A devastating wildfire consumed a portion of the forest south of Kyllian City. It also claimed a small remote village nestled within the trees, Randel.
The majority of its wooden infrastructure was burned to ash, sending the village into an extreme state of emergency. The fire also trapped the villagers from escaping through the night, and that was the reason why it took only this morning for a fast rider to be sent to Kyllian asking for help.
Nobody knew the extent of casualties, at least not yet.
"Pack up the relief supply as soon as possible. I want it to be done in hours!" Herman ordered the gathered workers in a loud voice.
Wasting no time, he took command of a relief effort to be sent to the village. Workers were summoned and gathered, food and clothing packed, and rescue volunteers briefed.
The flexible command structure of the Free Guild made it the best organization to rely on in an emergency. Although, a report of the disaster was also sent to the Marquis' mansion.
Senna looked over the bustle of these soon-to-be rescuers with a complicated expression. "It sounds bad, isn't it?" Lenna, standing beside him, said with concern.
"Yeah… the messenger said it was total ruination." Holding Cybele in his arms, Senna murmured.
He knew from the start that the disaster was more than likely his fault. His magic ability,
The question was, should he pretend it got nothing to do with him? After all, the only witness alive was this sentient dog that only he could hold a proper conversation with. Even if she blabbed, no one would understand the barking of a Siberian Husky.
"Sen? You're holding me too tight," the dog complained.
"Ah, sorry."
*Tap Tap Tap*
They heard hurried footsteps coming from behind, inside the guildhouse. "Excuse me, I'm in a rush."
It was Ran, the receptionist. Instead of the uniform garment she wore before, now she was decked in hardy clothing fit for traveling.
Seemed like she didn't notice it was Senna standing in her path. "Ms. Ran, are you going to—"
"Ah, Se… Sir Senna, right? I'm sorry, but I have to leave immediately."
Avoiding him, she attempted to circle around. "I can take you there in an hour or so if you want."
"Huh?" Hearing the unexpected words coming from the man, she stopped in her track.
'What am I offering that for?' Deep in his mind, Senna doubted himself. Perhaps it was his subconscious guilt-ridden self trying to somewhat atone for his misdeed.
"In an… hour?"
"Probably faster than that. We can reach Randel way ahead of them," pointing to the assembling workers, Senna declared. "What about it?"
"Ran, it's true. Senna has this unique power to summon weird moving contraptions you can ride around. They can take you very fast," Lenna chimed in, much to Senna's surprise.
True, he had explained in detail about his summoning skill during their morning ride. But it was her seeming acquaintanceship with Ran that he didn't expect.
"I'm a guild regular, remember? We talked a lot when I'm visiting," the waitress elaborated.
"Summoning vehicle? I never heard a power like that before…"
"Then, let's go outside the city gate. I'll show you that I'm not pulling any of beautiful your legs."
Still dubious, Ran nevertheless agreed with Senna's proposition.
'If she accepts, will this counts as a quest?' An inappropriate thought came to his mind. 'No… I'm not doing this for reward.' He chided himself for entertaining that notion.
Arriving at the clearing just outside the south gate, Senna prompted the two girls to back away.
His mana count was now at another level compared to yesterday. It was currently around seven to eight times the amount when he managed to summon the mountain bike, and it was still rising to its maximum.
Since it was the first time he tried manifesting with so much mana, Senna had to be careful. It would be a tragedy if he mistakenly summoned a dump truck right above them, for example.
"Vehicle Manifestation…" The image slowly materialized in his head.
«Successful: All-Terrain Vehicle manifested.»
As the system declared, a four-wheeler appeared as the light faded. A red ATV with an extra seat for a passenger.
The four large deep threaded wheels made it perfect for the unstable dirt roads he saw yesterday. The quad even had a simple roll cage for protection in the event of an accident.
"W-What is this?" Ran was bewildered. It was her first seeing a modern vehicle from another world.
"I-I didn't expect it would be so big…" Even Lenna, who he had already been aware of his ability, was surprised.
Straddling the driver's seat, Senna patted the one behind him. "Sit here. You'll understand once we get going."
He was a believer in the olden method of trials by fire.
The perplexed receptionist obeyed his instruction, though the skepticism was still clear on her face.
"L-Like this?" She managed to get a good sitting position on the passenger seat, a bit raised than the driver one.
"Yep. Just make sure you hold on to something." Looking down at the ground, he signaled with his eyes for the Siberian Husky to climb aboard as well. "Oh, you won't mind letting my dog on your lap?"
"I-It's fine."
"Hup!" As if on cue, Cybele jumped onto her thighs with gusto. "This is really my favorite thing to do now, riding your vehicles!"
Silently agreeing with her opinion, Senna turned to Lenna waiting on the side. "I'll come back before evening, so uh… Looking forward to dinner?"
A doubt surfaced on the waitress' face. "Before evening? Can it really go that fast?"
"Who knows? But I think it can. Alright, hold tight, Ran."
Senna turned on the ATV and the loud rumble of the engine immediately filled the area. "Ah—Ah, it's vibrating!" Ran panicked.
"You'll get used to it. Alright, later!"
Pulling on the throttle, the quad wheels began to start turning. Glancing at the rear mirrors, he saw Lenna waving at them from where she stood.
"How about it? Is it still too slow?"
They were now proceeding along the southbound road at a speed comparable to a galloping horse.
"I-It can still go faster than this?"
"The gauge does indicate 120 km/h…"
All-terrain vehicles were not known for their speed. They were designed for heavy power in slow riding over rough terrain.
But, it didn't mean they weren't capable of bolting through the wind if the rider tried.
«Quest Accepted: Deliver 'Receptionist Ran' to her destination, Randel Village.»
The second quest he ever received. Senna was wondering why he didn't receive even one when he was driving Lenna around the city earlier.
'Perhaps there's a minimum distance required before it can be considered a quest?'
There were still a lot of unknowns regarding this Taxi Driver System.
"It's so fast and very loud…" From behind, Ran muttered softly. Perhaps she didn't realize it, be her hands were slowly wrapping around Senna's waist, trying to search for a stable object to hang on to. "We can reach Randel before sunset at this rate."
"Right? That's why I offered. Think of it as thanking you for helping with my registration."
"But it's my job… And we didn't manage to finish it, Sir Senna!"
It was just an excuse to deceive her of his true intention.
He hadn't had any plan to reveal his connection to the fire. Not to her, and not to anyone. But, Senna could spare a helping hand for the poor girl, as it seemed she had family living in the devastated village.
'Check Mana,' he silently spoke.
< 117 / 180 >
«The Divine Vessel: ATV requires at least 50 mana to manifest. It consumes about 2.5 per kilometer traversed.»
By quick calculation, he could drive for around 45 kilometers before his tank depleted. 'What if I speed up?'
«Consumption rate will stay the same.»
Then there was no sense in holding back. "Prepare yourself, Ran."
"Huh? Prepare what?"
Putting the throttle to the maximum, the ATV's engine roared like an angry dragon disturbed. "Eh, eh? S-Senn—Waaah!!"
Four wheels raced through the woodlands under a clear sky.