.
I thought he would be better because he must have experienced similar things because of his job, but it seems I was mistaked. He must be new to this.
Aeron let out a quiet breath beside me, his posture finally easing as he ran a hand through his hair. Livia was rubbing her temples, fatigue written in the slump of her shoulders. Emilia was slipping her bow back into her storage ring, her expression unreadable.
I hummed lightly to myself.
That was when Aeron and the girls turned their attention to me, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"What exactly happened just now?" Aeron asked, his voice still hoarse from exertion. "What did you do?"
I met his gaze, tilting my head slightly as if saying 'isn't it obvious'.
"...I just solved the problem."
Aeron let out a dry laugh before sighing. "Urgh, we're asking how you did it. How did you figure it out?"
I know what you meant idiot, I am just playing dumb.
And from the corner of my eye, I caught the noble girl flinch.
I exhaled lightly before answering.
"I just observed them," I said simply. "Their expressions, their point of focus. It was clear they were furious, but I noticed they or their actions weren't mindless. And then Miss Emilia's words reminded me of something."
I turned slightly toward Emilia, who raised a brow at my sudden mention of her. "She asked why they were attacking with such desperation. And it made me wonder—would Emberwings be that violent without reason?"
The three of them listened in silence.
"Then I noticed how they weren't attacking the back of the carriage," I gestured slightly to the wreckage behind me. "If they had wanted to destroy it, they could have reduced it to ashes long ago. But they didn't."
"That meant something inside was important to them. Something worth risking their lives for."
Livia's eyes widened slightly, realization flickering across her face.
"Right, an so, I took Miss Livia's gu—" I stopped mid-sentence, clearing my throat. "I mean, her staff. And I used it to extinguish the fire."
Aeron raised a brow. "Why?"
"To test a theory." I wanted to see if they would calm down. "And it worked. Somewhat."
And that was also when I became even more certain.
I glanced at the noble girl again. "And then… there was her reaction."
The noble girl flinched slightly, her hands curling into fists.
I didn't dwell on it longer.
There was no need to humiliate her further. But it was clear that even without words, my explanation was an indirect form of embarrassment.
"You know the rest," I concluded. "The cause of the mess was their eggs. I simply proposed the most logical and humane solution—to return them."
I let my words settle before adding, "Now, the problem is solved."
Albeit, the current problem.
I stole another glance at the noble girl.
Surely, she hadn't done this for something as simple as selling them, or keeping them as trophies. No, that much was obvious. Given her resistance earlier and her hollow expression after it was all over… there was more to this than just human greed.
I have a few guessed based on all the scenarios I know...
But I had already helped her once.
It wasn't my place to dig any further.
Not when she was acting .
A beat of silence passed before Aeron let out a deep exhale.
"I knew you were smart, but…" he muttered.
"Not this much," Livia finished for him, shaking her head in disbelief.
Emilia said nothing, I caught the strange glint passing through her eyes. She is probably surprised too.
'Well, I acted cool just now so...'
I shrugged, indifferent. "This was nothing. I just did what I could do." Then, I glanced at them. "But the real question is—what are we going to do now?"
"Oh, right…" Aeron muttered, looking around at our surroundings.
His gaze landed on the unconscious guards, and he clicked his tongue.
"We should probably get them to a healer," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Or at least give them some potions. But I don't have any."
Livia nodded, already reaching for her storage necklace. "I have a few for emergency purposes. Let's see if they can help..."
With that, they turned toward the fallen.
Meanwhile, I turned around and started walking toward our carraige, passing by the noble girl for probably the umpteenth time. She was still standing there, her gaze distant, her fists clenched at her sides.
I leaned in slightly as I walked past, my voice low enough for only her to hear.
"They will help you if you ask for it."
For the first time since the Emberwings left, something flickered in her hollow eyes. I didn't stop to see if she would respond. Instead, I kept walking, feeling the weight of her stare linger on my back.
I made my way toward our own carriage.
Fortunately, the horses were fine—unharmed, albeit restless from all the chaos. Their ears flicked nervously as they pawed at the ground, still sensing the residual tension in the air.
The driver, however, was another story. He looked as if his soul had temporarily left his body.
I reached up and nudged his arm.
The man let out a strangled yelp—something between a gasp and a squeak—as he flinched violently, nearly falling off his seat.
I stared at him, unimpressed. "It's over."
He blinked rapidly, struggling to process my words.
I continued, calm and steady, "Can you help me put the injured into the carriage?"
The driver swallowed, his face turning a shade redder at his own reaction. He straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and nodded awkwardly.
"...Of course, young master," he muttered, as if trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
We turned back to where the others were gathered. Livia was kneeling beside the injured guards, carefully adjusting their positions.
"How are they?" I asked.
Livia glanced up. "I gave them basic healing potions, but they still need to see a proper healer."
I nodded. That was expected.
Turning to the driver, I motioned towards one of the unconscious guards. "Help me carry him."
As I bent down, Aeron furrowed his brows. "What are you doing?"
I glanced at him. "We're delivering them to town. So, I'm putting them inside the carriage."
Aeron let out a short sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Right… Let me grab the other one." He turned to one of the conscious guards, the healthier one. "Hey, help me out."
The guard nodded, and together, we quickly moved the unconscious men. They were placed on the carriage floor as gently as possible, though there wasn't much comfort to offer.
Once that was done, I dusted off my hands and spoke.
"Aeron, you and the girls will go in the carriage."
Aeron blinked. "And you?"
"I'll be riding with the driver and the others on horseback."
Aeron didn't question it, just nodded. "Got it."
With that, the three of them climbed into the carriage. I turned to the remaining two guards. "You two, ride the horses."
I can't tell them I don't know how to ride one.
The guards exchanged a glance before silently obeying, mounting the horses with ease.
I turned to the noble girl's maid. "You'll ride with us. Sit on his left."
She hesitated for half a second before nodding, adjusting her grip on her dress as she jumped onto the front seat.
I moved to the right side of the driver, hopping onto the seat.
"Let's go," I ordered.
With a crack of the reins, the carriage began to roll forward.
And just like that, we left the 'scorched battlefield' behind.