The day after the meeting when Mia was to set out Yohan introduced her to the party, she’d be working with Larentius and his attendants, the knight Lahahana, the strategist Lagina, and the healer mage Latif. Lagina immediately swung her arm around Mia’s shoulder and introduced the group.

“So, you’re the new hero, right? Let me introduce you to everyone.”

“Lagina, stop you’re being disrespectful.”

Lagina gestured to the other three who seemed to stiffen at the sight of Lagina's decision to introduce them. with a worried expression, the shortest of the men in the group spoke out against her outlandish behaviour.

“The weak little baby man in glasses who just tried to tell me off is Latif. He’s pretty useless in combat but he’s a really good healer when you need him.”

“Oh and you’re one to talk.”

as she introduced him he shrank back and hid behind the tallest man who spoke in defence of his short friend. he then took a step forward.

“The Guy Latif just hid behind is Lahahana. He’s big, he’s kind but really oblivious. You could sit on his lap and demand he undresses, and he wouldn’t know if you’re joking or not.”

“I-I’m not that oblivious.”

towards her initial evaluation of him before it devolved into playful testing Lahahana straightened his back and smiled. before her cutting words caused his expression to cram and by the time he spoke up he was also retreating a few steps as though distance would aid him in avoiding the discussion.

“Yes, you are shut up. The man making himself look important right now is Laurentius he’s always mocked for not being a real noble as his family is really new but he’s a good guy even with his reckless need to prove himself.”

“That last line was uncalled for.”

Laurentius had been standing quietly during the whole conversation. his countenance like that of a stoic old man admiring a cup of tea, or it had been. after Lagina introduced him his shoulders slacked, his stance broke, and he seemed to address her as a normal person would.

“And I’m Lagina, the cutest strategist to ever swing a great sword.”

At the end of her sentence, Mia realized Lagina’s hand had been slowly creeping up her side and was now resting plainly atop her right breast giving occasional squeezes. Mia gave a light sigh to calm herself the others in the room saw plainly as she lifted her arm behind Lagina rather plainly, did a bit of a wind-up and clapped herself a handful of cake. digging her fingers deep into the soft unsuspecting cheek of the girl's hind quarters. he tilted her head to meet her gaze, head slightly down, eyes curiously inspecting with a slight grin growing across her face, just giving her a look that seemed to say, “joke’s on you I’m into it.”

Lagina's smile broke and she slowly removed her own hand before slowly peeling away Mia's hand and walking defeatedly away to her friends. Mia introduced herself. Untying the chainsword from her back and lightly throwing it over her shoulder she spoke.

“I’m Mia, I’m 20 years old and only recently got back from my training up the mount of heroes, I may not be so experienced in working with other people but I can confidently say I can kill anything that gets in our way along the journey and cook anything we kill as well. I hope to get along with you in our time together.”

At the end of her words, she bent her back about five degrees for half a second. seeing this the people she just met responded in kind bowing about ten degrees for closer to a second, trying to show some level of respect after their disrespectful introduction. Yohan rose from his spot on the wall watching these events unfold and made his departure as he said a few parting words.

“Seems I’m not needed here anymore so I’ll just leave you to your work, don’t die and don’t kill anyone innocent.”

The group of five packed provisions for the road and donned civilian clothes before leaving the fort. They took with them a few day’s rations flatbread, dried meats and fruits, water, and some useful adventuring tools they thoughts wouldn’t be too uncommon a sight for bandits to be carrying as well as some splinted armour a bandit might have been able to loot off of someone wealthy enough to afford armour. Mia also took a spare sword to conceal her artefact. She’d need it if an army battalion were sent after them but to keep a low profile would need to keep it hidden for as long as possible.

Laurentius took an axe as a spare weapon, it was adorned with bits of brass here and there and its clash in style with the rest of their equipment blended itself well to the disguise of just having haphazardly thrown together equipment one would get if their every possession was once someone else's. The five soon made their way out into the wilderness under the guidance of Mia through the unforgiving woods. their first evening went a bit rough as everyone scrambled to set up their tents before the last rays of dusk escaped them. Mia didn't even bother electing to just hang up her hammock above the campgrounds and sleep under the stars. after a few days, most of the others followed suit. Except for Latif who was the quickest at setting up his tent and didn’t mind having to take it down every morning before they set out.

The few days’ worth of rations were quickly depleted and Mia had to hunt for them. Lahahana begged to go hunting with Mia but Lagina deterred him. She told him that every animal they'd come across would run and hide as his childishly thunderous walk is needlessly loud for being in a forest with soft ground.

Mia followed the densest proofs of tracks she could assuming they'd lead to a water source so she could hunt for food where the animals tend to gather. true to her instincts they were soon met with the sight of a bear frantically slapping at the water as salmon desperately tried to rush upstream. Lagina heard the distinct clicking sound of a sword being unsheathed.

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"Wait Mia, no we could just fish with the bear, there's no need to fight-"

Mia didn’t listen however and rushed the bear with her sword.

It wasn’t as good as her chainsword, or even the practice sword her master had given her during their training, the iron standard issue blade in her hands thudded uselessly against the bear's exposed back while sliding off its slick fur. The bear jumped a bit and turned to face Mia, roaring ferociously at the thought of someone so small even trying to assault him while he was trying to catch his meal. She took the challenge and simply swung harder drawing first blood and deftly dodging all the bear’s swings.

Mia managed to hit the bear three more times making sure to focus all her blows on the same spot at the left shoulder cutting into the bear's flesh by repetition. Mia however was bouncing around so swiftly like a homicidal rabbit that the bear couldn't land a single blow. Realising this was a losing battle it tried to retreat and Mia chased after it. But she wasn’t paying too much attention to her surroundings and stepped a bit too close to a certain bush. A sting of pain rose rapidly up her right leg and she threw her sword into the bear’s back in frustration as she was forced to take a knee.

The sword arched gracefully in the air before fully piercing deep into the bear's shoulder wound. The bear ran a couple of paces further until the blade in him drew a drop of blood too many and the bear collapsed breathing deep heavy breaths until slowly its breathing stopped. Mia reached into her pouch and produced the knife her master gave her. Without looking, she flipped open the knife and in one fluid motion drove it into the neck of the snake clasped tightly around her ankle.

Lagina ran to her and saw her lifting a snake up to inspect its underside before collapsing in front of her with deep laboured breaths. She didn't even have time to say I told you so. She simply grabbed Mia and slung her unceremoniously over her shoulder before rushing back to their camp for the night. She did not even bother announcing herself before lying her limp body on a table in front of Latif who, until just a moment prior, was reading up on a guide on what plants were medicinal in these particular woods.

The act of Mia being unceremoniously dropped right in front of him followed by Lagina swiftly reaching for the clasps that kept her shirt closed and ripping them open, wiping the accumulating sweat from Mia's brow and frantically trying to fan her red face was not something he was expecting to see today nor was the fact Mia wasn't wearing any underwear something he was expecting to learn today.

“W-what are you doing.”

“Latif stop acting like a virgin for five minutes and do your job.”

She began fanning Mia’s topless body with one hand while pointing to the tiny trickle of blackened blood coming from her leg.

“what happened?”

“she was bitten by a snake while fighting a bear just heal her already.”

“R-right.”

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself before focusing his attention solely on the wound. His palindromounous chant echoed lightly around his tent. As he chanted the blackened blood slowly stopped flowing out from her wound and the holes closed up. Her laboured breathing slowed and she seemed to enter a more peaceful sleep.

“what happened, I heard screaming and… I didn’t see anything...”

Lahahana entered the tent and announced his presence before shyly slinking his way back out with a hand over his eyes. Lagina and Latif looked down at the half-naked woman between them. Latif blushed and looked away, Lagina smiled and grabbed his face.

“Aren’t you just so adorable when you’re shy?”

“L-Lagina… P-please stop.”

“Lahahana, you stil out there?”

“…no”

“Well, when you get back Mia killed a bear and we need someone to take it back here so her efforts don’t go to waste.”

The sound of heavy footsteps trying to sneak away a few paces, before running, off could be heard. Latif meanwhile still firmly in Lagina’s grasp tried very hard not to look at Mia’s exposed chest. Lagina noticing this decided to mess with him.

“How terrible Latif, to be lusting after another woman while I’m right here in front of you?“

She set her opposite hand down on one of Mia’s exposed breasts carefully and gently allowing her fingers to sink in. Mia’s face twitched in her sleep. Latif tried really hard to not notice.

“W-what no I-”

“And a girl you only just met no less? How can you be so insensitive?”

“T-that’s not what’s happening here and you know it.”

He tried to slam his hand down on the table out of anger but quickly remembered there was a girl lying unconscious on the table just soon enough to slow his hand before it landed on her exposed navel. Her countenance stirred once more. And she groaned in displeasure still at least half asleep.

“Oh Latif, are you such a virgin you even miss when you’re trying to cop a feel.”

“I-I wasn’t”

Before he could clear the misunderstanding Lagina released her grip on his face and took his hand by the wrist to guide it up to her chest. Before he knew it she had forced him to do as she was doing. and she firmly held his wrist in place so he wouldn't be able to remove his hand without waking her.

“Lagina w-why.”

“shh… imagine what will happen if you wake her up and she sees you like this.”

“Are you trying to get me killed?”

She laughed it off as quietly as she could and removed her hands at which point Latif swiftly recovered his hand and glared at Lagina. Lagina smirked at him for a few seconds before laughing at him outright.

“You should see the look on your face.”

“Out.”

The two stopped entirely shocked stiff at the direction their ears claimed the sound had come from. When Lagina tried to explain herself she was met with another one-word response.

“S-sorry I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Noizy.”

After which both of them were swiftly shown the door and evicted by a half-naked girl who promptly went back to sleep. Lagina quietly got up and closed the entrance to the tent so no one else would go needlessly getting assaulted by a woman who could easily verifiable beat them all in her sleep.

“I heard about the bear.”

Lahahana said as he arrived with the beast over his shoulder.

“Is Mia going to be ok?”

Before they could respond a shoe was tossed from the tent into his face with pinpoint accuracy knocking him off his feet. Lagina whispered to him.

“I think that’s a yes.”