To the south of the Kingdom of Skoland lay a village named Kallin. Kallin Village itself bordered directly with the Kingdom of Axalon to the south.
Though Kallin Village directly bordered the enemy kingdom, it had not yet been attacked by Axalon forces, owing to its utter poverty. Yet this impoverished village was capable of maintaining its pristine condition and the well-being of its inhabitants.
There was a young female adventurer born in this village, named Zoya Maisie, commonly known as Zoya. Zoya was a B-rank young adventurer who worked as a hunter of herbs and animals for the village doctor.
Zoya had an older brother who was currently an elite knight of Skoland. Though blood-related, Zoya and her brother were utterly incompatible and even harboured animosity towards each other.
On a bright morning, as Zoya prepared to gather herbs in the forest, she overheard a rumour that there was a fiery knight who had duelled Lady Utopia of Axalon to a standstill.
According to the rumour, the fiery knight was currently making his way towards the sea in the Kingdom of Wallace, passing through Axalon. Zoya, upon hearing this, grew curious as to the appearance and form of this fiery knight.
"I must meet him! If I succeed in meeting him and befriending him, I shall surpass my arrogant brother!" Zoya exclaimed before returning to her home.
Zoya hastened back to her house to place her basket upon the table. She took many provisions, such as food and drink, and placed them into her cloth bag.
All these provisions were for her journey in search of the fiery knight. When all was prepared, the doctor suddenly arrived to inquire about her herbal plants.
"Whither goest thou, young Zoya? Where are the herbal plants? Why is thy basket empty?" inquired the doctor.
"I-it is thus, doctor, for some reason the herbal plants grow not in their usual place, so I must travel elsewhere to gather them," Zoya uttered, her eyes darting about.
"Hmm, very well, do be careful on thy way. Shouldst thou encounter Axalon knights, be swift to distance thyself, for thou wouldst not wish to be slain by them or for them to do thee any manner of ill?" the doctor spoke with a somewhat serious expression, then laughed.
"Hiiiii~ Frighten me not with such talk, doctor; aye, I shall keep my distance from those Axalon knights," Zoya replied, her face slightly angered.
Having spoken thus, the doctor left Zoya alone in her house. Zoya, now alone, re-examined all her provisions and took a small dagger from her room.
This small dagger was incapable of piercing a knight's armour, but it was strong and sharp enough to defend against wild beasts.
When all was ready, Zoya took a small step out of her house, a great stride into the world outside.
Before leaving the village, Zoya walked about, circling the village as if this were the last time she would behold her childhood home.
When she had seen all, she continued her journey to the village to the east, namely Blegor Village, which was nigh unto Aber Port City.
The journey to Blegor Village took three days and two nights. Whilst on her journey, Zoya gathered a great many herbal plants to sell upon her arrival in Blegor Village.
On the eve of the first day of her journey, Zoya pitched her humble tent near the forest to spend the night. After she had erected her tent, she swiftly gathered many twigs and small pieces of wood to make a bonfire.
As Zoya was gathering twigs and wood for the bonfire, she inadvertently heard the sound of footsteps, accompanied by the clanking of armour.
Zoya walked slowly so as not to make a loud sound and peered from behind a large tree to see who the knight was.
It turned out that the knight bore the Axalon crest upon the shield he carried upon his back.
Zoya observed the knight, saying within her heart, "What doth an Axalon knight do in this forest alone? Is he scouting, or is he lost?"
Zoya continued to gaze at the knight. When the Axalon knight looked behind him, Zoya hid behind the large tree.
Zoya, feeling she had observed the knight sufficiently, decided to leave him and immediately report to the knights currently stationed in Blegor Village.
As Zoya was about to return to her tent, which was not far off, she stepped upon a twig, creating a "crack" sound that put the knight on alert, causing him to grasp his sword.
"WHO IS THERE?!" the knight demanded, shouting.
The knight continued to look towards the large tree where Zoya was hidden, whilst she covered her mouth.
The knight began to walk slowly, step by step, approaching the large tree. The knight's sword was now visible to Zoya, right beside him.
Just as the knight's hand was almost visible, a sudden sound of a twig being stepped upon came from the right. The knight immediately ran towards the source of the sound, leaving Zoya alone and terrified.
Zoya, realizing that the knight had departed and was far away, immediately hastened back to her tent and decided to dismantle it to move from the forest.
After Zoya finished taking down her tent and carrying it, she immediately rushed to a cave concealed by a waterfall.
Zoya knew there was a cave there, as it was still within the area of Kallin Village, the village where she had played as a child.
Zoya walked towards the waterfall with great caution, whilst gathering some twigs and small pieces of wood that she had previously left behind.
Upon reaching the waterfall, she immediately entered behind it through a small rock crevice beside it. Fortunately for her, her body was still very small despite being a teenager approaching adulthood, so she could still enter the rock crevice.
All the equipment she carried, she carried with great care so that it would not be exposed to the waterfall and become wet.
All her equipment was successfully moved, though she was forced to leave the small pieces of wood behind as they did not fit.
Zoya quickly prepared her bed, which was laid upon linen cloth. She also lit a bonfire with the twigs she had brought, using a piece of iron and a flint.
When the bonfire was lit, she immediately ate the somewhat hard black bread nearby, whilst warming herself.
After Zoya had eaten her black bread, she hastened to sleep, preparing to continue her journey on the morrow.
----------------------------------------------------------
The following morn, bright and clear, Zoya awoke and prepared to continue her journey. She tidied her bedroll to carry it forth.
When all was done, Zoya emerged from the cave, passing once more through the narrow rock crevice.
Zoya walked through the dense forest, so thick that it caused her to stumble and fall, owing to the tree roots jutting out upon the ground.
"Ouch," was Zoya's cry as she fell.
Zoya looked down at her knee and beheld a graze, accompanied by dirt.
"Oh dear..." Zoya's moan of pain.
Despite the ache and sting, Zoya continued her journey towards Blegor Village.
Zoya at last emerged from the forest and entered an open field. In this open field, she ought to have been able to see Blegor Village, for there were no longer any forests or hills obstructing her view.
How startled Zoya was when she attempted to gaze upon Blegor Village!
The village emitted thick black smoke skyward; truly, Zoya's journey to seek information about the fiery knight had been in vain.
As Zoya was about to turn back, how aghast she was to look behind her and behold ten Crafters, who had, it seemed, been following Zoya all this time!
These ten Crafters had not assailed Zoya on the first night, wishing to witness Zoya's despair when she discovered her purpose was futile.
Zoya attempted to flee, but the Crafters were exceedingly swift and immediately encircled Zoya.
Zoya, realizing she was trapped, forthwith drew her dagger from her cloth bag.
Zoya immediately pointed the dagger towards the Crafters who were slowly approaching her.
"D-depart from hence, ye vile knights!" was Zoya's utterance as she aimed her dagger.
The Crafters continued to approach Zoya. Zoya, in despair, immediately attacked one of the Crafters.
It was truly no match for her; the Crafter immediately parried Zoya's hand and flung her dagger away. The Crafter then seized Zoya's right arm and attempted to tear it and devour it.
"H-help me... someone, pray help me!" was Zoya's cry of pain, for her right arm was gripped with such force that it nigh crushed her small hand.
Instantly, a fiery spear shot forth with great speed and plunged itself into the head of the Crafter holding Zoya's right hand.
The Crafter holding Zoya's right hand immediately lost its head and forthwith released Zoya's nigh-crushed right hand.
The nine other Crafters looked towards the origin of the fiery spear, and they beheld the fiery knight standing, gazing at them with a cold stare.
Zoya, feeling the pain in her right arm, also looked towards the fiery knight.
She saw the fiery knight as a fallen king, a king who had plunged into the abyss of hell.
Even so, Zoya felt no fear upon seeing him; rather, she felt that this fiery knight was an angel amidst the chaos of this island.
The other Crafters immediately attacked the fiery knight, leaving Zoya alone.
Though these Crafters attacked the fiery knight all at once, they were no match for him; they could be defeated even by a flamberge that was not aflame.
The Crafters were slain and immediately vanished into ash. The fiery knight walked towards Zoya with his cold gaze.
Zoya, realizing this, immediately stood up and thanked him. The fiery knight paid her no heed and continued walking, leaving Zoya alone.
This abandonment vexed Zoya, and she immediately blocked the fiery knight's path.
The fiery knight merely stood silent as Zoya began to obstruct him; he merely looked coldly at Zoya, as if bidding her to move aside.
Zoya understood this, and she forthwith said, "Oh, valiant fiery knight, I shall continue to follow thee until thou deign to speak to me!" Zoya spoke.
The fiery knight merely stood silent and looked at Zoya, then walked past Zoya once more.
Zoya felt this to be an agreement and immediately gathered her fallen equipment.
Thus began the journey of the fiery knight, accompanied by a young red-haired woman, Zoya Maisie.