The moment I saw them, everything clicked into place.
A neatly arranged pile of egg which were 99% Emberwing eggs.
Above, the shrieks of furious beasts pierced the air. The carriage rocked slightly as another fireball exploded against the ground, sending embers scattering. The battle was still raging.
Aeron deflected another flaming claw strike, gritting his teeth. His basics were solid, but his stance wavered slightly—fatigue was setting in.
Emilia, breathing hard, loosed an arrow that barely grazed one of the Emberwings. She twitched her lips, her inexperience and inner feelings showing.
Livia, maybe her staff recharged, fired another water bullet, putting out a stray flame that had caught onto the grass. "Damn it," she muttered. "How many more are there?!"
'Huh? There are coming more?'
The guards were barely holding on. Two were already down—whether dead or unconscious, I didn't know. The driver, still in his seat, was gripping the reins tightly, frozen in fear.
And amidst all of this… the noble girl was standing in my way.
I exhaled through my nose.
"Move," I said.
She didn't.
Her hands trembled slightly, but her eyes remained sharp, filled with defiance. Beside her, the maid tightened her grip on her dress, as if ready to shield her mistress at any moment.
I glanced back at the eggs.
"Fifteen of them," I murmured. "Did you rob their entire nest or something?"
The girl sucked in a breath, but said nothing.
I tilted my head. "You realize it too, don't you?"
She flinched.
"You know they aren't attacking at random," I continued. "You know exactly why they are here."
Still, no response. But the way her jaw clenched told me everything.
Another explosion on the other side. Aeron stumbled backward, barely avoiding a burning talon.
"Shit—Livia, cover me!" he shouted.
"I'm trying!" Livia snapped back, firing another water bullet.
The Emberwings weren't letting up. If anything, their aggression was increasing. They were growing desperate.
Because their eggs were right here.
This… wasn't simply an ambush. It was a rescue mission from their pov. The parents has come to take back their children.
"..."
I now knew what the system message meant about 'death of innocent lives'. They too are living beings after all.
I exhaled slowly.
"Alright." I turned back to the noble girl. "Let's make this simple."
She stiffened.
"You have two options."
"ARGH! M-My leg-!"
Another guard collapsed raising the already high tension.
"One: You return the eggs," I said evenly. "And we all walk away from this alive."
Her fingers dug into the fabric of her dress.
"...and two?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
I met her gaze.
"Two: You keep them," I said. "And more people will die."
Well, from what I noticed, they just fainted, and Emberwings weren't using life-threating attacks, not yet.
"Dodge!"
A loud shout rang out as Aeron barely avoided another attack. Livia fired another water blast, but even her stamina and gun's energy was running out. Emilia's arrows weren't enough to keep up.
If this continued, the Emberwings would eventually break through. And when they did…
I took a step closer, lowering my voice just enough for only her to hear.
"And just so we're clear—" I murmured. "If you pick option two, we won't be saving you guys when things go south."
She sucked in a sharp breath.
For the first time, she looked at me not as a background extra. Not as someone irrelevant.
I probably looked like a scary guy in her eyes. But I didn't care a bit.
Outside, the Emberwings shrieked louder.
Time was running out.
I tilted my head slightly.
"Well?" I asked. "What's it gonna be, Miss Kidnapper?"
She clenched her fists.
And then—
She made her choice.
"...You will pay for this." She muttered grudgingly before stepping aside, walking away as if she was the right one.
I narrowed my eyes. "Where are you going?"
She paused mid-step, her expression twisting into something between irritation and disbelief.
"What? Didn't I already do as you asked?" she asked, brows furrowing.
I let out a humorless chuckle. "No, you didn't."
She turned fully, crossing her arms. "I let you through. What else do you want?"
I met her gaze, my voice flat. "I asked you to give the eggs back."
The tension in the air thickened.
"This mess was caused by you and you alone," I continued. "We were caught up in it while trying to help you, and you're still acting like this? Get a grip, will you?"
Her fingers twitched, gripping her dress as if trying to steady herself. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
She gritted her teeth, her expression darkening—not with anger, but with something closer to frustration.
Because it was the truth.
And truth often hurts.
Another explosion rattled the ground. The cries of the Emberwings grew more frantic. One of them swooped low, its talons inches from Aeron's head before he barely rolled away.
"We don't have time for this!" Livia yelled, an edge of panic in her voice. "What are you two arguing about?!"
The noble girl exhaled sharply. Then, after a long pause—
She stepped forward.
Wordlessly, she reached for the eggs.
Her hands hovered over them for a moment, before she finally picked one up.
The maid beside her looked conflicted but followed suit, lifting two eggs with careful hands.
I too picked up another two before calling the others.
"Hey come quickly here. Don't worry they won't attack anymore." I reassured them before they could argue.
And in order to prove my point, I lead the way, standing in an opening still holding the eggs. The Emberwings stopped firing and attacking, their focus shifting onto me and the other following behind me.
I stepped forward, staring straight into the eyes of the Emberwings.
Their burning gazes locked onto me, filled with fury, desperation… and something else. A silent plea perhaps. It felt like they were asking me to give their children back.
Carefully, I crouched down and placed the eggs onto the ground, one by one. Not a single sudden movement. Not a single unnecessary sound.
Then, I straightened and stepped back a few meters.
"Do the same," I ordered, my voice steady.
The noble girl hesitated. But after a brief moment, she swallowed her pride and bent down, placing her egg beside mine. The maid followed, her movements more delicate. She must be hella scared.
Then we all with the addition of Livia, Emilia, and even Aeron, still catching his breath, carried the remaining eggs over, setting them onto the open ground. The guards, though wary, assisted as well.
Soon, all fifteen eggs were arranged in the clearing.
We backed away.
A heavy silence followed.
Then—
The Emberwings moved.
One by one, they swooped down, their large forms blocking out the sun. Talons curled protectively around the eggs as they landed beside them.
Their wings flared, embers drifting in the air.
And then—
A piercing screech echoed across the battlefield. A cry not of attack, but of warning.
A final warning.
Aeron tensed. Emilia's fingers twitched near her quiver. Livia gritted her teeth. The noble girl stiffened in fear and hesitation. The remaining guards looked ready to run.
I calmly stared back at them.
And the Emberwings did nothing more.
They just clutched their eggs close, wings wrapping around them protectively.
Then, one after another, they took off into the sky, their powerful wings kicking up gusts of wind.
Until only one remained.
The last Emberwing—the most beautiful among them.
Its feathers shimmered like molten gold, its eyes deep like the heart of a fire.
It stared at me, unmoving. Strangely, I could understand what it was trying to tell. It was thanking me for help. It must be more intelligent than it appears to be. Probably their leader or something.
"..."
I met its gaze and gave a small, subtle nod.
For a moment, it just stood there, watching.
Then, with a soft, almost gentle screech—one different from the rest—it reached down, took the smallest egg in its talons…
And ascended.
We watched in silence as they soared higher and higher, disappearing beyond the clouds, leaving behind only the scent of burnt air and the distant echoes of their cries.
Only when the last trace of them was gone did I finally exhale.
It was finally over.