Sometime later at the camp grounds, up in the newly built observer tower a soldier spotted a huge creature walking towards their direction.

“Monster a—!”

His voice was cut short when someone tap his shoulder he hurriedly turn to look at his friend.

“Look carefully their are humans in there.”

His friend whose eyes much sharper than him pointed back towards the monster.

He squinted and truly saw people relaxing there, without his friend's help being reprimanded by their captain was the best punishment aside from being beaten up by those who he disturbed, the soldier heaved a heavy sigh.

Back at the bear Damian whose sipping his tea asked, “Did we not get spotted?”

“Yes, one of them even about to call for emergency!” Ezekiel laugh.

“Then why's there no noise coming from the city?”

“Well he was stopped by his colleague.”

“Tsk, and here I thought that we would be welcomed by awes.”

“How fast they worked, they already built a wall!” Kyrille was amazed. “It truly became a town.”

While they were chatting the servant continued to move forward, those mercenaries that saw it made their way while trembling, it only stopped before the wooden wall that only taller than the bear by a few meter.

Lance jumped down and asked a soldier manning the gate, “Where can we sell our loots?”

“T-there.” The soldier hurriedly pointed towards the side where there's a free open space, “Just put your loots there, I will call for the appraise!.” The man hurriedly went and call one, not daring to stay there for a second.

The camp base was wide but not enough to count all huge monsters in their cart, usually the mercenaries would dismantle the carcass of the monster they killed and only took the valuable parts of the creature so that they could hunt more.

Meanwhile those who did not now how to properly do the dismemberment came here with their prey, the smallest could be process outside but for the giant ones they are could only be first appraised then they would but it to the mercenaries, next depending on the creature it would be either be bought whole by merchants who came here after smelling business or it would be dismantled here separated by their fur, carapaces, or meat.

Everyone jumped off the bear after their talks, then Ellena spread the black fog around it when it vanished only the cart and Ellena whose falling the sky was left, she was then catched by one of her servants, but, the hood that seemed to be glued at her head flew back, it showed the group a little girl's face not younger than 12, her shoulder length silky black hair and dark blue pupils, if not for the dark circle under her eyes others could only saw her as an innocent child.

“Cute.” Kyrille muttered, trying her best not to jump towards Ellena to hug her.

When the witch heard that she hurriedly made the servant put her down while she covered her blushing cheeks with her hood once more hiding her face from the.

“The empire should perish for punishing a child!” Damian cursed.

“She should be an adult from the files I was given.” Lance said, he had a rare confused expression on his face.

Stolen story; please report.

“Adult? Like 15?”

“No, it was 20.” he informed them seriously.

“Then maybe the empire made it all up?” Ezekiel questioned, this was not that strange thing for them to do.

“Its true.” The tiny voice of Ellena sounded under the shadow of her, her hands hugged a teddy bear that resembled their mount before.

“You're are twenty?” Damian asked making her nod.

“She is older than me!” Kyrille lamented.

“Then why do you look like this?” Ezekiel asked, someone who had an adolescent child looks.

She hesitated for a moment before she opened her mouth, “Malnutrition.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

The world was truly magical.

While they are talking the Old man, Tron, and Heretic finished unloading the cart with the help of few golems and servants.

Just in time for them to lay down all the carcasses someone that would appraise their loots came out the gate, when the man saw the dead monsters lined up he immediately started his job.

After a while he went towards Lance and listed out their loots to him, “There are 11 Snake monkeys, 16 bullhounds....” then when he finished writing something down, he shown it to Lance, who gave the parchment back after he meticulously checked the calculation there.

“Alright.”

“Here sir, you can show it at the person in charge.”

The man then wrote his sign on the parchment before giving it back to him.

Lance send off the appraiser before looking at the group.

“You can do your own thing, but someone send him in his tent first.”

“Alright you do it young miss, bye.” Damian went and entered pass the gate leaving towards somewhere.

The rest too bid their farewells and left behind the two.

“Why me!?” Kyrille complained but she got no any reply back from any of them, she grumbled for a while before she carried him to her back to deliver the fatigued young man to where he could sleep more comfortably.

…

In the morning after he waked up, what greeted Alexis first was his sore muscles followed by his empty stomach only when it churned for the third time did he braced himself to stand up then he walked towards the entrance of his tent.

What welcomed him next was the mellow light coming from the newly risen sun.

“Good morning lil' Alexis.” Heretic greeted him.

When the young man shifted his head towards the table he saw to old men sip their early morning tea.

“Good morning.” he greeted back while walking towards one of the chairs next to the end of the long table.

“Are you're body alright young man?” Old Man asked when he saw the sight of him struggling with his steps.

Alexis heaved a sigh after taking his seat. “I have soreness all over my—”

Growl~

His complaining stomach called out loud for the fourth time cutting off the rest of his words.

“Hahaha.” The both men chuckled at him when they heard that sound.

Alexis was about to blush in shame when he smell something good coming towards the side, he saw Tron walked towards them before laying down the plate and bowl he carried in front of Alexis.

“Eat, call me if you needed more.” after he said that he walked back to the place where he was cooking.

Alexis forgot to thank him when he saw the glistening meat in front of him and a bowl of soup with some meat and different vegetables floating in it. “Thanks!” he hurriedly shouted towards the big man before taking his cutleries planning on wolfing down the meat first.

“You best to do it slowly.” Heretic reminded him before he could fork out the meat.

Alexis nodded and did not question it, the older one are the wiser they are, he took a spoon full of steaming soup and blew it first before he put into his mouth, the taste made his stomach yearned for more as it hurried him with another growl.

Alexis spoon scooped the soup faster and faster until none of it left he then eyed the meat in front of him and took a bite after forking some, hunger truly is the best spice even the barely cured meat tasted heavenly to Alexis, after he finished all of it he hurriedly called for seconds it was not until the third that he's stomach was both bloating and satisfied.

“Looks like you are truly hungry.” Old Man commented.

“Yes, yesterday was tough.”

“Haha, that little captain roughen you too much.”

“And...there still a test.” Alexis sighed in his heart when he remembered it, how much worse would it be, he wondered.

Suddenly a voiced intrude through their conversation, “That's right it was just a warm up if we are lucky the test might be over today.”

Everyone looked over towards Lance who just exited his tent.

“Good morning Sir!” Alexis greeted him only to received a nod.

Lance took his seat and started to eat after his food was brought over by Tron, while he was eating others started to wake up and after he finished his meal he told them, “After you finished eating armed yourselves and prepare to head out.”

“But its too early!” Damian complained, his hand massage his temples.

“The earlier the better, today we're going to climb up the mountain you don't want to do it at noon don't you?”

“Tsk, my head is still aching.”

“Its not my problem, you get that after spending whole night drinking.”

The rest continued their feast while Damian grumbled until his hangover lessened.