Elizabeth sat at her desk with an opened letter lying on it. Her face was flushed with relief. She had just come back after showering since she decided to do some extra training herself after Tibaut left.
"Finally, we're gonna put an end to this cult business. Geez, it's because of those bastards I haven't been able to put Tibaut to use yet. I have a tiger in a cage but nothing to release it on."
She was commenting on the contents of the letter she read a few hours ago. In short, it details how they knew they had a few reliable locations for where the cult might be. It strongly advised those reading to ready themselves for the coming week as it was highly likely after investigating these locations the adventurers who received this letter would be called to action.
She looked around her room and eventually found her sheathed sword under her bed sheets. She pulled it out and examined it.
"Ugh, looks I went too rough with it." She pressed her finger against the edge yet didn't draw blood. She then left her room and walked through the mansion before reaching the basement.
"Why does she keep doing this to herself?" She said as the heat of the underground workshop blasted her.
She quickly moved to a window that most would ignore and opened it. It did its best to try and get the pre-dawn air in the inferno that Vanessa locked herself in.
Elizabeth soon noticed her blacksmith covered in sweat lying on the floor. She seemed to be having a good dream as she was smiling.
Elizabeth then did what most good friends do to wake each other up. She kicked her. Vanessa immediately got up, looking confused before staring at Elizabeth.
"Liz, you're so mean to me."
"I would like to remind you that you have a bedroom. If I keep sleeping down here, I'll consider renting it out for some extra money."
"At least let me clear it out before you start (there are a few things in there I'd have to kill someone if they found them) ."
Elizabeth gave a dismissive sigh and then threw her sword at Vanessa.
"Sharpen it." Elizabeth coldly told her.
Vanessa's face grimaced. She quickly thought up an excuse.
"Uh, sorry Liz I'm kinda working Ezekiel's sword so I can't (She doesn't need to know we took a break)."
"Vanessa, I'm asking you to sharpen it, if you try to slink your way out of this one, I might have to lower your budget."
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"Wha-"
"In fact I noticed, you fixed some armour lately yet didn't mention a word to me. It seems like you're doing pretty well so maybe you don't need any extra support."
Vanessa looked like she was about to short-circuit and immediately took out a whetstone and sat on a nearby stool.
"What are you talking about Liz? That rest left me worked up. I'm roaring to go," she then began rubbing the whetstone against the sword in an energetic manner.
"How convenient." She remarked before she left.
In another part of the parish, a pair were going on a walk through a forest.
"..."
"Come on, don't be like that Lily," the man with dreadlocks told her.
"..."
"I promise it won't take too long to get back and have a nice breakfast."
A vein on the girl named Lily's forehead twitched when he mentioned breakfast and she punched him in his side. He didn't react to it much and that only served to infuriate her more. The short girl wearing a hoodie over her short black hair complained.
"You bastard, the food we were carrying was supposed to serve the both of us."
Ezekiel put his hands in front of him and tried to calm her down.
"Now, now Lily, I'm a grown man, you can't expect me to eat that little?" The girl then delivered a kick to his shin after that unapologetic comment. This left him on the floor for a few seconds and she continued walking. He soon caught up to her and proceeded to dig his grave more.
"Wow with a kick like that, it's no wonder you learned martial arts."
The short girl looked defeated and didn't bother harming him anymore.
"Well if you can still stand after that like it was nothing you must be fully healed. What the hell kinda potion did you get from Mr. Bentley?"
"Well, the bright side is that I no longer look like one of my parents was a mummy."
"Did you just ignore my question, you bastard!?" She said while getting up in his face.
"Is that any way to talk to your boss?" He said while trying to sound intimidating. The girl paid no mind and responded "Then how about you actually act like a respectable person and not eat my packed breakfast."
"But your cooking is so tasty though. I wished you cooked more often." He responded without missing a beat. A kick to his face soon followed. As the girl was wearing shorts she had no worries when it came to letting loose some kicks.
Eventually, a few minutes passed and Lily was starting to get restless.
"Are you sure you copied that map correctly?" She asked.
"Do I look like I'd send us on a wild goose chase?"
"Didn't you do exactly that, the other day?"
"Just trust me alright." And with that lacklustre encouragement, they continued forward.
Eventually while walking Lily stopped Ezekiel.
Before he could ask why he was dragged by her into a nearby bush. She then took off his shiny chest plate.
"I didn't realise you were that kinda girl Lily. I'm kinda disappointed."
She ignored him, found a nearby rabbit running by and grabbed it. She then threw it in the direction they were walking in and the rabbit seemed to be fine. However, within a few minutes, some men approached the area and looked around.
"Tch, why couldn't we have gotten a regular barrier?"
"Shut up, you know this is better than having nothing at all."
"I'm sick and tired of coming out here for every rabbit and deer that feels like passing by."
The men walked back from where they came from while continuing to talk to each other.
"An alert barrier, huh? Looks like we found them" Ezekiel remarked.
"Well, we would have probably had to fight them if they saw the moonlight reflecting off your chest plate."
"I really am disappointed Lily, you're trying so hard to justify stripping m-"
Even from their crouching position she managed to kick him.