William slowed his horse before turning to one of the students leading the column. "The Lady Knight wants scouts to make sure that we do not stumble upon any surprises. I want you to select three students to form a perimeter around us and two more to go further."
Though she was nervous about their journey back to Illumin, Valessandria couldn't help but feel it was a fortunate opportunity for the students as members of the Disciplinary Committee. Normally, they would only have experience inside the city and dealing with other students. Most situations they would encounter would be breaking up students if a dispute broke out between the nobility and commoners. But now, there was the possibility of fighting monsters and bandits. She released a sigh, feeling relieved that she didn't have to throw students into the fire to combat the Empire. Fighting bandits and monsters wouldn't be easy, but survival wouldn't be as hard.
Four students galloped past her as they moved to scout ahead of the group. One headed the way they came to check if anyone was tracking them.
She knew it would be better to send out ten as scouts, but their group wasn't that large. Suppose they were to encounter any monsters or bandits. In that case, the situation could deteriorate quickly before the scouts could return to provide reinforcement, something she preferred to avoid. Having five would still allow them to have some time to react to any threats coming their way.
The horse's rhythm helped relieve her of negative thoughts, her hips moving with as the horse moved at a relatively fast pace. Valessandria could tell that the horse could maintain the current rate for quite some time through the stirrups and her saddle.
As the sun slowly rose higher, approaching noon, all of them were beginning to feel relaxed, but not to the degree of treating it like some casual academic trip. She appreciated that William kept an eye out on the group's mentality, ensuring they maintained an appropriate level of alertness on the road. He'd occasionally head down the column if he heard any goofing around, warning them that they weren't on a picnic.
Since they weren't racing towards a destination to protect innocent civilians, their journey would be entirely on the road. The smooth worn path would be better for the horses and help them maintain their stamina.
Valessandria kept her head on a swivel, making sure that nothing was approaching them. Upon seeing movement, her eyes narrowed.
"It appears to be one of the scouts," William looked to Valessandria, his visor raised, face slightly sweating.
"I suspect they are only coming back to let us know that we are approaching the next junction." She went through the map in her mind, quickly calculating as she glanced to see where the sun was positioned in the sky. Everything lined up with what she estimated their position to be on the journey, so she didn't feel any worry.
It didn't take long before Valessandria could recognize the rider being one of their students.
Slowing down, the student saluted, "My Lady, I have come to convey that the way is clear, and the road heading to Illumin seems free of any dangers." The horse under the student was breathing deeply with its nostrils flared.
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Just like with William, the student's face was beginning to sweat. Her eyes noticed one of the saddlebags had been touched, still slightly damp. Seeing that, she could even feel her own mouth feeling parched.
Valessandria saluted back to the student, "Good job. Thank you for your report. Remember to keep your focus since we do not know when there may be a danger. Good job with staying hydrated. Head back and refill your canteen. Also, make sure to take care of your horse before you resume your duties."
"Yes, My Lady!" The student grinned as he gave another salute and walked the horse back toward where the water was kept, along with all the supplies.
She couldn't help but smile at the innocent and childlike expression upon receiving a compliment. Taking a hand off of the reins, she reached back to where she stored her canteen. Lifting up the flap slightly, she pulled it out, the metal somewhat cool to the touch relative to everything else exposed to the sun. While holding the reins with her left hand, she opened up the cap and let it swing free from the leather strap. Raising the container to her mouth, she soon felt rejuvenated with the life-saving liquid. Making sure not to drink more than a sip, she swished the water in her mouth to get everything wet and moist before swallowing. Sealing the canteen, she returned it back to the saddlebag just behind her.
"Remind the students not to drink the water too quickly since we need to ration our supplies." Valessandria looked to William.
Nodding, he turned his horse around.
As her body moved in tandem with the horse's gait, she could hear William yelling at a few students who were foolish enough to get caught drinking too much water. She chuckled, remembering the days when she first started out and not realizing how dangerous it was to drink too much while on a mission. It was another thing that students could only learn after gaining practical experience. The fact that the students would forget was why she knew it was important to remind them. With the sun beating down, it wasn't hard to see that they would consume far too. This was in addition to them wearing nearly full-body armor. She couldn't help but imagine that the liquid would sizzle if she poured water on her armor. Being able to handle the heat was thankfully due to years of experience since being at Illumin.
Hearing a horse approaching from her left side, Valessandria turned slightly to see William grumbling and shaking his head.
"How many?" She grinned, knowing even a single student was too much for her Second.
"Too many for my liking," William sighed, confirming Valessandria's thoughts. "I think we should do some more field training after we settle back into things. Some students had drunk half their canteen before I stopped them." He flung a hand out. "I even threatened a few that they'd need to learn how to pee from their horses since we would not stop for their foolishness." He frowned as he checked their surroundings.
She couldn't help but raise a hand to her mouth, chuckling at her Second's frustration, reassured that they wouldn't encounter any difficulty due to insufficient water. Having William with her on the excursion helped relieve some of her burdens.
Valessandria knew William was joking since they'd be stopping for a moment when they reached the junction and began heading on the road leading to Illumin. But it would be a good lesson for students who didn't remember their training. At worse, they'd soil themselves and get teased by their classmates, the lesson forever seared into their minds.
Though William was harsh to the students, it wasn't difficult to see that he just wanted to ensure they were ready for the world once they left Illumin to follow whatever path was open to them. She knew how it was often the case that outside the Academy, the world wasn't as kind, and people didn't keep as close an eye out for the safety of those under their command.