CHAPTER 80: A BRIEF REST
The fire was still burning and the smell of scorched flesh and earth spread through the fort, which was still silent after the bird retreated.
“...”
The trail of fire left by Zhar-Ptitsa was in sight, and some were still watching it.
Aurora relaxed her expression and put away the sword she had drawn at some point without her noticing.
“Who was it that said our group was prepared to ‘siege’ an SS Rank creature?” Vazquez asked in an entertaining and amused tone.
The pallor and sweat down his face, let it be seen how fearful he was at the shocking encounter they had just had.
“My bad. Beers on me when we get to Zerzura,” replied the adventurer who had spoken the day they set out, and all met.
“You’d better and no regrets. Zerzura soldiers are good drinkers!” A soldier exclaimed in an animated tone.
Comments rippled with laughter, trying to relax from what they had encountered.
Aurora relaxed her tensed body as she watched the paladins finish the creatures inside the barrier.
Looking at the fire that still burned burning the bodies, she finally sighed.
“Perhaps the Zhar-Ptitsa created this horde to sweep it away and stabilize their domain,” Aurora murmured calmly, analyzing the situation.
The horde came from quite far away and if there wasn’t someone pushing for it to arrive fearfully to this place, it would have split up quite some time ago because of the chaos that would occur.
—Maybe he didn’t want to risk burning down the forests and that was why he was luring them to an area like this.
Her system gave its own hypothesis, and Aurora nodded in agreement.
After all, right now she was looking at the forest on the other side of the fifty meters that was completely unharmed.
If that was so, then it meant that the Zhar-Ptitsa had been waiting for them to retreat to act.
“I appreciate he helped us and we are allies, but... Why wasn’t he more considerate?” Liam asked, looking at the burned corpses.
Hundreds of bodies were completely charred, ruined materials and magic cores.
“Tch. Just shut up. It was too considerate!” Akira interrupted as he descended and reveals that the fort wall was unscathed.
Aurora nodded at Akira’s clarification.
The Zhar-Ptitsa had controlled their fire so much that the forest and the fort’s wall were undamaged, much less they who were completely unharmed.
“We just lost a few hundred thousand dollars, maybe millions. With that money, I could buy myself some new drones.” Liam muttered with a sigh as he shook his head.
Aurora looked at him strangely.
It was true that the money was useful, as they had spent quite a bit with the mines, scrolls, and the psionic artifact, but that was all part of the mission budget.
Besides, Liam had another job where he was making more money than he could get from these jobs.
Adding that his budget as a member of the mercenary group was quite high, he came off as greedy and a drone fanatic.
“We still have the corpses in the forest. If you’re not tired, take a group and bring the bodies,” Aurora said and looking at the soldiers, adventurers, and the students who had thrown themselves on the ground exhausted, she reported. “We will leave tomorrow. You can take a break for today.”
A few relieved sighs and exhausted exclamations were heard, which were combined with animated expressions.
Such an atmosphere led to Aurora giving a wicked grin.
“First, we have to clean up the area before nightfall,” Aurora added, and ignored the involuntary groans of the defense forces.
Aurora would not waste materials no matter how bad a state they were in.
Everything would do and she was sure that when all the wealth was calculated, the members of the caravan could take a few tens of thousands each, maybe more depending on the state of what they got.
After all, a Rank A beast could be worth up to a million dollars, and here, albeit damaged, were a couple of them.
Musing on the subject, Aurora noticed the look on Alice’s face, who had already opened her bag of chips hungrily, perhaps from the smell of roasted meat.
“Do you want to choose what we’re having for dinner?” Aurora asked with a smile, pointing all over the burnt field and beyond.
As someone who had a gluttonous friend and hired her out, paying with food, Aurora was someone who was good at cooking and could prepare several dishes.
If they looked hard enough, maybe they could find their dinner in that crowd of corpses.
“I hope you don’t regret it,” Alice replied, eating her chips leisurely.
Aurora gave smiled.
Her sister had put in quite a bit of effort, so it was okay to repay her with a sumptuous dinner.
******
A strange scene stopped Nicole and Andrés.
“I don’t know about you, but wild boar is my favorite!” said one adventurer as he thoroughly roasted a wild boar alongside the refugees.
Throughout the camp and the dozens of self-set-up tents, adventurers, soldiers, mercenaries and paladins stood preparing different dishes of food alongside the refugees.
The meat of the magical creatures differed from a common animal, as the magical energy gave it a unique taste.
A boar with an affinity to the fire attribute tasted different from a boar with a water attribute.
Perhaps those present were not expert gastronomes, but some of them were players who went to Terra nova and ventured through inhospitable areas eating all kinds of creatures.
However, for Nicole and Andrés watching the scene, it was strange.
It wasn’t about the wild boar roasting that was browning with some kind of sauce, but...
“I like wolf meat. Although tough, it’s delicious.” Commented a slightly older adventurer.
“You have strange tastes. I appreciate you found a deer, that’s a normal thing.” Another younger adventurer pointed out.
“Strange tastes? The guys over there are eating elephant meat, a hippo, and snake meat!” replied the older adventurer, pointing to the campfire some distance away and...
“Once you’ve tasted goblin meat, you’ll realize that everything else tastes good!” shouted an adventurer from the other group.
Nicole and Andrés looked at each other without containing their strangeness, and before the adventurers invited them to try those foods, they made their way to the main tent.
There were no races like goblins or other such creatures in this world, but they weren’t willing to try such ‘exotic’ foods and they wouldn’t risk their taste buds for the possibility that it tasted good.
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Drones flew overhead patrolling the area as everyone felt the slightly lively atmosphere.
“It feels like being at summer camp. It’s amazing that we actually find ourselves in the magical forest.” Andrés commented with a sigh.
Nicole nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere was lively, while there was no beer and no alcoholic beverages, many meals were being prepared with the flesh of the magical beasts they killed.
Campfires where refugees, adventurers, militiamen, or mercenaries were gathering, tasting different dishes, and telling different stories.
“I think everyone wants this kind of atmosphere and more so when we have faced that great horde,” Nicole said and, without holding back her smile, she murmured. “Besides, I’m sure we’ll make a few tens of thousands of dollars even though the S Ranks did most of the work.”
This sumptuous dinner was a reward for defeating the horde, and it was only natural for them to enjoy it when they had fought hard to protect themselves.
Although Akira and Liam did most of the work defeating the strongest A-rank creatures, they all did their best to defend themselves.
That there were only injuries, and no casualties, was proof of the caravan’s effort.
For such reasons, they also accepted that the money they were to earn from selling the horde’s corpses would be distributed in equal portions.
Included among those individuals were the mercenaries and militiamen who stayed behind protecting the refugees while the major force engaged the horde.
“I see it as an excellent tactic. Aurora has now united the entire caravan, and even though we’re in an area like this, everyone actually feels more encouraged and motivated to get to Zerzura.” Andrés pointed out carefully.
Perhaps no one would be upset if only the top contributors took most of the profits, but benefiting those who helped with other tasks was an extra and well-accepted reward.
Getting the militiamen to appreciate this gesture and become more attached to the caravan, while making them more willing to defend the caravan as a group, facing the magical forest together.
And above all, it was giving hope to the refugees about Zerzura, and the best way to do that was to show what the citizens who lived there and were now protecting them were like.
“It should also be added that the entire primary force are volunteers. I’m sure they’re not here for just money,” Nicole commented and seeing Andrés looking at him curiously, she murmured. “There are important people in the caravan. Cardinal Brousseau, who represents the Church of Time and Space in Zerzura and is a heavyweight, Captain Sadiya, who represents the military, and Vazquez. Who looks normal, but all the adventurers respect them and I guess he represents the ‘Orisha Oko’.”
Those who offered to carry out this mission were volunteers who were not present for the money and wealth.
However, it didn’t mean that there weren’t other interests at stake, such an idea was giving Nicole and....
“That’s a perfect analysis.” A voice echoed at the duo’s back and when they both turned around, they widened their eyes in surprise as they realized that Cardinal Brousseau was behind them.
“Analyzing the environment, interests, and influences must be a quality you must develop,” Cardinal Brousseau said and with a smile, she added. “At least, if you don’t want to be used by third-party interests.”
The mission had a laudable goal and although the members gave their best to succeed; it did not mean that everyone did it out of a desire to help.
It was necessary to differentiate the objective of the work from the desire of the individual and not naively think that everyone wanted to help.
It was for such reasons that both Nicole and Andrés nodded.
Being young did not mean they were naïve.
“Let’s go. Aurora must be waiting for us.” Cardinal Brousseau said as at her back was Vanessa who had a smile on her face.
The group advanced towards the larger tent that was set up near the bridge.
As they approached, they could smell a mild aroma that whetted everyone’s appetite and then they noticed how Aurora was grilling some cuts of meat on the coals next to Santiago.
An exquisite and enticing aroma it made anyone who sensed it hungry.
“Welcome!” Aurora exclaimed upon seeing the group and with a smile, she pointed to the tent and commented. “If you know how to cook, I’ll need your help.”
The group looked at each other, and the four helped.
The tent differed greatly from the main tent they used as a command center.
Nicole and Andrés did not hide their surprise.
“Enchanted with space magic, it increases its interior size and allows us to have a more comfortable life. Kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom, all equipped.” Aurora explained as she looked at the group who were amazed.
The tent looked like the inside of a house only with wooden walls and could also be seen to be quite large like an average apartment for two people.
The tents and tents of the refugees and adventurers were quite acceptable allowing a small group to rest, however, it was not enchanted with space magic.
Magical development had reached the point where mages were able to fit an apartment into a tent and in a way, it was quite normal when one thought of Terra nova, there were entire castles hidden in a small hut.
The only difference was that on Terra nova there were powerful experts, able to manipulate space at will, and such space constructions were rare.
Very different from Earth where not only had magical experts but advanced technology, which allowed earthlings to build these places to make life easier.
In the main room, there was a large table and on it were, Akira and Alice eating different appetizers.
“Akira is not a good cook and Alice can’t cook,” Aeko explained as she invited Vanessa, Nicole, and Andrés into the kitchen.
Nicole’s expression quivered a little as she realized that those two women did not deny the accusations.
When the group entered the living room, they noticed that the kitchen was slightly smaller in size than the dining room and was fully equipped with magical items.
In it was working Shao Ya and Aurora who rejoined, preparing some appetizers and different dishes for the diners.
Both showed excellent cooking skills and divided the tasks, trying not to disturb each other.
Watching Aurora check the dish in the oven, take out ingredients from her space ring, and cut them to add to the cooking, was as unique as Shao Ya’s movements.
What stood out was that they both loved to cook and the enthusiasm they put into their dish, pushed Nicole, Andrés and Vanessa to offer a hand, each where they had the most experience.
A modern and magical kitchen, different dishes, and multiple people in the place laughing animated by the atmosphere led Nicole to forget for a second that she was in the magical forest.
It was when Clémentine, Érica, and Liam returned using the bracelet to move that she realized she was still on a mission.
Érica and Clémentine passed the artifacts to Akira and Alice who were bored at the table.
“Those who know how to cook help, but the others have to do guard and patrol work,” Shao Ya revealed and with a smile, pointing to the drinks, added. “It’s normal for them to help where they can.”
They had finished cleaning up the creatures and collecting the corpses, quite early which made them able to make the meal at ease.
Dividing roles was the best way to work and the good thing was that the guards were not as frequent, as they expected, since they were not the only ones working.
Laughter and conversations of all kinds could be heard from the tent.
It was weird when one thought they were in the middle of the magical forest, surrounded by trees, darkness, and probably creatures, even so, the students got used to it as they realized that their elders, showed calmness.
Some might think they were relaxing too much, however, they were not the only ones standing guard and as if that wasn’t enough, the drones were acting as a surveillance system.
After setting the table, they met with the whole group from Akira’s team members, Aurora, Liam, and Cardinal Brousseau with Vanessa, who was in practice as well as the group of students.
Sometimes a couple of them would leave the table to take care of some creatures the drones detected and return within minutes, continuing with their talk and dinner.
The conversation turned to the students’ first time facing a large horde.
Their own impressions of the battle and what the students found most difficult.
Nicole was honest and so were the others, expressing the nervousness and tension of the moment.
Receiving good comments on their performances, showing that either Aurora’s group or Akira, they paid attention to them.
Most of the main forces were volunteers with enough experience to be called veterans and the best part was that the student group’s performance was no slouch in this battle.
Showing their talents, ability to adapt, and their quick learning in this battle.
Nicole was sure that it was thanks to the daily missions that they were able to endure so much and by the looks of their classmates, it was likely that they thought the same.
After dinner, Aurora tapped her glass letting out a clink, which attracted the attention of those present seated at the long table they set up outdoors.
“I’d like to congratulate you, but this is just getting started and the journey is quite long,” Aurora said with a serious tone, and looking at the group of students, she commented. “However, you have worked very well so far, I hope you will continue the same.”
“We will try our best!”
Such a response was given by Nicole and her group, along with Vanessa who was no slouch in her enthusiasm.
They had a long journey ahead of them and there was still much of the magical forest to cover.
It was good to relax momentarily now, however, they were not to let their guard down, at least not until they reached Wau, the place they had started from.
******
In the middle of the forest, a large portal trembled as hundreds of feline creatures began to emerge one after another.
The overflow caused by the temporary dungeon sent the creatures into a frenzy seeking escape as their nature flared.
A temporary dungeon just trapped the creatures inside and that was it.
If the dense magical energy gave birth to a wild creature that was guided by its instinct, then the temporary dungeon would gather all those creatures together holding them captive.
Once they came out they would have all their instincts dormant and would be in a frenzy, but this situation was different.
The hundreds of creatures that came out giving freedom to their frenzied state, could not release their nature, due to the pressure they were instinctively subjected to.
Like an adult meeting a child... Only that adult was a ruthless killer who gave the feeling that he could cause a carnage.
The creatures just out of captivity found themselves in that situation and all because of the magical beast that was at the front of the portal.
A large feline, three meters tall and four meters long with a strong body, full of muscles.
The protruding fangs had a dark hue while its surroundings contorted as if it were a small abyss.
Beside him were different magical beasts in submission as if that big cat was the king.
The creatures that came out were also beginning to act in submission before that tyrant... Before the Smilodon Fatalis.
And as the creatures began to lower their heads before that fierce tyrant, the Smilodon Fatalis revealed its teeth like a smile as it looked at the army of beast under its command.
“I will avenge my son.”
His gravelly voice revealed his deep rancor.