Isabel and Kali
“I’m grateful for the kind words, but we’re out for a market stroll. Please excuse us.”
Isabel, still oblivious, looked puzzled on what to do when Kali stepped forward first...
“What? This little brat’s talking back. Kids, we’ve got no choice. We’re dragging her along by force.”
Before the man’s words could even finish, men hidden throughout the market began to emerge one by one, their numbers steadily growing until they surrounded Isabel and Kali.
“A child should obey an adult’s orders without question. You insolent little brat...”
They say that noble children are most often victims of this crime—sometimes just thieves after their wallets, but far more often kidnappers hunting for big ransoms.
As Kali had warned, kidnappers always eagerly targeted the precious young of noble families in hopes of quick fortune. A single successful abduction could earn them enough money to live the rest of their lives in luxury.
Dragged off by the kidnappers, Isabel and Kali were led through the back alleys of the market and into an empty lot. The men who had seized them grinned the entire way, eyes gleaming with the promise of great wealth.
“Hahaha, I’ll finally be able to get married!”
“Heh~ brother, no matter how much money you have, do you really think there’s a woman out there willing to marry you?”
“You said what?! Shut your mouth!!”
Despite knowing that any failure meant at least a death sentence from the guards, none of them showed the slightest fear...
“Well, now, let’s hear it—who are you from which noble house, and where is your home?”
Their leader, the oldest among them, approached Isabel and lightly stroked her chin as he spoke.
“Even in this situation, she stands bold as brass, unafraid. If you speak your location honestly, I’ll send you home unharmed. I might not care, but that fellow over there adores children like you. Hehe.”
He gestured toward one of the men standing at the back. The man licked his lips and smirked.
“The Luteria House, you say? And your home... there?”
Isabel pointed directly at the towering spire of the imperial palace, visible even from the back alleys, her finger trembling only slightly.
“The imperial palace...?”
The kidnappers suddenly grew restless at her words.
They must have thought she was bluffing, but...
“Hahahaha, this little kid dares mock an adult? Then you must be the princess Isabel herself?”
“Yes.”
“Hahahaha! You’re serious!”
Even after revealing her true identity, the kidnappers laughed even louder.
The back alleys of the market rang with their thunderous laughter for a long time. At last the leader approached Isabel once more.
“I don’t know which noble house you belong to, but if you keep this up, you’ll get the beating of your life.”
“If it’s true, why not go ask somewhere else?”
Slash!
Despite the leader’s threatening blade being drawn right in front of her, Isabel showed not a flicker of fear. Instead, she spoke with even greater boldness.
“I’ve had enough of this. If you keep pushing, I might not let you leave so easily, understand?”
“If you won’t let us leave, what then?”
“Hehe... your face might just end up halved...”
The kidnapper laughed nastily, his gaze sliding over Isabel’s body.
Yet Isabel remained completely unfazed.
“My father, the one who built this empire, never imagined trash like you would walk its streets. If he hears what you’ve done, he’ll be heartbroken...”
“Listen here, young lady. How long are you going to play the princess? Tell us your house and your home already!”
Their patience finally snapped. The leader brandished his sword directly at her.
“Brother, just cut off the little brat’s finger. That way she’ll have to tell us where her house is, and we’ll get our money faster.”
“Oh... you’re right. That’s not a bad idea.”
As the kidnappers’ plan grew more vicious, Kali stepped forward to shield Isabel before anything worse could happen.
“Oh! Since your sister won’t talk, you’ll have to do it instead. Red-haired little one.”
The kidnapper reached out and ran his fingers through Kali’s hair, asking the same question about her house and home.
“Uncle, how about we turn around and go home? I don’t think I can hold back much longer.”
“Hahahaha! Look at this brat—talking back just like her sister!”
“This is your final warning, old man. After this, I won’t be responsible for whatever happens.”
The leader and the other kidnappers stared at Kali’s words.
Instead, they started snickering, mocking her openly.
Flare!
Flare!
Feeling a little irritated by their mockery, flames began to flicker around Kali, rising steadily to her waist.
“What... what the... I-It can’t be! A magician?!”
They mistook her for a mage. That was only natural—only nobles could afford the expensive training required to become one, and most mages in the world came from noble houses.
But...
Kali was no ordinary human mage...
Flare! Whoosh!
The flames around her spread outward, climbing higher until they surrounded the kidnappers and shot up dramatically.
Unlike what they had expected, they no longer ran away. Instead, they calmly scooped water from a nearby well and doused the flames.
“You little troublemaker! One more stunt like that and I’ll make you regret it, old man!”
“Haaa... you guys are really done for. Remember this. The fire I’m about to show you will be the first you see when you die...”
“What?”
The kidnappers, thinking she was bluffing, looked confused.
And a moment later...
A small fireball appeared in the palm of Kali’s raised right hand, growing larger and larger until a perfect circle of pure flame formed.
“H-Hey, leader! What do we do?! This brat really is casting magic!”
“Don’t panic! It’s just a brat! Let’s see how strong she really is!”
Some of the kidnappers began to falter, and only then did Kali smile. The fireball in her hand grew even larger, now hot enough to melt the building beside her.
“Uncle, repent now while you still can. If you don’t, you’ll drink boiling water in this blazing hell and watch your skin melt off and your insides burst—”
“Y-You... you little brat!!”
The kidnapper who had been enraged by her taunt rushed forward with his sword, but the growing heat of the fireball kept him from approaching.
The other kidnappers, watching from behind, fled in terror, leaving only the leader and two others standing in the empty lot.
Isabel, watching from the side with a shocked expression, felt no direct heat thanks to the barrier Kali had already cast. Yet the sight of Kali summoning such a massive fireball left her stunned. She sat down on the spot, eyes wide.
Flare! Flare!
The fireball burned even hotter, sending flames dancing around it and increasing its power.
The surrounding temperature rose sharply. The nearby building began to smolder, and even the distant kidnappers struggled to breathe in the overwhelming heat.
[Hellfire]
The enormous infernal fireball that had appeared in the heart of the imperial capital was a flame that only one race in this world could create...
The Red Dragon.
When the goddess created the world, she left behind one last spark of fire to forge the Red Dragon...
She had declared that no flame in this world could rival it.
And...
Kali, the hatchling of that Red Dragon, summoned a massive Hellfire, displaying power that rivaled even the True Dragon. Anyone watching from afar was filled with fear at the sheer terror of her might.
“Uncle, aren’t you in pain? By now your lungs should have melted completely—how much it must hurt...”
“Haaaack... haaaack... s-Save... please... haaaack...”
The insane heat of the Hellfire scorched the air around them. The kidnappers’ lungs were already damaged; breathing had become an impossible struggle.
Whoosh!
A short while later, Kali’s Hellfire vanished. A cool wind blew through the lot, cooling the air, and the ground and buildings were left scorched black, as though a giant bomb had exploded.
The three remaining kidnappers, who had been hiding behind the wall, collapsed on the spot. The commotion was finally over.
“Ka... Kali... you...”
“Are you all right?”
Isabel, still dazed, kept calling Kali’s name while staring blankly, her mind not yet returning to normal...
Kali, thinking Isabel had figured out her identity, quietly tried to slip away.
But...
“Kali!! You were amazing!! Where did you learn magic like that?! You’re way stronger than the imperial magicians!! Wow! That’s why you can follow Lord Lowell! It’s so cool!”
Isabel pulled her into a hug, then let go, planted a kiss on her cheek, and ruffled her hair, refusing to let her go.
Kali, who had expected Isabel to be scared, shook her head in confusion at the girl’s actions.