It all began the day after her arrival in Hargeon. While she had been scouting locations for a date with her wife, Esperia couldn't help but keep thinking back on the idea of a beach. Not only was the sea a wonderful sight to behold, but she also had an additional excuse to get Valerie to wear a bikini! Truly a glorious master plan, even if she did think of it herself.

So far the initial scouting had provided her with a healthy assortment of knowledge. The beach itself was already a pleasant sight to behold, the efforts of the local mages to keep the beach clean of trash evident in the state of the beach itself. She even was able to call upon one of her contacts who told her there was a nice secluded area within a nearby cove. However, she had decided to spend some time checking out the place first. After all she wanted to make certain the place offered the best possible view for them.

However, as she was walking along the cove Esperia couldn't admire the tranquil beauty of it. The way the cove gave a clear view of the sea itself, the waves that flown gently onto the beach and finally the pirate ship...

Wait pirate ship? Seeing the pirate flag waving proudly on top of the mast Esperia couldn't help but sigh audibly, a clear hint of frustration in her voice. "Pirates... Why did it have to be pirates again?"

Esperia couldn't help but ball up a fist in annoyance, clearly aware of the threat those bandits of the sea could pose. They weren't simply a threat to the people of Hargeon, but also the tourists that visited the nearby beaches. Usually, this meant that the Blue Pegasus mages were inclined to deal with those pirates, but considering those pirates also were a threat to her dating plans, Esperia had decided it was time to teach those naughty pirates just how careful they had to be around a lewdling like her!

WC: 344/2000

How long had it been since she last dealt with the pirates terrorizing Hargeon? Back then she couldn't help but wonder why the Magic Council had declared her a criminal over something petty like this? Esperia couldn't help but sigh audibly, despite all the good she had done, Esperia was still declared a villain by the Magic Council.

It was tiring, to think they had declared her a criminal merely because she had decided to keep some of the treasure the pirates had stolen. To simply label her a criminal because she had taken some of the treasure as compensation for her work.

Did they truly expect her to be a selfless saint? Mumbling in frustration Esperia walked further along the path leading along the cove, wondering what type of dangers would await her. Getting to a halt near one of the nearby trees, Esperia overlooked the path leading deeper into the hidden section of a collection of caves where the pirate ship she spotted earlier had dropped anchor near a beach.

Judging from what she saw at this point, the pirates were busy unloading treasure they had pillaged into the nearby caves, but what made her curious was the fact there were several well-equiped individuals guarding the entrance. At first one might had assumed they were fellow pirates, but their equipment was a cut above the usual gear you saw pirates have, and there was also the fact that among them there were some who actually had staves which suggested they might had been mages.

It was clear that going down there would mean she would get into quite an intense battle, but at the same time leaving them unchecked would create the risk of them possibly raiding Hargeon while she was on a date with Valerie. It was clear what had to be done: Those pirates needed to be gone!

WC: 315
Total WC: 659/2000

However, it was clear that those pirates had sheer numbers on their side. Even if she didn't like admitting it, there was no ignoring that fact. In the end, to most a frontal charge like this would be suicidal. One would be bombarded with spells right away, and if by some miracle survived long enough to reach the caves would have to deal with the pirates and their weapons, pirates who were usually armed with scimitars and similar weaponry.

Still, she was not most people, and she could take that to her advantage. Her lips curving up into a smile she couldn't help but shake her head at the thought she was considering an outlandish idea like this, but then again, it seemed fitting for one like her.

Perhaps it was for that reason the mercenaries at the cave who spotted her almost immediatly thought she had been crazy, the warning to stay back being ignored, and as expected they launched a volley of magical projectiles at her.

From fireballs to lightning bolts and even a geyser of water were fired, but to the mercenaries disbelief the moment the spells were supposed to reach their mark they sizzled out, as if something had drained all the mana within the spell!

Reaching the end of the path Esperia couldn't help but inquire with a mischievous smile. "So what's next?" Of course, the mercenaries were quick to attack her physically.

One attempted to lunge at her with his staff raised, a lunge that in her eyes was too slow to even reach her, for the vampire dashed past him, her prosthetic arm digging into his stomach and applying enough pressure that he buckled over onto his knees and collapsed from the sheer pain.

"That is one I guess~" Esperia chimed softly.

WC: 303
Total WC: 962/2000

It didn't take long for the two remaining mercenaries to recover from the initial shock of having seen their companion being defeated so easily. In a way the tactician within her mused what she would have done if she was in their shoes... Obviously the most logical solution was to get help, call for reinforcements. As anticipated one of the mercenaries prepared to cast some sort of spell, an error in judgement as Esperia heard the other mercenary darting toward the caves.

Before he could even reach the entrance properly, the mercenary was caught by Esperia who lunged after him and grabbed the man by his throat, a firm grip that was unrellenting thanks to the power of her Urudain, and no matter how much he flailed and clawed at her arm, it did little to weaken her grip on him.

After a few moments the lack of being able to breathe properly was enough for the mercenary to faint, the last mercenary, aware now that no spell could pose a threat to her tossed his staff aside and took a combative stance. "Oh~ Martial arts?" Esperia chimed, a hint of curiosity in her voice as she released her grip on the unconcious mercenary and took a step forward toward the last mercenary.

The man clearly seemed on edge, for he didn't even try to wait and see if there was any gap in her defense for him to exploit. Instead the stranger lunged blindly at her, causing Esperia to sidestep and send a jab into the man's flank! It was not enough to deter him however, for the man tried to sweep his arm in her direction, a motion that simply made Esperia take a step backwards to avoid the swing. It had been a while since someone challenged her to a fisticuffs!

WC: 307
Total WC: 1269/2000

There was something about a martial arts fight that always stirred something within Esperia. Perhaps it was nostalgia, or maybe she enjoyed the idea of a martial art brawl more than flinging spells at others? She wasn't sure, but when the moment the mercenary tried to throw a punch into her direction Esperia seemingly surprised him by taking the blow head-on, the fist colliding against the side of her face, but instead of recoiling in pain the girl's lips curved into a smile as she retaliated with a vicious jab at the man's bowls, a punch that carried enough force to blow him several steps backward.

The man collapsed onto a knee, yet to his disbelief watched the girl's face having recovered already from his attack, as if she had never even been injured in the first place. The red eyes that gazed down at him, as if he was just some sort of game for her to play with made the man finally realize who she was. "Y-You... What are you doing here?!"

Esperia smiled briefly at the shock on the man's face, humming playfully in return. "I'm merely here on a vacation~" Words that only infuriated the mercenary who glared at her and shouted in response. "Just wait until my boss hears about this! You'll never get away with this! Not even you, Disaster Traitor!"

Yet at the same time he yelled those words the man felt a sharp agonizing pain in his stomach, his vision blacking out as he collapsed forward onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Esperia's gaze turned toward the nearby caves. What would she find there? The leader of the mercenaries? Perhaps the pirates that were unhauling the treasure earlier?

It wouldn't take long for her to find out!

WC: 304
Total WC: 1573/2000

Yet to Esperia's surprise there was no sign of any mercenary leader within the caves she had entered. In fact, even the pirates had dissapeared! It was such a mysterious disappearance that it even left Esperia speechless. A frown visible on her features as she gazed around the area, not a single trace or clue of the pirates their whereabouts could be found.

Even more peculiar was the fact the treasure they had hauled into the caves was still there, ready for the grab. Did they really trust the mercenaries that much to keep their treasure unguarded? Or was there another reason why those pirates had dissapeared?

Thinking she could investigate the matter further later, she decided on the next course of action: How to deal with the pirates their treasure. Last time she had kept the treasure, the magic council had labeled her a criminal, and she was not in the mood to go through all that again. No, instead the vampiress decided to collect the treasure and return back to the Port of Hargeon.

Fortunately the trip didn't take long, and to her surprise the people and merchants who had their goods pillaged by the pirates were even willing to let her keep some of their treasure to sell as a finder's fee! Not one to decline such a gift, Esperia thanked them for their kindness and after finishing her business at the port went back to the caves.

Her curiosity had forbidden her from considering this case finished till she had discovered where those pirates had disappeared to!

A short trip later and she was back at the caves, her gaze cast at her surroundings once more as she quietly pondered on what could have happened, when without any warning she could see the air tearing open, not unlike the dimensional pathways she used to be able to create.

Taking on a combative stance, Esperia prepared for a new enemy, but none came, instead a voice ringed in the back of her mind. "Be careful... That path leads to a world where there is no balance...."

This presence... Turning around she spotted a robed figure a few paces away from her, one of the embodiments of the world? Yet different from the one that usually reached out to her. "That world has fallen to darkness, there is no light left to challenge it, and soon the world will reach a calamity."

Wait, wasn't that dangerous?! A calamity usually meant the world would go bananas and cease to exist! But then why in the world was there a portal to that world appearing here in this cave? Could it be that something, or someone was trying to call people from Earthland? Perhaps in the hope of tipping the scales? Maybe that was where the pirates had dissapeared to? That type of reasoning did make sense, but for now Esperia declined the idea of investigating any further. After all, she didn't even know if this path was a one-way road!

WC: 507
Total WC: +2000/2000