Picking Things up from the Streets

Even if Artie had sent two groups out already, she didn't see any changes in her progress until she got to the third house. It didn't help that she felt exhausted for Larkin who had to turn his magic dome on and off, just to help her break down doors.

After getting the couple with a baby out from the third house, she heard the notification ring out.

[Random event commencing! Save 12 lives (4/12). Remaining citizens: 8]

'I think I need them to get out of the marketplace first before it counts as a save.' Artie scrunched her face and ran to the last house where two more people were left to save, unknowingly making the archduke lose sight of her.

[Warning: salvation anomaly! 2 lives are in mortal danger! You have 00:03:00 to save them!]

'Oh, my God! What?!' Artie already spotted the house, but the distance a rat can cover was less than a normal human. In the burning sea, she decided to turn into a human and use her transformation boost to break through the wall of the house.

Her seemingly indestructible body did its wonder for sure. She arrived inside the burning house and saw two elderly lying on the floor. The angel struggled to get up from the ground, even tearing her slip off as the fire licked it ablaze.

'I don't care anymore! I'm the Mother of Dragons now!'

Artie didn't know how, but she managed to carry the elderly couple on each arm and got out of the same hole that seemed to have been blasted bigger the moment she forced herself to go through it. When she got them out in the open, the timer in her vision stopped at a flashing red.

[Random event commencing! Save 12 lives (7/12). Remaining citizens: 5]

The angel then laid them down and looked around, finding Larkin heading towards her. Since she had the time to hide her body, she quickly turned back into being a rat and continued checking on the elderly for their breaths. Fortunately, the couple was only knocked out.

[Random event commencing! Save 12 lives (10/12). Remaining citizens: 2]

"Where did it go?"

"It's impossible for us to have seen the same hallucination..."

Artie didn't know what the soldiers were talking about, but she quickly ran up to the archduke who descended the Black Kodiak. She climbed to his shoulder and heard him give orders: "Give them to Kodiak and run as fast as you can."

The soldiers didn't have the time to make a salute as they loaded the elderly on Kodiak and sprinted as soon as the horse went ahead.

Larkin then walked halfway as if finding the center of the marketplace. He took the rat off of his shoulder and held her against his chest with his right hand. His left hand was up in the air again, and a chant came out of his lips.

[Random event commencing! Save 12 lives (12/12). Remaining citizens: 0]

[You have succeeded in the random event! Rewards will now be sent to you!]

[You are not yet eligible for the reward! The rewards will be stored temporarily!]

Burst! Artie wasn't paying attention to his notifications now that she was witnessing something more magnificent than the rewards she could not claim. The black mist from Larkin's hand exploded in all directions, creating a huge mass that encompassed the entire marketplace.

In an instant, the fire vanished, and the woods curled into decay. Cinders and embers suddenly settled, making the area clear from fire, breaking hazards, and even dust that affected the lungs of the builders.

In one magic spell, Larkin extinguished danger!

'Is this why they were all calling for the archduke?' Artie was pressed against his chest, and her eyes could only see his face from below. She could appreciate the perfect angular sculpting of his jaws and the long lashes of his eyes. Even the height of his nose… and the firmness of his chest…

'What would any woman not give to be held against this…?' She spoke like she was not a woman to be included.

"It must have been very necessary for you to unveil your nature..."

"Huh?" Artie could only squeak in response. Soon, she felt like Larkin held onto her and brought her small rat face to his eye level. His eyes, albeit mellow and soft, didn't lose the coldness in their gaze. He spoke again, "We all saw it. A figure clad in white light and in possession of massive feathery wings…

"We have not yet forgotten what an angel looks like..."

Artie froze. She had no idea that she was emitting such sight when she was rescuing the elderly. Well, it must be better than being seen naked, especially when those soldiers would realize that she was the archduke's woman—in paper. However, being discovered should come with its consequences as well.

The rat only lowered her eyes and squeaked. "I had to. They were dying. I apologize..."

"No need, your actions are necessary." Larkin then placed her back on his shoulder. "However, this matter is far from done. We must investigate what caused this fire. Then, I would punish the culprit."

Artie only nodded and clutched her short claws on the fabric so she wouldn't fall off as he walked. Only when they immersed in silence did she realize…

'He understood what I said?!'

…

Larkin had arrived at the plaza where all the evacuees were being hosted. By then, Barda and Miel had already arrived along with some castle maids who helped out in making food for those who lost their homes. The place seemed to be set up way earlier, the wrecked effigies set aside.

"Your Grace!" Miel quickly ran to the archduke and produced a handkerchief upon seeing that Larkin's immaculate skin was kissed by the fumes of the burning wood. His cheeks and forehead had blackened lightly, and such a dirty look didn't fit the archduke.

However, when Miel reached out to clear the archduke's face, his eyes caught a glimpse of Artie who was hiding in the collar of the archduke. As if time had stopped on Miel, the seneschal froze in his spot as if his brain was failing to process the sight.

Larkin took Artie off of his shoulder and hid her from Miel's view. ��What's wrong?"

"I… I thought I… I apologize..." Miel mechanically cleared the archduke's face while his eyes were scanning the shadows in Larkin's collar. "Was there a rat on you, Your Grace?"

"You're hallucinating." Larkin lied straight at Miel's face, but it seemed that his freeze from earlier rendered him incapable of actually processing the fact that Larkin just took the rat off of his shoulder and was holding it out of sight.

However, such a thing didn't work on Barda. The marshal was watching them closely, hoping to give his own reports. It's just that… "The archduke is sure fond of picking things up from the streets, but… the seneschal and a rat would never mix..."

Soon, he decided not to meddle with the archduke's prank. "Reporting to the archduke! Your Grace, we have a possible suspect of the arson. It's a child."