The two little girls stopped for a moment, and in the morning sunlight, on their way toward the Forest of Wolves, they happily munched on their scones — completely unaware that their secret mission would soon become far more dangerous than they imagined.
The two little girls reached the area of the old ruins safely.
But staying unnoticed there was no longer easy: because of the construction of the new military base, many people were working in the area, and the Wolf Knights watched every movement between the trees with sharp eyes.
And maid outfits were far too conspicuous to escape the notice of a Wolf Hunter.
The hunter stopped them immediately.
"Hey! What are you two doing in the Forest of Wolves?! This is a dangerous area!"
Fireburp straightened proudly.
"We're on a secret mission!"
The hunter squinted.
"Those horns… you're the new battle maid, Fireslurp?"
"Fireburp!
My name is Fireburp, not Fireslurp!"
"Yeah, sure…
You're the new apprentice of the Wolf Mage Master.
We secured the area, but sending two kids here alone is still…
Never mind, I didn't say anything.
Come on, I need to report you to the guard captain."
The two little girls obediently followed him.
Xaba, the Guard Captain
Young Wolf had entrusted the supervision of the military base to two Wolf Knights: Xaba and Jula, who took turns weekly.
This week, Xaba was on duty.
The hunter led the girls to him.
"Xaba!
Here are two maid‑girls who came here for some kind of secret mission."
Xaba looked up and immediately recognized them.
"Well now… aren't you Fireburp and Lili?
You came alone?
Fireburp I can understand, but sending Lili here without protection is pretty irresponsible.
I don't know what business brought you here, but I'm sure Young Wolf didn't send you.
So… which idiot is responsible for you ending up here?"
"Noelle!" Fireburp blurted out.
"Anita!" Lili said at the exact same time.
Xaba raised an eyebrow.
"I can imagine Anita… but Noelle?"
Fireburp crossed her arms.
"This is a secret mission, we can't say more!"
Xaba smiled.
"Come on, Fireburp. We're both fire‑elemental. We're practically comrades.
If Master Florian doesn't have time to train you, you can always count on me, right?"
Fireburp melted under the praise.
"You're right!
We came to pick Amorcap Mushrooms at the Old Wolf‑Oak."
Lili clapped her hands in outrage.
"You revealed the secret too easily!
Just like a proper maid!"
Xaba froze.
"Anita and Noelle need Amorcap Mushrooms?"
Lili nodded enthusiastically.
"It's true!
Anita needs the Amorcap so Noelle can flavor her scones with it, and then they can enjoy the taste together with Young Wolf!"
Xaba nodded slowly, a sly smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"I see.
So that's why this mission is so secret.
Now it makes sense why Noelle is involved in Anita's little scheme.
I suppose Anita sent you two so Young Wolf wouldn't suspect anything, since they're planning a surprise for him.
That's a sneaky move… even for Anita."
Then he stood up.
"Alright, I'm in!
This is way too entertaining to miss.
I'll escort you to the Old Wolf‑Oak and keep an eye on Lili."
Fireburp looked at him suspiciously.
"You'll help us? Why?"
"Anita is my childhood friend.
I owe her at least this much — helping her enjoy the 'taste' with Young Wolf."
Lili's eyes sparkled.
"If we pick Amorcap Mushrooms, will Anita and Noelle praise us?"
"If their plan succeeds, you'll even get a reward.
They'll be so happy."
Fireburp clenched her fist.
"Alright then! Off to the Old Wolf‑Oak!"
The three‑member "special unit" set off into the depths of the forest — each for completely different reasons, but with the same enthusiasm.
The two little girls never meant to deceive anyone. They were simply excited, acting according to their own childlike logic. The adults, however, misunderstood their words, and those misunderstandings created even more confusion — and so a playful mushroom‑picking outing turned into a real secret mission.
Xaba, who had temporarily left the camp for an important matter, decided to accompany them. Not because he believed in the mission — but because he couldn't leave two little girls alone in a dangerous forest.
From the old ruins, an hour's walk north led to the Old Wolf‑Oak. That area was no longer safe at all. Yet, thanks to some strange stroke of luck, not a single monster crossed their path.
When they arrived, Xaba stopped before the massive, twisted‑trunked tree.
"We've arrived at the Old Wolf‑Oak. I haven't been here in a long time. One of this ancient oak's branches was used to craft Young Wolf's and Noelle's old magic staves."
Lili looked around curiously.
"Don't you ever come here to pick mushrooms?"
Xaba snorted.
"Not me. Even without mushrooms like these, the evening entertainment with my wife is enjoyable enough."
Meanwhile, Fireburp was rummaging around at the base of the tree.
"I found some here! Will this be enough?"
Xaba nodded, but his expression darkened.
"More than enough. Pick them quickly, then let's get out of here. I don't like that we didn't run into a single monster on the way. If there are no goblins, then there are many wolves. But if there aren't any wolves either, then…"
Lili interrupted innocently:
"Then there should be lots of goblins?"
Fireburp was already counting the harvest.
"Got them! Eight big Amorcap caps."
"Good thing we brought a sack," Lili said. "My backpack could only fit two at most."
"They all fit in the sack. I'll carry the mushrooms," Fireburp declared proudly.
Then she suddenly froze.
"What is this feeling? I got chills. And what is that awful smell?"
Lili sniffed the air, confused.
"What awful smell? I don't smell anything."
Xaba's face went pale.
"Oh, damn it… Goblins. A whole pack. They've surrounded us, which means they're being led by a goblin chief."
Fireburp recoiled as the green‑skinned, yellow‑eyed creatures emerged from the bushes.
"They're here! How many of them are there?!"
"About twenty," Xaba growled. "I knew something was wrong. Lili, try to hide among the wolf‑oak's roots! Fireburp, the Goblin Chief is strong. I can't defeat him in an instant. You need to hold off the goblins until I deal with their leader."
Fireburp's eyes widened.
"What?! You want me to defeat twenty goblins alone?!"
"You don't need to defeat them. Just burn one or two alive — the rest will get cautious. Goblins fear fire. Your fireball is big enough that even I wouldn't want to face it. Just hold it in your hand, and they won't dare come close."
"And how long do I have to hold them off?!"
"I'll hurry as fast as I can!"
Xaba drew his sword and lunged toward the goblin chief.
The two little girls' first real mission suddenly became very real indeed.
Lili, terrified, hid among the thick, twisted roots of the Old Wolf‑Oak. But the goblins' yellow eyes had already locked onto her — the scent of fear drew them from afar.
Xaba coated his sword in fire magic and charged at the Goblin Chief with full force. On the way he cut down three goblins in a single sweeping strike, and then his flaming blade clashed against the chief's massive spiked mace. The ground trembled from the impact.
"This bastard is using earth element!" Xaba hissed. "I'm sorry, girls! The situation is even worse than it looked at first."
The sight of the three dead goblins and the flaming sword instinctively pushed the remaining goblins to leave the stronger opponent to their leader and turn their attention to the two smaller prey.
Several goblins rushed the girls — but Fireburp reacted instantly. Her first two fireballs burned two goblins alive, and the others halted in fear. She held the third fireball in her hand like a threatening, glowing sun.
Five goblins were dead.
But fifteen still remained… and the chief.
The goblins and Fireburp stared each other down. Both sides waited, watching for the other's move. Meanwhile, Xaba was locked in a life‑and‑death struggle with the Goblin Chief. The leader was strong, wild, and relished the one‑on‑one fight. The clash of sword and mace echoed through the forest.
Two or three long, tense minutes passed.
The goblins eventually grew tired of waiting — or simply forgot they were supposed to be afraid. In a single instant, all fifteen charged toward Lili.
Fireburp hurled the fireball in her hand at the first goblin. The creature burst into flames and collapsed screaming — but this time the others did not stop. They kept running toward Lili.
Fireburp panicked.
But this fear was different from anything she had felt before.
She wasn't afraid for her own skin.
She wasn't terrified for her own life.
She was afraid for Lili.
For her friend.
Her first friend ever.
Shock, fear, helplessness, and dragon pride all collided inside her at once. Her body trembled. Magic churned within her like a volcano ready to erupt.
Lili cried out with tearful eyes:
"Fireburp! Help me!"
That was the final spark.
Something exploded inside Fireburp's heart.
The little dragon girl roared:
"Don't… you… dare… hurt… my friend!!!"