“Nana-chan, please see to this one’s wounds,” the man called Ren ordered one of his companions.

Sakuta was approached by a short girl in a white robe decorated with gold and blue patterns and embroidery. She crouched down before him and examined his shoulder. “Sit still, please,” she said and held her hands up. “O’ Mother Lucilla, I bask this one in your heavenly radiance... Heal.” A warm light shone from the girl’s hands and sealed up Sakuta’s wound in an instant.

“Wha...?” He tried touching the spot where the arrowhead had been but there was nothing but blood left. It didn’t even hurt anymore. “How’s that... What did you do?”

The girl simply smiled at him. All of the other passengers like Sakuta were also left stupefied by this. “It doesn’t take much to realize that wasn’t normal,” commented Student Council President, whose name she had revealed to be Makoto. “Care to explain what that was?”

“Magic,” replied Ren evenly and clearly. “It's pretty common here in Essen. But I understand it may come as a shock to you.”

Magic? Did such a thing even exist? It seemed unlikely and yet they had all just witnessed it with their own eyes. There was almost no doubting it. Sakuta couldn’t help but gulp as he stared at his now completely recovered shoulder.

“I see. So, that ice she used earlier was magic as well? A spell of sorts?”

Ren nodded at Makoto's question. “Right. Nice catch. Liliana here is what we call an Invoker. She’s a type of mage that specialises in forming elements. Nana-chan over there is a Cleric, who knows healing magic, as you’ve all just seen.”

“That’s right.” The lady named Liliana flicked her hair over her shoulder. She was an older woman with elegant features and an air of eroticism about her. While she was fairly slim, she had curves in all the right places and a figure most women would envy. “There are plenty of other mages with many skills. But you needn’t worry yourselves about that right now. Is anyone else hurt? Nana will see to your wounds.”

“I’m sorry but none of this makes sense...” The flaxen-haired girl named Alice shook her head. One of Ren's companions had offered her a cloak to cover herself after the beasts had attempted to assault her. “What on earth were those things that attacked us? W-Were they going to…”

“Those were beasts known as gnolls,” Ren said. “They’re a hostile mob here in Aranea. They’re a strong race, albeit a dying one. They often attack wagons like this in search of women. They would've captured you and used you to breed more of their kind.”

The girls shuddered at the thought. “Then it’s a good thing you came along when you did.” Makoto folded her arms. She still seemed rather sceptical of Ren and his group. “Who are you people, anyway?”

Ren introduced himself and his party as a group called the “Seekers of Truth”, and he was their leader. If it weren’t for them making it to Sakuta and others in time, who knows just how bad things would’ve gotten here. The teamster had been killed right in front of them and, according to Ren, the girls amongst them would have been raped. Just saying those things, it honestly seemed unbelievable.

“We will escort you the rest of the way.” Ren climbed atop his horse. “These roads can be perilous, especially at night. Please, allow us to accompany you.”

“The rest of the way?” Yamato asked him. “Where are we going?”

“To the city of Fortuna. If we move now, we should arrive by dawn.”

Fortuna... Sakuta didn’t know a city by that name.

What was this place? Where had they come from? He didn’t have a single clue and nothing to help figure it out. But...there was one thing Sakuta was certain of...

There was no magic or strange beasts known as gnolls in that other place. He was absolutely sure of that.